Page 109 of The Duke's Indecent Match
“You have become very uppity since your marriage,” she observed.
Tiffany caught Kalina’s eye and winked before turning back to Lady Astrid and giving her a pointed look.
“I had the best to learn from.”
“Mmm.”Lady Astrid lifted her teacup to her lips again, but it did not entirely cover her smile.
40
Nathanial
“Why did you want us to talk alone?”Christian asked, once they were ensconced in Nathanial’s study, with his pocket square stuffed in the keyhole—just in case.The little bit of pink fabric looked out of place against the hard wooden door, but hopefully, it would assist with any would-be eavesdroppers.Kalina had admitted it had been difficult to hear everything through the door—Julianna had had a far easier time of it.
“Well, we can hardly speak of things like the Tramp’s Den with the ladies present,” Drake said, making a face at him as he turned one of Nathanial’s wingback chairs to face the others and sat down in it.He looked at Matthew, who was doing the same with the other chair.The rest of them stood about, leaning or resting against various pieces of furniture.Nathanial leaned against the doorjamb, keeping one ear open for the ladies.“Do you want backup this weekend?”
“It could not hurt to have some others there.”Matthew looked around at all of them with a frown.“Not Nathanial, of course.Even if it were not your father he had invited to the hunting lodge, your presence at a gambling hell would draw far too much attention.”
“The same with Sebastian and Gregory, especially since Gregory has barely left his wife’s side since their marriage,” Drake pointed out.“I can come.No one will look askance at my presence there.”
“I cannot.I have to escort Lady Annabelle around this weekend,” Zachary said, looking miserable about the prospect.He reached up to stroke Monkey Sinclair’s back, and the little creature chittered in response, putting his tiny paw on Zachary’s ear as if trying to console him.
“Are you really going to marry her just to make your mother happy?”Christian asked him dubiously.The idea of doing something to make a parent happy was the antithesis of how Christian had lived his life.
“It’s more complicated than that,” Zachary replied, looking away.
“Well, I can go as well,” Christian said, shaking his head as he turned his attention back to the rest of them.“I’ve been to the Tramp’s Den before.”
“I think no more than three of us should attend.”Sebastian glanced around to see if anyone disagreed with him.“Any more and someone might start to wonder what so many of us are doing there.I agree that the three of you will cause the least comment.”
“It will be a welcome break from the marriage mart.”Christian grinned at Sebastian.“Are you ready to be the only eligible duke available to the mamas?”
The jab struck Sebastian, who clearly had not thought through that fact.Gregory and Nathanial were married, Zachary would be with the debutante thetonnow expected him to propose to, so without Matthew and Christian attending the balls…
“Bloody hell,” Sebastian muttered, reaching up to scrub his hand over his face.“Well, nothing for it.It makes sense, and this needs to be the priority.”
“Do not worry,” Gregory said, clapping his hand on Sebastian’s shoulder.His wide, amused grin declared that he was thoroughly enjoying Sebastian’s discomfort.“We will not let you be too overrun.You can hide behind Tiffany’s skirts if need be.”
Chuckling, Nathanial leaned his head back against the wall.It truly was nice being on the other side of marriage and not having to worry about such things now.He had his wife.
The conversation quickly veered around to other matters.Gregory wanted to know if Monkey Sinclair was warming up to Lady Annabelle—he was not, despite her best efforts.Zachary griped over the fact that the little creature’s sole exception to misogyny was Delilah.Some men might have taken such an occurrence as a sign, but Zachary did not.
Christian, Matthew, and Drake had their heads bent together, discussing how they might best be able to question Cornwall without rousing his suspicions.Sebastian appeared to be lost in thought, probably trying to decide how he was going to ward off the matchmaking mamas with so many of his fellow dukes absent from the weekend’s activities.
Finding a bride had not been the cakewalk he’d expected at the beginning of the Season.
It had not for any of them.Both Gregory's and Nathanial’s marriages had been predicated by scandalous circumstances that required them to act honorably.He could not see Sebastian landing himself in such a situation.
One never knew, he supposed.
Eventually, everyone left to prepare themselves for their evening’s events.He and Kalina attended Lady Greywood’s ball before returning home, where he had a good excuse to spank her for listening to his meeting with Carmathen.Once her bottom was good and hot, he turned her on her back and used his mouth on her, his fingers sliding between her heated cheeks to stretch the tiny hole there.
His cock pulsed as she writhed for him, crying out with pleasure from his tongue in her pussy and his fingers in her arse.Only once she was limp and satiated from pleasure did he mount her, wallowing between her thighs, listening to her whimper, feeling her shudders as he stimulated her oversensitive flesh.
Nathanial loved wringing every last drop of pleasure from her body, his own ecstasy exploding through him as he emptied himself into her.
Panting, he nestled his face into her neck, enjoying the closeness, the way her hands trailed up and down his back.Felt her yawn.Lifting his head, he brushed his lips over hers in a kiss.
“Don’t go,” she whispered when he pulled away.
