Page 29 of Her Devil of a Duke
Not in all the years she had been out during the season had any man looked at her with such desire, such…admiration?Was that what was in his eyes? Even Mr. Windham, as he had charmed her, had been rather plain in his advances. Suddenly, she understood what Kitty had meant when she had described Mr. Windham’s attentions. They were dull, as dull as dishwater.
It was a stark contrast to the Duke’s attentions. They were like fire. Glorious, smokeless fire.
“This…” he whispered and stuffed a hand in his trouser pocket, pulling out a balled-up piece of paper. Evelyn’s eyes darted to it, recognizing the color and the way it was folded at once. It was the note she had handed him the night before, when she had asked for his help in tracking someone down, someone she wished to seduce.
He hadn’t opened it yet.
“I do not want to see what’s on this.” He tossed the paper over his shoulder. It landed somewhere under a chair, though she didn’t strain to look exactly where, for he bent his arms a little on either side of her, his body moving to hers.
The temptation inside her suddenly grew. Her breathing became labored as she thought of kissing him again, pressing her lips to his and indulging in the pleasure they had known.
Would it be as good tonight? Would it be clumsy and awkward because he was in his cups? Or would it be just more passionate because he had let go of any inhibitions now and even asked her to call him Rafe?
Rafe…
The thought of his name made that wetness grow.
“Why do you not want to know?”
“That doesn’t matter.” He shook his head. She put it down to him being drunk, for what other explanation was there for it?
“Is something wrong, Your Grace?”
“Rafe,” he corrected her, moving his hips against hers another time.
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
Evelyn’s hands lifted from her side. She rested them on Rafe’s chest, suddenly aware of just how undressed he was. The tailcoat was absent, as was the cravat, revealing a flash of skin beneath and the hint of chest hair that curled temptingly. She placed her hands on his shirt, one palm just slipping beneath the edge of the open waistcoat.
He practically growled at that touch, looking down at her hand upon him.
Oh… is this the power I can have over him? Surely not! He knows what pleasure is like with so many women.
“What is wrong?” she murmured again, longing to know why he was in his cups, and why he had stumbled into her chamber if he had believed she wasn’t there.
“Nothing.” He refused to answer, holding her gaze. “I’ll make you a deal, Evelyn.”
“What sort of deal?” she mumbled quickly. One of her hands drifted down his chest and he inhaled. She could feel the lifting of his muscular pectorals beneath her delicate palm. It was as if she was attempting to tame a wild beast.
“I will help you as you asked of me last night,” he whispered, moving his head close to hers. “I will help you seduce any man you wish to.”
Any man…
A brief image of the masked man from the ball entered her mind, but then it was replaced with the man before her.
“On one condition though.”
She thought he was going to kiss her. His lips hovered over hers and she reached up a little, her eyelids half fluttering closed as she waited for the contact, but he didn’t quite close his lips to hers.
“I get to have you for seven nights.”
Her eyes shot fully open, and she moved back down again to her flat feet.
“Seven nights?” she repeated in amazement.
It was a long time. To be away from home for so long was surely scandalous. What would her aunt and uncle say if they ever found out where she had been? As fast as these thoughts entered her head, something else happened to make them shoot out.
His hands on the wall slid toward her. His elbow brushed her waist.
