The Wolf's Pursuit(27)

"Stop," she said breathlessly.

Hunter released her. They simultaneously stepped back from one another.

"I've been very… er…"

"I think the word you are looking for is bad. You've been very bad, and clearly you're losing your mind."

"That, too." Hunter ran a hand through his hair. "The thing is…" He paced in front of her. "I cannot just have one taste. The more I taste, the more I want."

"And when did you first realize you had a drinking problem?"

Hunter's head snapped up. He rolled his eyes. "If only it were a problem that could be solved with drink."

"Am I the problem?" Gwen asked as she clenched her dress between her hands. Unable to trust herself to keep from touching him if her hands were not occupied. He was too beautiful. Firelight danced off his high cheekbones and his eyes. Those eyes that women nearly fainted over. Golden brown eyes stared back at her through dark sooty lashes. A woman could experience the greatest of pleasure if only she looked into his eyes. For his gaze was like a physical caress.

"Yes."

"Pardon?"

"You asked if you were the problem, and you are. Now that I've had a taste, I do not think I can keep myself from hunting you."

Gwen noted the seriousness in his voice. "Are you sure you have good enough equipment to engage in such a hunt? We wouldn't want you to… misfire."

Hunter groaned.

Gwen smiled. "Yes, I believe it is my turn to torture you. Take a good hard look, Hunter."

His eyes scanned her hungrily from head to toe. She took a step toward him and grabbed his hand, placing it on her shoulder and running it down her chest.

"You have not earned the right, the privilege, the honor, to touch me. Next time you do so without permission, I will throw my knife, and believe me, it will be right on target."

He squinted his eyes. "Do you truly think you are strong enough to withstand temptation?"

"Who says I'm tempted?"

"Your eyes betray you."

"Funny." Gwen leaned in and whispered, "I was just going to say the same thing about you." She turned to walk toward the door until she felt Hunter's hand tug her arm. Without thinking, she whipped around and punched him in the nose.

Hunter fell to the floor and cursed.

"Good night, Wolf."

"Red," he grumbled from the floor, but this time he did not chase after her.





Chapter Ten





Red—

Use my imagination? Surely I did not read that correctly! For you to give my mind free rein when it comes to you, sweetheart? Well, let us just say that is a dangerous game to play. Guess what I'm imagining right now…

—Wolf





Hunter woke the following day with a pounding headache. Most likely from the bottle of brandy needed to numb the pain from the night previous.

He quickly rang for his valet and joined everyone for breakfast.

Every bone in his body felt stiff and his muscles sore. The last thing he wanted to do today was see Gwen, but he needed to be among her admirers. Chances were, if they knew the right hook she packed, they wouldn't go anywhere near her house.

Stupid wench. A blasted broken nose! How the devil was he to explain that?

"Got in a fight, did you?" Dominique said upon entering the dining room and examining Hunter's face.

"Yes. A large fellow was upset with me."

Isabelle waltzed into the room, only overhearing the last part. "What did he do, punch you?" Her eyes fell to Hunter's nose. "Oh my! Does it hurt?"

Hunter grinned. "Terribly so."

"You poor, poor man! Who would do this to you?"

"A beast of a man with a good right hook," Hunter lied, and turned his gaze upon Isabelle. "It hurts very much."

"No." Dominique shook his head and yelled louder. "Hunter, my wife will not nurse you back to health, you fool. Now sit down before I give you another reason to be howling with pain."

Smirking, Hunter walked to his seat.

The butler announced another guest but Hunter ignored his presence, mainly because the throbbing behind his nose was so intense, he wanted to drown in a bottle of brandy.

"I hope I'm not too late!" Gwen announced.

Coffee spewed out of Hunter's mouth, landing directly on Dominique's face.

"Please excuse Hunter," Dominique said, wiping remnants of coffee from his face. "It seems he was in a fight with a large man last night and has yet to recover his senses."

Hunter groaned aloud.

Isabelle sighed. "Oh, it must pain you so much!"

He prayed the ground would swallow him whole.

Gwen gave him a saucy grin. "My, my, that bruised quite nicely. How tragic that you look less handsome this morning than you did last night. How big was the man, did you say?"