Ripe for Scandal by Isobel Carr Page B

breath shuddered out of her. “Nothing. I didn’t—”
    “You most certainly did, brat.” His fingers swirled, making her gasp and grind back against him. “Clitoris? Seat of passion?
     Just what has your sister-in-law been telling you?”
    “Gave me a book.” Beau’s breath hitched as he continued his rhythmic assault. “And I’ve read Rochester—just didn’t know what
     the words meant.”
    “No? Poor little frustrated libertine. Those poems must have made no sense at all.”
    Beau’s knees gave out as her climax took her. Sandison held her up, one arm securely about her waist, his wicked hand still
     teasing her slick, throbbing flesh.
    After a moment, she drew a shuddering breath and locked her hand about his wrist, forcing him to stop. “They make more sense
     now.”
    “I’ll just bet they do,” Sandison said with a self-satisfied chuckle. “Now show me this book of yours.”
    Gareth flipped through the small book that Beau pulled from her pocket after she shook out her skirts and caught her breath.
     Leo’s wife was full of surprises. As was his wife-to-be.
Throne of desire
, indeed.
    “
These amorous engagements should not be often repeated
,” he read aloud, “
And it may not be amiss to remind the bridegroom that the fair lasts all the year, and that he should be careful not to spend
     his stock lavishly, as women in general are better pleased in having a thing once well done than often ill done
. What say you, little libertine?”
    Beau gave him a wicked, coquettish smile, which did nothing to help subdue his clamoring cock. “I’d hazard that most women
     would be better pleased to have the thing done both well
and
often,” she said with a bit of a purr.
    Gareth smiled back at her and handed back the book. Beau thrust it into her pocket with a conspiratorial grin. “Viola said
     something when she gave me the book.”
    Gareth raised his brows. Lord only knew what Beau’s former courtesan sister-in-law was capable of.
    “She-she-she said I might not want to fall pregnant toosoon. Otherwise it might look like you had to marry me. Or that I had to marry someone, at any rate.”
    “Lady Leonidas is correct. I told you much the same thing that first night.”
    “But she also said there were ways to prevent conception.”
    “Well,” Gareth said, feeling something of a fool for trying to explain such a thing, “there are methods to make conception
     far less likely, but the only sure way is for us to put off consummating the marriage.”
    “No.” Beau shook her head, sending her dark curls bouncing. “To be a virginal bride for months on end? No.”
    Gareth laughed and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms about her. “I’m forced to agree with you, brat. Ours may be a marriage
     of convenience, but there’s nothing convenient about celibacy.”
    “Is that what it is?” She looked surprised and slightly crushed. “A marriage of convenience? I-I-I guess I hadn’t quite thought
     it through. Not in that way.”
    Gareth felt a flicker of guilt. He shouldn’t have said that. A girl—even such a one as Beau—didn’t want to be told such a
     thing. “It’s the common parlance, yes. But like celibacy, there’s nothing convenient about you either.”
    Doubt and hurt scuttled through her eyes. She swallowed hard. Gareth took a deep breath. He was making it worse with every
     word. “That came out wrong, brat.”
    “Stop calling me that,” Beau snapped. “I’m not twelve anymore.”

CHAPTER 16
    A marriage of convenience. Beau couldn’t get the phrase out of her head. It swirled inside her brain, twisting around her sister-in-law’s
     observations about her and Gareth, and always circling back to one another.
    The curate droned on, and Beau parroted back the marriage vows, hardly even aware that she was doing so. Gareth stood beside
     her, gaze holding hers, a hint of a smile on his face. For once in his life, his brows didn’t seem to be begging for her to
     sooth away