Courteously Seduced By An Enigmatic Duke (Steamy Historical Regency Romance)

by Scarlett Osborne

  Finally, when he thought it was the right time, he donned his coat and left the room. He didn’t look back as he left, instead heading straight into the woods. The night was very cool and he prayed Hannah remembered to wear more covering this time around.

  Although the sight of her last time was wonderful.

  As he arrived at the clearing, Rowland was alarmed to find that his trousers were fast growing tighter. He looked down to see that the memory of Hannah’s aroused nipples had formed a bulge in his trousers and he sat down, hoping that would hide it.

  But it only seemed to grow as he waited for her, tense with urgency.

  He heard her before he saw her. Things broke under her feet as she approached and Rowland nearly stood in anticipation. But he was still boasting a bulge and he didn’t want to scare her.

  She stepped into the clearing, the moonlight showering over her. She glowed, those magical eyes shimmering with the same urgent need that he felt. Rowland couldn’t contain himself after that.

  She’s so beautiful. How can she be mine?

  He lunged to his feet and made his way over to her in two long strides. Hannah was prepared for him, wrapping her arms around his neck and easing into his embrace the moment his lips descended on hers. She moaned low in her throat, frantic as he was. Hands were everywhere, touching everything, and it only stoked the fire building inside them both.

  “Oh, Rowland, I missed you.” She only murmured it against his lips before she broke off and showered him kisses. Down his neck and back up, nibbling at his ear as she did. The move was so intense that he trembled at her touch, backing up to the rock he had vacated. Gently he held her and lowered her to the seat.

  “I missed you, too.” He took her face in his hand and kissed her again, softer this time, filling the touch with his sincerity. Hannah felt every bit of it and her hands gripped his shirt tightly. She spread her fingers against his chest, running them up and down, feeling the hard muscle underneath.

  Rowland knew he had to control himself. He couldn’t take her, no matter how much he wanted to, and certainly not here. But the thought was far in the back of his mind. All he could think about now was how wonderful she smelled, how much he loved the feel of her in his arms, how much her soft kisses going up and down his neck made his tight trousers strain.

  But he focused on that thought. He had to. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself before it was too late.

  “Hannah,” he murmured into her hair.

  She sensed what he was going to say. “I know,” she said, pulling away. “I know, so you don’t have to say it.”

  She was disappointed. He could tell that much. But so was he. Rowland suddenly wished that he hadn’t been raised with such high morals.

  “I only want to sit with you,” she said to him, putting her hand to his cheek. Her eyes were darker than usual. “I didn’t get the chance to touch you as much as I wanted to today.”

  “You mean that kiss in the gardens wasn’t enough to satisfy you?” he teased. Hannah chuckled, tucking her body into his and laying her head on his chest. There wasn’t much space for them both to sit comfortably, so she was half-sitting in his lap, his arm around her body. He wondered if she could hear how his heart pounded.

  “Not nearly enough,” she said with a sigh. “If we had been alone like we are right now, I would have done so much more.”

  “I don’t doubt it for a second, Hannah,” he whispered. Though he was still very much aroused, Rowland was content with how they held each other. He’d never held a lady like this before, not even Miss Flynn.

  “Are you excited for the ball that will be thrown in honor of our betrothal?” he asked her.

  “I am,” she said, nodding, though movement was restricted. “But more than that, I cannot wait until we are wed. I cannot wait to finally be your wife.”

  “You’ll be mine.”

  She looked at him, her eyes darkened even further. She could sense the undertone of possessiveness in his voice and her response to it nearly drove him insane. She reached up and pressed her lips against his. But her hand…her hand traveled downwards, until her fingers brushed against his growing length.

  “Hannah,” Rowland rasped in surprise.

  She didn’t move her hand but she held his gaze. Then slowly, she wrapped her hand around it completely, feeling him through the material. “You are excited, Rowland,” she murmured. “You’re trembling for me.”

  “Hannah…” Rowland leaned back, resting his head against the bark as he watched her. He was still surprised by what she was doing, but even more than that, he was getting very worked up.

  “I’m excited for you, too,” she said to him. She could see what she was doing to him—it was clear in her eyes. She kept going, kept stroking lovingly as she said, “Can you tell?”

  He could tell. Once again, her nipples poked through her nightdress, begging for his attention. Rowland didn’t want to neglect them. He filled his palm with one, brushing his finger over the nipple and watched with satisfaction when she closed her eyes and let out a breath.

  Her hand went still when he palmed her other breast, and he fondled them, teasing the erect nipples until she was panting before him. She tightened her own grip on him, easing into his touch.

  Slowly, he pulled at the sleeve of her nightdress. Hannah went still. He caught her eyes, to make sure she wasn’t opposing his touch, but on the contrary, she was silently willing him to continue.

  He pulled the sleeve down, then the other. Hannah helped him by easing her arms out and allowing the nightdress to pool at her waist. She was half naked for him, her skin tightening under the cool air.

  Rowland had never seen anything so beautiful. Her breasts fit his palm perfectly and without the layer of fabric acting as a barrier, he was free to feel her warm flesh beneath his cold hands. She gasped at his touch, arching her back. That was even more beautiful.

  Restraint was hard to hold on to. It was like a thin, fraying tether threatening to break at any moment—and here he was tugging at it despite its fragility.

  He knew what he should do and it took all his energy to do it. “Hannah…”

  “Yes,” she nodded. This time, there was no disappointment, only understanding as she pulled her nightdress back up. Then she leaned back into his embrace, resting her head on his chest, and sighed. “It’ll be our time soon.”

  Truly it would be, and Rowland could hardly wait until then.

  Chapter 27

  Hannah stood at the back of the drawing room, as far away from the Prince as she could get. Sitting with him during meal times was something she couldn’t escape from, and she relished the fact that she at least had Rowland by her side. But being in the prince’s presence in any other capacity was simply asking too much of her.

  “Hannah?” Lady Violet approached her with a question in her eyes. “Will Prince Viktor ever come back here?” she asked.

  Lady Rosamund stood behind her, waiting for the response as well. No one paid them any mind all the way in the back. Rowland wasn’t in the room as yet and the Duke and Duchess were speaking to the Prince in low tones.

  “I don’t know,” Hannah said truthfully.

  I hope I never see him again.

  Lady Violet looked sad, hanging her head. “Can you ask him?” she asked Hannah. “To come back. We want to see him again.”

  Hannah couldn’t ignore the pang of pain at seeing her sisters so downcast, but she also couldn’t bring herself to say such words to the Prince. So instead, she said to her, “Why don’t you go and ask him yourself? He loves you two. If you ask him, I’m sure he’ll say yes.”

  “You think so?” Lady Rosamund asked, perking up.

  “I do.” Hannah gave them an encouraging smile. They needn’t know the truth about the Prince’s character. They were young and innocent enough as it was. And she’d seen how Prince Viktor treated them and hoped he would be as kind to them now as he had been all this time.

  Hannah watched her s
isters run up to the Prince just as Rowland entered the room. Her eyes went straight to him, happiness lighting her heart, but then she refocused on her sisters and Prince Viktor. Hannah couldn’t quite hear what they were saying but the Prince leaned down and rested a hand on Lady Violet’s shoulder with a smile. The two girls smiled in return.

  Rowland made his way over to her. He didn’t stand as closely as she hoped he would but he was a gentleman in every sense of the word and Hannah had long ago stopped expecting anything different.

  “Did you happen to catch what they were saying when you walked by?” she asked him, tilting her chin toward her giggling sisters and the Prince.

  “That I did. He said he would try his best come back to the manor one day and visit them.”

  “Well, I can’t deny that he has a way with words,” Hannah said. There was no anger or resentment in her tone, simply acceptance. She no longer harbored hatred for the Prince after what he did. In light of all the other good things happening to her recently, she simply didn’t have that kind of energy. On the other hand, however, she was happy to see him go.

  “They’ll get over him in no time,” Hannah told him. “They always get excited when new people come to the manor.”

  “Were they that excited for me?” he asked with raised brows, genuinely interested to know.

  Hannah cocked her head to the side with a smile. “Did you not realize it?”

  “Well…I’m not around children very much. I don’t exactly know what to expect from them.”

  Suddenly, Hannah pictured herself with him, holding their own child in her arms. The thought made her smile and blush at the same time.

  He caught it and he opened his mouth to inquire when they were called over by the Duke. The Duke, Duchess, and Prince Viktor were leaving the drawing room, preparing for the Prince’s departure. Hannah loathed the fact that she had to be here for it, simply because she’d much rather spend her time with Rowland or with her horse if he was busy, but she knew she had little choice in the matter.

  “It was lovely having you as our guest, Your Highness,” the Duke said at the opened door of the manor, the Prince’s own valet waiting. Hannah could see a luxurious carriage sitting outside.

  “And it was lovely being here, Your Grace,” said the Prince in his charming and pleasant manner. Hannah wasn’t fooled by it. She took her spot next to her sisters and waited for the Prince’s inevitable appearance before her.

  Before long, there he stood, staring at her with undecipherable eyes. Hannah held that gaze for a moment before she curtsied and said, “I wish you safe travels, Your Highness.”

  “Thank you, Lady Hannah. I …”

  Hannah rose and watched him, waiting.

  Will he say it? Will he apologize for his behavior in front of all these people?

  Hannah knew without a doubt that he didn’t have the mettle to do such a thing and so she wasn’t surprised when he left it at that, stepped back, gave her a hasty bow and proceeded to leave.

  Once the Prince was out the door, the manor grew considerably lighter. Though she didn’t hear it, Hannah could have sworn everyone—excluding Lady Rosamund and Lady Violet—breathed a sigh of relief. They were all glad to have the Prince out of their lives.

  Rowland approached her. Hannah saw him coming, but before he could make it, the Duchess smoothly stepped in his path and tucked Hannah’s arm into the crook of hers.

  “Mother?” Hannah questioned with a frown.

  “My apologies, Mr. Albertson,” the Duchess said, not sounding sorry at all. “But Lady Hannah and I have business to take care of so we will be busy for a while. We have a ball to plan.”

  Rowland blinked then stepped back respectfully. “Ah, yes, Your Grace, of course. I shan’t keep you.”

  “Lady Hannah? Shall we?”

  Without much say in the matter, Hannah was dragged away from the foyer, but she knew that Rowland’s eyes followed her all the way.

  * * *

  Preparations for the ball took nearly all of Hannah’s time. The Duchess was excited about it and in her excitement, she roped Hannah into helping her make every decision that needed to be made. Hannah didn’t care that much for balls. She was happy they were having one in celebration of her engagement, yes, but as far as the minor details went, she was uninterested.

  The Duchess’ excitement, however, was understandable and so Hannah tried not to dim her joy. She didn’t get many chances to plan balls like this, despite the fact that she’d hosted many people as Duchess of Gresham. Hannah tried to keep that in mind, pushing aside the pricking annoyance whenever her mother bothered her with small details.

  Now, a week after the Prince’s departure, Hannah sat at her vanity table and sighed as Lily did her hair. She hadn’t seen much of Rowland in that week, not even at their spot in the woods, and so she was feeling very withdrawn.

  “Are you all right, M’Lady?” Lily asked after her second sigh.

  Hannah decided to be honest. “I miss Mr. Albertson,” she said. “He’s been so busy with my father and I’ve been so busy helping my mother plan this ball that I haven’t gotten the chance to see him very much.”

  “You needn’t worry, M’Lady,” Lily said cheerfully. “You will have many opportunities to dance with him during tonight’s ball.”

  Hannah looked at her lady’s maid reflected in the looking glass, surprised at her wistful tone. Lily herself had been in quite a good mood lately, and Hannah had selfishly thought it because of Hannah’s good news. Now, she wondered if it had to do with something else.

  “Is there something on your mind, Lily?” Hannah asked curiously.

  “Oh, nothing,” Lily said, but her wistfulness only sounded stronger.

  “There is clearly something bothering you.” Then, Hannah remembered. “Does it have anything to do with Josef?”

  Hannah was unsurprised to see Lily’s furious blush in the mirror. “It’s…well, I did decide to take your advice and approach him.”

  “Oh, have you?” Hannah couldn’t fathom when that could have happened. Lily was always by her side. “And how did that fare?”

  “He is as friendly as he seems,” Lily said. Hannah smiled a little at the note of excitement in her voice. “And I’ve only grown to care for him even more. And…and I think he does, as well.”

  “Well, that’s wonderful. Then why are you so down?”

  “I’m not down, M’Lady,” Lily said. “I just wish I could dance with Josef one day.”

  Hannah reached up and held her hand. Lily paused. “Didn’t I tell you how lovely you are, Lily?” Hannah said. “No man should be able to resist you, so you needn’t worry. Everything will work out for you two in the end. Trust me.”

  Lily smiled happily and after a quick nod, she resumed doing Hannah’s hair. A few seconds after, there was a knock on the door. “Hannah?”

  Hannah looked over on hearing her mother’s voice. Lily, right on cue, rushed to open the door for her. The Duchess gave Lily a grateful smile as she entered then her eyes lit up at the sight of her daughter.

  “You look absolutely lovely, my dear!”

  “My hair isn’t done yet,” Hannah told her. Lily came back over to resume styling it.

  “And even with your hair not done, you look beautiful. Mr. Albertson is going to be so happy when he sees you.”

  Hannah hoped so. She had picked her best gown, suddenly aware that this would be the first time he saw her at such an event. She wanted to impress him, to see his eyes darken the way she loved. She wanted the mere sight of her to rouse his hunger despite all those who might be watching.

  The gown she chose was gold, almost the same color as her eye. Lily was still hard at work putting intricate curls into her hair, leaving tendrils at the front, and a small tail down the back.

  “You look lovely yourself, Mother,” Hannah said. Which was true. The Duchess, despite the years, was still as beautiful as she had been in her prime and it was even more clear right now. Like Hannah, sh
e had chosen a gown that matched one of her mismatched eyes, a deep shade of green. Her hair, unlike Hannah’s, was down, with a few curls around her face and the rest of her heavy black hair brushing her back.

  “Why, thank you, my dear. The ball will be starting soon, you know. I cannot wait for you to see how everything has come together.”

  “I can’t wait to see it myself, though I have to wonder if you really needed me to help you with all of it.”