He kept his hand on her sex until the waves finally started to subside. Then he removed his hand and stepped back. “You look absolutely stunning when you surrender to me,” he said. He lifted his hand to his mouth and licked off every evidence of her sweet nectar. The sight of it made Joanna whimper.
“I… I didn’t know it could feel like that,” she said, her voice shaking.
He smiled. “It can feel like that with the right partner.”
She moved to get off the table, but her body felt like it was a million pounds. Joanna set to work putting on her jewelry and gloves again, to make sure there was no evidence of what they had just done.
Now that the warmth of pleasure was starting to fade, she felt cold. Tendrils of loneliness crept up inside her, and she cursed herself for her foolishness. How exactly was she supposed to guard her heart and let him give her unimaginable pleasure at the same time?
A knock on the door startled her. She looked at Evan, whose appearance was as impeccable and unruffled as ever. “Enter,” he said, sounding absolutely bored.
The door opened, and the footman entered with the same unreadable expression as before. “Her Grace and Mr. Swinton have returned from the theater, Your Grace.”
“Thank you,” Evan said, nodding. After the footman left, he looked at Joanna ruefully. “It appears our evening is winding down to a close, my lady.”
She glanced at the clock and panic seized her chest when she realized the time. It was after midnight. “Oh, my goodness! I need to leave immediately or my parents will wonder where I am. Goodnight, Your Grace.” She hurried out of the room. With some luck, she would be able to avoid Peter and the dowager duchess and get a carriage back to Clifford Manor.
She hurried down the stairs and made it almost to the entrance when she heard a shout from behind her. “Miss Thorne!”
She turned to see Peter jogging to catch up with her. He looked a little flustered.
She blushed and quickly gave him a curtsy. “Good evening,” she said. “I hope you had a pleasant time at the theater.”
“I did. And I trust you had a pleasant dinner with my brother.”
Her cheeks burned brightly. She wondered if Peter knew what she and Evan were up to. It was scandalous enough for the two of them to have dinner alone with each other, not to mention the wicked games they played later…
Now is certainly not the time to think about that!
Peter smiled at her cordially, as if it was a normal occurrence for young ladies to be running out of his brother’s house. “His Grace told me to get you home safely. Do not worry, Miss Thorne. I promise to be completely discreet.”
She smiled gratefully. “Thank you, sir.” She would much rather have Peter escort her home than try to find a carriage on her own at this hour.
The estate’s personal carriage was still in front of the house, along with the driver. Peter smiled cordially at the man. “I am afraid we have one more stop tonight, Charles. Clifford Manor.”
“Very well, sir,” the man said, nodding. He helped Joanna into the carriage before Peter climbed in. A moment later, the carriage started to move.
Joanna leaned back in the seat, feeling quite tired. She looked out the window, watching the streets go by. Peter stayed quiet instead of pushing for conversation. Perhaps he was just as content to watch the scenery as she was.
Not five minutes later, it began to rain. Drops of water fell from the sky to make the street glitter in the lamplight. She remembered what Evan said about disliking the rain. “His Grace is in the library right now, isn’t he?”
Peter seemed to startle at the sound of her voice, and then he raised an eyebrow at her. “He told you that?” he sounded incredulous.
“Well, he told me that he goes to the library when it rains, so he doesn’t hear or see it. He said he detests the rain. Is it not true?”
“No, it’s true,” Peter said. “The rain is his least favorite thing, and he will go out of his way to keep away from it. It is just not something that he goes around telling people. He must feel close to you.”
Joanna lowered her head shyly. She would not know how close she truly was to the duke. Sometimes, he was a difficult man to read. “I would not say that, Mr. Swinton,” she said quietly.
Peter studied her, almost as if he was seeing her in an entirely different light. She had to resist the urge to squirm under his speculative gaze. “Why does His Grace dislike the rain so much?”
The man grimaced and looked away for a moment before sighing. His eyes met hers once again, and they were filled with unimaginable sadness. Then he blinked, and the look was gone. The emotional turmoil left Joanna reeling. Whatever happened, it affected Peter almost as much as Evan. “It’s not my place to tell,” he said. “Perhaps he will tell you one day.”
She smiled softly and shook her head. “Unless he plans to tell me before the end of the Season, then I am sure I will never know. But no matter. I don’t have the habit of sticking my nose in other people’s personal business, and I should not start now. I am sorry I asked.”
He smirked. “You think you will not see my brother after the end of the Season?”
Joanna swallowed. She had not realized her slip-up when she said it off-handedly. But Evan had stayed true to his word about keeping their business arrangement a secret. He had not even told his own brother. “I am afraid the duke and I have been deceiving you and the rest of theton.We do not have a real courtship, and it will end with the Season.”
