Page 23 of The Soul of a Rogue

She stilled, her blue eyes darkening to the depths of the sea as she stared at him. “I have numerous friends that I would die for.”

“Any of them male?”

Her lips pursed.

“I didn’t think so.”

“And you also don’t understand.”

“Make me.”

She moved away from the window and, for a breath, Rune thought she meant to leave. But then her feet stopped and her mouth opened. “I was born to be a grand lady—my whole purpose. Everything I was educated for. Everything I was promised. Both my mother and father had hopes for a duke and I failed them on that score, only landing an earl. First failure. Then I only existed to be his wife. So when he died, my purpose, my life died that day. Second failure.”

Her right hand flipped about in front of her in a manic circle as she turned to him. “No woman survives a third failure, so forgive me if I’ve decided not to form attachments and go through all of that again. I may flit from man to man, but I never touch another woman’s property. Never encourage anything more than I will offer. Never promise more than the moment.”

His hands went up against her rising ire. “I don’t judge, Elle. And I actually understand because I am quite adept at extracting myself from anything that hints at meaningful.”

Her right eyebrow lifted. “You are?”

“As good as you are. Probably better.”

She scoffed. “You honestly think you are better at it than I am?”

“I’m fairly certain of the fact.”

“Prove it.” A smile, wicked and straight from the lips of Aphrodite, came to her lips.

Dangerous territory. He wasn’t just wading in, he was charging and he full well knew it.

That didn’t stop his damn mouth from opening. “How?”

She took two steps toward him, pausing as the smile on her lips turned into pure temptress. “I can think of one way.”

Her right hand moved to her shoulder and her fingers slid under the white lace trim of her walking gown. Slowly, she slipped the sleeve down her shoulder, baring skin. Lower. Lower. The bodice of her dress tugged down the mound of her breast until the pink of her nipple began to show.

His gaze lifted from her chest and his stare locked onto hers. “You’re playing with fire, Elle.”

“I am fire. You said it yourself.”

He glanced out the wide opening of the pavilion toward the pond and the trees beyond. They were in the shadows, well hidden from everything.

A curse or a blessing he wasn’t sure.

He wasn’t a fool. He understood perfectly her actions had very little to do with him and much to do with the scene he’d just witnessed by the pond.

But he’d always had a damned hard time denying a breast offered to him. Especially one as delectable as hers.

Rune pushed off from the wall, tugging off his coat, cravat, waistcoat and then yanking off his lawn shirt. The whole of his clothes fell to the fat square stones at their feet. Half naked, he stood before her.

But he refused to move toward her. Not even a finger twitch.

He had to know she truly wanted it.

It only took a moment before her fingers slid along her smooth skin, slipping off her dress, untying her stays and snaking her chemise down her body. Slowly, the act of it pure seduction that twisted the blood in his groin into a hot, pounding mess.

Bending, her legs partially bent, she stripped down one stocking, then the other, and removed her boots.

Her toes stepped from her clothes, spreading along the cool stone of the floor, and she stilled, her look lifting to him, her dark blue eyes dancing with fire. Completely naked in front of him.

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