Page 29 of Five Nights with a Rakish Duke
“Of course,” she said and took her hand out of the Duke’s, placing it in Adam’s quickly. As he led her to the dance floor, she glanced back at the Duke of Kendall, unable to stop herself. Over the heads of other dancers, he winked at her.
He winked!Yet she was not irked by it in the slightest. It excited her.
* * *
“Are you prepared for this?” Veronica asked again as Penelope sat beside her in the carriage, wringing her hands together.
“What is there to prepare myself for? I am spending a night with him. That is all.” She tried to sound nonchalant but received a humored laugh from her godmother in reply. “What?”
“Something tells me your first night with a man might surprise you... for the better.”
Penelope didn’t have time to ask what her godmother meant for the carriage pulled to a stop in the side street.
“Here we are,” Veronica said, gesturing to the door. “Hurry now, before anyone sees.”
Penelope nodded and reached for the door, stepping down as she pulled the hood of her cloaked pelisse over her head, hiding herself from view. It may have been midnight and pitch black, but she didn’t want to give anyone the chance of seeing her. That was why the carriage had pulled up in a side street by the Duke’s house too so as not to draw attention.
“Good luck,” Veronica said before the carriage door was quickly closed, and the coach moved away. Penelope let out a shuddery nervous breath as she watched the carriage leave, amazed that her cousins had fallen for the lie Veronica had spun that night.
She had insisted that Penelope spend the night with her, so that they could leave early for Bond Street the following morning to arrange new dresses. Margaret had been only too happy to get Penelope out of the house, whereas Adam barely batted an eyelid. Veronica was proving a smooth liar indeed.
Penelope pulled the hood around her face a little tighter and walked down the side street, heading to the front of the house. She knocked softly on the door and cleared her throat, preparing to tell some lie to the butler when he answered her. Yet as the door opened, she did not find herself face to face with the butler, but someone else instead.
“Oh…” she said in surprise. The Duke was standing before her with his tailcoat discarded and his cravat gone too, leaving his shirt and waistcoat open necked with his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Her eyes darted down to the flashes of tanned skin, making her mouth go dry.
Irked at herself, she snapped her gaze back to his face. She was going to ignore her attraction to him, come what may. She would not capitulate.
“You better come in if you are going to keep looking at me like that.”
Chapter Ten
“I’m not looking at you like anything,” Lady Penelope said hurriedly.
“Of course, you’re not,” Asher said and winked at her before opening the door further for her to walk in. She hung her head a little forward, as though hiding that smile as she stepped in, lowering the hood around her shoulders. As he helped her with the pelisse, removing it to place on a coat stand nearby, he indulged in brushing the exposed skin of her arms whilst removing the silken fabric.
“You’re being bold again,” she whispered as he stopped touching her.
“Yes, but you are not objecting,” he chuckled. “Come with me.” He beckoned her to follow him into the drawing room. She seemed surprised when she followed him in, for he had set up the room for a late-night session of cards. In the center was a circular table with two chairs, lit by a myriad of candles with a carafe of sherry sat ready for them with two glasses.
“What?” he asked as she looked to him with a questioning look. “Did you think I’d insist on taking you to my bed straight away?”
“Well, let us just say, I was prepared for it.”
“No, My Lady, I wouldn’t do that. I promised you that I would not take you to bed.” He stepped closer to her, running his fingers down her arm and watching as she blushed. “If I take you to bed, I want you to yearn for it as much as I do. That is what will bring me the most pleasure, and I will not break my word otherwise. Until then…” he paused and stepped back, watching as she took a small step forward as though to follow him.
Yes, follow me, Lady Penelope.
“I have other ideas to make you smile,” he said with a sultry tone. He turned to the table and held out a chair for her. She was still wearing the same blue gown she had been wearing earlier that evening at the assembly rooms. The sight of it made his heart beat quickly as she rearranged the slim-line skirt to take the seat, and he pushed in the chair. He stole the moment to lean toward her and absorb her scent.
“What game are we playing?” she asked as she picked up the cards and began to shuffle.
“What about cribbage?” he asked, taking the other chair.
“I love that game,” she said and began to deal out the cards.
“Care to make our game a little more interesting?” Asher said, leaning forward. Whilst he was enjoying Lady Penelope’s company very much indeed, he was looking for an excuse to touch her, and the way those green eyes of hers kept flitting toward him, it suggested those touches would not be unwelcome.
“More interesting how?” she said, putting on a note of suspicion as she fiddled with the cards in her hand.
