CHAPTER ONE
Lord Rook Blake awoke and turned over in bed to find the maidservant he’d spent the night with already dressed.
“Leaving so soon?” he asked, his voice deep and groggy.
“I’m late for my kitchen duties, my lord,” said the girl, pulling her gown over her head. “I must hurry.”
“Don’t worry about that. You’re with me.
Now, come back here.” Rook patted the mattress and waited.
By rights, the girl was a servant and needed to obey his commands.
Still, he could see the worry on her face and knew he needed to lighten the mood.
“Just one more kiss,” he coaxed her. “Unless my face is too ugly for you to want to get that close to me?”
“Nay, my lord,” she answered, giggling softly, tying the strings of her bodice. The wench wasn’t half bad in bed. Rook wouldn’t mind a repeat of last night before he started his day.
As she leaned in to kiss him, he reached up and yanked at the string, causing her breasts to pop out. He moaned and reached out to touch them, but the girl playfully stepped back, holding his braies in the air.
“Give me my braies,” he told her. “I’m going to need those.”
“Come get them,” she teased, waving the linen braies back and forth.
This one was a playful wench. He liked that about her.
She knew how to have fun. Rook was all about having a good time.
He sprang out from under the covers, totally naked, running after the wench.
She giggled and ran away from him, still waving his braies above her head.
Damn, why was this exciting him so much?
He liked things out of the ordinary. And that included in and out of the bedchamber.
He was in the mood for a little game. “The wolf is hungry, and the little sheep is about to–”
“God’s eyes, brother, cover up your bare arse!” a woman’s voice from behind startled him. Rook spun around to see his twin sister, Raven, and his Scottish cousin, Lark, standing in the open doorway of his bedchamber.
“Och, nay!” Lark covered her eyes and turned her head. His sister made a face and rolled her eyes, looking up at the ceiling, shaking her head in disgust.
“What the hell are you two doing here?” Rook yanked the braies away from the servant girl, holding them in front of his groin.
“And who in the devil’s name said you could enter my bedchamber without knocking first?
” Rook was more embarrassed that the girls saw him naked than being caught with the serving wench.
“We did knock,” spat Raven, crossing her arms over her chest. “I guess you were a little too preoccupied to notice?” Her eyes flashed over to the kitchen maid.
“I’m so sorry, my lady,” the servant said, fixing her bodice and curtsying to the women in respect. “I’ll leave now.” She took a step forward to exit the room, but Rook’s arm shot out to block her way.
“Nay,” said Rook. “I have not dismissed you yet.”
“Aye, my lord,” said the wench with downcast eyes, suddenly acting obedient and humble.
“Rook, you’ve got to stop using all the servants as naught more than your private harem.
You are acting like the devil,” scolded Raven, making her way across the room and pulling open the shutter.
Bright sunshine and a warm spring breeze filled the room.
The scent of fresh bread from the bakehouse wafted in, mingling with the stale air inside Rook’s chamber.
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