My Daring Duchess (Once Upon a Rogue Book 4)

by Julie Johnstone

  He understood the confusion in her voice, for he felt a stormy chaos inside himself, too. He was supposed to be seducing her for revenge, yet he found himself intrigued by her. He did not need to be intrigued; he needed to be cold and purposeful.

  “What is it ye’re looking for in a husband?” he asked, his voice husky. “Perhaps I can help ye.”

  She cocked her head as if considering. “Possibly. Though, well, I’m inclined to believe it’s very doubtful.”

  “Well, perhaps we should start with a dance?” he offered.

  “I did not come to dance,” she said.

  “Then why did ye come?” he challenged.

  “To return your topcoat,” she said sweetly.

  “Come now, Anne, let us dispense with yer weavings of deceit, shall we?”

  A blush stained her cheeks. “All right. Might we talk somewhere private?”

  A tide of lust hit him. “If ye promise all ye want to do is talk.”

  Her eyes flew wide. “You are a shocking rogue, Simon.”

  He allowed a slow smile to curl his lips. “I like how my name sounds on yer lips… And I did previously admit to being a rogue.”

  “Yes,” she agreed, “I suppose you did.” Her tone was full of surprise, as if this was the first time she had thought about it.

  “Come.” He motioned toward his study and when she moved by him, he placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her. He loved the way it arched perfectly and this time, he noted, she did not flinch away from his touch.

  He had no more than shut the door to the study when Elizabeth came in with a foot warmer for Anne. Simon watched as Elizabeth insisted that Anne remove her slippers, and when Anne protested, Elizabeth, in her usual unrelenting manner, dropped to her knees and tugged Anne’s slippers off her feet as she protested. His sister paused for a moment when she had both slippers in her hands and glanced back at Simon. Then, leaning forward, she whispered something to Anne that Simon could not hear.

  Whatever it was, heat colored Anne’s cheeks the loveliest shade of red. Simon found himself staring like a simpleton as Anne tugged her skirts down over her ankles while Elizabeth arranged Anne’s feet on the foot warmer. Even when Anne’s gaze came to him, and she raised questioning eyebrows at his gawking, he continued his unabashed observation of her. Something was tugging at his thoughts, and he realized with a start what it was: Anne’s embarrassment at the fuss being made over her, as well as her modesty, did not match the picture he’d painted in his head of her as the heartless heiress. She seemed a conundrum, and he found he had a real desire to sort through the confusion she created in him.

  Once Anne was settled and the door was shut once more, he took the seat beside her on the settee rather than on either of the two empty chairs that faced her.

  She smirked at him. “The exact choice a rogue would make,” she stated.

  He allowed his thigh to touch hers ever so briefly before shifting away to a semi-proper distance. “I fear to disappoint ye at this juncture,” he teased.

  “I assure you that you are not,” she replied in a falsely prim tone.

  He chuckled and then slid his arm along the back of the settee behind her. He allowed it to rest a mere hairsbreadth from her neck. The heat of her body caressed him, stoking his yearning even hotter.

  When she turned her head to him, she looked the picture of innocence, her eyes wide and her rosy lips parted. What was he doing? The question struck him hard. Was revenge truly driving him in this moment?

  The answer came swiftly. No. Whatever was occurring was driven purely by a ravenous desire to kiss her and discover who she was inside. He had to get control of that desire and proceed as if Anne was a timber company he was intent on taking over. The lady claimed not to like playing by the rules, so he would not play by them, either.

  “Tell me honestly why ye came here today,” he said slowly, holding her unwavering gaze while counting the beats of her heart at the shadowy hollow of her collarbone. Her pulse had sped up, most assuredly. He was affecting her.

  “I came here because I need your help,” she said, utterly surprising him.

  “And what aid of mine might ye require?”

  She sucked in her lower lip for a moment before speaking. “I wish you to offer Lord Rutledge a position with your company, so that he has the means to provide for his family and marry Lady Fanny.”

  He chuckled while waving a dismissive hand. “Ye’re daft,” he said, meaning it. Though as her proposition sank in, he realized the first part of it was brilliant, and it should have occurred to him to offer Rutledge a position without her suggesting it.

  She scowled at him. “Your friend ruined my friend! He has a duty to do the right thing and marry her.” She scrambled to her feet, set her hands on her hips, and glared down at him. “I should know better than to hold any hope that a man like you would understand.”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “A man like me?”

  “A rogue!”

  “I am an honorable rogue,” he growled, forgetting to maintain control. He stood and towered over her.

  “There is no such thing as an honorable rogue. Rogues lie to get what they want, and Lord Rutledge lied to Lady Fanny. He lured her into the library, and then he stole a kiss, destroying her chances to make a good match when they were discovered.”

  “Is that what Lady Fanny told ye?” Simon demanded, feeling his pulse pounding.

  Anne nodded. “Yes. I asked again today after speaking with you, and she assures me that is exactly what occurred. So either you are lying or Lord Rutledge is. Your friend can either do the honorable thing with your help or you can expect my campaign to warn unsuspecting debutantes to continue.”

  “Ye would ruin Rutledge and his sisters’ chances at a good marriage based on a lie?” he ground out.

  “No.” She shook her head. “I will do what I must to protect my friend. If you will offer Rutledge a position—”

  “What makes ye think he needs a position?”

  “Servant gossip,” she said matter-of-factly. “Now, if you will offer him a position and persuade him to marry Lady Fanny, then I assure you, she will make him an excellent wife. I will also personally assist his sisters in making good matches, as I would be happy to do for your sisters, as well.”

  “Ye’re attempting to bribe me,” he said, unsure if he was more amused, angered, or surprised. She was, after all, Rowan’s granddaughter, so being calculating was in her blood. Yet, he could not help but admire the lengths she was willing to go to aid her friend who she truly believed had been wronged.

  “What? No! I’m offering you a reasonable proposition to a horrid problem that your friend created. You, yourself, may want to consider your own past and any mistakes you have made with a lady’s reputation that you should rectify.”

  A ball of anger settled in his chest. He suspected that Anne was alluding to Lady Mary. He’d not seen the woman since returning to England, but he had no doubt the lying lass was still lurking about Rowan’s home—if not living there, then visiting. Had the lady told Anne the same lies she had once told her grandfather, who had been only too ready to believe her? If the Duke of Rowan had told Anne the lie that Simon had compromised Mary, then his hope for seducing Anne and revenge was lost.

  “Are ye referring to something specific?” he demanded, just barely remaining civil.

  “Come now,” she said, her tone chiding. “Lady Mary was my grandfather’s ward. Did you truly think I would not know what occurred?”

  Simon’s jaw ticked. “I must say I’m surprised Rowan spoke of me.”

  Anne’s eyes drew wide. “Oh, he didn’t. He does not yet know you have returned to England. If he had, I’m certain he’d not let me—Well, never you mind. Mary told me everything. She is unmarried still, Simon. It’s not too late for you to offer Mary your name.”

  He scoffed. “I would rather swallow blades than wed Lady Mary.”

  “And you say you’re an honorable rogue!” Anne said wit
h a scowl.

  “I did not compromise Lady Mary,” Simon growled. “The lady offered herself to me some years ago. I declined and thought nothing more on it. The next thing I knew, I was being roused from my bed at my grandfather’s and accused of stealing Lady Mary’s inno—”

  “Mary would have no reason to lie about such a thing,” Anne interrupted. “You are despicable!”

  Simon clamped his jaw shut on the urge to argue. Anne’s words now almost exactly matched what her grandfather had said to Simon so many years ago when he had professed his innocence. Anne may well have a sliver of honor in her body to so staunchly defend friends she thought had been wronged, but her blind refusal to accept that she may have her facts wrong, and her willingness to ruin someone with those incorrect facts, was maddening. He had to stop her from destroying Rutledge, and he damn well would be getting his revenge on her grandfather by seducing her. She had been warned that he was a rogue, she fully believed the worst of him, despite his protest and barely knowing him, so why should he feel any guilt about seducing her? He shouldn’t, and he wouldn’t.

  “Never mind my plea for help,” she snapped, kicking the warmer away from her feet. “I’ll find another way. I’m leaving.”

  He had half a mind to let her do just that, but then he’d not get his revenge. He stood quickly and moved into her path as she started for the door.

  She snapped her gaze to his, her blue eyes blazing beautifully with her ire. “What are you doing?” she demanded, chest heaving.

  “I’m stopping ye from making a terrible mistake,” he said, striving to keep the irritation from his voice.

  “I assume you are alluding to my leaving?” She crossed her arms over her chest.

  “I am. First of all—” Devil take it, this woman had his thoughts in disarray, and he could not figure out how to word what he needed to say. He swept his gaze over her and smiled with a realization. “Ye have no shoes on.”

  Her lips parted on a gasp as she looked down at her stocking-clad feet. “You,” she said in a distinctly accusing tone. “You have my thoughts in a whirl.” She swiveled on her heel, bent down—putting her quite lovely bottom in the air—and shoved her feet into her slippers. He could not help but admire the perfection of her figure. When she came up to face him once more, a ringlet of her silky-looking hair dangled in front of her right eye. She shoved it back and glared at him. “Now I’m departing.”

  He had to swallow the laughter that her effort to sound haughty after almost leaving shoeless caused in him.

  “If ye will wait a moment, Anne,” he said, trying to think how to best convince the lady to stay so he could get what he wanted. He could not fathom how he’d allowed himself to be drawn to anger and had veered from the course he’d set out for her. It was unlike him to do such a thing.

  She plunked her hands on her hips. “What have I forgotten now?”

  The dark tip of her fur muff poked into his view of the settee, but he would not mention the item. It was the perfect way to ensure she returned. “I will offer Rutledge a position in my company,” he said simply.

  Her eyes went wide. “You will? What made you change your mind?”

  “If Rutledge should need aid… And I’m not saying he does, mind ye.”

  “No, of course not,” she replied, offering a knowing look.

  “If he should find himself in need of a position, I’m only too happy to aid my friend by offering him employment.”

  “And what of helping to persuade him to marry Fanny?” she asked.

  He could have lied, but he’d never been a deceiver, and he found he was reluctant to become one now, even for revenge. Yet, he could not very well tell her he intended to seduce her and bring her to scandal to pay back her grandfather. He caught Anne’s gaze and held it. Desire was there, which had nothing to do with revenge. That would simply be a benefit.

  “I’ll speak to him about the possibility of marrying the lady,” Simon said, “but I’ll not make it a stipulation of the position I’m offering him. And my mentioning the notion of marriage to Lady Fanny hinges upon yer agreeing to let me teach ye to dance, since ye claim not to know how. What say ye?”

  A deep crease appeared between her eyes. “Whyever do you have such a burning desire to teach me to dance?”

  “Because,” he said, being as honest as he could without telling her everything, “I have a burning desire to seduce ye.”

  Seven

  It was hard to think properly with Simon’s extraordinarily compelling gaze locked on her. Absurd thoughts careened into one another, shocking her. Did he want to seduce her because he wanted to add her fortune to his, or did he want to seduce her because he found her attractive? Heaven above, it hardly mattered! She was not going to let Simon seduce her.

  “Anne?”

  She blinked and shivered at his silken tone. The man likely could seduce a rock if he wanted to. She’d need to be exceedingly careful not to let her guard down. “Let me get this straight,” she said, hoping she sounded prim and not flustered, because she most certainly was flustered. “You will only bring up the subject of Lord Rutledge marrying Fanny if I agree to allow you to teach me to dance?”

  “Aye,” he said, the word rolling off his tongue in a most sinful way.

  Anne suddenly felt burning hot. Oh, how she wished she had a fan. No, no, actually, it was by God’s humorous grace that she did not. For if she had one, she would have used it, and it certainly would not do for Simon to know he’d made her feel like swooning by merely uttering the word aye. Her reaction was positively disgraceful.

  She started, overcome by a revelation. Her purpose was not to simply warn debutantes away from rogues; her purpose was to help rogues reform themselves. She felt her mouth pull into a grin. She was going to have to change the name of the Sisterhood for the Ruination of Rogues to the Sisterhood for Reforming Rogues!

  She squared her shoulders, lifted her chin, and thrust out her hand. She was going to beat this rake at his own game. When she was finished with him, he would be honorable and perhaps he’d even open his heart to giving and receiving real love.

  Suddenly, she felt Simon’s hand brush down the slope of her cheekbone like a caress. Her heart galloped ahead as their eyes locked. She stared at him and realized he had flecks of gold in his gaze. When had he moved so close to her that she could see the variations of color in his eyes?

  “I’m pleased my desire for ye is making ye grin,” he said, the words seeming to rumble up from deep within his very broad chest.

  She had to swallow hard to find the ability to speak. “It’s not that,” she said, aware she was not telling the whole truth, yet he did not need to know that. “Something you said made me realize something about myself.”

  “Ah,” he murmured, smiling wolfishly. “Ye desire me, as well?”

  “Certainly not,” she lied. Her weakness was her secret, and she intended to take it with her to her grave.

  “Well, then what have ye realized?” he prodded, his warm breath fanning over her face. She went to put distance between them and her back met with his unmovable arm. Apparently, he had slyly slid it behind her earlier.

  Oh, what a clever, clever rogue, he was. She absolutely had to focus. “I have realized you have me trapped.”

  “Aye, Anne, and I sincerely hope it will not be the only time ye must do as I wish in order to get what ye want.”

  Her ears hummed with the loud beating of her heart. Simon had a unique ability to make her body react. She prayed he did not realize it. “I will allow you to teach me to dance, but that is all I will allow,” she stated firmly.

  “I want to kiss ye, Anne,” he said, his boldness causing gooseflesh to sweep over her entire body.

  She had to stop this nonsense. She tried to sidestep his arm, but his fingers curled firmly around her waist, prohibiting her movement. Frustrated with her continued inability to control her reactions to him, she blurted, “Why are you intent on seducing me, Simon? Do you need my fortune? O
r do you simply want to add it to your own?”

  His eyes widened, and he appeared honestly shocked. His arm stiffened against her back, yet he did not move it. “I neither need nor want yer fortune,” he said. “Is it truly so hard for ye to believe a man would want to seduce ye simply for ye and ye alone? Yer wit and yer beauty make for a very enticing combination.”

  It was as if Simon had delved into her secret thoughts and discovered the one thing she had long hoped for but had abandoned. A spark of her old, foolish dream lit within her, even though she knew Simon was speaking only of seduction and not of love. Still, after years of feeling less than desirable, to have this man, the Adonis, tell her he desired her for simply her… Well, it made her heart skip several beats. She was not made of stone, after all.

  “You are an excellent wordsmith,” she said. “I am sure years of practice seducing women has honed your talent. Bravo, Simon. If I were a foolish woman, I would believe—”

  Cutting off her words, his lips captured hers in a demanding, ravenous kiss. She thought briefly to pull away, but then a tide of ecstasy washed over her as he traced the crease of her mouth with his tongue and parted her lips to delve inside. He tasted of whisky and seduction, and left her mouth burning with fire. Her senses reeled, and her knees weakened, as she wantonly returned his kiss while promising herself that this would be the only time she allowed such a thing. Yet, her passion was being roused with a swiftness that shocked her and scared her, given her lack of desire to resist him.

  She called upon the memory of how Lord Cad had nearly destroyed her, and with renewed purpose, she broke Simon’s kiss, stepped back, and pressed her fingertips to her throbbing lips. Good heavens, the man could kiss in a way she had not known possible.

  “Do not ever do that again,” she said, pleased her tone sounded severe, though it was her anger with herself creating the tension in her voice.

  “Why? Do ye fear ye could not control yerself with me?”