Sweet Revenge To The Duke (Book 1)

Chapter Ten

Oliver had the longest ten minutes of his life waiting for Athene in the orangery. He'd prepared a number of lovely speeches and rehearsed them in his thoughts like an actor, but as soon as she walked through the threshold, every word vanished.

"You'll be perplexed as to why I was hiding behind the shutters," she joked.

"When you can be seen from the outside, this isn't the finest hiding spot." Damn. He tried a grin to disguise the fact that he sounded patronizing.

"We were pranking Oscar." Unless he's too embarrassed to tell you about it, in which case I wouldn't force him. "I assure you it's nothing major."

He was adamant about not discussing Oscar with anyone. "I'm familiar with the game of hide-and-seek. In some respects, Oscar reminds me like a child, but he is a man in others. It's a big burden having a younger sibling." He finally came to a complete stop.

"Would you like to speak with me?" He could smell her perfume since she'd moved closer.

"I needed to know if the presents I sent were appropriate."

"Certainly." She brushed her palm across her cheeks. "Although they're unnecessary in here." Is there any steam coming from the vents?" To keep cool, she tugged at the front of her dress and let go a few times.

“Possibly.” What did he possibly mean? It was, of course, steam. Why couldn't he think clearly? Perhaps the oppressive heat was interfering with his logical mind.

"Are the gloves and shawls appropriate?" He didn't give up. "Did the colors appeal to you? "Do you mean both of you?"

"Of certainly," she says. You were already familiar with my coloring, but you had to have studied Elizabeth's as well. Tell me, do you think she's attractive to men?"

“Probably.” "But they'd barely notice her while you're in the same room," he added after a brief pause.

He was attempting to flatter her, Oh God. Was it successful? He had no idea what was going on. He'd never tried previously to flatter a woman. He'd never needed to because his wealth and good looks had always sufficed. But not in the case of Athene. Was he clinging to a sliver of hope?

He could feel the ruffle of her skirts now that she was so near. She looked up at him, her eyes twinkling. "You have the audacity to say so." I never expected you to shower me with such praise."

"Neither did I." He felt as if he'd been struck by a bolt of lightning. Athene had never been so friendly with him before.

"Does Burlington grow his peaches here?" She sashayed away, much to his dismay. His mouth began to dry as he watched her hips move.

"I think so." Was he unable to pronounce more than three words at a time, Lord? This woman had a profound impact on him, and she had always had a profound impact on him. In her presence, he'd never felt completely himself. His imagination screamed at him that it was an omen that they would never be able to live in harmony. His body screamed that it didn't give a damn.

Was peace, after all, what he desired?

He stuck close behind her, battening down the hatches against the s****l thoughts her lovely curves elicited.

"They're right here," he said. The last of the peaches hung from an espaliered tree that had grown up the orangery's end wall. Athene caressed the skin of one of them. "It's so silky and so smooth."

He unconsciously shuddered, unable to escape the vision of her doing the same to him from his mind's eye.

But, God, she was making it difficult for me.

“Athene.”

“Hmm?” She swung around. Her chin was now covered in sticky juice from biting into a peach.

“Stop. You've made a shambles. I recall you doing exactly as much harm to pears when you were a girl." He groped for his pocket handkerchief and offered it to her, but she refused. Instead, she closed her fingers over his. "You do it." I can't see where the drips are."

Was she requesting that he touch her? When had she gone through this transformation? He'd hoped that his presents and praise might help to soften her hard heart a little, but he hadn't anticipated such drastic results.

He dabbed the cloth lightly on her chin, then stroked it slowly over her mouth, keeping a close eye on her in case she suddenly changed her mind and slapped him.

And I was enthralled. He stroked his forefinger across the seam of her lips, tracing their rich contour, as if in a dream. Her eyes were dark against the creamy whiteness of her skin as she parted them slightly, let out a small huff of breath, and peered up at him. Near her nose, she had a few cute freckles.

Inwardly, he winced. He used to call her 'freckle-face.' It's no surprise she despised him. That, however, did not appear to be the case any longer.

He knew if he didn't kiss her now, he'd regret it for the rest of his life, mesmerized by the sweet temptation of her mouth.

"I'm going to kiss you," he says. It is preferable to be forewarned rather than to be asked. Asking offered her the opportunity to say no. That was too much for his pride to bear.

She put her hands over her eyes and closed them. He needed a window into her heart, and he needed to know if she cared about him at all or if she was simply playing games, so he accepted the invitation. No way. What difference did it make anyway?

He savored the sweet taste of her, like a swig of honey stolen from the gods, as she met his lips without flinching. It wasn't taken. Her slim arms were wrapped around his neck and her hands were tangled in his hair as she returned his kiss. As desire engulfed him, he groaned as he felt her breasts pressed against his chest.

He was fascinated by their kiss and bent her backwards in his excitement, sipping from her mouth as if it were the last thing he'd ever taste. If only there was a bed or even a sofa in this area, his body wanted to feel her beneath him, to feel her buck with delight as he made love to her.

Her hands cupped his face, and he realized that if he let go of her, she would fall. This was fantastic. All of his dreams had come true at the same time—Athene Edwards was in his arms, her tongue passionately exploring his. Athene Edwards let him wrap his arms around her tiny waist and welcome the pressure of his hips on hers. If anything, reality was even better than his dreams. He should have indulged her as a child, giving her things from his little earnings rather than tease her to win her attention—but he'd always thought she'd see past the rough front he'd had to put up to survive.

If her current behavior was any indication, she had seen right through it. She lacked love-making experience, for which he was forever glad, but she was learning quickly, guided by what he desired. She caressed his shoulders with her hands, flexing her fingers against the muscles in sync with their tongues dancing.

Oh gods! He yearned to be a part of her, to be inside her. In such a short amount of time, no lady had ever had such an impact on him. As his hands investigated this golden beauty who had thrown herself up to him, his tongue dived deep.

He felt a pressure on his chest, and he realized it was her pushing him away.

"Please pardon me." He rubbed his brow and attempted to concentrate his thoughts. "I shouldn't have exploited you in such a way, in broad daylight, in a place with so many glass walls." Even the Duke of Burlington would not approve of such conduct—thank goodness they were not spotted.

Athene rubbed her hands over her gown and patted her hair back into place. His greedy eyes followed the movement, and he had to back up several feet to avoid succumbing to the temptation.

"We were a little foolish," she admitted, her voice sexy and seductive. "I mean, only the location, not the activity." We'll choose our site more carefully next time."

Is there a 'next time'? How could he believe she was sincere in her feelings for him? Her lips were full and red from his kisses, her cheeks were flushed, and her blue eyes were dark and gleaming, and there was evidence to suggest she did. Everything about her was as soft as lambswool, with no trace of her normal icy demeanor.

"Dare I hope that your opinion of me has changed?" He spoke in a gruff, desperate tone. "Are we able to move on from the past now?"

"I admit that if the circumstances allow, we might become friends." In retrospect, I don't believe I've disliked every interaction with you. It's possible that some of our childhood adventures were bearable."

"How about our most recent meeting?" she said. If what I felt from you was genuine, it went beyond friendship."

He'd always imagined Athene to be a fiery woman. He'd only seen it in the form of wrath when he was younger. He allowed himself to want for a different kind of passion now that she was a lady.

And he must be the only one who benefits from it.

"Believe me when I say this: it happened. "I surprised myself, to be honest."

Wow, what a win! And that was totally unexpected. As he looked at her precious face, he felt all of his defenses, all of his pride, fall, reducing him to nothing more than a man overwhelmed by love and need for the lady in front of him. He'd never found a woman he could love in his entire adult life—until now. He was about to tell her, but something stopped him: the nagging dread that life didn't work that way.

And what good would it be to love her if she wasn't willing to love him back?

He snatched her hand. "Athene, we need to talk about this." We need to start making arrangements."

"Not right now." Everything is still too new. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. "Please, give me time to think." Athene demands.

He wasn't sure he could devote enough time to her. She may end up with Jones and Carter as well as any number of other guys in the globe, making calf's eyes at her again. He wouldn't be able to defeat all of them. As soon as he could, he needed to stake his claim.

"Can you tell me how long you'll need?" " What was he saying, my god?" Emotion does not have a time limit. He sounded like a hopeless romantic.

"Perhaps we can meet after supper tomorrow evening." Please come into our room. I'll find a way to have it all to myself."

"Shouldn't you have informed your guardian?"

Elizabeth's permission would be required if he intended to propose.

"Not yet," she says. We've only been reunited for three days, right? No. Come up tomorrow night so we may continue to explore the bond that has developed between us."

Explore? The sound of the word appealed to him. But he needed to control his basic desires—you don't get a wife by kissing or mastering the bedchamber. Mutual admiration, friendship, understanding, and—if one was really lucky—love were the criteria for finding a bride.

"I'll be there," she says. He looked about, but all he could see were grapevines, espaliers, and pelargoniums. He kissed her brow and mumbled, "Thank you," against her cheek as he snatched her back into his arms.

She returned his smile before softly releasing herself and exiting the orangery. His thoughts were as heated as his surroundings as he observed her. He was now dealing with a raging erection that could only be relieved by satisfaction or a frigid bath.

There had no other option except to choose the latter. He'd return to town the next day to see what he could get for Athene. Is it a ruby ring or a ruby pendant? A garnet crucifix, a pearl string?

For Athene Edwards, nothing was too valuable. He would lavish her with jewels and clothing befitting her status after she was made Countess of Rushbourne. She would have whatever she desired.

He had to fight the impulse to kick up his heels and rush around the estate like a bolting horse as he left the orangery. He'd never felt so energized in his life. He'd never felt such happiness before. He wasn't sure how he'd manage to keep it under control, but he had to for the sake of decency.

It's possible that one cold bath won't suffice. He'd need a whole slew of them at this point, given how he was feeling.