Page 3 of An Earl's Bet
Hugo longed for thefreedom with which Earnest lived his life.Imagine saying such things—inviting an illegal act—without any care in the world.Hugo shouldn’t even be here with the soft candlelight casting shadows on Earnest’s handsome face.He placed the candle on the small bedside table, making sure it was exactly in the middle of the surface so it wouldn’t catch on any of the surroundings.It provided only a temporary distraction from the temptation of Earnest, who was beyond what Hugo had the willpower to resist.A Lord has a duty to the title to marry an eligible young lady.
“Why are you not kissing me already?Stop asking boring questions and kiss me.”
If only he could.If he were a different person with a different upbringing and no responsibilities, then he could kiss Earnest and thread his fingers through Earnest’s sandy blonde hair.He wanted to kiss Earnest’s eyelids, to touch him everywhere, but it was against the rules.
No son of mine would dare be a molly.
And the one time he’d broken that rule—the one time he’d dared—afterwards, his skin had become too tight with tension building and building.He’d sent Earnest away as he awaited his punishment, not wanting Earnest to know the truth about his life.A little voice whispered that he hadn’t wanted Earnest to get hurt with a punishment too, but that couldn’t be right because that would mean ...something he didn’t want to think about.
“Earnest.You know I can’t.”
“You can.You are an Earl.You can, quite literally, do anything you want.”
Hugo was rock hard—his body wanted Earnest’s words to be true—and he wished he could adjust his pants so Earnest wouldn’t notice, but of course, he didn’t move because any movement would make it obvious.The night hid his sins, for now, concealing those secret desires that his father had tried to beat out of him.
“There is an etiquette, Earnest.I’m not going to get into bed with a guest without his permission.”It wasn’t the real reason, but it would have to do because he wasn’t going to demean himself with the truth; that he didn’t have the willpower to be who he was supposed to be.
“I give you permission now.”Earnest’s voice was rough, reminding Hugo of the way it had sounded after he’d fucked his throat, and he couldn’t ignore the shiver that galloped up and down his spine.
“You want me to get into bed with you?”
“Sure.We are so good together.We shouldn’t waste this opportunity.”Earnest was so casual, so relaxed about this, everything that Hugo wasn’t and couldn’t be.
“I can’t.”Hugo needed the reminder that this didn’t mean anything to Earnest.It was just a piece of fun for him, which shouldn’t be so appealing.Damn it.He yearned to live his life with such freedom, and to not have to check over his shoulder for the looming presence of his father, just in case, before he did anything.
“Bosh.You are a Lord.I bet you could literally do anything, and no one would blink an eyelid at you.”
“You already said that.”
“Oh, now I’m the boring one?”
“I prefer to adhere to etiquette.”Hugo breathed out, slowly remembering that his father had been dead for seven years and five months now.Any punishment wasn’t going to happen.Not anymore.Even after so many years, the fact that he couldn’t do anything without worrying about what might happen, was the worst part.Earnest was correct.Hugo was the Earl now.He could ...be with Earnest if he wished, for the night at least, without worrying that he was going suffer through his father’s latest version of making a man of him.Never mind that if he gave into temptation, he might never stop wanting, and then what?A pillow bounced off him and he flinched.Had Earnest just thrown a pillow at him?
“Don’t be so boring.”
“I like boring.”
“Why?”Earnest sat up and spread his arms wide, and the blankets slipped down to his waist.Having his ‘guest’ exposed like this was too much.“Did you throw me out because I’m not boring?”
Hugo stiffened, his whole body going rigid.“There are rules around elicit affairs among the ton, and none of them include having you stay in my house.I can’t believe you stayed on my lawn where everyone could see you.”
“I think you’ll find that the rules of the peerage don’t apply to me.”Earnest was barely visible in the dim light of one candle, and yet he was so beautiful with the flickering light cast across his bare chest.All those muscles and hollows and shadows and promises...
“No?”Hugo fought against the ugly voice in his head that he really shouldn’t be standing here with Earnest in his bed, naked from the waist up.A rush of heat enveloped him.Was Earnest completely naked?In his bed?Oh God.Thinking of that was too much.His heart was beating far too fast.
He changed the subject.“Why didn’t I know you were knighted?When was it?”
“Forever ago.It must be coming up eight years now.Why don’t you know that?”
“Eight years ago?”Hugo did a quick calculation; he’d been twenty-two and in Italy without any English newspapers.
“Yes.It was in all the papers.”Earnest frowned, and Hugo wondered if he was insulted that he didn’t know about his knighthood.Hugo had assumed Earnest was a baron because he acted without a care in the world.The freedom in Earnest’s decisions was something Hugo craved.He could never.Rules had to be followed to prevent consequences.
“I was travelling then.”He blinked, staring into the dark, staring anywhere but Earnest’s naked chest with his perfect amount of chest hair, a slightly darker blond than on his head.Hugo’s brain unhelpfully provided him with the memory of the rest of Earnest’s body all the way down to where Earnest’s cock jutted out, beckoning him.Not tonight.Tonight it was covered by blankets.What a shame.No, he meant, thank Christ because he’d damned well explode if he saw the beckoning beauty of Earnest’s cock.He’d wanted to taste it, like Earnest had done to him, but he had been too embarrassed to ask.Unable to break one of society’s rules with real words.He gulped.
“And you didn’t get the news?”
“No.”Hugo blinked, trying to remember what they’d been talking about.What news?Oh, the knighthood.Hmmm.