Page 44 of A Virgin for the Ruthless Duke

She tasted heavenly. Sweeter than honey. Sweeter than even the punch they had served throughout the party. He wanted to flip up her skirts and taste her again when she had said those damned words with such a careless smile.

He wanted to see her come undone again, this time fully splayed out beneath him so he could see her and feast on her unhindered. He wished he could bury himself deep in her silken heat until he could fully rid himself of the burning desire he felt for her, but he could do none of those things. Not if he didn’t want to be tied to her.

But marriage to her didn’t seem as unappealing as it had previously, especially if he would have the pleasure of tasting her every night and kissing his way down her delectable body.

He felt the stirrings of desire in his blood again as his engorged member begged for the relief it would be sure to get if he begged off the party and returned to town to meet his mistress. The entire ordeal didn’t appeal to him, but it was a much better option than sitting there and stewing in desire.

He dressed quickly, headed to the stables, and mounted his horse.

“Where are you off to?” Eli asked, folding his arms.

“I am heading to town,” Richard answered. He ran a hand down his stallion’s flank to calm the anxious animal, who was reflecting his burning need to escape.

“May I ask why?”

Eli did not look happy, but Richard couldn’t care less. If he didn’t rid himself of this tension, he would die from need or do something as stupid as seeking out Selina to douse the flames she had ignited inside him.

“I have an appointment I need to keep,” he answered, not meeting his friend’s eyes.

“And should I be expecting you to return?”

Richard said nothing, but that should have been answer enough.

“I will assume that whatever has you leaving as if the very devil is on your trail is important enough that you are willing to risk our friendship,” Eli said with a frown. “But I expect you to be back tomorrow.”

“Mulford—”

“I will not listen to your excuses, Seymour,” Eli snapped. “I shall expect you tomorrow or never at all.”

He walked away without a backward glance, causing Richard to sigh.

Richard arrived later than expected, heading straight to the theatre, and was ushered quickly into his private box with no questions asked, though he earned a few glances for his disheveled appearance.

He watched Mariella sing and charm the audience, trying to admire the fullness of her bust and the elegant curves of her figure, which had first drawn him to her and made him consider her as a mistress—as well as the fact that she had no prior engagements with anyone else.

He remembered how their affair had started and that she had been smart, well-read, and had an understanding of the nature of their relationship. She had also been flexible and had taught him things about his body that had their encounters ending on a very satisfying note for him.

She didn’t come cheap, but he liked to see her turn down other men who waited outside her chambers for the opportunity to woo her with paltry gifts. He also enjoyed watching her put others—who attempted to assault her when she chose to leave the theatre for her house in town—in their place with a tiny blade in their thighs or wherever she pleased.

Thinking about her self-sufficiency and fiery spirit usually heated his blood, but now there was only a barely simmering appreciation for her craft.

She turned to his box, sending a discreet signal—which she usually did when she wanted to see him—and then turned back to conclude her performance.

Richard waited for her admirers to retreat in defeat and walked into her chambers without knocking. She was in a deliberate state of undress, with only her garters and stockings in place. She didn’t like to waste time, and he appreciated the gesture immensely.

“It is a pleasure to see you today, Your Grace,” she said with a smile, leaning over her dressing table to reapply her rouge, giving him a full view of her weeping sex.

Still, the sight hadn’t stirred lust in his blood the way Selina had. He only watched her, his hands unwilling to touch her. She didn’t take his lack of enthusiasm to heart and continued her practiced seduction, turning to face him and sitting on the dresser.

“Will you only be watching today, Your Grace?” she asked, letting her hands run down her neck to cup her very generous breasts and then lower in a way that usually gave him satisfaction. “That would be a shame because I have missed you.”

He stepped closer before brushing her red hair aside and burying his nose in her neck, breathing in her scent. But her heady, spicy perfume did nothing to excite him the way Selina’s soft floral scent did.

Damn.

He wasn’t supposed to still be thinking about Selina, with this beautiful, naked woman before him. Other men would kill to be in his place, but here he was, and he was barely hard for her.

“Is something wrong, Your Grace?” Mariella asked, looking worried for the first time. “Do I no longer please you?”

---