Page 23 of Her Beastly Duke
Briar wasin a daze as his hot tongue explored her mouth in what could only be described as a carnal kiss. She liked the taste and feel of him. Hot, wet, and urgent. She could never have imagined that kissing could be so …Oh. Heat spread from her lower belly to between her thighs as his tongue ran havoc against hers. Should she be afraid of this heat that she was feeling? She did not know. Julius molded her against him, and they fit together … perfectly, her breast crushed against his chest, arms on her back.
Briar felt the cool air on her skin when he moved away. She raised her hand to her swollen lips. “Kiss me again.” She wanted to be sure the sensations that wrecked her equanimity were real and she could feel them again. Julius stilled, and she wondered if he was holding his breath.
Julius sighed heavily. “I shall not. You do not know what you ask of me.” He leaned in and kissed her forehead. “We agreed that the winner could ask a question which would be answered.”
Briar inclined her head to the side and studied him. “I would like to know how you got your scar.”
There was a subtle shift in his expression which she only caught because she was watching him closely. His jaw tightened for the briefest moment, and a faint twitch of his brow hinted that the question had landed harder than he’d let on. He looked at her as though he knew this was the question she would ask. A small, almost imperceptible nod followed. He briefly seemed contemplative.
When he finally spoke, his voice was smooth, but there was a hardness beneath it, like someone who had been preparing for this moment yet still found it unsettling, “I was a young, hot-blooded pup on a grand tour of Europe. I spent a few months in France, where I met Véronique. She was older, a beauty, sophisticated and married. Within weeks, I was completely enamored with her.”
“Married, you say?”
“Yes. How innocent you are. Véronique’s husband was a high-ranking courtier when we met. He was often busy and the King sent him abroad for one errand after the other. Véronique was lonely, and she wanted to amuse herself. The idea that one would be faithful to their spouse was laughable at court. Women had just as many affairs as men.”
“I see.”
“It was not as much of a scandal as it is in England. Although affairs were accepted, She did not flaunt it, sneaking away to see me and exercising some discretion. Eventually, Pierre, her husband, caught wind of it and reacted unexpectedly.”
“He challenged you to a duel.”
“In spectacular fashion and in public. Being the young fool that I was, full of pride and stupidity, I did not seek to call it off.” Julius paused, a far-away look in his eyes. “I named my friend, François, as my second. He did not think I should go anywhere near it, but I was unmoved by his reasoning.”
When Julius paused again, Briar understood that even after all this time, he found it difficult to speak of the incident. He was sharing something very personal with her, which was not half-hearted. He also trusted her to keep his confidence.
“On that morning when we met in the clearing, I was a self-absorbed young man with very little self-control. Pierre trounced me, of course. He was a much more experienced and skilled fighter than I was. It could have been much worse; I could have been killed. So that is the story. I left France and returned to England.”
“And you shut yourself away ever since.”
“Well, not quite. I had a period of self-reflection while I healed. I learned to control myself, to be humble, and to be more outwardly focused. My father gave me more responsibilityin running the estate. I learned to respect the boundaries of marriage and understood compromise.”
Briar was sympathetic. “It must have been difficult for you.”
“What I have just described to you was easier than facing thehaut ton. The rumors, whispers and innuendo were difficult to ignore. I accepted it was a price to pay, but eventually, it would all die down. Sadly, it did not. I soon learned the ladies in society were not prepared to look at my ugly face.”
“You are not ugly, Julius.”
“I stand corrected. You are a woman with a good heart who can see the man behind the mask. You can look beyond my appearance, and I am grateful that we met.”
“The way I see you is how you should be seen, Julius. I am sure thehaut tonhas found more titillating gossip.”
“We will see soon enough. I have decided to go to London for the season.”
“To London?” She asked as if she had never heard of it.
“Yes, and you will accompany me, along with your family, of course.”
“I do not—”
“Hear me out. I understand this is not a part of our agreement, but you need a dowery should you wish to marry so that I will provide a generous one.”
“That is very kind of you, Julius. I need to write to Mama and Duncan.”
“Let me know when you have heard back from them. Will I see you at dinner?”
“You shall.” Briar turned around toward the door, but she did not take a step to leave. Instead, she spun around to face Julius. “Did you love her? Véronique?” Briar could hardly believe her audacity in asking him such a question, but she wanted to know. This was as good a time as any since he just told the story.
Their gazes locked. Julius’s response was almost immediate. This question was one he may have considered in the past himself.
