Page 30 of A Wager With A Rake
Theodosia
Sunlightheatedtheroomas it poured in through the curtains, pulling Theodosia from her deep sleep.The brightness matched her mood after her restful sleep.She wasn’t certain she had ever slept so well, in fact.
She stretched, a satisfied smile playing about her lips as memories of the passionate night she’d spent with Court flooded her mind.The place between her thighs throbbed, hoping they might repeat the act that morning.
Rolling over, she reached out, seeking his skin against hers, but her hand met only cool, rumpled sheets.
Theodosia sat up, glancing around the empty bedchamber with a furrowed brow.Where had Court gone?And without waking her first.Disappointment pricked at her.
With a sigh, she climbed out of his bed and hastily donned the clothing he’d discarded the previous evening.She would return to her own rooms and have her maid assist her in dressing properly in a fresh gown.Then she could seek out Court and…
Heat flooded her cheeks as vivid flashes of skin sliding against skin, breathy moans and cries of ecstasy overwhelmed her senses.Dear God, she had never experienced such passion, nor had she ever had such a wicked, vulgar exchange as she had with Court.The intimacy they’d shared had been so much more than physical gratification.It was as if she had found the piece of herself that had been missing.
At that moment, the startling realization crashed over Theodosia like a tidal wave.She was in love with Court.Harcourt Eliot, the notorious rake, the Earl of St.Germans, and her best friend’s brother.And not just some silly schoolgirl infatuation.Desperately, irrevocably in love.And no longer was she willing to pretend otherwise.
Alone in the empty room, her heart pounding with both elation and trepidation, she knew she must tell him so.In her past, she had told countless lies and colorful stories to anyone who would listen, and surely she could find the words to tell the most important person in the world how she felt.And after what they’d shared, she hoped he might feel even a fraction of the same.He may be a rake, but surely coupling wasn’t that intense with just any pretty face in a skirt for him.
Theodosia hurried out of Court’s bedchamber and down the corridor to her own suite.She rang for Jean as soon as she stepped inside.
“Good morning, my lady.”Jean bobbed a curtsy, her expression tinged with amusement as she took in Theodosia’s disheveled appearance.“I had a feeling I might find you in such a state, given that your bed wasn’t slept in.”
Theodosia’s cheeks burned from embarrassment that surely the entire house knew what had occurred between her and Court.
“If I may say so,” Jean continued.“You deserved a good romp, my lady.”
“Jean!”Theodosia exclaimed, then bit back her laughter.Her maid wasn’t wrong.It was her first time to enjoy coupling with a man and hopefully wouldn’t be her last.With Court, that is.
Her maid merely shrugged.“It’s true.”
“Well, I require your help to dress so I might seek after his lordship.”She cast her maid a knowing glance.
Jean set about her work, and Theodosia stood patiently as her maid stripped and aided in the removal of the previous day’s clothing.She dressed her in a sky-blue morning gown, then styled her dark tresses into a tidy coiffure.
As Jean worked, Theodosia’s mind drifted, reliving each heated touch and passionate kiss from the night before.She wanted that with Court always—that intimacy, understanding, and love.More than fleeting pleasure, she longed for a lifetime with him by her side.
Was it mad?Possibly.He was a notorious rake, and she was theton’s gossiping viper.But perhaps that made them perfectly matched.Life would certainly never be dull.
But would he want the same?Icy tendrils of doubt crept along her spine.She was so impulsive, demanding, often thoughtless.She had used her body to trick him into entering the wager for her own self-serving needs.What if Court saw what they shared as something not to be repeated?A temporary source of sexual gratification for each of them?
Deciding she was ready to face the matter head-on, Theodosia squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, projecting a confidence she didn’t quite feel.She would find Court and lay her heart at his feet, baring her soul for the first time in her life.And she would pray that he felt as she did.
Striding purposefully out of her bedchamber, Theodosia began her search for the man who had somehow become everything to her.She hadn’t even wanted to marry again, but she knew she could trust Court to ensure she was never treated as cruelly as she had been in her previous marriage.He would not treat a woman as a business contract or property to control.
When she reached the bottom of the staircase, Court’s butler, Brown, appeared from the hallway.“Brown, where might I find the earl this morning?”
The elderly servant straightened, his expression unreadable.“His lordship departed Rosewood late last night, my lady.He left something for you, however.”Reaching into his coat, Brown withdrew folded sheets of parchment, her eyes immediately drawn to the wax seal.
“Left something?”Theodosia frowned as she accepted the missive, a sense of foreboding washing over her.Brown left her by the landing, and she couldn’t convince her feet to move.Breaking the seal with trembling fingers, she unfolded the letter and read it to herself, her heart shattering in slow motion with each word.
Tess,
That you are reading this is proof that I am not a man worthy of any measure of your thoughts or affection.
I have instructed my solicitor to ensure the ownership of Rosewood is transferred into your name.It is yours, free and clear, to do with as you wish.I want you to have the security, stability, and happiness that you deserve.
Regards,
Court
