“Impossible because I couldn’t have been there to see it with my own eyes, or impossible because you didn’t kiss my sister?”
“If you had seen it with your own eyes then you wouldn’t have waited to only be picking a fight with me now,” Warrick pointed out.
“You bloody knave. I see you are not denying it.” A finger stabbed in his direction. “At first, I thought I was wrong. But whywould my sister exit a drawing room, minutes before you, face flushed?”
“Thisis what has you so up in arms?”
“I also saw you enter my carriage and Selena exit it. No matter how I look at it, you kissed my sister.”
“You gather that from just those two scenes?” Warrick shook his head and fell back onto the bed, shielding his eyes with his forearm. “Leave me in peace, man.”
“I haven’t even told you the best part.”
“And what is the best part?” Warrick hated asking.
“I have kissed my fair share of women, and I have keen sense of intuition. More importantly, I know how a woman’s lips look after a passionate kiss. Are you still going to deny it?”
Warrick lifted his arm and stared at his friend. “No. You are right.” Every ounce of frustration of the past twenty-four hours poured into his reply. “I kissed Selena.”There, he’d said it. Make with it what you will.
“You blackguard!” Saville lunged at him. He barely had time to roll over before his friend’s heavy body slammed into the mattress next to him. A punch landed on the left side of his jaw.
An involuntary grunt left him. “Damn it!” he cursed. “Why can’t you act like an adult?”
“Why did you kiss my sister?”
“Go ask her yourself!” Warrick snapped back. “Why did she kiss me back?”
“That’s a good question! Why would she return a kiss from a cad like you?”
“Could it be because she enjoyed my kisses?”
“Kisses?” Saville exploded, and several punches rained down, each blow’s impact drawing out another grunt of pain. “You kissed more than once. You are a dead man!”
Devil take it. “Can we discuss this like adults?” Warrick tried to crawl away but was anchored by Saville’s weight.
“Of course we can,” Saville growled. “The moment my fists are satisfied, let’s talk.”
“You crazy infant.” Warrick shoved at his friend. “Let go of me.”
“Once I have my satisfaction.”
“Satisfaction, my arse!” With a quick roll, Warrick hooked his friend’s torso and flipped them both to the floor, hitting the ground with a thud. He pinned the struggling man, hoping to reign in those vicious fists. “Get a hold of yourself, man! It’s not like I ruined her.”
“You dare use that term to my face. You better get your affairs in order. The bride price will be a queen’s ransom!”
“Bride price? What nonsense are you spouting?”
“Your marriage, of course.” The corners of Saville’s lips turned up into a smile that made Warrick’s skin crawl. “Brother.”
“Don’t say something you’ll regret,friend.”
“You refuse to take responsibility for my sister?”
“For a kiss? You must be mad.”
“What do you mean I must be mad? If word gets out, she will be ruined! Just a whiff of a rumor is enough to cast suspicion onto her. You know that!”
“We weren’t caught. No one will ever find out.” Not exactly true.
