Ravenhurst’s Return (Disreputable Dukes of Club Damnation #1)

Prologue

April 30, 1815

Denham House

St. James Place

Mayfair, England

Wallace Denham, 5 th Duke of St. Eggleton flopped onto his back as his chest heaved and a pleasant lethargy weighted his limbs. Never would he tire of coupling with his wife of twenty years. He might not bed her with the same frequency he had during the early days of their marriage, but he wasn’t a slouch at keeping her satisfied either.

“Woman, how is it you manage to exhaust me every single time?”

Her tinkling laughter went through the darkness of their bedchamber. Shortly after, she settled on her side and rested a hand on his naked chest. “Can I help it if I enjoy this exercise as much as you?”

Thank the gods for that. At the start of their union, they fought like cats and dogs since the marriage had been arranged, but once a tiny spark formed, there was no going back. “Perhaps it’s because I’m still madly in love with you.”

“Do stop, Eggleton.” But she pressed her lips to his shoulder.

Over the course of their union, it remained just the two of them, for they were never successful at having children. There had been too many difficulties, but their lives together were lovely and quite frankly, he wished for all his friends at the club he’d founded the same year he’d married his wife, would find that as well.

After a few minutes, his breathing returned to a more even rhythm, but he didn’t break the connection with Abigail. “Just this morning, I heard a snippet of gossip that was quite interesting.”

“Oh? What is it?” The light glance of her fingertips over his skin tightened his muscles all over again.

Ignoring the reviving need, he nodded. “It seems that Ravenhurst has returned to London.” That particular duke hadn’t been seen in Town in twenty years. In fact, the same night Ravenhurst’s father died by violent murder and the title of duke was passed to him, he went missing, and many had thought he’d been killed as well.

Until now.

Mostly.

“What?” Abigail pulled back and propped herself up on an elbow as she stared in shock at him. Her brown hair tumbled over her shoulder, and in the shadows, the silver strands of age were hidden. “Why now? Where has he been? How is he?”

“I would have no idea outside of rumors.” He tugged at a lock of her soft hair, fragrant with honeysuckle. “I haven’t had the chance to call upon him, but I’m hoping he will drop by the club in the next day or so.” His wife was around Ravenhurst’s own age, and they had grown up in the same circles, for he had always been a man of intense interest.

“I can’t imagine what happened to him.”

“Me neither, but I intend to ask discreetly around and see if I can piece together a story before I call on him.” When his wife settled back down against him, he couldn’t help but caress a hand over the naked curve of her hip. “We have all lost so much time with him, but our friendship should still hold. Perhaps we should welcome him back by assisting him with finding a match within the ton .”

“Ha!” She gave his shoulder a playful smack. “To whom? The man will no doubt be wrecked in the brain after all this time. One doesn’t stay away from London directly following his parents’ brutal murder—unless he did it, and we know he didn’t—without having quite the collection of harrowing tales.” When she blew out a breath, that warmth danced over his skin and played with the sparse hair on his chest. “He no doubt has accumulated a history of violence and morally gray decisions.”

“Oh, most assuredly.” After urging one of her legs over his hip, he gleefully and quite unrepentantly explored the soft skin of her inner thigh. “However, sometimes, one must do what one must in order to survive less than ideal situations.” The only thing he knew for a fact was that the duke had been in the Royal Navy, and had been quite a fearsome captain.

“True.” A tiny shiver went through her body and transferred to him. “But Ravenhurst? Can he even become respected again?”

“I’m not certain. I suppose it’s possible, but he’ll need to make an effort. As for a match, she’ll need to be strong and have fortitude.”

“A woman with power and drive within the ton ?”

“Not necessarily.” Perhaps a woman without a title would be just the thing he needed.

Abigail licked one of his flat nipples, laughed when he hissed out a breath. “An heiress then.”

“Except Ravenhurst isn’t driven by coin; he has enough and has probably made a king’s ransom during his absence if the rumors of his being a mercenary part of that time is true.” Those were the stories he couldn’t wait to hear.

“Then who? It’s a maddening puzzle.”

“Indeed.” To distract himself, Wallace busied himself with arousing her nipples into pebbled tips with his tongue and lips. But the thought of Ravenhurst wouldn’t leave him alone. “He would require someone unexpected. A woman who might be everything he needs but is unaware of it. Someone with nothing else to lose.”

She scoffed on the heels of a soft moan. “Do we even know of a woman like that?”

“I’m not sure. Let me think upon it a bit. It would be more of a victory for me if they were both fiercely independent but both in need of rescuing.”

“Ravenhurst is certainly independent. And probably mentally unstable.”

“Yes, but the love of a good woman might just temper his cruel side.”

“You are a true romantic, Eggleton. It’s one of the reasons I adore you.”

Never would he tire of hearing those words. “I just know what it means to have a good woman by my side, one who makes life worth living, and I want every man in my club to have that as well.”

Then kissed her, lost himself in her even as his mind spun with the possibilities.