Now he rested his fingers against the woven spines of the books, dragging the tips across their uneven rows and breathing in the scent of pages and words and adventures yet to be had. Before he could choose one of these future friends to pluck from the shelf, he felt a fissure of awareness up his spine. He was being watched.
He turned, guarded but trying to keep that from being obvious before he knew who was staring at his back. When he turned his heart thudded.
Selina Oliver was standing in the doorway. She wore a red dress with a deep v-neckline, one that only skirted the limits of modesty because of a silk rose that rested between what appeared to be lovely breasts. Her hair had been curled and piled artfully on the crown of her head, with a silk ribbon laced within that matched the scarlet gown to perfection.
She was stunning, just as she had been on the drive. With her bright blue eyes that flitted over him and dusky pink lips curled into a cocksure smile, the kind most women were forced by Society to hide.
But this woman hid nothing. And that artless seduction in her every look and move woke something…dark in him. Stirred his interest and his cock in equal measure.
“Mr. Huntington,” she said, her rough, breathless voice breaking the silence that had stretched between them since he saw her in the doorway.
“Miss Oliver,” he managed to choke out. His throat was suddenly very dry. “I have your brother’s permission to explore the library.”
Her brow wrinkled and then her smile widened. “Why wouldn’t you? You’re a guest, after all.”
He frowned. He’d been so stymied by her appearance he’d almost forgotten his role of invited guest and friend, rather than outsider. Strange that she could so easily sweep his duties out of the way. Dangerous.
“Of course. I suppose I’m just not accustomed to roaming freely through a duke’s home,” he said. “Friend of his brother or not.”
Her stare wavered at that and she stepped into the room. Now that they were closer, he could scent the faint hint of vanilla from her hair. He suddenly wanted to pull that ribbon from her locks and let the cascade of her sleek, dark hair fall around her like a waterfall.
What the hell was wrong with him? This was a distraction he could not afford. And if she knew his thoughts, she surely wouldn’t welcome them, knowing smile or not.
“Are you a great reader, Mr. Huntington?” she asked, gliding past him close enough that the air between them stirred with warmth.
He cleared his throat and resisted the urge to loosen his suddenly tight cravat. “I don’t know if I would say a great reader, but a passionate one.”
She pivoted at that word. “A passionate reader. Is reading the passion in itself, or do you specifically seek out passionate subjects?”
He shifted. “Perhaps both, depending on the mood.”
A smile twitched at the corners of her lips again. “Hmmm, yes, a great deal depends on the mood.”
She held his gaze a moment and then pivoted away again. She lifted up on her tiptoes to see a shelf just above her sightline and her dress shifted against her backside. A very shapely backside at that.
He glanced at the fire. Why was it so blasted hot in here? That could not be good for the books. It certainly wasn’t good for his constitution.
“And what about you?” he asked, hearing how low and rough his voice was in the quiet of the room.
She shrugged one shoulder. “Reading is a favorite pastime for me, as well. Perhaps that means we’ll encounter each other here often during the party. We can…compare books.”
He drew in a long breath and tried to find a modicum of decorum and calm in the face of the hurricane that was this woman. He was an investigator, sent here to do just that. He couldn’t forget it just because a wildly attractive woman batted her exquisitely long eyelashes at him and gave him a come-hither look.
So what could he deduce about Selina Oliver? Beyond her beauty, beyond her intoxicating charm. She was bold, that was one thing. Brash, he supposed some would say and they wouldn’t be wrong. It was a playful boldness, at least on its surface. But as he gazed deeper into those lovely eyes, he also saw something…else. Something deeper and more purposeful.
As if this dance she was dancing had meaning beyond flirtation. And suddenly his interest became not just about her scent or the warmth of her or the directness of her attraction, but about what it was exactly she was trying to achieve by approaching him.
He thought of the disappearing blue gown earlier in the parlor. Hers, he was more and more certain. And that made him wonder about those motives all the more.
He cleared his throat and straightened up. “Any time you’d like to compare books, Miss Oliver, I am at your service.”
She arched a brow. “Then I look forward to it.”
Also by Jess Michaels
The Duke’s Bastards
The Love of a Libertine
The Heart of a Hellion (Coming Summer 2020)
The Matter of a Marquess (Coming Fall 2020)
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The Shelley Sisters
A Reluctant Bride
A Reckless Runaway
A Counterfeit Courtesan
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The Scandal Sheet
The Return of Lady Jane
Stealing the Duke
Lady No Says Yes
My Fair Viscount
Guarding the Countess
The House of Pleasure
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The 1797 Club
The Daring Duke
Her Favorite Duke
The Broken Duke
The Silent Duke
The Duke of Nothing
The Undercover Duke
The Duke of Hearts
The Duke Who Lied
The Duke of Desire
The Last Duke
* * *
Seasons
An Affair in Winter
A Spring Deception
One Summer of Surrender
Adored in Autumn
* * *
The Wicked Woodleys
Forbidden
Deceived
Tempted
Ruined
Seduced
Fascinated
* * *
The Notorious Flynns
The Other Duke
The Scoundrel’s Lover
The Widow Wager
No Gentleman for Georgina
A Marquis for Mary
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To see a complete listing of Jess Michaels’ titles, please visit:
http://www.authorjessmichaels.com/books
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling author Jess Michaels likes geeky stuff, Vanilla Coke Zero, anything coconut, cheese, fluffy cats, smooth cats, any cats, many dogs and people who care about the welfare of their fellow humans. She is lucky enough to be married to her favorite person in the world and lives in the heart of Dallas, TX where she's trying to eat all the amazing food in the city.
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When she’s not obsessively checking her steps on Fitbit or trying out new flavors of Greek yogurt, she writes historical romances with smoking hot alpha males and sassy ladies who do anything but wait to get what they want. She has written for numerous publishers and is now fully indie and loving every moment of it (well, almost every moment).
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Jess loves to hear from fans! So please feel free to contact her in any of the following ways (or carrier pigeon):
www.AuthorJessMichaels.com
Email: [email protected]
Jess Michaels raffles a gift certificate EVERY month to members of her newsletter, so sign up on her website:
http://www.AuthorJessMichaels.com/
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The Love of a Libertine: The Duke’s Bastards Book 1 Page 23