A Heated Encounter of Desires (Preview)

Chapter One

“You’re looking rather lonely, my Lady?”

Grace turned, and found herself face to face with a broad chest. She looked up and saw the gentleman towering over her, a glass in each hand. He gave her a lopsided smile. Grace wanted to be left alone for the moment; she didn’t want to talk to anyone just yet. She gave him a curt nod.

“Sir. Are you planning on drinking both of those? Or are you holding those as a new style?”

His eyebrow arched, and he looked bemused.

“I actually saw a beautiful young lady on her own, and I thought she might want a drink.”

“I don’t actually want a drink.”

“Humour me.” He held out a glass. “You can’t possibly expect me to drink both of these on my own. I like company when I’m having a drink.”

Grace wanted to tell him to get lost. But she had spied someone at the other end of the room. A tall, middle-aged man with a bald head and thick moustache was standing by the buffet table, openly staring at her. Any minute now, he would be coming across to corner her into dancing; with social etiquette, she had to accept. And Grace would do anything not to accept.

She gave the young man a smile and took one of the glasses.

“I’ll join you, then. We can’t have you getting really drunk, can we?”

“I think I’m halfway there.” He made a face as he took a healthy sip out of his own glass. “I’m not really keen on balls. They make me feel like I’m on a pedestal. Don’t you find that yourself?”

That was the most honest thing Grace had heard all day. She liked going to balls to enjoy herself with her friends and interacting with many people, but the fun of it had been going out of it lately. His comment summed it up quite nicely.

“I think I know exactly what you mean.” She glanced around the room, watching as the guests danced nearby. “We’re told to be on our best behaviour and parade ourselves around to make ourselves look enticing to other people. But it’s not something I’m comfortable with. I don’t want to impress anyone.”

“You just want to be yourself.”

“Exactly.”

He nodded, his expression flickering a little as his gaze drifted over her. Then he gave her a bow.

“Where are my manners? Nathaniel Forbes.”

“Grace Ayles.”

“You’re the Earl of Shrewsbury’s daughter, aren’t you?”

“That I am.” Grace frowned. “And I’m sure I’ve heard your name before. It sounded familiar.”

“You must be thinking of my father, Robert Forbes, the late Earl of Boston.”

Now Grace remembered. Her father had spoken about the man in the past. Someone who had a bad habit of gambling and liked his women as much as he liked his drink. He had died in a carriage accident with his most recent mistress.

“You have my condolences on your father’s death, Mister Forbes.”

Nathaniel shrugged.

“He was a cad of the highest order. He and I weren’t close.”

“That’s a bit crass, isn’t it?”

“You mean speaking ill of the dead? When it comes to him, not really.” Nathaniel took another sip of his drink, this one bigger than the last. “Especially when his mistress was meant to be courting me at the time.”

Grace’s eyes widened.

“Your father was…”

“Taking my woman as his own? Yes.”

Grace knew that they should stop speaking in this manner. It was a highly inappropriate conversation to have just moments after introducing themselves to each other. Indeed, Grace could see, out of the corner of her eye, her sister giving her a shake of her head. Rebecca had offered to chaperone Grace tonight instead of their mother, and while she was a little more easygoing than their mother, even she was disapproving of how Grace and Nathaniel were conducting themselves.

But Grace didn’t really care. She just wanted to enjoy herself this evening. No worrying about anything except meeting people and having fun. Her friends were present, and Grace had barely been out of their presence all evening. This gentleman, Nathaniel, wasn’t a friend, but he was friendly enough.

And he was handsome, which certainly worked well in his favour. Grace liked the look of him. Very tall, dark tousled hair and hazel-green eyes that twinkled when he smiled. He looked like he would be very pleasant company, even if they were pushing the boundaries on what was appropriate to talk about.

As long as she had a good time, she was happy with whatever they discussed.

A movement to one side had Grace turning her head. The bald man was making his way around the edge of the dancefloor, his eyes firmly on Grace. From the look on his face, and the way his can tapped on the floor, he had a very clear task in mind.

Grabbing Nathaniel’s arm, Grace looked over at Rebecca.

“We’re just going to take a walk outside, sister.”

Rebecca didn’t look happy about that.

“Mother said you should stay indoors.”

“I want some fresh air.” Grace gave her a sly smile. “Unless you want me to go outside alone? I know Mother won’t like that.”

Rebecca sighed. Then she gave Grace a look that said she would be having a word with her later. What was wrong with her? Normally, when Grace said she was going outside – and that was the hint the chaperone had to go with her – Rebecca didn’t argue. But instead she appeared to be trying to keep her inside.

And Grace wanted to get away before the bald man reached them.

Not waiting for her sister to respond, Grace tugged Nathaniel towards the door into the hallway. Nathaniel chuckled.

“An eager woman. I like that.”

“There’s a reason for that.” Grace made a face as she linked her arm with his and they walked down the hall, Rebecca following a short way behind. “There are quite a few people I don’t want to interact with tonight, and it’s easier to keep my distance than actually speak to them.”

“I see.” Nathaniel raised an eyebrow. “Does it have anything to do with that old man with the cane who was coming towards us a moment ago? He looked very intent on getting your attention.”

Grace winced. She had hoped that he hadn’t noticed.

“That’s Owen Lightholder, the Earl of Gillingham. He’s a distant friend of my father’s. They’ve known each other since they were adolescents. And he seems very determined to courting me.”

Nathaniel stared.

“You’re saying a man old enough to be your father wants to marry you? Why would he want to do that?”

“Why else? He needs heirs.”

When Grace had heard about what her parents were planning on doing, she had immediately said no. She was aware of Gillingham, and she was courteous to him, but only because he was a family friend. She didn’t even care for him, not with the way he behaved whenever he didn’t get his own way.

Nathaniel shuddered.

“I’m really glad I don’t get forced to marry an older woman. I think I’d be leaving the country if I were in that position.”

“There are times when I’m sorely tempted.”

“You’re not interested, then?”

“Certainly not!” Grace snorted. “If I have to get married, it’s to be on my terms. Nothing to do with my parents, and I certainly wouldn’t be choosing an old man with a foul temper.”

Nathaniel chuckled.

“Well, you have nothing to worry about with me. I’m not about to charm a lady into courtship.”

“You’re not looking for a wife, then?”

“I think she’s out there somewhere, but I haven’t found her yet.” Nathaniel winked. “I think I prefer just the simple female company. It’s far more entertaining.”

Grace laughed.

“I’m sure all the ladies are delighted when you say something like that.”

“Not all of them. But they do try and change my mind.” Nathaniel’s eyes twinkled. “Are you going to try the same? Do you think you can change my mind?”

Grace shook her head.

“I’m not going to change your mind on anything. Just as long as you don’t do the same to me. I just want to have a conversation knowing that I am safe from being forced into something.”

“Then that will not happen with me.” Nathaniel gestured at himself. “As far as you’re concerned, I’ll be the perfect gentleman.”

That was a relief. Grace didn’t want to ruin the evening with someone trying to be flirtatious with her. From the way he was behaving towards her, Nathaniel wasn’t planning on seducing her. He looked a little too tipsy to even try successfully. But there was something about him that Grace liked. She wanted to know more.

Glancing over her shoulder and seeing Rebecca following them with a frown, Grace changed direction and tugged Nathaniel towards the library.

“Actually, I think it might be better if we stayed in the house. The weather does change very quickly at this time of year, doesn’t it?”

“I’ll agree with that.” Nathaniel chuckled. “Anyone would say you were trying to get me alone.”

“I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Grace gestured at Rebecca. “Not with my chaperone on my heels.”

At least she could have a bit more of an open conversation with Nathaniel with Rebecca present. Although Grace knew she would get a slight scolding later.

#

They barely lasted until they got into the carriage. As soon as the door was shut and the carriage had barely started moving, Rebecca was glaring at her.

“Really, Grace! You couldn’t behave in a better manner?”

“What? What’s wrong with what I did?”

“You sat in the library for almost an hour with a stranger!”

Grace frowned.

“We introduced each other. And we didn’t do anything untoward. You were there the whole time!”

“But did you have to go into another room?”

“We were about to be joined by Gillingham. I didn’t want to converse with him tonight, and you know what his temper’s like when he’s refused.”

Rebecca pursed her lips.

“You could just be more subdued about it. Not as crass as you normally are.”

“Crass?” Grace burst out laughing. “Really, Rebecca? You call me crass? You’ve heard me plenty of times, and I don’t come close to crass.”

“You think?”

Grace peered at her sister. She had no idea what was going on with Rebecca tonight. When her mother said she wasn’t able to come along, Rebecca had offered to go instead. Normally, the two sisters enjoyed themselves and there was a lot of fun. Rebecca saw their time together as something she treasured whenever she was away from her husband and two children. It was when they could enjoy themselves. But tonight, her older sister had been acting strangely. She had been keeping a very close eye on Grace and looking like she didn’t approve of how Grace spoke to other people. That had not happened before. It was like she had been out for the evening with a different person.

“Are you all right, Rebecca? You’ve been acting very strangely this evening.”

“Why would you think there was anything wrong?”

“Because normally you would be giggling with me about what’s going on. You would even encourage me to enjoy myself. Now you’re disapproving of how much time I spend with one particular person.”

Rebecca shifted on her seat.

“I just thought he was unsuitable.”

“How was he unsuitable? Because he didn’t censor what he was saying? Neither was I.”

“You went to another room entirely to talk to him! If I wasn’t there, how was that going to look to people who walked in?”

“All they would have seen was two people sitting on opposite settees having a conversation. That’s all.” Grace gestured at herself. “I know my limits, and I didn’t do anything untoward.”

Rebecca grunted and looked out of the window. She was really acting oddly. Grace sat forward.

“What’s going on, Rebecca? Why are you behaving like this? You know I’m not about to do anything scandalous at a ball, so why are you like this?”

For a moment, she thought her sister wasn’t going to say anything. Then Rebecca closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

“Mother spoke to me privately tonight before you came down.”

“Why? Was it the usual spiel?”

“She wanted me to make sure you and Lord Gillingham were together at some point in the evening, and that I was to ensure you two actually talked.”

For a moment, Grace thought she had misheard. She stared at her sister.

“She said what?”

“That you and the Earl of Gillingham had to spend time together. That was my only task.” Rebecca looked slightly pained. “I told her that you were never going to agree to this, and that I couldn’t force you to do anything, but Mother wouldn’t hear of it. She said it absolutely had to happen.”

Grace couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Rebecca knew of her feelings towards Gillingham, and she had stood up for Grace in the past. She stared at her sister.

“Why did you even agree to that? What possessed you to agree to something so ridiculous?”

“You know what Mother and Father are like when they’re determined on something. I may be married and out of the house, but I still have to obey them.”

“You don’t have to obey them on anything! If I obeyed them, I would be married and gone long ago.”

“Which is what Mother is upset about. You know what she wants from you.”

“I do know what she wants, and it’s not going to happen unless I want it to.” Grace shook her head. “I’m not going to get married because they think it’s the only way I can have some sort of identity, and if I was planning on it, I will never consider Lord Gillingham.”

“I told Mother that…”

“Then why didn’t you tell her to mind her own business? Why try and follow her wishes?”

Rebecca sighed.

“Sometimes, it’s a lot easier to go along and do as you’re told.”

Grace rolled her eyes.

“It’s not. I’m not here to make people happy. The only happiness I’m concerned about is mine, and I’m happy as I am.”

“You’re lucky Mother and Father aren’t here to hear that.”

“They know my opinions on marriage. And they know the more they push me, the longer it is before I’m married. What’s wrong with doing it in my own time?”

Rebecca looked away.

“With our parents, and considering you’re way past prime marriageable age, there are times when you don’t have a choice.”

Grace could argue against that. There was a lot of choice, and she was choosing to not marry because it was what everyone did. True, there were good marriages, and they were happy, but Grace knew that wouldn’t happen for everyone. And she didn’t want to marry just because it was what you were supposed to do. She wanted more opportunities to have fun, to choose more carefully, and take a more mature look at marriage and a future with someone for the rest of her life. In her opinion, anything under the age of one-and-twenty was far too young and immature for marriage. How could anyone choose properly when they weren’t experienced enough to decide what was right for them? Grace knew she certainly wasn’t ready to choose a husband at nineteen; she wouldn’t have chosen wisely, that much was clear.

Rebecca had had her marriage decided and arranged by the time she was twenty. True, her husband was a nice man and a good father to their children, and Rebecca did seem content with him, but that wasn’t what Grace wanted for herself. She wanted to have some say, and find a husband who was actually compatible with what she was like.

If she decided to finally get married at all. Her parents were getting fed up with the fact their younger daughter was refusing to get married. It was certainly driving her mother to despair. To the Countess of Shrewsbury, appearance was everything, and her relationship with Grace was getting rather strained. But Grace wasn’t about to be bullied into anything. Her mother knew that, and she was still trying.

If it was to another gentleman, Grace would be annoyed, but to the Earl of Gillingham? Did she really think it was appropriate to match her daughter to a man nearly thirty years her senior? Lady Shrewsbury knew that Grace really disliked the Earl, but she kept pushing the two of them together whenever she could. Grace still remembered the time Gillingham spent at their house over the summer. She had spent as much time as possible away from him, and that summer had turned into three very exhausting months with Grace ducking and dodging him whenever she could. Her parents had scolded her for it, but Grace didn’t care. She was not going to stay and entertain a man who had a temper. The fact he was older than her father made it even worse.

If he was good-looking and a menial human being, Grace might have entertained him. She didn’t want to be prejudiced against anyone. Looks shouldn’t mean everything, and Grace didn’t want it to be a big factor, but it just seemed to make everything worse. She had an odious old man practically breathing down her neck.

He had offered her marriage before, and Grace had turned him down immediately. She would not be his wife and give him heirs – the thought of that made her shudder – and she certainly wasn’t going to marry someone who was the complete opposite of her. Gillingham’s manner and behaviour made it feel like he was still living in a time when Puritanism was rife in the country. She could respect people’s opinions, but not when they wanted it to be the only opinion. Plus, he had a temper that came out when he didn’t get his own way. Fifty years of age, and he behaved like he was a little boy who had been told he wouldn’t be having any more treats.

Grace was not going to get involved with that. If only her parents, and the Earl himself, would understand that. But they were behaving as if Grace didn’t have a choice in the matter. At four-and-twenty, she was too old for a marriage of her own choosing, and she had to have some help. Grace hated that. What was wrong with doing it on her own?

Rebecca had managed to get away from it, but she found it easier to do as her parents said. But she had been lucky to get a husband who genuinely cared about her. Grace didn’t think that would happen to her, not when she was naturally impulsive. At least she knew her limitations.

If she managed to find someone who she could stand being married to, then things would be all right. However, Grace was not about to go searching for someone just to make everyone happy. It didn’t make her happy.

As the carriage trundled along, Grace found herself thinking back to her conversation with Nathaniel Forbes. He was fun, entertaining, and he had a good sense of humour that left Grace laughing. His carefree attitude was refreshing; her friends were fun, but they weren’t as relaxed as Nathaniel. He just didn’t seem to care.

Grace wished they had spoken for more than an hour, but Rebecca had told her they needed to leave. It was a shame, but he was better than talking to Gillingham. It was a shame that Nathaniel wasn’t interested in courtship, because Grace could see herself enjoying his company more if he did.

An idea came into her head. Maybe she could use that to her advantage. Her parents were determined to make her a married woman, and if their choice was Gilingham, then Grace needed to head them off. Nathaniel wouldn’t be their first choice – he had confided that his reputation wasn’t the strongest – but he was from an Earl’s family, and he was nearer her age. Plus, he was good fun.

But would he agree to the plan forming in her head? Grace didn’t know, but the least she could do was ask. He might even enjoy the little charade. And it meant she could spend time with someone refreshing.

She would find out in the morning. Right now, she wanted to get home and hide in her room before her mother found her and tried to ask her about the evening. Grace knew she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from scolding Lady Shrewsbury from pushing her towards Gillingham using her own sister. She had to know that was a bad idea.

Then again, considering her parents were desperate for their youngest daughter to marry, they probably didn’t care if it was a bad idea. Just as long as their child became a married woman before the Season was over.

 

Chapter Two

Ben looked at the clock and groaned when he saw the time. It was long past midnight. Nathaniel had promised that he wouldn’t be back so late. With their business in the morning, they needed to be up early to get it sorted.

And he still wasn’t home. That just wound Ben up more than he expected.

It might have been Ben’s responsibility as the Earl of Boston to carry out the duties that fell on him along with the title, but he felt that it should be done by both of them. They were twins, after all. They always did things together.

Within reason. Ben wouldn’t go along with Nathaniel’s antics on an evening out. He was the serious one, that he would admit, and Nathaniel liked living fully and enjoying himself. Certainly more carefree. Ben wished he would be like that, but he was always thinking about what other people’s opinions were of him. He just couldn’t manage it; it was always on his mind.

If only he had a bit more command over his brother. Then maybe Nathaniel would actually be home on time, and Ben wouldn’t be pacing around in the living room wondering when he was going to return. He could only hope that his brother didn’t return with a young lady; that would be an awkward conversation.

His head was beginning to hurt, and Ben caught himself yawning. He had been doing it for the last half an hour. Maybe he should go to bed and then have the servants wake Nathaniel up at an early time. That would serve him right for going to bed so late.

Ben left the drawing room and headed towards the stairs. He wasn’t going to ruin his sleep because of his brother’s irresponsibility. Then he heard a loud banging on the front door as he was halfway up the stairs. Ben turned. Did that mean Nathaniel was back?

His butler, Markham, appeared from further down the hall, adjusting his jacket and fighting back a yawn as he headed towards the door. Ben leaned on the bannister and waited as the servant opened the door and Nathaniel came stumbling in. He took off his hat and shuddered as he shrugged off his coat.

“Goodness, it’s freezing out there! I thought it was meant to be March!”

“Good evening, Mister Forbes.” Markham barely batted an eyelid as he took the outdoor garments from the young man. “I trust you had a pleasant evening?”

“I did, thank you, Markham. Very pleasant. It could have been better but I certainly…ah!” Nathaniel stopped when his eyes landed on Ben. “Brother mine! What are you doing up at this hour?”

“I was waiting for you.” Ben came back down the stairs. “You said that you would be back at a reasonable hour.”

“I am back at a reasonable hour.” Nathaniel flinched when they heard the chiming of the clock in the drawing room. “Maybe not. I didn’t keep an eye on the time, did I?”

“No, you didn’t.” Ben folded his arms. “You said you would be back early so we could get up early tomorrow.”

“For what? Oh, that.” Nathaniel held up his hands. “Well, I’m sure I’ll manage in the morning. I’m normally an early riser.”

“Since when?”

“I just take my time getting up. You should have just gone to bed.”

Ben snorted.

“You and I agreed that anything involving this title we would do together. It might have been left to me, but we made decisions together. How am I meant to do that when you keep behaving like you’re a boy?”

“That’s not fair!”

“Neither is you promising to be home and then coming back three hours late.” Ben shot back.

Nathaniel sighed.

“You and I sound less like identical twins and more like a married couple.”

“I wish we weren’t twins, at times, with the way you behave.”

“I’m not that bad!”

“I feel like you are. Especially lately.” Ben turned away. “You know, I’m not going to argue with you tonight. I’m going to bed. You had better get up when you’re told in the morning, otherwise I’m going to make sure you’re sleeping in a wet bed.”

He ignored Nathaniel’s protests as he headed upstairs and went towards his room. There were many times when Ben had to get Nathaniel’s valet to fill a basin with cold water and then throw it over his master. Nathaniel didn’t like it at all, especially sleeping in a wet bed. But if he wouldn’t wake up, what else were they meant to do? Ben didn’t like doing it, but he needed his brother to make an effort.

When their father died three months before, it had been expected that Nathaniel, as the eldest twin, would take the title. So it was a shock when their father’s lawyer told them that it had been passed on to Ben. Ben had gotten used to the fact he would simply be Mister Forbes while Nathaniel was the Earl of Boston, and now it was the other way around. Three months on, and he still didn’t know how he felt about it. It was a title and a job he had accepted would be someone else’s.

Nathaniel didn’t seem to mind. If anything, he had been relieved that he wasn’t going to be the next Earl. But he had promised that he would help Ben out. They would make decisions together regarding the Earldom. The household books were organised by both of them, Ben managed their estate in Lincolnshire while Nathaniel looked after the estate in Cornwall. It was meant to be a smooth operation between the two of them, and Nathaniel was just choosing his hedonistic lifestyle, preferring his writing to actually helping him out.

It was hardly a surprise that Ben was in a bad mood. They had always done things together, and when Nathaniel went and did his own thing, Ben felt very alone. He wasn’t used to that feeling. True, they were grown men, and they had their own identities, but Ben still wanted his brother around. That was how things had been when they were children.

Now as adults, it felt like he was alone.

Ben stormed into his room and shut the door with a bang. His valet looked up from laying out his nightclothes, barely batting an eyelid at the scowl Ben sent his way.

“I take it Mister Nathaniel has returned home now, my Lord?”

“He has, and he’s more than likely going to be out of it for a while. I’m sure he’s drunk a lot by the way he was swaying.” Ben shrugged out of his coat. “Just make sure everything’s ready for the morning, and then leave me alone.”

“You don’t need help getting undressed?”

“No, Nedry. I’ll be able to do it on my own.” Ben glared at his servant. “Just leave me be.”

“Very good, my Lord.” Nedry bowed. “I’ve already got everything sorted. Good night, sir.”

Ben grunted as he started to undress. He knew he shouldn’t lash out at his valet, but he was upset. Nathaniel seemed to have forgotten everything they agreed on when the title was given to Ben. He didn’t want to be alone in this, and as they had assumed Nathaniel would be the Earl, his brother had been given the training to look after various estates and know how to deal with an Earldom. Why their father had changed it around and not told them about it, Ben had no idea. If he had made sure both of them knew how to look after the Earldom, he wouldn’t be so stressed about it all.

If only he could have a more relaxed lifestyle. Ben was envious of what his brother had now.

He had tossed his coat onto the bed, along with his shirt, when there was a knock at the door. Ben growled.

“Go away, Nedry. I don’t want anything.”

But the door opened anyway. Ben spun around to snarl at his servant, only to stop when he saw Nathaniel. His brother sighed and shut the door behind him, looking a little sheepish.

“Ben, I…I don’t know what I can say except apologise for being a pain in the backside.” He ran his hands through his hair. “I just got it wrong, and I should have taken responsibility.”

“Yes, you should.”

“Are you going to let me apologise or are you going to keep talking over me.”

Ben sighed. He leaned against one of the posts on his bed and folded his arms.

“Fine. Go on.”

“You really don’t make this easy, do you?”

“Not really.”

Nathaniel grunted.

“I suppose I deserved that. I promised to be back early, but I didn’t do that. Things got away from me, and I let you down.”

 Ben took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“It’s just you and me now, Nathaniel. Mother and Father are no longer here, and we’ve only got each other to truly rely on. How can I do that if you won’t support me when I need it?”

“I just let things sweep me away. I apologise for that.” Nathaniel grimaced. “Do you think you could forgive me?”

“Eventually. But you need to remember that I can’t do this alone. You and I are in this together.”

“I get that.”

Ben hoped he did. He pushed off the bed.

“Just don’t ignore me when I ask for help, Nathaniel. I need you. You might not think you need me, but I do need you.”

“What? Of course I need you.” Nathaniel crossed the room and hugged his brother tightly. “You’re my twin. I will always need you.”

Ben really hoped that was the case. Nathaniel’s antics lately had left him wondering. And it left him emotionally exhausted. It was like their father’s death had made him let loose and behave how he wanted to. Ben wished he could do that.

Then again, he was too sensible to do that. Maybe that was why their father left him the title instead. And Ben wished he hadn’t.

#

It took most of the night, but Ben managed to put aside his frustrations towards his brother and get some sleep. He didn’t want to feel like this forever. It would go away eventually, but it still left Ben feeling uncomfortable. He hated fighting with Nathaniel; they had always been close, and they were always there for each other.

But the last three months, since they buried their father, had shifted something between them. Nathaniel was always the one going out to drink and flirt with the ladies, but it seemed to have ramped up lately. Sure, he helped look after the estate, but it was hard to chase him down. Ben wished that he didn’t have to do it.

In reality, he could do it all himself. Ben knew he could. But he hadn’t been raised to be the one to take the title. The only way he would have become the Earl was if Nathaniel died and he didn’t have any heirs. They had been told many times it would be his brother’s title. So what had changed to make it suddenly go to Ben? Neither of them had any idea, and it felt rather insulting that Ben hadn’t been prepared for it.

He felt out of his depth. Nathaniel was used to the attention, and he could charm the birds out of the tree. But Ben wasn’t like that. He was the more serious one, the one who looked at everything in detail. He hadn’t socialised much as a grown man, but very little since their father died. The thought of going out to drink and have fun when there was so much to do didn’t sit well with him. Nathaniel knew he was getting stressed about it, and he didn’t seem to be taking it seriously.

Ben would let it slide today, but he couldn’t next time. Nathaniel had promised to help, and he had been late and cared more about flirting with the ladies, whether they were married or not.

He could only hope it was worth it.

After washing and dressing, Ben went downstairs and into his study. It was too early for breakfast, but Ben wanted to get a head start on the papers that had been piling up on his desk. Markham had been gently reminding him that he needed to respond to everyone, and to take care of affairs. That was what Nathniel promised to help him with; he had a love of writing and knew the right words to charm someone. Ben was a lot more straightforward, and he would more than likely mess up with his blunt words.

How were they so close when they had completely different approaches?

Settling down at his desk, Ben went to work. If he was lucky, he could get everything done by lunch and then he could have the afternoon doing whatever he wanted. More than likely, he would be going to the new art gallery that had just opened. He had been looking forward to that. If this didn’t get done, he wasn’t going.

This would be done in a few short hours if Nathaniel was with him.

You shouldn’t have relied on him to be home on time. And you shouldn’t rely on him to help. So pull up your socks and do it yourself like a proper man.

That’s easier said than done when we’ve always done things together.

There were times when Ben hated having a twin. He had ended up becoming too reliant on Nathaniel to the point he struggled to function as a grown man.

He had no idea how much time had passed, although he was vaguely aware of Markham coming in and leaving a tray on a table by the empty fireplace. Ben just wanted to get everything done, and writing letters to those that needed a speedy response was making his head hurt. The accounts book needed to be checked afterwards, and he could only hope that they were mostly up to date. What made him get a headache more than letters was trying to do sums.

God, all of this makes me feel incredibly stupid.

The door burst open, which had Ben starting and his pen skittered across the page. He looked up to see Nathaniel hurrying across the room towards him.

“Ben, thank God you’re in here!”

“Where else would I be? You knew I was going to be spending the morning working.” Ben sighed when he saw the black jagged line that made a word stop halfway through. “That’s one letter I’m going to have to repeat.”

“You can salvage it, can’t you?”

“With this? You must be joking.” Ben tore up the letter and put it on the spike on the edge of his desk. “Nice to see your hangover isn’t struggling badly if you’re running about. Who’s lit a fire under you?”

“Lady Grace Ayles.”

Ben frowned.

“Who?”

“She’s the daughter of the Earl of Shrewsbury.”

Ben tried to think who this woman might be, but he couldn’t put a face to the name. The name did sound familiar, though, although he couldn’t figure out how it was.

“Is this a new lover of yours?”

“No, but I think she wants to be.”

“I don’t understand.”

Nathaniel held up the letter in his hand. He looked really uncomfortable.

“She’s written to me already. I only met her last night, and we talked for an hour. Just an hour. She’s requesting to see me this afternoon.”

“I don’t see anything wrong with that. You just go to her home, talk to her and be your usual charming self.” Ben sat back. “That’s what you normally do. Unless you ended up talking to her because you felt pity for her and now you’re regretting it.”

“That’s pretty much it.” Nathaniel held out a letter. “And take a look at the letter. It’s not at her house.”

“Where does she want to meet?”

“Here?”

Ben sat up.

“What? She’s invited herself here?” He took the letter and scanned the words. “‘I would like to come by this afternoon at a time of your choosing so we can discuss something in more detail. I have a proposition that I hope you will accept. If today is not convenient, any time during the week is acceptable. Please.’” He looked up. “What do you think she wants?”

“I’m sure she wants to become my lover. What else could it be?”

“The ‘please’ at the end suggests something else.”

“What else could she want from me?” Nathaniel cried.

Ben sighed.

“Well, I have warned you that you’ve been flirting too much, and one of these days a woman is going to take you up on it.”

Nathaniel huffed.

“I have no problem with taking lovers, but I didn’t want anything more than passing the time at a ball. She’s a good conversationalist, but that’s it.”

“Not beautiful, then?”

“Very beautiful, actually, but I didn’t feel anything after that hour.” Nathaniel shrugged. “Sometimes, it just doesn’t work. She was pleasant, but that’s all that I could bring out of the conversation. I didn’t think she would take my earlier flirtations seriously!”

Ben groaned.

“I have warned you about that before. You’ve got your actions coming back to haunt you.”

“I can’t see her, Ben!”

“Why not? You led her on, so you can tell her that it wasn’t meant to be anything else.”

“You don’t understand.” Nathaniel was now pacing across the room. “I had plans to see someone else today. We were going to do lunch and then go to a museum. Not the place I want to go, but it’s one way to charm a woman.”

Ben couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“You’re going to seduce one woman while another wants to talk to you?”

“I wouldn’t call it that.”

“I would. And besides, she said if you can’t make today, she can do any time during the week.”

Nathaniel flinched.

“But I don’t want to see her.”

“What? I thought you said she was beautiful.”

“But I wasn’t interested.”

Ben couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He stood and came around the desk.

“You flirted with a woman, Nathaniel. She’s following on from what you two did. That’s your fault, not hers. You led on a respectable woman who was flattered by your attention. And you didn’t think that was going to come back to you?”

“I didn’t think she would ask to see me so soon!” Nathaniel protested. “We only met last night!”

“And what did you think would happen?”

Nathaniel was squirming. Ben sighed.

“How are you going to get out of this?”

“What?”

“It’s your mess. You clean it up.”

Nathaniel’s eyes widened.

“But I thought you would be able to help me. You’ve helped me out before.”

“Not when it comes to your ladies. That’s your mess, and I’m not going anywhere near it.”

“Please, Ben.” Nathaniel grabbed his brother’s shoulders. “I am begging you for help. I really need someone to get me out of this. And I know you’re the best one for this.”

Ben snorted.

“Are you serious? I’m not going to this Lady Ayles and telling her that she’s made a mistake. That’s going to be embarrassing for her, and it won’t look good for you, either.”

“You wouldn’t help?”

“You wouldn’t help me when I really needed you! So why would I help you when you need to keep one woman occupied so you can take another out?”

Nathaniel huffed.

“This is to get back at me for coming home late, isn’t it?”

“It’s not, but you know how stressed and upset I am over the things I have taken on as Earl. Something that should be your title.” Ben pulled away. “If you can’t help me, I don’t see why I should help you. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got to finish these papers. I’ve still got a lot to do, and it’s only nine in the morning.”

He was really not looking forward to spending most of the day looking through papers, but it was preferable than telling a young woman that she had been unfairly flirted with, and his brother wasn’t interested. That was not going to go down well, even with the most reasonable of people.

Nathaniel had gotten himself into this mess. Now he could get himself out of it.

---

“A Heated Encounter of Desires” is an Amazon Best-Selling novel, check it out here!

When her mother decides to marry her with the wicked Earl of Gillingham, the fiery Grace Ayles is desperate… Until she realises that the key to her ultimate freedom may be an utter rake, named Nathaniel Forbes. However, beggars should not be choosers, so Grace asks him to pretend to court her and they soon hatch a plan to convince everyone they are deeply in love, including themselves.
What if their pretend romance proves to be more real than even she dares to think?

Ben Forbes, Earl of Boston, is the polar opposite of his identical twin, Nathaniel, who is bedding women left and right. When he ends up having to meet two women at once, Ben reluctantly agrees with his crazy scheme to impersonate him. Little did he know that, unable to refuse anything to a woman as tempting as Grace, he would soon end up agreeing to another scandalous scheme…

When he begins to drown in his lies, will he dare to tell the truth to the alluring woman who has shamelessly started falling for?

With every sinful kiss sparking hotter desire, Grace and Ben realise that their courting becomes the most reckless adventure of all. However, things take a turn for the unexpected when Grace finds out Ben’s true identity… Is it possible for lust to persist if it was built on a lie? Or will their budding romance be destroyed once and for all by a shocking revelation?

“A Heated Encounter of Desires” is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

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