Once the initial shock of his statement had subsided, Sephy found her voice. “What about the threat of Lord Gregory you were so concerned about?”
“I will ensure that there are guards posted at the brothel to safeguard you and the other girls at all times. If he arrives, he won’t be staying long.”
She swallowed over the bitter taste of betrayal. It appeared he had it all worked out and that hurt more than she wanted to admit. “What about my maidenhead?” she countered. “Do you not intend to take it?”
He looked pointedly at her. “I told you where I stood regarding sexual relations.”
She stared at him in disbelief and then threw back the covers in exasperation. This was an argument that she couldn’t abide by sitting demurely on the bed and playing the coquette. “You can’t mean to send me back to a whorehouse when I’m still intact! Surely you wouldn’t be that cruel to make me the laughingstock of my mother’s brothel, and all of London for that matter! The Virgin Harlot.” She held her hands up as if adding emphasis to the moniker. “What a headline that would be for the papers.”
He frowned slightly. “I suppose I hadn’t thought of that.”
“I would say not,” she snapped heatedly. “As a duke and the son of a king, however illegitimate, scandal will easily roll off you. I will not be as fortunate.” She paused, her mouth falling open slightly, for something else had also occurred to her. “And what of the puppy you promised me from Lady’s litter?”
He locked eyes with her. “I stand by my word on that.”
“And yet, I told you of my mother’s view on pets.” She shook her head and then reached for the letter she’d been reading so adoringly. “I don’t know who you are, Falcourt,” she sneered. “But you certainly aren’t the same Hunter Bennett I know.”
With that, she ripped the letter in half right in front of him, and then a second, and a third, until she allowed the scraps to fall on the floor at her feet.
“Rest assured, I’ll be gone by the afternoon. But first—” She shoved her arms through her dressing robe and tied it with a flourish. “—I shall have to find someone willing to deflower me since you seem unable to accomplish the task yourself. I only wish you hadn’t made the stipulation that I remain pure during your absence, for I could have been living the existence of a true harlot all this time, since I shall be condemned to that torrid lifestyle anyway.”
She started to brush past him, but he moved in her way. “No.”
“No?” She set her hands on her hips. “I don’t believe you have any say in what I do, Your Grace, for I will not be known as a woman who didn’t live up to her favors as a mistress.”
He didn’t budge, but kept looking at her with that dark stare that was equal parts fury and determination.
“Very well. I shall leave through my sitting room.” She turned and headed in that direction, but she didn’t make it far, for his arm shot out and encircled her wrist. She turned her angry glare on him. “How dare you! Unhand me at once—!”
The rest of her tirade was cut off as he pulled her into his arms and smothered her mouth with his.
She told herself to fight him off, that nothing would come of this detainment but more pain and frustration, but she couldn’t yet find the will to push aside the one thing she’d yearned for over the past five years. Each time she switched the calendar, of watching the case clock in the foyer chime the hour, she’d dreamed that he might walk through the front door, and yet, Hunter did not appear, no matter how much she might have wished for him to do so.
When, at last, he wrote and said he was coming home, she had paced the floorboards in anticipation until she was surprised they weren’t worn through. Time had crawled by even more slowly, but finally he was there, and now it was as if every minute spent with him was cut too short. He claimed that their association was at an end, so yes, she would relish this stolen embrace for however long it lasted.
She wanted to wind her arms around his neck and deepen the kiss, but she kept her hands at her sides, afraid that if she moved at all, he would draw away from her. But she couldn’t stop a gasp from escaping when he clenched the fabric of her dressing gown in the back and bunched it in his fists. She wasn’t certain whether he was trying to tether himself to reality, or if he meant to rend it in two, but she rather hoped it was the latter.
He pulled away, but only long enough to rest his forehead against hers, keeping his eyes closed. He was breathing heavily. “Tell me to stop,” he whispered huskily. “Tell me to go away.”
“Why would I do that?” she returned softly. “I want this.” She paused. “I’ve always wanted this.”
He clenched his jaw. “But I… don’t want to be a slave to my lust, to be a man like Lord Gregory. I’ve…withheld myself for years because I—”
She gently placed her fingers over his lips. “You are nothing like him. Do you hear me? Just because you have… urges, that doesn’t mean you’re some sort of rabid animal, but merely a man who craves human interaction. It isn’t a bad thing, Hunter. It’s perfectly normal, and it’s time you allowed yourself to see that.”
He slowly opened his eyes and looked at her evenly. “I’m afraid I’ll… hurt you.”
She shook her head. “My mother told me what it’s like to lose one’s virginity. I’ve been prepared for it all
