Free The Hunt Club Chronicles Bundle by Heather Boyd

. The duchess has been demanding my whereabouts. She has been hinting that I stole her diary. I didn’t.”
    “I know you didn’t.” Nathan caught Henry’s cold hands in his. He met his lovers worry clouded eyes. “I promise you, I’ll deal with her as soon as possible. Someone else wanted to embarrass my wife and I, but I have no idea who.”
    Henry nodded once, and stared down at their joined hands. When Nathan could stand his nervous twitching no longer, he tugged his steward across the carriage so they sat side by side. Henry appeared uncomfortable, and to distract him, Nathan fondled his lover’s groin.
    “We shouldn’t . . . not here,” Henry whispered, yet drew the blinds over the carriage windows. The carriage rattled along the rutted road and when they rejoined the main road, Nathan drew the drapes on his windows too.
    He quickly opened the fall of Henry’s trousers as the carriage gained speed and bent his head. It wasn’t, perhaps, the wisest thing to do, yet Nathan couldn’t go another minute without feeling his lover close. The thick, full prick popped into view and Nathan licked his lips. He pressed a slow kiss to the head, then opened his mouth wide to take as much in as he could.
    Above him, Henry’s quick gasp betrayed his pleasure. He grasped Nathan’s waistcoat, but Nathan battered them away. He would spoil Henry for his hard work and devotion whenever he could, and brought him off quickly.
    Henry pulled away first, breathing hard, and looking gorgeously disheveled. He set about putting his trousers to rights and Nathan resumed his seat, prick aching with need. Yet a grim happiness washed over him that he had almost demolished his own handiwork. At least he had another excuse to set Henry’s cravat in place again.
     

 
    Chapter Eleven
     
    Nathan stepped from the carriage first and glanced at his home. Servants lined the stairs of the sprawling manor house in respectful silence awaiting his every command. He wanted them gone. He wanted to be alone with Henry instead, but he had to behave as he had always done. The servants lined up by seniority, the butler, the valet, flowing down to the lowest pot boy.
    He was glad to be back but hated this part.
    Considering abandoning the practice, Nathan turned to speak to his butler, but then dismissed the idea. As far as he knew they might enjoy the pomp—he’d ask Henry first to gauge the reaction. He glanced back at the carriage as Henry stepped from the dark confines. Someone in the line of servants sighed a hearty relief.
    Nathan couldn’t agree more. Now everything in his life would run smoothly. Henry glanced about him, nodded to the butler but didn’t move past Nathan. The formality between them was an irritant that had to be borne. Turning back to the house, Nathan had a brief moment of warning before he was enveloped in a swathe of feminine-scented muslin.
    The duchess’ soft limbs locked around his neck and she hugged him tight. Shocked to the core, Nathan peeled his wife from his arms and thrust her away.
    “Oh, Your Grace, I’ve been so concerned about your absence. You were gone ever so long.”
    Nathan couldn’t decide what he hated more—Sybil’s public display of affection or the fact that it was false. “Nonsense, I’m sure you didn’t miss me at all.”
    Why pretend anymore? She’d taken lovers from among the servants as if they were her due. The thought sickened him.
    Sybil gripped his hands and held them tight. “It felt like forever.”
    Henry stepped around them, and headed up the stairs.
    “Await me in my study, Mr. Stackpool,” Nathan called, tingeing his words with a harsh bite of irritation. He wasn’t irritated—just determined not to lose sight of his lover for too long.
    Sybil’s large eyes grew glassy. “But, I thought you would at least take tea with me?”
    Nathan wasn’t fooled by that once endearing expression. He’d learned his lesson. “You know I can’t abide tea. I have business to