To Desire a Wicked Duke by Nicole Jordan

Author:Nicole Jordan [Jordan, Nicole]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-0-345-52313-6
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2011-02-21T16:00:00+00:00

Surely I can learn to control my desire for him.

—Diary Entry of Miss Tess Blanchard

Hoping to avoid the servants, Tess returned to her own room at daybreak, wearing Rotham’s dressing gown. But as she reached her bedchamber door, she spied Fanny coming down the corridor from the opposite direction.

Her friend followed her inside, evidently eager to have a coze.

“I have been waiting for ages for you to return,” Fanny said at once. “When you didn’t answer my knock earlier, I presumed you were with the duke—and I see I was right.” Her perceptive gaze took in Tess’s nightclothes and passion-bruised mouth. “Well? Was the consummation what you expected?”

Color mounted her cheeks at the intimate question. The consummation had been perfectly glorious, was her silent response. To Tess’s surprise, however, Rotham hadn’t made love to her again after that first time. She’d spent the remainder of the night sleeping wrapped in his arms, and he had let her go this morning with nothing more than a casual, almost lazy kiss. Even so, she was acutely conscious of her lost virginity. She could feel the new sensitivity of her body … a tingling ache between her thighs, a swelling heaviness in her breasts.

“Yes, you were right about everything, Fanny,” Tess admitted.

A rather smug smile touched the courtesan’s mouth. “So, does this mean you will be moving into your husband’s rooms?”

“No, it does not,” she replied emphatically. “I only stayed with Rotham last night because I was frightened.” Quickly Tess explained about being startled out of her dreams by eerie sensations and taking refuge in Rotham’s rooms. “Our marriage is consummated now, but we have agreed to continue keeping separate apartments.”

“A pity,” Fanny responded. Yet she seemed to understand Tess’s concern. “If you are careful, you can still enjoy passion without involving any tender emotions. There is no reason to deny yourself the pleasure of having Rotham as a lover.”

Tess shook her head. “I don’t want to risk it. What about you, Fanny?” she asked to change the subject. “Did you make any progress in your clandestine courtship of Basil?”

The courtesan’s expression turned soft. “I believe so, Tess. I suspect he understood my ploy about fearing the ghost, yet he didn’t object to my sharing his room. And it was the most amazing thing … all we did was converse before we fell asleep. I have never, ever done that before—shared a man’s bed when nothing happened. It was … nice.”

Tess’s heart warmed at Fanny’s confession, although it seemed droll that their situations were completely reversed. Fanny was discovering the pleasures of friendship and companionship while courting, and Tess was learning about carnal relations.

“I am even beginning to hope,” Fanny added softly, “that Basil is coming around to the idea of marriage. But it is best to let him proceed at his own pace.”

Tess agreed, and said so. “It is clear to me that Basil worships you and only needs a bit more encouragement. I predict it won’t be long before your strategy bears fruit and you achieve your heart’s desire.

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