Page 14 of Greed: The Savage
A sour note crept into Lady Darrow’s words. “Are youcertainshe has to be here, Thornwick?”
“Club rules, Lady Darrow,” he said.
Funny that. When the day began and Dynevor informed Thornwick of the altered plan which required he bring the tart-mouthed servant along for his interviews, he’d been of the same opinion as Lady Darrow. Now, Addien proved to be the most diverting of the two women this day.
The baroness gave a hmph. “Yes, well, I do not like the way she is glaring at me.”
“I’m fairly certain she’s glaring at me.”
They both looked at Addien.
She is going to murder me.
The baroness mulled at her lower lip. “I do believe she is glaring at thebothof us.”
Thornwick peered at an impressively taciturn Addien, and damned if he didn’t want to get a rise out of her. “No, I’m quite sure it is me. Miss Killoran and I are not friendly,” he explained.
They were going to be a lot less friendly after all this.
The widow perked up, all smiles and giggles once more.
He cut a glance Addien’s way.
Given the flashes of crimson on her cheeks, if she got any hotter, she’d sizzle up.
It was the wrong imagery. Evocative. He found himself besieged by the feisty Addien Killoran as a veritable Hestia, sprawled before a hearth while the flames blazed around her.
Why should that conjuring make him hard as a pike?
The baroness was right here before him, his for the taking. The debauched bride to drive the duke to his overdue death. Add to that, she had a lush body made for bedsport.
There came a soft thump.
“Send her away,” the determined widow coaxed. “It would be eminently more entertaining without her here.” The wanton slid a delicate but purposeful foot up his leg. She brought it to rest at his throbbing cock.
While she teased him with her toes, he forced himself to renew his consideration.
Granted, they needn’t sit across the table for meals or even attend the same events. The role he needed her for required none of that. She’d make him a great bed partner, and wouldn’tdemand his loyalty, and definitely not his non-existent heart. Nor would he make any such demands of her.
Addien, on the other hand, she’d demand everything from a man.
His breath grew ragged, on no account of Lady Darrow’s.
Right now, he’d have taken ten spitting-mad Addiens to the tiresome widow.
Sensing her efforts weren’t having the intended effect, Lady Darrow returned her foot to the floor.
The brunette’s pinched gaze again trailed briefly over to a conspicuous Addien in the corner.
“There is talk, my lord,” Lady Darrow said, picking up the teapot to pour herself another cup.
“Talk?”
The baroness returned the porcelain teapot to its place on the tray. “Amongst the ladies who’ve taken part in the auction. They claim Lord Dynevor and Mr. Latimer never required such stringent measures of the participants until only recently.”
Gossip proved to be the fuel that kept the widow’s interest and thoughts together.
Lady Darrow inched closer. She dropped her elbows on the white Italian lace tablecloth. With her body perfectly arced towards Thornwick, her ample cleavage remained on perfect display, in garish but not completely unwelcome presentation.
