Scandalous Redemption (Ladies and Scoundrels #3) (20 page)
Read Scandalous Redemption (Ladies and Scoundrels #3) Online
Authors: Amanda Mariel
SCANDALOUS WALLFLOWER
LADIES AND SCOUNDRELS BOOK 4
London, 1843
Lady Jane Shillington
had never been a social butterfly. Gentlemen did not fall all over themselves to court her. They most certainly did not spend their time calling on her. At two and twenty she had never even been kissed…until him. She lifted her hand to her lips and stared at the handsome rogue sleeping in her bed. When he entered her chamber last night, pure madness overcame her senses. She lay still as if she had expected him. No shriek of surprise or fear crossed her lips. Excitement thrummed through her veins where the fear and outrage should have been.
The sight of Lord Keery in the dimly lit room stripping off his overcoat, boots, and breeches enthralled her. Her body warmed and ached in places it never had before as the rest of his garments followed. When he climbed into her bed and pulled her into his arms, she melted into him. Like a wanton, she had reveled in his deep probing kisses. She did not resist when he slid his hands under her chemise and did not push him away when he fondled and kissed her breasts. She had wanted everything he offered and longed for more.
He rolled over and pulled her against him. Moments later, his soft snoring filled the room. She laid against his warm skin, caught in a storm of desire and anger as he rested peacefully, his arms still around her.
How could he have fallen asleep in the midst of what they were doing? She could only assume the port he’d consumed was to blame. His intoxication was no doubt what led him to her room as well. She had tasted the rich wine on his lips and smelled the sweetness of it on his breath.
Surely he had meant to join another lady. One experienced in the art of love making, not a forgotten wallflower who was fast becoming a spinster. Still, she was captivated by his touch, and more than willing to give him her virtue. Disappointment still sat heavy in her chest this morning as she lay on her side next to him, her head propped up on her hand.
She studied Lord Keery from his tussled dark, blond hair and thick lashes, to his aristocratic nose and wide lips. She looked lower to his muscled chest. Her fingers twitched to touch him, but she dared not risk waking him. Surely, when he did awaken, he would leave her without so much as a by your leave.
Her stomach sank.
Notorious rogues did not spend their time with chaste ladies. The two of them were worlds apart. She would wager he did not even know her name.
Her gaze stilled where the sheet draped across his narrow waist. Perhaps if she used extreme caution, she could move the linen without causing him to stir. Her cheeks warmed at the wicked idea. She inched closer, intent on having a quick peek at him. Last night the darkness of the room had distorted her view. She had seen enough to heat her blood, but failed to take in his details. What would he look like in the morning light?
He shifted.
Jane froze, waiting for him to settle. Her pulse raced. After a moment, his light snore drifted through the chamber once again. She reached out a shaking hand and lifted the sheet a fraction. When he did not move she pulled it further into the air, allowing herself an unrestricted view of what hid beneath.
Good heavens! He was beautiful. Her eyes went wide at the sight of his manhood. It was thickening before her eyes. She brazenly leaned closer to get a better vantage point. The appendage now jutted out from his body, appearing both velvety soft and hard at the same time.
Her pulse increased as she wondered at how love-making worked. Without a thought for the consequences of such an action, she slid her hand under the sheet and touched him. Fascination filled her as she feathered the tips of her fingers across his hard, silken skin. When his hand suddenly covered hers, urging her palm against his manhood and shaping her fingers around it, her breath caught.
“Stroke me,” he ordered in a low, husky tone.
She could not have heard him right. Stroke him? Like one would pet a family dog? He could not mean what she thought he did. “W-what?” Confusion and surprise swirled in her mind as he guided her hand up the length of his manhood. She looked up at him in wonderment.
All of a sudden, he pulled her hand away and shot from the bed. “How the bloody hell…?”
Panic clutched at her. She should say something, but what?
He looked around the room, then swept up his shirt, holding it in front of him. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Me? This is my room.” How dare he treat her in such a crass way. She slid out of the bed and strolled toward him, pointing at his bare chest. “You are the intruder.”
He glanced at the mussed bed. “It seems you welcomed me with open legs, madam.”
The chill in his tone sliced through her. To think she was bemoaning the fact they had not made love mere minutes ago. Anger flared to life, burning her from the inside out. She poked her finger into the hard muscle of his chest. “That is an invitation you shall never receive from me! You are a blackguard not fit for the company of ladies.”
“Good thing there are no ladies in the room.” He pulled his shirt over his head.
“It seems there is a shortage of gentleman as well.” She picked his breeches up off the floor and threw them at him.
She froze when her door swung open, her attention centered on the entrance. The blood drained from her face as Henry and Claudia entered her room.
“Explain yourself,” Henry’s voice boomed. He came to stand before Keery.
Claudia remained behind her husband, eyes wide.
Jane’s head spun with all the excuses she could make, but no words came. Nothing she could say would make any difference. She stood in the middle of her room in nothing more than a chemise with a more than half-naked man. Hells bells. She was ruined.
Claudia moved to the door and pushed it shut. “Do lower your voice, Henry. Is it your wish to see Jane ruined?”
“Keery has already seen to that.” His attention remained riveted on Lord Keery. “You took advantage of my sister. Have you nothing to say?”
Jane found her strength and rushed forward. “It is not as it appears. This is a mistake.”
“Silence.” Henry bit out from between clenched teeth, his eyes burning with anger.
Jane pressed her lips together but stood her ground.
Henry smacked Keery’s cheek with his glove. “I challenge you to a dual.”
Keery leaned casually against the nearby dressing table. “There is no need, Shillington. I will marry her.”
Jane feared she might swoon. Marry her? An hour ago she would have enjoyed the prospect. Now the idea terrified her. She fought through the fog and peered at Lord Keery. “I will not marry the scoundrel.”
Henry shifted his focus to her. “You forfeited any say in the matter the moment he entered your chamber.”
Keery shook out his wrinkled breeches. “I will procure a special license right away.” He pulled them on, tucked in his linen shirt, and secured them. “Just as soon as I find all my clothing.”
How could he be so casual? His nonchalance further enraged Jane. He no more wanted to be wed to her than she did to him. The rogue clearly detested her. Furthermore, he possessed the manners of a wild boar. She went about the room collecting his garments, then pushed them against his chest. “Do not bother. I refuse to marry you, regardless of what my brother demands.”
Even as the words left her mouth she knew they were untrue. She could not refuse his offer. To do so would bring shame on her entire family.
Henry took hold of her arm and gave a gentle shake. “That is quite enough, Jane. You will marry Keery. Not another word from you unless it is 'I do.' ”
Keery flashed a toe-curling, rakish grin. “It seems you do not have a choice in the matter, sweetheart.” He headed for the door.
Did he truly intend to leave her room in such a state of undress? Any number of people could see him. Her heart pounded. “What are doing? You cannot go out there as you are.”
“My state makes no difference. You are already compromised.” He opened the door, then stepped into the hall before slamming the wood panel behind him.
ABOUT AMANDA MARIEL
Bestselling author Amanda Mariel dreams of days gone by when life moved at a slower pace. She enjoys taking pen to paper and exploring historical time periods through her imagination and the written word. When she is not writing she can be found reading, crocheting, traveling, practicing her photography skills, or spending time with her family.
Amanda lives along the Lake Huron shoreline in northern Michigan with her husband and two kids. She holds a Master of Liberal Arts Degree with a concentration in literature and has a long-standing love affair with sugary junk food.
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