A Rake in Winter Page 3
“I wonder if you taste as sweet as you look.”
CHAPTER FOUR
On the subject of animals...
“I’ve never met a dog I did not like. Or a cat for that matter.” – Miss Merry Clearwater
“Give me a horse over a woman any day. They’re quieter, and far more loyal.” – His Grace the Duke of Kendalwood
Merry was about to be kissed by the Duke of Kendalwood. There was no doubting it. Not when he was looking at her as though she were a scrumptious piece of fruit he couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into.
“Are you – are you sure this is a very good idea?” she ventured nervously. “After all we hardly know one another and to be quite honest I do not think I like you very much.”
Dragging his eyes away from her mouth, Kendalwood met her flustered gaze and grinned. “Which is precisely why we should do it.” Moving his right hand off the stall, he gently lifted a dark curl from her cheek and tucked it behind her ear, fingers brushing against her ivory skin. “Is this your first kiss, Merry Clearwater?”
“Yes.” Why were her palms sweating? Were his palms sweating? For some reason she did not think so. The duke looked far too comfortable to have perspiring palms. Biting her lip, she covertly tucked her hands into the large pockets of his coat. “Is this your first kiss?”
“I should bloody well hope not,” he said, looking mildly offended she would even ask such a question.
Merry frowned. “Then how many women have you kissed?”
“Enough to know how it is done.”
“Have you ever kissed someone in a barn before?”
A line of bemusement settled between his brows. “Would it matter if I had?”
“I do not know.” Her shoulders lifted and fell beneath the heavy coat. “Maybe.”
He leaned in closer, his broad hands settling on her narrow shoulders. “Why don’t we find out,” he suggested in a husky voice that sent a shiver of awareness rippling all the way from Merry’s head down to her toes.
In the deep pockets of the coat her hands curled into tiny fists, and she had to draw two deeps breaths before she managed to say, “Very well. You have my permission to kiss me.”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “Close your eyes,” he whispered softly as he cupped her jaw and tilted her head back.
Merry immediately did as he requested, pinching her eyelids together so tight she saw white spots of light dancing across the back of them. Pulse racing, she began to draw her bottom lip between her teeth until she realized Kendalwood would most likely need it and released her lip with a tiny pop of suction.
She felt his warm breath before his nose lightly bumped against her nose, settling into a groove she hadn’t even known existed. And then his mouth was on her mouth, and they were kissing, and it was nothing like she had been expecting it to be.
For such a cold, controlling man, the duke was an astoundingly gentle kisser. He took his time, letting her grow accustomed to the weight and the feel of his mouth before he deepened the kiss, tracing her lips with his tongue before sliding between them. Not expecting the intimate contact Merry stiffened, but before she could even think to pull away Kendalwood assuaged her fears with a soothing murmur and a quick, teasing bite on her bottom lip he instantly soothed with his tongue.
His hands trailed up the curve of her neck, fingertips sinking into tense muscle before settling into the thick tendrils of her hair. Pins scattered across the aisle as his fingertips sank into her coiffure, drawing her head back even further to expose the slender line of her throat.
When he drew away from her lips she released a soft cry of protest. A cry of protest that quickly turned into a moan of surprised delight when his mouth settled on the fluttering pulse point hiding beneath the curve of her jaw.
Who knew there was so much to kissing? Her mind was assailed with emotions even as her body succumbed to a myriad of feelings.
Heat.
Want.
Need.
Passion.
The sensations aroused by Kendalwood’s expert touch swept over her like a wave. In some distant part of her mind Merry knew she should have struggled to the surface, but instead of fighting against the tide she let it carry her under, spiraling down, down, down into a warm, cozy enclave from which she would have been happy never to emerge.
How unfortunate it was that all good things always had to come to an end, and the duke’s kiss was no exception. When his hands slid from her hair and he lifted his mouth from her neck Merry remained frozen in place with her eyes closed, overwhelmed by her first taste of true desire.
“Well.” Kendalwood’s smooth voice, ripe with amusement and a touch of arrogance that instantly grated on Merry’s nerves, broke the sudden silence. “What did you think of your first kiss?”
She opened her eyes to find him staring at her in a mocking sort of way, his brows lifted and his mouth curved in a smirk.
“It was...fine,” she said, hoping he couldn’t see how pink her cheeks were in the dim lighting.
“Fine?” Kendalwood repeated. “Fine?” Smirk dissolving into a scowl, he crossed his arms as a petulant child might. “That kiss was damn well better than fine.”
Merry shrugged. “If you say so.”
“I damn well do say so.” Jaw clenching, he shifted his weight to his heels and glared down at her. “Who are you to judge a kiss in the first place? You did not even know how it was done until five minutes ago.”
“Did it last for five minutes?” she said mildly. “It felt more like five seconds to me.” Merry was not the sort of person to antagonize on purpose, but she couldn’t help but draw secret delight from the duke’s growing annoyance. No doubt he was accustomed to women tripping over themselves to pay him a compliment, and he did not have the faintest idea what to do with her air of nonchalance.
“You are jesting with me.” Finally noting her high color and the dazed look in her eye, Kendalwood unfolded his arms as a reluctant smile softened his features. “Aren’t you, Merry Clearwater?”
“Only a little bit,” she admitted. Drawing her hands from the pockets of Kendalwood’s coat, she pressed her palms to her warm cheeks. “The kiss was...rather nice.”
“Nice?” He lifted a brow.
“Oh, very well.” Huffing out a breath, she shuffled her feet and admitted, “It was the most splendid thing I have ever experienced. Life-changing, really. I do not know how I shall go on now that I have known the sweet taste of your–”
“You have made your point,” he growled.
“I should hope so.” Her gaze darted to the door as a sudden thought occurred. “We have been gone for quite some time. Do you think our absence has been noticed?”
Kendalwood shrugged. “Most likely.”
“But...but won’t people talk?”
Looking blissfully unconcerned with the idea of stirring up gossip, he simply repeated, “Most likely.”
She bit the inside of her cheek. “I should go.”
“By all means. I will accompany you in.”
“Would that not imply–”
“You were not feeling well at dinner and went for a walk. You got turned around in the snow and I found you wandering in the barn. My gentlemanly duty demanded I accompany you back to the house, which is precisely what I will do.”
When he put it that way...
“All right. Although,” she pointed out as he took her arm and led her back down the aisle, “I do not think a gentleman would kiss a young lady in the stables.”
Pausing to open the door, Kendalwood turned his head and grinned down at her. “Who ever said I was a gentleman?”
Her brow furrowed. “You did. Just a moment ago.”
With a mild sigh of exasperation coupled with a muted snort of laughter, he wrapped his arm firmly around her shoulders to prevent her from slipping as they stepped out into the snow. “Come on, little hen. Let’s return you to your flock.”
CHAPTER FIVE
On the subject of favo
rite treats
“I do love apricot pudding.” – Miss Merry Clearwater
“Food is well and good, but I much prefer my treats to be a bit more...delectable.” – His Grace the Duke of Kendalwood
If Merry had been hoping to get through the rest of the evening without having to look at Kendalwood again, let alone speak to him, she was destined for disappointment.
After dinner was finished and the guests were ready to depart, they found their way blocked by a veritable mountain of snow.
“Well then,” Mrs. Clearwater said brightly as everyone was herded into the drawing room while bedrooms were readied, “it appears as though we will be spending the night!”
Taking a quick glance around, Merry quickly realized she was the only one who did not approve of their current situation. Enthralled with the idea of sleeping beneath the same roof as the Duke of Kendalwood, women were smiling ear to ear while the men, although notably less enthusiastic, were making do with a seemingly endless supply of scotch and cigars. Within minutes a cloud of thick smoke hung heavily in the air and Merry retreated to the far corner of the drawing room where a thoughtful servant had opened one of the windows.
Perching on the sill she stared silently out into the night, her mind still whirling from the unexpected events that had occurred in the barn. Unconsciously she brought her hand to her mouth, tracing her lips with the soft pad of her thumb.
Her very first kiss...and with a duke, no less! She wondered if it had meant as much to Kendalwood as it had to her. Not likely, she thought with a wry smile. After all, the duke had kissed dozens of women. He’d said as much himself. What was one short embrace with a woman he hardly knew?
He would forget her, as everyone else did.
It was only a matter of time.
When the butler announced their rooms were ready – Lady Bishop had long since retired to bed and Kendalwood was nowhere to be found – it was a mad dash up the stairs as everyone jockeyed for the best bedroom. Finding herself caught in the middle of the melee, Merry quickly lost sight of Cadence and her mother. Grabbing hold to the bannister as though it were a lifeline in the middle of a rolling storm she waited for everyone to pass, gritting her teeth at the absurdity of grown adults acting as though they were small, selfish children intent on grabbing the last toy.
Once the stairwell was clear and the echo of opening and closing doors had faded, Merry slowly made her way to the second floor. Immediately upon reaching the landing, however, she realized her mistake: in waiting for everyone to select their room, she had absolutely no idea where her sister and mother were.
“Drats,” she muttered under her breath as she tip toed forward, gaze darting uncertainly from one door to another. They were all firmly shut, leaving her with no choice but to begin knocking.
The first door opened to reveal a tall, thin brunette Merry recognized from dinner.
“There you are,” she said in a nasally tone. “I rang the bell nearly three minutes ago, you know. Take these” – she shoved a pile of towels into Merry’s arms – “and warm them. How can I be expected to dry my face with cold towels? Honestly.” Closing the door with a hard snap, she left Merry standing in the middle of the hallway, her arms filled with towels and her face filled with incredulity.
First she’d been compared to a hen, and now this women thought she was a servant?
She really should have stayed at home.
Carrying the towels with her – she did not want to leave them on the floor and make a mess for a tired maid to clean up – Merry marched herself back down the stairs. Once Cadence realized she was missing she would come looking for her. Instead of knocking on door after door the best thing to do would be to remain in one place and wait to be found.
Unfortunately, she hadn’t the faintest idea where to go. The dining room was out of the question as it was currently being cleaned, as was the drawing room. After wandering around for a little while she managed to stumble upon the library. Easily twice the size of her library at home, it was decorated in floor to ceiling bookshelves and illuminated by a cozy fire tucked behind two large leather chairs. Setting the towels aside on a vacant table, Merry perused the shelves, fingertips trailing across the spines of the books as she looked for one that would hold her interest until Cadence arrived.
Spying a personal favorite – Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice – she carefully slid it off the shelf and retreated to one of the leather chairs in front of the fire.
Within moments she was swept away in the romantic tale of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett. Too consumed with turning the pages to hear the faint creaking of the door as it opened, she did not notice she was no longer the only person in the library until a dark shadow loomed over her shoulder, causing her to gasp and slam the book shut.
“Cadence you frightened me!” she accused before she twisted around in her chair. “You should know better than to sneak...up... You aren’t Cadence.”
“That,” Kendalwood said mildly as he stepped between the two leather chairs and settled into the vacant one, “is an excellent observation.”
“What – what are you doing here?” Covertly setting Pride and Prejudice aside Merry tugged her skirts into place and frowned at the duke, annoyed with herself – and him – that he’d managed to catch her off guard two times in one evening.
“I feel as though we just had this conversation.” Firelight played across Kendalwood’s face, illuminating his strong jawline and chiseled cheekbones. He’d changed into a loose fitting white shirt and a snug pair of black breeches. Looking completely at ease, he sipped from the glass of scotch he’d brought with him and grinned at her over the rim. “I only hope it ends the same way as the last one did.”
Blushing bright pink as she recalled the passionate kiss they’d shared, Merry vehemently shook her head from side to side, sending what remained of her coiffure tumbling down around her shoulders in a disheveled mess of brown curls. “That will not happen again.”
“Why not?” Smile turning roguish, he deliberately looked at her mouth before slowly raising his gaze. “You seemed to enjoy yourself.”
“People often enjoy things that are bad for them. That does not make them any less bad.”
“Spoken like a true saint.” Raising his glass of scotch, Kendalwood stared contemplatively into the amber liquid. “Tell me more about yourself, Merry Clearwater. The only thing I know is your name...” Lifting his eyes, he met her wary gaze. “And the breathy little sound you make when you’re experiencing great pleasure.”
“Oh!” Scrambling to the edge of the chair, Merry shot to her feet. “That is a highly inappropriate thing to say!”
Setting his scotch aside, Kendalwood steeped his fingers together as his mouth curved in an unrepentant grin that reached all the way up to the corners of his eyes. “Which is precisely why I said it. I must admit, little hen, I do enjoy getting your feathers in a ruffle.”
Merry crossed her arms and scowled. She knew she should have been watching her tongue more closely – especially in the presence of a duke – but there was something about Kendalwood that made her want to say exactly what she was thinking. He flustered her, but for whatever reason he did not intimidate her. For some it may have not been much of a distinction, but for Merry it made all the difference in the world.
“So you enjoy getting your amusement at the expense of others, do you?” she asked.
“No.” Unfolding his long, powerful body Kendalwood stood up. With nothing between them except the light of the fire he was easily able to reach out and capture one of Merry’s thick curls between his fingers. Rubbing the tendril until it gleamed, he stared straight into her eyes as he whispered, “Only you, it would seem. Tell me, Merry Clearwater, do you enchant every man you meet?”
“Enchant?” she said dazedly. Being this close to him again was an assault on her already vulnerable senses. She could smell his cologne and if she but reached out she would be able to touch the hard firmness of his chest...
“Merry?” Cadence’s annoyed voice carried easily into the library. “Merry, are you in there?”
“Just – just a moment!” Merry cried.
“Your sister, I presume?” Kendalwood asked.
“Yes! And if she finds you in here with me...” Merry pinched her temple between her thumb and pointer finger. She did not even want to think of the tantrum Cadence would throw. “Please hide,” she said, looking pleadingly up at the duke.
He gazed down at her, the corners of his mouth twitching with amusement even as his gold-flecked eyes stared intently into her face as though committing every inch to memory. “If that is what you want...”
“It is! Oh, it is.”
“Then you have to give me something in return.”
Merry threw her hands up. “Anything!” she hissed. “Just please hurry!”
Releasing her hair, he stepped back and crossed both arms over his chest. “A kiss.”
“A – A what?” she gasped.
“You heard me. I want a kiss. Not right this second,” he said when she glanced frantically at the door. “But sometime soon. One kiss, Merry Clearwater, or I invite your sister in here and now.”
Not knowing what else to do, she glared up at him and bit out, “Fine. One kiss in exchange for your complete and utter discretion. Now would you please make yourself scarce!”
Bringing the flat of his hand across his brow in a mock salute, Kendalwood stepped silently back into the shadows. “Your wish is my command.”
CHAPTER SIX
On the subject of love at first sight
“I must admit I’ve never experienced it firsthand. My sister has though. On several occasions.” – Miss Merry Clearwater
“Do I believe it in? Unfortunately yes. Do I ever think it will happen to me? It bloody well better not.” – His Grace the Duke of Kendalwood
“You are jesting.” Throwing herself rather dramatically onto a high cushioned settee, Lady Genevieve Longacre – better known to her friends and family as Evie – crossed her long legs at the knee and lifted both brows. A tall, slender redhead with a riotous mane of curls and vivid green eyes that tilted at the corners like a cat, Evie was as renowned for her striking beauty as she was for her brash manner.