Free A Ladys Pleasure by Jolie Cain Page A

never held any particular attraction for her…until now.
    “I…I don’t know what to say. This is rather unexpected. My plans…”
    “Can easily be altered.”
    “But I have no clothes suitable…”
    “I know this may come as a surprise, but there are dressmakers and shops in London.
    Some of them quite good, I believe.” He moved his horse close enough so that he could clasp her hand in his. “Please come, sweetheart. It will be so boring without you.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “I find I have not had my fill of you yet, Lily. I need more time.”
    She hesitated only a moment before caving in, unable to combat his urging coupled with her own desires. Why not continue seeing Richard a bit longer? What harm could it do, after all? “All right. I believe I shall.” Immediately the melancholy which had hung over her dissipated. She had made the right decision. Going to London and continuing their affair was a risk, however. She must be sure not to make the mistake of falling for him. That way would be sure disaster.
    He grinned down at her and dropped a quick kiss on her mouth. “Excellent, my lady.
    Most excellent.”

Chapter Five
    The Duke of Carlisle stood propped against the wall in the elegant ballroom, watching as yet another dashing gentleman led Lily onto the dance floor. The past few weeks had been a combination of gratification and frustration. Having Lily with him in London had been everything he had hoped it would be. Caroline had rushed her to the dressmaker’s as soon as they’d reached London, and in no time at all, she’d been all set to enter society as the stylish widow of Edgar Laughton, Lord Morley. She’d been eagerly welcomed by the young matrons and respectable widows, thanks to her good friend Lady Brentwood.
    He’d enjoyed introducing her to the pleasures of town life, seeing everything anew through her fascinated and spellbound eyes. They’d gone to the opera, visited Astley’s Royal Amphitheater, and even gone to see a balloon ascension. He’d waltzed with her in elegant ballrooms, enjoying the feel of her in his arms as they’d circled among the elite of society. Walks in Hyde Park and rides down Rotten Row, they’d done it all. The one thing he hadn’t succeeded in doing, at least not often enough for his satisfaction, was finding time to spend alone with the lady.
    So, what he had originally thought of as an incredibly clever plan had turned into something of an exquisite torture. The few trysts he’d managed with Lily had been rushed and unsatisfying. He needed more time with her in private, more time to explore her and what they could have together. He didn’t want her to forget the amazing intimacy, the earth-shattering passion they found together. If he was going to persuade her to be his wife, he wanted her to remember all that they could have. Their physical connection was one of his greatest persuasive tools in his quest to win the lady.
    And he realized more and more how desperate he was to win her. His emotions were tied to her in a way he had not expected. And the sight of the men who had been dancing attendance upon her every time she appeared engendered feelings he’d never experienced before. It had taken him some time to realize that what he was experiencing was jealousy.
    Pure unrestrained jealousy. It was all he could do not to yank her out of the arms of her dance partners and rush her to some private room where he could prove to her that she belonged to him.
    There was not much he could do about it, however. They’d already been the center of some comment. The duke was not often seen dancing attendance upon ladies as he’d been doing with Lily. He was aware that the ton was split as to his intentions toward the attractive widow. Some were sure he was paying court to her. Before he’d left for the house party, he had not tried to disguise the fact that he was looking for a wife, and so it was thought that perhaps he had settled on the interesting