Page 14 of The Devil Himself
A knock sounded, and he rose to answer it. Thankfully, talking about his family, and about his mentor Gregory Hanford, had put his cock right back down.
“Supper, sir.”
“Thank you, Gage. Put it there if you please.”
Heavenly scents rose from the cart the attendant Gage wheeled in. Luc sat up in his chair, sniffing the air, and he grinned. Someone was hungry.
“Will there be anything else, sir?”
He checked to be sure there was wine. “No, thank you, Gage. That will be all.”
The young man bowed and left, and he began lifting lids. Oysters. Salmon au natural. Venison and roasted vegetables.
And a lemon cake with elaborate icing. Thank God he hadn’t been served blancmange, which was one of Fergus’s favorite desserts to put on his menu, and one he served Rys if he was feeling particularly grumpy. It made Rys gag.
“Good God, that smells lovely.”
He chuckled. “It’s considered rude to comment on the food, you know.”
“Good thing I’m not in polite company at some debutante’s ball.”
The chuckle turned to a full-on laugh. “True enough. Come fill a plate, Luc. You look as hungry as Warrington at a buffet.”
If Luc noticed the change from Angelsey or Fitzwilliam to his given name, he did not let on. He rose, coming to load a plate with delicacies. “No one eats as much as Julian. I have no idea where he puts it.”
Rys noted Luc took fully half the oysters, and his body tightened again.
They had a certain effect on man, did oysters, which he would love to observe with Luc. Best not to think about it. This was just a novelty for Luc. Supper with the devil.
He loaded his plate with the rest of the oysters and small amounts of everything else. Might as well put on a show.
They sat across from one another, and he took up an oyster. “Down the hatch, hmm?”
“Indeed.” Luc raised one as well, and their gazes locked as they both slurped down.
He had to be imagining the spark that seemed to pass between them. Wishful thinking, no doubt. And it was a good thing it was false.
Luc Fitzwilliam would be a dangerous man for him to dally with. The man was not the type to simply find pleasure and move on.
But there was something there…
“Again?” Luc challenged.
His cock rose rock hard in his trousers. “Absolutely.”
They finished their starter that way, gazes locked, a strange tension filling the air. Then Luc broke the eye contact and grabbed a glass of wine, tossing it back quickly.
Interesting.
And damned arousing.
He cleared his throat. “So what of you, Luc? How do you fill your time, aside from meddling in my erstwhile family’s affairs?”
Luc took a deep breath, then grabbed his knife and fork to start on the fish. “I run three estates. I have investments I tend to. I play a lot of damned cards,” he finished, chuckling. “It’s deadly dull.”
“But dutiful.”
Luc’s mouth flattened into a hard line. “Yes. I have a duty to make sure things are well situated for my son.”
