Page 20 of A Virgin for the Ruthless Duke

Spending time near her would be torture of the worst kind.

“If you say so. I will meet you at Gracie’s. I hope she has the dresses I seek.”

With that, Selina pulled the carriage door closed and signaled to the driver, who tugged at the reins and led the team of horses forward.

“I have seen you do irrational things, Seymour, but I must say that your actions during the last hour are so confusing. I swear I can feel a headache coming on,” Eli said, a perplexed expression on his face.

“There is no reason to concern yourself with the matter. It is nothing more than my occasional bout of health consciousness. I heard that exercise is good for humors.”

“No sane man of my acquaintance would take on such senseless torture, braving the streets of London in this unforgiving weather—especially when they run the risk of their bollocks falling off.”

“Life is full of novel experiences—you would do well to embrace them,” Richard said, ignoring the look of disbelief on his friend’s face.

Eli seemed to have decided that he was insane because he did not bother making conversation the rest of the way to the modiste.

It was perhaps for the best because Richard could not tell him the reason for his irrational behavior. It was a novel experience for him as well because he would never have believed that, one day, he would be fighting arousal so acute that he would resort to walking down chilly roads to maintain his grip on his self-restraint.

His life had been quiet for the most part—one step away from boring. He was collected and respected, until the day he had met Selina and his life was turned upside down. Suddenly, he was thinking of her, wanting to be close to her, and longing to watch her face while she broached topics she was passionate about.

He had written it off as curiosity, since she was different from ladies her age, but recent events had proven that notion to be a fallacy because it was more than that. Selina was crawling into his veins and wreaking havoc on his carefully controlled world.

In no time, they were in front of the modiste’s shop, with the name ‘Gracie’ written boldly on its glass doors. The carriage that bore the Duke of Westalls’s crest was parked right in front of it.

“I believe I have an appointment with a gentleman in a club down the street. I will see you later,” Eli said, before continuing down the street.

Sure enough, when Richard turned the knob and opened the door, Selina was seated with her maid by her side. She tilted her chin in acknowledgment of his presence.

“Welcome, Your Grace,” a cheerful, buxom woman said, approaching them with such a wide smile on her face that he thought her lips might tear from the effort. “I am Gracie,” she added with a brief curtsey. “I must say, it is an honor to make your acquaintance, Your Grace. What might I help you with?”

“I require dresses for the beautiful lady here,” Richard said, gesturing towards Selina.

“What kind of dresses would they be, and do you perhaps have some styles in mind?”

Richard turned to take a long look at Selina, tracing the lines of her body with his eyes, and enjoying the answering flush that rose to her skin. More evidence that she was not immune to his charms.

Selina was a voluptuous beauty and that, in combination with her vivid green eyes, completed the idea swirling among the ton that she looked like a goddess of the forest and he couldn’t help but be inclined to agree.. Her curves, barely concealed by her clothes, were the stuff of dreams, and her slender neck was fodder for his fantasies, as he fantasized about nibbling on its tempting length while he made love to her.

“Your Grace?” Gracie called, jolting him out of his reverie.

He realized he had spent the better part of five minutes staring at Selina lustfully.

“Have you decided on the style, yet?” the modiste asked from beside him.

“Something that will accentuate her slender neck, I think.”

“Splendid,” the modiste said, beaming and clapping her hands with excitement. “I must confess, Your Grace, you have a good eye for fashion. I would have recommended the same.”

“Excellent,” Richard replied absentmindedly, his eyes following Selina as she talked with her maid.

“Does the young lady agree as well?” the modiste asked Selina. Her welcoming smile did not falter, but the concern in her voice was obvious.

Perhaps she was worried that Richard was one of those controlling gentlemen who chose everything for their wives even down to their underclothes. Perhaps he should have corrected her, but he did not feel the need to. If she thought he was married to Selina, then all the better. It was best to protect her reputation.

“It is beautiful. I like it,” Selina replied after taking a good look at the design, beaming with excitement.

“What colors would you prefer, Your Grace?”

“I think green, gold, and brown will do nicely.”

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