Page 32 of To Pleasure a Prince
His arm stiffened beneath her hand. “I didn’t say that, either. Stay home if you please. I don’t give a damn whether you go with me or not.”
“Then why did you offer to take me on a different night?” she teased. When he didn’t immediately answer, she risked a glance at him.
The gas lamps at the top of the steps illuminated his annoyed expression. “You’re a plague upon men, do you know that?”
“Why? Because I dare to expect reasonable answers from the Dragon Viscount instead of a lot of smoke and fire-breathing?”
His gaze met hers, and a reluctant admiration showed in his eyes. “Because you have a strong right arm.” He lowered his voice. “And know how to use it.”
Coloring, she jerked her gaze up to where her brother and Cicely were disappearing into the house. “I won’t hesitate to use it again if you insult me.”
They’d reached the top now, but he took her by surprise and tugged her behind the columns on the far end of the wide marble steps. By the time she realized what he was about, his mouth was on hers, hot…possessive…greedy. He took his time, kissing her so thoroughly and scandalously that her toes curled inside her satin slippers.
When he drew back, she could barely breathe, and his eyes gleamed at her in the darkness. “Do you considerthatan insult?” he said in a seductive rumble.
She should. But she didn’t. “Do you intend to follow it with some nasty comment about my preference for private duets?”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “At the moment, I can’t think of any.”
“What a shame,” she said lightly, struggling to conceal her reaction to his kisses. “I find them so entertaining.”
Cicely appeared in the doorway and scowled when she spotted the two of them lurking behind the column. “Lord Draker, what are you doing? Regina, you must come inside.”
With a taunt of a smile, Marcus caught Regina’s gloved hand and lifted it to his lips. The lingering kiss he pressed to it made her body hum like a harp string freshly plucked.
“Good evening, madam,” he said. “I’d better go before your duenna tosses me down the steps for my impertinence.” Then he added in a tantalizing whisper, “Tomorrow night I’ll make my impertinences more discreet.”
She was still reeling from his presumptuous remark when he sauntered down the steps to where his carriage awaited him. Then she noticed his coachman and all his footmen looking up at her with knowing smiles. Sweet heaven, they’d probably guessed what she and Marcus had been doing behind the column.
Her face flamed as she hurried into the house behind Cicely. Why did the man always manage to slip under her guard? He seemed determined to make a public wanton out of her. If she weren’t careful, he’d ruin her.
A pity he kissed so very well.
The minute she was inside, Cicely murmured, “Forgive me for not realizing what that beast was about. If I’d had any idea that the man was trying to…to…”
“It’s all right, Cicely. He didn’t do anything.” Thanks to Marcus, she’d told more lies to Cicely in the past two days than she’d told in her entire life.
Cicely coughed. “I don’t understand why you persist in this mad courtship.”
“To help Louisa and Simon, of course.” Turning away to hide her blush, Regina gave the footman her pelisse. “Surely you cannot think I have a romantic interest in Lord Draker.”
“I should hope not! He isn’t a suitable prospect for you.”
Regina tensed and faced her cousin again. “If you refer to his behavior—”
“I refer to his fondness for books.” Casting the footman a glance, she added discreetly, “A fondness you do not share.”
Since you can’t read.
A leaden lump settled in Regina’s chest. Cicely was right, of course. “Then it’s a good thing I’m going about town with him merely to help my brother, isn’t it?” When Cicely frowned and opened her mouth to answer, Regina changed the subject. “And speaking of that, whereismy brother? I thought surely Simon would be waiting in here to tease me.”
“Begging your pardon, my lady,” their butler put in, “but His Grace is with a special guest in his private drawing room.”
Regina tensed. “Thank you, John.”Special guestwas the servant’s code for His Highness. Why had the prince come here tonight, when he was going to see Simon tomorrow night at his dinner anyway? Could Marcus’s suspicions about the prince and her brother be valid?
No, of course not. She couldn’t believe it. On the other hand…
She glanced down the hall to the east wing. Shecouldjust go see what they were up to. After all, she needed to make her apologies to the prince for not being able to attend his dinner, and that would work much better in person.
