Page 23 of A Virgin for the Ruthless Duke

“You, my dear, are not a debutante, and therefore you are not required to affect purity. Besides, it is a well-known fact that men are visual creatures and are moved by what they see. So, this might help in your hunt for a suitor.”

“I would never be comfortable wearing this dress. I do not believe I could wear it to tomorrow’s ball.”

“Truly?” he said, pushing off the window ledge and taking halting steps towards her, driving her backward. “You are not comfortable wearing a dress you consider scandalous to a ball, but you are comfortable wearing such a dress to a bachelor’s room?”

He kept coming closer until she could feel the warmth of his breath on her face, his eyes burning with intense emotion.

“I bought the dress for you, and you appear in my bedroom almost as if you want me to remove it,” he said, pulling the sleeve of her gown down so that her right shoulder was bared.

“Richard,” she said in a small voice, “you know this is not the reason I came here.”

“I beg to differ, My Lady,” he said with a laugh. “You are no blushing innocent who does not know what it means to visit a bachelor in his rooms.”

This was a version of Richard that Selina could not remember meeting. He was laughing, but instead of the sound being reassuring, it sparked equal parts fear and excitement in her chest. This Richard was dangerous and unpredictable, and she had to be careful if she wished to escape him in one piece.

“Richard…” she said, staring into eyes that were so dilated they appeared black. “This is dangerous. Please let me go.”

In answer, the Duke let out a dark chuckle, and Selina realized that she was in more trouble than she had bargained for.

“Dangerous for whom, My Lady?” Richard asked darkly. “You or me? You, My Lady, seem to have a liking for danger and a strainof recklessness that runs in your body as sure as your blood.” He cupped her face in his hands. “I have fought so hard and for so long to stay away from you. Fighting my beastly urges, staying away to keep you safe. But do you appreciate it?” he spoke in a low, dark tone. “No, you do not. You tempt me till I’m out of my mind with want. Perhaps you will understand better if you get burnt by the heated fantasies that have plagued me in recent days.”

Sliding a hand around her waist, he dragged her closer, her body flush against his so that he was aware of the succulent softness of her that drove his arousal to greater heights. Her eyes widened in surprise, and he studied her for any sign of protest before slanting his mouth over hers in a kiss.

The kiss was a revelation, a far cry from his fantasies. She tasted sweet, like apples she might have had at dinner. She was soft, and he found himself nibbling on her lips, laving them with his tongue until she opened her mouth to allow him inside. The kiss turned wild as their tongues fought for dominance, the drugging effect making him lose his hold on his self-restraint.

He dragged her even closer, running his hands down her body and cupping her breasts in a way that made her moan in pleasure.

He needed more. In no time, he was tugging at her dress, desperate to have access to the smooth softness of her skin. He had pulled down the sleeves and was about to unfasten her bodice when he was dragged out of his lustful haze by the sound of something falling over.

He immediately let go, a feeling of disgust overtaking him. Were it not for that noise, he might be ravishing her now, taking from her what wasn’t his when he knew he could offer her nothing in return.

He had allowed his self-control to slip and had almost committed an unforgettable offense as a consequence. Distantly, he could hear Selina refastening her dress, but he was too ashamed to look at her and the evidence of what he had nearly done.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to her. “Selina… I…” he began.

“Please, do not apologize. It would make the situation even worse than it is,” she replied stiffly.

It was meaningless to apologize when there was ample chance that it might happen again. The only other way to make sure it did not happen again was unpleasant, but it seemed to be the best solution.

“I do not mean to apologize,” he said, keeping his expression bland. “I did it to teach you a lesson about the consequences of reckless behavior. I hope that you have learned well and will refrain from visiting me at odd hours of the night.”

“I will make sure to take your advice to heart, Your Grace,” she returned in a voice as frosty as ice. “I might have made this mistake once. I will make sure never to repeat it.”

With that, she swept out of the room, leaving an aching sensation in his chest.

It might have been the best solution, but it had not come without its measure of pain.

CHAPTER 8

Richard had always prided himself on his self-control. It was perhaps the reason why he had survived this long in polite society without being entangled in many scandals. His remarkable self-possession had been the fodder for whispers that he was as cold as ice and might have a preference for men.

While such a rumor might be annoying, he was usually unperturbed because he knew it wasn’t anywhere close to the truth. When he was younger, he had sown his wild oats just like other men his age, but now that he was older and more mature, he preferred to be discreet about his affairs, and that had been possible because of his self-discipline. It was one thing that he was sure of in his life.

Meeting Selina had thrown everything he knew about himself out of flux, including his willpower. Usually famed for being made of steel, it fell apart in her presence. He had yet to figure out how that had happened.

Surely, he had met more beautiful women, sirens in their own right, with more sensuality than should be legal, but for some reason, he had never felt the helpless burn of desire with them that he felt with Selina.

Perhaps it was her intelligence and sharp wit that never ceased to intrigue him, or maybe it was her eyes, those green pools that shone with intelligence and dark humor. Maybe it was her short, curvy figure that had him entranced.

---