Wicked Nights With a Proper Lady

by Tiffany Clare

  Impressed he hadn’t caught her off guard, and had only put voice to the very thoughts she’d been having, she said coolly, “Whatever I felt for you four years ago was quelled the day you left to pursue your own path. Don’t flatter yourself and think that I’ve spared you a single thought since then.”

  “Damn you,” he said vehemently.

  She gasped, giving him an open advantage of her mouth. His lips took hers in what could only be described as a rather feral and delicious kiss; his tongue plunged between her startled lips and suddenly … she forgot all her arguments and …

  It became impossible to remain cool and in control.

  Because she wanted this. It was the second stupidest thing she’d done in her entire life, the first being her previous affair with him. She apparently had a reckless nature about her.

  She forgot that she should be making efforts to avoid Leo, not tempt him and encourage their current position. She’d craved his kiss and touch for so long now, that she just wanted to enjoy the moment for a little while longer.

  When his tongue delved deep into her mouth, she tasted him back. Just as eager, just as hungry for more as apparently he was. The stroke of his tongue slowed, became less urgent as she relaxed into the kiss. It was a reacquaintance of their sensual, need-to-be-touched side.

  Foolishly, she’d thought her desire for him had dulled to a slow burn, but the feel of his lips pressed to hers, his solid body beneath her spread palms pliable and so very masculine, made her realize otherwise.

  She wanted to touch him in the flesh. Strip him out of his clothes so she could feel the hard muscles roped throughout his body, and let him do the most wicked things he could possibly do to her—and preferably with his tongue. She wanted to sink into his skin and indulge in the sensation of his body next to hers.

  Why couldn’t they forever indulge in this mutual passion? Why couldn’t things have turned out differently? Why had it been so easy for him to walk away at all?

  An inferno of lust burned through her veins and seared her senses. It was impossible to remain impassive or idle. Not when her body had other ideas.

  Leo’s, too. His hands slipped upward from her rib cage to lance the sides of her breasts, the action cutting through to her core like a sword through soft flesh.

  She pulled away with sheer force of will, panting from the onslaught of his mouth hot against hers. His eyes were full of fire. Goodness, his gaze bored a hole straight through her center and pierced her fast pacing heart—but it didn’t slow any from the onslaught of feelings bombarding her. It hitched into a higher gear, fervent for more.

  “Tell me you can so easily walk away from that,” he said.

  Though she’d been flushed with desire, anger for her hasty actions outshone the passion she’d just felt and she donned her proverbial matron’s hat. It wasn’t easy to stand away from Leo, but she did it.

  “I don’t want to see you again, my lord.” Her voice was cold. “I do hope you’ll make a point of avoiding my cousin, or I will find a way to make your life miserable.”

  He remained silent and she thought her battle easily won. Until …

  “I will take your challenge, my lady.”

  “There is no challenge!” She pounded her fist against the wall beside her to emphasize her point. “There is nothing except an unseemly past between us. And if you don’t mind, I would like to keep that time between us buried exactly where it belongs … forever forgotten and easily dismissed as a past indiscretion.”

  There must have been something in her expression that clearly showed she would not cede this argument for he stepped aside to finally let her pass.

  She didn’t even glance at him as she reached for the door latch.

  As she slid through the open door, Leo gently clasped her wrist in his warm hand. “We will see each other again.”

  He stated it as a simple fact. Just a fact.

  Only time would tell if that would come to pass. Well, she could be just as stubborn as he. And she’d make it a personal goal to avoid him at every turn from here on out.

  They looked at each other for a long, charged moment. There was a small part of her that thrilled at the prospect of him chasing after her, but the rational part of her mind knew she had to shutter off those kinds of feelings. Nothing good would come from participating in a liaison with him.

  Chapter 7

  This writer will certainly entertain readers today. Not only has Lord B___ attended the most coveted dinner engagement of the season, but a Miss C___ also known to my readers previously as the mysterious chaperone of one Lady C.L., has also attended this exclusive dinner party. One must wonder at her association with the revered countess.

  The Mayfair Chronicles, May 29, 1846

  After the Carleton dinner party, Leo hailed a hansom and headed directly for Hayden’s townhouse. They had arrived in Tristan’s coach, but his friend had wrapped not only Ponsley’s offspring around his finger but also Mrs. Greystone, a widow he knew well, who did this thing with her tongue around a man … He blew out a breath in frustration. Even the thought of Mrs. Greystone caught in flagrante delicto with that wicked tongue of hers didn’t rouse his ardor.

  His thoughts remained on Genny. Good Lord, what in the name of heaven was wrong with him that caused his thoughts to be wholly consumed by one woman?

  He had met Genny purely by accident. Some of Lady Carleton’s country party guests had daringly gone for a midsummer dip in a shallow, somewhat warm pond on her country property.

  He rephrased that … a handful of the ladies in attendance of said summer party had doffed their heavy dresses and waded into the cooling water in only their underclothes. Of all the delectable sights he’d been privy to, that one topped the list of what he wished to see again.

  He’d been enjoying an afternoon stroll away from the stuffed suits of his father’s set. Genny had boldly teased him and suggested he join them in the water. He’d been tempted, really tempted, but had refrained, and then more houseguests had arrived.

  That had been the one and only time he recalled acting the perfect gentleman, ushering off the new arrivals so the women could find their way back to the house and don their society dresses as though nothing had happened. He swore on his walk back to the manor that he’d heard the odd giggle following closely behind.

  That very evening, Genny had boldly introduced herself to him and thanked him for his discretion.

  He found himself offering his services any time she so requested and had insisted she walk in the gardens to take the morning air with him the following day.

  She had proposed a stargazing adventure instead, and without her maid in attendance, so they could freely enjoy themselves. How was a man to refuse such a generous offer? Better yet, what sane man would argue away the opportunity to spend a few unhindered hours with a beautiful woman?

  They’d definitely enjoyed themselves. So much so, that for the first time in his twenty-five years—at the time—he had halted their intimacies before he found himself buried betwixt her lovely thighs.

  That was not to say that they hadn’t indulged in other things. There had been much petting and stroking. There had also been plenty of kissing and in not so obvious places. He’d left marks on her skin that night, but had put them in places that would stay hidden from anyone’s prying eyes. Even then, he couldn’t resist finding her the night after that.

  Pulling up to the duke’s townhouse, Leo pressed his hand to his straining erection, moving it to the side so he wasn’t so bloody uncomfortable in his trousers. He could not go anywhere in his current state.

  Closing his eyes, he rested his head back on the worn leather seat and counted to five, all the while thinking of his father lecturing him on his behavior and conduct. His father insisting that he cut off all ties to the country lass he’d fallen for since it was nothing more than a passing fancy. Leo had known from the moment he’d left Genny behind that it was the wrong step to take. But how could he go back to her when she h
ad the perfect opportunity to marry another?

  Better fit for company now that his thoughts weren’t solely focused on one troublesome young woman, he stepped down from the hansom and flicked a coin up to the driver with a nod in farewell.

  Hayden’s footman opened the door before Leo could lift the knocker. The tall young man bowed and stepped aside to allow him entrance.

  “My lord,” he said, “His Grace is in his study.”

  Leo removed his hat and gloves, and handed them over along with his cane. The man took them, leaving Leo to find his own way to Hayden’s study.

  Leo strode down the hall, determined to get answers about Fallon’s will.

  Smart man that Hayden was, he had not partaken in the game to woo the young lady out from Mr. Warren’s grasp. No one expected it of him. He had lived like a bloody monk for more than a year. Leo and Tristan thought maybe the last break-off with his mistress had done more lasting damage than anyone could guess. Hayden hadn’t set his eyes on another woman since that very public split.

  The door to the study was ajar. Flickering amber indicated the lamps were lit bright. Stepping into the room, Leo located his friend sitting in a wingback chair. His feet were perched on a small ottoman, spectacles rested on the edge of his nose as he stared down at an open book in his lap.

  The clock on the marble-encased mantel indicated the late hour with a chime at half past one. Leo took the settee across from his friend.

  “Anything?” he asked, flopping back on the cushioned seat.

  Hayden raised his brows, eyes focusing on Leo instead of the book he’d been reading. “Afraid not. Everything, including his investments, is tied into the entailments and estate. It can only be accessed by the Earl of Fallon and then signed off with the official Fallon seal.”

  “The bastard.”

  Hayden tossed the leather-bound book down on the table beside him. “Would you expect anything less after the tumultuous marriage they had?”

  “No, I suppose not. Is there any way she can appeal the will?”

  “Not without an issue.” When Leo opened his mouth to say something, Hayden raised his hand in a bid for silence. “I’ve already asked the delicate question. She knows she has no standing ground without an heir to succeed the father.”

  “Christ, it just keeps getting worse. Mr. Warren doesn’t seem … How shall I word this?” Leo motioned with his hands as he searched for the right word. “Generous. He’s known as a pit bull in Parliament.”

  “And with his upcoming engagement and nuptials, as Jez assures us, the chit will breed quickly. He’s already got bastards stretched from one end of the country to the other from what I’ve been able to dig up. Not that I could find proof of the so-called bastards.”

  Did Jez think he and Tristan would court every marriageable young woman Mr. Warren set his sights on? While any man with a heavy hand for the fairer sex didn’t deserve to marry, they couldn’t stop him indefinitely from marrying. It wasn’t possible for so many reasons. The main one being that Leo was interested in one particular woman at the moment.

  “Jez cannot expect us to court every young woman who could potentially take on her husband’s legacy. Not only is it poor sport, it’ll ban us from every social event of the season. Jez, too, should it be discovered what we are doing.”

  Fingers drumming along the arm of the padded brocade chair, Hayden said, “Then let her assume you plan to complete the task at hand. In the meantime, I’ll talk to her. Maybe convince her to invest her meager annual into something offering high interest on returns. It should appease her for the time being.”

  “It’s a start if nothing else.” Leo stood.

  “I can make no promises, but I’ll try to convince her to take another path to secure her future. It’ll be difficult, though, because she has her sights set on her husband’s fortune.”

  “Can you still hold up the will in court?”

  “There is nothing I can do.” Hayden brushed his hands through his hair. “Everyone will wait out the year to make sure she isn’t increasing, then all the entailments will pass on to Mr. Warren.”

  “So she has some time to plan her future.”

  “If she doesn’t do anything damaging to her reputation in the meantime, yes.”

  “I’ll talk to Jez,” he said with a nod and left Hayden’s study.

  It suddenly felt like Leo’s reasons for continuing with Jez’s charade were selfish. And they absolutely were. He’d lost sight of his purpose the moment he’d laid eyes upon Genny.

  What he needed to do was help Jez. She needed to let go of the past, of the abuse she’d suffered at the hands of her husband and move on. Leo’s stepmother had learned to move on with the help of Leo’s father.

  Leo still remembered the day the woman he loved like his own flesh and blood had come to them. One eye swollen shut from the fist she’d taken to the face, her right arm broken and hanging limp at her side, her underclothes in which she’d escaped from her house covered in mud and soaked right through from the rain. Leo’s father had taken her in, helped her, and eventually married her when word came that her husband had died in a carriage accident. Though Leo was sure there had never been an accident, but a duel between rivals. He’d never know the truth now that his father had passed away.

  The only question that remained was whether he would be able to help Jez as his father had helped his stepmother.

  * * *

  Genny sat at a writing table that faced a window overlooking the back garden. She was writing a letter to her friend Helena. She could see her cousin from the corner of her eye, sitting on the chaise and reading a letter of her own.

  Charlotte folded the parchment and tucked it in the book she had been reading for the past few days. “When did you meet Lord Barrington? You seem rather knowledgeable about his character.”

  Genny supposed it was an innocent enough question from her cousin and one that deserved a truthful response. She turned on the stool to face her cousin directly. “I met him in my third season.”

  “I heard he courted you for a short time.” Charlotte’s brow rose marginally as though waiting for her denial. “At least that is the impression I received from Lady Hargrove.”

  “Charlotte Lindsey, why do you bother asking me if the rumor mill has been busy enough to inform you of my past?”

  “It’s obviously been years since you’ve seen each other and I wanted the truth from you. One can never be sure until the actual source verifies the facts.”

  Her cousin was astute, but Genny could never reveal just how close she’d been to Leo.

  With a heavy sigh, she gave in to her cousin’s curious nature. “If it appeases you in any way, and if the truth persuades you to cease this line of questioning, then I’ll tell you what you are so eager to know. While Barrington and I were well acquainted, we were no more than friends.”

  “Well, I’m going to offer up my opinion on the matter now that you’ve given me enough to form one,” Charlotte said.

  Genny would really rather not hear her cousin’s opinion. If there was one thing Charlotte excelled at, it was sorting out a puzzle before anyone else could begin to connect the pieces for themselves.

  “I believe,” Charlotte went on, “that you met him and became fast friends—you can be charming and witty when you aren’t such a slave to my father’s orders.”

  Genny made a face at that assessment and turned to put away her writing accessories. “Must we have your opinion at all? Barrington and I were friends ages ago, as you’ve so kindly pointed out.”

  “You’ll have it anyway.” Her cousin gave a short laugh of amusement. “I believe you started as friends … only you might have developed a tendre for the young Lord Barrington. The feeling was not returned, was it?”

  “You’re wrong on so many counts that I can’t even think of where to start to correct your misconceptions.” Was she so transparent to everyone or just her cousin? Genny wiped the nib of her pen off and put the cap back on the
Indian ink.

  “I’m not wrong in this. You know you wouldn’t try so hard to persuade me otherwise if I were off my mark.”

  “Fine, Charlotte.” Genny let out a frustrated sigh. “If you are correct, then tell me … do I still harbor feelings for the earl?”

  Charlotte’s forehead puckered in thought. Charlotte had seen them interact and there was no love apparent with their constant bantering, so she couldn’t possibly think Genny wanted to reacquaint with Barrington.

  “It remains to be seen,” Charlotte finally said. “What would you do if Lord Castleigh and Lord Barrington made an appearance at the theater tonight?”

  “Why should it matter?” She refused to believe it would happen. “We will be in Lady Carleton’s box, and I imagine both gentlemen have their own family boxes.” She turned to her cousin once again.

  Charlotte tapped her chin and narrowed her eyes as she assessed Genny.

  “I know that look.” Genny put her elbows on her knees and leaned forward. “It is as though you’ve a bit of the devil in your eyes. There will be no mischief on your part.”

  “You really do try to take the fun out of everything.” Charlotte pouted, tossed her book next to her on the chaise, and crossed her arms over her chest. “When Papa announced that you would escort me around for my debut instead of Grandmamma, I was beyond thrilled to have a confidante. But you play too close to the rules instead of having fun with life. Have some fun with me—I feel as though the opportunity for any excitement is about to run out.”

  Genny stood from the stool and made her way to her cousin. She gave her a hug of reassurance before releasing her.

  “You can have all the fun you desire once you are married.”

  “Oh, I intend to. But at the same time, I will not allow my pending marriage to stop me from enjoying the attentions I am receiving now. Castleigh understands my position and he does not shelter me nearly as much as you. It’s nice to be courted by a man not of my father’s choosing.”

  “It is my duty not only as your chaperone but as a member of your family to keep you away from men of his character.”