Page 10 of In Scandal with the Duke
James folded the sheet, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth as he considered the absurdity of the situation. Thetonwas evidently abuzz with speculation, and here he was, at the center of it all, thanks to a far-too-bold young woman who dared to defy convention.
“You are distracted,” Lady Ellen remarked, her tone a blend of complaint and coquetry. She was supposed to be his companion for the evening, a diversion from his duties. Ellen was not a lady of the aristocracy. However, the owner of Aphrodite, Madam Rebecca, insisted all her sought-after courtesans carry the honor before their names.
Lowering the scandal sheet, which Radbourne had sent him earlier with a knowing scribble on the margins, James turned his attention to the woman before him. “What did you say?”
Ellen’s pout grew more pronounced. “I do not like that you pay me no regard.”
James arched a brow. “Am I to cater to what you like? Or are you to cater to me?”
Uncertainty flickered across Ellen’s face before she composed herself, lowering her lashes in a practiced gesture of demure appeal. She reclined further against the chaise, her posture deliberately designed to entice. Her blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders in a deliberate disarray, her bodice barely containing her ample breasts, and her skirt artfully arranged to reveal a glimpse of her thighs. The deliberate pose was intended to captivate and command his attention fully.
James was unmoved. As he had been for the last few months.Or has it been a year?
“I can do what no other woman has done for you in ages,” Ellen murmured, her voice sultry, laced with a promise meant to erase any distractions. She patted the cushion beside her on the chaise, her eyes glinting with invitation. “Come and join me, Your Grace.”
James studied her for a moment, her allure undeniable yet suddenly less compelling than it might have been on any other night. Despite this, he was not one to rudely dismiss the company of a willing and beautiful woman.
“Tell me precisely how you will rid my mind of everything but you,” he invited.
“Stay the full night with me. I promise I will make you forget your distractions,” she whispered, “and then perhaps you will ask only for me going forward.”
Ellen’s intention was clear—prove her worth as an enchantress of the highest order, and she might secure the position as a duke’s mistress.
James allowed a small smile, his gaze briefly meeting hers. “I am not interested in permanent attachments.”
“I can do what no other woman has done for you in ages.”
His belly tightened. Ah, they discussed him and his cock and his lack of attaining his pleasure. Dark humor washed through him. Rising from his seat, James closed the distance between them with measured steps and lowered himself onto his haunches. “Oh?”
Her pink tongue darted to wet her lips, and he imagined coaxing those lips to part and sliding his cock deep. Perhaps sensing victory, she shifted into a kneel on the sofa and placed a hand on his chest, her fingers trailing coyly up to his cravat. “No one has made you release in … months. I want the challenge … and I will make you break.
“Is that so?”
“I’ll allow you to tie me … I will be at your mercy. Whatever you like I am willing to do without hesitation.”
Nothing stirred inside of James, and to his annoyance, dark blue eyes set in a stunningly pretty face rose in his thoughts.
Why the hell am I still thinking about her?
Miss Armstrong’s fresh, artless loveliness would tempt any man, but James was not led around by his damn cock. Perhaps she intruded on his thoughts because he had not yet made any amends. James frowned and stood. “I am leaving, Ellen.”
“Your Grace—”
“My man will deliver a diamond necklace for you tomorrow.”
Her eyes widened, and she gasped. “Thank you!”
“There is no need. I will take my leave.”
“Will you ask for me tomorrow?”
What would be the point? James had not been tempted to take a lover in weeks. He’d never even kept a mistress like most men, and given that Ellen was vying for that position, he would not see her again. Such arrangements and entanglement seemed far too much trouble. “No.”
Ellen masked her disappointment well. “We have a new girl,” she said. “She is a beauty, and … she isuntouched.”
He lifted a brow. “An untouched woman in a pleasure palace? How did she come to be here?”
Her laugh tinkled, and her eyes gleamed with sensual wickedness. Ellen clearly thought offering him a virgin would tempt him to stay and indulge in sensual debauchery. Or perhaps gain more favor from him.
