The Perfect Duke Read online

  “If you don’t like fox hunting, then what do you enjoy doing?”

  “I didn’t say I don’t like fox hunting. It was fine. I would do it again. But, to answer your question, I rather enjoy doing things like this.” He gestured to both of them. “Playing a game like this is a lot of fun. I’m glad you came up with the idea.”

  “Well, it wasn’t my idea. My mother used to play the game with me and my brother when we had to pass the time while going to the country estate. It worked for a while, but then Basil got tired of it and didn’t want to play anymore. He ended up going to sleep.”

  “Basil? That’s your brother’s name?”

  She nodded. “It sounds a lot like ‘weasel’, don’t you think?”

  “I suppose it’s all in the way you pronounce it.” He paused. “Mind if I use that animal if I get to the letter ‘w’?”

  “I’m afraid to break this to you, but the letter ‘w’ will be mine. So will the letter ‘m’.”

  “Oh. Then you have me at a disadvantage two times during the course of the game.”

  “If you feel that is unfair, you’re welcome to punish me with a kiss.”

  His eyebrows rose. So she did want him to kiss her. Well, who was he to miss the opportunity to do such a thing with a lady as lovely as her? As he closed the distance between them, he became aware of the burst of apprehension he experienced. The book hadn’t gone into detail about kissing a lady…at least not on the lips.

  But he did want to kiss her. He had no doubt that he was going to enjoy it. In fact, he had a feeling he was going to enjoy everything they’d get to do together from this point forward. He lowered his head and, since it seemed appropriate, closed his eyes right before his lips touched hers. He hadn’t expected a spark to shoot straight through him, but it did. It made him feel as if his entire body suddenly came alive. He wondered if it was the same for her. Did ladies experience the same things gentlemen did when kissing?

  He pulled away from her for a moment. “Was that all right?”

  “To be honest, I don’t think I’ve been punished enough.” With a mischievous grin, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and brought her lips back to his.

  Surprised by her response, he hesitated at first, but as he became aware of how warm and wonderful she felt, he relaxed and deepened the kiss.

  Chapter Eight

  “You should pay the innkeeper,” Tara told Nick that evening as they arrived in one of the towns along the way to Gretna Green. “I have a feeling he’ll want to deal specifically with you.”

  She took her valise from the floor of the carriage and opened it so she could retrieve her money pouch. She hadn’t put all of her money in one place. She had spread it throughout her belongings. All of those would be going into her room with her for safekeeping. She figured when she returned to London, she and Nick could hire a steward to handle the money. That was after the debt his father left behind was all paid off, of course.

  She wasn’t an acquaintance of Lady Steinbeck, but it might behoove her to become one. Word was that Lady Steinbeck was savvy when it came to investing. It wouldn’t hurt to learn how to best manage the money so that she, Nick, and his family were always financially secure. She had avoided Lady Steinbeck because it’d been one of Lady Eloise’s rules, and following those rules were the only way to stay in the group.

  But Lady Eloise was no longer leading the group, and that meant she could talk to whoever she wanted to without being thrown out of the group. She had no idea how burdened she’d felt while Lady Eloise was in charge of the group until she experienced great relief in knowing that she could finally talk to Lady Steinbeck.

  The carriage slowed in front of an inn, and Tara collected some money. She handed it to Nick. “This should provide us with two rooms and meals for the night. If the innkeeper tries to talk you into spending more, tell him you can take your business elsewhere.”

  “Do innkeepers often do that?” he asked as he counted the money.

  “Some do. I haven’t been to this inn before, but then I’ve never gone to Gretna Green. When I went to the country estate with my family, my parents would only stay at certain inns because my father knew which innkeepers tried to wiggle more money out of a patron. I don’t mind spending money, but I don’t want to be cheated out of a fair price, either. This time of year, there aren’t many travelers, so I don’t think the innkeeper will try to get more out of you than he should.”

  He smiled at her. “That’s another example of how intelligent you are. I wouldn’t have thought an innkeeper would ask more than he should.”

  “He probably won’t. Most people are decent and honest, but there are a few you have to watch out for.”

  And, unfortunately, her brother was one of them. Miss Wilmington, it seemed, was turning out to be one of those types as well. She had a feeling she had some unpleasant things to look forward to when she returned to London. Her brother would be angry that she’d made a fool of him, and Miss Wilmington was bound to fight her on the changes she was determined to make in the group. She took a deep breath and released it. She could only hope that, by the time she returned, she’d be ready for it. This trip to Gretna Green was only a temporary reprieve.

  The carriage came to a stop, and she closed her valise. She waited for the coachman to open the door then stepped out of it. She stretched her stiff muscles. Though the trip had gone surprisingly fast since Nick had proved himself to be good company, she was still glad to have a break from the carriage for the night.

  Nick followed her into the inn, and she quietly waited as he arranged for the rooms and the meals. This particular innkeeper happened to be the honest type, for he didn’t ask more than what Tara knew to be a fair price.

  Once he led them to their rooms, which were next to each other, he said he’d have meals, fresh towels, and fresh water brought up. The coachman brought in her trunk then told Nick he’d be back up with his things.

  Nick turned to her. “Will we be eating together, or will we each eat in our own rooms?”

  “I thought we’d share the meal together in this room.” The room they were currently standing in was hers for the evening. Though it was unnecessary, she gestured to it.

  She thought she detected his reluctance to part from her and felt a surge of pleasure at the thought. Spending the day with him had been more fun than she’d expected it to be.

  Yes, she was still well aware of her attraction for him. Even now, she felt a spark of excitement as he looked at her. She couldn’t help but recall his kisses in the carriage. She’d never been kissed before, but she imagined no other gentleman could possibly be as good at kissing as he was. Perhaps he’d had some experience in that area. She wouldn’t be surprised if he had. He was incredibly good-looking. Surely, many ladies had wanted him to kiss them, if not wanted to do more.

  She wasn’t so naïve that she didn’t know the rules for gentlemen were different than they were for ladies. She doubted he could have afforded a mistress. That, however, didn’t mean he might not have found a lady willing to spend an evening with him. She’d overheard her brother once tell someone he didn’t need a mistress since he’d come across several ladies, most of them married, who were willing to share some time alone with him. At the time, she’d gagged and hurried on past the den before they saw her. Why anyone would want to touch her brother, much less kiss him, was beyond her. It wasn’t like he was handsome and charming like Nick was. In fact, there was very little about her brother worth being attracted to, especially when it came to his personality.

  Pushing the memory aside, she turned her attention back to Nick. He was looking in the hallway, and she saw the coachman taking his trunk to his room.

  “Why don’t you get your things put away for the evening and come back to this room?” she suggested. “I’d like to slip into a more comfortable gown before we eat.”

  He nodded. “Will twenty minutes be enough time?”

  “Yes, that will good.” It didn’t take
her long to change gowns, even without a lady’s maid’s assistance.

  “I’ll return in twenty minutes,” he promised before he left.

  She shut the door, suddenly realizing just how excited she was to be marrying him in a few short days. She had no idea how her life was going to change, but she had a feeling it was going to change for the better. With a smile, she started changing her clothes.

  ***

  Tara and Nick didn’t always play the alphabet game while in the carriage. Sometimes one of them thought of something, and the other had to guess what the other one was thinking about. If they didn’t guess it, then they lost. And since Nick stipulated that whoever lost had to kiss the winner, she put forth more effort into winning. It was far easier to be the one kissed than to be the one initiating the kiss.

  For one, she didn’t have the experience he did. And two, she was so attracted to him that any time physical contact came into play, she had to overcome the wave of shyness that made her want to pull away from him. What if he found her lacking? What if she wasn’t as good at this kind of thing as other ladies were? Sure, he had promised to be faithful to her, but did that mean he was going to be satisfied with her virginal attempts at pleasing him?

  She did enjoy kissing him, however. She enjoyed it so much that she was reluctant to part from him when the kiss was over. But the whole thing of starting the kiss was the hardest part. Once she was kissing him, she forgot her inadequacies. She was brought to a place where she didn’t have to think about anything. All she had to do was feel, and it was wonderful to be swept up in being kissed by someone as charming and as likable as Nick.

  Kissing wasn’t all they did, though. They came up with games to play that had no winners or losers. In those cases, there was no penalty for losing. Not that kissing was a penalty, but she enjoyed being with him regardless of whether they’d share a kiss or not. Sometimes they made up rhymes, some of which turned out to be so silly she could hardly breathe since she ended up laughing so hard. For this reason, that particular game turned out to be her favorite.

  On the day they arrived at Gretna Green, she was almost sorry the trip was already halfway over. She couldn’t recall a time she’d enjoyed traveling so much. She could enjoy a day or two with her parents, but after a while, the trip would seem to never end, and she’d been relieved when they finally reached the family estate. This time, however, she actually wished it’d take them at least another week before they reached their destination.

  The carriage stopped in front of an inn, this one bigger than the others they had stopped at so far.

  “Did you want me to ask where we can get married when I ask for our room?” Nick asked.

  The fact that he said ‘room’ instead of ‘rooms’ didn’t go unnoticed, though she decided to pretend she didn’t make the distinction. Both of them were well aware that they’d share a room as soon as they married. She wasn’t that naïve. A newly married husband and wife consummated the union on the wedding night. There were a few instances where such a thing didn’t happen, but those were rare, such in the case of Lady Eloise and Mr. Bachman who had nothing but contempt for each other. By the way they resisted each other, she doubted they’d consummated the marriage.

  She and Nick, on the other hand, would be consummating their marriage tonight. She just hoped Nick would initiate it. She was much too nervous to do that. She immediately criticized herself for thinking such a thing. Of course, he would initiate lovemaking. He knew what to do. He’d done this before. He’d take the lead, and she would follow.

  But knowing this, her body still flushed with a mixture of apprehension and excitement. “Yes,” she began, “ask the innkeeper where we can find someone to marry us when you pay for our room. After we marry, we should have something to eat, and then…and then…” She didn’t consider herself a lady who was afraid to be frank when the situation called for it, but in this case, her courage failed her.

  Fortunately, the coachman opened the door, saving her from having to admit that she wasn’t as brave as she presented herself.

  Once more, she gave Nick enough money to cover what they needed, and he made the arrangements for the evening. As it turned out, they wouldn’t be able to marry until after dinner, so they ended up going to their room and sharing a meal.

  She wished they had been able to marry first because it was hard to concentrate on what Nick was saying while she ate. She didn’t feel right having his things in her room without being married to him. She realized it was a small issue. It wasn’t even one worth worrying over. It wasn’t like Nick was trying to take liberties with her. Besides the kisses and occasional hand holding, he hadn’t done anything else. Not that she would let him. Her virtue was one of the few things she had that she intended to keep until after the wedding. Maybe it was a foolish notion, but she often thought it would be her gift to her husband, something to let him know that she took marriage seriously, even if so few people in London did.

  “Are you all right?” Nick asked her at one point during the meal.

  She forced her gaze off of her plate where she’d been mostly moving food around instead of eating it. Nick was looking at her in concern. She hesitated to answer. Would it make her seem silly if she admitted that the closer they got to the actual wedding night, the more nervous she was getting?

  “Are you having second thoughts about the marriage?” Nick asked.

  “No,” she hurried to assure him since she noticed the worried tone in his voice. “I’m not all that hungry. I’m not used to eating at this hour.” And that was true. Because the priest had agreed to marry them after he was done tending to a sick family, they were eating well before the time she was used to.

  “Well, we are eating two hours earlier than we have been for the past few days.”

  He wasn’t convinced she was telling him the truth. He was being polite in allowing for her to say whatever she wanted. But he definitely thought she was doubting her decision to marry him.

  “I want to marry you,” she said. “That hasn’t changed. I just don’t like waiting.” Especially when she had a wedding night looming ahead of her. The longer she put it off, the more nervous she was getting. “I wish the priest hadn’t been busy when we arrived.” She offered him a smile. “Perhaps it might help speed up some time if we went for a walk.”

  He relaxed. Good. What she’d said had done the trick. There was no way she could come out and say how nervous she was about being in bed with him. Being around him, in general, made her somewhat nervous, simply because she couldn’t seem to fully get rid of the way her skin warmed or tingled around him. It was much easier when she was focused on doing something.

  But when all she could do was sit and wait, the butterflies fluttering around in her stomach only got stronger. Even in the carriage, it’d been better. Though they were sitting, the carriage was taking them somewhere. Who knew how many ladies had wanted to be with him? She was going to marry one of the most attractive gentlemen in London. To her benefit, he was turning out to have a pleasant disposition, too.

  She also liked knowing she could have an enjoyable time with him. Surely, many ladies in London would envy her. He would be an asset to Ladies of Grace. And he wasn’t just going to play games with her and kiss her. He was going to share a bed with her. He was going to be the father of her children. How was she expected to eat when they were so close to actually getting married? Her entire life was about to change for the better.

  “I’m very happy to be marrying you,” she added.

  He smiled at her in a way that made her grateful she was already sitting. Only he could make her feel so weak in the knees that she didn’t trust herself to stand. “I’m very happy to be marrying you, too,” he replied.

  Returning his smile, she turned her attention back to her plate and forced herself to eat so that he didn’t have any more doubts.

  Chapter Nine

  Tara didn’t know why she had worried so much about being in bed with Nick. As soon as t
hey had got married, they went back to the room at the inn. And Nick was being so sweet to her, holding her hand and telling her jokes that made her laugh so hard she couldn’t possibly be nervous.

  So when they were alone in the room and he started kissing her, she felt surprisingly relaxed. She decided she wouldn’t think about what they were about to do. She’d simply give into the moment and enjoy it. If she focused on feeling, she got swept up in the thrill of being touched and kissed by him, and she wanted to be caught up in it. It left her feeling weak, but it was a delicious kind of weak. She had no idea giving herself to someone so completely could be such an amazing experience.

  By the time Nick settled her on the bed, she was eager for him, and she didn’t mind expressing it with her own kisses and letting her hands glide over his body. Though neither one of them had undressed, she couldn’t help but think this was going to be one of the most wonderful moments of her life.

  His hand went to her breast, and he cupped it in his hand. Even through her muslin gown, the action sent a spark straight to her core. He let out a low groan and studied her breast in more earnest. His fingers traced the curve of it before tracing her nipple, and in response, her nipple grew taut. She was sure both of them groaned this time, but it was hard to tell when she was caught up in a state of bliss.

  He brushed her lower lip with his tongue. Uncertain of what he intended to do, she paused. When his tongue brushed her lower lip again, she parted her lips and was surprised when he entered her mouth. She hadn’t realized this kind of kissing was something people did, but as his tongue caressed hers, she found that she liked it.

  She responded to him, letting her tongue brush against his, which seemed to embolden him since he slipped his hand inside her gown and then under her chemise. The direct contact of his warm hand on her breast made her shiver with pleasure. She shifted so that he could feel her entire breast in his hand. Yes, this was much better. Now she could feel him much better as he explored her.