Page 28

T hat evening, Seth had arranged for them to attend the opera.

Alicia got ready in her room, looking through the jewels gifted to her when she first came to the house.

Along with several stunning gowns, an array of sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and diamonds glittered in a box on her dressing table.

She had never possessed such things, and she was dismayed by how much she loved having such beauty to choose from.

Her fingers trembled as she handled each one, wondering which would most suit Seth’s tastes.

She wanted to push away the feeling and simply choose what she liked for herself, but it was futile.

Every day since the wedding, things had been changing between them. Not all the changes had been for the best, but each one had molded their relationship in a different way.

Their moment by the lake that afternoon was a significant shift and made nerves flutter in her gut whenever she thought of it.

Seth had opened up to her for the first time, confessing things she never would have expected.

Seeing the pain in his eyes as he had spoken about his friend had convinced her beyond doubt that he had not killed him.

She could not imagine going through such a thing. Her mind attempted to conjure images of Katie or Bridget lying before her in the moonlight as he had described, but the mere thought made her feel ill.

She glanced at Dove, who was playing with some ribbon on the bed.

Rose was under strict instructions to ensure that the kitten did not escape again, and Alicia was glad of it.

As much as I enjoyed spending time with Seth today, I do not wish to feel the fear of losing her a second time.

As Dove rolled on the bed, her back legs kicking frantically, Rose approached Alicia with the gown she had chosen for the night. Her lips quirked up at the color—fawn, just as they had discussed.

Well, tonight, Seth will see if his statement was correct and I look well in it.

A little shiver of anticipation ran through her at the thought of being so close to him all evening.

Seth had the finest box at the King’s Theatre, right above the stage. Alicia had never experienced such a view, nor had she ever been seen by so many.

“Which necklace do you think?” she asked.

Rose raised her eyebrows as she always did when Alicia asked for her opinion, but she stepped forward nonetheless, contemplating the jewels and then the dress before pointing to the right.

“I think the pearls, Your Grace. They would look very well with this dress, along with the pearl drop earrings.”

Alicia grinned. “What time is it?” she asked.

“You will need to leave in about half an hour, Your Grace.”

“Oh goodness, we must make haste!”

Rose hesitated, looking at her quizzically.

Alicia frowned at her. “What is it?”

“You do not wish… to be late tonight, Your Grace?” Rose asked.

Alicia laughed. “No. Thank you, Rose. I believe my days of making the Duke wait are over.”

Seth flinched as his valet secured the cufflinks on his sleeve.

Where have these damned nerves come from?

The other man was silent and composed as he threaded the chain through the buttonhole, and Seth pulled at his cravat irritably. It felt tight against his heated skin.

Shifting his weight from foot to foot, he looked at the fading light outside the window, every part of his body attuned to the sounds around him, his mind fixated on seeing Alicia again.

Every movement in the adjacent room made his heart leap enough to drive him mad.

Not in thirteen years had he spoken to anyone as he had today.

He was not sure what had come over him during the time they had spent searching for the kitten, but whatever it was, he was glad of it.

He felt light on his feet, as if an anvil that had been weighing him down had been removed from around his neck.

Today, he felt understood. Alicia had not tried to argue with him about his guilt or tell him it would be all right. She had simply listened, sympathized, and allowed him to grieve.

I did not expect marriage to be so liberating.

After his discussion with Alicia, coupled with her patient understanding, he was even more determined to continue his investigation.

His talk with Sheringham had given him a new lead for the first time in over a decade.

If Gordon had been foolish enough to consider an elopement with a lady from a good family, no matter their circumstances, he could well imagine a confrontation taking place.

And who was this ‘rival’ he spoke of? Could it have led to a jealous rage?

Seth simply had to pull that new thread and see what it revealed.

He stretched his arms behind his back as his valet pulled his coat over his arms and onto his shoulders.

The tight fit made him even less comfortable than he had been earlier.

He pulled the coat tight around him, glancing at his valet as the man gave him an appraising look.

“Will I do, Harper?”

“Very good, Your Grace.”

He nodded. Then, he turned on his heel, his hand flexing, missing the feel of his wife’s fingers in his own, and left the room.

The King’s Theatre always filled Alicia with awe whenever she set foot in it.

The huge proscenium arch below her stretched toward the front row of the audience, the scent of perfume heavy in the air as she leaned over the side and stared down at the milling crowds.

Ladies and gentlemen were walking beneath her, and she felt like a queen standing in the box with the Duke behind her.

Their ride had been quiet but charged with unspoken thoughts and feelings. Alicia did not know if it was only her who had felt the tension rise with every minute that passed.

By the end of the journey, she had begun to fan herself. She was feeling so heated beneath her gown. The Duke’s eyes had darkened, watching her without speaking.

Somehow, his silence was more arousing than if he had simply told her what he was thinking. She could see the lust in his eyes, and as they walked into the theatre, she felt as if her whole body was on fire.

Now, he was standing behind her, watching her look at the crowd, and the air between them was crackling and sparking with need.

She inhaled, turning to face him, and the heat in his eyes almost made her melt into her chair as he pulled it out for her.

Alicia expected him to sit beside her immediately. However, he remained behind her, and she shuddered as she felt his knuckles brush the nape of her neck beneath her necklace.

“Are you wearing this gown for me, Duchess?” he asked.

“Yes,” she replied, unable to lie.

“I said you would look well in any color, and I am pleased to be proven correct.”

Finally, he walked around her chair and took a seat beside her. They were sitting at an angle, the corner of the box behind her and the stage laid out before them.

Alicia clutched her fan more tightly as the lights dimmed and the first strains of music began.

The stage was instantly flooded with men and women in deep red and black costumes, their voices raised to the high ceilings of the theatre, echoing from every corner.

Alicia’s whole body felt as if it were vibrating from the music, the strains of it overwhelming and dramatic at once. She stared at the women, circling and spinning in place as the primo uomo took to the stage to thunderous applause.

Her breath hitched as the Duke leaned into her, his nose brushing her cheek as he whispered in her ear, “He is one of the most famous opera singers in the world.”

Alicia’s fingers clenched as his hand touched her arm, running slowly up the length of it, his breath fanning her cheek.

“This is one of my favorite operas. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.”

“Do—do you come to the theatre often?” she asked as his other hand moved to the small of her back, sliding lower until it rested on the cushion.

“I have not been for some time, and I have never brought anyone with me. I confess it is irritating to have you with me in my box.”

Alicia looked at him sharply, but his eyes were fixed on her collarbone as his finger ran along it.

“You are such a distraction, it is a wonder I have not taken you in this chair.”

Alicia let out a shuddering breath, her body quivering with desire. But even as she felt the need rise within her, he leaned back, a small smile on his lips as he relaxed into his chair, his attention focused on the stage once more.

During the first hour of the performance, he repeated the same dance. He would touch her, caress her, his fingers brushing over her skin, and then he would retreat.

Alicia had been driven mad after ten minutes of it, and by the end of the hour, every time he brushed against her, she would shiver, unable to speak.

“My, my, Duchess,” he purred, rubbing his cheek against hers. “We are in a public place, yet I can almost hear the improper thoughts in your head.”

Alicia bit her lip, trembling as his fingers worked their way beneath her bottom, pushing her up and rubbing her through her gown in a way that made her eyes flutter shut.

“We cannot; we will be seen!”

The Duke smiled. “I am glad that that is your only concern, but I hope you know that I would never allow you to be disgraced.”

She licked her lips as, with a strength she could hardly believe, he pulled her chair away from the edge of the box and behind the curtain in the corner.

She could no longer be seen from the auditorium as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest.

The light from the stage was the only illumination as she turned to him, so eager to have his hands on her again that she could barely contain herself.

“What would you do if I take you here?” he whispered. “Would you scream, despite all those who might hear? Would you be so desperate for me?”

“Yes,” she groaned as his fingers moved down her skirts, his hand finding its way up her calf and her inner thigh—slow, tortuous, and oh so good.

“Beg me, Duchess,” he murmured. “You once told me that you never would, but I think tonight, as you shiver beneath me, you are too eager to deny me.”

Her mouth fell open in shock as, with a final thrust, his fingers met her folds. He smiled as he felt how ready she was for him.

“You are so wet for me already,” he said, his voice hoarse with desire. “I could push inside you now and make you scream my name, and you would be powerless to stop me.”

Alicia’s head fell back against the chair as his fingers pushed against her, flirting with her entrance as her legs fell open.

“Beg me, Duchess.”

Alicia swallowed, a denial rising up her throat. But she knew she could not utter those words.

“Please,” she whispered. “Please touch me.”

The Duke thrust his finger inside her as his other hand covered her mouth. The quiet moan that broke free was urgent and filled with lust as he pushed into her, his body half on top of her.

The music swelled beneath them, as if a thousand voices suddenly rose together, and the Duke released her mouth as he pushed another finger inside her.

“Moan for me,” he commanded against her ear. “I will hear when no one else can. Moan, beg me, shake for me as I pleasure you.”

Alicia let out a cry—a decadent, impossible sound that should have had every eye in the room upon them. But the music drowned out all the noise.

The Duke’s fingers were exquisite inside her, moving so deep and swirling in place that she could barely contain herself.

His other hand moved to his breeches, and he released himself, gripped her wrist, and put her hand on him. “Touch me. Feel how hard I am for you.”

Alicia moaned again as her fingers closed around his thick length, the moisture at the tip easing the glide of her hand as they rutted together.

The darkness around them, the blanket of music on every side, made it feel as if they were somewhere far from the rest of the world.

She was not in a box at the theatre, with half the ton a few feet away. They were alone, in the dark, pleasuring each other as the need and desire between them reached a fever pitch.

The Duke pulled her skirts up further so that she was entirely exposed, and she gasped, glancing at the curtain beside them.

“I will never let you be disgraced,” he said, even as her fingers stroked him and he dove deeper into her body. “But I cannot hold back any longer.”

He leaned fully over her, and suddenly, his length nudged her folds, rubbing against her entrance as once again his hand covered her mouth.

She writhed beneath him, the wicked glide of him obliterating every thought in her mind as their eyes met.

“I will take you soon, Duchess, and you will feel the pleasure a thousandfold.”

He shuddered, his eyes closing as he almost reached his peak. She could feel her own climax rushing through her, too potent to deny.

The voices beneath them rose in chorus, all-encompassing in the heat between them, muffling every sound as the Duke cried out at the same time Alicia found her release.

She felt her walls tighten around his fingers even as the wet heat of his release hit her thigh.

His lips crashed into hers, his tongue thrusting into her mouth over and over as he ravaged her, sucking on her tongue and groaning.

Their gazes locked and held as he pulled back, and the music faded behind them. Electric heat pulsed between them like nothing she had ever known.