Once Upon an Accident 02 - Lessons in Seduction Read Online Free Page B

his body heat seeping through the sleeve. Her pulse tripped as she thought of what it would be like to glide her hand up the bare skin of his arm, feeling his warmth without barriers. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed he had pulled his wits back together, his society face firmly in place. It was a travesty that she had to act like a ninny and cry, but there was no other way. She glanced at him again, her gaze following the strong line of his jaw. He would have been a wonderful choice, if only he’d accepted to honor the boon.
    As he held out the chair for her to be seated, she thought, not for the last time that evening, it was an utter shame the man had no interest in ruining her.
    Dinner was an excruciating affair. Course after course had been served. Rich dishes he should have enjoyed but did not. The orchestrated meal was not about the food, it was about who could outdo whom.
    Douglas never cared much for all the frivolity that went with society. But, in the past few years, he had grown accustomed to the games. As he listened to Lord Oglithorpe bore everyone with stories of his hounds, Douglas took a drink of dry red wine and contemplated his dinner companion.
    Cicely had been on her best behavior since she had propositioned him. Of course, that didn’t mean he had been. It was as if he were finally awakened from a long sleep. For some reason, ever since that moment on the dance floor, he had begun noticing small things about her. Just ordinary things, but nonetheless, they were wreaking havoc with his ability to think straight.
    She smiled innocently at something Oglithorpe said, then pulled her full lower lip between her teeth. The simple gesture caused Douglas to lick his own lips as thoughts of just how her mouth would taste flickered in his mind. He should be shocked at his reaction, and he was, sort of, but he couldn’t seem to stop thinking about it. Just like he couldn’t stop thinking about how she had felt in his arms when they waltzed. Or how she would feel in his embrace, in his bed.
    He swallowed as another blast of arousal rushed over his flesh and through his blood at the memory. The sound of her soft voice, the clean, womanly scent of her. Both were still affecting him now. He couldn’t believe he’d gone this long thinking of Cicely as a little sister. Especially since not one single thought of her in the past hour had been close to brotherly. He’d been blind, but not anymore.
    Other than their conversation, nothing had changed, while at the same time everything had. Douglas was sure over the last two years they had danced at least a dozen times, yet until she uttered her proposition, he never once considered her as more than a pleasant companion. Now, even watching her watch everyone else was a fascinating task for him.
    He’d never noticed how she did not actually participate but rather held herself back, observing, as if she wasn’t part of the group. Did she feel that way? As if she were just an outsider, someone not really accepted, but not a total outcast. Not once had he suspected they had so much in common.
    “Your Grace?” Lady Tremount asked.
    He turned to find her studying him with jaded interest. He still regretted the affair he’d had with her the year before. When he’d realized she was sitting next to him this evening, he’d almost bolted. Felicia hadn’t taken their breakup very well.
    “Lady Tremount.”
    “I asked you if you will be attending the Enderlin’s house party next week.”
    He stifled a sigh. For the moment at least, Felicia seemed to have forgotten her verbal attack on him. Even though she’d been married for the last decade to Tremount, she’d had numerous affairs, as had her husband. Douglas was only one of the many. When he’d broken off their brief affair, she’d told anyone who would listen what a coldhearted bastard he was. He could have saved her the time. Most people already thought of him that way.
    “Excuse me, Lady Tremount. I was lost