“Fancy a round of whist, Rogue?” One gentleman asked. “Or are you here to show us your lady?”
“We do,” Natalie answered for them. The gentleman seemed to balk, but two others, Mr. Lupton and Lord Phelps, rose and took his place, coming to the table.
“We would be delighted to play a round with you, Comtesse,” Mr. Lupton said in a charming tone while his eyes roamed her body.
"I do not believe I have ever seen you around," Phelps said to Natalie as Jasper began to shuffle the cards.
"Why would you see me?" she responded with a sardonic rise of her eyebrow. "I am only in England for this man," she added, a sultry smile spreading across her lips.
Jasper smiled. He wanted to kiss her in front of these men to seal her words, but it would require the removal of their masks. He looked at Phelps and dealt him his cards first, challenging him to respond to Natalie’s statement. Of course, he could not. Like most of the foolish fops about town, he waved his title about like a flag with no substantial wit to support it.
"Well then, I hope we will see you more often now that the Rogue has deigned to show his gem to us," Lupton said as he received his cards.
"Oh, but a gem is hardly one if everyone could see it as they please," Natalie smirked. Jasper tugged slightly at his neckcloth in an effort to contain the laugh bubbling in his chest. It was evident that people around had caught on to Natalie's subtle insults, and they were all trying to hide their mirth, too.
"You never told me that you spoke French," he whispered in her ear, and he placed her cards in her hand.
“The night is full of surprises, no?” She rose from his lap and sat on one corner of the table. “And you may not have a peek at my cards,Monsieur.” He was starting to love the way she called him that. Lupton swallowed thirstily at her closeness, and Jasper gave him a warning look.
They began to play, and it quickly became apparent that Clifford was not the only one skilled at cards in the family. She quickly outplayed Lupton and Phelps, and when it was only the two of them left, he wondered if she would win.
Jasper surprised himself by allowing her to win. This was not a night to stroke his ego. She might not appreciate the fact that he allowed her to win, but he could not bring himself to compete with her before all these men.
Lupton and Phelps kissed her knuckles in congratulations, and this did not please Jasper. He gently drew her back onto his lap and asked if anyone was interested in another game. “Only with the Comtesse,” he said.
“You will not play?” she asked, surprised.
“You are on a victorious path, and I wish for you to stay upon it.”
He placed a large wager for her, and they played. With every victory, she made an excited little jump that engorged his member while her bosom danced delectably underneath her dress, the candlelight casting a soft glow upon it.
Jasper noticed everyone staring shamelessly at Natalie, and bitterness tightened his throat. Acting entirely on impulse, he rose and took her hand, leading her across the room to the door. Although her surprise was apparent in her lovely eyes, she neither stopped nor protested. He made his way to the private room that was always reserved for him and guided her inside, locking the door.
"Why did you do that?" Natalie looked utterly displeased by his interruption of their game. He also found it impressive that she could hide her displeasure from everyone else.
"Perhaps you should ask yourself that, or the gentlemen," he returned, something uncomfortable burning in his chest. He knew he was being irrational at the moment, but he could not help himself.
"I do not see anything wrong with their pleasant reception of us," she argued.
"I seeeverythingwrong with it." His voice was too passionate.
Natalie started to speak but stopped. "Are you perhaps…jealous?" She sounded amused now, and he wished he could see all of her face.
If that is what the bitterness I am feeling is, then I am jealous. Incomprehensibly so.None of those gentlemen had the right to regard her the way they did.
You have no right, as well,a small mocking voice pointed out in his mind, but Jasper snuffed it, pulling her into his arms before she could put in any more words and taking her mouth in a searing kiss.
Chapter 17
Ladies and gentlemen, the Masked Rogue of London lives on a ship! Now we may search every ship at the harbor for his abode.
Jasper kissed Natalie thoroughly, holding her against a wall and covering her body with his. He removed both of their masks and tossed them onto the floor.
She never imagined he would be jealous, but the discovery strengthened her confidence, and since she was a different woman tonight, she wanted to gain pleasure.
“You are mine, Natalie,” Jasper murmured as he feathered kisses along her neck, moving down to her breasts.
She caught his face and raised it so she could look into his eyes. “I am not yours,” she said, because if she allowed him to continue to pronounce it, she might feel and even hope it would be real. Natalie wanted to spare herself that trouble. “But the Comtesse could be, though.”
