Page 1 of The Duke's Hellion

Chapter One

1816 England

Sometimes you getexactly what you want out of life and love. Sometimes the most perfect plan, the most daring dream, and the most impossible fantasy…they all come true.

Not often.

But sometimes.

And if that most perfect plan, most daring dream, most impossible fantasy were to come true for Artemisia, she wasn’t even sure how she would pinpoint it.

There were so many options to choose from. First, and often foremost, there was the rescue of a highwayman. She would have been traveling to visit her aunt. No, her sister. Or maybe her friend—never mind, that part didn’t matter. She was in a carriage. An enclosed space. At the mercy of her driver and anyone reckless enough to lay siege. And someone always did in this fantasy.

The shout would come,Stand and deliver.The door would be kicked in. She would scream. Not helplessly of course, that wasn’t her style. She would yell something fierce, like,You picked the wrong carriage.Or something equally bold, such as,This isn’t going to end well for you.Wait, better,And you thought this was going to be your lucky day? Think again.Yes, something outstanding like that.

The highwayman would drag her out of the carriage, gruffly (but not too disrespectfully) and he would hold her back to his chest. She would feel his whole body against hers (even though she had no idea what that really felt like), but simply imagining it was enough to make her body shudder with desire. He would smell faintly like whiskey, but of course he wasn’t a drunk. That would be too slovenly for her tastes. And his clothes would be rough against her untouched skin.

The highwayman cared nothing for his fellow man. He shot for the kill. He lived for pleasure. He existed for himself. But he would see something in her. She was different. She was the one he had been waiting for but didn’t even know he hadn’t been intaking oxygen until he met her. So even though he handled her roughly, he did it with intent.

Then he would whisper in her ear.Don’t think I won’t takeeverythingfrom you.Everything. As in, her body, in case that wasn’t clear. But it was always clear because at that point her nipples would be cutting slits in her dress begging to be released, and she would reply with,You can take it if you want.

Yes, that was a good contender for the ultimate fantasy.

But if not the highwayman, likely it would be the pirate. The rogue of a man with long dark hair blowing in the wind, standing aboard his ship, eyeing her. And only her. He would tilt his head, acknowledging her, inviting her to come aboard. No. That was all wrong. He would spot her across the room of a crowded tavern and haul her out on his shoulder in front of everyone. She would struggle. All for show of course. And then he would probably swat her bottom, but that wouldn’t stop her from kicking him. And she would scream and kick all the way aboard his ship and into his captain’s cabin where he would fling the door open and kick it shut with his foot. Then he would pin her against the wall and with smoldering eyes he would lean in with his plush lips and hard body, and—

“Mimi, isn’t this the store you wanted to visit?” her sister Zenobia asked, placing a gentle hand on her arm, stopping them in front of a red door facing the street.

Drat. Another fantasy cut short due to the beckoning of reality. If only she could be left uninterrupted for a few hours. A day. A week might do.

“Yes, thank you. This is it, Nobi.” It was a distracted reply. She was still woolgathering about the bulge in the pirate’s breeches that was being pressed up against her—

“Was it the knight this time?”

“Huh? Nighttime?”

Nobi nudged her with her elbow. “Knight or pirate?” she asked with a wink.

“Mmm. Yes. Pirate,” Mimi wiggled her eyebrows. “You know me too well.”

“That I do.” Nobi sighed, “Plus, you’ve been more distracted lately. Ever since Joan got engaged. The duke dare has been on your mind, hasn’t it?”

“I don’t want to think about it.”

“Doesn’t mean it hasn’t been on your mind,” Nobi prodded.

“True. But all the same, I don’t feel like talking about it right now.”

“You do remember that you were the one who initiated it, right?”

“Was I though?”

“Yes.”

Mimi dismissed the argument with a wave of her hands. “I still don’t want to talk about it.”

“Because you’re next?”

Mimi pursed her lips.

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