Free My Fair Captain by J.L. Langley

like the marriage-minded mamas Nate remembered from his youth. And did Steven just chuckle? Nate glanced at Raleigh, still behind the chair his mate had vacated.
    Raleigh grimaced. “Meet me here tomorrow morning after breakfast and we will go over all the information I have obtained. Remember to keep your ears peeled at the ball. At this point, I can only assume the perpetrator is someone who works inside the castle or on the grounds, but…” He headed toward the door. He stopped before exiting and looked back at Nate. “No worries about compromising any of the boys inside the castle or on castle grounds. Jeffers is a reliable chaperone.” With that he fled the room.
    Nate stretched. A movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned to the window in time to see a mess of ebony curls and big gray eyes disappear from sight. Aiden.
    -58-

    My Fair Captain

Chapter Four
    He nearly had it. A little sharper angle on the jaw and a bit higher cheek line. Using his stylus, he added some shading. There. Aiden sat back, eyeing the drawing critically. He’d managed to capture the man exactly, right down to the predatory gleam in his eyes. The squarish jaw, neatly trimmed almost black beard and mustache, and straight thin nose, all were rendered to perfection. Even the wavy dark hair on his head appeared soft, beckoning one to try and run their fingers through it. All that was left was to add color. A burnt umber, and ebony with some touches of red and gold, for the man’s hair. Smooth shades of chestnut for his eyes. His skin wasn’t fair like most gentlemen. It was a dark gold, maybe even a light bronze. The man was an artist’s dream.
    Aiden stared at his medium-sized sketchscreen. Good Galaxy , the mysterious stranger was handsome. He looked dangerous. Who was he?
    Really? He was an earl, the Earl of Deverell, Nathaniel Hawkins. Aiden had learned that much. They had been called to greet the earl formally and then told to get ready for the ball. Something was going on. Aiden just didn’t know what. He had a sneaking suspicion it had to do with whatever went missing during his trip to the docks. Unfortunately, he was clueless as to what the stolen item was. He’d asked Cony about it twice and Cony had effectively changed the subject each time by saying it was something to do with business. Jeffers professed the same. What were Father and Cony up to?
    Aiden pushed the save button on his screen. He should be getting ready for the ball instead of sitting at his dressing table obsessing over a drawing of a man he didn’t know.
    -59-

    J.L. Langley
    Nathaniel Hawkins elicited all sorts of emotions Aiden would rather not think about. Being in the lord’s arms this afternoon had sent his body into a whirlwind of feelings. It’d felt like when he and Payton had gotten into Father’s brandy when they were thirteen—lightheaded and…happy? His prick had even enjoyed the earl’s nearness, just as it did now. Aiden rubbed the hardness through his pantaloons. That felt very good. He rubbed a little harder. Walking around with it engorged the way it was would be scandalous, therefore he had toget rid of it. Closing his eyes, he imagined wavy, dark hair, wide shoulders and long, muscular legs. Nathaniel. He got two buttons undone before the door to his dressing room opened.
    “Aiden?”
    Aiden jumped, removing his hand and pulling the screen off the marble tabletop and into his lap. Couldn’t anyone knock around this castle? Star dust. He’d nearly been caught touching himself. How indecent. Nathaniel’s eyes seemed to twinkle at him from the screen.
    Aiden frowned. When had he started thinking of the man by his given name? How very familiar, as if the man were an intimate. Aiden groaned.
    Deverell was definitely not good for his state of mind.
    “Aiden? Why aren’t you dressed?” Payton put his hands on his hips, looking around. “Where’s Benson? He’s supposed to be getting you ready.”
    Benson had