Page 10 of In a Rake's Embrace
His lips quirked slightly as if amused by her boldness. “And how much money do you want, hmm?”
Agatha inhaled deeply and lifted her chin. “Five thousand pounds.”
Lord Radbourne blinked, and then a slow, rich chuckle escaped him. He brought the glass of whisky to his lips, his gaze never leaving her. It was a long, insolent look—one that swept over her body as if appraising her like a possession. His stare was provoking, challenging, as though daring her to believe she could command such a sum.
For a moment, she felt exposed beneath his scrutiny, yet a fierce determination surged through her. Agatha would not be daunted by him or by her uncertainties. She had made her choice and now had to see it through.
“Let me see if I understand you perfectly, Miss Woodville,” he said, his voice low and almost mocking. “You want to auction your virgin pussy for a sum of five thousand pounds.”
Heat scorched Agatha’s cheeks. “Yes.” Rebecca had confirmed gentlemen of thetongambled away higher sums in a single night.
He stared at her, still impassive. “I never knew there existed cunts so remarkable as to make a man pay such a price for a single night.”
“Ten nights,” she corrected quietly. “He can do whatever he wants, however he wants. Is that not a powerful inducement for such a reward?”
His brilliant green eyes darkened with disbelief. “Ah ... it is your sweet innocence that makes you offer something so foolish.”
“Ten nights is too long?” she asked, her voice faltering.
“For such a fortune, a man will feel entitled to do many unspeakablyobscene things to your body, things you cannot even begin to imagine in your innocence.” He paused, his gaze unwavering. “What are your boundaries?”
Her heart jerked in her chest.Boundaries?“I ... I don’t know what they are, my lord.”
His stare grew more intense, studying her like she was a puzzle he needed to solve. “Given your answer, I assume you have no experience with men?”
Agatha felt a sharp thump of panic. She swallowed, her throat tight. “No.”
“How little?” His voice was firm, but there was an edge to it now.
“I am a virgin, my lord.”
“One can be chaste but explore many other things.”
She hesitated before answering, “I’ve never even been kissed. My hand … a man held my hand once on a walk.”
He stilled. “Fuck.”
The low, harsh curse sent another wave of heat across her face.
“Have you ever played with your pussy or touched it?”
Goodness. His gaze drifted below her belly, and understanding of what ‘pussy’ meant rushed through her. “Only to bathe.”
The earl turned sharply from her, striding toward the fireplace and leaning heavily on the mantel as he stared into the flames. Agatha bit her lip, the weight of the silence pressing down on her. She knew her success in this endeavor rested entirely on this man. Madam Rebecca had been certain that Lord Radbourne was the only gentleman who would respect her body and choices in a place likeAphrodite.
Desperation twisted in her gut, and for a moment, she wanted to plead with him to understand. But she could only wait, watching his tense, broad shoulders and hoping he wouldn’t send her away.
CHAPTER 4
Agatha braced herself as the Earl of Radbourne turned to face her. His expression was inscrutable, and his gaze was as piercing as ever.
“I will help you.”
She blinked, shock rippling through her. Delight surged, so overwhelming that she nearly asked why he had decided to help her. But she stopped herself—his reasons didn’t matter. What mattered was that he had agreed.
His voice, calm and steady, cut through her whirling thoughts.
“There are lessons you’ll need to learn if you wish to flourish here. To know your boundaries, it’s best to explore them before you find yourself caught off guard, forced to do something you don’t want and something that will hurt you.”
