Duke Ever After by Eva Devon

Author:Eva Devon
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Bard Productions
Published: 2016-04-12T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

“Well, that was a bloody disaster,” announced Charles from the elaborate Oriental carpet. He lifted his head and groaned then dropped it back down.

Dawn spilled in through the curtains of his London drawing room and Aston winced.

His head pounded. He and Charles had headed to the East End, drank like bloody fish, and contemplated entertaining ladies, but Derek hadn’t been able to face it.

He loved women. He’d always loved women. As did Charles. And he’d never been one to deny himself. Much like Charles.

He gloried in their variety.

Last night, he’d felt sick at the very idea. He kept seeing Rosamund, her eyes flashing with pain and her usually rosy cream skin going very white at his words.

“How did you think it was going to go?” Derek demanded. He’d managed to throw himself onto a few cushions before the fire before succumbing to Morpheus just before dawn.

Charles shoved himself into a sitting position, crawled onto all fours, and went over to the bell pull beside the fire. Though it wasn’t his house, he didn’t seem deterred. He tugged firmly before he twisted and sat back down with a thud. “I assumed you were going to seduce her.”

“I was.”

Charles gaped then rubbed a hand over his face. “That was not a seduction, old boy. That was a death sentence. For you. For her. For any bed play between you.”

“There will be no bed play and I wouldn’t go so far as a death sentence. It was a trifle awkward perhaps.”

Charles rolled his eyes. “You called her a whore in front of everyone.”

Derek sat up now, defensive. “I didn’t.”

Charles pulled a cheroot from his pocket and lit it from a long, slim piece of wood kept by the fire which still glowed. “You questioned her reputation. Same thing. You. The worst rake of rakes. Why?”

Derek shifted again, trying to recall the exact details. “She wouldn’t dance with me.”

Charles blew a puff of smoke into the air. “I beg your pardon, but what is your age again?”

Derek arched a brow. “Old enough.”

“Well, you acted like a babe in the nursery. You’re a master with women, Aston. What the hell happened?”

Derek didn’t like sharing intimate details of his inner workings. But he had to speak about it, he supposed, if he’d really made such a muck of it. “She happened.”

“I don’t follow.”

“She does things to me. . .”

“Are you in love?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“It seems to be going around.” Charles shuddered with mock horror. “Damned frightening. My brother, his friend. I’m going to have to start drinking tonics and carrying a posset to ward off the disease.”

Derek snorted. “I have not fallen in love. I do not succumb to such things.”

And he didn’t. He couldn’t afford to.

“I just admire her. Very much.”

“You’ve a damned odd way of showing it.”

The sound of the townhouse door opening had Derek glancing at the drawing room door. It was damned early for a caller.

The murmur of voices suggested that Benson, the butler, was about to enter with whoever had arrived.

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