Ruthless (The House of Rohan 1)

Stretched out on the seat, perfectly comfortable, he was eyeing her with calm

curiosity.

“You should have had Mrs. Clarke steal you some warm gloves and a bonnet while she was at it,” he said. “Lady Carlton would never miss them. ”

She’d been warm enough before, but the heat that flushed her face was uncomfortable, and she immediately reached up to unfasten the cloak. One look at his face stopped her. “You really don’t want to get into a wrestling match with me, now, do you, my sweet?” His voice was amused. “I’d like nothing more than an excuse to put my hands on you in the privacy of the carriage. It’s a long, cold drive into Paris and I can think of any number of things that would make the time pass more quickly, all of which involve touching you. Lady Carlton has a dozen fur cloaks, and your shabby cloak was probably infested with vermin. ”

“It was not!” she said, incensed.

“If you say so. ” His eyes narrowed, and he yawned. “I assume you aren’t interested in…er…frolicking with me?”

“No!”

“Trifling? We’ve already been flirting…”

“We have not!” she said, aghast.

“Oh, yes, child, we most certainly have, even if you don’t recognize it. Why don’t we simply dispense with all the pleasantries and descend into hot, nasty fornication?”

For perhaps the first time in her life Elinor was at a loss for words. And in the end, only the most foolish ones escaped her mouth. “In a carriage?”

He laughed. “Oh, most definitely in a carriage. Though if you prefer a bed we can always return to the château, though we’d have to avoid Mrs. Clarke’s evil eye. ”

His words were shocking, disturbing. No doubt meant to be, she realized. He had no more amatory interest in her than he had in Mrs. Clarke, but if she charged him with it he’d doubtless strive to prove her wrong. She managed to meet his dark, wicked gaze with a deceptive calm. “You promised her you’d behave with propriety. ”

Author: Anne Stuart

“Such promises, had I made them, would have been hollow, but in fact I did no such thing. Mrs. Clarke has known me for decades, Miss Harriman. She has no illusions about my true nature—she simply never gives up hope. ” His eyes narrowed. “Are you really so inured to temptation? I’ve managed to seduce nuns and Sapphists, and I’m unused to having my attempts ignored. ”

Curiosity got the better of her. “Sapphists?”

“Women who prefer the love of other women, child. ”

Her brow wrinkled. “How?”

“Allow me to explain. ” He moved to her side of the carriage before she realized what he was doing. She tried to leap to the other side, but he managed to catch hold of her, one arm tight around her waist, keeping her beside him.

She glared up at him. “You seem to have spent a great deal of time mishandling me, my lord, and I don’t like it. Take your hands off me. ”

“Then don’t fight me. I’m just trying to improve your education. ” He took one of her hands in his gloved one. It was pathetic—small and rough beneath the patched fingerless glove. He stripped it off and sent it sailing to the other side of the coach. “I’m surprised that Mrs. Clarke didn’t come racing after us with a pair of gloves for you. ”

“It wasn’t my idea. ”

“Of course it wasn’t, my pet,” he said soothingly. “Mrs. Clarke is a hard woman to argue with. No, just settle back and I will proceed with your education. ”

“I don’t…”

“Hush,” he said softly, putting one gloved fingertip up against her mouth. “This isn’t going to hurt. ”

The soft leather that shielded his flesh from hers should have made his touch less intimate. Unfortunately everything he did and said was intimate. He held her hand in his, his thumb rubbing against the center of her palm. It had a curiously calming effect.

“Now, I assume you understand the mechanics of male and female coupling. Most properly brought-up young virgins would be totally ignorant, but your up-bringing leaves much to be desired. You know what men and women do, and how their parts fit together with such splendid neatness?”

She wouldn’t have called it that, she thought, biting her lip. “Of course,” she said in a cold voice. She didn’t bother trying to pull her hand away—it would have been a waste of energy. He was so much stronger than she was, and she couldn’t believe he intended to hurt her.

“Women, of course, are unequipped with the necessary equipment to complete the act of love. So they employ alternatives. Some use equipment they can strap on that makes them appear masculine. ”

Elinor squirmed on the seat.