Silk and Scandal Read Online Free PDF

overwhelmed, overpowered. Eliza didn’t like feeling afraid so avoiding gentlemen was something she managed at every turn. Aside from her dear father, men were creatures of base instinct and violence.
    At least this had been her experience.
    Best to retreat from them, especially dangerous ones, like the man standing before her like a satyr bent on plundering virgins. She’d noted his blatant stare earlier and without a degree of sensibility, she’d stared right back, feeling the heat of his gaze like red-hot fingers trailing her spine.
    Despite her innate fear, she was captived. A strange emotional conflict, to be sure.
    He was an utterly beautiful man. Wild and urbane all at once, he was the epitome of every swashbuckling tale she’d ever read as a girl. Sharp cheekbones were prominent beneath eyes that were pale and the color of smoke. Slashing black brows gave his dark coloring a decidedly demonic bent. But it was his mouth that was her undoing. Bold, sensual, and generous, it looked... dare she think it? Kissable!
    Lips like his might cause even the most virtuous of ladies to slip from her chemise without a qualm. Eliza shivered and prayed no one noticed.
    For the first time in her life, she wondered about forbidden things that she thought of only in the dark of night while tucked safely into her bed. Everything about the Duke screamed of virile excess.
    She was untouched, yet the very sight of him sent her senses into a tizzy and made her question once again what it was about men that made women lose the sense God gave them.
    Collecting herself with an effort, she turned to Grace’s brother and forced a tight smile. “Lord Bentley.” She nodded politely before returning her gaze to the demon-god. “Pleased, Your Grace.”
    “Are you?” His voice was dark like sin, rich like honey, and laced with humor.
    “I believe so.” Her face burned at his forthright manner and her own bluntness. Somehow it embarrassed her. “I mean, yes. I’m not normally so inept.”
    “You are perfect.” He took her lace-gloved hand and kissed it, his hot breath invading the delicate fabric. Helplessly, she shivered, and the beast speared her with a knowing glance. Audaciously, his thumb caressed the palm of her hand and she gave a startled jerk.
    “Not so perfect,” she answered tartly.
    Since when had she become a shameless flirt?
    His answering grin was charmingly white and merriment lit his eyes. He was irresistible, and it frightened her to the core.
    “An imp then?”
    Eliza’s smile cooled as she struggled against his charm. “Never.”
    Duke Weston’s regard unnerved her and she fought the urge to squirm. Suddenly, he smiled as if sensing her unease. “Might I have the next dance?”
    Uncomfortably, Eliza glanced at her dance card, then at the others in her party. It seemed a thousand eyes watched them and feeling ridiculous, she nodded. There was no way to avoid him without arousing further talk. “I-I... yes.”
    His hand, bronzed and ungloved, looked awkward against the pale skin of her elbow, and she caught her breath at just how quickly he maneuvered her onto the crowded floor. A reel had just begun, but he paused near the musicians where he made a whispered request. As testament to his power among the Ton, a slow waltz thrummed sensuously through the stagnant air of the crowded room. Delighted dancers were soon swept up in the haunting music.
    Feeling quite unlike herself, she fell into the Duke’s masterful arms. One large hand enveloped her own, while the other settled with slow assuredness onto her lower back. The warmth of his touch seeped through the fabric of her gown as his scent enveloped her with sandalwood and exotic spices. Everything about him was raw and masculine, making her feel giddy. She’d never been held closely by a man such as him. Against her better judgment, she breathed deeply and let herself sink into the sensual aura surrounding him. It was a mistake, she knew, but she simply could