Page 27 of One Night with a Prince
Christabel began to sweat. Dear Lord, she should never have lied to him about her whist-playing.
“In any case,” Mr. Talbot said, “the man never invites anyone after he’s sent out his invitations, and ours arrived last week, didn’t they, my dear?”
The flame-haired female answered, not the woman with her hand on Mr. Talbot’s thigh. “Yes. We were in town when they came.”
We?
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlFrom her seat on the portly gentleman’s lap, the flame-haired woman batted her long lashes at Byrne.
“But I’m sure he’ll make an exception for you. Stokely’s party wouldn’t be the same if you weren’t there.”
“Don’t waste your flirtations on Byrne,” Lady Jenner said snidely. “Can’t you see he’s presently occupied? The man may be incapable of faithfulness to a woman, but at least when he’s with her, he gives her his full attention.” Lady Jenner shot Mr. Talbot a cold glance. “Unlike your husband there.”
Christabel’s mouth fell open.
“Yes, they’re married,” Byrne hissed in her ear. “And yes, they’re both here with other lovers. Wipe that shock from your face.”
Unable even to comprehend such blatant debauchery, she swung her gaze to him. But that proved a mistake, for when Byrne saw her outrage, he took immediate measures to hide it. He kissed her. Before the entire roomful of people, he kissed her, slowly, leisurely, as if it were his right. His mouth was hard and thorough, commanding her response, leaving her no choice but to play the part, though her every feeling revolted at the idea of behaving so intimately in front of other people. She forced her eyes closed and her lips apart to admit the heated thrusts of his tongue. And as if it weren’t bad enough that she had to put on this shameless display, she could feel his arousal grow hard and insistent beneath her bottom—
“For God’s sake, Byrne,” Lady Jenner said peevishly. “Did you come here to watch us play or to make love to your mistress?”
Christabel tore her mouth from his, grateful for the reprieve. Byrne’s warning glance kept her mute as his broad hand shamelessly stroked her belly. “Both.” He shifted his gaze to Lady Jenner. “We’re not the only ones enjoying ourselves. Unless I miss my guess, that’s Lieutenant Markham’s hand rubbing your thigh under the table. At least, I hope it’s your thigh.”
Christabel had to bite her tongue to keep from gasping.
The lieutenant started to yank his hand out, but Lady Jenner caught it and held it still. “Don’t pretend you care what Markham and I do, Byrne. We both know you don’t waste time on jealousy after you’re done with a woman.”
“Ah, but you’re wrong,” Byrne said in a lazy drawl. “I don’t waste time on jealousy evenbefore I’m done with a woman.”
As Lady Jenner scowled and the men laughed, Christabel forced a smile. How she wished she could leap from Byrne’s lap and stalk off. But she dared not. So she sat there, chafing at the harsh reminder of his true character.
And how could anyone be so very wicked? Oh, he might kiss well, but he had no tender feelings, for her or anyone else. If she ever succumbed to his advances, she’d end up being the same to him as one of these women—a discarded plaything to trade public insults with and nothing more. Perhaps he’d had a conscience once, before he’d been forced to work in the streets as a boy, but sadly that had ruined him forever. Because the Byrne before her now clearly had no morals, no scruples.Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlOtherwise, he couldn’t be so comfortable here.
Lord, she’d never even imagined that such nonchalance about infidelity existed among the nobility. When Byrne said they were a fast set, she’d imagined ladies who wore too much rouge and gentlemen who made the occasional bawdy comment. No wonder he’d tried to warn her. But if she wanted her father’s letters back, she had to play her part and be convincing, no matter how disgusting she found it.
Pasting a look of lazy contentment on her face, she relaxed against Byrne’s chest. His quickly drawn breath gave her a measure of satisfaction. He thought she couldn’t handle this, but she would prove him wrong.
She met the portly gentleman’s leer with a sultry smile. When she realized Mr. Talbot was watching her, she deliberately covered Byrne’s hand on her waist with her own, then rubbed it as she’d seen Mrs. Talbot rub her lover’s chest.
She could feel Byrne’s heated gaze on her, feel his arousal harden again beneath her bottom. The Prince of Sin, no doubt about it.
Then she felt his mouth against her ear. “Very good, lass. Keep that up, and evenI might believe you a wanton.” He slid his hand along the underside of her breasts. “Now it’s time for you to pay attention to the players, if you’re to partner me in whist. Watch Talbot, the best of the lot. And Eleanor’s partner, Lady Hungate. She’s good, too.”
From then on, Byrne was all business, explaining the intricacies of their plays in heated whispers. Christabel forced herself to attend, even though his arousal didn’t abate, and her shocking surroundings grew no less shocking.
Before long, she realized that his arousal came as much from the game as from her. She and whist were both challenges to be mastered. Well, he might have mastered whist, but he would never master her. No, indeed.
“Your whispering over there grows tiresome,” Lady Jenner said just as Byrne explained a particularly perplexing move that Lady Hungate, the gray-haired lady, had made. “Can’t you stop your flirting for even one moment, Byrne?”
“We’re discussing strategy. Strategy is the key to winning at whist.”
“I thought good cards were the key to winning at whist,” the countess retorted. “But let’s see who’s right. We’re almost finished with this rubber—why don’t you and your new ‘friend’ play the winners? It’ll giveus a chance to assess your playing the way you’ve been assessing ours.”
Panic rose in Christabel’s chest. Oh no, not now, not here. She hadn’t even played a practice game in two years!
But before she could think of an excuse, Byrne tightened his grip on her waist as if in warning, and said,
“Why not?”
