Robert followed his friend into the room, quirking an eyebrow at her.
Cheltie smirked and caught her arm as she skittered around him. “My dear Beth. Entering a man’s bedchamber is naughty. I believe you should be punished, don’t you?”
Beth gasped and slid her eyes to Robert, a plea in them. Once she might have jumped at the chance to have Cheltie’s hands on her, but now Robert was her sole focus.
Robert turned away.
Disappointment lanced through her. He did not care if his friend touched her.
At Evan’s repeated question, she answered, “Yes, my lord.” Trying in vain to live up to her reputation, she gave a half-hearted flutter of her lashes.
“Excellent. I agree,” Cheltie went on. “Unfortunately, I need to speak with Althea before supper, but Ford here”—Robert whipped back around with a glare—“is quite good at correcting naughty girls’ bad behavior. He may even have some toys—ahem, tools, which could help manage that behavior through the meal?”
Robert nodded thoughtfully.
Ohh. Yes, please.
“Right, then. You two work out the specifics. Althea is coming to this room in a few minutes, and we shall await you downstairs.”
Robert beckoned her to follow him, and she did so with alacrity.
Reaching his now-unlocked room, he hustled over to a trunk and dug through it, muttering, “Right. With that gown, our options are limited.”
“I can change.” Beth sighed with happiness at his enthusiastic contemplation of choices for her punishment, as she knew she’d enjoy it by the end of the night. However, she remained wary given his easy capitulation to Cheltie a few minutes ago.
“No. You will go out like that, my peach. You wanted to show off your assets. You will do so. Our choices may be limited, but I have something perfect for the occasion.”
He pulled out a corset with holes in the bosom area and a strap hanging from the bottom of the front panel. It was the palest of tans, almost the color of butter.
“My supplier found this hue and held it for me. I bought the entire length and asked for more. I think ’twill be perfect for any apparel I make for under lighter colored gowns.” He smirked at her pale peach-pink gown and circled a finger in the air. “It appears tonight is an excellent opportunity to test it. Turn, please, let’s not keep our friends waiting.”
He undid her gown and tugged it downward for her to step out. Without a chemise, she hoped she’d convince him that Althea and Evan could wait.
But the prince of delayed gratification ignored her very obvious assets, reaching around to pass the corset in front of her, then drawing the laces through the first several eyelets at the base of her spine.
She twisted an inch from side to side, feeling the leather warm to her skin. Not as smooth as silk, but certainly not as rough as muslin.
Oh, but the cutouts. The holes in the cups lined up almost perfectly with her nipples, allowing them to rub against the silk of her gown, mayhap even be visible through the pale fabric.
The thought made her rub her thighs together as a spurt of heat surged through her. Her nipples tightened, poking through the holes.
As though he read her mind, Robert turned her toward him with the corset half-laced and stepped back to admire the front.
She preened, arching her back an inch.
“Hmm. I was off by a hairsbreadth.” His finger circled the opening of the leather around each nipple. “I am glad I cut them larger than they needed to be.”
“Off? You made this for me?” Godsakes his finger was distracting. Had she heard his comment correctly?
“You seemed determined to try every piece on. I thought you should have your own. I cannot adjust the placement here though.”
He expected to see me again. Dare I hope the thought pleased him? Or did he only consider our shared friends circle?
He lifted his finger, allowing another more urgent thought to enter.
“Robert, what if my nipples show through my gown?”
“Mayhap it will help you remember a chemise next time. I’m more interested in what the slide of silk will do to you throughout supper.”
