Free How to Seduce a Scoundrel by Vicky Dreiling Page A

landslide. All your dissolute friends would abandon you for their wives. Such a lonely prospect must be terrifying to a rake like you.”
    “Enough of this nonsense,” he said. “Ramsey is the worst sort of devil. He views you as a prize. The unattainable Lady Julianne would puff up his overblown consequence. Trust me. He’s unscrupulous enough to put you in a compromising position, and then you would have no choice but to marry him.”
    “Oh, I’m shaking in my slippers,” she said, not bothering to hide her sarcasm.
    “Seduction is no laughing matter.”
    “Goodness, I had no idea,” she said.
    His jaw clenched. “No, you clearly do not or you would not make light of the matter.”
    He obviously thought she didn’t have a brain in her head. “Even if Ramsey were to attempt to lure me into an indiscretion, which I seriously doubt he would, I am not foolish enough to fall for such a trap.”
    His voice rose. “You wouldn’t even realize what was happening until it was too late. Either you agree to stay away from him or I’ll arrange to send you home.”
    How dare he threaten her? “I will not allow you to run roughshod over me all season.”
    “Pack your trunks,” he gritted out.
    Her throat constricted. He meant to send her home in disgrace. Everyone in the ton would gossip about her. It would hurt her family. Something hot welled up inside her. “I’ll pack my trunks, and then I will go to Georgette’s home. Her mother will welcome me, and I will be free of your tyranny.”
    “If you think I will let you stay in the same house as Ramsey, you are mistaken.”
    She scoffed and turned away. “You cannot stop me.”
    His hands shot out. She gasped as he imprisoned her upper arms.
    “You are too innocent to understand,” he bit out.
    “You think me naïve, but I know how to thwart a man.”
    “I can prove you wrong,” he said, his voice rumbling. His eyes darkened as he snared her with his intense gaze. She felt as if he were pulling her ever closer, mesmerizing her as if she were the prey and he the predator.
    When he wrapped his arms around her, she caught her breath. His chest and thighs were pressed against her, making her all too aware of his hard, muscular body. She tried to resist the exhilarating sensations coursing through her veins, but her knees and her resolve weakened.
    All the while, he never broke eye contact with her. His breathing grew harsher, faster, and her own breath hitched in her throat. She told herself to look away, to break this sensual spell he’d cast over her, but the subtle scent of starch and something else, something male and forbidden, filled her head.
    He lowered his face until his mouth was so close hisbreath whispered over her lips. “Do you think your bravado would stop Ramsey?”
    His words sliced through the haze in her brain. “You don’t scare—”
    He claimed her lips.
    In her many daydreams, she’d imagined he would kiss her tenderly. She’d not expected the urgency, the sheer hunger of his kiss. Nothing could have prepared her for the way he devoured her lips. She knew she should stop him, but as he continued to kiss her, her wits scattered.
    When his tongue traced her mouth, her lips parted involuntarily. He plunged inside, setting a rhythm of advance and retreat. She grasped his lapels, holding on for dear life as her knees trembled. None of her fantasies could compare to the reality of his intimate kiss.
    He swept his hand down her spine and cupped her bottom, setting her skin on fire. She reached for his shoulders, needing more support as he pressed her closer. Her blood heated to a fever pitch.
    He cupped her breast and, through the fabric of her bodice, circled his thumb around her nipple. An unexpected spurt of pleasure shot through her. As his tongue filled her mouth again and again, she felt something harden against her belly. For a moment, confusion gripped her. Then, in shock, she realized he was aroused.
    A small voice told her to stop