It was everything he’d ever wanted. Baxter had just delivered his life’s dreams on a platter. And yet…
He looked at the door. Wicked Earls’ Club? “Sounds…tantalizing.”
Baxter chuckled. “It’s for unmarried earls only. I should mention that. But once a member, you will have access to all current and retired members for life. Honestly, that’s a policy I’ve implemented, and it’s been an excellent addition. I had a meeting of former earls and it was extremely well-attended.”
Logan continued to stare at the place where Penny had just stood.
He’d had a plan. A lady of excellent quality, an ‘in’ into society’s most elite. But with an invitation like this, he could be the elite and still marry whomever he chose. “Can engaged men be members?”
“Oh, most certainly.” Baxter chuckled. “You are exceptional at finding work arounds, aren’t you?”
“I do my best,” Logan answered. He wished to be done with this conversation. He wanted, quite frankly, to be near Penny.
“So do we have a deal? I donate to your orphanage, provide an address, and offer membership to one very exclusive club and you, in return, join us at the Den of Sins?”
Logan raised his brows. He meant the next words, but he’d be lying if he didn’t want to make Baxter squirm. Just a bit more. “Honestly, I shall have to talk to Penny.”
Baxter let out a deep sigh. “You can’t be serious.”
Logan allowed one shoulder to rise. “It’s her orphanage.”
“Just out of curiosity, though it’s none of my business, is she the woman you intend to marry?” Baxter looked toward the door, craning his neck as if he might catch another glimpse of her. “Because I could see why you’d be tempted.”
“You’re right,” he stood. “It’s none of your business.”
Then he gestured toward the door. “Return at noon tomorrow. I’ll have answers for you.”
Baxter nodded. “I’d like to say it’s been a pleasure, but I’ve just been dragged over the coals. Still. I hope you accept. It will all be worth it if you’re on my side.”
Logan shook his head. When had his life so drastically changed?
But he already knew.
The moment that Penny Walters had entered. A warm sensation washed through him.
After seeing Baxter out, he made his way up to his room. He set his candle on his dressing table and shrugged off his coat, flinging it across a chair. Then he sat and began removing his boots.
He heard a soft sigh emit from the bed. A sleepy sound that made him go absolutely still.
Getting up, he crossed the room, leaving the candle on the table.
Sure enough, a small lump was settled directly in the middle of his bed. Gently peeling back the covers, a blonde nest of hair met his gaze. Pulling them back further, he found Natty, sound asleep, in the dead center of his canopied mattress.
Logan chuckled to see the little girl with her thumb tucked in her mouth. Still, he couldn’t very well go to bed like this.
His pulse jumped. He’d have to get Penny. There was no other option.
A slow grin spread across his face.
Penny lay in bed, exhausted but unable to fall asleep.
She’d managed to change out of her gown on her own, though it hadn’t been easy, and she’d slipped into her old, faded night shift.
Which had served to remind her that she was just a simple girl who’d been orphaned and now wanted to start an orphanage.
She’d never become the wife of an earl.
Not that she wanted to be.
She rolled her neck as a sigh escaped her lips. All right, fine, she did.
But even if her fantasy became a reality, which it likely wouldn’t, marrying a man like Logan meant giving up some of her dreams.
How could she be a countess and still manage several orphanages? And that was only the first question.
Logan struck her as a man who needed his own mending, and she had a full plate of children that craved her love and affection.
And even if all that weren’t an issue, how likely was he to want her?
He was a man who strove for perfection. Even she could see that. And she was as far from perfect as a woman might be for an earl. Well, there were worse, she supposed but then again, he wasn’t likely to be acquainted with those women, so she was back to her prior point.
Letting out a huff of breath, she rose from the bed, shoving off the covers. Her feet slapped against the cold floor, but she paid the sensation no mind as she began to pace.
She could not be his paramour. Too many other people relied on her for their own health and safety.
But that kiss…
She rubbed her face, letting out a loud groan. Her heart and her head were at odds. She lowered her head toward her chest.
A knock at the door made her chin snap up. It had to be close to two in the morning.
“Penny,” Logan called from the other side. “We have a bit of a problem.”
“What?” Her heart rose in her throat as she raced to the door tossing it open.
He stood there, large and imposing on the other side. “Natty,” he started.
Her pulse raced. “What’s wrong?”
“She’s in my bed.”
Penny blinked. “Is she hurt?”
“I don’t think so. I just found her there, asleep under the covers.”
Penny slumped against the jamb. “You scared me.” Then she straightened. “Why didn’t you just carry her to her own bed?”
His mouth opened and then closed and then opened again. “I didn’t think of that.”
Somehow, all the worry of the night overwhelmed her, and her head dropped against the cold wood. “I don’t think I am strong enough to do this.”
He shook his head, reaching out to touch her arm. “I’m sorry. I can carry her to her bed. You don’t have to lift her at all.”
“Not that,” she whispered, her voice a bit hoarse. “All of it. Once upon a time I had a family who held me up when I was about to fall. Now there is no net. I’m all alone and so many people depend on me.”
Somehow the words deflated her further. On the one hand it felt so good to say them. Admit to someone she was tired, and afraid, and sure she’d fail.
On the other, it only seemed to make her feelings more real, finally speaking them out loud. “What if I don’t succeed? What will happen to them?”
He sucked in a breath and suddenly his arms were about her. He was warm and strong and so solid that her hands snaked about his waist too. “You won’t fail. I won’t let you. And you’re not alone. I’ve made my decision. I’m helping you.” Then he squeezed her tighter. “And in case you hadn’t noticed, I am stronger than average.”
Penny choked on a cry. But this was not a sad cry, gratitude overwhelmed her. It had been so long since she’d had someone she truly could share the burden with that she didn’t know how to even begin to say thank you.
So instead, she tilted her chin and pressed her lips to his.
It wasn’t soft or gentle. The kiss wasn’t even filled with lust.
But need made her push up on her toes and press closer. She wanted to be close to him. His strength, his heat.
The way he filled her with so much desire that she nearly forgot every other part of her life.
In his arms, she felt…safe. Cared for.
Rather than return her need, he relaxed his arms and slid a hand up her back to cradle her head.
He gently kissed her back as he held her close to his body. “I’ve got you,” he murmured against her lips. “I’m not going anywhere.”
She needed those words. Like she needed air and water. They filled her. She tightened her arms about his neck, loving the way her body, without a corset, fit into his.
He lifted her, her feet coming off the floor, and began moving as he deepened the kiss, his tongue plundering her mouth. It was hot, and sweet, and passionate all in the same moment. Her fingers threaded into his hair.
He pressed her body closer and she gasped in a breath, desire rising in her even as her desperate need to touch him still plagued her.
They didn’t stop until the back of her legs hit the bed. “Don’t leave,” she begged. “Don’t leave me now.”
“I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart,” he returned, then lay her down on the deep, thick mattress. “I’m right here and I’ve got you.”
His weight came down on top of hers, his heat filling the coldest places she kept hidden deep inside. She wanted to stay like this forever.
Chapter Thirteen
Logan held her under him, his arms wrapped tightly around her. He’d known she’d needed help. More money, safety. Security.
But how could he not have seen that she shared his fear of abandonment? The pain of being left too young to walk in this world alone. He’d hardly seen it in himself. But reflected back in his desperation, he saw her for what she was. And he saw himself too.
Lonely. In need of love and attention. In need of a family to fill those dark spaces he didn’t like to admit were there.
But they were. Try as he might to deny them. And all this time, he’d been attempting to fill those places with gold. Money was tangible, after all. Touchable.
And so was Penny.
Under him now, begging him to hold her close and not let go.
With a clarity he hadn’t experienced in years, he realized they were perfect for one another. Both strong but both in need of love and affection. They understood one another.
He was never letting her go.
He kissed her again, deeply, as Logan confessed, deep in his heart, that he loved her. That he had found the other half of himself that had been missing for so long.
“I just need…” she gasped out between kisses. “To feel…”
“I understand,” he murmured, kissing her again as he slid his hand up and down her side. He did. Completely.
Not that he was going to explain all of that tonight. As her legs wrapped about his, his throbbing manhood settling in the cradle of her hips, she pushed against him, causing them both to groan.
Tomorrow would be for talking.
They’d marry, of course. Soon.
He’d finally found a woman who made him a better man. The kind of man he’d always wanted to be. How had he not seen that it didn’t matter a whit what society thought? Here, he was whole for the first time in his entire life.
He was in love. His chest ached with it, even as his hand skimmed one of her breasts and then slid lower, all the way down her hip and leg to catch the hem of her night shift.
He flicked the fabric up and then began to run his hand back up the inside of her leg, her silky skin so smooth under his hand.
She bucked against him, causing them both to groan.
When he reached the apex of her thighs, he lightly brushed the curls between her legs. She shivered under the touch and bucked against him again.
He groaned in response, lightly stroking her again. Keeping his touch light, he passed over her swollen flesh again and again until he finally pressed a finger along her seam.
She convulsed under him, digging her fingers into his neck. He had to grin against her lips at that.
Penny was likely adding to the marks on his flesh, but he found he couldn’t care as he began to caress her nub of desire.
She panted against his mouth, her body straining to be closer to his.
His own desire raged through him, but tonight was not about his needs. This was about her.
And giving her this pleasure was his way of telling her that he loved her. That he’d be there when she needed him.
Her body tensed, her nails digging even deeper into his skin. “Logan,” she cried, her body so taut he knew her finish was close.
“That’s it, sweetheart,” he whispered, quickening his pace. “I’ve got you. Let go.”
She cried out, her body spasming against his. He felt her finish as her body convulsed.
He kissed her over and over as she trembled in his arms until she finally relaxed. Stroking her face, he murmured soft words that were meant to tell her how much he cared.
He nearly laughed out loud when he realized that she managed to fall asleep. Gently, he lifted her in his arms again and tucked her under her covers. Part of him wanted to stay. To stretch out next to her and feel her soft curves pressed against his.
But there would be plenty of time for that. They had their entire lives, in fact.
And tonight, he’d give her space to sleep off the stress of today. And give him time to allow his own body to calm down. It wasn’t until he returned to his room that he remembered it was already occupied.
Natty looked so comfortable in his bed that he made his way down to his study. He grabbed a throw blanket and stretched out on the large settee in the room. He’d bought it for those times that he needed to think or even close his eyes for a brief repose. But tonight, it would be his bed.
He smiled. His house had been overrun and he had to confess, he loved every second of this new, wonderful, crazy life that was his.
Penny woke feeling more rested and relaxed than she had in months. What time was it?
She rose from the bed and looked out the window, the sun high in the sky. Next door, she heard all sorts of noise and opened the connecting door to peek into the nursery.
One of the maids, at least that was what Penny assumed, was telling the girls a story. The woman was quite gifted, and the girls oohed and aahed as she pretended to be a dragon.
But a knock at her door interrupted her spying and she softly closed the connecting door to cross the room.
Logan once again stood on the other side, a grin making him look years younger and far more approachable. “Good morning.”
A blush rose to her cheeks as memories of the night before filled her thoughts. “Good morning.”
What they had done had felt…wonderful. But exactly what they had done was the question she wished to ask. Was that how babies were made? Had she allowed him to take her innocence? Did she dare even ask?
“If you recall, we have a ten o’clock appointment this morning.”
Her brow scrunched. “What?”
He chuckled. “Well. I understand that I already handed your funds over to you but we’ve other…things…to discuss.”
They did indeed. “What time is it now?”
He cleared his throat. “Half past ten.”
“Oh dear,” she looked down at her bare toes. “I’m late.”
He laughed and reached out to softly stroke her cheek. “I’ll send someone up to help you dress. The Earl of Baxter returns at noon, and truth be told, I’d like to discuss his offer with you before I see him.”
Was that what they needed to discuss? “Somehow, I thought the topic might be a bit more…personal.”
He stepped closer and his lips grazed her forehead. “They are part of the same conversation, I can assure you.”
Heat filled her cheeks all over again even as he placed a light kiss on the top of her head. “I’ll see you very soon. And don’t worry about breakfast. I’ll have a tray in my study.”
“Thank you,” she said as he backed away again. Was it wrong that she wished to stay in his embrace?
But as he retreated down the hall, she turned to begin getting herself ready.
If she wished to be near him, she’d have to attend their…meeting.
That made her smile. So like Logan to wish to discuss their relationship at an appointed time and place.
But then she straightened. How did he see their future?
All her doubts still existed.
She winced. She wasn’t fit to be a countess. Not really.
And he had many duties and obligations his wife should be aiding. Instead, she had her own path she planned to tread.
She waved her thoughts away and began to wash herself. The only way to gain any answers was to finish dressing.
Chapter Fourteen
Logan sat
at his desk waiting for Penny to arrive. With little else to do, he began sorting through the morning’s correspondence.
His hands worked almost without thought. Updates from his solicitor in one pile, legal documents in another. Finally, he came to a plain note. As he flipped it over, he saw the seal of the Marquess of Humphries. The man he’d written to about an introduction to his daughter.
Turning it over, he broke the seal and pulled out the fresh sheet of parchment.
Quickly scanning the contents, Logan nearly barked with laughter.
The family would be delighted to make the introduction and requested his presence at their upcoming ball. A Christmastide celebration set a fortnight from this Friday.
He shook his head as he dropped the note onto his desk. He’d not be attending.
Logan had already chosen a bride. A gorgeous woman with a heart of gold.
His heart flipped in his chest. Lady Goldthwaite. It had a lovely ring. And as a countess, she’d be most able to gain any amount of funds she’d require to run her orphanages.
He let out a breath. But Natty, Ethel, Fran, and Clarissa would stay here, of course. They were family now. He knew that.
Warmth filled his chest.
He was finally going to have a real family.
A knock sounded at the door and he lifted his head, a grin ready for Penny. But it was Mr. Winters who was at the door.
“Forgive me, my lord, but the Earl of Baxter has returned.”
Logan frowned. It was only quarter after eleven. The man was early. “Already?”
Mr. Winters gave a nod. “What should I tell him?”
Logan was tempted not to tell him anything. Just make him sit and wait.
But he didn’t know if Penny wanted the Mayfair property and so, he decided to go explain himself.
He rose from the desk. “I’ll tell him myself.”
Mr. Winters gave a quick nod. Just as he turned, a maid entered, setting a tray down on one of the side tables.
Logan gave a brief nod. Perfect. Penny could have a bite while he dealt with a very impatient earl.
“Miss Walters should be down shortly,” Logan called over his shoulder as he made his way out the door. “See that she eats.”
Earl of Gold: Lords of Scandal Page 10