A Most Unusual Mistress (Rogue Scandals) Read online

  ***

  If ever a silence could be called explosive, this was it. Adriana stared at him as if he had grown two heads.

  “Well? No comeback?”

  No comeback? She dare not speak, in case she said the wrong thing. Finally she took a deep breath.

  “Elucidate.” She was proud of her even tone. “What exactly would being your wife entail?” Now it was up to him. What would he offer? What concessions would he now make? For in no manner would she be the sort of wife he had asked for. He had introduced her to too many delights for her to be content with anything less than she had been shown. She would rather resort to her own hands again than be with him and not enjoy all the things they had done this night.

  “Oh, somewhat more than the usual wifely role, I assure you.” She felt him cup her face and kiss her deeply. Immediately, her libido rose to attention and demanded more. “Mmph” was the best she could manage. To her surprise, he understood.

  His lips left hers, and he pushed her upright, his hands close to, but not touching, her aching breasts.

  “Indeed, but no more until you decide your fate. For hear me well, Adriana, I want you as my mistress, of that there is no doubt. You are all I could ask for and more. However, I am greedy. I want you as my wife as well. To be able to enjoy all you offer, all I demand, whenever I wish. As my mistress, you will not be on hand. As my wife, you will. Ours will not be a conventional marriage, or indeed, a conventional affair. It will be all either is and much more. Because I swear I will neither look nor experience another woman unless you ask me to.” He smiled, one of such devilment, she felt another gush of arousal. What on earth did he mean by that? Something to ponder. But if he meant a different sort of ménage, well that could be interesting. Her friends obviously thought so. Ashley was speaking again, and she listened attentively. This was the rest of her life they were deciding.

  “Choose you not to agree, Adriana, I will send the notice to the news myself and bid you farewell. It is all or nothing. So what say you?”

  She stood in one graceful movement, unheeding of her nakedness, and looked down at him, considering her options. Not, she mused, that she really had an option. After experiencing such heights of arousal as Ashley had introduced her to, she could no more easily deny herself them as she could agree not to eat marchpane. Both, she felt, she was now addicted to. So the scoundrel...he had achieved his goal, her as his wife. Come on, Adriana, she admonished herself, have you not also achieved yours? To experience things such as she knew others had. And now it was all for her and her alone.

  She took a deep breath. “The only notice you need to send to the news, my love, is the date of our nuptials. Unless...”

  “Unless?” he prompted.

  “Could we not just elope?”

  BIOGRAPHY

  Ever since I won not one but two Cadbury “Where Does Chocolate Come From?” competitions in primary school, I was convinced one day I would write a book. My parents encouraged me. My schoolteachers despaired of me—flowery, romantic, not factual. Hey, I loved weaving stories about anything and anyone!

  So what happened to my grand ideas?

  Life got in the way.

  So more years later than I am prepared to disclose (a woman has to have some secrets!), here I am, with Breathless Press giving me my big chance. Thanks, B.P.

  Married to my own hero (how cheesy is that?) after a couple of failed hero attempts, we live on the edge of a Scottish forest with two cats and three children as frequent visitors. And now two grandkids. Lucky or what?

  I write on my laptop in my study, watching the birds on the bird table, the strange big, black, fluffy “I’m pretending to be a bird” cat sitting on the table and trying to convince the many birds he is invisible, occasionally seeing deer and red squirrel moving past. I am privileged.

  As a non-closet romantic, sometime neurotic, and lover of words, I so enjoy getting involved with my characters. I hope you do too.

  t one person who invested their time and money in one of his works had an enjoyable time. Thank you.