Page 3 of Hot and Bothered in July
Curious as to the sudden interest of his friends, Reed looked toward the pond where their focus had landed and—paused. Three women in fashionable attire were huddled together, the joy upon their collective faces rivaling the sun overhead with the brilliance of it.
It was as if the trio were cut from a similar cloth, and yet, they each had their own unique awareness. The red-haired lady wore a gown of light green and a straw bonnet that did little to hide the satisfaction blossoming on her face. It was as if she had accomplished some great triumph. The fair-haired woman was in blue and appeared fascinated with everything around her, her mouth expressing a slight oval.
However, it was the vixen with the mahogany hair in a pale pink gown that drew his particular notice. She had a similar expression to that of her companions, but there was something altered on her expression as she viewed the swimming hole. It was as if she had found her true purpose in life at last. It was a mixture of determination and excitement, traits that had melded from each of her friends and swirled into one perfect example of femininity. It did not hurt matters that she was rather accommodating to look at either.
“I feel as though it is our duty to make our presence known and ensure they feel welcome.”
Reed rolled his eyes at James, who was now fully awake, his focus similar to that of a predator on the hunt for fresh prey. “Just remember to keep your cock in your pants,” he drawled. “We do not need our names plastered in that ridiculous scandal rag.”
“The Belle only chooses men of elevated rank, does she not?” Henry said in an aside.
“No,” Reed clarified, although he was ignored. The three men at his side were already getting to their feet and straightening the cuffs of their shirts. He remained where he was, quite comfortable to continue observing. It wasn’t as though he lacked for female companionship. He had a particular favorite at the local brothel that he frequented.
He had no need to meet anyone new.
Chapter Two
“I thinksomeone is heading this way!” Ava whispered urgently.
Sariah told herself not to look in the direction Ava’s gaze had wandered, but she could not resist the temptation to do so. She turned her head and indeed, it did seem as though three gentlemen were striding in their direction. They seemed handsome enough and certainly carried themselves with enough arrogance to fill a London ballroom, but it was their lax state of dress that made her brow lift curiously. They were completely at ease, unconcerned that they were not completely presentable to approach a lady.
She wanted to applaud their daring, but her focus found itself drifting past the trio and rising farther along the embankment.
That was where her gaze finally paused.
Thisman was not like the others. He held himself aloof, choosing to remain as a lone wolf among the rest of his pack. She was curious why that was, because something told her that his heart was not otherwise engaged, and likely never would be. His light hair was tousled in the mild wind and he lounged upon the grass as if he were posing for an illicit portrait. He was toofar away for her to see much about his expression, but something told her he was unamused with the day, more concerned about his own personal desires than anything that might be taking place around him. He was like a fallen angel, descended upon the earth for a brief time, allowing his magnificence to touch those around him.
Very interesting, indeed.
“Delightful day for a swim, is it not?”
Sariah barely engaged with what one of the men said as the trio finally reached them. She was too intent on finding a way to approach the enigmatic Adonis resting on his palace of nature. “Excuse me,” she murmured, not bothering to wonder if she had interrupted anyone or not as she disengaged herself from the rest of her group and headed for the pond.
There was starting to be quite a crowd gathering to enjoy the refreshing water and Sariah yearned to join in the merriment. But first, she had a Greek God to conquer.
She was careful to make her way around the water’s edge and act as though she had no particular destination in mind, while edging steadily closer to her Adonis. She dared not lift her gaze and make direct eye contact for he would surely see through her intent. She must take it slow and easy, for although he appeared calm and composed, she was not naïve enough to believe that he wasn’t a dangerous threat.
Thankfully, she appreciated a good risk. It was the main reason she was there after all.
Unable to withstand the suspense any longer, Sariah finally glanced up and met the eyes of her quarry.
His focus was riveted on her.
She sucked in a breath, feeling as though her stays were suddenly too constricting.
“Look out!”
The warning came a split second too late.
Sariah turned her head toward the cautionary just as a young man came barreling in her direction. He was running backwards at a full hilt, attempting to catch a ball flying through the air. But neither of them was prepared for the abrupt collision. They collided in an uncomfortable tangle, and while the assailant appeared to recover himself just in time, Sariah was not so fortunate. Thrown off balance, she fell backward into the pond with a large splash, the water closing in on her from all sides.
Sariah tried not to panic as she struggled to gain her footing beneath her. She had heard that the pond wasn’t particularly deep but neither did she account for the hindrance of skirts with extra material bunching about her legs and making it difficult to tread water. Adding to that, her insistence that her maid should lace her stays tighter than usual, suddenly made it harder to breathe.
This could turn out to be a rather different day than she’d originally planned.
Quite despairing, indeed.
Struggling to remain calm and not panic, Sariah realized that she was beginning to fight a losing battle. There were too many obstacles working against her. She sliced her arms through the water, thinking that she could possibly just swim to a shallower section, but that was proving to be an impossible feat.
