The Scoundrel's Wager (Tricking the Scoundrels, #4) Page 4

  Devon watched the conflicting emotions cross Kathleen’s face. Every time he was near her, he meant to play the consummate gentleman with her, but she enflamed his senses into acting the scoundrel she believed him to be.

  Kathleen should run back to the house as far away from him as she could, but she stayed rooted to the spot. Holdenburg needed to scare her away. He meant to make her his, but not in this manner. Not where the ton forced their hand. When Kathleen became his, it would be because he wore down the last of her resistance.

  “Did you come to fulfill my request?” he asked.

  “Your request?”

  “I wish to taste your sweet confection.”

  “You sir, are most improper.”

  “And you, my lady, are a temptation I wish not to deny myself.”

  “You make no sense in your utter ramblings.”

  Devon pushed himself off the bench and snuffed the cigar, strolling to her side.

  “Then let me make myself clear, where your innocent ears can understand what I am saying. I wish to taste you. First, I would start on your lips, for they are the sweetest temptation. Then I would trail my mouth to your breasts and suck your pebbles until they harden under my tongue. When I had my fill, I would continue between your legs where—”

  Kathleen slapped him across the face. A resounding smack echoing in the night air. She gasped and stepped back. Kathleen couldn’t believe she'd struck Devon. Her eyes widened as Devon scowled and advanced toward Kathleen. She turned and ran. Ran as fast as her legs would carry her, which wasn’t far. Her breath loud in her ears, Kathleen heard Devon catching up. Her skirts became tangled and Kathleen was no match for Devon.

  Devon grabbed Kathleen from behind and held her in an iron embrace. He pulled her closer. Kathleen struggled to get free, but Devon’s arms only tightened more. His warm breath brushed across her neck.

  “I will allow you that act only once, my lady. The next time your hand touches me, it will be in pleasure. If you were a man, I would call you out. Instead I will extract my own revenge on your senses.”

  “Never,” Kathleen hissed.

  “Never is a long time, my dear.”

  “Unhand me, this once.”

  “No, I think I will take my revenge now.”

  Devon’s lips brushed across her neck in a caress so soft, Kathleen thought she imagined it. She whimpered from the unknown. When Devon tipped her head back and took her lips in a kiss meant to destroy her, he surprised Kathleen. She expected Devon’s anger from his kiss, instead the caress was gentle. So gentle, Kathleen melted into him. She sighed as his tongue enticed her lips to part. When Kathleen opened to him, Devon overtook her senses. He loosened his hold and turned her around in his arms. His kiss awakened her to his passion. Every nip and stroke of Devon’s tongue urged her to succumb. As soon as Kathleen responded, Devon stopped. Stepping away, he regarded her with his usual smug expression.

  “Your never did not last very long.”

  Kathleen raised her hand to slap him again. He grabbed her wrist, his touch as gentle as his kiss.

  “Remember my threat.”

  Devon dropped her hand, walking away from Kathleen, back into the darkness of the garden. Kathleen rubbed her wrist. His words and actions contradicted each other. She knew she crossed a line with slapping him. It was only because Devon’s whispered words shocked her. Not only shocked Kathleen, but aroused her. She should have never shown Devon her displeasure. It was the number one rule in any game. You never showed your opponent your emotions.

  The touch of Devon’s lips still tingled. Kathleen expected his anger when he'd grabbed her. She was unprepared for Devon’s gentle caress. His exploration of her mouth exploded her senses. Then when Kathleen tried to slap him, Devon only displayed patience with her. Lord Holdenburg remained more of a mystery than ever before.

  Devon continued walking away until he was out of sight, taking him deeper into the garden where other couples snuck away for secret trysts. Devon’s need for Kathleen consumed his senses, and he didn’t notice the gentleman leaning against the tree. The first taste of Kathleen’s lips had heightened his senses to a level he'd never known. Devon knew Kathleen expected anger from her slap, but while he enjoyed their barbs, Devon could never hurt her. Kathleen was more precious to him than anything in the world. Never would Devon raise a hand to harm her. Kathleen was meant for loving. It was only a matter of time before Kathleen would be his.

  Kathleen tried to return to the party but got lost in the twists and turns of the maze. She paused at another dead end. With a hitch in her breath, Kathleen tried to keep her anxiety from taking over. The whispers of the night echoed all around. The darkness closed in. When Kathleen stood on her tiptoes, the lights from the house seemed farther in the distance. Somehow, she had retreated to the back of the maze. After taking many deep breaths, Kathleen’s nerves calmed. That was until she heard the shuffling of feet coming closer.

  Kathleen’s eyes darted, looking for a place to hide. She didn’t want anybody to see what a fool she had been by getting lost. Also, if it were a gentleman, then Kathleen risked being caught in a compromising situation. But there was nowhere to go. She was trapped. Perhaps, if Kathleen squeezed between the hedges, she would go unnoticed. As the dark shadow grew closer, Kathleen tried to wedge herself in between the thorny vines, but their sharpness prevented her. If she continued, she would rip her dress, and that would draw too much attention.

  Kathleen decided to play on her acting skills. Her greatest desire was to be on the stage, but she couldn’t because of her status in the ton. That didn’t stop her from acting now.

  With her head bent, she walked closer to the shadow and began to cry. By the time Kathleen bumped into the shadow, tears streamed along her cheeks.

  Hands steadied Kathleen. When fingers covered in gloves lifted her head, Kathleen encountered a set of haunting eyes. His dark gaze pierced her soul with a blackness that couldn’t be explained. The kind that sent a chill running along Kathleen’s back. However, the gentleman’s smile suggested someone entirely different. It held compassion as his fingers wiped the tears from her face.

  His gentle voice calmed her fears where she'd thought her overactive imagination convinced her he was somebody dark and sinister.

  “Now, now, my dear, it cannot be as awful as all this fuss.”

  Kathleen managed a hiccup to top off her dramatic act. “I fear I am lost and have no direction on how to leave this confusing maze.”

  “Perhaps I can be of assistance? I only came outside for some fresh air to escape the stifling heat of the ballroom.”

  “I do not wish to take you away from your peace of mind.”

  “But I will no longer be at peace if I neglect to aid a charming lady in her confusion. Shall we?”

  His smile urged her to agree. Kathleen must have imagined the evil in his eyes when they first came into contact. For he had shown nothing but a true gentleman’s character. He didn’t force himself on Kathleen and take advantage of her virtue.

  Kathleen slipped a hand under his arm as he guided them along the path. As he negotiated the many twists and turns, Kathleen saw the lights beckoning them were closer.

  “If I may be so bold, my lady, my name is Lord Velden.”

  “Your boldness is most welcome. I should apologize for not offering my name. I am Lady Kathleen Beckwith.”

  Lord Velden still smiled at her. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Kathleen.”

  “The pleasure is all mine. I do not know how I can ever repay your kindness for escorting me out of this madness they call a maze.”

  Lord Velden laughed. His laughter gave Kathleen the same discomfort from when she first encountered his gaze. However, his touch remained impersonal and didn’t step over the bounds of impropriety. Lord Velden continued to act as if he only set about a good deed. Kathleen’s imagination had to be playing tricks, conjuring falsehoods. Her confrontation with Holdenburg had left Kathleen emotional and
allowed her confusion to interfere with Lord Velden.

  “I know it would be very unladylike of me to ask, but can I repay your kindness with a dance?”

  “Your offer is very tempting, my lady. But I must decline. I must attend a prior engagement that I am late for. Perhaps I can accept your repayment in another form?”

  “Oh,” Kathleen paused, pulling her hand away.

  “Nothing as nefarious as that. I thought more along the line of your attendance as my guest at the theater next week.”

  “I am sorry, but I must decline.”

  “Yes, that was too presumptuous of me.”

  “No, it was a grand offer. However, my mother has already accepted an offer from Lord Holdenburg. Perhaps we will see each other there?”

  “Yes, perhaps.”

  Lord Velden bowed and lifted her gloved hand, placing a kiss across her knuckles.

  “Until we meet again, my lady. The minutes spent apart will only enhance our time to come.”

  With those romantic words, Lord Velden escaped into the night. Kathleen sighed from his seductive goodbye. He'd acted the perfect gentleman during her rescue. Kathleen stood at the entrance, alone. She could enter the ball without detection and not have to answer to her whereabouts. If questioned, Kathleen would weave a story about a friend’s tragic encounter with a scoundrel.

  Chapter Six

  Holdenburg saw Kathleen enter the ballroom through the terrace doors with a group of partygoers. The dreamy expression on her face brought forth a scowl. When Holdenburg left Kathleen in the maze, a look of shock had graced her. Now Kathleen appeared as if she held a secret bringing much pleasure. When Holdenburg had finally regretted his actions he went after Kathleen, only to find no trace of her in the maze. After he worked his way out, Holdenburg continued to the ballroom to offer his apologies. However, Kathleen wasn’t there either. Holdenburg searched everywhere.

  When he couldn’t locate her, Holdenburg inquired to Kathleen’s whereabouts with her family. All that did was to draw attention to Kathleen’s absence. Holdenburg never meant to give them a reason for concern. Kathleen’s family dispersed trying to find her safe before word spread of her disappearance.

  Holdenburg strode to Kathleen’s side, separating her from the crowd and guiding her behind the columns.

  “Where have you been?” Holdenburg demanded.

  Kathleen jerked herself away. She wiped her palms along the folds of her dress, hiding their shaking. This evening had developed into a scene from one of the dramas she enjoyed watching. Lord Velden’s goodbye still shook her with a temptation that she wished to explore. With the reappearance of Holdenburg, Kathleen grew more confused than ever. His high-handiness infuriated her, yet she could hear the concern in his voice. She would have responded to his fear, but her anger at his earlier actions prompted her to reply sharply.

  “Where or who I was with is of no concern of yours. You are not my keeper, nor will you ever be.” Kathleen tried to step around Holdenburg, and he blocked her path.

  "Your every action is my concern, or will be soon.” Holdenburg made his threat be known before he stepped away. He made to turn when he halted, recalling Kathleen’s objection. Who I was with? What did she imply?

  “You were not alone in the garden? Who did you keep company with?”

  Kathleen closed her mouth, shocked at Holdenburg’s mention of being her keeper soon. Kathleen didn’t want to divulge the name of her rescuer. It would be her secret. If Lord Velden never entered her life again, then their time would only be a moment in the darkness of night that drew out her curiosity. If she saw Lord Velden once more, then Kathleen would know he held interest in her company. Her lips tightened at the storm in Holdenburg’s eyes. Kathleen took a step back, and Holdenburg followed.

  “Who was he?” Holdenburg growled.

  “Who said it was a gentleman?”

  “The dreamy look on your face at the mere mention that you were not alone.”

  Kathleen had betrayed herself. Now she must convince Holdenburg that she wasn’t alone with a man.

  “Fine, for your information I was consoling Lady Madeline. That scoundrel Lord Millard led her away to the gardens. He attempted to seduce her innocence away. When I came across her, I could not leave her alone. I listened to her sad tale and helped to repair her appearance. Then once she calmed enough to return, we blended in with the crowd returning to the ballroom.”

  Devon listened to her long-winded excuse. Did Kathleen think she could fool him into believing this nonsense? He leaned over to whisper in her ear.

  “Do not think for one second your acting has fooled me. I know your true nature, my dear. Your story is false, but you may fool your family with this performance once they ask for your explanation. I, on the other hand, will seek my answer another way.”

  “What way?” Kathleen squeaked, backing against the wall.

  Devon smiled as he reached to run his thumb across her quivering lips. Yes, he knew Kathleen lied, but she could keep her little secret for now. He would make sure to have Kathleen within his sight at future gatherings. But before he left her, Devon wanted to leave Kathleen with a different memory from the disastrous one of before.

  Kathleen’s lips opened under the gentle stroking. Devon lowered his head and kissed Kathleen with a passion to leave her clinging to his shoulders. He wanted to enflame her senses with nothing but memories of him. The need to wipe away Kathleen’s secret encounter drew him to crush her lips under his and stake his claim. When she whimpered and opened her mouth under his, Devon no longer held back. He stole kiss after kiss from her, leaving her wondering of the passion they could share. As he pulled away, his thumb stroked the wetness off her lips.

  “You will have to wait and find out.”

  With those last words he sauntered away. It was one of the hardest things he did this evening. But if he were to stay, then Kathleen would experience what it felt like to be scandalously seduced in a crowded ballroom. Devon took himself discreetly away, waiting for Kathleen to emerge from behind the columns. When she emerged, Kathleen appeared composed except for one small detail. A look filled with desire now replaced Kathleen’s dreamy expression. The only thing that held him back from rejoining her was when she lifted her hands to her lips and they shook. A sense of smugness settled over him once he realized Kathleen wasn’t as indifferent to him as she portrayed. He blended into the crowd once Dallis approached Kathleen. She would be safe now that her family found her. Devon needed to leave before he did anything else foolish this evening.

  Dallis approached a stunned Kathleen emerging from behind a set of columns. She wrapped her arms around Kathleen’s waist as she drew her away. Dallis looked over her shoulder for anybody hidden in the darkness. When Dallis couldn’t see anybody, she focused on her sister-in-law. Dallis had never seen Kathleen in this state before and grew concerned, especially after Holdenburg had noted her disappearance. Dallis remembered, not so long ago, her own experience of being whisked away behind columns at a ball. Unfortunately for her, nothing happened. That was not without wishing something would have. Not that it mattered anymore, because her scoundrel finally ruined her into the happiest of marriages.

  Regardless, it would appear Kathleen had encountered somebody.

  “Kathleen, what has happened?”

  “His kiss,” she muttered.

  “His kiss? Kathleen, who kissed you?” Dallis whispered before Rory and Mama appeared.

  “Kathleen, where were you?” Mama asked.

  Dallis watched the transformation in Kathleen. No longer was she the stunned debutante, but an actress who strung together a story to fool her family. Dallis recalled acting this way with her grandmother and knew a storyteller when she saw one. The only thing making Kathleen more believable was her acting skills. Kathleen adored the theater and thought herself an actress. Dallis knew there was more to Kathleen’s story than she let on. Dallis wouldn’t interfere for now. But once she got a moment alone with Kathleen, she wo
uld get her answers.

  KATHLEEN SETTLED UNDER the covers while her maid, Susan, put her clothes away. She had adjustments to make with having a maid once more. After her father passed away, money had been too tight for extra servants. During that time Kathleen had come to enjoy her privacy and independence. Since Dallis and Rory had married, Dallis’s money provided them with the privilege to employ more servants. Kathleen tried to refuse, knowing a maid would be one more person she needed to sneak away from.

  After Susan left, Kathleen rose quietly from the bed and pulled out the dress she bought with secret pin money. Part of her felt guilty for keeping this money hidden while their family suffered financially. She'd never spent the extra coin in case she would need to return them to Rory. But luckily, she never had to. Once Dallis shared her wealth, the guilt subsided, and Kathleen commissioned the dress. Oh, not from their regular dress maker, but from one she overheard at a party. Someone who doesn’t question anything but the coin you paid with.

  Kathleen had poured over the designer’s fashion plates until she found the dress that would present her as a lady of rich standing. The one thing she requested was the placement of the fastenings on the gown. Kathleen instructed the dressmaker to hide them in the front, decorated by jewels. That way she could dress herself in the creation without the help of any maid.

  Since Susan was a new servant, Kathleen didn’t know if she could trust her. Probably not, since the girl’s loyalty laid with whom provided her pay. Rory.

  Kathleen drew off her nightgown and slid the new silk creation up her body. She decided to forgo a corset and only wore a thin chemise. The gown was a deep scarlet that enhanced the color of her hair. As Kathleen slid the buttons together, she took a deep breath when the gown tightened around her chest. When she looked in the mirror, she noticed her breasts spilled forth from the gown. Kathleen’s first instinct was to grab a shawl to cover herself, but she stopped. The woman who stared back from the mirror was unknown. The boldness of the lady took pride in her sensuality. Was that image really her? Kathleen held her head higher and confidence shone from the light in her eyes. She raised her hands and ran them along the sides of her breasts, then across her waist. As Kathleen touched herself, thoughts of Devon Holdenburg invaded her senses. How would his hands feel caressing her like this? Would his lips follow the trail of his hands?