Free Make Me Beg by Alice Gaines Page A

States?”
    She cocked her head. “Why? Do you plan to visit me?”
    “I might. I’ve never traveled in that part of the world.”
    “Well, you won’t find me. I’ll be here for some time yet.” She took a healthy swallow, set the glass back down and resumed reading.
    Clever thing. She’d taken the book he might have found interesting, helped herself to his drink and gotten the attentions of his cock, all without giving him any clue who the hell she was. He walked to the table and picked up the whiskey, finishing it in one swallow. She pretended not to notice, but one brow lifted and her gaze flitted briefly to the front of his pants before settling back on the page in front of her.
    “Would you like another?” he asked. “Ridgeway keeps a good stock.”
    “If I drank more, I might drift off out of sheer boredom.”
    “You have Darwin to amuse you.”
    “I’m not used to reading with an audience.”
    He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry if I’ve offended you.”
    “You’re not offending me. You’re blocking my light.”
    “I’ll leave you, then.” He turned. Not exactly on his heel, but close. He’d almost made it to the library door when she laughed.
    “Honestly, Mr. Boulton, I never expected you’d give up so quickly.”
    “I beg your pardon.” Damn, first heel-turning and now “I beg your pardon.” She had him acting like the worst sort of prig. The type of fool he most enjoyed nettling. And he still had no bleeding idea who she was.
    “A dedicated rake like you ought to be more persistent with his seduction.”
    “I don’t need persistence,” he said. “I usually win easily.”
    “I don’t give in easily.”
    “But you do give in.”
    She turned and looked at him, but her features showed no evidence of shock or even anger at a remark that could cause any decent woman to take great offense. Instead, she seemed satisfied that she’d hooked his ire to the point where he’d say something so indecent.
    She swept him from head to toe with an appraising glance. “I’d expected to meet a few famous swordsmen during my visit. I didn’t anticipate finding one in a library.”
    “That’s the second time you’ve mentioned my reputation,” he said. “You haven’t been in London long, or I would have heard of you.”
    “You’re the topic of conversation for all the women here tonight. If I were looking for a lover, you’d be at the top of my list.”
    His jaw fell, and he had to consciously shut his mouth. What an audacious, little witch. Worse, she sat there smiling at him as if she’d taken his measure as an opponent and found him wanting. They’d see about that.
    “If you expressed an interest in me, I’d have to disappoint you,” he said.
    That, at least, set her back. She straightened in her chair, and her eyes widened.
    “When I happened on you, I’d just decided to abstain from the pleasures of the flesh,” he said.
    “Fascinating,” she answered. “I made the same decision the other day.”
    “Then, we have nothing left to discuss.”
    She held up the book. “Unless you’d like to talk about Darwin.”
    “Not at all.”
    “Fine.” She turned her back to him. “I’ll get on with my reading.”
    Add irritating to audacious . She’d dismissed him. She’d bloody well dismissed him. He could trace his roots to the seventh duke of Banning. He had an income of ten thousand per annum. Satisfied women all over England and in parts of Wales happily welcomed him into their beds. He could ride, shoot and gamble with the best of them, but this arrogant snippet of skirt from an upstart backwater of a country found a book more interesting than his company.
    Of course, insolence had done nothing to cool his cock’s fascination. Now fully erect, it had forgotten about boredom and had focused on her. Well, that was his decision, not his rod’s. He wouldn’t honor her, but he would tempt her. Yes, he’d make her want him and then declare his own lack of desire.
    He walked