Free The Desires of a Countess by Jenna Petersen

don’t know
if I would say-”
    Simon sprang forward to place a hard
hand on Adam’s forearm. “Adam doesn’t like to brag, but he does
enjoy swinging a mallet, don’t you?” He squeezed his friend’s arm
until Adam yanked it away with a glare that told Simon he wouldn’t
mind swinging a mallet at his head.
    “ Yes, Lady
Westdale.”
    “ We must play before you and
Mr. Webber depart.”
    Again, she bestowed a friendly smile
on his first mate that made Simon shiver. Good God, she was
beautiful when she didn’t try to be so damned reserved. If only he
could make her look at him that way.
    Which was, of course, the most
ridiculous notion he’d ever had.
    “ Well, I should be off to
oversee these lads while they haul away some of this rotted wood.
Good day, my lady.” Adam gave Ginny a bow and Simon another glare
before he strolled back into the yard and left the two of them
alone.
    ***
    Ginny watched the older man depart
down the path with a shiver of trepidation. Suddenly being alone
with Simon didn’t seem like such a good idea. Especially when he
was standing there with his shirt undone, his muscles rippling and
just the lightest sheen from exertion on his skin. The sight of him
made her oddly hot and dizzy.
    “ Your friend seems like a
good man,” she said, while she prayed Simon would behave decently
and button his shirt. Then she might have some hope of regaining
her concentration.
    Instead, Simon only nodded. “Yes, he
is. No man could find a more loyal friend.”
    She nodded absently, but remained
disturbingly focused on his half-exposed body. Damn him for using
his looks against her. But she damned herself more for reacting.
She was furious just thinking about how the glimpse him left her
wanting.
    He stared at her sour expression for a
moment, then crossed to the wall. He leaned back against it with
the half-smile that made her heart skip. “I hope we aren’t going to
have round three, Ginny.”
    She scowled. “Round three?”
    “ It’s a term used in
pugilism. When the men fight, they do it in timed
rounds.”
    “ Hand to hand combat is a
bit out of my league.” She gave him her haughtiest
glare.
    Instead of accepting her set-down, he
laughed. “If there were a battle of acid tongues, I don’t think any
opponent would survive to round three against you.”
    She couldn’t help the small smile that
tilted her lips at his teasing. Damn, she was starting to like him.
That wouldn’t do at all.
    Taking a deep breath, she refocused.
She’d come to the cottage to say something. The best thing to do
would be to say it and get away from him. Back to the safety of the
house where she could pretend he didn’t exist. Not that it had been
working.
    “ Actually, I came here today
to apologize to you.”
    Both his eyebrows arched in surprise.
“Really?”
    “ Yes.” She paced back and
forth in front of the door. “I was very frightened when I didn’t
know where you’d taken my son a few days ago. I became upset, but
my anger wasn’t fair to you. The second I saw you with Jack, I knew
you wouldn’t ever purposefully bring him physical harm.”
    Of course, it was the accidental and
emotional harm she feared more. But there was no use in saying
that.
    Simon pushed off the wall in much the
same way he had in the stable those few days before. Her heart
leapt with the memory. Would he kiss her now as he had
then?
    But he didn’t.
    “ Thank you. I never
wanted to cause you upset.” He smiled down at her. “In fact, I
owe you an apology, as well.
I have let my baser instincts take over my control on two
occasions. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of your fragile state
and kissed you. No matter what I want, I had no right to act on my
desire when it comes to you.”
    Ginny leaned back in utter shock. Once
again, he was making no excuses for what had occurred between them.
In fact, he admitted he desired her, a fact that sent warmth
spreading through her to her very toes.
    She shrugged one shoulder