Once Upon a Devilishly Enchanting Kiss: #1 The Whickertons in Love

by Wolf, Bree

  Swallowing, Louisa willed herself to ignore that teasing shiver that snaked down her back and smacked the miscreant upon his shoulder…again and again. “Put me down! Now!” Her voice rose with each step he took, his lips sealed for once, his failure to reply grating on her nerves.

  “You cannot simply pick me up and carry me around!” Louisa snarled, giving him another hard slap upon his shoulder. Indeed, her inability to free herself from his hold on her was deeply unsettling. No matter what she had said, it was unmistakably clear that he could pick her up and carry her around!

  A deep chuckle rose from his throat. “You are a menace,” he repeated his earlier words to her, his dark gaze locked upon hers as he marched up the small snow-covered slope toward the house. To Louisa’s utter shock, pride rang in his voice!

  Her gaze narrowed as she regarded him. “You say that as though...”

  His arms around her tightened. “Before you accuse me of anything else,” he laughed in that teasing way of his, “I assure you it was meant as a compliment.”

  “I’d appreciate if you didn’t,” Louisa snapped before her insides turned completely liquid at the odd sensation of him regarding her favorably. Why on earth would he pay her a compliment?

  “Pick you up or give you a compliment?” he asked, his voice baiting. No doubt, he was only waiting for her to fly into a fury once more. None of this made any sense!

  “Both!” Louisa replied pointedly. “Now, put me down!”

  Grinning at her, Phineas Hawke shook his head. “You risked life and limb to prevent Gillingham from kissing Anne, why?” A thoughtful expression came to his face as he regarded her.

  “Because he’s the wrong man for her.”

  “And my brother is?”

  “In my opinion, yes,” she told him, wondering why he was asking her these questions. “I thought you agreed?”

  “I do.” He nodded. “I’m not questioning your motivation, merely your method.” Again, that grin stole back onto his face.

  “My method?” Louisa demanded as outrage once more triumphed over temptation.

  “You got hurt,” Phineas Hawke pointed out with a glance at her sprained ankle before she could gather her wits for another well-aimed insult. Not that he did not deserve it!

  “I—”

  “You got hurt!” He stopped in his tracks, his gaze hard as he looked down at her. “Whatever your motivation, you ought to have gone about it a different way.” His nostrils flared. “What were you thinking flinging yourself at them at such speed? You could have broken something or worse!”

  For a moment, Louisa was speechless. Never had she see him like this. If she did not know any better, she would swear tooth and nail that he...that he had been afraid for her. But that could not be, could it?

  Of course not! That proud voice deep down exclaimed with vehemence. The man thinks you a brainless ninny!

  “That is none of your concern!” Louisa fired back.

  Again, his nostrils flared. “Don’t you ever do such a thing again!”

  “You cannot tell me what to d—”

  He jerked her more tightly against his chest. “I can, and I will!” He inhaled a slow breath, his lips pressed into a thin line, before he strode onward, his gaze now fixed at the house instead of her. “Don’t you ever do this again!”

  Louisa could not help the unsettling feeling that Phineas Hawke had been afraid for her, that his words—as harsh and condescending as they had been!—had come from a good place. “Let go of me!”

  “No!”

  “Now!”

  “No!”

  “You vile blackguard! You...” Louisa barely noticed her surroundings change. She did not see the entrance hall nor the stairs he climbed with no effort at all. All her attention was focused on feeding the fire of her anger because if she did not…

  There was something deeply enchanting, something warm and tempting unfurling in her belly. Something that urged her to stop resisting, to simply lean into him and rest her head upon his shoulder.

  Her teeth gritted together as Louisa shoved against his chest once more, not even considering what would happen if he did in fact release his hold upon her. “You foul-mouthed oaf! Put me down this instant!”

  To their right, a door was flung open and Anne and Leonora appeared in its frame, open-mouthed and wide-eyed, staring at them. “What is going on?” Anne asked, glancing from Louisa to the caveman who refused to release her.

  “Miss Thatcher, Lady Leonora,” the miscreant greeted them with one of those infuriating smiles upon his lips. Still, he kept walking until he paused for a short moment outside a door.

  Her door.

  Louisa froze in surprise before he had even pushed it open, wondering how he knew.

  The moment passed quickly, though, and Louisa immediately continued to struggle in his arms as he strode inside, not wanting him to get the impression that she was in any way surrendering.

  “What happened?” her sister asked from the door where she and Anne stood watching them.

  “He won’t put me down!” Louisa thundered. “This poor excuse for a man won’t—”

  “She twisted her ankle with that little stunt of hers,” Phineas Hawke interrupted her. “I asked to send for a doctor.” He had? “But I suggest you cool her ankle until he arrives.”

  While Leonora immediately darted off, Anne remained where she was, observing them curiously and with no small amount of amusement. Louisa wanted to sink into a hole in the ground!

  With no other place available to release her anger, Louisa once more shoved against the man’s chest, seeking to free herself. Unfortunately, what she had failed to notice was that they had reached her bed and Phineas Hawke was about to set her down upon it. He was leaning forward when she shoved against him, promptly upending his balance.

  A gasp escaped Louisa’s lips as they fell onto the bed together, his body half atop hers. He barely managed to break his fall, his right hand sinking into the pillow beside her head, his mouth dangerously close to her own.

  His breath fanned over her lips, and Louisa found her eyes snap up to meet his. Dark and dangerous, they shimmered in the bright light streaming in from the window as a devilish smile drew up his lips.

  Louisa’s heart stopped as she stared up at him before it raced off in a wild gallop, stealing her breath as well as her voice, leaving her nothing to defend herself with. Nothing to demand he get up immediately.

  Indeed, instead of rising to his feet, Phineas Hawke stayed where he was, his gaze locked upon hers. “If you wanted me in your bed,” he whispered against her lips, that insufferable, teasing note still in his voice, “all you had to do is ask.”

  Chapter Six

  Wicked to the Bone

  Her lips were so close; all Phineas had to do was dip his head ever so slightly and steal a kiss.

  But he did not.

  Blast it! Why didn’t he?

  He wanted to; there was no denying that. The moment he had swept her into his arms, Phineas had known that he wanted her. He had suspected a certain partiality on his part for a while. She drew his thoughts even when she was nowhere around. And now that they were under the same roof, Phineas could barely take a step without wondering where she was. He felt a certain annoyance at this rather unexpected obsession; still, the deep longing he felt for her was rather pleasant, and he could not help but wonder what it would feel like to kiss a woman who occupied his thoughts so completely.

  However, his little Lulu was far from amenable.

  Indeed, she had fought him tooth and nail every step of the way, shrieking like a banshee and hurling insults at his head. Still, Phineas could not help but think that if she had truly meant to free herself, she could have.

  After all, his little Lulu was far from weak. He still remembered the determination in her sparkling green eyes when she had shot across the lake, coming to Anne’s rescue. She possessed strength and an iron will, did she not?

  Holding her gaze, Phineas noted
the way her chest rose and fell with each shuddering breath. It came faster than he would have thought, and he wondered if somewhere deep down, she was as tempted as he was…but did not dare admit to it.

  Perhaps he ought to take a page out of Lord Gillingham’s book and maneuver his Lulu under some mistletoe as well.

  In fact, earlier that morning Phineas had found himself under one such piece of greenery when he had come to the aid of a young woman. She had swayed dangerously upon her feet from lack of food as she had confided to him. Why some women ate like sparrows was beyond Phineas!

  Still, the peck he had given her had been nothing but a formality. He had felt nothing while the mere thought of kissing Louisa set his blood on fire. Indeed, it was a thought worth considering! After all, it was Christmas! Why should he not make use of it?

  Her dark green eyes flashed. “Get off me!” she hissed then, a slight tremble dancing down her limbs before her expression hardened once more. “Or I swear I will end you!”

  Phineas chuckled. Although he would have loved to kiss her—under some mistletoe or anywhere, really!—he could not deny that he admired her dauntless spirit. In truth, he wanted her to want to kiss him as well. “Charming as always,” he whispered as he rose to his feet, “dear Lulu.”

  Her gaze narrowed, shooting daggers at him.

  Ignoring her, Phineas glanced at her ankle, remembering the pain she had to be in. “For once,” he told her, his voice not teasing in the slightest now, “take care of yourself.” Then, before she could hurl another insult at his head, he turned, smiled at Anne on his way out and disappeared down the corridor.

  Still, no matter how many steps he put between himself and her, his thoughts continued to linger. They remained fixed on the few precious moments when she had been in his arms. As though she had left an imprint upon him, Phineas could almost feel her when he bent his arms, her warmth, the soft weight of her, the rapid beating of her heart.

  Heat shot to Phineas’ face, and he wondered at his own youthful musings until he realized that he was idly standing in the hall, still dressed in his heavy winter coat. Chuckling at his own absentmindedness, he strode back out into the chilling air, intent to clear his head. He marched through the snow without any thought for direction for an hour or perhaps even two—he could have been walking in circles for all he knew.

  As Fate would have it, though, he stumbled upon none other but Anne.

  Little Annie with her cheeks flushed and her blue eyes aglow.

  “Are you looking for someone?”

  Turning to look at him, she shivered, her teeth briefly digging into her lower lip. “I might be.”

  Phineas could not help but grin. “Am I right to assume that you’re looking for my brother?”

  Anne swallowed. “Perhaps.”

  Phineas laughed, grasping her by the shoulders, his gaze imploring as it settled upon hers. “You’re as bad as he is, dear Annie,” he told her with a smirk, remembering Lady Louisa’s earlier words. “I’ll go and fetch him for you, but you have to promise me that you won’t let him get away.”

  Striding through the snow once more, Phineas wondered what his Lulu might have said to her, for although Anne seemed as nervous as ever, there was a determined glow in her gaze he had not seen before. He could only hope that she remained true to her word and would not let his blockhead of a brother get away.

  “Anne is looking for you,” he told Tobias as he found him walking rather aimlessly among the trees, lost in thought…not unlike he himself had been moments earlier. Perhaps a sickness was going around. A chuckle left his lips at the thought.

  As expected, Tobias proved a bit hesitant, but finally asked, “Where is she?”

  “Near the maze,” Phineas told him with some relief. “You should go and find her.” He looked at his brother imploringly. “And you should hurry.”

  Tobias tensed. “Why?”

  Glad that his brother had finally decided to give him his full attention, Phineas grinned and leaned leisurely against a tall tree trunk. “Because I saw Lord Gillingham move toward her when I stepped away, and we all know what his intentions are, do we not?” There, that ought to do it!

  As though a shot had been fired, Tobias tore through the underbrush toward the house and the maze beyond, single-minded purpose now burning in his eyes.

  Phineas closed his eyes, praying that by the end of this day, all would be as it should be. That Tobias and Anne would be betrothed. That they would be happy, looking forward to a shared future.

  Phineas wanted that for his brother as well as for Anne. Still, for the first time, he wondered if he might be wanting it for himself as well. A deep sigh left his lips as his thoughts were almost inevitably drawn back to the woman who hated him like no other.

  Why could it not be simple for him as well? Why could he not simply walk up to her, steal a kiss and ask for her hand? The thought jarred him back into a straight-backed position. Did he want her as his bride?

  Rubbing his ice-cold hands over his face, Phineas inhaled a deep breath, then turned his feet around and headed back toward the house as though drawn by an invisible force. More than anything, he wanted to seek her out, but knew he would not be welcome.

  Why did she hate him thus? The thought had been on his mind many times before; however, he had never dared ask it, not in earnest, worried that he had indeed done something to earn her wrath, something unforgivable.

  More than once, he circled the house, his feet unerringly returning to the prints he had left the round before. What was he to do? Honesty was generally considered a wise choice; nevertheless, Phineas could not shake the feeling that even if he were to ask his Lulu openly, she would not answer him. Never had she accused him of anything specific but had always hurled nondescript insults and curses at his head.

  He feared she would not be forthcoming, and then what? What was he to do?

  As Phineas trudged back into the house, he glimpsed many of the guests still out by the lake, steaming mugs of tea or chocolate offered by footmen with laden trays. Not in the least tempted, he stepped into the entrance hall, only to come to a jarring halt when his brother’s voice echoed to his ears.

  Sighing, Phineas closed his eyes, praying that Tobias had not done anything remarkably stupid. Honestly, how hard could it be to match two people so obviously in love?

  Fortunately, as he stepped into the drawing room, Phineas found not only his brother standing near the fireplace, but Anne by his side, both of them grinning from ear to ear like the two love-sick pups they were.

  “Have you heard?” Lady Leonora asked as she looked over her shoulder at him, her face aglow with joy.

  Phineas shook his head, striding forward. “I have not; fortunately for me, though, I know how to add two and two.” He met his brother’s gaze. “Please, tell me it’s four, and you’ve finally asked this poor girl to marry you.”

  While Tobias did his best to frown at his brother, the two cousins laughed heartily, their joy infectious. Anne beamed up at her freshly minted fiancé, and it did not take long for Tobias to grin at her with the same silly expression and forget to be irritated with his elder brother.

  Phineas shook his head at them. “How did you manage?” he asked his brother, remembering that Lord Gillingham had to have stood in Tobias’ path to claiming Anne’s hand. “I hope no one is dead…or missing something…vital.”

  Tobias rolled his eyes at him; still, a bit of a satisfied and even triumphant smile teased his lips. “I’m not you, dear Brother. If you insist, I’ll tell you the whole story.”

  “There is no need. I’m perfectly satisfied knowing the ending.” He turned to look at Lady Leonora. “Does your sister already know?”

  The lady shook her head. “She’s asleep. I shall tell her as soon as she awakens.” Then she turned back to the happy couple and grasped Anne’s hand. “If you don’t mind, I would like to hear the whole story.”

  “Certainly,” Anne beamed, and Phineas took that opportunity to slin
k from the room. He could not recall having made up his mind to visit Lady Louisa; his feet carried him to her door all the same. Asleep or not, he had to see her.

  After a quick knock, he waited until a faint voice called for him to enter. To his surprise, it was the dowager countess who sat in a large armchair by Louisa’s bed, watching over its sleeping occupant. “The wicked one,” she greeted him with a matching smile.

  Phineas chuckled, “You have not forgotten.” He closed the door behind himself and stepped closer.

  “How could I?” the old woman chortled. “You’re a man after my own heart if I may be so bold.” Her gaze drifted to her sleeping granddaughter in the bed before it returned to him. “Not unlike my late husband, I might add.”

  Phineas inhaled a slow breath, holding the old woman’s gaze as her words sank deeper. “Is that so?”

  Smirking, she nodded. Then she cleared her throat and set aside the blanket that had lain draped over her legs. “Now that you’re here, I think I might go and stretch my legs.” She pushed herself to her feet and reached for her cane. “Will you keep an eye on her?” She glanced at Louisa.

  Phineas stilled, his gaze moving from the grandmother to the granddaughter and back again, a slight frown coming to his face. Still, he could not help but say, “I’ll keep both on her if you like.”

  Patting his arm, the dowager countess walked past him to the door. “Wicked to the bone,” she chuckled yet again.

  Phineas turned to look after her, confused. “You’re not jesting,” he mumbled. “You don’t mind leaving me alo—”

  The dowager looked at him from over her shoulder. “There’s nothing wrong with wicked, my boy,” she told him, that mischievous gleam once again flashing in her pale eyes.

  Phineas grinned. “Countless mothers would disagree, terrified their daughters might end up in a compromising situation with a known rake.” He wiggled his brows at the dowager.