Page 36 of Saving a Scoundrel
Lucius ran his index finger under the flap to break the wax seal. He recognized Rosemary’s handwriting immediately. “I’ll take care of her.”
A low, raspy chuckle escaped from Mercer. “I’m sure you will.” He slapped Lucius on the shoulder.
Lucius winced. Rosemary’s possessiveness had become a problem. Instead of the occasional tumble as it had been when he first took her as a lover last summer, she had started demanding to see him most weeks. She had even brought up the idea of installing him in a suite of rooms at the Hampton Arms like some fucking cicisbeo. He may occasionally sell his services as a lover, but he would not become Rosemary’s whipping boy no matter how expensive her gifts.
He strode up the staircase and down the corridor to his room. He entered the room to find Rosemary lounging against the pillows on his bed in just her corset and stockings. Her filmy chemise so see-through in the candlelight that her nipples and the dark curls of her mons were on display. She held a glass of amber liquid in her hand. “There you are, you naughty boy. Why have you kept me waiting?”
Lucius moved across the room to stand by the bed. “I didn’t know you were coming. I just received this now.” He held up her note. “Rosemary, you know you have to schedule with me in advance.”
Her pink-painted lips moved to pout, and she swung her legs over to sit on the edge of the bed in front of him. “But I need you to fuck me tonight.” Her hands went to the buttons on his falls.
She looked up at him with a feline smile, but her blue eyes were brittle as ice chip and just as cold. He couldn’t help but compare them to a pair of glowing violet eyes filled with wonder. Lucius took a step back. “This arrangement isn’t working for me any longer. I think it’s time we end things.”
“What?”She stood. “What do you mean, darling? You no longer want my body? My generous gifts? Don’t be silly. I promise to follow the rules and write you ahead from now on.” She slithered toward him.
But he turned and walked over to where she had carelessly flung her dress onto the floor. He picked it up and held it out to her. “No, I no longer want either. We are over. Understand?”
Rosemary’s gaze narrowed. Her lips thinned. “No. You cannot just cast me aside.” She shook her head. Her eyes were wild with denial. “I’ll tell everyone about your little job over at the Birdcage, Lord of Sin.”
“Are you trying to blackmail me, Lady Pierson?” He took a menacing step forward. “What do you think your husband will do with you once he knows you have been cuckolding him with the lowly second son of a baron? Banish you to his country seat, most likely. How far from London is North Yorkshire again?”
“You wouldn’t!”
“Of course, I would. I have nothing to lose.” Lucius tossed the dress at her. “Now get dressed, and I will escort you down to your carriage.”
She slipped into her gown, and tied the silk ribbons that crisscrossed the front of the bodice. Then she stepped up to him, her expression petulant. “Why are you doing this? I thought we were having fun.” Her nail scraped lightly down the side of his face.
He certainly wasn’t going to explain to Rosemary how a beautiful vicar’s daughter had gazed at him and told him she believed he had potential. How that kernel of belief had bloomed in his chest and made him feel that perhaps he could pick a different path. Rosemary, on the other hand, only saw his cock. “I don’t belong to anyone, least of all you.” He glanced down at her with disinterest. “Perhaps I’m simply bored.”
Rosemary slapped him smartly across the face. “You bastard.”
Lucius grabbed her hand, holding tight to her wrist; he pulled her to the door without comment. He tugged her down the stairs to the back door. Jenson wordlessly opened the door. It was easy enough to spot her fancy carriage. Her driver spotted them and jumped up from where he crouched, playing dice with the other coachmen. He scurried over to open the door. Rosemary turned, her eyes shooting daggers at him. “You’re going to regret this, Lucius. You’re going to miss me. You’ll see.” She climbed into the carriage.
Lucius turned to stalk to the back door. He turned to Jenson. “She is not allowed in here anymore.” Jenson nodded. Bless him for not asking why. Lucius retraced his steps back to his room. That had been unpleasant. But nothing he hadn’t expected. He’d put it off too long and made things worse. Crossing to the dresser, he grabbed the bottle of whiskey and plopped down in the worn wingback chair by the coal stove.
He took a long pull from the bottle. His thoughts swung back to Ellie. They’d had so much fun this evening. Her laughter rang out in his mind’s eye. She’d found joy in every corner of Vauxhall tonight. And in turn, he’d seen everything through her eyes, shiny and new.
He always thought Ellie was a cynic with her sharp remarks and wry grins. But there had been no trace of either the other day when she’d said she always believed he had potential. Her sincerity had been a balm on a wound he didn’t realize he carried. What did she see that no one else could? Least of all him. Lucius glanced around his sparsely furnished room. His potential was hard to see among the scarred wood furniture and bare floors.
But perhaps this opportunity with Macdougal’s daughter would turn out to be his next step. Despite his fancy friends, as Katy called them, he was no snob. He would have no trouble working hard for Macdougal. He took another pull from the bottle as he thought about kissing Ellie tonight. With any luck, the wine would make her memory fuzzy.
If he planned to seriously court Katy Macdougal, he couldn’t be kissing Ellie Spencer. He was a real fucking bastard to toy with her feelings. Not that he did it on purpose. She was a friend. Lucius took another drink. So, there was some new attraction between them; it was only natural. She was pretty as a picture in her new London wardrobe, and their verbal sparring had always gotten his blood pumping. Plus, those plump breasts newly on display were a pleasant distraction indeed.
He shook his head. No more thinking about her breasts. Tomorrow he would stop by and talk with her. Lay down a few ground rules for their plans to tackle her list. The first rule was no more kissing. Happy with his plan, Lucius set down his bottle of spirits and stripped out of his evening wear. He hung up each item carefully in the wardrobe. He could no longer afford to be careless with his clothes.
As he climbed into bed, his thoughts strayed to the soft contours of Ellie’s lips. He’d wager that everything about her was soft. Soft skin and soft curves, the kind that would cushion a man when he pushed deep into the heat of her quim. His cock hardened and pulsed at the thought. He tried to ignore it, and turned over to push his face into the pillow.
They were just meant to be friends. He had plans for the future that couldn’t involve Ellie Spencer. She had a perfectly nice curate to go home to at the end of her list of adventures. But all these sensible thoughts didn’t stop him from grasping his throbbing cock and pleasuring himself to the fantasy of watching Ellie’s breasts bounce as he lost himself in all her luscious softness.
Chapter Nineteen
Ellie glanced upin surprise as her bedroom door swung open. Susanna entered still wearing her nightgown and robe. Ellie swiveled on the padded bench she sat on to face her friend. “Feeling any better?”
Susanna shut the door behind her. “No, still miserable. Bloody bad idea. But I absolutely cannot stay in bed a moment longer, or I will go crazy. So, I thought I would come down to get all of the details from your night out.” She curled up in a wingback chair that sat next to a sunny window.
Ellie couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face. “It was so much fun. Where should I start? We traveled with the Duke of Hartwick and his ward Miss Lucy Middleton in his carriage.”
“The Duke of Hartwick? Ooh, he is very dark and brooding? I’m jealous!”
