Page 40 of Duke of Wickedness

He pressed his own hardness against her thigh, and it was that moment, the one where she felt the proof positive evidence that thiswasn’tjust for her, that it was doing something for him, too, that tipped her right over the edge. Her whole body seized, and for a moment, she was nothing more than the pleasure of his touch.

“Oh, yes,” he praised, the motions of his hand guiding her through the onslaught of her pleasure. “God, look at you. Oh, Ari, you are so beautiful. I’ll never get enough.”

Ariadne might be innocent, but she knew enough to know that this was just bedroom talk, the kind of thing that people said to one another in the heat of the moment. It wasn’treal.

But her fear, as she came down from her high, as the last waves of ecstasy let her loose from their grasp, was that it was real forher.

She might never get enough.

And that was a problem. Because this?

This could not last.

CHAPTER 10

There was little that Ariadne could do in terms of repairing her appearance, given that they were in the dark corner of a dark theater, but given the aforementioned darkness, she supposed it didn’t matter that much.

She maintained that position as she and David decided to skip the rest of the performance and head for the exit. The aftermath of her pleasure had left her feeling soft and sleepy, and she regretted every minute that still stood between her and the comfort of her bed.

If part of her regretted that she would return to that bed alone… Well, she pushed that thought aside. Whatever was happening with the duke, this wasn’t that.

“Let’s get you home, little bird,” David said, all softness and sweetness, as though she needed care after he had already taken care of her—albeit in a very different way.

Though she could not deny that shelikedhis solicitousness, even if she didn’tneedit.

She let herself lean heavily on his arm, just for this one moment. It felt so nice, just to let someone else hold her up, just for a little while.

And then something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye, and she straightened in a flash. She turned, trying to figure out what had tugged at her mind…

“What is it?” David asked, wrapping his arm more firmly around her waist. This was hardly the most scandalous thing happening at this theater, not by a significant margin, but still. It suddenly seemed unspeakably foolish that she had come out here without some sort of disguise.

“I…I’m not sure,” she murmured as she scanned the crowd.

And then she saw it—or, rather,her.

It wasn’t that the woman was particularly noticeable, though she was pretty enough. But her height was not remarkable, and her hair was the same light brown that was shared by half the crowd.

And yet there was…something familiar about her.

Panic set in as Ariadne racked her brain. How did she know this woman? Was she a member of theton? Had Ariadne thrownher entire reputation—hard-won byyearsof diligently perfect behavior—away with this one, indulgent night?

But the woman didn’t look scandalized, nor did she have the avaricious look of someone who was looking forward to being the bearer of new gossip. Instead, she looked pleased. She gave Ariadne a grin and a nod.

And then she pulled up her hood and disappeared into the crowd.

“What is it?” David asked again, a thread of anxiety in his voice.

It had to be nothing. Ariadnehadto believe that it was nothing.

She smiled up at him. She leaned on his arm again, let the solidity of him bolster her.

It was nothing. Itwas.

“Just distracted by all the sights,” she lied. “Will you take me home now?”

They both knew she had no skill at lying. He searched her face for an answer, but whatever he found seemed to satisfy him.

“Very well, my sweet little bird,” he said softly. “Let’s get you home.”