Page 38 of One Night with a Prince
With a low, mocking laugh, he did.
They played a few minutes in silence. Then he said, “Did you ever use your maneuver on Haversham?”
“Why would I?” She played a card. “He was my husband.”
“Not at first. A year is a long time to court. Didn’t he ever try to put his hands where he shouldn’t?”
She rolled her eyes. “This may come as a shock to you, but in many parts of society—obviously not the onesyou frequent—such behavior from a gentleman to a lady is frowned upon. My husband happened to be a respectable man when I met him. He behaved respectably the entire year we courted.”
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlHe gazed at her over his cards, a sudden heat flaring in his face. “I wouldn’t have lasted a year with you.” His eyes drifted down to her mouth. “I would have been lucky to last a month.”
Feeling color flood her cheeks, she jerked her gaze down to her cards, and realized she had no idea what had been played. “Stop that. You only flirt like that so you can distract me into playing badly.”
“Is it working?”
She glared at him.
He laughed. “You credit me with more deviousness than I possess. Flirting comes naturally to me. Especially when I’m with a beautiful woman.”
“Don’t insult my intelligence. I’ve seen your mistresses in the flesh, and I don’t begin to compare.”
“You undervalue your attractions,” he said tightly. “If I didn’t find you appealing, I wouldn’t be trying to beat you at whist merely for the chance to see you naked. I don’t make such an effort with every woman.”
“Just a large number of them.”
He chuckled. “True.”
The next few hands went badly, but though she blamed it on her poor cards, Byrne’s lack of clothes was every bit as distracting as he’d claimed hers would be. It wasn’t just what she could see either—like his muscles flexing when he played a card—but what she couldn’t see. Beneath the table, was he still aroused? Did he intend to act on it? If he did, what would she do? Worse yet, he didn’t seem bothered by watchingher remove her clothes. It only spurred him to better playing. He won hand after hand, gathering a point here, three points there. Her handkerchief, half boots, and garters went first, then her stockings and her petticoat. How she wished she’d worn more than one petticoat. How she wished she’d ignored Rosa and worn her fichu. Anything—even a cheap iron ring—would be welcome. She forced herself to ignore his half-dressed state, to concentrate on the cards, yet she lost to him by three points.
Gazing at her with satisfaction, he gathered up the cards. “It appears you’re faced with a difficult choice. You can either remove your gown, corset, and chemise…or your gown, corset, and drawers. Personally, I think you should strip down to your drawers—”
“Youwould, ” she said with a sniff. Rising from her seat, she reached up under her gown and deftly removed her drawers, then tossed them onto the table. “You’ve been trying to get a look at my bare bosom all day. I swear, you’re the most infuriating man.”
“You aren’t the first woman to tell me so.”
“I probably won’t be the last either, judging from what I saw of your harem.”
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlHis mouth quirked upward at one corner. “You seem oddly interested in my ‘harem’ for a woman who doesn’t wish to join it. Are you jealous, my sweet?”
“Of a man incapable of faithfulness to a woman? I’d have to be insane.”
But the truth was, those women of his did indeed annoy her. She was starting to like him—though she couldn’t imagine why—and it peeved her to think of being only one in a long string of women he had kissed and teased and—
“You’re dawdling,” Byrne said, jerking her back to the present. “The gown, remember? I’ve already seen you without it once today, so why be missish about removing it now?”
Because this was different. Because they were alone in a room of soft, lambent firelight, the heavy weight of night making her drowsy enough to loosen all her restraints. Because if he looked at her tonight as he’d looked at her earlier, she might do something she regretted. She shook off the thought. “You are such a beast.” Planting her hands on her hips, she cast him a foul glance. “Well? Don’t just sit there, for pity’s sake. I can’t take my gown and corset off by myself. Come help me.”
Chapter Eight
Men are cheats, both at cards and at love.
—Anonymous,Memoirs of a Mistress
Come help her? Did she have any clue what she was asking? He was liable to tear her gown off her. He’d never been this aroused in all his life, and his control was paper-thin. He wasn’t alone, either. Judging from her quick breaths and flushed cheeks, she was just as aroused. Unfortunately, she didn’twant to be aroused. He wasn’t sure why she persisted in resisting him. Had Haversham made her skittish of all men, or was it just him she feared? Either way, he meant to have her. He rose and rounded the table, stifling a chuckle when her gaze swung right to his drawers. His cock grew impossibly hard, a state that only intensified as he began to undo her gown. He took his time, relishing the moment, drowning in her exotic scent. How had a woman who claimed to be “inept in the feminine arts” managed to acquire such an intoxicating perfume? It made him wonder what other intoxicating surprises she hid beneath her practical exterior. A hennaed mons? A jewel in her navel? Nothing she had or did would surprise him. And he meant to uncover every secret.
He was halfway down her gown when someone tried the door to the parlor. His arousal came to a crashing halt, especially when the intruder knocked and asked in a concerned voice, “My lady? Are you there? It’s very late, and I wanted to know if…will you be…” A low curse sounded in Spanish. “Should I retire?”
As Christabel stiffened, he gritted his teeth. Damn her meddling maid. Surely the chit knew they were in here together. Why didn’t she have the good sense to leave well enough alone?Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlBecause the woman was protective of her mistress. And if he weren’t careful, Christabel would seize this chance to escape.
