Bad Duke

by Emily Bishop

“Let’s try and do as you tell me to do. Live in the moment, soak it in, and enjoy it while it lasts. After all, in a month, I’ll have to go back to my old life anyway, so we might as well enjoy what we’ve got while we have it now. Don’t you agree?” she asks.

  It’s a good reminder, a practical one. Rayne is a smart woman who clearly has much more sense than I do. At least, about some things.

  “Agreed. Can I get you anything?”

  “What, like a nice cup of instant noodles?”

  I chuckle and jab her in the rib with my finger. “You’d be lucky to get my instant noodles.”

  “I’m sure I would. As it is, we spent the whole day hiking, and I’m exhausted. Why don’t we do a big breakfast in the morning?” she asks.

  “Can’t say no to that.”

  “Good,” she says with a yawn.

  We don’t speak again after that. Moments later, her breathing grows slow and heavy, and I realize she’s fallen asleep on me. It should probably bother me. I like having my own space.

  Instead, I sink into my mattress, comfortable, and I close my eyes before I drift to sleep.

  Consequences are for morning, anyway.

  Chapter Nine

  Rayne

  I’m enveloped in a warm, dark cocoon. I have no intention of moving from this spot, and I shift slightly to get even more comfortable.

  Smooth skin glides along my cheek.

  My eyes pop open, and in the gray light before dawn, I make out Lorn’s melting clock tattoo, chiming an indiscernible time. I can’t help but grin and nestle in a little closer.

  Last night was unbelievable. I’ve never had sex like that. Lorn is passionate and strong and gentle all at once. He’s able to tap into every erotic zone I have and stimulate them all at once.

  And his tongue. My God. Just thinking about it has my panties wet again.

  Wait. I’m not wearing panties.

  We’ve gone to bed together fully nude, wrapped in each other’s arms. The pace of Lorn’s breathing changes from slow and deep to a shallow inhale and exhale, and his fingertips slide along the length of my back.

  “Good morning,” he says. His voice cracks like it did when we first met, when I thought he was a bear.

  The idea is laughable now.

  I grin up at him. “Good morning.”

  “That was some night.”

  “Mmm,” I agree.

  I snuggle closer to him and feel the telltale sign of desire. His dick is hardening against my naked body, and I wonder if we have time this morning for sex.

  I mean, what else do we have to do?

  His fingertips glide across my back and to my hips. He turns my body and pulls my knees apart, exposing me to his touch. My body tingles as his hand slides up my thigh, higher and higher. He reaches my center and pulls my vaginal lips apart, toying with them.

  I let my knees drop to each side, opening myself to him fully. He accepts my invitation and slides a finger deep into my soaking wet pussy. He beckons inside me, tickling my g-spot, and I moan. His thumb curls up and circles my clit as he pumps his finger in and out of me. He pulls the blanket off and exposes my breasts to the cool morning air before he covers a nipple with his mouth and licks. He pulls my hardened nipple up with his teeth and sucks as his finger straightens, sliding in and out.

  “More. Please, more.”

  It’s so unlike anything I’ve ever felt that I can’t help but beg him for what more he can offer. He grins against my chest, then his finger slips from my pussy, leaving me aching as he hovers over me, his massive frame comforting and exciting all at once. He spreads my legs all the way, and his hard dick presses against my entrance. He slides in without hesitation, my pussy hot and ready for him.

  His face appears above me, and he captures my lips with his own. He presses all the way in to the hilt, filling me completely. He pulls out, then presses back in, and the delicious friction between us is maddening. He keeps his pace deliciously slow, and my hips arch forward of their own volition, asking for more without words.

  Lorn doesn’t obey. He maintains his achingly slow pace, filling me entirely then sliding back out. I palm his cheeks as he fucks me leisurely, gently. In spite of his pace, or maybe because of it, an orgasm streaks toward me as I arch and moan and beg for more.

  He reaches between us and captures my clit between his fingers. He rolls it between them as his massive cock fills me, and I can’t take any more.

  “I’m coming!”

  I’m surprised at how his slow and steady pace has lit my entire body on fire. Without warning, I pulse around him, and he finally increases his pace and fucks me harder. It’s his turn, and he’s going to get what he needs. I cling to him as he finishes with a grunt, and his massive body collapses on mine as we find our breath.

  My belly grumbles, completely ruining the romantic mood. My cheeks grow hot with embarrassment, but Lorn simply chuckles.

  “What kind of host am I, to let you go hungry? I thought you said something about a nice big breakfast?”

  I smile up at him as he rolls off me and lands by my side before he hops off the bed. I sneak a glance at his perfect, muscular frame. His ass is flawlessly sculpted, his back broad at the shoulders before it narrows to his hips.

  My mouth goes dry.

  He turns and finds me staring at him, and my cheeks blossom with heat all over again. Why am I such an idiot?

  “Are you coming, or are you going to ogle me all day? I’m good either way, but I’d rather you be fed. Also, I can make a great ramen breakfast.”

  I sit up and lift a critical eyebrow at him. His expression is flat, and I can’t tell if he’s suppressing a laugh. “You’re joking, right? Tell me you’re joking.”

  Lorn shrugs. “Only one way to stop me.”

  He pulls a shirt and a pair of pants off the floor and dresses as he walks out of the room. If I don’t get up, I’m in serious danger of eating ramen for breakfast.

  No way.

  I slide out of his bed and open a dresser drawer. I pull out a nice large white T-shirt and slide it over my head as I pad on bare feet out into the living room. Lorn is in the kitchen fiddling with something, and I stomp over. When he looks up and sees me, his eyes widen.

  I glance down, then back up at him. “What?”

  He swallows, shifts, revealing a French press coffee maker. “Nothing. You look nice in that shirt and nothing else.”

  And you look nice in nothing at all.

  I move in and open his fridge. I’m delighted to see that sometime in the past day, Lorn got supplies. A carton of eggs, a packet of bacon, and a variety of fresh fruit now wait in his once-barren fridge.

  “Now this I can work with.” I pull out the food and dig around for utensils. Within minutes, I’ve got two frying pans heating up as I whisk the eggs in a bowl to scramble them.

  “Oh, no, you’re telling me we won’t get any instant noodles this morning? Such a shame.”

  I point my whisk at him. “You clearly have a problem. That problem involves not eating food with nutrients. How did you get so big living on ramen noodles?”

  Lorn shrugs again as he presses the coffee. A dark brown brew forms, and the scent permeates the room. “I didn’t. I never told you my last name. It’s Hart.”

  I blink. Why does that sound familiar? Lorn Hart. Something there rings a bell. “Did we go to the same school or something?”

  “I don’t think so. The name’s kind of a household one. Hart Real Estate.”

  He casts a wary glance at me, and my eyes widen as I realize who he is. “Holy crap! You’re that Lorn? Like, the heir to one of the biggest fortunes in the world?”

  “That’s me.”

  His voice is loaded with bitterness, and I empathize with him instantly. When one is well-known, it’s impossible to trust that anyone cares about more than your wealth.

  “I never told you my last name either,” I say. His gaze locks onto mine, and I can tell he’s going out on a limb here, trying to trust me. Th
e least I can do is give him the same courtesy.

  “I’m Rayne Carr.”

  I wait for it to dawn on him. His gaze searches mine as he works to puzzle out my identity. A light goes off, and he looks at me differently.

  As they all do.

  “Nigel Carr’s daughter? I thought you looked familiar. You’re a socialite!”

  “I would argue that you are, too. What is the son of Kyle Hart doing out in the middle of the woods? Shouldn’t you be skiing somewhere a little fancier, like the Swiss Alps?”

  At the mention of his father’s name, Lorn’s expression closes, and he turns away.

  OK, so maybe the dad connection is a sore spot. Noted. I want to know more, especially now that I know who Lorn is. We’re not so different. I know that now, and that knowledge feels strange. When we first met, I would have never guessed we’d have anything in common.

  First impressions, as it turns out, can be terribly wrong. Then again…

  Wasn’t Lorn the one who forced his girlfriend to get an abortion or something? Do I remember reading that right?

  “Didn’t you have a girlfriend who, um…”

  I don’t know how to proceed from here. I want to know, but I don’t want to upset him. When Lorn looks back at me, his eyes are hard even as his mouth twists into a bitter smile. “Who got an abortion because I told her to? Isn’t that what the tabloids said?”

  I dump the eggs into a pan and throw on a few pieces of bacon in the other. “Well, what’s the truth, then? As you said, I’m a socialite myself, so I know when not to believe what I read.”

  When I glance over at him, there’s a fraction of relief in his expression. He hesitates before he answers. “I’ve always been a bit of a black sheep in my family. I went on a sort of wild streak, and when I did, I got involved with a girl named Natalie. After my father died, I realized that I needed to get my shit together. The entire estate now rests on my shoulders, after all.”

  Lorn exhales and pours two cups of coffee before he continues his tale. “So, I cleaned up my act, and Natalie came for the ride. She got pregnant soon after, but something was off. The timing, it turned out. She gave birth to a healthy baby two months early. I insisted she get a paternity test when she gave birth and demanded a fortune from me. She refused. I got one anyway. The baby wasn’t mine. I kicked her out for lying and trying to scam me, so she went to the tabloids and sold a bullshit story about how I tried to make her get an abortion. The kid’s pretty cute. Sold a lot of papers.”

  The eggs solidify in the pan, and the delectable scent of hot bacon permeates the air. I turn off the burners and plate the food, then the two of us settle in at a small wooden table.

  “After that, I couldn’t stand the world. I couldn’t go anywhere without being attacked by the press. I froze all my assets and bought out this place to be alone. I found a place remote enough that the paparazzi don’t want to bother me anymore, and I’ve grown a nice beard and changed my style, so I can stay un-found. It’s been heaven ever since.”

  I take a bite of egg, and my stomach cheers. It’s been an eventful period of time to go without food for so long. I chew and swallow before I answer. “That must have been so tough. I have so many friends who were skewered by the press because they wanted a story. None of it was true.”

  “You’re safe from that though, at least partially. Your dad was a human rights hero. I remember reading about the assholes he put in the can. In fact…” He stops and clears his throat. “So, is that why you’re here?”

  “I told you why I’m here. To unwind and get away for a little while.”

  He lifts an eyebrow at that, and I know he doesn’t fully believe me. Still, there are some things I’m still unwilling to confide. My own paranoid insanity is one of them.

  “Well, it’s been nice having you here,” Lorn says, and I grin as I sip my coffee.

  At least the man can make that well.

  “It’s been nice being here, even if I haven’t seen much of my own cabin.”

  His grin is wolfish as he bites into his last piece of bacon. “That’s true. I’m afraid I’m not much for entertainment today, either. I’ve got maintenance to do at the main cabin. You’re welcome to come if you’d like, or if you’d prefer to stay at your own cabin, that works, too. We’re flexible here in Wyoming.”

  I consider that invitation. It doesn’t sound like the most exciting thing in the world, but the thought of my cold lonely cabin is not at all appealing. Besides, I’m finally getting to know Lorn. Maybe we’re both here for a reason. Maybe we can help each other heal. After all, we both have no family, and we’re both hiding away.

  “I’m pretty good with a wrench,” I say.

  His smile is like the sun. It warms my entire being to the core. “Then let’s get to it.”

  Chapter Ten

  Lorn

  I open my cabin door and hold it for Rayne. “After you,” I say.

  Her resulting smile affects me, but I have to admit my intentions aren’t entirely gentlemanly. She saunters past, and I take a nice long look at her round, perfect ass. There’s so much more of her that I want to explore, that I want to know.

  That I want to lick.

  She turns back and catches me looking. She flashes me a sexy grin and then turns back toward the trail. I can’t help but follow.

  Hoo boy, am I in trouble.

  It takes three strides for me to catch up to her, and when I do, we walk side by side, our arms brushing every once in a while. I’ve forgotten what this feels like, the blush of first attraction. It’s never a bad start to the day, being buried to the hilt in the body of a beautiful woman. Memories of our night together and this morning after flash through my memory. I cast a glance over in the direction of the hot springs and make a little promise to myself.

  I’m going to have her in there, one of these days, before her little month of “being away” is up.

  I frown at that thought. She may think she’s fooling me, but I know a lie when I hear one. She’s hiding something. I’m starting to trust her, which is saying something for me after all this time, but I know she gets it. She’s from the same world I’m from. She knows what it’s like to be liked for everything but yourself.

  There’s a reason movie stars often only date one another. It’s so hard to find a person who understands, who sees the person underneath, who doesn’t care about or need the money or attention.

  It’s the ultimate first-world problem, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a desperately lonely way to live.

  The snow crunches beneath my boots, hardened from a day without a fresh coat. The sound resonates in the silent woods around us, and I breathe in the scent of snow and pine. I’m so often reminded of why I chose to come here, that this was a good decision.

  Now that Rayne has provided some much-needed company, it’s all the better.

  I reach down and lace my gloved fingers with hers. Her eyes are bright and watery in the cold, and with the sunlight beaming down upon us, I manage to catch a few flecks of mint green among the moss.

  I’ve never seen eyes like those.

  The path opens up to the clearing and the hill that leads to the main cabin. I hold fast to Rayne’s hand and take the lead as I turn sideways to carefully descend to the building.

  “I’m not going to fall, you know.”

  “I don’t know. You’ve already fallen once before.”

  “Yes, well, that doesn’t mean I’m going to fall every time. If you didn’t notice from yesterday, I made it down this hill on my own when I ran into you last time. Not a bruise or bump on me from the harrowing experience.”

  “Are you seriously arguing your way out of holding my hand? After all we’ve been through?”

  My tone makes her laugh, and I’m glad to hear it. I used to be funny once. The life of the party. A flame that burned a little too bright, until I got scorched and had to rise from my own ashes.

  And look where that got me.

  We reac
h the bottom of the hill, and I release Rayne’s hand as we approach the cabin’s main door. I step over the four front porch steps with one bound.

  “Oh, please,” Rayne says.

  I turn and look back at her. “What?”

  “Now you’re showing off?”

  I shrug. “Can’t help the long legs. They get me from here to there.”

  “So do mine.”

  “Yes. Just twenty minutes later.”

  “What are we fixing today anyway?”

  “Follow me, and you’ll find out.”

  I like bantering with Rayne. She keeps up with me, which I haven’t come across all that often. The women I’ve met in my life who look like Rayne usually don’t know how to do simple math, much less keep up with a witty conversation. They are arm candy, and, much like candy, they enjoy being silent and sweet.

  Not my cup of tea, if I’m honest.

  I think about Natalie. Why did I explain myself to Rayne this morning? Natalie destroyed my life, all for a payout. I know Rayne doesn’t need the money—after all, she’s rented out the entire place—but that doesn’t change the fact that she’s hiding something.

  Could she be a reporter, sent here to get the scoop on me? Even as the thought arrives, I dismiss it. Now that I know who Rayne is, her story solidifies a little more clearly in my mind. She’s the famous daughter of a former lawyer. Former. The man was killed, I think.

  She’s as much an orphan as I am. I don’t think we’ll start any renditions of “Hard Knock Life” yet, though.

  “Are you thirsty?” I ask.

  She nods. “A little.”

  “Come on back here. We’ve got bottled water and such.”

  I hand her a bottle of water and take one for myself, then guide us toward the back of the cabin to the generator. Rayne takes a sip then twists the cap back onto her bottle before setting it on the snowy ground.

  “So, what’s the trouble with it?” she asks.

  “Not much. Just needs a tune-up. We don’t want to be left without a generator up here. Not with the kinds of storms we can get.”

  “Got it. You got tools?”

  I blink at her. Does she expect to do the tune-up herself or something? “Yes. Back here.”