A Virgin for the Ruthless Duke (In War and Love #2)

Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

“ T he Duke exercised me more than I expected. He challenged me to a race with a very nice wager, and you know I can’t resist such a challenge.”

The lie had come so easily to her that it had surprised Richard because he had yet to recover from what had happened between them. He hadn’t meant to go that far with her, yet as he tasted her lips, he knew he wanted more, and she had been too willing a participant, touching him everywhere he liked to be touched.

He turned to leave the drawing room to brood privately but was stopped by an approaching group of ladies.

“Your Grace,” one of them bravely said. “May we interest you in a game of cards, perchance?”

“I have to decline,” he answered, bowing respectfully. “I need to rest from my stroll.”

“But…”

He walked away before the woman could start whining, retreating to the safety of his chambers. He slammed the door shut with a little more force than he intended, locking it to ensure that no one disturbed him.

“Damn!” he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

He should not have gone that far with Selina. And yet he had, all because he couldn’t resist tasting her full, pouty lips, which had begged for his attention since he had first noticed them.

Damn.

She had been smiling when she had retreated to her chambers. He was sure she was already imagining a happily ever after for them, and if he were to refuse, she could very well claim that he had ruined her, and he would be forced into marriage.

It was not as though he was blind to the fact that she harbored feelings for him that she may not be aware of. But now that he had touched her the way he had, he had no doubt reinforced them.

He truly hadn’t meant to go as far as he had, he told himself, trying to rationalize his actions. But her body had been begging for his touch, and she had been more than willing, or else she would have pushed him off her.

He had been teaching her to seduce other men, but he had fallen for her seduction himself, untrained though she was. He had noticed she was a passionate woman from the first time he had seen her in her brother’s home, but he hadn’t expected her to respond as well as she had or taste as sweet as she did.

God.

She tasted heavenly. Sweeter than honey. Sweeter than even the punch they had served throughout the party. He wanted to flip up her skirts and taste her again when she had said those damned words with such a careless smile.

He wanted to see her come undone again, this time fully splayed out beneath him so he could see her and feast on her unhindered. He wished he could bury himself deep in her silken heat until he could fully rid himself of the burning desire he felt for her, but he could do none of those things. Not if he didn’t want to be tied to her.

But marriage to her didn’t seem as unappealing as it had previously, especially if he would have the pleasure of tasting her every night and kissing his way down her delectable body.

He felt the stirrings of desire in his blood again as his engorged member begged for the relief it would be sure to get if he begged off the party and returned to town to meet his mistress. The entire ordeal didn’t appeal to him, but it was a much better option than sitting there and stewing in desire.

He dressed quickly, headed to the stables, and mounted his horse.

“Where are you off to?” Eli asked, folding his arms.

“I am heading to town,” Richard answered. He ran a hand down his stallion’s flank to calm the anxious animal, who was reflecting his burning need to escape.

“May I ask why?”

Eli did not look happy, but Richard couldn’t care less. If he didn’t rid himself of this tension, he would die from need or do something as stupid as seeking out Selina to douse the flames she had ignited inside him.

“I have an appointment I need to keep,” he answered, not meeting his friend’s eyes.

“And should I be expecting you to return?”

Richard said nothing, but that should have been answer enough.

“I will assume that whatever has you leaving as if the very devil is on your trail is important enough that you are willing to risk our friendship,” Eli said with a frown. “But I expect you to be back tomorrow.”

“Mulford—”

“I will not listen to your excuses, Seymour,” Eli snapped. “I shall expect you tomorrow or never at all.”

He walked away without a backward glance, causing Richard to sigh.

Richard arrived later than expected, heading straight to the theatre, and was ushered quickly into his private box with no questions asked, though he earned a few glances for his disheveled appearance.

He watched Mariella sing and charm the audience, trying to admire the fullness of her bust and the elegant curves of her figure, which had first drawn him to her and made him consider her as a mistress—as well as the fact that she had no prior engagements with anyone else.

He remembered how their affair had started and that she had been smart, well-read, and had an understanding of the nature of their relationship. She had also been flexible and had taught him things about his body that had their encounters ending on a very satisfying note for him.

She didn’t come cheap, but he liked to see her turn down other men who waited outside her chambers for the opportunity to woo her with paltry gifts. He also enjoyed watching her put others—who attempted to assault her when she chose to leave the theatre for her house in town—in their place with a tiny blade in their thighs or wherever she pleased.

Thinking about her self-sufficiency and fiery spirit usually heated his blood, but now there was only a barely simmering appreciation for her craft.

She turned to his box, sending a discreet signal—which she usually did when she wanted to see him—and then turned back to conclude her performance.

Richard waited for her admirers to retreat in defeat and walked into her chambers without knocking. She was in a deliberate state of undress, with only her garters and stockings in place. She didn’t like to waste time, and he appreciated the gesture immensely.

“It is a pleasure to see you today, Your Grace,” she said with a smile, leaning over her dressing table to reapply her rouge, giving him a full view of her weeping sex.

Still, the sight hadn’t stirred lust in his blood the way Selina had. He only watched her, his hands unwilling to touch her. She didn’t take his lack of enthusiasm to heart and continued her practiced seduction, turning to face him and sitting on the dresser.

“Will you only be watching today, Your Grace?” she asked, letting her hands run down her neck to cup her very generous breasts and then lower in a way that usually gave him satisfaction. “That would be a shame because I have missed you.”

He stepped closer before brushing her red hair aside and burying his nose in her neck, breathing in her scent. But her heady, spicy perfume did nothing to excite him the way Selina’s soft floral scent did.

Damn.

He wasn’t supposed to still be thinking about Selina, with this beautiful, naked woman before him. Other men would kill to be in his place, but here he was, and he was barely hard for her.

“Is something wrong, Your Grace?” Mariella asked, looking worried for the first time. “Do I no longer please you?”

“I apologize for my lack of enthusiasm, Mariella,” he said, stepping away from her. “I am just not in the mood tonight.”

“But you came in such a rush.”

It was a statement, but there was also a question in it.

She put on a robe and headed to her side table to pour him a drink.

“You look like you could use a strong drink,” she said with a smile, extending the cup towards him, which he accepted. “Now, tell me, who has captured your attention?”

“Excuse me?”

“You have a floral scent on you.” She smiled. “And you look as though you are haunted by a ghost. It is quite obvious that you fear the affections of the woman who has branded you with her scent.”

“I have been in the company of many women all day,” he lied, not meeting her eyes. “It is almost inevitable that their scents would have clung to me.”

“But not like this.” She smiled knowingly. “This isn’t many scents. This is one scent. I am curious because you’re lying to me. There are no secrets between friends.”

Richard liked that she wasn’t moved to jealousy like other women would have been, but he shook his head, not wanting to think of Selina as anything other than an acquaintance.

“There is no such thing.”

“Yet, you could not touch me,” Mariella said, eying him over her cup with a smile.

“I was not in the mood for that. I only came to see how you were doing.”

“You rode all the way from the country to inquire about my well-being?” She laughed. “Are you perhaps in love with me , Your Grace?”

He rolled his eyes at her. “I can never keep much from you, can I?” he asked with an exasperated sigh.

“You can never keep anything from me,” she corrected. “Now, tell me. Which female has got you as confused as you are? I need to meet her.”

Richard raised an eyebrow and tried to imagine Selina and Mariella meeting. They were such polar opposites that he knew they would not get along, yet it might surprise him if they would. What would they bond over? Knowing how well he could use his tongue to bring a woman pleasure?

That didn’t seem like a good topic of conversation.

“There is no female except my mother who vexes me,” he answered, sliding into one of the plush cushions in her room.

She chuckled, sliding into his lap. He leaned back in his seat and wrapped a hand around her waist, splaying his fingers over her hip.

“That is old news.”

“It is,” he affirmed. “I only needed a distraction, which you have provided.”

“Hmm.” She smiled.

“Will you be returning home with me tonight, then?” she asked boldly, sliding out of his lap. “My desire has been stoked, yet you refuse to put out the flames.”

“I’m afraid I will have to decline.” He smiled, rising to take his leave.

“You’re sure I cannot tempt you, Your Grace?” she asked, pulling her robe down one shoulder.

“You tempt me enough.”

She smiled and shrugged the garment back into place. “I suspect this will be the last time we see each other,” she stated. “In this way, I mean.”

He sighed, nodding. “It has to be. I might have to wed soon, if I choose to honour the desire of my predecessors and I do not encourage adultery.”

“Even if your wife cannot keep your bed sufficiently warm?” she teased.

“Even then.”

“You are an honorable man, Your Grace.”

“And you have been a pleasing companion,” he told her, turning to the door. “I wish you happiness.”

She scoffed.

“Do you not want a home of your own?” he asked, turning back to her, his hand still on the doorknob.

She stilled, her hands clenching into tight fists.

He knew her father had abused her mother and then sold her as a child to pay off his debts to a man who had been no kinder to her. When she had matured and he noticed her beauty and her talent for singing, he sold her again to the owner of the theatre.

Richard had bought her contract and freed her the moment he had approached her. He helped her find her siblings. She had been grateful and showed him her appreciation with a night of pleasure that had kept him abed for two days but had never sought more than what she was given.

“I do not think I do,” she answered firmly. “I know I will not be young forever, but if I can save enough to take care of my siblings and myself before I am discarded for a younger beauty, then I will be content.”

He gave her an understanding smile.

“I wish you success in your endeavors,” he told her.

“And I hope you’ll tell your lady how you truly feel.”

He scoffed, before leaving without another word. He headed to his townhouse, startling his staff due to his unexpected arrival. The night hadn’t gone as he had hoped, and still, he worried that he had started an all too dangerous game with Selina.

He would help her, as he had promised, to secure a match that would make her happy, and after that, he would ensure that he maintained a healthy distance from her even if it hurt him.

But until then, he would permit himself to enjoy the memory of her sweet taste on his tongue and the feel of her perfect thighs in his hands.