Page 1 of Duke of Seduction

CHAPTER ONE

“Helena,please,” Teresa hissed, tugging at her hand. “This was fun in the beginning, but have we not sufficiently proven our bravery? Come, let us get back to your house before your brother discovers that we have snuck out.”

Behind her black lace mask Helena Curtis, the Duke of Larsen’s younger sister, rolled her blue eyes. She and Teresa Bond, a new but dear friend, had been industrious in securing an invitation to the infamousDevil’s Masquerade,but now that it was time to actually go, Teresa was pestering her endlessly with annoying “what-ifs.”

“You truly think I went to all this troublejustto secure an invitation?” Helena asked, her tone low so the others in attendance would not hear them, “I want more than that, and so do you! You cannot deny that you are as curious as I am about these wicked soirees.”

Teresa blew out a frustrated huff from behind her peacock feather mask at being called out.

“What if it is not what we imagined?” Teresa countered, smoothing her hands stressfully down her shimmering forest green gown.

“What if itissuch, and so much more?” Helena countered.

She pulled her friend closer while walking towards one of the many full-length mirrors that adorned the foyer to the private party, studied her reflection and smiled wickedly. Helena had traded her normal array of pinks and reds for jet black. Even her lips, which she usually coated with a rose-colored tint, had been carefully painted black. She looked wicked, dangerous and, in her opinion, menacingly beautiful.

“You know how insistent Ambrose has been lately,” Helena whispered. “He wants to see me married off to a man of his choosing.”

“Your brother loves you, Helena. You know he would not choose an ill fit for you,” Teresa replied. “Look at him and Barbara! He only wants the same for you.”

It was true. While Ambrose was the lord of their household and ruled with an iron fist, he also wanted Helena to be happy and settled in a good marriage. She had no doubt her brother would find her a calm, strong nobleman of decent age who would respect her. However, Helena remained unconvinced that a safe union was all she needed. She wanted passion, lust and all the passionate moments that had been so tantalizingly detailed in her beloved books, and she wanted to experience it all before being forced to wed someone “safe” and “secure.”

Helena knew that it was unladylike to have such desires, but for once, just once, she wanted to experience life the wayshewanted, not the way others had planned on her behalf. Even her dearest friends Alice, Lydia, and Barbara often babied and sheltered her. She wanted to find someone who would not view her as someone that needed to be protected, but as a woman who deserved to bedevoured.

“You may leave if you like,” Helena said kindly, so her friend would know that she harbored no resentment towards her hesitation. “ButIwill stay, Teresa, if only to know that I truly tried to experience that which I desire. Tonight, I desire a kiss. It is the first item on my list. A kiss like the ones that are described in our books.”

Their books differed from the seductive novels in which Alice and Barbara buried themselves. Though, if truth be told, the collectiondidcome from Alice’s wickedly carnal library. She had found the abandoned library in Duncan’s estate in Baxter when she had first moved in and had immediately claimed it as her own. It was no ordinary reading room: its sole purpose was to house erotic novels. And there, among the many shelves of sinful texts, Helena had found theSeduction of the Godscollection and had shared them with Teresa.

The books were erotically rewritten tales about Greek gods who fell in love with one another or with their human paramours. Unlike other library books, the collection eroticized the concept of being owned, almostenslaved, by their desire for their lovers. They spoke of yearning and need in a way Helena had never experienced. She began dreaming of sinking to her knees before a handsome, dominant god who did not just lust for her body, but also for her mind and soul.

Helena yearned to be wanted so desperately that she would beseducedinto obedience, into shedding her headstrong mantle and letting her body experience everything it was truly meant to feel. Pleasure. Lust. Willingness. She could not picture herself being with any of the men Ambrose had already paraded before her.

As a result, a plan to capture the experience for herself had slowly developed in her mind. Before she became chained —wedded,to a man who would never understand her intense desires — she intended to find, explore and become one with hedonistic pleasures.

Teresa closed her eyes tightly and let out a sigh. “That is also what I want,” she confessed in a whisper. “Perhaps you are right.”

“She is,” a deep voice stated.

Helena glanced at the reflection in the mirror as Teresa whirled towards the voice. They were greeted by a tall, masked man who wore a traditional, well-tailored tuxedo, beneath which a glaringly white shirt could be seen. His mask, a smooth, bone white ensemble that only covered his eyes, highlighted a strong, clean-shaven jaw and sharp cheekbones. His black, curly hair was combed back straight, only letting the edges curl at the nape of his neck.

“Allow me to welcome you to theDevil’s Masquerade,”the man said, bowing as he offered his hand to Teresa.

Helena’s eyes shot to her friend, whose face was as red as the nearby roses. She looked to Helena hesitantly, and after receiving a subtle nod from her friend, she slipped her fingers into the white-gloved hand of the stranger.

“Thank you, um, my lord,” Teresa said breathily, “My name is?—”

“We do not use our real names here, little peacock,” the man countered before Teresa could finish. He swept low and caressed his lips across Teresa’s knuckles, making her gasp and shiver.

“This is a safe space for all who attend. We do not use names. We do not remove our masks. And we do not take what is not offered.”

“Oh, my,” Teresa breathed, a slow smile spreading across her face.

Helena felt her lips twitch into a smile as she watched her friend become more flustered than before. Teresa now appeared much less interested in leaving the soiree.

“Perhaps you could help my friend to relax a little, my lord?” Helena asked, eyeing the two of them.

“And you, little Nyx?” the man asked, his posture straightening as he looked Helena up and down. “Do you need assistance in…relaxing yourself? I have a friend or two that would be honored to be your guide.”

Although flattered by the offer, Helena politely declined.

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