“Not another bloody word, Aurora,” he snarled.
“This is coming with me.” She picked up the book still sitting on the table. “I’m not finished with my research.”
“Aurora.”
Goodness, Worth sounded quite savage, unsurprising, she decided, given the tight stretch of his trousers. Aurora on the other hand, felt wonderful. Still in a euphoric daze, she managed to make it to the drawing room door. She waited for shame ormortification to engulf her, but those feelings were absent. There wasn’t even any guilt at challenging Worth and pushing him over the edge.
Aurora placed her hand on the door, daring to turn and take one last look at Worth. He hadn’t moved. He was right about one thing. This was a dangerous game between them. She wasn’t sure how it should end.
Maybe it never would.
“Good day, Mr. Worthington. I’ll see myself out.”
Chapter Twelve
Two days later,at exactly three o’clock in the afternoon, Charles poured himself a much-needed brandy after the negotiations he’d just gone through for a piece of property in Manchester and turned to see that Aurora once more invaded his drawing room.
Once more, she sat calmly on the settee, not even put off when he stated plainly for her to leave.
Charles was going to have a pointed discussion with Ropely. More importantly, how was Aurora evading her chaperone and visiting Charles?
“Chapter three. Page seventeen.”
He had no idea what page seventeen contained, just as he hadn’t page twenty-six. If she’d left the book behind, as he asked her, Charles would have studied the blasted thing.
Dressed in green sprigged muslin, Aurora resembled nothing so much as a lovely spring day. So lovely an ache filled his chest at the sight of her. One tiny curl dangled above her ear tempting him to press his lips to the spot and tug on that chestnut curl.
Dear God, everything about Aurora tempted him.
“You,” he snarled, “should not be here.”
Not put off by his tone and unwelcoming manner, Aurora merely brandishedThe Bloom of the Rose, holding it up like some bloody shield. “I have questions.”
“Get your answers elsewhere.”
“Very well. I suppose I could read passages of this book to Grisham. He’s staid, but I’m sure with the correct incentive, hemight be convinced. I’d probably end up wed to him. I suppose being a countess won’t be so terrible.” She made to stand.
Charles growled. He couldn’t stop it. “What is on page seventeen?” he hissed, knowing she’d defeated him once more.
“I’m to sit in your lap. But if you are so opposed, I can sit on Healey’s lap.” She shrugged as if it didn’t matter.
He held out his hand for the book.
Aurora gave him an innocent smile and opened the book to the pages she’d bookmarked.
The next hour was spent in pleasant torture with Aurora on his lap, grinding her backside against his cock. Charles thrust his fingers deep inside her while his thumb toyed with the small button hidden in her folds. He nipped at her neck, tugging at the honeysuckle scented skin with his teeth.
Aurora screamed out her release, bucking wildly against his thighs.
Thankfully, Ropely although delinquent in his duty to refuse Aurora entry, had the decency to call yet another staff meeting in the kitchens.
Before he could stop her, Aurora once more left withThe Bloom of the Rosetucked into her reticule. The deliberate twitch of her hips as she sailed out of his drawing room left Charles with little doubt that she would be back. He was left unbelievably hard and aroused, shocked at his own lack of control and bitterly acknowledging his defeat.
That damned book that was the cause of this entire mess. He should never have assumed Aurora would be shocked by the confessions of a courtesan. Honestly, his stupidity was mind boggling. She’d neatly snared him in a trap of his own making.
The moment the door shut and Aurora’s carriage pulled away, Charles took himself in hand stroking the almost painful length of his cock. He spent himself in a handkerchief, grateful that Aurora had shut the door behind her.
Brought low by a girl in her second Season.
