“Inroads?” Julian arched a brow, his interest piqued. He had encouraged her to take action about her beliefs. Creating a group with influence that could potentially sway parliament had been his idea.
“Yes,” she said on a satisfied sigh as he kissed her neck again and his fingers found the buttons she’d already undone on her bodice. “An MP is sweet on her, and she hopes to influence him. He’s the younger brother of the Duke of Bainbridge.”
“Bainbridge is an arrogant, pompous, unyielding stone wall of a man,” Julian said against her skin, his tone suggesting he found the notion humorous. “I doubt very much he’d allow someone as free-spirited as Lady Bo to bend his brother’s ear.”
Clara thought of what her friend had said about the duke.Frigid as Wenham Lake ice. Disapproving of everyone save his superior self.“She’s been invited to the family home, so it couldn’t be as bad as all that. It’s some sort of country house event, or so I gather.”
“Good luck to her. Or perhaps I ought to say good luck to Bainbridge.” Julian made short work of the remainder of the buttons on her bodice, peeling it open. In another breath, he’d loosened her corset and tugged it and her chemise down, allowing her breasts to spill free into the humid summer air. “Either way, I’ve more pressing concerns at the moment.”
She moaned and arched into him as he sucked a nipple. “More pressing concerns? What could they possibly be?” As she asked him the question, she slid her hand down his taut belly to the rigid protrusion of his cock beneath his trousers. She cupped him, feeling an answering ache between her thighs.
He caught her nipple in his teeth before releasing it with a lusty sound. “I have a feeling you already know, Lady Ravenscroft.”
“Do I, Lord Ravenscroft?” She attempted a look of innocence. “Perhaps you ought to show me, just to be certain.”
In one swift motion, he scooped her up in his arms. “With pleasure.”
She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly, her heart bursting with happiness. “I love you, Julian,” she said again, for she couldn’t speak the words enough, it seemed. She never wanted him to forget. He was a man so very much in need of love and so very worthy of it too.
“I love you too, little dove,” he said against her lips. “More than you know. Now, if I could only find the spot where you taste the sweetest.”
“It may require some research, my love,” she told him with mock seriousness.
He grinned down at her as he carried her back inside. “Never let it be said I’m not an excellent student.”
And he proceeded to show her just how excellent he was.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for readingRestless Rake! I hope you enjoyed this fifth installment in the Heart’s Temptation series. Julian stole my heart from the moment he appeared inA Mad Passion, and I knew I’d have to write his story one day. Finally, he and Clara have their happily ever after!
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As always, please consider leaving an honest review ofRestless Rake. Reviews are greatly appreciated!
If you’d like a preview of Book Six in the Heart’s Temptation series featuring the spirited Lady Bo and the oh-so-proper duke who can’t resist her, do read on.
Until next time,
Heart’s Temptation Book Six
An untamable hellion…
Lady Boadicea Harrington is a scandal waiting to happen. She’s too outspoken, too opinionated, and far too much of a flirt to ever land a good match.
But that doesn’t concern her. The last of her sisters on the marriage mart, she isn’t about to settle down. In fact, she doesn’t plan to marry at all. If only she could tone down her wild streak and force herself to behave…
A rigidly proper man…
The Duke of Bainbridge is one of the most powerful men in England, so frigid that it’s rumored his own wife committed suicide to escape him.
When Spencer learns his madcap younger brother is pursuing the unsuitable Lady Boadicea, he’s determined to put an end to their ill-advised flirtation. But his best intentions go awry when he discovers his own baffling inability to resist her.
Ice meets fire…
Spencer never meant to so thoroughly compromise Lady Bo that he’s duty-bound to wed her. Bo certainly never intended to enjoy being in his arms or to find him so wickedly tempting.
Can her passionate fire prove enough to melt his icy heart, or are they forever doomed to a cold marriage of convenience?
