Page 30 of A Virgin for the Ruthless Duke

Tonight, she had chosen a crimson-colored evening dress that would make her the center of attention. The color might not be favored amongst unmarried ladies, but it had been years since she had been a debutante. She wagered she had earned the right to dress how she saw fit.

Just as she had predicted, her entrance into the room that night was accompanied by a hush, as the eyes of everyone in the room swiveled to her. The intensity of their gazes stirred nervousnessin her belly, and she could feel her fingers curling as they tried to grab onto the fabric of her dress.

She forced herself to keep her hands folded in front of her waist. Keeping her smile in place, she stepped into the room and made her way to the vacant seat in the dining room. The gentleman sitting to her right stood up and pulled her chair out for her.

“Thank you, My Lord,” she said, smiling graciously to the chivalrous gentleman.

He was the Earl of Pembroke, an eligible bachelor in his own right.

“My pleasure,” he replied with a charming smile. “It is a privilege to be in the company of such a beautiful lady like you.”

While Selina was sure that line was used several times to deceive many unsuspecting young ladies, she still found herself blushing in response. After all, which lady did not like to be told that she was beautiful?

“Thank you, My Lord. You flatter me so,” she said, making sure to cast glances at him from under her lashes like she had seen many ladies do.

“I always tell the truth. My apologies, My Lady. I do not know your name. Do you mind telling me?”

“I do not think we have been introduced, My Lord. I am Selina, the younger sister of the Duke of Westall.”

“Jefferson at your service, My Lady,” he said, taking one of her gloved hands in his and placing a kiss on it.

The dinner had only just begun, but Selina knew it was going to be an exciting one. She could feel Richard’s eyes on them from where he sat at the opposite end of the table, which added an undercurrent of excitement to her pleasure.

Perhaps she might enjoy this dinner if only she could banish the memory of his kiss and how it felt from her mind.

CHAPTER 10

Richard smiled as he watched Selina taking a turn about the room. She was doing amazingly well—even better than he had anticipated. He had been amazed when she had stepped into the dining room, looking as alluring as a siren. At that moment, he swore that everyone, including him, had become breathless at the very sight of her, confirmed by the hush that fell over the room.

He had seen the moment when her bout of nervousness had started and how she had brought herself under control by straightening the fingers that had been about to grab the fabric of her dress. At that moment, he was proud of her and her growth.

Walking at a sedate pace, she approached the dining room. But the moment the gentleman beside her pulled out her chair for her, Richard’s pleasure with her conduct had slowly faded away until it was almost nonexistent.

He was supposed to be happy that she had snagged the attention of an eligible bachelor. So he did not understand why, instead of being pleased to see her progress, he felt a weight in his chest that grew heavier with each moment she spent smiling and flirting with the young gentleman sitting to her right.

As far as he knew, her lessons had not extended to flirtation, but she had taken to the art like a fish to water—laughing and chatting with the man and glancing up at him from beneath her lashes.

Whoever the gentleman was, he appeared to be in her thrall. He had forgotten his food in favor of watching her while she spoke. His meal sat there, forgotten, as he took in the woman before him.

Even now, as she sat far away from him, Richard was captivated by the way her skin shone in the muted light of the dining room. The bodice of her crimson dress hugged her bosom, drawing his eyes to the creamy skin of her décolletage with magnetic force. He was entirely bewitched by her face, the way it glowed with health and flushed with pleasure.

His obsession with her lips made itself known as he watched her nibble on the edge of a pastry, the action sending heat down his spine as he remembered what it felt like to have her lips beneath his. How sweet she had tasted and how much he hungered to have her in his arms.

When her companion raised her hand to place a kiss on it, Richard’s stomach flipped as the weight in his chest seemed to drop.

Angrily, he stabbed his fork into his beef, chewing fiercely in the hope of cooling the boiling blood in his veins.

“Richard, dear, if you stare at them any longer, they may burst into flames.”

His mother’s voice interrupted his effort to burn a hole into the other man’s head with his eyes from across the room.

“Besides,” she continued, “do not take your anger out on the food. It is innocent.”

Richard did not enjoy attending these occasions with his mother simply because of the wealth of scandal that trailed her steps like a hive of angry bees.

She had just returned alone from France when her latest paramour had refused to follow her back. According to her, he had wanted to “see the beautiful sights of the city” longer. Richard thought it more likely that he had stayed back to enjoy himself—probably with younger women.

Of course, he hadn’t voiced that thought to his vain mother.

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