“I suppose I should not be surprised by that,” she said softly. “You are an established rogue, after all.”
Damn it, that statement stung more than it ought to have done. He had never been ashamed of his past before. And he was not ashamed by it now, not precisely. Still, there was something about the way she called him a rogue that made him wish he were not.
Bloody odd.
“There are many benefits to being an established rogue,” he told her, summoning up a cheeky grin.
But for the life of him, he could not summon up a single one as she turned her back and allowed him to settle her hair into place once more.
Chapter Seven
Ways to be Wicked
1.Kiss a man until you are breathless.
2.Arrange for an assignation. Perhaps with Lord Q?
3.Get caught in the rain with a gentleman. (This will necessitate the removal of wet garments. Choose said gentleman wisely.)
4.Sneak into a gentleman’s bedchamber in the midst of the night.
5.Go to a gentleman’s private apartments.
6.Spend a night in a gentleman’s bed.
7.Make love in the outdoors.
8.Ask
Jo could not manage to stifle her yawn.
After two delicious nights of sneaking out of her brother’s townhome and flitting about London with Decker, she was tired. Tired and excited and filled with a tangled mess of yearning and newfound desire.
Mr. Elijah Decker was many things. Scoundrel. Rakehell. Skilled kisser. Strike that—exceedinglyskilled kisser. Handsome rogue. Sinfully charming. Observant. Peculiar. Witty.
Tempting. So very, very tempting.
Sigh.What was it about him that was turning her into a ninny? Mere days ago, she had considered him the enemy. And now? Now, he was decidedly something else. Something she would not contemplate.
“Is something amiss, dearest Jo?” Her friend Callie’s voice interrupted her musings. “You look as if you are about to fall asleep into your tea.”
Jo was sure she was flushing. Again. Ever since a certain man had entered her life, she had been doing a more than reasonable amount of that.
Lady Helena Davenport, who had joined them for tea at Callie’s townhome this afternoon, chimed in before Jo could answer. “Please tell us it is something exciting that has you nodding off at your cup and not that we are boring you dreadfully.”
Golden-haired and statuesque, Lady Helena was a welcome addition to their coterie of friends. She was outspoken and had an excellent sense of humor.
“Of course you are not boring me dreadfully,” Jo denied. “I have spent a few nights staying up late reading. That is all.”
“What book is it?” Callie asked. “I have been looking for something to keep me occupied while Sinclair is busy arranging improvements upon Helston Hall.”
Drat.Perhaps she ought to have crafted a better excuse. Jo had not read a book in ages.
“It is the most entertaining book,” she hedged, her voice sounding weak, even to her own ears. “Filled with inappropriate humor and…desserts.”
That was a rather pathetic attempt, Josephine.
Moreover, it sounded as if she had just described her evening with Decker,sanskisses of course.
