Adam sits back and watches the authorities do nothing while a highwayman
robs almost everyone who travels to and from London. They all care more
about gossiping and comparing increasingly exaggerated stories than
catching the thief. But Adam has a plan. He knows he can track the man,
maybe even catch him…
When William realizes the magistrate’s son is trailing him, he tries to teach Adam a lesson. But his schemes to scare the young man away don’t go as planned, and soon William is far too enthralled to let Adam escape … leaving Adam to discover for himself why he’s really spent so long pursuing his masked highwayman.
When William realizes the magistrate’s son is trailing him, he tries to teach Adam a lesson. But his schemes to scare the young man away don’t go as planned, and soon William is far too enthralled to let Adam escape … leaving Adam to discover for himself why he’s really spent so long pursuing his masked highwayman.
Excerpt:
William secured
his horse, Sophie, and flopped down under a tree. After weeks of humoring the
pretty blond boy, whom he now knew was named Adam, William felt nothing but
annoyance. He’d have to teach the lad another lesson to be free of him. Adam
had been tailing him since just after noon that day, and William wanted nothing
more than to have a hot meal and open a bottle of gin. But he couldn’t do that
with the boy following him. Both his hideout and his ancestral home needed to
remain secret, and he most definitely could not risk being spotted going
between the two.
The lad’s
persistence frustrated him as much as his pretty face tempted him. But the last
thing William needed was a charge of sodomy on top of everything else that
could be put at his feet. Satisfaction of that kind had to come from trusted
sources, and unfortunately, his primary source of companions had died of heart
failure. Luck was his only chance of finding a lover like himself now, and
seducing the son of one the magistrates would be a hundred times more trouble
than a few good ruts were worth.
William grunted as
he remembered Adam’s wide-eyed look when they first met, as well as the way the
lad’s breath had caught in his throat when William had touched his cock. He
shifted on the ground and bit the inside of his lip to stop an erection. He
didn’t trust himself near Adam if his desire came to full flame.
William yawned
theatrically, and even as he did so he wished he could roll his eyes. Adam had
developed some skills in the way of stealth, but the boy still made careless
mistakes. He also made too much noise to follow anyone. If Adam had lived a bit
farther south and taken to following Jack “Hawk” Durkin, he’d have been
disemboweled within a week.
Quick Dick. I
ought to post flyers and make them call me something else. William lowered his hat over his face just enough to
hide his eyes but not so far that he couldn’t see. Of course, he hardly needed
to see to know Adam was there. After about five minutes, William heard Adam and
his horse in the nearby trees. Then he heard Adam shushing the horse and then
crunching over fallen leaves. To his credit, he did at least stop to take his
boots off, but William knew this because he tossed them down with an
unmistakable thud. William held back a sigh. I should kidnap him to
save his blasted life!
William banished
that thought, as it made his cock stir anew. He shifted his gaze to his
peripherals just in time to see bare feet approaching. Adam held nothing in his
hands. Did he think he could take down a grown man with his bare hands? William
waited, and he soon observed Adam’s soft, uncalloussed hand reaching for the
purse of money tied at his belt. William reached out and grabbed the boy’s
wrist and yanked him across his lap. Adam cried out while William set to work
tying both hands behind his back. The job was done in twenty seconds flat, and
William smacked Adam on the ass, hard. He then yanked his head up by his hair
and said, “I ought to tan your hide. Pauper children are smarter than you!”
William shoved
Adam off his lap and stood. Adam cried out again as he rolled, and he wound up
on his belly. A couple of tears streaked his face as he looked up at William.
Moving forward, William put the toe of his boot under Adam’s chin and lifted
it.
“What shall I do
with you?” William asked.
“I haven’t seen
your face yet.”
“But you still
seem to find me easily enough. How?”
“Determination. I
don’t give up. You never stay hidden more than three days.”
William’s eyebrows
shot up, which made him glad he still wore his mask and scarf, even though his
hat had fallen and now Adam had seen his real hair. He’d have to cut it when he
went home. The curls in the front would be too easy to identify if Adam saw him
in a public place.
“You’re smarter
than I thought, but not smart enough. If I were a different man, you’d be
dead!”
“How are you
different?” Adam wiggled enough to get on his knees. He pulled at his ties but
accomplished nothing.
“I’m not stupid
enough to kill a magistrate’s son … my dear Adam.”
Adam’s eyes went
wide. “You know my name.”
“I followed you
home the third time you trailed me. I ought to drop your father a note about
your avocation.”
The boy’s green
eyes narrowed as he frowned. “You can write?”
William chuckled.
“Yes, and read as well. Confounding, I know.”
“Are you a
gentleman? Is that why you won’t kill me?” Adam asked, his voice almost
hopeful.
That confused
William, and he wished he hadn’t let that clue drop. “I’m not telling you
anything.”
“Then why talk to
me at all?” Adam licked his lips. In a low voice, he asked, “What do you want
from me?”
Half a dozen
teasing replies came to mind, as the look on Adam’s face made William wonder
how the boy would react if William touched him. Instead, he said, “I want
peace. I’ve never robbed you, and if you stop, I swear I’ll never bother your
family.” Nothing was going to plan. He was supposed to be scaring the hell out
of the lad, not reasoning with him. Those green eyes simply didn’t relent,
muddling his mind with every glance.
“I don’t care
about stopping you. I wanted to prove I could rob you. Best you.”
William’s mouth
fell open, and then he roared with laughter. He soon struggled to keep his
scarf over his mouth. “Really? You want to join me then?”
Adam shook his
head, his face flaming red. “Just prove I’m not merely a boy, or an arrogant
prick.”
“I could’ve killed
you a dozen times and still could, you know.”
Adam shook his
head. “You’re right. You’re too smart. My absence would be noticed quickly, and
the papers would go mad. Parliament would hear, and then they might finally do
something about all of the highway robberies.”
“You’re
delusional. The manpower and time would cost far too much coin. Even improved
roads only make getting away on horseback easier.” William moved closer. “And
in over a year, not one person has really tried to catch me. Not until you.”
“I don’t want to
sit on my ass the way my father does!” Adam yelled, startling William.
Grabbing Adam by
the chin, William studied him. “I’m not playing, boy. If you track the wrong
man, he’ll kill you. Or abuse you until you wish to die.”
“Why do you care
what happens to me?” Adam whispered, wetting his lips, which were plump and
looked exquisitely kissable.
The next book will be here in April....
The next book will be here in April....
