Chapter Thirteen

B loody hell!

He had looked forward to teaching Frances the game of billiards because it would give him the opportunity to spend time alone with her. He had not anticipated that the game could take a turn to seduction.

He was also quite certain his innuendoes were lost on her as she had no reaction. If Frances were no longer innocent, she’d have known immediately that he was referring to a far more enjoyable activity than billiards.

Though she might not consciously know to what he referred, he had no doubt she was experiencing arousal, just as he was. It was in her breaths, her eyes drifting closed for a moment, lips parted, and for that very reason, he continued to touch her as often as possible as he instructed her on how to hit the ball from different angles to strike the others to send them into pockets.

“How does one keep score?” she asked after she finally hit the red ball into a pocket. “What is the score?”

“I have not been keeping score,” Seth admitted. “You are still learning and it would have been unfair of me to take advantage of you.” Though, in truth, he would like nothing better than to do just that. In fact, the billiards table was a perfect height to sit her upon, then push up her skirts, free himself and introduce her to a different type of thrusting.

“What are you thinking?” she asked.

Seth shook the thoughts from his mind because if she knew, she’d likely leave, or slap him…or maybe. “That I want to kiss you.”

Her lips parted as her eyes widened in shock.

Seth did not give her a chance to object, but stepped forward, drew her into his arms and placed his lips against hers.

At her sigh, he plunged, his tongue mimicking what he really wished to do. Frances wove her arms about his shoulders and Seth drew her tighter until there was no space between their bodies. She tilted her head to allow better access and he continued to delve as she received and returned, their passion heightened, likely from the game he had just played. She desired him, of that Seth had no doubt, and he wanted her with an intensity he had not experienced since the last time they kissed at the cottage.

But she was as innocent today as she had been back then, which he must remember. However, that didn’t keep him from sliding his hands down to her bum and pulling her hips toward his arousal. He wanted her to feel what she did to him.

Again, she moaned and perhaps she understood.

She must. Frances was not a miss fresh from the school room but a mature woman who must have heard enough discussions on the matter of mating to understand why he had grown hard even if she had never experienced such.

When she moaned, it only heated his blood more and he slid one hand up her side, around her ribcage and then cupped one of her perfect breasts. When he swept a thumb across the tip, her nipple hardened beneath the fabric of her gown.

He was already achy with need and this was just torture because nothing would come of their desire tonight. Not with his sister and Lady Bethany down the hall in the parlor.

Bloody hell! They were not alone and either woman could walk in on them any moment.

Seth pulled away from the kiss and braced his forehead against Frances’ as his hands returned to her waist. Her breaths were as short as his, but it was best that they stop now because he wanted Frances to come to him when she was ready and not because they were caught in a compromising position and forced into a marriage.

“We should probably return to your sister and Lady Bethany,” she whispered.

Except Seth could not go anywhere right now.

“Another glass of wine,” he suggested.

“We did not finish the one you poured.”

“Then we should see that it is not wasted.”

Hopefully by the time they were finished he would be relaxed enough to be in the presence of the other ladies.

He crossed to the table where the glasses had been set and handed one to Frances. She took a seat in the chair beside it and Seth sat in the other.

“I do think I will enjoy the game,” she said.

“As do I and I hope we have another opportunity to play.” Except he hoped that next time it would end far more pleasantly and not in the uncomfortable state he was currently experiencing.

“Do you have a billiards table at The Emerald Garter?” she asked.

“No,” he answered before he sipped his wine.

“Why not?” she asked.

“Gentlemen bet against each other when they engage in a game. It may draw players away from the tables at The Emerald Garter where I make my profits.”

Her eyebrows raised in understanding as she nodded. “Then I will not suggest to Tessa or Bethany that they add one to the salon.”

“A gambling establishment they call a salon,” he corrected because that is what it sounded like.

“A salon for the pursuit of knowledge with gambling offered to support that pursuit.”

Now he understood. There would be no gambling if funds were not needed. “They could always raise the subscription price,” he offered.

“Then it would not be accessible to all.”

“All, meaning anyone but me.”

“Or the Duke of Claybrook,” Lady Bethany announced as she entered the library.

Thank goodness he had stopped kissing Frances when he had and that they were seated apart from each other. There could be no objection to how they were found.

Lady Bethany frowned as she looked from Frances to Seth and back again. “I thought you would be playing billiards.”

They had been gone long enough that had she truly been interested, Lady Bethany would have found them much earlier. And, given her facial expression of finding them sitting and sipping wine, Seth was convinced she had hoped to discover them doing something quite different.

“How was the game?” Blythe asked as she entered.

Had his sister been waiting in the corridor for Lady Bethany’s outraged or surprised cry of finding Seth and Frances in a compromised position? “It went well,” Seth finally answered and tried not to grin at just how enjoyable it had been.

Thank goodness Bethany had not walked in a few moments earlier or Frances would have been quite ruined.

As it was, she still did not know what to make of her body’s reaction to not only when Seth innocently touched her during his instructions, but also when he kissed, held and caressed her.

She had been kissed by him many times in the past, but he had never touched her breasts, or brought himself fully against her body where she could feel the hard length of him pressed against her.

Heat had coursed through her veins when he touched her. When in his arms, her breasts began to ache and she wanted to cling tightly to him, growing so heated that the gown was becoming uncomfortable. When he pressed against her, heat pooled in the most private part of her body as an aching pulse developed there, which was something she had never experienced before.

Goodness!

She desired Seth, which wasn’t a surprise, as she had always enjoyed it when he kissed her, but this was beyond anything she had experienced at the cottage. Had he not broken the kiss when he had, she likely would have allowed him all liberties because she desperately needed …oh, blast! Frances had no idea what she had needed but no doubt his mouth, hands and manhood knew and would have taken care of those needs.

“If you are done playing, we should probably return home,” Bethany said.

“Yes, of course.” Frances then glanced at the clock. Goodness, they had been playing billiards for over an hour. “Thank you for the lesson, Lord Seth, and the wine.” She stood and placed the empty glass on the table.

“There is still more to learn and I look forward to our next lesson.”

What more could there be? “Yes, well, as do I.” Her blood heated at the anticipation of him teaching her even more, especially if it required that he must touch her to teach her how to properly thrust a stick.

“Thank you for a lovely dinner, Lady Blythe,” she said as they walked toward the entrance.

“We shall need to do this again,” she said.

“We most certainly will,” Seth added then escorted them to the carriage and assisted both her and Bethany inside before he joined them.

“How was the lesson?” Bethany asked.

“It was enjoyable, but I am not yet certain that I understand the game completely.”

“What did you do for over an hour?”

She certainly would not confide all to her friend. “If you must know, I had difficulty hitting the balls with the stick, but I think I finally have that now.”

“That is all?”

“It is not as easy as it looks,” Seth offered.

“We never got to the part of scoring or an actual game, but I hope to one day.”

“Yes, I am certain you would,” Bethany mumbled.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you did go there to learn, yet the lesson wasn’t complete. Of course you will want to return,” she answered innocently.

“Yes,” Frances answered, though she was certain there was more meaning behind Bethany’s words, just as she suspected Seth had meant something different when he was instructing her.

However, one thing became very clear tonight—she desired Seth. She had wanted to experience passion and intimacy physically. It had nothing to do with love but something else entirely.

She still ached in places she never had before. When he had cupped her breasts, she was certain they swelled. They had already ached before he slid his hand up her waist. Then there was the aching heat in her nether regions that demanded relief and she was certain Seth knew exactly how to bring that about. After all, he was a rogue, which made him an expert at seduction.

Her eyes widened and she straightened just as the carriage came to a halt before the home she shared with Bethany.

Expert at seduction! That is what he had been about tonight with all his touching, even during his instruction, then the kissing, and everything else. He had been seducing her.

The driver opened the door and then Seth assisted them to the walk before accompanying them to the door.

“Thank you for a lovely evening,” Frances said before they entered the house.

“I will call on you tomorrow,” Seth said then stepped away as they closed the door.

Bethany grinned at Frances as they walked toward the stairs.

“What?” Frances demanded.

“Did he at least kiss you?”

“It was a billiards lesson,” Frances reminded her instead of answering.

“Well, that is a disappointment. Given Lord Seth’s reputation, I assumed you had at least been thoroughly kissed.”

It was better to say nothing, though Frances’ face heated to which Bethany grinned wider.

“He did, did he not?”

Frances raised a hand to hide her yawn. “Good night, Bethany. Thank you for coming with me tonight.” She then turned down the corridor and entered her chamber and firmly shut the door before she leaned against it and sighed.

Frances did not want anyone to know that Seth had kissed her, or anything else they had done in the billiards room. Instead, Frances wondered if Seth had been seducing her to get her into his bed.

Though, if it had been his intention, why hadn’t he pushed for more?

Because they weren’t truly alone!

He may want to seduce her, and may even want to bed her, but didn’t want anyone to know because then he would be forced to wed her.

Frances blew out a sigh as her anger began to rise.

She would not fall so easily into his trap again.

She strode across her chamber and pulled a nightshift from her dresser drawers and tossed it on the bed before she started to remove her gown.

It was one matter that he had ended their friendship and broken her heart, but she would not let him take the one thing any innocent woman had of value before he left her again.

That didn’t mean she still didn’t want him. In fact, Seth was the only person she had ever wanted to experience passion with before.

Frances dropped her dress over the back of a chair and pulled her nightshift over her head.

Though, why should she hold so tight to her virginity? It wasn’t as if she would ever marry so who would even know if her innocence had been lost?

Was there a way that she could enjoy intimacy with Seth without losing her heart or becoming too attached? Not that she would let him seduce her into his bed, but it was a decision that she may make for herself. It may be the only opportunity to experience passion, desire and all that occurred between lovers.

Frances pulled back the covers on her bed and climbed in.

Allowing Seth to seduce her was something worth considering, but she would need to go about her intentions very carefully, especially since she still meant to get her revenge.

A small smile pulled at her lips as she snuggled further into her bed. Frances had not considered seduction as part of her revenge, but why not? First, she’d win his heart, then enjoy intimacy, destroy him as he had her, and then she would walk away.

Did she dare?