Once Upon an Accident 02 - Lessons in Seduction by Melissa Schroeder
Authors: Melissa Schroeder
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brilliant red hugging her newly revealed curves. The silk confection had been designed in such a way as to accentuate every single last selling point her figure offered.
She twirled in a slow circle, briefly enjoying the graceful ripples of her gown. Looking down, she reached in and tried to readjust her breasts.
Betsy slapped her hand away. “That is how the dress is designed.”
She had to admit that she had never looked finer in her life. Her hand fluttered to her neck. Earlier in the afternoon, Sebastian had insisted she wear the Ware rubies tonight, more to please his wife, Colleen, than to please Cicely. He would not take no for an answer. No was a word he seemed both uncomfortable with and unable to comprehend.
She ran her hands over the beautiful, shining diamonds and rubies that sparkled against her skin. The necklace was heavy in her hand and more so on her neck, but it rested there with solid comfort. It was as if the stones represented ancestors long gone bestowing their approval on the current generation.
On her.
Everything from her styled hair, to the fancy silk slippers with the tiny rosebuds embroidered all the way around encasing her feet, made Cicely feel as if she were another woman. She caught her breath.
Someone…special.
“When is the duke coming to escort you to the musicale?”
That was another thing that had her stomach doing somersaults. She placed her freshly gloved hand against her belly, mentally ordering it to settle down. Douglas had insisted on escorting Cicely, her aunt and cousin to their function tonight. Knowing he planned on lecturing her on her behavior, she had been slow in preparing for the outing, dragging her feet through the entire process.
He knew, or suspected it had been her the night in the library, their lips locked in passion in a darkened room, wantonly seated on the Chesterfield. That was mortifying enough. But the fact that he now saw it as his duty to tell her what she was doing wrong in her quest was going to quite probably drain every last bit of confidence she had gained this afternoon from her first appearance.
“My lady?”
She shook herself out of her morbid ponderings and smiled at Betsy.
“He should be here any minute.”
Before Betsy could hurry her along, a footman knocked on the door to announce that both her aunt and cousin were waiting with their escort.
“See?” Betsy asked.
Knowing there was no delaying her cousin, or the inevitable, she grabbed her reticule and made her way down the stairs. As she turned the corner of the staircase, she saw Douglas standing at the bottom chatting with Anna. His interest snagged by her animated cousin, he had not noticed Cicely’s descent. She paused, taking the freedom his inattention offered to study him.
Dressed all in black, save his white linen shirt and cravat, he presented the picture of the perfect aristocrat. He glanced up with a mild expression of annoyance that only accentuated his attractiveness. As he started to turn back to Anna, he paused and looked back up, noticing her frozen on the stairs. For just a second—or maybe two—he did not break eye contact. The breath in her throat tangled, her heart rate tripled. Heat darkened the grey of his eyes. Then, slowly, his gaze traveled down her body. With each inch he covered, she felt naked, as if he could see through the layers of silk. By the time he met her gaze again, every nerve ending in her body quivered. Goose bumps rose on her flesh.
The muscles flexed in his cheek and a dark flush crept up into his face.
She licked her suddenly dry lips and tried to order herself to move.
But she stayed transfixed, consumed by the enigmatic man who had haunted her dreams for too many years. In all the time she had yearned for it, she would have never imagined he would look at her that way. As if she were a feast and he were a starving man. She drew in a breath and his eyes almost dilated. She swore she heard a growl emanate from him.
He looked
She twirled in a slow circle, briefly enjoying the graceful ripples of her gown. Looking down, she reached in and tried to readjust her breasts.
Betsy slapped her hand away. “That is how the dress is designed.”
She had to admit that she had never looked finer in her life. Her hand fluttered to her neck. Earlier in the afternoon, Sebastian had insisted she wear the Ware rubies tonight, more to please his wife, Colleen, than to please Cicely. He would not take no for an answer. No was a word he seemed both uncomfortable with and unable to comprehend.
She ran her hands over the beautiful, shining diamonds and rubies that sparkled against her skin. The necklace was heavy in her hand and more so on her neck, but it rested there with solid comfort. It was as if the stones represented ancestors long gone bestowing their approval on the current generation.
On her.
Everything from her styled hair, to the fancy silk slippers with the tiny rosebuds embroidered all the way around encasing her feet, made Cicely feel as if she were another woman. She caught her breath.
Someone…special.
“When is the duke coming to escort you to the musicale?”
That was another thing that had her stomach doing somersaults. She placed her freshly gloved hand against her belly, mentally ordering it to settle down. Douglas had insisted on escorting Cicely, her aunt and cousin to their function tonight. Knowing he planned on lecturing her on her behavior, she had been slow in preparing for the outing, dragging her feet through the entire process.
He knew, or suspected it had been her the night in the library, their lips locked in passion in a darkened room, wantonly seated on the Chesterfield. That was mortifying enough. But the fact that he now saw it as his duty to tell her what she was doing wrong in her quest was going to quite probably drain every last bit of confidence she had gained this afternoon from her first appearance.
“My lady?”
She shook herself out of her morbid ponderings and smiled at Betsy.
“He should be here any minute.”
Before Betsy could hurry her along, a footman knocked on the door to announce that both her aunt and cousin were waiting with their escort.
“See?” Betsy asked.
Knowing there was no delaying her cousin, or the inevitable, she grabbed her reticule and made her way down the stairs. As she turned the corner of the staircase, she saw Douglas standing at the bottom chatting with Anna. His interest snagged by her animated cousin, he had not noticed Cicely’s descent. She paused, taking the freedom his inattention offered to study him.
Dressed all in black, save his white linen shirt and cravat, he presented the picture of the perfect aristocrat. He glanced up with a mild expression of annoyance that only accentuated his attractiveness. As he started to turn back to Anna, he paused and looked back up, noticing her frozen on the stairs. For just a second—or maybe two—he did not break eye contact. The breath in her throat tangled, her heart rate tripled. Heat darkened the grey of his eyes. Then, slowly, his gaze traveled down her body. With each inch he covered, she felt naked, as if he could see through the layers of silk. By the time he met her gaze again, every nerve ending in her body quivered. Goose bumps rose on her flesh.
The muscles flexed in his cheek and a dark flush crept up into his face.
She licked her suddenly dry lips and tried to order herself to move.
But she stayed transfixed, consumed by the enigmatic man who had haunted her dreams for too many years. In all the time she had yearned for it, she would have never imagined he would look at her that way. As if she were a feast and he were a starving man. She drew in a breath and his eyes almost dilated. She swore she heard a growl emanate from him.
He looked
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