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

Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

“ I t appears you have become quite skilled at seduction games. I wager you will not require my lessons soon,” Richard said.

That indifferent mask was back on his face, so Selina could not know what he truly felt about the situation he’d just pointed out.

She hated it when he shut her out like that; she was always tempted to grab his shoulders and shake him vigorously until he admitted to the emotions he kept hidden. Since they were in public, she could do nothing of that sort.

She was the one who approached him. After her aunt congratulated her, she walked away, muttering excitedly about wedding plans.

Selina had looked up to see him standing just a few steps away, staring intently at her, and she walked over to him. It definitely did not have anything to do with the fact that her body wanted a respite from fighting the urge to go to him all day, and it definitely had nothing to do with the fact that he had looked delicious standing over there, with his cravat missing and his shirt sleeves folded back to reveal his muscular forearms.

It did not matter why she had gone to him, but now that she stood before him, she had to compose herself enough to have a proper conversation with him.

“Peter seems nice and the type of man I want,” she said in a rush. “He is kind, interesting, intelligent, skillful…” She continued listing the Earl’s qualities, almost like she was trying to convince Richard of his suitability.

“And you call him by his Christian name,” Richard noted sharply, causing her gaze to flick to his face, which was as impassive as ever.

“He asked me to use his Christian name in private, since we are friends.”

“Friends? You seem to have grown skilled in this game, Selina. As your tutor, I am almost inclined to end my lessons her. I have no more wisdom to impart,” Richard said, his lips curling into a smile that did not reach his eyes.

“I still need your lessons, Ri-Richard,” Selina stuttered. “I’m far from being perfect.”

“What lessons could I possibly teach you? You have managed to snag a nice fellow. I do not see why you would require more lessons from me when you have evidently reached your goal,” Richard replied.

“I need to hold the attention of the ton for longer until I manage to get him to the altar. You said it yourself that men are hunters who are always looking for the best, so I still need to dazzle him a bit.”

If she had not been watching his face closely, she might have missed the anger that flickered in his eyes, which he quickly concealed, affecting his signature bored expression.

“So, which skills do you intend for us to work on?”

“I believe my dancing skills to be rusty. Perhaps dancing lessons to make them better?” she asked, trying to conceal the eager excitement in her voice.

“Alright then,” he said after a pause. “Meet me in the library for those lessons.”

It seemed to Richard that, at some point between the moment he met Selina for the first time and the present, he had developed a taste for playing with fire. That was the only explanation he could come up with in light of his latest decision.

Going by the events of recent days, he had a decent idea of what happened whenever he was with Selina in a secluded place. And, with every day they met and with each encounter, the tether that held his self-control unraveled until he was sure that he was very close to the end of the rope.

Any more intimate moments with her and he might not resist ravishing her in the way his body craved. He knew this, but somehow, he had still invited her to spend another evening with him. Alone. This time doing something that would require close proximity to her tempting body. Dancing.

Of course, it was ballroom dancing, but there was no way on earth he was going to teach her dancing without doing the waltz. In fact, when he imagined teaching her to dance, he had a mental image of waltzing with her.

It made sense that his mind would conjure that image. Of all the dances that had made their way to polite society, the waltz was the most scandalous and intimate of them all. The matrons had kicked off against it, and frankly, he understood why. The dancers had to be so close that it was provocative by nature.

Given the desire that crackled between them, it was ill-advised to dance with her in private, especially when his body was clamoring for a dance of a different kind.

In retrospect, he knew there were other ways to improve her dancing skills. He could have simply sent a dancing master to the house, and they could have made use of the empty ballroom. But somehow, he could not find the will to do this. The devilish part of him that wanted a chance to hold her in his arms again insisted that he stick to the arrangement.

Soon enough, it was dark. Richard stood alone in the library, nursing a glass of brandy. Perhaps the drink would be bracing enough to prevent him from making a faux pas.

Not for the first time that evening, he found himself looking at his watch, wondering if she would come. Perhaps she had come to her senses and had decided to cancel their plans. If she had done that, she was wiser than he was at that moment. He struggled to remind himself that it was fine if she did, even though his body strongly opposed that decision.

Just when he was about to conclude that she had breached their agreement, the library door opened to admit a small, cloaked figure, causing him to rise to his feet in excitement. Sure enough, when the intruder pulled back the hood of the cloak, he found himself staring into Selina’s angelic face.

“Good evening, Richard,” she said in that throaty voice of hers that never failed to arouse him.

Was it his imagination, or did her voice sound more sultry than usual?

“Good evening, Selina,” he greeted from his spot close to the fireplace, his hands folded behind his back.

She gave him an odd look but soon turned away to hang her coat on the coat hanger at the door, revealing a lavender gown that showed her figure to great effect. The bodice was cut low, just like all her new gowns, and not for the first time, he regretted giving the order for them to be cut this way, revealing her cleavage in good light.

In the dim light of the library, her exposed flesh looked inviting, her olive skin glittering like the finest satin. She was temptation incarnate, and he was going to do anything to resist her, even if it killed him, because if he touched her tonight, he knew he was not going to stop until he had thoroughly ravished her. It was best that he held on to his self-restraint for his sake and her own.

“You promised me a dance lesson, Your Grace,” she breathed, drawing his eyes to her lips. The plump lips that had become the object of his day and night dreams. Tonight, she had painted them red, and they glistened invitingly. “I bet you cannot teach me to dance from over there.”

Her voice jolted him back to reality, reminding him of what he was supposed to be doing.

“You are to be my partner, yes?”

She had a knowing smile on her face, almost like she knew the internal battle he was fighting and she wanted to see just how far she could push him.

Just as soon as her knowing smile appeared, it disappeared so that she looked innocent, bearing no resemblance to the minx that might have easily undone him all those nights ago. He was going to keep the secret of how easily she affected him to himself, and he was not going to allow himself to fall for her charms so easily.

Approaching her warily, he stopped in front of her. He was immediately intoxicated by her floral perfume, tempted to bury his nose in her neck and gorge himself on her unique scent.

Clearing his throat, he fought to bring himself under control.

“Perhaps we would start with a waltz,” he said hoarsely.

He knew immediately that it was the wrong thing to say, especially as her eyes lit up with something closely resembling excitement. He knew at that moment that she was not going to make this easy for him at all.

Bracing himself and squaring his shoulders like he was preparing for a fight, he finally began the lesson.

“I do believe you know the basics of dancing. Every noblewoman of my acquaintance has at least received rudimentary training in ballroom dancing.”

“Of course, Your Grace. I have been more of a wallflower in the past until only recently. I have received quite a number of complaints after smashing a lot of toes with my clumsy feet.”

“That could easily be solved,” he said, taking her hands in his.

The feel of her bare palm on his sent a heated sensation down his spine. He placed her hands on his shoulders, then wrapped an arm around her back.

“Let your partner lead the dance,” he said in a hoarse voice that held no resemblance to his usual calm tone. “Surrender your body to his, trusting that he will lead you the right way. If he is an excellent dancer, I promise you that you will glide across the dance floor with so much ease that it will look effortless.”

He stopped speaking when he noticed that his breathing had quickened. Selina’s breathing had quickened as well, and her gaze was fixed firmly on his lips.

The sight sent his arousal to higher levels, and somehow, he did not think that she had heard his instructions—so fascinated with his lips as she was. He would bet that she was thinking of the last time they had kissed and how heated it had been. So much so that when they broke apart, he had a hard time remembering who he was and where they were.

Watching her now, staring into her eyes, he was lost. He wanted so badly to sip from her sweet lips and ravage the delicious cavern of her mouth while caressing the length of her body. As he watched, she licked her lips, sending his arousal to even greater heights.

He was dying, and she was the reason. She was going to kill him with the desire she stirred inside him.