How the Lady Seduced the Viscount (Matchmaking Madness #5) Read online

  A spirit he hoped she never kept banked again.

  Chapter Two

  Kincaid sat between Jacqueline and Lady Eden Worthington at dinner that evening. It would appear the Duke of Colebourne and Lady Forrester still aimed to play matchmaker between him and Jacqueline. The entire situation held much irony because he would have rebuffed these attempts before his involvement with Jacqueline. Now he only found humor in them.

  However, the lady held much dislike over her family’s interference. At his every attempt to draw her into a conversation, she refused to utter a word in his direction, which left him to converse with Lady Eden for much of the meal. Not that it was a chore with this Worthington sister anyhow. Lady Eden was an intelligent conversationalist who was knowledgeable on many topics of interest.

  This evening they discussed the bookshops of London. She had just finished her first season and had fallen in love with the many opportunities to broaden her educational horizon. He informed her of a few hidden bookstores for when she visited London again. When he told her he would leave word at them for her entry, Lady Eden thanked him before she turned her attention to her brother Graham.

  At least Kincaid didn’t have to endure the dinner with her sister, Lady Noel, at his side. The lady was quite charming, but she was on the hunt for a husband. Her glances toward him since they had arrived for Gray’s wedding made Kincaid quite uncomfortable. At one time, her attention would have boosted his ego, but his heart remained true to the ravishing beauty at his side, the golden-haired temptress who smelled sinfully delicious. Her fragrance teased him throughout dinner, and he knew she wore the perfume he’d gifted her on purpose. The musky scent hovered between them, drawing on their desires. She meant to show her frustrations by teasing him. However, he only found satisfaction at riling her senses.

  Jacqueline stewed in her seat. The seating arrangement only proved the point she attempted to convince Kincaid, a point he only brushed aside because it went along with his foolish agenda. What possessed him to continue with his chase? Why couldn’t he just enjoy their secret rendezvouses? Was it because he needed financial security? That must be the reason for his pursuit.

  She’d heard the rumors of his demise whispered in the ballrooms. How he’d barely scraped two coins together by selling off his properties that weren’t entailed, and how he’d mortgaged the properties that were entailed to the hilt. He’d even rented his London townhome this season to an American family for a hefty amount of coin. Jacqueline would have been blind not to have noticed the state of his clothing since his return. While they were in fair condition, they were not of the current style. She wondered why he had fallen on hard times. Kincaid’s demise hadn’t escaped Uncle Theo’s notice. However, her uncle must have seen potential in the viscount for him to approve of Kincaid as a suitor for Jacqueline. Her situation had taken a turn, and she realized the hopelessness of keeping her independence.

  Kincaid was one of Lucas’s oldest pals from his university days and had visited Colebourne Manor on many occasions. However, a few years had passed without him visiting. When he reappeared three years ago, he’d struck Jacqueline speechless. Those missing years had been very kind to him. No. Kind was too tame of a word to declare how he had transformed. Once a tall gangly boy graced the halls, but on his return, a devastating god strolled through and dominated her senses. Even now, she trembled from his mere presence. He was tall with a thick wavy blond tame of hair pulled into a queue. Every time she stared into his turquoise eyes, they made her feel as if she floated in an ocean.

  She took a peek out of the corner of her eye at his muscular form. She didn’t know how he kept himself so firm, nor did she care. Her fingers curled into fists, fighting against her temptations. She ached to scrape her nails along his muscular thighs. She knew every delicious inch of him firsthand. His worn clothing did him no justice. However, the cut of his garments made him a striking figure indeed. The longer dinner continued, the more difficult she found resisting him.

  “Lord Kincaid, I hope the weather has not swayed you to leave early?” Colebourne boomed from the end of the table.

  “On the contrary, it has only heightened the pleasure of my visit,” Kincaid replied.

  Colebourne arched a brow. “Oh, how so?”

  Kincaid relaxed back in his chair, his fingers brushing across Jacqueline’s hand. “Why, it has given me a chance to become better acquainted with your charming niece, Lady Jacqueline.”

  Jacqueline bit back a gasp at his audacity. “Why, Lord Kincaid, you flatter me so.” She tried to pull her hand away, but he kept it clasped firmly with his.

  “Excellent. Perhaps tomorrow we can discuss the proposal we spoke of while in town. I am sure we can persuade each other to applicable terms,” Colebourne said.

  Kincaid nodded. “I think we can come to a beneficial agreement for all parties involved. I am at your disposal.”

  Colebourne sliced into his meal. “Then after breakfast it is.” He took a bite before addressing the rest of the table. “Also, I am expecting a few more guests. We shall have a fox hunt and a formal dinner on Saturday to end this wedding celebration. Hopefully, the weather will break tomorrow for some outside activities. If not, then I am sure Lady Forrester has planned a few inside entertainments to keep us occupied.”

  “I am already ahead of you, Colebourne,” Lady Forrester answered.

  The table laughed at her readiness. While most of them were family, a few guests had lingered after the wedding. Kincaid tried to keep a hold of Jacqueline’s hand, but she tore it away. Then she turned once again to speak with her sister’s husband, Lord Sinclair. Their easygoing conversation and close friendship unnerved Kincaid, causing jealousy to course through him. He wanted to be the only gentleman she held an attachment to. When Jacqueline released a twinkling laugh, he snarled his annoyance.

  “Is something the matter with your pheasant, Lord Kincaid?” Lady Forrester asked.

  Kincaid covered his snarl with a charming smile. “No, ‘tis most delicious. I remembered a matter I had forgotten to address before I left town.”

  Gray joined in. “I hope it is nothing too pressing.”

  Kincaid shook his head. “Nothing I cannot deal with from here. A simple letter sent tomorrow will sort out the issue.”

  Gray nodded. “That is swell. Another round of cards this evening?” he addressed the gentlemen around the table.

  The single gentlemen agreed while the married ones pleaded their excuses once their wives frowned their disapprovals. Oh, how Kincaid envied them. Hopefully, before long, he would become one of those lucky gentlemen. Perhaps even as early as tomorrow, once he had his meeting with Colebourne. He would discuss his proposal with the duke, then offer for Jacqueline’s hand.

  While the rain had been a hindrance, his visit looked to improve remarkably. With a bit of luck, it might end with winning the lady who held his heart in the palm of her hand. Even as much as she resisted their connection, he felt confident she wanted the same future as he did. He only needed to prove she could keep her independence while still loving him. And if she allowed her walls to fall, she would realize he wasn’t leaving, and loving someone helped to ease the ache she suffered from at the loss of her parents.

  Jacqueline tried to keep up the pretense of showing interest in her conversation with Sinclair but failed greatly. She needed to stop Griffen from discussing their relationship with her uncle. If he mentioned his interest in becoming her husband, it would be the end of her comfortable existence of freedom. His firm hold of her hand spoke of his obvious intentions. He meant to ask Uncle Theo for her hand in marriage. Perhaps if she visited his bedchamber this evening, she could persuade him to change his mind. She would play on her fears of a committed relationship and convince him to give her a bit longer before she promised herself to him. This would buy her more time before he returned to London. Yes. That was what she would do. After he finished his gentlemen’s pastime for the evening, she would tempt him with a more pleasurable pursuit.

  “Jacqueline, does something trouble you this evening?” Sinclair asked.

  She cleared her throat. “No. Why do you ask?”

  “You appear quite distracted.”

  She attempted a laugh. “What nonsense you speak.”

  He quirked a brow. “Do I? You forget we have held a friendship for many years. I know when you are distressed. It is the same expression you hold whenever your sisters have troubled you.”

  Jacqueline sighed. “’Tis nothing I cannot handle.”

  “And when you cannot, will you at least unburden yourself? If not with my ear, then with your sisters.”

  Jacqueline smiled. “I promise I will.”

  Sinclair nodded before resuming his meal. She must be more careful. She seemed to wear her heart on her sleeve. If Sinclair noticed her distress, then it would only be a matter of time before her sisters became aware, too. She never could lie to them. If they discovered her involvement with Kincaid, they would urge her into a marriage with him. Since they were settled, they wanted Jacqueline to experience the same happiness, and with a promising candidate for a groom, they would become as relentless as Uncle Theo and Aunt Susanna. No amount of guilt would make her say I do. Not even the knowledge of her discarded virtue would make her marry.

  No. Lord Kincaid needed to be handled, and handle him she would later this evening.

  JACQUELINE PACED BACK and forth across her bedroom. She stopped for the umpteenth time by the mirror. Should she make another attempt at confronting Griffen? She had already gone to his bedchamber twice now. And both times, he still hadn’t returned from the game room. However, the house had grown quiet, and it was way past the hour where the gentleman would continue to play cards. Why hadn’t he returned?

 
She tightened the belt on her robe. Jacqueline didn’t want to attract any unwanted attention, so she wore her most unflattering nightwear. She wanted to keep Griffen focused on the reason for her visit. And it was to convince him not to speak with Uncle Theo of any marital intentions. Her visit to his bedchamber was for no other purpose.

  She decided on one more attempt and opened the secret door, peeking out into the passageway. It stood empty. With hurried strides, she proceeded to his room, her steps leading the way on their own accord. Jacqueline didn’t even need to count the doors, for her heart knew the direction of the other half of her soul.

  What nonsense. Griffen was only a distraction. ‘Twas nothing more.

  The latch slipped undone for the third, and hopefully last, time this evening. When Jacqueline pushed the door open, the same greeting met her as before. A dark, empty chamber. She stormed inside and glared at the bed with her hands on her hips. He should bloody well be asleep by now. The longer she stared at the bed, the more her irritation seeped away, only to be replaced by a longing for what she had missed over the past week.

  She reached out to trail her hand across the quilt, sinking her fingers into the softness. The bed beckoned her to crawl between the sheets to wait for Griffen, to lay her head upon his pillow and breathe in his masculine scent. Jacqueline took a step back from the temptation, but memories of them intertwined in the sheets caused her to halt.

  Griffen’s hard body rose above her, slowly stroking in and out of her. Their hands created a fiery sensation with each caress while their lips consumed each other with a passion known only to them. He would whisper the most romantic sentiments in her ear while making them one. Then his whispers would turn most scandalous as his mouth roamed over her body, drawing out her desires with each searing torch of his kiss.

  Her body trembled to hear those whispered promises. Jacqueline’s hand rose to her throat and slowly slid down until it rested on the belt of her robe. Her eyes drifted closed as she imagined Griffen loosening it while teasing her with light kisses. Her body grew warm at the memories awakening inside her.

  A log on the fire shifted and sent out a hiss. She flinched at the noise and searched the room, afraid someone had caught her fantasizing in a bachelor’s bedchamber. Once she realized it was only the fire, she calmed. There was no need for a servant to enter since the fire had already been lit. Griffen traveled with no valet. He had assured her the first evening they spent in his bedchamber that he had traveled alone on this visit.

  She closed her eyes, gathering her thoughts. After she reminded herself of the reasons for her visit, Jacqueline decided she would wait for him. She settled on an oversized chair in front of the fire, curled her legs up underneath her, and laid her head on top of her knees. Her stare focused on the door as she waited for Griffen’s return. It didn’t take long before her eyes grew heavy, and she slid them closed. She would only rest for a few minutes...

  However, Jacqueline fell asleep and missed her chance at confronting her dashing suitor when he strolled in.

  KINCAID STAGGERED TO his bedchamber. He had overindulged again this evening while playing cards with Graham Worthington and Gray. The other gentlemen had called it an early evening, leaving the three bachelors to their own demise. However, it had ended very promisingly for Kincaid. He had won enough blunt off the card games to cover his living expenses for the next month in the boarding room he rented in London.

  He threw open his door, and it slammed against the wall. Kincaid cringed at the booming noise. He glanced over his shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn’t awoken a soul. At least he hoped he hadn’t. If not, he would surely hear the complaint tomorrow morning at breakfast.

  He shrugged off the disapproval that might greet him, which only proved how ripped his condition was. He closed the door much quieter and leaned against it, staring with longing toward the bed. As exhausted as he was, the emptiness still troubled him. A certain frustrating lady should have been lying in his bed, waiting for him without a stitch of clothing on. Mmm. Perhaps he should slip through the secret passageway and pay her a visit. The past few nights of denying them the pleasure they both desired were foolish.

  Kincaid ripped off his cravat and vest, dropping them on the floor as he walked toward the mirror. He stumbled and landed on the bed instead. In his attempt to rise and tear off his boots, he only managed to fall backwards. He shut his eyes. His body begged to fall asleep, but his heart protested for him to rise again and make his way to Jacqueline. The thought of Jacqueline alone gave him new purpose, and he yanked off his boots and threw them near the chairs by the fire. Fortunately, his aim was off. If not, his finest footwear would be kindling. Then he would have had to use his winnings to purchase new footwear.

  He pushed himself off the bed to rescue his boots. He didn’t need any sparks to land on them. Kincaid bent over to retrieve them when he noticed movement in a chair. A white billowing garment grabbed his attention. He closed his eyes and reopened one of them, trying to focus on the aberration.

  Is there an angel in my bedchamber?

  Kincaid wondered why an angel paid him a visit. Surely it was to help him capture the heart of the siren down the hall. What other reason could there be? He took a step forward but stopped when the angel moved. Once she settled again, he moved until he stood above her. An arrogant smile spread across his face when he realized his angel was none other than the siren who haunted his dreams.

  “Jacqueline?” Kincaid asked in awe.

  She never answered him but kept on sleeping. Which was unusual for Jacqueline since usually the slightest sound startled her awake. He dropped to his knees before her. How was the lady an angel who also possessed the traits of a temptress? She lay curled in the chair with her head resting on her arm and the cushion of the chair. Her other arm dangled across her stomach. He reached out to slide his palm against hers. She mumbled in her sleep, and he swore it was his name. His gaze traveled the length of her, and he burst out laughing at the monstrosity she’d adorned her body with.

  The nightdress was fit for a nun. While it appeared demure and what any virginal young lady would wear, she only wore it for one reason alone. She thought it would keep him from trying to seduce her when, in fact, it only invited him to unwrap her. For he knew already what lay beneath. A most fetching sight indeed. Kincaid released her hand and went to work on the buttons keeping him from seeing Jacqueline in all her glory.

  Why else would she wait in his bedchamber if not for spending the night in his arms? Since he refused to visit her bed, she’d come to him. Once he untied the ribbon, he spread her robe to find his angel wearing a simple nightgown decorated with tiny bows on the shoulders straps and covering the trim above her breasts. He traced his fingers across the bows, grazing her soft skin. She felt heavenly.

  He’d missed her these past few nights. Not only the joining of their bodies, but the stolen moments he spent holding her while they whispered their fears and greatest dreams. He fell under her spell in those magical instants and wanted to spend a lifetime reliving those moments over and over again. If only he could convince her to share his dreams. While she held herself back, perhaps instead of holding out on her, he should indulge her wishes spent underneath each other’s bedsheets.

  The most magnificent dream wrapped Jacqueline in its cocoon. Griffen caressed her with the gentlest of touches, each one softer than the last. A heavy desire spread through her, one that ached for him to stop his teasing. He pulled the ribbons loose on the straps of her nightgown, releasing them one by one. They dropped from her shoulders, and his lips replaced the soft fabric. He started at one shoulder and trailed down her chest to the bow between her breasts. Once he reached there, he paused, waiting.

  “Griffen,” Jacqueline moaned in her sleep.

  He trailed his lips higher to the other shoulder, lighting her soul on fire, then moved back down to the bow between her breasts. He paused again. She grew impatient and dragged her lids open to find him staring intently at her. She shivered from his passionate gaze. Not once dropping her gaze, he sank his teeth into the ribbon and pulled it loose, gaping her gown wide open. Her body trembled with anticipation for him to continue his seduction. Her conscience pleaded with her to confront him while her body begged him to finish seducing her.