had resulted in his stealing those kisses from Sophia the first time he managed to engineer a few minutes alone in her company…!
The result of his impudence had been for him to never receive another such invitation to stay at the home of James’s uncle and aunt, the only occasions upon which Dante so much as glimpsed the beautiful young duchess during the next ten years being when they attended the same social functions—Dante invariably in the company of his rakish friends, Devil and Lucifer, Sophia always on the arm of her much older husband.
The same excruciatingly painful ten years that Dante had known that he still desired Sophia Rowlands, Duchess of Clayborne, to the exclusion of all other women, and that SHE continued to look upon him as nothing more than that impudent boy.
Dante’s exclusivity of desire for Sophia had earned him the reputation of being cold and heartless in regard to the women whom, when physical desire became too much even for his legendary self-control, he occasionally bedded.
But, if the conversation he had overheard taking place a short time ago between Sophia and her two companions was a true indication of Sophia’s own needs, then it would appear that desire might shortly be appeased to everyone’s satisfaction.…
* * *
Sophia was most unhappy at being trapped in this way into dancing with Dante, and so forcing her into a proximity with him which she would far rather have avoided. Indeed, Dante held her far too close for propriety as he whirled her expertly about the ballroom, his fingers firm and warm about her gloved ones, his arm like steel about the slenderness of her waist.
Which resulted in Sophia being far too aware of him for comfort as their legs touched often during the enforced intimacy of this particular dance, and the hard warmth of Dante’s chest brushed in arousal against the softness of her breasts, causing the sensitive tips to tingle and harden in response.
An occurrence she was sure Dante was all too aware of if the smile of satisfaction on those sculptured lips, as he looked down at her challengingly, was any indication!
Neither did Sophia care for the predatory light she could now see gleaming in his wicked eyes.
His next comment confirmed that she was perfectly justified in feeling that apprehension. “You need look no further for your lover, my dear Sophia,” he assured her in that purringly sensuous voice as his arm tightened about her waist to draw her even closer. “I assure you, I will be more than happy to oblige you!”
Sophia drew her breath in sharply, even as she looked about them to see if anyone else might be close enough to have overheard his words. She was reassured that her reputation as being an attentive and entertaining hostess was fully justified as she saw that all of her guest were either occupied in dancing, drinking, or simply engaging in lively conversation, rather than paying heed to Sophia and the Earl of Sherbourne. A man who needed to be reminded that he was still, and always would be, four years her junior, and as such, totally unacceptable as a lover to her or anything else!
Her own green eyes glittered as she looked up at Dante. “You are not only an impertinent young puppy, sir, but you must also be addle-brained, if you think for one moment that I would ever countenance any sort of relationship between the two of us—”
“There is but one relationship which I have ever thought to ‘countenance’ between the two of us, my dear Sophia,” he assured her gruffly.
Sophia drew her breath in sharply, wondering if she might have done something in these past ten years to reveal she was not as immune to Dante’s handsome virility, to those kisses he had once pressed upon her, as she might have wished to be.
She gave a firm shake of her head. “The very idea of the two of us being in any sort of relationship is—”
“Ridiculous? Preposterous?” Dante finished with a softness that no longer sounded sensual but dangerous. A danger which was also reflected in those hard and glittering green eyes, and the thin, uncompromising line of his mouth. “Feel, Sophia, feel how ridiculous I find that claim!” His hand moved from her waist down to her bottom as he pulled her tightly against his thighs.
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