Page 4 of The Villain’s Vixen (Wanton Wastrels)

CHAPTER 4

A ll night long, Dominic had been waiting for his chance to catch Miss Givenwald alone, but that crone she called a relation seldom left her side. She was taking her chaperone duties entirely too seriously, in his opinion. Of course, when word of the king’s arrival had begun to spread, most of the assemblage quickly went to catch a glimpse of the monarch.

That was when he’d found his chance to move up behind his Aphrodite.

His . She was nothing of the sort, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t dreamed about making that a reality.

The entire time he’d been in the East End attempting to find the scoundrel who had ripped the pages from his journal with the intent to use his own information against him, he’d been wondering about the lady and if she had yet to have any suitors. It wasn’t a pleasant thought to be sure and one that had his brow darkening more than once, until the point Amos had glared at him and told him to bed the wench that had caused so much distraction so that he might be able to converse on a normal level again.

The idea of bedding Miss Givenwald certainly had merit, but considering she was here to ensnare a husband, he was too much of a gentleman to take advantage of her innocence for his own amusement without the promise of something more. Until he could be assured the threat to Avalon had been neutralized, he had to keep his distance from not just Miss Givenwald, but from any lady he set out to seduce or court.

Thus far, he’d been unsuccessful in gaining any potential brides, but then, he hadn’t put a lot of effort into his charm. He realized it would take more than usual to get past the dragon matrons who eyed him with distrust, Miss Givenwald’s chaperone included. She was barely civil to him as he had attempted to converse with politeness. But then, she was as convinced of his foul deeds as the rest of society, so until he could prove he was willing to put all his rowdy days to the wayside, he might have a bit of trouble convincing anyone to trust in him.

Except for one.

He still couldn’t shake the feeling that Miss Givenwald preferred the prospect of his wicked ways and would be bored with someone who was straitlaced and staid.

With her light hair pulled back away from her neck, he was excited to see the pulse beating at the base flutter madly, giving further proof that she wasn’t as proper as she would like for society to believe either.

“Your Grace.” He loved the way her mouth moved, and he imagined it wrapped around his cock. “You have been absent from the city for some time. I wondered if you had retired to the country for the rest of the year.”

His gaze traveled down to the shadowed valley between her breasts. “I would not dare deprive myself of the pleasures to be found in London. I have found them to be quite numerous of late.”

“Have you?” The breathless quality of her voice made him envision her saying his name in the heat of passion in the same manner. He nearly groaned, his cock throbbing with the urge to sink himself into her wet heat.

“Indeed, I have.” He bent down and spoke next to her ear, his lips inches from that tantalizing, perfumed skin. “I find you rather pleasing, Miss Givenwald.”

“Oh?”

“I suppose that was too bold of me to say…” he murmured huskily.

“Not… at all.” She swallowed, and he could tell she was not unaffected by his presence, nor his words. This was a very promising start, indeed.

“What would you say if I suggested a walk about the grounds?”

She turned to him, and her blue eyes had darkened to the color of a turbulent sea. “I should like that very much.”

He straightened and held out his hand to her. Her bare palm slid into his and they both seemed affected by the intimate touch.

As Dominic led her away from the fireworks that had started to brighten the night sky, he told himself that he wasn’t going to do anything but continue engaging in this heated flirtation, that he wouldn’t take it further than that, even a kiss.

But the moment he spied a tree that carefully hid them from view, he pulled her against his chest. She gasped, and he reveled in the sound. Raising his hand, he lightly caressed her cheek. “What do you want, Lexie?”

“Out of life?”

Her lips were parted and he was having a difficult time not claiming her mouth with his. “From me.”

She inhaled sharply. “What makes you think I want anything?”

He moved his hips slightly but enough where she could feel his engorged manhood pressing against her center. “Because I know what I want from you.”

Her breathing instantly turned shallower, and the color ran higher on her cheeks. He loved it. “I?— ”

“Have I shocked you now, my sweet? Perhaps I was mistaken when I thought our paths were aligned…” He started to pull back from her, but she reached out and grasped his robe. Dragging him back to her, she said nothing, but pressed her lips against his.

Dominic could feel a predatory growl rising within the center of his chest.

Mine .

He no longer cared if he was playing a dangerous game. This woman set him on fire like no one else had before and he couldn’t seem to stop the inferno that threatened to consume them both. But then, he wasn’t sure he wanted to be rescued.

He thought she would be untried, but it was obvious that someone had taught her how to kiss, because she moved against his lips with a precision that would not have been present in a true innocent. His hands tightened around her waist as he thought of some other man touching her, kissing her, but he told himself that they were no longer of any consequence because she was there with him and not his predecessor.

With a hungry desperation borne of desire, they finally broke apart. Her breathing was labored, and with her eyes heavy-lidded, she looked so lovely that he wanted to pin her against the tree and continue this little tryst. Unfortunately, he knew their time was limited and he wasn’t a complete cad when it came to ruining a woman in such a crowded atmosphere.

“Did I do something wrong?” she asked, the haze starting to leave her face. “I thought I had learned?—”

“You were quite adept.” He lowered his voice. “But I’m not sure I want to know who taught you to kiss like that.”

He didn’t think she was the sort to get embarrassed so easily, but he took note of the blush that abruptly stained her cheeks as she said, “Believe me, it wasn’t one of the local village boys who tried to teach me.” She bit her lip in a manner that was both adoring and that almost brought him to his knees with want. “I studied others and did some… reading. ”

He lifted a brow. “I should like to know who allowed you to explore your education so thoroughly and thank them personally on my behalf.” He slowly stepped away from her. Glancing beyond the tree to the assemblage, he noted that the supper box they had vacated was still empty. Her aunt had yet to return, for which he was relieved. “You should get back.”

She halted his movements when he would have pulled her along behind him. “When will I see you again?”

“I’ll be around.” He winked. “On that, you may be assured.”

The entire way home from Vauxhall, Lexie lightly touched her lips. She couldn’t seem to stop dreaming of that moment when the duke had taken her in his arms and kissed her senseless, just as she’d always yearned for. It was even more than she’d hoped. It wasn’t just magical, but it was dark and seductive and full of carnal promises that he seemed more than willing to fulfill.

Lexie knew she should be trying to keep the duke at a distance, to keep his interest piqued without giving too much. But she wasn’t trying to become a duchess. She just wanted to know more about the hard length she’d felt pressed against her skirts. Her core had immediately turned to liquid fire, pulsing with eager anticipation. When he’d pulled away from her, she had nearly begged him to return to her. It was bad enough that she’d gone so far as to ask to see him again. She didn’t want to push him too far. That could be as detrimental as suddenly becoming bored.

The next morning, she dressed in a peach-colored riding habit, intending to take her mare out for a ride in Hyde Park. She had no idea if the duke rose this early, or if he cared to ride, but it would be the perfect opportunity for another chance encounter. Not only that, but she was also feeling rather restless after passing a sleepless night, so she was eager to burn off some energy that was pent up inside.

As she arrived in the breakfast room, Lexie was pulling on her riding gloves.

Her aunt glanced at her curiously. “You should wait until this afternoon when the rest of the ton is out and about on Rotton Row. You would have more hope of success of gaining an earl’s eye.” She smiled smugly. “Or better yet, that of the king.”

Lexie wanted to sigh, because it was no less than ten times that she’d heard about the king and his acknowledgement of her aunt at Vauxhall. She had wanted to counter with her passionate tete-a-tete with the duke, but she knew that would be the wrong choice. It was a happy way to keep her aunt distracted if Lexie seemed to have her head in the clouds.

She walked over and gave her aunt a light kiss on the forehead. “I will return shortly.”

“You won’t break your fast?” the lady scolded lightly. “It’s not good for the constitution to skip meals.”

“I will be fine. I wasn’t accustomed to eating much prior to ten o’clock before I came to London. I shall survive until teatime.”

Thankfully, the lady didn’t argue and Lexie was able to make her escape.

Accompanied by her maid, Lexie set out the short distance to the large park in the heart of London. Enjoying a taste of the country surrounded by the congestion of the city was something she had readily enjoyed as soon as she’d arrived in town. Although the small village she’d grown up in had bored her to tears, she had appreciated the beauty of nature, and with the colorful leaves of the trees at their peak, and the swans yet to move on from the Serpentine, it had become one of her personal havens.

It was also a way to breathe in solitude away from her hovering aunt. If she wasn’t attempting to shove her in the direction of one gentleman or another, the woman was challenging her to be a more proper lady, telling her to sit up straight or smile a bit brighter. Lexie had nearly reached her limit of patience with Aunt Bonnie more than once, but she knew she had to hold her tongue because if she showed too much rebelliousness, she would be sent back to her father’s house and that would be it. The punishment was certainly not worth the crime.

As she entered through the main gates of the park and her mare’s hooves resounded on the pebbles of the path before her, Lexie glanced about the expanse, hoping to spy the impressive figure of the duke. However, other than a low bank of fog drifting near the lake, there was no sign of anyone that could possibly resemble the object of her fantasies.

She sighed; her dreams consumed with the passionate kiss they had shared. It was like nothing she could have ever imagined, and she was eager for a repeat performance, preferably in a place where they wouldn’t have to worry about being disturbed.

Her aunt would be aghast if she knew Lexie’s innermost thoughts, but how could she ignore the simmering fire that burned just beneath the surface of her skin? She wanted to be consumed by it, to feel the ecstasy bursting through her body…

Her mare pranced in agitation beneath her, and she realized she had been pulling back on the reins a bit too tightly. She gently patted the horse’s neck. “I do apologize, Molly. I fear my daydreams are threatening to overtake me.”

Leading her horse to the stone bridge that overlooked the Serpentine, she made her way to a large stone and dismounted easily. A girl raised in the country, she had always been an apt rider. “Stay here with Molly. I wish to take a short walk alone.”

“Yes, miss.” The maid bobbed her head obediently as Lexie set out on her own.

Breathing deeply of the fresh morning air that had not yet been disturbed with the heavy chimney smoke of the day, Lexie leaned her arms on the bridge and looked out over the gray waters before her. She would catch glimpses of people milling around the edge and now and then she spied a boy eager to try out his boat, or a little girl hoping to find a moment that her governess wasn’t watching to dip her toe into the forbidden lake.

Lexie recalled several occasions when she’d been young and romping about the countryside with some of the local village children when her governess had believed her to be sleeping. Those had been some of the most coveted moments of her life because although there were many times her hem would be filthy from mud, and her dress sopping wet from the adventures in the stream, the reprimand she had received hadn’t fazed her in the least because she had been able to simply be a child, and not a gentleman’s daughter who must comport herself in a certain manner.

She smiled, because apparently things had not changed so very much. She was still that same girl, eager to find a bit of mischief.

A movement out of the corner of her eye had her narrowing her eyes. She might have thought nothing of the gentleman standing by a tree except for the fact he seemed out of place among the majority of London. At least, anyone from the West End, with his simple clothing and hardened jaw.

A shiver of apprehension crawled up her spine.

This man was trouble.

Suddenly eager to turn and retrace her steps before he glanced up and noticed her, Lexie stepped into the riding path of the bridge just as a horse and rider found their way there. With a muffled curse from the rider, combined with Lexie’s sharp gasp of surprise, the encounter could have gone very differently. Instead, the man atop the steed was able to gain control over the animal quickly enough. Dismounting, he walked over to Lexie, who was trying to recover from the near mishap.

“My lady, are you injured?”

She glanced up into the face of a gentleman in a bottle green jacket, taking particular note of his clothing, simply because the shade of his eyes perfectly matched his attire. “I…” Words had suddenly escaped her.

He reached out and grasped her shoulders. “Can you tell me your name?”

She blinked, her tongue abruptly coming free from the roof of her mouth. “Alexandra Givenwald.”

He smiled slowly, and she was taken aback by the sly yet charming nature of it. As more of his features came into focus, his light windblown hair and slightly darker, neatly trimmed beard, she would have to be blind not to notice that he was rather appealing to the eye. However, as lovely as his mannerisms and his outward appearance, she knew she would not be dreaming of him this night.

He exhaled in apparent relief and let his hands slide away from her. “I’m glad there was no harm done.”

Recalling that she had practically jumped into the middle of the lane, she allowed some of her chagrin to come forth. “I do apologize for that, sir. I was woolgathering and should have been paying better attention.”

He lifted a brow, as if surprised to hear her admit her guilt. “Yes, well, at least there was no harm done.” He executed a slight bow. “I gather we will be crossing paths again, Miss Givenwald, so allow me to introduce myself so we can dispense with the formalities the next time. I am Francis Marcomb, the Earl of Lindley.”

“My lord,” she murmured with a small curtsy. With a twist of her lips, she added, “I will try not to embarrass myself at our next interlude.”

He leaned forward slightly and murmured, “Should that not prove true, your beauty would still outshine any offense.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Is that so?” She leaned toward him. “Then you should know I’m not easily swayed by flattery, my lord. ”

Lexie moved past him, and although she heard the sound of laughter following in her wake, she did not turn around. Instead, she rejoined her maid and made her way out of the park. She was disappointed that she had not seen the duke, but it was always pleasant to engage in some harmless flirtation.

Unfortunately, she made the mistake of relaying her encounter with the earl when she returned to the house after her aunt asked her if she’d had a pleasant ride. “It was very nice. And I met someone new by way of a chance encounter. He introduced himself as the Earl of Lindley.”

The older woman’s blue eyes instantly lit up. “How intriguing! I was under the impression that he was on the continent and would not be returning until the season began in earnest next year. How fortuitous that he should arrive earlier than planned! This might be your chance to gain his notice, although it seems you already have.”

Lexie wanted to roll her eyes, but she refrained. “He seemed pleasant enough, I would agree, but I’m not sure we would suit in that way.”

Her aunt waved a hand. “You are entirely too fickle when it comes to choosing a husband. The process is simple enough. You choose a man who can keep you comfortable and in turn, you provide him with the requisite heirs to carry on the line.”

Lexie snorted. “Of course. There is nothing to it at all, except for the misery a wrong match would surely bring.”

“Tell me you still aren’t hoping for a love match?” The lady sighed heavily. “Such fanciful dreams aren’t commonplace in society. I have tried to instruct you in these matters most thoroughly. You should have known your parents married for convenience and they lived in harmonious contentment until your mother’s death.”

“Is that all I shall be granted?” Lexie asked curiously. “Mere contentment? Is love truly that unattainable?”

“In most cases, yes. But security and a good name are worth much more in the ton , I can assure you.” Although her tone had been firm, her aunt softened her voice when she added, “I was hesitant about marrying my Alfred at first too, so I understand any reservations you might have, but once we wed, we were able to combine our interests to make a harmonious home. Although we were not blessed with any children from our union, we made the best of our misfortunes and found happiness together. The same can be true for you and the man you wed, if you marry the right one.”

Her brow furrowing in thought, Lexie carried her aunt’s words with her for the rest of the morning. She wanted to trust in her advice. Because she was an older woman, Lexie should believe that she knew what she was speaking of regarding relationships.

However, when Lexie was in her room and looking at her reflection in the dressing table mirror, all she could think of was the Duke of Cuthbert and how she should turn her attention to the earl who her aunt thought was obviously more suitable. But it wasn’t the earl’s face she saw when her cheeks turned pink and her breathing deepened. It wasn’t the earl’s lips she imagined kissing hers, as well as the rest of her body. It wasn’t the earl’s hands that she pictured caressing her body.

It wasn’t the earl that she desired.

She shook her head. Perhaps passion would come and if the duke’s current interest began to wane, then it wasn’t as though Lexie couldn’t change her mind and dally with the earl to see if she might actually prefer one over the other.

Perhaps a bit of jealous rivalry wouldn’t be amiss.

Thus emboldened, she changed for the musicale that evening and told herself that if she wished to make a firm opinion about who she wished to ruin her, she had better make sure the man she chose was worth the scandal that would surely ensue.