Page 12 of Seducing Sophia (Scholars of Seduction)

Her expression was so serious that he had to choke down a laugh. Her eyes narrowed and he turned it into a cough.

“A woman’s virtue should not be a subject of amusement,” she said, “not even for a decorated veteran of the Peninsular War who might consider his former acts of bravery in battle as exonerating him from the need to observe propriety.”

“You know my history?” he asked.

She nodded. “I make it my business to know as much as I can about all who cross my threshold, Colonel FitzRoy. For example, I understand you frequent the same club as the Duke of Peterton.”

He couldn’t fail to catch the hardness in her voice as she uttered Dominic’s name. Evidently, not all wars took place on a battlefield in Spain.

“Every member of my acquaintance frequents White’s,” Adrian said. “Surely you’d not hold that against me? If membership of a gentlemen’s club was a quality earning one a ban from your establishment, then you’d be hard pressed to find a respectable man crossing your threshold.”

“That rather depends on your definition of respectable,” she said, crisply, and he caught a flash of amusement in her expression, as if she relished their exchange. Perhaps a woman of passion lurked beneath that prickly exterior of hers. But he was not about to risk his quest by testing the theory.

“I assure you, Mrs. Huntington,” he said, “I understand the definition of respect.”

“That remains to be seen.” She rose, and moved toward the door. “As Mrs. Black is prepared to receive you today, I am presented with an opportunity to decide for myself.”

“Then you’re not going to evict me?” he asked.

“Not yet.”

Ye gods—no wonder Dom had been in such a fix the other evening! The woman was infuriating.

Had Mrs. Huntington been born a man, she’d very likely be running an army. Or the country. She had a bigger pair of balls than Spencer Perceval himself.

She swept out of the study, head upright as if she were the queen of England, and he followed her to the small music room where he’d first encountered his quarry.

Mrs. Black sat at the pianoforte, marking up a music book with a pencil, a smile on her lips. He found himself disappointed that the flame-haired little boy of hers was not with her. He’d taken such pleasure in the boy’s wide-eyed wonder at becoming acquainted with a soldier.

What a pity he’d lost his father. As for Mrs. Black—what a shame, that such a lovely woman should be widowed at such a young age.

The sunlight caught her hair and it glowed with fire and vitality. His gaze wandered appreciatively over her form—the delicate curve of her neck and the smooth skin of her shoulders. What might it be like to taste the skin at the base of her neck? To trace a line of kisses along her throat before exploring the delicacies beneath her neckline…

As if she sensed his presence, she lifted her hand and traced an invisible line across her throat, dipping it between where her breasts must be.

He drew in a sharp breath as his cock hardened against his breeches.

She looked up, then scrambled to her feet with a cry.

“Your pupil is here,” Mrs. Huntington said.

Adrian bowed. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Mrs. Black.”

She colored and gave a slight frown, but dipped into a curtsey, then gestured to the piano stool.

“Please sit,” she said. “Have you played the pianoforte before?”

“A little,” he said. “I taught myself a Bach minuet when I was a child.”

Rather than be impressed, she rolled her eyes and sighed. “Then I must spend our lesson unpicking any bad habits you’ve acquired.”

He moved toward her, then sat on the stool.

“I’d venture to say that if you intended to unpick all my bad habits,” he said, “we’d need considerably more than an hour.”

Though she kept her focus on the music book in front of her, the corner of her mouth lifted in a smile. Then she tapped a finger on the page.

“Let us see what progress we can make today.”

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