Free Nicole Jordan by The Prince of Pleasure Page B

thoroughly wicked,” the Frenchwoman confessed.
    “Oh, yes, he is universally adored,” Julienne remarked sardonically. “But I’m certain he practices to perfection that devastating charm. And his exploits are too shocking for my tastes, even if they seem to be met with approval by the rest of society.”
    “Not approval, precisely, but a rich marquess is permitted to do shocking things other mortals cannot. A man such as Wolverton is considered above scandal and will be forgiven nearly any sin. It is the way of the world,
n’est-ce pas
?”
    Julienne nodded in agreement, but not without a trace of bitterness. If one was impoverished and untitled and a woman, she bore the brunt of society’s scorn. A wealthy nobleman, on the other hand, could get away with anything short of murder—and even murder at times was not always condemned, if it came in the form of a duel. Dare had the reputation of being a law unto himself, but only the highest sticklers would censure him for it.
    “He is still a conniving rogue,” Julienne muttered.
    “
Tiens,
but one who makes feminine hearts beat faster. Come, admit it. You cannot possibly overlook a man like him. And you cannot underestimate the irresistible lure of a rake.”
    No indeed, Julienne reflected with reluctance. What woman could resist Dare’s tantalizing smile, the boldness of his glance, his blatant sexual magnetism? He was striking and dangerously exciting, even more so now than when she had first known him. “He cannot be overlooked, certainly,” she conceded.
    “And I have heard he has other talents to recommend him in addition to his wealth and looks, such as exceptional skill and endurance in bed.”
    Absurdly, Julienne felt a pang of jealousy. Everyone knew of Dare’s celebrated sexual experience. He’d slept with nearly every highborn woman in London, no doubt. And every woman he’d ever slept with probably fell in love with him. Dalliance for him was more than habitual; it was a compulsion.
    “I confess,” Solange added wistfully, “I should be very glad to be in your slippers,
mon amie
. If I were ten years younger, I would set my cap at him myself.”
    “You may have him with my blessing, Solange.”
    Her friend gave her a curious glance. “What, you do not mean to accept his protection? What would be so wrong with that? An attachment based purely on sensual pleasure…And the financial advantages would be enormous. Wolverton is said to be excessively generous with his mistresses.”
    Julienne was unsurprised by Solange’s practical outlook. The French took a much more liberal view of lovemaking and carnal arrangements than the English did. But she didn’t share her friend’s sentiments.
    “I don’t intend to allow him to win our wager by becoming another of his sexual conquests.”
    Solange shrugged, affecting the common Gallic gesture. “Then I wish you
bon chance
. You will have your task cut out for you, I don’t doubt.”
    At her change in tone, Julienne glanced over her shoulder to see Dare moving her way. She felt her heart leap. “Promise you will not leave me alone with him,” she said quickly.
    Her friend frowned. “If you seriously mean that, then
naturellement
, I will not abandon you, but Wolverton is nothing if not persistent. Perhaps you should hear what he has to say and get it over with.”
    After a moment, Julienne let out her breath in a sigh. “I suppose you are right.” She didn’t want Dare to think she was cowering from him, or that their passionate encounter four nights ago had affected her in any but the most superficial way.
    Squaring her shoulders, she slipped into her role of popular actress and swept across the room to meet him.
    An expectant buzz suddenly flowed around the room when she reached Dare. Julienne knew they were the object of all eyes, so she refrained from snatching her hand away when he bent to kiss it.
    His tongue flickered over her fingertips, so fleetingly she might have imagined