by Liz Cole
Persuading Prudence
Liz Cole
Breathless Press (2011)
*
After their night of mistaken identity and passion, can Lord Ravensbrook convince frumpy spinster, Prudence Mayville that marriage is the best and most honorable option?
A night of passion and mistaken identity has consequences …
Frumpy Lady Prudence Mayville has harbored a tenure for the devilishly dashing Lord Ravensbrook since her days in the schoolroom. So when the sotted earl mistakes her room for his and her for his mistress, Prudence finds it impossible to resist a chance to experience his passionate lovemaking.
When Kolton, Lord Ravensbrook awakens naked in the wrong room and realizes what had occurred, he does the honorable thing and asks for Prudence’s hand in marriage. Kolton is stunned when she turns him down flat. Why on earth would a compromised spinster refuse the most eligible bachelor of the season? Humbled, Kolton tries to overcome her objections, but will he be successful in persuading Prudence?
Persuading Prudence
by Liz Cole
Breathless Press
Calgary, Alberta
www.breathlesspress.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or
persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Persuading Prudence
Copyright© 2011 Liz Cole
ISBN: 978-1-926930-36-7
Cover Artist: Victoria Miller
Editor: Denise Lewis
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations
embodied in reviews.
Breathless Press
www.breathlesspress.com
Chapter One
Bath, England, 1834
“But, Amanda, we cannot let you travel all that way alone,” Lady Prudence Mayville insisted, attempting to persuade her best friend, and third cousin by marriage, not to leave.
Amanda Bradley, Viscountess Broadshire, sighed dramatically. “Honestly, Pru, I am a married woman of seven years. I have Amy to accompany me.” She waved a hand in the direction of her burly lady’s maid. “I see no reason that you and Kolton should cut your trip short because I must leave.”
Staying the rest of the week, not to mention the additional two day ride back to London, alone with Amanda’s oldest brother, the Earl of Ravensbrook, was something Prudence would really rather avoid.
“You know very well that Kolton only came to escort us to one or two events. He wouldn’t mind leaving earlier than planned in the least,” Prudence argued.
Amanda rolled her eyes. “That is not true. He mentioned only yesterday that our trip had proved to be quite a nice diversion from the bustle of London. I am sure a few more days wouldn’t bother him at all.”
Prudence frowned. Perhaps Amanda was right. He had appeared to be content to escort the two of them on their various sojourns about Bath in the last few weeks, and had only ventured out a handful of nights to pursue his own interests.
Be that as it may, Prudence would rather not have to spend nearly a week in his company without Amanda as a buffer. She couldn’t possibly go that length of time without making a ninny of herself like an adolescent girl with her first crush. Having essentially grown up in the Stanville household since the age of six, Prudence was no more immune to the current earl’s allure than the rest of the female population.
To put it simply, Kolton Stanville was an Adonis.
Prudence had yet to meet a woman who was unaffected by his strength of presence. The man fairly dripped charm and sensuality. The truly amazing thing however, was that, for the most part, he achieved this feat without effort. But Lord help the woman he did make an effort to charm with the mischievous sparkle in those chocolate-brown eyes and that brilliant, heart-stopping smile of his—young or old, she never stood a chance. Not that Prudence had to worry about the earl having an interest in a dowdy spinster like herself. At the grand age of six-and-twenty, Prudence had given up all thoughts of marriage anyway. This, however, was not the point.
“That doesn’t change the fact that you shouldn’t travel back to London without an escort.”
“Oh don’t be silly, Pru. As I said, I’ll have Amy; and I will take one of the footmen with me. You worry far too much. You wouldn’t want to leave Kolton to his own devices, now would you? Who knows what sort of scandalous behavior he might partake of if he doesn’t have you to watch over?”
Prudence gave an unladylike snort. “Kolton is four-and-thirty and more than capable of taking care of himself. Besides, if I do not accompany you, I would be left to ride unchaperoned with Kolton, and that would be most improper.”
Amanda burst into a fit of giggles. “Pru, you have lived with the Stanvilles for twenty years!” she reminded Prudence when she regained her composure. “We grew up together, for pity’s sake. You are part of the family. No one would think twice about you and Kolton traveling together.”
Prudence heaved an inward sigh. Apparently there would be no way of convincing Amanda that Prudence should abandon their stay in Bath and accompany her back to London. It was ridiculous really, there were only three days left before they were due to return to London anyhow, but she gave it one last attempt.
“But poor little Cecil! I am sure that after all the pain and stress he has gone through, breaking his arm and all, he would appreciate having an extra shoulder to cry on.”
“Yes, my poor little dear.” Amanda sighed. “I am worried about him. Six years old and already a broken bone. His father didn’t start such recklessness until he was at least ten. I can only hope this teaches the little devil that monkeys are meant to swing from trees and such is not the case with little boys. But he doesn’t need to learn injury breeds special attention, or he will be banging himself up more than he normally does.”
“But, Amanda—”
“No, no. Now I mean it, Pru. I would feel simply dreadful if you left with me. You have been looking forward to this excursion for the last six months, and I won’t have you miss one day of it—do you understand? Not one day.” Without another word Amanda turned to her maid and motioned for the woman to grab her travel bag.
Prudence rushed to give her cousin a quick hug and kiss goodbye before accompanying her down to the hotel lobby to see her off.
Sleep eluded Prudence. The late summer weather had turned beastly hot. Even with both windows open, the equally hot breeze did little to ease her discomfort, which did not bode well for the two day trip back to London the next day.
Prudence rolled over and sat up with an irritated huff. She was tempted to remove her sweaty nightgown and toss it aside.
Why shouldn’t she? Prudence thought rebelliously.
It was a scandalous idea, but who would know? Amy wasn’t around to wake her up in the morning, why not indulge herself?
Deciding to be wicked for once, Prudence removed the offending garment and tossed it to the floor, feeling deliciously wanton. She draped the light bed sheet over her nakedness and settled down to sleep.
A loud crash startled Prudence from a deep sleep. She lay still, a bit disoriented. Was someone in her room?
Her heart raced as a range of colorful curses echoed across the room. She turned toward the sound and muffled a shocked gasp. A man stood in front of the closed door to her room, his form lit only by the weak illumination of a single candle. He was hopping unsteadily on one foot and grumbling as he held the other protectively in his hand. Prudence bit back a startled cry. It was not just any man, but
Kolton, the object of her heated dreams.
What was he doing in her room?
“Bloody nush—nushun—pain in the arsh, tables.”
He had been drinking, that much was obvious. If he was far enough in his cups, he could have easily miscalculated and entered her room by mistake. Until now, there had been no need to lock her door since they had the entire four-bedroom suite to themselves.
Should she say something? She opened her mouth to advise him of his error when she remembered she lay naked in bed with only a thin sheet protecting her modesty. In horror, she realized that her nightgown was too far away to snatch discretely and throw over her head. What was she to do?
Prudence sent up a silent prayer of thanks that candle wasn’t bright. She was pretty sure she was completely concealed in shadow. But what if he brought it closer? He would no doubt realize she lay scandalously disrobed in bed. He would be understandably shocked and she would be mortified.
Perhaps he would realize that he was in the wrong room without her having to say anything and go in search of his own? None of his things were here; he would have to realize his mistake when he went in search of his nightshirt, surely.
Prudence lay quietly, her heart hammering in her chest. Indecision ate at her and she sent a desperate prayer heavenward that he would discover his mistake and leave. But, as the clock on the bedside table continued to tick away the seconds, Kolton showed no sign of recognizing his error. Unfortunately, all the rooms in the suite were similar in design and furnishings, so the likelihood of him realizing his mistake right away was slim.
He shrugged out of his coat and tossed it over a nearby chair. With alarming speed—especially given his inebriated condition—his cravat, vest, and shirt joined the coat
Prudence bit her lip as she took in the magnificent picture he presented. Not only did his face possess strong chiseled features, but so did his body. His broad shoulders tapered down to a trim waist. His arms were heavily muscled, as was his chest, his back too, she discovered as he turned and removed his trousers. As they dropped to the floor, she was afforded with a breathtaking view of his tight buttocks and strong thighs. He turned and blew out the candle. To her surprise and embarrassment, Prudence felt a twinge of disappointment at not having the opportunity to see the rest of him while at the same time realizing to her dismay, that he’d forgone the use of a nightshirt.
The covers rustled, snapping Prudence back to awareness. She quickly shimmied over to the other side of the bed as close to the edge as she could get as the mattress dipped and he slid under the covers with a deep sigh of satisfaction.
Now what would she do? The bed was large, but not so big as to keep him from discovering her if he rolled over. The only thing she could think to do was lay as still as possible and hope to slip out unnoticed as soon as he fell asleep.
Chapter Two
Prudence waited for what seemed like hours before Kolton began to snore softly. Cautiously, she lifted the covers and prepared to climb out of bed.
He stirred. Prudence froze, almost afraid to breathe. He mumbled something in his sleep and rolled over, flinging his arm across her waist. She remained unmoving, relaxing only marginally when his snoring soon continued.
Again, she attempted to slide out of bed, but he grunted something intelligible and pulled her against him, her back to his front. Prudence panicked. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but he tightened his hold and snuggled his face into the crook of her neck.
“Mmm. You smell good,” he mumbled sleepily and ran his tongue up the side of her neck, stopping to nibble at her ear.
Prudence felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. As she fought to breathe, Kolton’s hand slid up and cupped her breast. She drew a sharp breath as his thumb stroked her nipple, which hardened immediately at his touch, sending shockwaves of warmth rippling through her body, coalescing in a tight knot in her lower abdomen.
She had to stop him. But if she did, he would realize who she was—and she was pretty sure he didn’t at the moment. Perhaps he thought she was his mistress. If that were the case, she didn’t want him to realize his mistake and face the horrible embarrassment that would result.
Prudence gasped when he rolled her over and climbed atop her, his hard, lean length pressing down on her. Her body instantly responded, arousal licking her insides. Her pulse raced impossibly faster, her breathing coming in soft pants. Her nipples hardened embarrassingly further at the feel his smooth chest rubbing against them.
“No, Kolton, wait—” she whispered urgently, only to be silenced by his mouth pressing down upon hers.
Prudence had never been kissed, much less with such fervor, and especially not by Kolton. His mouth devoured hers and his tongue pushed insistently at her lips until they parted allowing him to plunge between them.
Her mind blanked to all but the feel of his naked flesh pressing against hers and his breath-stealing kiss. She responded, mimicking the movements of his lips and tangled her tongue with his.
He groaned. Wrapping his arms around her, he slid his hands down her back and grabbed her bottom. He pulled her tight against him and ground his hips against her.
“Are you wet for me, luv? Ready for me to thrust my cock into your tight little cunny?” he whispered in her ear as one hand reached around and pushed between her thighs.
Prudence drew a sharp breath. She needed to stop him—stop what was happening, but at six-and-twenty, with unremarkable looks further lessening her chances of ever leading a man to seek her out, her chances of experiencing lovemaking were practically non-existent. Not to mention it was Kolton who was making love to her. How many nights had she lain awake dreaming of him doing this very thing; his body pressed to hers, whispering naughty things while stroking her body? He had no idea he was making love to her—Prudence—and not some nameless women he had brought home for the night. Why not accept what he was offering and have something special to look back on when she was old and alone?
Yes, she decided, an opportunity like this would never come her way again. She wrapped her arms around his waist and parted her legs at the gentle nudge of his knee between them.
“Mmm, yes. Open for me, luv,” he crooned, positioning himself between her thighs.
He slid his cock against her moist lips, making the ache at her center grow to a throbbing burn. “Oh, God, Kolton, make it stop. Make the aching stop,” she begged.
“Mmm. You smell delicious, and feel so good,” he whispered. “Do you feel how hard you make me? Yes, I’ll make it better, so much better, for both of us.” He captured her lips and thrust into her.
His groan of pleasure drowned out her brief cry of pain. She pulled back, pushing at his shoulders. “Stop, Kolton. Stop, stop, stop!”
“What is it, luv? Am I hurting you?”
Though Prudence had no experience with lovemaking, she had heard the whispers of other ladies discussing the act when they were unaware of her presence. Prudence knew she couldn’t admit he was indeed hurting her, such an admission would be as good as announcing her virginity. She thought quickly. Partial truth might get her out of this situation.
“I-It’s just that you are so big. I need a moment to get used to your size,” she improvised.
He chuckled. “You are good for a man’s vanity.” He flexed his hips and she felt him throb inside her.
“Oh, my. That…that feels good.”
“Glad to hear it.”
He slid slowly in and out of her. The pain had eased, and as it did, a new kind of pleasure took over. She groaned and moved her hips experimentally in slow circles as he continued his steady thrusts.
“Ahh, sweetheart, you know how to drive a man crazy,” he growled as he increased his pace.
She moved with him, matching his rhythm. Soon, their coupling turned frenzied. Pressure build inside her, her heart soared and she could barely catch her breath. Tortured whimpers escaped her and her arms slid up his back to clench his shoulders.
“Yes,” he hiss
ed, “come for me, luv. I want you to milk me dry. Come. Come for me now!”
As if obeying his command, her body shattered into a million pieces. The tight knot in her lower belly burst apart and contractions of pleasure clutched her womb. She buried her head in the crook of his neck and screamed his name.
“Ah. Oh, God, I’m going to come!” he choked and began pumping wildly into her, sending her to an even higher level of ecstasy.
Giving a hoarse shout, he threw back his head. His thrusting grew slow and deep and Prudence felt the wetness increase between her legs as he filled her with his seed.
A minute later he withdrew and flopped down next to her with a satisfied sigh, and within moments was asleep again.
Chapter Three
Prudence lay wide awake, reliving every detail of her first, and most likely only, foray into lovemaking. She wanted to remember every moment and store it away for times in her marriageless future when she could pull out the memory and live it again and again in her mind.
As dawn approached, her thoughts changed. How was she going to keep this from turning into a royal mess? As carefully as possible—and successfully this time—Prudence slid out of bed. Quietly and quickly, she washed away the stickiness between her legs in the semi darkness and dressed, checking every few moments to make sure Kolton didn’t awaken.
He had been drunk—but had he been drunk enough not to remember? She could pretend it never happened…or, she could tell him she was too embarrassed to say anything when he stumbled into her room and had slipped away to another chamber to sleep when he snuffed out the light. Yes, that was a good plan.
Feeling much better now that she had formulated a plausible story, she packed the last of her things into her valise for their return trip that day, checking to make sure she had everything, before she left the room.
She placed her bag with the trunks packed the night before, and read for an hour before going down to breakfast.
***
Kolton awoke with a headache. It served him right, he told himself, he never should have let Travers talk him into drinking and cards on his last night in Bath. But the viscount could talk a rabid dog into giving up a bone when he wanted to get his way.
