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Chapter 4

4

Her words cut him to the quick. Lucien swayed back as if she’d slapped him. He wanted to lash out again, to defend himself, but deep down, he knew she was right.

It was just that he’d been drunk…and then he’d broken her glassware, made a pregnant woman almost vomit, and Chastity had to clean everything. And then she’d said that…

What did he have?

Just the loneliness and emptiness deep inside.

Chastity, Dorian, and the other Dukes of Sin would all see at any moment what was inside of him…

Nothing.

Of course he could stop whoring around; he was a man and not an animal. Perfectly capable of controlling his urges. It was just…a woman’s legs wrapped around him, a warm, quivering of pleasure as another body pressed against him, made him feel like he mattered. Like he wasn’t alone.

It wasn’t that he was enslaved by coupling like some men were by laudanum. Like Eccess couldn’t stop drinking.

No.

He was fine.

It was Chastity who couldn’t stop hiding behind her glass flasks and using that intellect of hers as an excuse to avoid meeting and talking to prospective suitors.

The hurtin Chastity’s eyes made him wince and want to apologize. He had just opened his mouth to do so when she dipped the cloth in a basin of water with a splash that made water droplets sprinkle his face.

“Do you know what I think, Chastity?” he said, standing up as she submerged the cloth in water again. He watched her skillful little hands knead the cloth under the surface of the water. “I think you’re using yourscientific pursuits as a distraction from your inability to secure a husband.”

Chastity turned to him, her eyes wide and her face as tight as a mask, but her cheeks blazed.

He’d gone too far this time.

She stood with the basin, set it down on a table, and threw the cloth into it, this time splashing a generous amount right into his face. He wiped away the water, which smelled of vinegar.

She closed the one short step between them, as cold and as regal as a snow queen. “Not more of a distraction than your own constant sleeping around. You can’t even keep it in your breeches with one of your best friend’s maids, for pity’s sake! After a night in Elysium!”

He stared into her blue eyes, glinting like ice.

She chuckled and shook her head slowly. “I bet you can’t go even thirty days without sleeping with someone.”

He scoffed. “What? That would be easy.”

“Easy?” she demanded. “I mean, no self-gratification and, of course, no intercourse.”

Self-gratification and intercourse all sounded very interesting coming from her mouth. He imagined those plush lips red from kissing… His gaze dropped to her small breasts under the gray muslin dress with a collar all the way to her chin. How satisfying would it be to hear a rip of that ghastly fabric as he freed her beautiful body from the clothes that made her look older and unnecessarily invisible.

“What do you know of those things, Chastity?” he asked as he stepped even closer to her.

With satisfaction, he noted her pupils dilating and swallowing most of her cerulean irises, her sweet lips parting in surprise, her chest moving up and down faster under her governess gown.

“I read books,” she said. “I know perfectly well what sex is. I know male and female anatomy, including the sex organs, and what happens between a man and a woman.”

Oh, she did, did she? Maybe he didn’t quite know everything about her, after all.

The thought of her reading about coupling, studying male and female anatomy in books, then giving him instructions…wearing her spectacles, with that stern face…and then he’d be the one who’d crack her hard exterior and make her fall apart and squirm and lose control… Red-hot desire rushed through his blood and straight into his breeches.

No, Lucien. This was Chastity. Dorian’s sister.

Didn’t mean he couldn’t tease her. Entertain the idea of this insane bet.

“Books,” he chuckled, looking her over. “Theory and practice are two different things, sweetheart. I can abstain from practice. You can’t stop reading books. In fact, I would argue reading keeps you so isolated that I doubt you can make one new friend during that month.”

Her cheeks, blushing fiercely, betrayed her agreement with him. “If you can stop carousing, I can stop reading,” she said, though without much conviction. “There must be someone who can talk about science with me…”

Her eyes widened as though she’d come to a realization.

“In fact,” she said, her lips twisting in a smile, “there will be a gentleman at Pryde’s house party to whom I can talk for hours.” Then she muttered to herself, “If only I were brave enough.”

He narrowed his eyes. Where did this come from? Another new gentleman in her life? He did not like the sound of that at all. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Who?” he asked.

She crouched down on the floor again and wiped at the vinegar with the cloth, and he watched her graceful back, her behind round and promising under the gray folds of her dress.

“Lord Oliver Evans, Earl of Wardbury,” she said.

He was going to murder the sod. “And why do you want to befriend him?”

How could the woman look so regal while crouching on the floor and wiping a stain, he didn’t know. But her back was perfectly straight. Her shoulders squared. Her face as cool as if she were having tea with a queen.

“He is a researcher and physician at St. Thomas’s Hospital, and one of the gentlemen who declined my offer of collaboration. I’m going to change his mind.”

Lucien narrowed his eyes. A scientist? An earl? Chastity spending time with a man he didn’t know? He did not like that at all. How old was the fellow? Lord help him, he hoped the man was eighty and happily married.

No. He was not going to just send her into another man’s arms. He needed to make it difficult for her to agree—or seductive enough for himself to risk it. Maybe he could do both…

He shook his head. “Make it interesting for me, darling, and I’ll take your bet.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What would be interesting for you, Lucien?”

“You…squirming.”

With satisfaction, he watched a blush creep over her cheeks. The snow queen had some fire in her blood after all.

“If I have to do something I don’t enjoy…so must you. You bet me I can’t stay celibate for thirty days. I bet you cannot secure a marriage proposal.”

Her face went slack. “A marriage proposal?”

She’d never go for it. Not that she couldn’t get a marriage proposal. Any man would be lucky to have her, and Lucien would never be worthy of her.But she’d never come out of her shell and try to charm someone. He saw her at balls and parties. She was as uncomfortable as a splinter in a big toe.

“A marriage proposal…” she repeated, looking stunned. “From Lord Wardbury,” she added to his surprise.

“What?”

“I might not be able to secure a marriage proposal from just anyone, but I bet you I could from Lord Wardbury.”

No, no, no. He did not like at all where this was going.

“He’s a scientist, too,” she mused. “We’ll have much to talk about. And besides, I could warm him up to the idea of letting me conduct my research in cooperation with St. Thomas’s Hospital once I’m his wife.”

Lucien couldn’t speak for a moment. “I did not think of that.”

“It makes sense!” said Chastity as she began pacing across the large room. “You’re right. I should be able to socialize in polite society. I never wanted to be a socialite and just spend my time at balls and drinking tea with other ladies talking gossip. But I admit, social skills are my weakness. This will push me to improve. Just like you will be forced to learn self-control and abstinence.”

She stopped and glanced at him. “And once I win—and you, of course, lose because never in your life will you be able to let a willing lady pass by, especially not for thirty days—you must help me get published in The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge. Your family has been donating to them for years, so I know you have significant influence.”

Lucien couldn’t believe his ears. Chastity was demanding he use his influence to help her? The girl he had chased as they ran around the lawn, the girl who had once scared him to death by creating her own fireworks using metallic powder, the girl whose smarts had intimidated him as a young boy.He couldn’t believe she needed his help with anything. And he would have freely given it without the bet. But now that they were bargaining…

“In that case,” he said coldly, staring her down. “When I win, you willspend one night with me, engaging in activities of my choosing.” He knew she’d never agree, but he wanted to make the ice queen squirm, just to see that delicious blush on her cheeks again.

Her eyes widened, her lips falling open. There it was, the blush. The squirm he wanted to see so much. He knew her too well.

She wouldn’t dare to try to charm anyone, even a scientist with whom she had much to talk about. She was brilliant, but she would never be able to cross the border she’d built around herself, never allow others to truly see her.

Oh yes. He’d win, and she’d lose.

And when he won, as difficult as it would be, he’dbehave like a perfect gentleman and not take advantage of her. She might think the only activities he would choose would involve him and her naked, but he’d never dishonor Chastity in that way. She was Dorian’s sister. And Lucien could just imagine his wrath, even though he seemed to have little of it lately.

He’d never endanger his friendship with Dorian, in any event.

And he knew Chastity would never go through with the silly bet. It was all a bluff, and they both knew it. But the image of her scandalized face as she’d enter his bedroom, in secret, waiting for the worst…was entertaining to envision.

She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m serious, Lucien. No coitus. No self-gratification. No sensual indulgence for you at all.”

“What if we both win?” he asked. Surely she was not going to go through with this…

“Then we both get our prizes. I do want your support for my project.”

He chuckled and slowly walked towards her, licking his lower lip. Maybe the spirits still clouded his thinking. Or maybe he truly was depraved. But he couldn’t resist this temptation. He stretched out his hand to her and a small jolt of energy passed through him as she took it.

He slowly shook her hand, holding it firmly and looking nowhere but into her eyes.“It’s a bet.”

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