The Wolf’s Pursuit (London Fairy Tales #3)(20)
Author: Rachel Van Dyken

"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?"

"Yes, tell us exactly what happened!" Isabelle turned toward him, her eyes full of worry.

Cursing Gwen to perdition, Hunter gritted his teeth. "I was walking along the street when all of a sudden—"

"Which street?" Gwen interrupted.

"The one…" Hunter shook his head to clear it. "The one outside." He inwardly cringed.

"Did he hit his head as well?" Gwen asked, taking a seat. "Hunter," she directed her attention back toward him, "was it the street in front of Montmouth’s house?"

He was an absolute idiot. "Why yes, I believe so."

Gwen nodded.

Isabelle and Dominique sat in silence, waiting for the rest of the lie, no doubt.

"So, you were walking down the street?" Isabelle finally patted his arm.

"Yes, when out of nowhere someone jumped out of the bushes and—"

"—there are no bushes in front of Montmouth’s house," Gwen pointed out.

Hunter cursed. "Perhaps you should tell the story, my dear, considering you seem to remember it so much better than I?"

Isabelle gasped. "You were with him! Oh, sister, weren’t you frightened?"

"Terrified," Gwen said through clenched teeth.

Hunter grinned even though it hurt like the devil. Let’s watch her talk her way out of this.

"But imagine my surprise…" Gwen lifted the cup of tea to her lips and blew softly across it, making what truly was his favorite anatomical part flare to life. "When the large man merely stole some of Hunter’s money and continued down the road. Strangest thing, for Hunter refused to fight back. Something about being a lover, not so much a fighter. Isn’t that right, Hunter?" Gwen smiled sweetly and winked.

He was going to kill her.

No, he was going to tie her to a chair and then…

Blast. He needed to stop his imagination before it got out of hand.

"Er, yes," he grumbled.

Dominique tilted his head. "Then who was the gentleman that gave you the black eye?"

Hunter opened his mouth to respond, but Gwen beat him to it. "Oh, silly man, how could you forget?" She laughed. Everyone joined in even though they had no idea why they were mocking him, yet it seemed Gwen did. He couldn’t wait to hear the ending to her sordid tale. Would she explain her involvement?

He took a sip of coffee and waited.

"I punched him."

The liquid, of course, spewed out of his mouth for the second time that morning, as well as every curse underneath the sun, causing Isabelle to turn red and Dominique to push back his chair as he jerked to his feet.

"Gwen?" Dominique looked between the two of them. "Whyever would you punch him? And Hunter, I’m dreadfully sorry for saying so, but what a wonderful right hook you must have, my dear!"

Gwen beamed. "Thank you."