The Duke's Indiscretion by Adele Ashworth Page A

room.
    â€œIndeed.” Dropping his tone to a dark murmur, he added, “Something I had made specially for you, Charlotte.”
    Her mouth went dry and she hesitated, unsure what she could possibly say when understanding his motives totally eluded her. He stood over her now, still smiling, though seemingly more thoughtful than amused, close enough for her to feel the warmth of his body and experience the lingering scent of his unique cologne.
    Grasping the edge of her vanity with both palms to steady her trembling hands, she slowly raised herself to better face him at his level, then tightly laced her fingers in front of her.
    â€œAre you going to take it?” he asked, holding the box between them.
    Her lashes fluttered as she glanced down, her firstthought being that it looked too small to carry fur or linens, and too large for jewelry.
    He chuckled. “Open it, Charlotte.”
    For untold reasons, she felt her stomach tightening into knots, her pulse begin to race, but she could no longer deny his insistence. Without comment, she took the box from his outstretched hand and slowly loosened the ribbon. He watched her; she could feel his gaze on her face, and he no doubt noticed her slightly trembling hands.
    The satin tie came off easily and he took it from her. Lifting the top of the box to reveal silk wrapping in deep red, she wasted no time in spreading it aside to expose the item of his enthusiasm.
    At first glance, it appalled her, not only by what it appeared to be, but by the fact that he actually gave it to her as a gift. Then she reached into the box, lifted it by a thin string of lace with one finger, and couldn’t decide whether to laugh hysterically or slap his face for his utter indecency.
    Made of brilliant scarlet and pitch-black satin, this…thing he wanted her to wear on her wedding night wouldn’t cover her torso, much less her legs, arms, and chest. Something resembling a corset, it had no sleeves or straps to hold it in place on the shoulders, but sheer, black lace over red satin stays that undoubtedly stuck to the ribs and presumably lifted the breasts to unimaginable heights.
    The bodice, if one could call it that, opened and closed with four tiny, satin-covered buttons hooked into small black lace loops just under the bustline and down to about an inch below the navel, wherethe satin fabric parted to expose a female’s most private area. There appeared to be nothing else to the obscene bit of clothing, and as she turned it around, she noticed how the satin back skimmed the top of the buttocks, there replaced by sheer, black lace that flowed to the knees in a wispy frill. To top off such an outrageous outfit, beneath the corset in the box, he’d placed slip-on shoes with enormously high heels—four inches at least—their toes covered with red feathers.
    No, she wasn’t appalled, she was speechless. The mere thought of a lady owning such a thing…She looked back into his eyes and snickered.
    He didn’t enjoy her amusement. If anything, he stared at her even more intently, lust revealed in his gaze, and slowly her laughter faded as her heartbeat quickened from a growing revelation.
    â€œYou—” She glanced once more to the little piece of nothing in her hand, then back into his eyes. “You really can’t expect me to wear this, your grace.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement, and she hoped she sounded forceful.
    He took a step closer and placed the box on the vanity. “I wouldn’t have given it to you if I didn’t expect to see you in it.”
    She dropped it back into the box as if it scalded her fingers, deciding to argue with reason. “Forgive my reluctance, sir, but I can’t possibly sleep in such a thing. I’ll freeze.”
    He chuckled, reaching for her chin which he raised a bit so she couldn’t help but look into his eyes. “You won’t freeze, and you won’t be sleeping in