How to Seduce an Earl

Chapter 4

A/N: I own nothing. Enjoy!

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Not two days had passed since the promise of hot tea, and she was sitting in his parlor room, sipping hot tea calmly as though she was not an unmarried woman who had strode straight into an unmarried man's house. Society would have a fit if anyone had seen.

What a tempting vixen.

They had been out on a boating trip when the boats were suddenly attacked by a few lake kelpies. While the other noblewomen panicked as they floundered in the water as the guards and noblemen dispatched the creatures, Percy had observed Annabeth calmly procure a small knife (really, where was she keeping it?) and finish off a foolish monster who dared to venture near her. Within moments, the creatures had been dispatched.

"Here, you must be freezing." Percy unfastened his cloak and draped it around her shoulders. The water had made her dress practically see through, accentuating her slender curves. He leveled a death glare at some men who were taking unnecessary glances at the unaware Lady Annabeth.

"Thank you, and for pulling us out of the water. So it is no rumor that the men of Atlantis are quite strong swimmers as well as brave warriors." Annabeth brushed an unruly wet curl out of her face.

"You're not so bad with a knife yourself, Lady Annabeth."

A dainty eyebrow lifted as she smiled pertly. "You saw that?"

"Anyone with a decent pair of eyes can see your skill with a knife."

Annabeth opened her mouth to speak but a sneeze came out instead. "Achoo!"

Adorable.

"Stop laughing!" She sneezed again.

She was like a cute golden retriever puppy who had taken a dip in the pond. Percy tucked her more snugly inside his cloak.

A few people were staring with interest, but Percy had never given a crap about what other people thought.

Staking a claim, as the old-fashioned might say? She wasn't a trophy to be won, and frankly, Percy was sure Annabeth could easily stab him if he ever made such a remark.

"You'll catch a cold at this rate. We should get you somewhere warm. My place isn't very far."

Lady Annabeth smiled. "My, my. If anyone else had heard those words, they might think you had other ulterior motive up their sleeves."

He gently lifted her chin up so she faced him. "As if my lady doesn't have ulterior motives of her own. No?" Her cheeks were flushed, almost as pink as her lips.

He knew very well what she had been doing that afternoon when they rode back to the castle together the other day. And he couldn't deny that he liked the feeling of her smaller body encapsulated in his.

Percy had seen how the wet cloth of her dress had clung to her body just before he covered the sight with his cloak. One of the shoulders of her dress had been sliding off, exposing her collarbone and just the top curve of her right breast. No, he couldn't have other people seeing her like that.

Had Annabeth noticed the way her body was slightly heaving? Her dress and corset must have been made of thin silk as he had seen the chill air hardening her nipples, pressing against that mere cloth barrier. Now they were hidden from sight by his cloak.

But his cloak was also blocking other people from seeing what he could do next. He could slide his hands underneath his cloak, hiding from view that he could cup an enticing breast in his palm. His thumb would then brush against that nipple, eager to see what reactions he could elicit from her body.