Page 50 of Second Duke's the Charm

He followed her back into the hallway. “Are you breaking it off with him? Was this one last goodbye fuck?”

The deliberately crude word shocked her, despite the fact that she’d heard it plenty of times in the rougher parts of town. She strode through the open door.

What could she say?He’s like that because I drugged him, looking for the princess royal’s love letters.

Absolutely not. Her case, her profession, was none of his concern. Still, the unfairness of him thinking that she’d lied to him scalded her, as did the fact that he thought her a light-skirts.

Furious—with herself, and life in general—she set off down the street. How had success turned to disaster so quickly?

Behind her, Thornton closed Case’s door with an efficient click, then strode after her, easily catching up with his longer strides.

“You must have had a good time. He looked exhausted.”

Tess stopped by his carriage and glared at him.

His brows rose in gentle mockery. “Butyoulook a little frustrated, my sweet. What’s the matter? Was he too drunk to give you what you wanted?”

His teasing was beyond irritating.

“I wasn’t there for pleasure,” she snapped. The stolen print rustled in her skirts, and she grasped the inspiration it provided. The best lies always had an element of truth,after all. She let her mouth curve upward. “At least, not fromhim. I came for this.”

She pulled the rolled paper from her pocket and pressed it against his chest.

He opened it, and she tried to look defiant instead of embarrassed as he registered the scandalous subject matter. The thrill of trying to outmaneuver him made her blood pound in her ears.

This was the lesser of two evils.Better for him to think she had a naughty secret, than to start digging into the real reason she’d been there.

His brows rose. “An erotic print?”

She snatched it back, her cheeks flaming, and stuffed it back in her pocket. “Yes, if you must know. I bought it from Case. He has a whole collection of them.”

She glanced up at him, but his expression was enigmatic. She couldn’t tell if he believed her or not.

And then he lifted his hand and traced her cheekbone with his thumb, and those gorgeous lips of his curved in wicked amusement.

“You have a penchant for naughty engravings? Oh, Scarlet. How delicious.”

“Why not? Men seem to like them. Why shouldn’t a woman enjoy them, too?”

“No reason at all. In fact, I love that you seek your own pleasure.”

His eyes were all pupil in the shadows and her breath caught as he stepped closer, filling her vision, sending her senses into a frenzy. For an instant she thought he was going to kiss her, but he merely reached around her and opened the door to the carriage.

“Get in. I’ll take you home.”

She didn’t have the will to argue. She climbed in,unsurprised by the understated luxury of the interior. Unlike the hackney she’d taken earlier, there was no cracked leather or musty smell in here. A subtle masculine scent, like cedarwood and smoke, greeted her as she settled on the navy velvet cushions, and her belly fluttered.

She moved her skirts aside, expecting him to sit across from her, but instead he took the place beside her. His shoulder pressed against hers and his muscular thigh brushed her own.

His nearness made her body hum. Danger and excitement seemed to hover in the air; an expectant hush, like before a thunderstorm. She stared straight ahead as the carriage jolted forward, but she knew he was watching her.

“I’m intrigued by the print you chose,” he murmured. His voice curled around her in the darkness. “Does the thought of a man doing that to you appeal, Scarlet? Is that why you chose it? Does looking at that picture make you burn?”

Yes. Yes, it does.

She’d never even imagined a man kissing her there, between the legs, but now that the idea had formed in her brain she couldn’t seem to dismiss it.

Her cheeks were burning, that was for certain. Damn it, why had she shown him the cursed thing?