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Tre, Phoebe turned herto her She could hardly stand on her own She couldn’t think Her forehead leaned on his shoulder as she waited for the wild pu of her heart to subside

West buried a quiet curse into the radually, one of his hands wandering over her slender back in an aied to ruffly, “Don’t say that was nice”

Phoebe pressed a crooked sainst his shoulder before she replied “It wasn’t” It had been extraordinary A revelation One of her hands crept up to his lean cheek and shaped to it gently “And it ain”

West was very still, considering that He responded with a single nod of agreeent pressure

Impulsively she stood on her toes and whispered in his ear “There’s nothing wicked about you, except your kisses” And she fled the room while she was still able

Chapter 14

Evie, Duchess of Kingston, had spent a perfectly wonderful afternoon picnicking with her three closest friends at Lord Westcliff’s estate Long ago she hadher first London Season, when they had been a group of wallflowers sitting in chairs at the side of the ballroo acquainted, it had occurred to theentlemen’s attentions, they would do better to help each other, and so a lifelong friendship had blossomed In the past few years it had becoether at once, especially since Daisy stayed in A periods of time The trips were necessary for both of them: Mattheas a successful business entrepreneur, and Daisy was a successful novelist with a publisher in New York as well as London

After a day filled with talking, laughing, re future plans, Evie had returned to Eversby Priory in high spirits She was full of news to share with her husbandincluding the fact that the protagonist of Daisy’s current novel in progress had been partly inspired by him

“I had the idea when the subject of your husband cao, Evie,” Daisy had explained, dabbing at a tiny stain left by a strawberry that had fallen onto her bodice “Soston was still the handsoes And Lillian said he hed It startedabout that old novel The Vao I decided to write so similar, only a romantic version”

Lillian had shaken her head at the notion “I told Daisy no one would want to read about a varimaced and shivered

“He enslaves women with his charismatic power,” Daisy protested “He’s also a rich, handsome duke—just like Evie’s husband”

Annabelle spoke then, her blue eyes twinkling “In light of all that, one could forgive a bad habit or two”

Lillian gave her a skeptical glance “Annabelle, could you really overlook a husband ent around sucking the life out of people?”

After pondering the question, Annabelle asked Daisy, “How rich is he?” She ducked with a sh as Lillian pelted her with a biscuit

Laughing at her friends’ antics, Evie had asked Daisy, “What’s the title?”

“The Duke’s Deadly Embrace”

“I suggested ‘The Duke Was a Pain in the Neck,” Lillian had said, “but Daisy thought it lacked romance”

When Evie had arrived back at the Ravenels’ estate, she had found her oldest daughter waiting for her, eager to relate the events of the

“Other than Mr Ravenel,” Phoebe had reassured her, “no one else was hurt Justin was a bit shaken, but perfectly fine”

“And your father?”

“He was as cool as a cucu, of course He spent the afternoon playing billiards with the other gentlemen, and later went up to your room for a rest But Ma, he said sos about Edward Larson—and about Henry!”

“Oh, dear” Evie had listened syhter’s account of the conversation and soothed her with a promise to speak to Sebastian and try to soften his views on Edward Larson

Now Evie hurried upstairs in search of her husband as fast as possible without giving the appearance of haste She reached their suite, a spacious and well-appointed bedroo room and a tiny antechamber converted into a lavatory

Upon entering the e, old-fashioned slipper tub Since the lavatory was too small to allow for a tub, a portable one had to be carried in by footht by housemaids

Sebastian leaned back with one long leg propped at the far end of the tub, a crystal glass of brandy clasped negligently in one hand His once tawny amber hair was handsomely silvered at the sides and te swi as if he existed in perpetual su on Oly in modesty

His lazy voice h the veil of aromatic stea?”