Page 24 of Wickeds Scandal
Her head hit him squarely in thechest. An unexpected shock of desire ran through him as her small formmade contact with his larger one. Every nerve in his body came to life in aninstant. Blood rushed to his groin. He stifled a groan. The booksshe carried dropped with several loud thuds across his black Hessianboots. He heard her tortured sigh of disbelief and frustration that shehadn’t eluded him.
The tiny figure straightened, like aspike, as she geared for a confrontation with him, ready to do battle.Several curls escaped the bonnet. A small foot stamped in dismay.
God, how he wanted the tiny tempestbefore him.
He took in her small, gloved hands, theway her nose crinkled in anger, the stormy gray eyes, and the heaving generousbosom. The tops of her breasts pushed her bodice back and forth,straining the fabric, as she struggled to maintain her composure.
Sutton tamped down the sudden urge topush her against the stacks and lift her skirts, wrap her legs around him andthrust into her. He felt like an untried lad of fifteen instead of thejaded roué he was.
“You!” Her face flushed. “You nearlyscared me out of my wits!”
“Doubtful, Miss Dunforth. I senseyou don’t scare easily. Besides,youran into me.”
Her cheeks puffed out. Clearly, shewas not pleased to see him. Unlike most women, she did not care to beattracted to him. Or, have him desire her. The Badger was mostdifficult.
She put her hands on her hips, glaring,as if she could scare him away. It was all Sutton could do not to burst intolaughter. She resembled an angry chickadee. Wrenching heat ran down his body,making him stiff with arousal. He wanted her. Badly.
“What are you doing here? Stalkinginnocent women?” Her voice shook slightly.
Ah, Sutton thought. Notangry.Nervous.
“How can I stalk something Icannot even see? Perhaps little Badger, you should wear a bell, like acat, so at least one would know you were underfoot. Good Lord, I nearlystepped on you!” He teased her hoping to annoy her into erupting.He much preferred her anger. He didn’t want Miss Dunforth,Alex,tobe skittish around him.
Miss Dunforth’s mouth opened as if shewould scream. He could see she wanted to. She truly took offense atbeing compared to a badger. He must call her that at everyopportunity. Instead of screaming, she took a deep breath. Hervoice sounded calm and polite. She struggled for composure.
“If you will excuse me. I will getmy books and go, least you feel the need to tell me I remind you of a speckledtoad or a diseased rat. My apologies, Lord Reynolds, for my clumsiness.” She bent at his feet eager to pick up the scattered tomes.
Sutton knelt down to assist her, notingwith pleasure the angry snort of surprise that erupted from her.His hand fell on a particularly large book about the Far East. Hisglance fell on another, this one a memoir of a captain who had traded spices inJava. Not exactly required reading for a young woman. It pleasedhim to see there was not one book on fashion or etiquette. He heldout one of the books to her and raised an eyebrow in question.
Angrily, she grabbed the book from him,shooting him a look of annoyance. She pulled back so fiercely on “Talesof a Seadog”, she lost her balance and fell back on her bottom.Green muslin puffed around her as she slid back on her elbows. Her legs fellopen to reveal a glimpse of slim thighs encased in sheer stockings.
Sutton took a deep breath.Her skin would be creamy and feel like satin underneath the stockings. Hewanted nothing more than to run his hand down her calves and thighs and takeone lacy garter between his teeth. The rock hard arousal in his breecheswas becoming uncomfortable. Painful. He reached for her hand toassist her. She ignored it.
Alexandra sat up and attempted to smoothher skirts. “Oh, just go away.” She moaned. She sounded miserableas if being near him caused her undue pain. His Badger was rapidly losingher bravado.
“Alex. Let me help you.”
“No. And don’t call me that. ” She pulledback from him.
“Why ever not?” He moved towards her.
“It doesn’t matter why. Go away.” Shemade a futile effort to push against him. Her cheeks pinked and her eyeslowered. She grabbed one of the large books and held it against her chestas if it were a shield.
“Are you interested in the Orient, MissDunforth? Or travel to faraway places?” He gestured to the large book sheclasped to her chest. “I read many such tales in my youth and decided notto trust the opinions of those who wrote the books. I wanted to travelmyself. I lived in Macao until a few years ago. It’s a fascinatingplace.”
“So I am given tounderstand. Thetonspeaks of nothing else,” she saidtartly. The Badger watched him from underneath her lashes and cocked herhead.
Sutton winced. So shehadheard the gossip surrounding him. “I’m not sure anyone in thetonknows where Macao is,” he said under his breath, ashamed for just a moment, ofhis reputation in front of this blazing, fierce girl.
Alex let out a small laugh catching himoff guard. “I’veheardthat Macao is full of unsavorycharacters. Heathen Chinese. Pirates. Have you ever met apirate, Lord Reynolds? Or been one?” Boldly, she looked up, meetinghis eyes.
Sutton didn’t speak for a moment,enthralled with the way her mouth moved, as she said “unsavory”. All hecould think of was touching his tongue to her lips again, as he had in thelibrary. “Macao is indeed full of unsavory people. I shouldknow. I was one of them.”
Alex gave him a forthright look. “Yoursister claims you kept a monkey who smoked opium. What was it like?The jungles? Do you speak Portuguese? I’ve read about the Chinese andtheir customs. It all sounds so interesting and I think I should like togo there someday.” She looked at him, as if waiting for him to dissuadeher, or tell her she shouldn’t wish such things. The lovely gray opalsshimmered with curiosity. A chestnut curl sprung out across herforehead.
What would she do if he touchedher?
Sutton was at a loss. The seductionof women came easily to him. He adored women, but didn’t necessarilyrespect them, outside of his grandmother and sisters. And, while hecertainly enjoyed the company of the fairer sex, especially in bed, he didn’tactually have intelligent conversations with them. Nor did he givemuch thought tolikinga woman. Until, Alex.
