Club.
She was so lonely she was tempted to call Jack and ask if he still wanted to know about the Hardwicke Act, but she decided that that was simply too pathetic. There was nothing left to do but go to bed, but then she couldn’t sleep. Her mind insisted on reviewing all of the facts she had been able to garner about her and Jack’s mysterious visitors. She was thinking about the duke when she finally dropped off to sleep.
She awoke with him stretched out beside her. He was lying on his side, facing her, and had pushed her nightshirt up above her breasts. When she opened her eyes, he started easing his hand down across her stomach towards her pussy.
“Oh no, you don’t,” she yelped, swinging at his jaw with her left hand. She was right-handed, though, which possibly explained why she missed his jaw and hit his ear.
“Oh!” He jerked his hand off her belly and slapped it to his ear. “Why did you do that?”
“Because I’m sick of you molesting me in my sleep, you pervert. Get away from me.”
“Molesting you? My dear woman, I hasten to point out that you have not raised a single complaint in the last two weeks. Now you accuse me of molesting you. Frankly, I think you should be thanking me.”
“I’ll thank you to get out of my bed and stay out. Furthermore, I’d like to know exactly who you are and what you’re doing here.”
He answered in an aggrieved tone. “I would have thought that what I have been doing would have been perfectly obvious. I’ve been servicing you.”
“Servicing me?” Amelia screeched. Suddenly aware that the duke’s hand again rested on her bare stomach, she slapped his arm away and pulled the sheet up to cover herself. “I don’t need servicing. I just need to know who the hell you are and why you’re really here.”
His dark eyebrows drew together. “I’ve warned you about your language.”
“And I’m warning you that if you make my thigh burn again, I’ll…I’ll… I don’t know what I’ll do, but it won’t be pretty.”
He sighed. “Very well. I suppose I don’t really have a right to dictate what words you may or may not use, but I at least have a right to know why you’ve been searching for me.”
“That’s simple enough. I’m being paid to investigate you.”
“Paid by whom?” he demanded with narrowed eyes.
“A man who thinks he may be your descendant.”
“I have no descendants. And if it’s someone hoping to prove my claim to the dukedom was fraudulent, he is due to be disappointed. The line of descent from the first duke is quite clear, from father to oldest son. Except, of course, in my case. I’m the third son.”
Amelia nodded and pushed herself up, bringing the sheet with her, then leaned against the headboard. “Yes, I’m aware of the deaths of your father and two older brothers. I also know that following their deaths, you and your cousin Charles were the only living heirs.”
He looked at her and frowned. “I did not know that you are acquainted with my family.”
“I’m not. I read about the unfortunate illness that claimed your father and brothers.”
“Of course. I should have realised that a woman like you wouldn’t really be acquainted with my family. Strangely, you do rather resemble Amy, but she has brown hair rather than blonde and, of course, she’s much more genteel than you.”
“Oh, really?” Amelia rarely lost her temper, but this damn duke was getting on her last nerve. She pulled a deep breath in through her mouth and blew it out slowly before speaking again. “Listen to me, Duke. I don’t want you bothering me anymore. Will you please refrain from coming here again?”
“I’m not sure that’s in my power.”
“What do you mean?”
“Something seems to keep calling me to you. At first I thought it was because you were appearing to me in my dreams, tempting me. But when I come to you, you don’t behave as I would expect a courtesan to behave.”
“Maybe that’s because I’m not a
She was so lonely she was tempted to call Jack and ask if he still wanted to know about the Hardwicke Act, but she decided that that was simply too pathetic. There was nothing left to do but go to bed, but then she couldn’t sleep. Her mind insisted on reviewing all of the facts she had been able to garner about her and Jack’s mysterious visitors. She was thinking about the duke when she finally dropped off to sleep.
She awoke with him stretched out beside her. He was lying on his side, facing her, and had pushed her nightshirt up above her breasts. When she opened her eyes, he started easing his hand down across her stomach towards her pussy.
“Oh no, you don’t,” she yelped, swinging at his jaw with her left hand. She was right-handed, though, which possibly explained why she missed his jaw and hit his ear.
“Oh!” He jerked his hand off her belly and slapped it to his ear. “Why did you do that?”
“Because I’m sick of you molesting me in my sleep, you pervert. Get away from me.”
“Molesting you? My dear woman, I hasten to point out that you have not raised a single complaint in the last two weeks. Now you accuse me of molesting you. Frankly, I think you should be thanking me.”
“I’ll thank you to get out of my bed and stay out. Furthermore, I’d like to know exactly who you are and what you’re doing here.”
He answered in an aggrieved tone. “I would have thought that what I have been doing would have been perfectly obvious. I’ve been servicing you.”
“Servicing me?” Amelia screeched. Suddenly aware that the duke’s hand again rested on her bare stomach, she slapped his arm away and pulled the sheet up to cover herself. “I don’t need servicing. I just need to know who the hell you are and why you’re really here.”
His dark eyebrows drew together. “I’ve warned you about your language.”
“And I’m warning you that if you make my thigh burn again, I’ll…I’ll… I don’t know what I’ll do, but it won’t be pretty.”
He sighed. “Very well. I suppose I don’t really have a right to dictate what words you may or may not use, but I at least have a right to know why you’ve been searching for me.”
“That’s simple enough. I’m being paid to investigate you.”
“Paid by whom?” he demanded with narrowed eyes.
“A man who thinks he may be your descendant.”
“I have no descendants. And if it’s someone hoping to prove my claim to the dukedom was fraudulent, he is due to be disappointed. The line of descent from the first duke is quite clear, from father to oldest son. Except, of course, in my case. I’m the third son.”
Amelia nodded and pushed herself up, bringing the sheet with her, then leaned against the headboard. “Yes, I’m aware of the deaths of your father and two older brothers. I also know that following their deaths, you and your cousin Charles were the only living heirs.”
He looked at her and frowned. “I did not know that you are acquainted with my family.”
“I’m not. I read about the unfortunate illness that claimed your father and brothers.”
“Of course. I should have realised that a woman like you wouldn’t really be acquainted with my family. Strangely, you do rather resemble Amy, but she has brown hair rather than blonde and, of course, she’s much more genteel than you.”
“Oh, really?” Amelia rarely lost her temper, but this damn duke was getting on her last nerve. She pulled a deep breath in through her mouth and blew it out slowly before speaking again. “Listen to me, Duke. I don’t want you bothering me anymore. Will you please refrain from coming here again?”
“I’m not sure that’s in my power.”
“What do you mean?”
“Something seems to keep calling me to you. At first I thought it was because you were appearing to me in my dreams, tempting me. But when I come to you, you don’t behave as I would expect a courtesan to behave.”
“Maybe that’s because I’m not a
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