away swiftly from her second error.
‘There is no need whatsoever. It was passable, my
lord—perfectly acceptable...’
Lucas was laughing now. ‘I shall have to do better,’
he murmured, reaching to pull her closer again. His
voice roughened. ‘Acceptable is simply not...
acceptable.’
Rebecca wriggled, but Lucas had an arm about her
and held her ruthlessly still. She felt his breath feather
94
The Rake’s Mistress
across her skin. She could see the shadow of his eye-
lashes, spiky against the hard line of his cheek. His
lips brushed her jaw, then his mouth was suddenly on
hers, his hand tangled in her hair, tilting her face up
to his. Sensation flared within her. The rosewood desk
was smooth, the back of it hard against her thighs. She
felt herself tremble. Lucas’s hand brushed the cotton
of her gown, his palm against her breast. He was kiss-
ing her with such urgency that her head reeled. His
slightest touch could ignite her fiercest longings. She
felt heavy, languid and tingly all over. Rebecca had
never, ever imagined it could be like that.
The world shook. She felt herself lean back against
the desk, scattering the pencil sketches all over the
floor. The sound disturbed her and she tried instinc-
tively to pull away, but Lucas did not break the kiss,
prolonging it mercilessly until Rebecca had almost for-
gotten where she was and was held helpless and be-
witched. This time when his lips left hers she gave a
small gasp of disappointment that she could not re-
press, and she saw the masculine satisfaction in his
expression as he scanned her face. Useless to try to
deny his effect on her, for it was evident in her shaking
hands and her flushed, aroused face.
‘Acceptable?’ he drawled.
Rebecca moved away, surreptitiously holding on to
the desk for support. ‘There is nothing acceptable
about this behaviour, my lord. I desire no more from
my clients than that they pay promptly, and you are
no different from the rest.’
‘No different?’ Lucas’s insistent tone made her
blush. She knew that she was not telling the truth.
Nicola Cornick
95
‘I cannot allow you to be any different from the rest,
my lord.’ Rebecca knew she was weakening. If he
touched her again...
But he did not. She saw the shadow of something
come into his eyes, almost as though he had recalled
some barrier that stood between them. He touched her
cheek lightly in a gentle caress that she felt shiver
through her body.
‘Be careful, Rebecca Raleigh,’ he said.
And it was odd, but later she wondered why his
words had sounded like a farewell.
Chapter Four
‘Rebecca, it is decided. You are coming with me to
a ball this evening.’ Nan Astley marched triumphantly
into Rebecca’s studio the following evening and sur-
veyed her friend with amused disapproval. ‘Look at
you! It is past nine and you are still working. You will
become the dullest creature imaginable if you carry on
in this way!’
Rebecca laughed and reluctantly laid down her di-
amond scribe. She rubbed her eyes, which felt gritty
from tiredness. ‘I have to work. I need the money.’
Nan made a tutting sound. ‘Not tonight. You are
wan as a bowl of whey. Tonight you are coming out
with me. It will cheer you up.’
‘Not tonight, Nan,’ Rebecca besought. ‘Please! I am
tired—’
Nan made a derisive noise. ‘Then a change of scene
is what you need to help raise your spirits.’ Her face
puckered. ‘I worry about you, Becca, sitting here and
working your fingers to the bone.’
‘I hope it is not the Cyprians’ Ball.’ Rebecca could
Nicola Cornick
97
feel herself weakening. ‘I have not forgotten that you
tried to persuade me to attend last year.’
‘Of course it is not!’ Nan looked virtuous. ‘Would
I take you to such an event? No, this is only a small,
private affair. Besides, it is a masked ball, so no one
will recognise you. It is taking place at Carlisle House.
What could be
‘There is no need whatsoever. It was passable, my
lord—perfectly acceptable...’
Lucas was laughing now. ‘I shall have to do better,’
he murmured, reaching to pull her closer again. His
voice roughened. ‘Acceptable is simply not...
acceptable.’
Rebecca wriggled, but Lucas had an arm about her
and held her ruthlessly still. She felt his breath feather
94
The Rake’s Mistress
across her skin. She could see the shadow of his eye-
lashes, spiky against the hard line of his cheek. His
lips brushed her jaw, then his mouth was suddenly on
hers, his hand tangled in her hair, tilting her face up
to his. Sensation flared within her. The rosewood desk
was smooth, the back of it hard against her thighs. She
felt herself tremble. Lucas’s hand brushed the cotton
of her gown, his palm against her breast. He was kiss-
ing her with such urgency that her head reeled. His
slightest touch could ignite her fiercest longings. She
felt heavy, languid and tingly all over. Rebecca had
never, ever imagined it could be like that.
The world shook. She felt herself lean back against
the desk, scattering the pencil sketches all over the
floor. The sound disturbed her and she tried instinc-
tively to pull away, but Lucas did not break the kiss,
prolonging it mercilessly until Rebecca had almost for-
gotten where she was and was held helpless and be-
witched. This time when his lips left hers she gave a
small gasp of disappointment that she could not re-
press, and she saw the masculine satisfaction in his
expression as he scanned her face. Useless to try to
deny his effect on her, for it was evident in her shaking
hands and her flushed, aroused face.
‘Acceptable?’ he drawled.
Rebecca moved away, surreptitiously holding on to
the desk for support. ‘There is nothing acceptable
about this behaviour, my lord. I desire no more from
my clients than that they pay promptly, and you are
no different from the rest.’
‘No different?’ Lucas’s insistent tone made her
blush. She knew that she was not telling the truth.
Nicola Cornick
95
‘I cannot allow you to be any different from the rest,
my lord.’ Rebecca knew she was weakening. If he
touched her again...
But he did not. She saw the shadow of something
come into his eyes, almost as though he had recalled
some barrier that stood between them. He touched her
cheek lightly in a gentle caress that she felt shiver
through her body.
‘Be careful, Rebecca Raleigh,’ he said.
And it was odd, but later she wondered why his
words had sounded like a farewell.
Chapter Four
‘Rebecca, it is decided. You are coming with me to
a ball this evening.’ Nan Astley marched triumphantly
into Rebecca’s studio the following evening and sur-
veyed her friend with amused disapproval. ‘Look at
you! It is past nine and you are still working. You will
become the dullest creature imaginable if you carry on
in this way!’
Rebecca laughed and reluctantly laid down her di-
amond scribe. She rubbed her eyes, which felt gritty
from tiredness. ‘I have to work. I need the money.’
Nan made a tutting sound. ‘Not tonight. You are
wan as a bowl of whey. Tonight you are coming out
with me. It will cheer you up.’
‘Not tonight, Nan,’ Rebecca besought. ‘Please! I am
tired—’
Nan made a derisive noise. ‘Then a change of scene
is what you need to help raise your spirits.’ Her face
puckered. ‘I worry about you, Becca, sitting here and
working your fingers to the bone.’
‘I hope it is not the Cyprians’ Ball.’ Rebecca could
Nicola Cornick
97
feel herself weakening. ‘I have not forgotten that you
tried to persuade me to attend last year.’
‘Of course it is not!’ Nan looked virtuous. ‘Would
I take you to such an event? No, this is only a small,
private affair. Besides, it is a masked ball, so no one
will recognise you. It is taking place at Carlisle House.
What could be
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