And under her gaze, it lengthened and grew fat. Her mouth fell opened and a very embarrassing squeak emitted from Juliana.
“My good man, I am frightfully curious about the blush reddening your cheeks,” the earl said with mild amusement in his tone.
Oh!
Her gaze snapped up. The handsome lines of the earl’s face were heightened by an expression she had never seen on another. It was intense…and caused her belly to get even hotter. She clasped her cheeks, finding them frightfully heated. Too rattled to proffer any reply, she grabbed the towel through over the screen and flung it at him. Then Juliana whirled around and fled from his chamber as if the devil chased her.
Closing the door with a much too hard slam, she leaned against it, her chest lifting with her harsh breathing. Juliana stiffened, wondering if that very sensual and amused laughter from inside the chamber was her imagination.
Good heavens, what does this mean?
Nothing, she scolded herself fiercely.
It was customary for a valet to assist his master in a bath. It was also expected for the valet to towel dry his master if required.
But it is not normal to run away like a frightened rabbit at the sight of a naked man!
She smoothed her features, drawing upon all her resolve to not betray her thoughts or feelings. Reaching deep inside for equanimity, Juliana opened the door and entered the earl’s chamber. He had withdrawn from his bath chamber to his sleeping quarters, and the dratted man was still naked! He was slowly toweling his hair, the muscles of his shoulder rippling and twisting.
He turned, an expression of surprise and then admiration lit in his eyes.
“You came back.”
“Yes, of course, my lord.”
His lips twitched, and his brown eyes grew warm. “I thought you would have run all the way to London, my good lad.”
He is still calling me, ‘good lad.’ That was most certainly a good sign. Her shoulders relaxed, and the tight feeling in her belly eased.
“I could only get rid of the bug outside, my lord.”
“Ah, it was a bug?”
She lifted her chin. “Of course, why did you think I dashed out so hurriedly.”
He arched a brow and looked like he was suppressing laughter. “And what kind was it?”
Annoyed, she briskly said, “I didn’t look once I got the critter out of my pants.”
The earl laughed, the sound low, husky, and very devilish.
Juliana offered him a bland, and hopefully, professional smile. “I shall dry your back and shoulders if you still wish it, my lord.”
“How composed you are,” he murmured provokingly. “I believe I have the matter in hand.”
Relief swelled inside, but she did her best to not reveal that reaction. “Of course, I will layout your clothes for the day.”
Her stomach chose the moment to grumbled embarrassingly.
“It is already late. Go and break your fast.”
She hesitated, tempted to stay, and insist on completing her duties, but also understood a lifeline when she saw one. “Since I am not needed, I shall go and have something to eat, my lord.”
She bowed and withdrew from the earl’s chambers, careful not to appear jittery despite the wild thumping of her heart and her trembling knees.
Chapter 6
His valet really might be a young lady.
On the heels of the very thought, Wentworth’s cock surge to life with maddening eagerness. With a silent curse, he tugged on his banyan, uncaring he soaked the material. Wentworth took a few steps toward his door and had to forcefully halt himself. It was madness to even think to chase his servant and question him...her.
He scrubbed a hand over his face. What would he say? Accuse the man of being a lady in disguise? Wentworth had nothing to go on but a few delightful blushes and the raw desire that had flickered in those lovely eyes just now.
In his thoughts, he could no longer think of Julian as a male. It just did not correspond with his visceral desires and imaginations.
Do not be so quick to prove your theory, he silently reminded himself.
What if his valet was still a lad in the throes of first passion? Bloody hell! Calming his thoughts, he went over to the writing desk in his room and retrieved his journal.
Journal Entry Two
Wentworth stared at the words he wrote, wondering exactly what he should record. The first phase of his experiment had gone really well, and he was fifty percent certain his valet was a lady. When Julian had first run away, Wentworth’s certainty had been like an uncrushable rock, but the