Page 9 of His Duchess' Wicked List

“Since we are getting to know each other better, My Lady,” he said in a low, solemn voice, “I should inform you that I have the reputation of a rake.” He followed the announcement with a saucy wink, just to gauge her reaction.

He wasn’t disappointed. She gasped, quite as if he had slapped her.

“And why would I wish to know such a disreputable thing?” she scoffed, looking outraged.

He sighed heavily, then looked down at the piece of paper in his hand. “Well, itison your list, My Lady.” He couldn’t help smiling as he read through it again. “There. I thought I had read it correctly. It is number three, in your own delectable handwriting—Kiss A Rake.”

She paled, then reddened, in quick succession. Daniel’s mouth twitched, simultaneously amused and aroused, almost beyond measure. He had successfully set the cat amongst the pigeonsnow. He wondered how she was going to react. Would she fight, or would she flee?

She writhed with mortification for a full moment, before squaring her shoulders, meeting his eyes in a challenging way. “Why would I need you for such a thing?” she retorted. “I can find a better option thanyoufor that.”

He laughed with sheer delight. It was such delicious fun, sparring with her. He had her in the palm of his hand. Did she know it yet? Did she still think she could wriggle her way out of it?

He reached out, taking her hand, just for the sheer pleasure of feeling her flesh. It didn’t disappoint. The touch was like lightning, full of such promise that he almost couldn’t stand it.

Instantly, she tried to pull her hand away. He tightened his grip for a moment, before letting it fall. She was flustered again—her cheeks were pink, and her honey-brown eyes were sparkling. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly as if she was having a hard time catching her breath.

He knew at that moment, without a shadow of a doubt, that she felt the same strong connection between them that he was feeling. He had a vast knowledge of how a woman looked when she was genuinely aroused.

He walked away from her and then sat down again behind the desk, placing the list on it. He knew the physical distance, after such alluring intimacy, was a provocation in itself. He wantedher to be burning for his touch, as strongly as he was burning for hers.

“Well then, My Lady, I have an offer to make you,” he said crisply, in his most businesslike voice. “I will return your list to you…” Her eyes instantly brightened, full of hope. “But it is conditional on two things,” he continued quickly. “In order to ensure my silence about it, these conditions must be met.”

Her face fell. “What conditions? What do you mean?”

He smiled lazily. “Firstly, you must agree to grant me a favor—whatever favor I ask for, whenever I ask for it.”

The lady was visibly shocked. “I see,” she said in a bewildered voice. “Well, I daresay that is not so hard. I can agree to such a thing, since you are doing me a favor as well.” She hesitated. “What is the second condition?”

He leaned on the desk, staring at her intently. “That you agree to check off all the items on this list with me… andonlyme.”

Maddie gaped at the man leaning on the desk, staring at her in such a provocative way. In her wildest dreams, she could never have imagined that he would say such a thing!

“All of it?” she managed to stammer.

He nodded briskly. “Indeed. Every single last item on it, My Lady.” He paused. “You have one day to contemplate my terms. Only one day.”

Maddie was mortified beyond words. It was bad enough that he had demanded that she cross off the third item on her list with him… butallof the items? Oh, how had she gotten herself into such a dreadful pickle?

But before she could respond, the door to the study suddenly burst open. Selina was standing there, looking perplexed, her gaze traveling from Maddie to her brother, who was calmly sitting behind the desk with the infamous list atop it.

“Maddie?” she said, her head tilted to the side, in confusion. “What are you doing here?”

Suddenly, it was all too much. How could Maddie explain to Selina exactly what was going on? She simply couldn’t. Not at the moment, at any rate. This shocking man was her olderbrother. And he was truly living up to his reputation. It seemed that he hadn’t lied—the man was the king of rakes.

“I am sorry, Selina,” she mumbled. “But I must leave.”

She rushed out of the room, not even saying goodbye to either of them, mortified beyond measure.

Jane was still waiting, as instructed, in the foyer, sitting on a chair and looking a little tired and peeved. “Milady,” she breathed, visibly relieved. “There you are.”

“Here I am,” Maddie said, barely able to speak. “Come along, Jane. We must go home.”

Once in the carriage, Maddie’s shoulders slumped, feeling as if she was on the verge of bursting into tears. It had taken so much strength to stand up to that rake, and she was sorely depleted.

And on top of that, it had been so hard trying to ignore her treacherous body, which had reacted wildly to his close proximity and his saucy, seductive actions, which she instinctively knew had been deliberate, designed to arouse and exasperate her in equal measure.

You have one day to contemplate my terms. Only one day.

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