Regency Romance: Lady Lorena's Spinster's Society ( #1, The Spinster's Society)

Chapter 02

Lorena bit her lip. "Oh, dear. Let me help you." She turned to get a napkin while Calvin broke into a fit of laughter.

"You two are such a disaster," Calvin chuckled loudly as he almost fell out of his chair laughing. "Every time."

Lorena glared at him, then glanced around the field at the other men. They were all staring at her, trying in vain to hide their smiles. Lorena was ready to just about die. She moved to Ashwick.

"Stay away from me!"

She leaned back and stared into his cold eyes. Then shook her head.

No, not again.

She simply couldn't do anything right with him around.

Ashwick rushed into the house and Lorena followed.

"Ashwick, I'm sorry."

"Go away," he told her over his shoulder.

She hurried her steps, almost having to run compared to his long strides until she rounded him and cut him off. "Here," she whispered. "Let me help."

Ashwick avoided her hands and backed into the yellow drawing room. "I don't need your help." He was holding his clothes away from him.

"Please," Lorena said. "I won't hurt you."

His eyes widened, and he continued to back away from her. "I don't think that possible."

Lorena cringed. His words were very accurate. "Please, let me help."

He was in a corner when she finally made it to him. He held himself as far against the wall as he could, staring at her as though it were a knife in her hands and not a handkerchief.

She pressed the cloth into where his shirt met his breeches and said, "See, no harm done." Then she looked up at him and grinned.

Ashwick held perfectly still for a long moment and relaxed, settling onto his feet. The action brought him closer to Lorena, but she didn't move.

Her eyes went back to his shirt and she pressed repeatedly, trying to soak up as much of the liquid as possible.

They were silent while she worked tea from his shirt, hoping it wasn't ruined. Then she shook her head and spoke what was on her mind. "We almost made a record, you and I." There had been no disaster of their combined making for three days. That was more than ever before.

Knowing exactly what she was speaking about, he whispered, "I know."

Her eyes went up to him and she offered him a smile. With his body next to the window and the sun chasing away the shadows of the previous night, Lorena noticed that Ashwick had faint sunspots at the tops of his cheeks and she wondered if she'd ever seen him up close in daylight. Perhaps not.

She leaned in closer to get a better look and was amazed at how they softened his rather stern appearance. They almost made him boyish

Ashwick made a choked noise. "Oh, God," he groaned, almost in pain.

Lorena frowned and whispered. "What is it?"

He closed his eyes. "Your hands, Lorena. They are on me."

Lorena shook her head, not understanding. He hadn't minded her touch just a moment ago. She looked down to discover that her hands had moved when she'd risen on her toes to look at his cheeks. They'd slid further down, and she was using his body to keep herself propped up.

Something hard rested below his stomach, thrusting toward her through his britches.

He sucked in a breath and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. "Lorena."