Page 54 of Second Duke's the Charm

He was satisfied thatshe’dbeen satisfied, he supposed.

Still, teasing her felt like the most delicious of games, with each of them trying to gain the upper hand. Tonight had probably ended in a draw, and he couldn’t wait for the next turn of the cards.

If all went well, she would be his duchess by the end of the week, and he could dedicate himself to pleasuring them both to the utmost.

He was not looking forward to the next few days without seeing her. No woman had ever filled his thoughts to such an extent, and he wondered, briefly, if he ought to be alarmed. He’d had beautiful women before, but there was something about Tess Townsend that attracted him in other, more inexplicable ways. Despite her undoubted experience with men, there still was an air of innocence, of sweetness, about her that called to both his protective instincts and his need to possess. And beyond her beauty there was a quick wit and a slyly subversive sense of humor that matched his own.

He hadn’t lied when he’d told her he could respect her. It was a compliment he’d rarely given anyone, male or female, but in her case it was true. She was much more than just a pretty face, but the majority in thetonwere so shallow they could never imagine her hidden depths.

Her willingness to spar with him, and the fact that she clearly had intriguing secrets of her own—a penchant for erotic sketches being one of them—excited him beyond measure.

Chapter Nineteen

Ellie and Daisy were waiting for Tess when she entered King & Co. late the following morning.

Ellie tapped the open newspaper in front of her. “Tess, you’re inThe Times! Thornton’s placed an announcement, although it’s very brief. It just says ‘Justin Thornton, ninth duke of Wansford, to marry Tess, née Townsend, relict of Sir Archibald Thornton, eighth duke of Wansford, this Saturday, at Wansford House, Portman Square, by special license.’”

Tess removed her gloves and sank into her chair. “Relict! That makes me sound even more ancient than dowager duchess! Like some prehistoric artifact.”

“You’re inThe Courier, too,” Daisy said. “AndLa Belle Assemblée. Although that one’s more an article about what you might wear. Apparently, silver is all the rage this season.”

“He certainly doesn’t believe in wasting any time,” Ellie chuckled. “He must be quite desperate to make you his wife.”

Tess felt heat rise in her cheeks, and Daisy pounced. “Tess Townsend, you’reblushing!”

There was no hiding anything from Daisy, but Tess tried to divert the conversation. “Last night he said he wouldn’t see me until the wedding because he has work to do. That doesn’t exactly imply desperation.”

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” Ellie pointed out.

Daisy snorted. “Ha! Inthiscase, it’s ‘absence makes the cock grow harder.’”

“Daisy Hamilton!” Tess scolded, torn between laughter and shock. “Whoever would believe you’re the daughter of a duke? Miss Burnett would wash your mouth out with soap and water!”

Daisy chucked, utterly unrepentant.

Ellie replaced her spectacles. “It seems like we sent you on a wild-goose chase with Richard Case last night, though. Sorry.”

Tess frowned. “Why do you say that?”

“Because just after you left Lady Greenwood’s with Case, the real blackmailer tried to talk to Daisy.”

“I feigned ignorance, as we agreed,” Daisy said. “So he’d think he had the wrong woman.”

“What did he look like? Did you recognize him?”

Daisy shook her head. “Never seen him before in my life, unfortunately. He was a few inches below six feet, with dark hair.”

“So we don’t have any way of discovering who he is,” Ellie grumbled. “We tried to follow him, but we lost him in the crowd.”

“I suppose we’ll have to wait until he sends another demand,” Daisy said.

“Not necessarily.” Tess gave an enigmatic smile.

“What do you mean?”

“Richard Case might not have been our blackmailer, but heisthe one who stole the letters from Charles Hesse.”

Daisy lifted her brows.