Earl of Sussex (Wicked Lords of London 0.50)

When he inserted a finger, deep into her channel, her pleasure broke apart, sending her body spasming into ecstasy.

Her body continued to shudder as he slowly withdrew his hand and pulled his head out from under her skirts. Then he swept her into his arms and carried her over to the bed.

Her head lay limply on his shoulder. “I didn’t know,” was all she could murmur.

She felt him smile as he pressed his lips to the top of her head. “I could give you that pleasure every night, love.”

“And when you’re gone?” she asked, lazily looking up at him.

“Why would I need to be gone?” He grinned. “We’ll move to the country. Hire a staff that is all over the age of fifty.”

They had reached the bed and she couldn’t help but giggle as he gently laid her down. “This is ludicrous. You know that, don’t you? You are trying to convince me to wed.”

“Don’t forget me this week,” he kissed her tenderly on the lips. “I will see you on Friday.”

The masquerade ball was on Friday. But her family would be travelling to London on Wednesday in preparation for the season. She didn’t tell him that, though, because a plan was forming in her mind. A scheme, her mother would call it. Spying was most decidedly a scheme.

Chapter 6

The week passed dreadfully slowly. While his body felt amazing, his mind sharp without the entrapment of liquor, he missed Tabbie.

She had tasted sweeter than any woman he’d ever known, and bloody hell, she’d been so tight around his finger.

And her reaction. Hells bells, she was wanton as her unruly curls had suggested, wet and willing and so damn beautiful.

Even more amazing was that his feelings went far deeper than that. It was her wit and her kindness that made him long for her company. He dreamed about her at night, thoughts of her hardly left his mind throughout the day. She had stolen, not just his affection, but apparently his every thought.

He had to chuckle. A pretty little wallflower was the undoing of a rake.

It hadn’t helped that Coventry had been travelling and Luke wouldn’t be able to speak to him until Thursday. He wanted to know what part the other man had played in Tabbie entering his life.

Finally, he received a missive from Coventry to join him at the club that evening. Luke grimaced. He would miss the club, at least his friends within. He would still see them of course, but he promised Tabbie a life in the country and he would deliver. Besides, he looked forward to that life. He wasn’t sure when it had happened but at some point, he’d grown tired of the lifestyle. It had taken Tabbie to make him see what he should have realized earlier. But this life of full wakefulness was so much more fulfilling.

Having risen early, he’d already been to his boxing club, worked on his accounting books, gone riding in the park. As the afternoon wore on, he finally decided to make his way toward Asher Street. He’d walk to the club in a roundabout path that would alleviate some of his nervous energy.

He wasn’t worried about the meeting with Coventry or about the masquerade ball. In fact, he was eager for both events. But a dread was building in his chest that he didn’t quite understand. Attempting to suss out his feelings, he picked up the pace as he rounded a nearby park when he heard what sounded like a feminine huff of breath.

Stopping, he turned to look but saw nothing. Perhaps it had been a bird? He continued walking but his pace was slower and then he stopped to examine some flowers that were peeking out of the ground. Glancing back, he saw nothing, but as he started walking again, the distinct sound of silk skirts rustling caught his ears. Was a woman following him?

He rounded the corner to the club and made his way up Asher Street. It must be one of the ladies who worked within the club. He had simply looked the wrong way and didn’t see her, had missed her passing. Or perhaps it was a

lady who lived further down Asher Street. No well-heeled lady would be foolish enough to travel this far out of London proper.

With a shrug, he inserted his key into the lock and stepped inside. As he closed the door, he caught sight of a hooded woman. It wasn’t terribly cold, spring had warmed the air, so it was curious that she had pulled the hood up. A single auburn curl floated in the breeze, but she tucked it back and ducked her head lower.

His eyes scrunched together as he made his way down the hall. The cloak had looked to be made of a fine wool, which was odd for this neighborhood. Perhaps it was one of the maids from the club. They often had admirers among the earls who bought them fancy gifts. But she would have come to the back entrance. He continued to puzzle over it as he veered right, toward Coventry’s private office within the building.

He knocked and Coventry called, “Come in.”

Opening the door, his mind still grappled with the lady in the cloak. “Thanks for seeing me.”

“Of course. How did you fare with Lady Tabitha?”

“You know very well how I fared.” Luke raised an eyebrow.

“You always were a smart one.” Coventry nodded as he gave a benign smile. “Did she scheme her way into your heart?”

So he knew about Tabbie’s tendency for plotting did he? A thousand questions rushed to his mind. How did Coventry know her? How had he known that they would be well matched? “Actually she tried to scheme her way out of our engagement.”