Seduced by a Scoundrel - By Barbara Dawson Smith Page 0,72
that he almost didn’t hear the second. Work his wiles? His wiles?
In a swift move, he caught her arm and escorted her up the broad staircase, down a corridor, and into his office, where he slammed the door behind them. “I don’t play a woman’s coy games,” he stated. “You should know that by now.”
She twisted away from him. “No, you play a man’s game of enticing the unwary into your club.”
“Your brother is old enough to know what he’s doing.”
She scowled, a very pretty scowl that made him want to kiss her senseless. “So you admit that you lured him back here.”
“I offered him a position on staff here. He had the intelligence to accept it.”
“A position?” she scoffed. “That isn’t what Lord Hailstock told me.”
A burning tension seized his chest, and he cornered her against the desk. She tried to wriggle free, but he held her by the arms and snapped, “When did you see Hailstock?”
“Get away from me,” she said, pushing ineffectually at him. “I will not be bullied.”
“Then answer my question.”
“I happened upon him at Pemberton House.”
“What the devil was he doing there?”
“He came to … to fetch some old papers from my father’s study.” Her gaze faltered slightly, a sure sign that she was hiding something.
A murderous edge to his voice, Drake demanded, “Did he dare to touch you?”
“Of course not. He treats me like a lady.” She cast a pointed glance at Drake’s fingers on her arm, and her blue eyes flashed with contempt. “And I wonder at your animosity toward his lordship.”
He forced himself to ease his grip. He must be careful, lest she guess the truth. “I will not share you. Remember that.”
“And I will not abide my brother’s gambling in this club. You will bar him from the premises immediately.”
“He isn’t here to lay wagers. He holds a respectable position.”
“Respectable,” she huffed. “This is a gaming hell. What is he doing, collecting overdue debts from those you’ve fleeced?”
That set his teeth on edge. “May I remind you, madam, this gaming hell pays for your wardrobe, your house, your carriage. My wealth kept your mother out of Bedlam and your brother out of Fleet.”
“And he’ll land in prison if you encourage him to sink into debt again!”
“I gave him a purpose in his life. If you don’t believe me, then ask him. He should be downstairs in the dining room.”
“And thence to the gaming tables he’ll go,” she said bitterly. “How will he repay you this time? He hasn’t any more sisters for you to procure.”
He felt the violent urge to stop her insults in the best way he knew how, by thrusting her flat on the desk and mounting her. “A pity, that. I might have negotiated a trade when I tired of you.”
Alicia took a sharp breath that lifted her bosom enticingly. “You are vile.”
“And you are beyond reason. If you had any sense at all, you’d let Gerald make his own decisions.”
“He isn’t deciding for himself, he’s listening to you,” she flung back. “Like any man, he’ll follow the path of temptation.”
“And women know nothing of temptation?” Goaded, Drake pressed himself to her, letting her feel his arousal. It angered him that she could tie him in knots while belittling all that he had worked to build. “I’m afraid it’s too late to persuade me that ladies are angels, pure and ethereal, incapable of lust.”
A delicate flush stained her cheeks. She tilted her head back and met his gaze squarely, her gloved fingers clenched at her sides. “We were speaking of wagering, not bedsport.”
“Ah, but lechery is a far more fascinating topic.”
He would show her who was her master. He brought his hands to her breasts, kneading her through the layers of spencer, gown, and corset. Though she stood rigidly, she lowered her lashes slightly and parted her lips.
“Bully,” she said, a betraying catch to her voice. “Let me go.”
“Beloved,” he taunted. “I’ll never let you go.”
Trapping her against the desk, he took her mouth with deliberate sensuality, using all of his skill to wrest a response from her. She brought her hands up as if to push him away, but instead her fingers caught at his shirt and she arched up on tiptoe, straining against him, opening her mouth to him. She tasted sweet and luscious, and he kissed her deeply, stroking her with his tongue until she moaned with pleasure and he burned with need. Her swift surrender drove him mad. He wanted to feel her, flesh