Viscount of Vice (Lords of Scandal 4)

She could barely catch a breath when he slanted her mouth open rather than closed, his tongue sliding along her bottom lip.

Never had she imagined such pleasure and her knees buckled as she moaned into his mouth.

Blake jerked back, staring down at her. “Ada?”

“What?” She stiffened worried she’d done something wrong. Had she been too enthusiastic?

“Love. You can’t make noises like that,” he said, sliding his hand down her chest just above her breast. The skin of her nipple tightened in anticipation but he skimmed his palm under her arm and down her side to her waist.

“I’m sorry if I offended. I’ll try—”

“Ada,” Blake groaned. “You didn’t offend me. Noises like that make me want so much more. But this kiss, it’s for you.”

“Oh,” she answered as she looked into his blue eyes. In the candlelight they looked darker, just flecks of blue shimmering as the light moved. How could one man be so stunning? “I’ll do my best but I didn’t expect one kiss to be so…”

“Delicious?” He smiled, stroking her cheek, jaw, then chin. “It was more than that, though, love. It was incredibly—”

The door banged open and they both turned to see a couple fervently embracing as they stumbled into the room.

“I love you,” the woman murmured, her lips crushed to her partner’s.

“Emily?” Ada asked, coming around to Blake’s side.

Emily broke away from Jack turning to her cousin. “Ada?” Emily’s eyes widened as she took in the scene, her mouth falling open. “What’s going on?”

Ada instantly realized her mistake. She was alone with Blake at her very first ball. “Don’t tell mother. I promise it was all very innocent. I—”

“Your dress!” Emily pointed at the sleeve. Then she snapped her gaze to Blake. “You!” Without warning she rushed at Blake, pulling her skirts near to her knees. “Get away from my cousin.”

She came at him in a flurry of petticoats and flailing hands. “You devil. I knew you were no good but to have accosted a sweet, innocent girl like—” Each word was punctuated by a smack in Blake’s face.

“Emily.” Ada tried to block Emily’s flailing hands as Blake put up an arm to protect himself. “I’m not a girl and Blake didn’t—” But she didn’t get to finish either. Jack rushed in behind his wife.

“Vice, we trusted you,” Jack said, reaching his arm over his wife’s shoulder to push Vice.

That made Emily bump into him causing Ada to tilt off kilter and lean her weight into his side. He tipped backwards, stumbling on a chair. His arm was still around Ada and they both tumbled to the side, falling toward the ground.

Blake yanked her against his front, smacking his back into the floor as her weight landed on top of him. He gave a loud grunt as her body pressed into his, hers perfectly cushioned. “Bloody bullocks, Jack,” he yelled out. “What did you do that for? You could have hurt Ada.”

“I could have hurt, Ada?” Jack snapped back. “That’s ripe. And you’ll pay for this.” Jack moved toward them, his face twisted in anger.

Ada buried her face into Blake’s chest, gripping his shoulders. “Stop,” she called, though the sound was muffled. “Blake didn’t rip my dress, Walter Conroy did.”

“What?” Jack stopped.

Emily called behind him, “What?”

“Blake was attempting to help me delicately get out of this situation. The last thing I need is for mother to demand I marry Walter.” She squeezed her eyes shut, burrowing deeper against Blake, who held her tight to him.

He kissed the top of her head. “I told you. I won’t allow that to happen. If it comes to that, I’ll marry you myself. Your mother will surely approve of a Viscount over Mr. Conroy.”

This time Emily and Jack spoke in absolute unison. “What?”

* * *

The words left his mouth before he’d thought them out. He clamped his teeth together. What had he just done?

Ada lifted her head from where it was burrowed in his chest and her green eyes met his, her mauve lips parted in question. “Blake?”