Tempting a Devil by Samantha Kane Read Free Book Online Page B

breath.”
    “He deserved it,” Roger bit out. He sipped the whiskey and then decided that wasn’t a good idea and gulped the whole glass down. The fiery burn was a welcome counterpoint to the burn of his knuckles. All of it was a reminder of the trouble Harry always got him into. “Out from beneath her skirts, indeed,” he muttered. He gestured with the empty glass to Hil, who obediently refilled it. “Can you believe he said something so offensive to her, in front of everyone?”
    “Well, it was Tinsley, so yes. But the fault here is yours, Roger.”
    “Mine?” he asked incredulously, setting his whiskey down. “How did you reach that outrageous conclusion?”
    Hil made himself comfortable on Roger’s bed, leaning back against the pillows with his legs crossed as he sipped his own drink. “If you didn’t treat her so shabbily, then others would think twice before doing so.”
    “Shabbily?” Roger said, instinctively clenching his injured hand into a fist. It stung like the devil. “Damn.”
    “Yes, shabbily. If you would simply give in to the inevitable and accept the lady’s attentions, then she’d have no need to pursue you so obviously. The more you ignore her, or act indifferent to her affections, the more society pities her and thinks her a fool. And so Tinsley felt justified in speaking thus to her.”
    Roger’s mouth was gaping like a fish as he tried to think of how to respond to Hil’s ludicrous accusations. He settled on, “The inevitable?” He shook his head. “My acceptance of the lady’s attentions is far from inevitable. She is the type of woman I abhor.”
    “Ah,” said Hil knowingly. “And now we shall get to the heart of it. What exactly do you abhor about women like Lady Mercer? Their beauty? Wit? Independence?”
    Roger morosely dipped his hand in and out of the vinegar. “She married for money, Hil. She sold herself to some old man.” He shook his head. “I can’t do that again.”
    “Again?” Hil asked. “Is this what you’ve been keeping from me? I knew you were hiding something. You’ve been off since you got back to England. Someone you met on the Continent?”
    Roger nodded, not looking at him. “Yes. To make a long, painful story short, I met a girl whom I loved and who I thought returned the sentiment. It turns out I waswrong on both counts. She wasn’t who I thought she was, and I wasn’t what she wanted. At least, not in a husband.” He held out his empty hands, palms up. “No money, you see. No anything, really. Turns out she was already betrothed the whole time, to some old man waiting in the wings until she had a taste of fun and was ready to settle down.” He let his hands fall, and stuck his bloody knuckles back in the vinegar. “I was the fun.”
    “Hmm,” said Hil. “And you believe Lady Mercer is the same? That she wishes to have fun with you while searching for another rich husband?”
    Roger shook his head. “I don’t know. I certainly haven’t got any money or anything else she might want.” He crudely grabbed his privates with his uninjured hand. “Except this, which she’s made clear is exactly what she wants.”
    Hil sighed. “I do not believe Lady Mercer is the type of woman who would deceive you in such a way, Roger. She’s been very open about what she wants. Do you wish to marry her?”
    “What?” Roger exclaimed, regarding Hil with horror. “Absolutely not. I have no desire to marry at all. Ever. And most certainly not a widow with a child. Can you imagine?”
    Hil pushed to his feet with a satisfied sound. “Well, then, I fail to see the problem. Despite your protestations it’s quite clear you want the lady. And if you do not, then you are an idiot. She is the epitome of beauty, everything about her sings of the sensual and forbidden.” He sighed in longing. “If I were in your place, I’d have been in her bed, on her terms, long ago.”
    “Stay away, Hil,” Roger warned. “I may not want her, but I won’t