Dark Duke by Sabrina York Page B

travesty play out.
    “Lord Hedon.” She dipped her head.
    “Miss MacAllister.” He pitched his voice low, invested it
with some indefinable accent.
    She tried very hard not to smile.
    “Thank you for seeing me.”
    “Thank you for coming. You have some sketches?”
    “Yes.” She set her book on the desk and he sat, gesturing
that she do the same. Then he flicked through the pages.
    “These are quite nice,” he said as he came to the last
sketch. “A touch naive, perhaps.”
    She tried not to bristle. “Perhaps you can…instruct me.”
    She fancied he flinched at her words. His features
definitely tightened. Oh. This would be fun.
    “Indeed. How long did they take you to do?”
    “An afternoon.”
    His brow rose. “Mabry took much longer.”
    “Perhaps Mabry had other pursuits.”
    “And you have no other…pursuits?”
    Other than fucking a duke?
    “My lord?”
    “No husband?”
    “No.”
    “Children?”
    “No.”
    “Lovers?”
    My, he was laying it on thick. She didn’t respond.
    He surveyed her for a long moment. “This is rather
scandalous work for an unmarried woman.”
    She folded her hands in her lap. “I need the money.”
    “Do you?” He knew she did.
    “Do you like the sketches?”
    “Very much. I am just trying to get a sense of whether or
not we can work together.”
    She glared at him. She didn’t mean to, but this was becoming
annoying. “Are you really Lord Hedon?”
    He blinked. “Of course I am.”
    “You really wrote all those books?”
    “Every word.” He paused. “Have you read them?”
    “Every word.”
    A smile curled his lips. “When can you start?”
    A smile curled hers as well. “My lord, I already have.”
    * * * * *
    At his urging, she told Edward all about her interview with
Lord Hedon that night at dinner, a private little tête-à-tête in his suite. Of
course, she embellished.
    “He was really quite mysterious,” she gushed. “Tall and
dark. He wore a mask and a cloak.” She took a bit of syllabub and faked a
shudder. “Quite something.”
    “Was he?” For some reason he looked put out.
    “Mmm. Very handsome.”
    “I thought he was wearing a mask.”
    “And tall.” She glanced at him. “Much taller than you.”
    He frowned.
    “And heavens. His accent.”
    “He has an accent?”
    “Very Continental. Quite exciting.”
    He leaned forward, brows beetled. “You found his accent
exciting?”
    “Quite. I think I shall enjoy working with him. We are to
work at his private club. He gave me the address.”
    “Did he?”
    If she didn’t know better, she would imagine he was jealous.
One couldn’t be jealous of oneself, could one?
    “Imagine…he wrote all of those books. All those stories came
from his mind. What a brilliant man he must be.”
    Edward shifted in his seat. Rearranged the napkin in his
lap. Frowned.
    “We begin working tomorrow. What kind of story do you
suppose it will be? Pirates? Vikings? Slave traders in the Far East?”
    “You have a salacious imagination.”
    “His books are all very naughty. Impropriety was
particularly wicked. Do you suppose he will have me draw pictures of
spankings?”
    He shifted again. “May we talk about something else?”
    “Of course, Edward. What would you like to talk about?”
    “I’d like to talk about you coming over here and sitting on
my lap.”
    “Really? I am far too excited for that. Tomorrow we begin on
his new book.” She sighed and propped her chin in her hands. “What do you
suppose it will be about?”
    “A girl, no doubt.”
    “He does write about girls.”
    “A girl who does not obey.”
    Oh my. She did like that look on his face. It
was…intriguing. And ominous. She loved when he was ominous.
    “A naughty girl.” She took another bite of syllabub. “So you
do think there will be spankings?”
    “Kaitlin.”
    “Yes?” She blinked innocently.
    “Come over here and sit on my lap.”
    “I shouldn’t. I have to work tomorrow, Edward. I really
should go to