Sexy Saturday: Lessons in Seduction
Sexy Saturday: Jan 27, 2018
I have always loved historicals. I am not well-known for them, but it lets me play with my love of history and romance.
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“Darling, just what have you got there?”
The female voice was low, throaty, and it shivered down his spine. There was something vaguely familiar about it, but he couldn’t figure where he had heard it before. He didn’t know who she was talking to; he heard no male voice answer. His body, already aroused, shimmered with heat as the woman continued talking.
“You are such a naughty boy, you know that?” She laughed. There was a hint of coyness in it that most courtesans would have killed to be able to imitate. “You shouldn’t pull on my dress like that. You might ruin the seamstress’ hard toils.”
Again, her laughter reached him. Ignoring the pain pounding through his brain, Douglas got to his feet and moved stealthily toward the door. He couldn’t fathom what pulled at him, why he had to know who she was, but for some reason he did.
“You know, one of these days you will get in trouble for that, my lord. Naughty boy.”
Her tone teased his brain. Perhaps he had met the woman sometime before. A house party or maybe a dinner that Colleen and Sebastian had held. The Wares were not that big on entertaining but they did have a few parties, and Colleen always made it a point to invite him.
“Now, if you will be a very good boy, I will give you a treat.”
Her voice deepened and coaxed him closer. Normally, he would have been completely embarrassed by his actions, and he was certain he would be at some point, but he was too enticed by just who this woman was to care about the ramifications of his actions. Douglas inched closer to the door, trying not to make any noise. He stepped to the opened doorway and drew up short as he came face-to-face with Cicely.
She took a step back. “Your Grace. I hope you will excuse that I do not curtsy since I have my hands full at the moment.”
It was then that he noticed Charles, Viscount Penwyth, Sebastian’s heir in Cicely’s arms. And just for a second, one little split second, he wanted to believe she wasn’t the one he’d heard, that he was mistaken. He wanted the woman with the teasing laugh to be someone accessible, not someone he would never dally with. But he knew she was the one. To top it off, he felt like a reprobate because he was still half aroused from her chatter to a young boy. Charles pulled on her neckline and she winced.
“Of course, Lady Cicely.”
He didn’t move. He stood there staring at her. How could he have not noticed just how luminous her skin was? Ivory, with a spattering of freckles across that adorable upturned nose. Her cheeks turned a light rosy color. Her blush was probably the result of her proposal last night. Immediately, his own body reacted to the reminder, and he shifted his feet, needing to create more space between the two of them.
“Your Grace?”
He frowned. “What?”
It was then he noticed the way the sunlight brought out the golden strands interwoven throughout her hair. When he met her gaze, he was struck by the way her eyes sparkled with humor.
“You’re standing in my way.”
For a moment the words didn’t register. When they did, his face burned with embarrassment. Without a word, he stepped back and allowed her to pass. Yet, he didn’t step far enough away, because when she walked by, the clean herbal scent of her surrounded him. The lavender had not been from the gardens last night. It was her. Another spark of warmth coursed through his blood, causing him more than a little pain. His hands dropped to cover his state. This insane fixation was the last thing he needed. Grinding his teeth, he tried to think of an escape, but truthfully, there was no way he could extract himself without being an ass.
He turned to follow her into the room and was surprised to find Cicely seated on the floor, Charles in her lap. For all intents and purposes she seemed to have dismissed Douglas. Without another word, he again settled in one of the chairs positioned in front of the hearth and watched as she interacted with the toddler.
For the past couple of years, he’d always thought Cicely as reserved. No, he amended, not reserved. Unhappy. Considering what her home life had been like before she had resided with Colleen and Sebastian, her despondency wasn’t so amazing. Cicely was shy with new acquaintances. She had a quick wit, but was a little too smart for the young bloods of the ton. It might have been the reason she never really “took” during the last few seasons. Of course, her immediate family didn’t make it any better. Even with them gone, their presence still hung over her. An overbearing, murderous mother and a father who spent more time in gaming hells than at home, her childhood had to have been lonely. Douglas was well acquainted with that feeling.
Charles grabbed her nose and squeezed, hard. He could tell it hurt because she winced, but instead of disciplining the young boy, she laughed. Douglas smiled as the sound filled the room. He liked her laugh. He liked her. He found himself relaxed and comfortable, as he had not been in a long period of time, the pain all but forgotten. Cicely continued talking gibberish to the boy. He watched, listened, mesmerized by her voice. Resting his head on the back of the chair, he closed his eyes and allowed her soft, low voice to lull him into sleep.
The last thought he had before completely drifting off was that she had the type of voice a man would like to hear in bed.
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