Page 41 of A Duchess Bound
“It is no business of yours,” Gerard said. “In case you have forgotten, you would not even tell me whoyourlover is.”
“And I have no intention of telling you,” Lady Everleigh said. “But he is terribly jealous. I do hope he sees me speaking with you.”
Gerard arched an eyebrow. “Do you anticipate him confronting me?”
“On the contrary, I anticipate him confrontingme.”
Then, she sauntered away, acting as though they had not spoken at all. Gerard began to wonder what he might have brought upon himself. He supposed that the encounter with Lady Everleigh might be useful, though. If he spoke with many women over the course of the night, the tonwas unlikely to notice that he had spent more time than was appropriate with Lady Dorothy.
He took care to speak to a few other gentlemen and two ladies before slipping away. A maid in the corridor bowed to him and passed quickly. The waiting footmen did not address him at all. Gerard found the corridor unoccupied. He entered the familiar room, closing the door behind him.
It was the library, a room spacious enough to hide if one happened to be stumbled upon by another guest seeking aprivate, amorous congress. Gerard tread quietly past the tall shelves laden with volumes. Once, he’d had an enjoyable encounter with Lady Everleigh in this room. It had involved a particularly clever usage of a large, leatherbound volume and a chair by the fireside.
Since that night, Gerard had been especially fond of Geoffrey of Monmouth’sHistory of the Kings of Britain. He crossed the room and lowered himself into one of the armchairs by the dark fireplace. The room was not well-lit, which he enjoyed. It gave the library a more intimate atmosphere.
And he waited, his loins aching. If Lady Dorothy did not agree to submit to him, Gerard suspected it would be a rather miserable night. He had never been particularly good at handling rejection.
“Well,” he said softly. “I hope she does not take long.”
He spent what felt like an eternity waiting. At last, the door creaked open. Gerard straightened in his chair, watching as the young lady entered. “Are you here?” she whispered.
“Yes.”
Lady Dorothy visibly startled and closed the door behind her. She stood in the dim, silvery moonlight like a fairy maiden come from her forest to see him. He stood languidly.
“My lady,” he greeted. “Have you come with my answer?”
She nodded. As he approached, Lady Dorothy tensed. She curled her fingers into the skirts of her gown, hitching the fabric up a few tantalizing inches. He sucked in a breath so sharply that it hurt.
“Well?” he asked.
She inhaled shakily. “Yes.”
CHAPTER 15
The Duke of Greenway crossed his arms, smirking. Dorothy’s breath came in uneven shudders for air, her breasts straining against her stays. She had done it, and her body was alive with need for his touch. In the minutes between greeting him and slipping away from the ton, she had imagined this moment happening.
Dorothy had imagined him seizing her in the throes of passion and pulling her flush against him. She had imagined their lips meeting hard and all her senses becoming overwhelmed by the scent and heat of him. Instead, he stood too far away and gazed at her as if she was the object of some amusement, rather than a woman lost in her lust and in need of sore relief.
“Wh—what are you doing?” she asked.
“Me? I am waiting. Tell me what you want.”
A lump rose in her throat. “What do I want?”
“Tell me, and I will give it to you.”
Her mouth was dry. She wet her lips and swallowed hard. Dorothy’s heart hammered so violently against her ribs that it was a little difficult to breathe. “I w—want to do this.”
“This?” he asked, raising a brow. “You want to continue standing across from me in a dark room? That is a rather odd request, but I shall oblige.”
She groaned. “You know that is not what I mean.”
“Then,saywhat you mean.”
Heat rushed to her face. Did he really expect her to say such scandalous words? She might die of humiliation if she did. “Ladies are not supposed to…” she trailed off.
He took a step closer. “Ladies do not let themselves be alone in rooms with rakes,” His Grace said in a low voice. “You can hardly use that as your defense, my lady.”
