She looked up to see a tall man with dark hair and black-as-sin eyes. His gaze bore into her before dipping down to peruse her display of cleavage. Everyone in the vicinity had turned to see what had occurred. Determined to take advantage of the opportunity, she leaned forward and offered a seductive smile. “My, my. It seems I should have wagered more from the start.”
“At the rate you are winning, I doubt I could have afforded such a turn of events.”
He smiled deprecatingly, but there was an edge to the gesture that indicated an underlying danger.
Letting her lashes lower, she gazed up at him from beneath the fringe. “Oh, something tells me you’d have no issue covering such a wager. But then, mayhap the house will pull the luck on the next roll and I’ll lose it all.”
The dark man she assumed was the owner of the gambling hall gave a short nod. “I suppose we shall see. The wager of twenty thousand pounds stands.”
A murmur raced through the room, even as Julia felt all the blood drain from her face. She had not realized how much she had accrued so quickly, having started with a mere five hundred pounds on the table. One of the men took up the dice, while the surrounding crowd pressed in closer. The heat grew stifling, and sweat trickled down her back. Silently she prayed for a bad roll of the dice as the man let them fly across the table. Then they fell to the felt, tumbling over each other, and finally landed.
“House wins!” the employee yelled, so everyone would hear.
Julia’s knees went weak with relief. The men around her grumbled and walked away. But Mr. Lucifer remained, an unreadable expression on his face.
“Well, I suppose that is quite enough of a loss for one night. Thank you, Mr. Lucifer, for indulging me.”
Julia hauled herself to her full height and turned to head to the bar. She’d barely taken a step, and the man was at her side.
“You have me at a disadvantage.”
“Do I?” She let one brow rise. “I can’t imagine anyone having you in such a position.”
He grinned, though it was far more reminiscent of a predator baring its teeth. “You do, though. Whom did I just relieve of such a large sum?”
They arrived at the bar, and she took a moment to inspect the man now that he was no longer half hidden by a dice table. Without a doubt, he was attractive, with his rough and dangerous aura, but with Wolf’s touch still so fresh in her mind, Mr. Lucifer merely did not measure up. “I am Lady Wallthorpe.”
His gaze gleamed with desire. “My, my. I am delighted to make your acquaintance. As a patron of The Market, I was heartbroken to discover I missed your auction. Could fate be so kind as to offer me a second chance?”
Julia offered a stilted laugh. “I am afraid that was a one-time opportunity. However, I’d be happy to let you buy me a drink before I set about losing a bit more money in your establishment.”
He released a dejected sigh. “I suppose sharing a drink with such an infamous woman shall have to be enough.” He let his gaze roam seductively over her décolletage and down to the curve of her waist. “Though if you should change your mind, please do let me know.” He lifted his gaze to clash with hers, offering both desire and a challenge. “What may I offer you to drink?”
“Red wine. Perhaps a Madeira?”
Lucifer waved the bartender over and requested their drinks. A few moments later, their drinks in hand, they resumed chatting.
He took a sip and cast a speculative look her way. “I am curious about something. For an establishment such as The Market, where anonymity is part of the lure, how is it that nearly all of London seems to know that you were auctioned there?”
In that moment, she found she liked him. He was shrewd, and quite intelligent. But she was not prepared to answer him. “What makes you believe that was anything but an unlucky slip of the tongue?”
“Because I know Madame Celeste too well to believe she or any of her staff would be so careless with your identity.” He swirled his drink and seemed to savor the aroma for a moment. “And now you have appeared in my gambling hall, wearing a dress designed to draw attention, and tossing money on the table as though you are made of the stuff. It makes one believe you are seeking a certain amount of notoriety.”
Julia considered him again, and decided he might be a useful ally. “And if I were seeking such notice, would that be a concern for you?”
“On the contrary. I find I am both intrigued and entertained by the idea of my establishment being associated with such scandal.” He tossed back the last of his drink. “Truly, I couldn’t buy such profitable advertising as being associated with an outrageous lady.” He set his drink down and stepped closer to her, placing a hand on her waist in too intimate a manner. “Imagine the scandal we could cause if I paraded you upstairs and into my bed?”
“Mr. Lucifer, if you please.” She plucked his hand from her person and stepped back. “I made it very clear I have no amorous intentions with regards to you.”
He frowned. “With regard to me? That suggests that there is someone you do have such intentions with.”
Her cheeks heated, and she turned slightly away from him. “That is none of your concern. If you will excuse me, I believe I have a bit more gambling to do before I depart.”
He reached out and grazed her arm with his fingertips, halting her exodus. “Please forgive my persistence. I did not achieve all that you see before you by accepting no for an answer. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
Julia smiled. “You are forgiven. But do not think I shall change my mind based on pressure. I have learned the very valuable lesson that giving in to someone else’s wishes, when counter to your own, is a path fraught with unhappiness.”
With an incline of her head, she sauntered off.
She crossed to the other room, which appeared to be dominated by card tables, and found a rousing game of high stakes Vingt-Et-Un. Sitting down, she proceeded to gamble away the remainder of the money she had brought with her for the evening. Still sipping her one drink, she followed the game closely, ensuring she did her best to lose whenever possible, without hurting the table more than was required.
The evening progressed while her funds dwindled and the crowd grew, until she became aware of a particularly disturbing sensation. It was as though someone was boring a hole into the back of her head. Finally unnerved enough to turn and look, her gaze locked with a very angry pair of sapphire blue eyes. Her breath caught as Wolf wedged his way through the crowd and took up a position near her elbow.
What the devil is he doing here?
As the last card fell and she lost all she had left, she stood and excused herself from the table.
Wolf was on her heels, and then he took her arm in a solicitous fashion, with the exception of his firm grip and angry stare. “How much do you owe Lucifer? Do you have any idea what the man is like?”
Wolf was all but frog-marching her toward the door of Lucifer’s, when the man himself reappeared.
“Please excuse me, but it appears you are escorting an unwilling woman from my establishment. And I’m afraid I cannot allow such activity.”
Again, that predatory smile appeared.
“Stay out of this, Lucifer,” Wolf snarled as his eyes darted about the room, as though assessing who else might attempt to stop their progress.
Julia was still reeling from Wolf’s suggestion that she had borrowed money to lose. She wanted to smack herself in the forehead for not having realized she could have made the situation much, much worse by doing so. But then she decided to see how much Lucifer might wish to have his establishment linked to her infamy. Pulling out her most winsome smile, she hiccupped and leaned toward the dangerous man. “Do not worry, Mr. Lucifer. I shall pay the blunt I owe you. All thirty thousand pounds of it.”
She hiccupped again and winked at him.
“You will, I have no doubt. Because the punishment for non-payment would be a tragic result for a woman of your beauty.”
He remained stone-faced as the three of t
hem stood there, and she thanked heaven the man was wily enough to play along with her ruse.
Wolf actually snarled after that exchange, and then dragged her to the exit. Linc stood there already, holding her cloak. With a drunken giggle and a finger wave, she allowed the blond man to help her before they all departed.
Outside, Wolf’s carriage stood waiting for them to climb in. As the three of them settled, Julia bit her lip and wondered if she had overplayed her hand. Wolf seemed even more angry than he originally was, but he was causing such a scene, it was an opportunity she could not pass up.
The silence stretched as her worry grew, until she felt compelled to speak. “Wolf, I—”
“Not a word, Julia. Not a single, solitary word.” His growl usually proved worse than his bite, but for the first time, she wasn’t so sure.
Chapter 6
Wolf sat next to Jules, and it was all he could do to restrain himself from turning her over his knee. She had always been high-spirited, game for whatever adventure he had imagined when they were children. But he would have expected that she’d outgrown such impulsiveness—though, apparently not.
Thank goodness Ros had sent him a note, alerting him to Jules’ plans for the evening. He’d been determined to stay away from her, but upon reading that she would be gambling heavily at Lucifer’s, he’d nearly tossed up the very fine meal he’d been sharing with Linc. After hearing what the note contained, his friend had insisted on accompanying him to the notorious gambling den to fetch Jules.
Now Linc sat across from them, quietly peering out of the carriage windows. But Wolf realized he needed to sort out this issue with Jules in private. “Linc, where can we drop you?”
“White’s will do, as long as you assure me you have no plans to throttle our fair Julia.”
Linc grinned at him, his irreverence on display, as always.
She snorted. “He wouldn’t dare.”
Wolf let his brows rise as he focused on her. “Oh, I would dare a great many things, though causing you harm is not one of them.”
He then knocked on the roof of the carriage. When the small door near the driver opened, he provided direction on where to go.
The three of them returned to silence. When the vehicle eventually drew to a halt, Linc opened the door to hop out.
Wolf laid a hand on his arm. “Thank you for accompanying me tonight.”
“No trouble at all. I’m happy to help.” Linc nodded then looked at Jules. “Until our next meeting, Lady Wallthorpe.”
“Always a pleasure, my lord.”
She dipped her head regally and then turned back to staring out the window to her right.
With Linc delivered to his destination, the small door opened again.
“Where to, my lord?”
“Just drive,” Wolf instructed.
He wasn’t quite sure what to do with her yet.
The carriage pulled away from the curb, and they jostled along in silence once more.
After a few minutes, Jules finally looked at him. “We can’t drive around all night. Will you please take me home?”
“Sobered up already?” Wolf asked, gritting out the words.
He was angry at her for being so reckless, and furious with himself for not taking control of this situation sooner. He knew when he’d left her in the Swintons’ study that no good would come of her handling Wallthorpe on her own.
“Don’t be obtuse. I was never drunk to start with.”
Though he couldn’t see her features in the shadows of the carriage, he could hear the contempt in her voice. “And how would I know such a thing? I only arrived in time to see you lose the last of your money at cards, before you stood up and announced to all and sundry that you owe Lucifer a debt of thirty thousand pounds!”
“Yes, well, it is too bad you didn’t stop to consider what you know of my character. But then, people have been underestimating what I am capable of all my life. My parents, my dead husband, his idiot son, and now you.” She sounded weary from carrying that burden for so many years. “Only a desert sheik saw me for the woman I truly am.”
Wolf flinched. “I see glimmers of the girl I knew and the young woman I loved, but they’re buried beneath this woman I’ve never met. This worldly, scandalous woman, who won’t give me a chance to know her. You’ve behaved in a way that’s paved the road to my assumptions. If none of that is true, then please tell me what is. More importantly, let me help you.”
“I do not owe Mr. Lucifer a single farthing. Any money I lost tonight was mine to lose. You are well aware of my desire to stir up scandal in order to deter my stepson, and being drunk and discussing obscene amounts of money were merely part of that effort. For heaven’s sake, stop thinking with your wee head, and start engaging that rather larger one sitting atop your shoulders.”
Wolf sat there blinking for a moment, taking in her rapid monologue. It was a strikingly intelligent way to deal with Wallthorpe, but only if it worked. From what he’d seen, the man was unflinching in his determination to wed her.
Surprising him, Jules then turned on the carriage bench and leaned close to him. “Do you truly wish to help me?”
Wolf nodded, wary of what she might say next. But instead of speaking, she cupped his face, staring into his eyes for an interminable moment before she kissed him. Her lips captured his, her tongue driving past all his barriers and all his worries, until he wrapped his tongue around hers. Eyes closed, he surrendered to the sensuous feel of her licking and tasting him, until his cock grew hard and his anger melted into a molten hot desire that sizzled through his veins.
The one thing he knew about Jules, old or new, was that he always found himself drawn to her like a lodestone. She fired his blood and made him ache with wanting her, needing her. And in ten years, nothing had changed.
They finally broke apart, both of them breathing heavily as they clung to each other.
Wolf managed to gather his wits first. “This is familiar, this driving need to taste you and touch you. It’s always been there. Marry me, and let me help you. Give us a chance to explore this connection we share.”
She moved her head from side to side slightly, even as their foreheads pressed together. “I’ll not deny it, this connection between us. But it is a distraction at the moment. Perhaps later, after I’ve dispatched Wallthorpe, we can take the time to become reacquainted. For now, though, I have my hands full fending off my dead husband’s whelp, and marrying you or anyone else for any reason is simply out of the question.” She drew a deep breath and let it out as she leaned back from him, though her hands still cradled his face. “Please, Wolf. Take me home.”
Julia slept late. Whether it was from emotional or physical exhaustion didn’t much matter. The result was the same. By the time she woke, dressed for the day, and made her way downstairs, she could hear voices in the front parlor. Ros was one person, and she quickly recognized the other two. Unfortunately, by the time she realized it was her parents, it was too late to retreat upstairs and hide.
They hadn’t been horrible parents growing up. Of course, her mother would get upset when Julia and Ros came home with mud and grass all over their pinafores, and they were often scolded for fidgeting at the table, but they were allowed to be children. They were also permitted to run and play, read books and learn, and until Wolf went off to school, they were allowed at least one friend in the neighborhood.
But once he was banished to Eton, Julia and Ros were suddenly thrust into training to become the wives of noblemen, despite the fact that their parents were neither from old money nor part of the peerage. Until Julia was nineteen, she was forced to submit to training in dining etiquette, dancing, piano, singing, de Brett’s History, the art of conversation, household management, and of course, needlework.
Even had Wolf come home from school, she would never have had the time to see him.
Pushing thoughts of him aside—she could not entertain old desires while defending against current unwanted advances—she glided i
nto the front parlor and greeted everyone. “Good morning, Father.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Mother.” Another kiss. “Ros.”
One last kiss hello, and she finally made it to a nearby chair.
Patrice Fairchild looked pointedly at the clock. “So good of you to join us, Julia.”
“My apologies, Mother. I had something of a late night. But had I known you were going to be visiting at this hour, I certainly would have left instructions to be woken in time to greet you.”
She made no attempt to hide the censure in her tone or words. She was no longer a young girl who would be intimidated by her mother.
Her mother sniffed in reply. “It is unseemly to laze about, but I suppose that is a habit you acquired in your travels.”
“Well, she is up and about now, dear.”
Her father stepped in and quelled the brewing disagreement. He’d always played the pacifier between them. As Julia came of age, the yoke of her mother’s expectations had grown burdensome and less wanted. Now those expectations were completely ignored.
“And just in time, too. Lord Wallthorpe is due to arrive shortly.”
Her mother nodded at that, pleased with herself.
Ros gasped.
Julia’s vision turned red with fury. “What do you mean, Wallthorpe is due to arrive shortly?”
For the first time in Julia’s life, her mother looked slightly uncertain about a decision she’d made. “What could possibly be wrong with your stepson joining us for a family luncheon?”
Julia growled as she rose from her seat. “He is not family. He was an adult when I married his doddering old father. And most importantly, I did not invite him to my home!”
“Julia, he has been nothing but solicitous toward your father and me over the years. The man is far more appropriate in age for you, and he has also indicated an interest in courting you.” Her mother looked at her, earnest as ever.
With a huff of frustration, Julia strode away from where her parents sat, looking genuinely baffled by her reaction. “I am well aware of his interest in courting me, but I have no interest in marrying him.”
His Scandalous Viscountess (Lustful Lords Series Book 3) Page 5