Chapter One
Lord Kendrick, Duke of Alton
Sunshine reflected off the leaves in the garden at my new London home. I stood in front of a large block of marble and eyed Gavin, who stood on a pedestal that abutted the far garden wall. He dropped the robe, and the burgundy fabric drifted down his sinewy body. Golden blond hair shimmered in the sun. Indeed, he was a fine specimen for my latest project; a garden sculpture for the Queen. Chisel in hand, I angled it on the stone and, using a small hammer, tapped the surface.
“Kendrick.” My mother exited from the outer door to my left. “There you are.”
A chip landed on the tarp at my feet. I lifted the tool and performed the task again. “Mother, I wasn’t expecting you.”
I had commandeered the bottom floor of the house for my studio because of its easy access to the garden. Models were imperative to my work, and I often hired one to pose for my various projects. Even within the city, being out in nature helped with the creative process.
“No, I’m sure you were not. Are you aware that your butler is on duty and isn’t wearing his livery? What kind of household does the man run here?” She frowned in disapproval.
“I allow my staff to wear what they want. As I explained when I purchased this place, I intend this house to be for me and me alone. Other than you, no one of consequence visits. Aslong as the staff meets my needs, I’m flexible.” I was determined to have a casual household, a concept my mother would never understand. As a duke, I was born living with structure and strict rules and I found it wearisome.
“You have always been independent, and you seem happier. I—oh dear, is that really necessary?” She noticed Gavin for the first time. Her outrage would’ve been believable if she weren’t ogling the man with attentive eyes.
“Yes, it is. Would you like to meet him?” While I loved my mother, she often stuck her nose into my business. She pretended it didn’t bother her that I lived in a separate residence than she. I carried a touch of guilt over the fact, but I needed my freedom. I wasn’t like other men of my station. Pomp and circumstance held no appeal for me.
“No, that will not be necessary. Please stop glowering. I’m just stopping in for a moment. I’m having tea with Lady Vivian, the Countess of Tapper. She lives next door.” Mother still refused to send a note around before visiting despite my many hints. If she’d shown up here an hour before, she might have walked in on me while I was sucking Gavin’s very generous cock. My gaze flickered in his direction, and my pulse hummed with the flicker of infatuation. Once I finished working for the afternoon, he owed me a cock-sucking in reciprocity.
“I never glower.” I leaned in and kissed her cheek. The familiar scent of rosewater would forever be a comfort to me. “I haven’t met my neighbors, and no, I don’t wish to go with you on a social call.”
“I never even considered asking. Lady Tapper is a recent acquaintance of mine. She is on the committee for the children’s foundling home.” My mother was a philanthropist and often gave her time to worthy causes. The fact that her new friend lived next door was suspect, however. Either it was a happy coincidence or a calculated move on her part.
“Lady Tapper’s daughters are all married. Well, I guess all but one. Lillian is a mousy thing with her nose always in a book. I didn’t come here to talk about her, however. I need your schedule for this week. I have met the loveliest young lady I would like you to meet. She is young, a month shy of sixteen. However, she is an heiress.” Mother fiddled with the gold bracelet on her wrist, a sure sign she was nervous about my reaction to her suggestion. I was ashamed to admit I avoided marriage for one reason; it would curtail my freedom to follow my passions with minimal fear of discovery. However, I had allowed myself to wait until I was thirty before I would give in to the inevitable. I passed that threshold last week. Responsibility loomed, and I would do my duty to my title at the cost of my own desires.
Her gaze drifted to Gavin as she adjusted the brim of her white hat. The threads of silver running through her hair enhanced the pale blondness. I had my father’s coloring but her eyes. She was a handsome woman whose sole goal in life was to marry off her child. Me.
“She sounds young.” I wasn’t averse to marrying if the right woman came along, but I wasn’t interested in someone half my age either. My tastes were eclectic. I was more interested in someone with character and wit than pedigree. Too many society ladies had no outside interests save gossip and clothing. “As for my schedule, ask Colt. He should be around here somewhere.”
“According to your butler, he has the afternoon off.”
“Oh yes, I forgot. This must be Wednesday.” My personal secretary, Colt, visited his mother every week on the same day. He was organized and on top of things. I drifted with the wind. He might work for me, but he was my closest confidant. I didn’t know what I would do without him.
Colt was old-fashioned in some ways and pragmatic in others. I depended on him, and if there was another person I loved as much as my mother, it was him. “You will have to wait until his return. I don’t know what fresh hell he has booked for me.”
“The season is starting, and there is a whole bevy of young ladies wishing to become the next Duchess of Alton, not to mention the need for an heiress. Your father, rest his soul, was a wastrel. It would behoove you to pick a suitable bride and produce my grandchildren.” My mother was sensible and didn’t mince words at times. It was a privilege she’d gained with the title.
“I’ll get right on that. How many would you like?” I chipped away more of the marble, waiting for her response. It was my duty to see to the Alton line, and I took my responsibility to heart. The season was just starting, and I had decided I would placate my mother by attending events where I could find a suitable bride. I refrained from informing her, however. She would take over and push me to marry someone of her choosing if I did. I wanted a bride more sophisticated than a girl out of the school room. She must be from a good family and willing to turn a blind eye to my other pursuits. Marriages were for alliances, and I would afford my wife the same courtesy after we wed.
“I wish for at least six, but I’ll settle for one to start.”
I almost missed my target at the alarming number. Children were some of my favorite people, but I was also at liberty to leave their company whenever I chose. As a duchess, my mother could have hired an entire team of nursemaids and nannies, but she had gone against convention to care for me. In direct contrast to my deceased father, I would play a supportive part in my children's lives and accept them without censor. “That is very big of you.”
Light laughter met my comment, and she leaned in to kiss my cheek. “I must leave for my tea. I shall ask your butler to remind Colt to send me your schedule. Do not stand in the sun too long, my dearest child. It isn’t fashionable to look weathered.”
“Goodbye, Mother,” I said to her departing back, shaking my head. The yoke of responsibility was tightening around my neck, which made me wish to rebel. It was a weakness of character I wasn’t proud of. I waited a few minutes to verify she’d left before I approached Gavin. He was the distraction I desperately needed.
He’d adjusted his posture on the pedestal where he stood, and the arm behind his back shifted from where I needed it. “Can you move your hand to the front of your thigh?”
“Like this?” he asked, one hand palming his cock. Strong eyebrow lifted; he issued a silent challenge. He was the adventurous sort, always up for a lark. It was exhilarating to be with someone so dynamic.
“I believe it would be more like this.” I leaned in and licked a path along the underside of his cock. With a grin, I brought his ballocks into my mouth. He groaned and arched his back. I stared up at him, and all thoughts of seduction drained away. Releasing my hold on his person, I stepped back on shaky legs.
A piece of paper drifted lazily through the air, and my eyes were drawn to a spot in the distance. Leaning over the upstairs balcony of the house next door was a woman with a wide-brimmed hat. I couldn’t see her eyes, but I could feel her watching us.
“What’s wrong?” Gavin asked.
