Sins of a Duke Read Online Free PDF Page A

duke sketched a bow, just deep enough to avoid insult, and shallow enough to make clear that he was doing no more and no less than custom dictated. “Of course.” He gestured to someone out of her line of sight. “Allow me to introduce you to our host and hostess for the evening, Lord and Lady Elkins. Thomas, Mary, Princess Josefina of Costa Habichuela.”
    “You do us great honor, Your Highness,” the viscountess gushed, sinking into a deep, reverential curtsy.
    That was more like it. “I’m very pleased to meet you,” she said, putting into her tone all of the graciousness she refused to grant Melbourne. Every fiber of her seemed aware of him, and the angrier and less controlled he became, the more she liked it. Not quite the course of action her mother had recomended, but she couldn’t deny that the results excited and aroused her. He aroused her.
    “You must meet everyone,” Lady Elkins continued, reaching out as if to take Josefina’s arm and then obviously reconsidering. “If you’ll join me, Your Highness?”
    “Yes, of course,” Josefina replied, and snapped her fingers at Melbourne. “Don’t wander too far, Duke.”
    He favored her with a hard smile. “I wouldn’t dream of it, Princess.”
    Good. Deliberately holding himself in check or not, at least the Duke of Melbourne understood his place. As for who would ask permission to touch whom, she would see about that.

Chapter 3
    A s Lady Elkins led Princess Josefina into the admiring crowd, Sebastian turned his back and headed for the nearest floor-length window that opened onto the grounds. It was closed, but he shoved it open and stepped outside onto the stone terrace. Shaking, he clenched the granite balustrade in front of him so hard his knuckles showed white.
    “Seb?”
    He closed his eyes, trying to slow his breathing and the beat of his heart. “Go away,” he grunted.
    Instead he heard the crunch of boots on old leaves as Charlemagne walked closer. “Apologies. People are talking, and I’m having a bit of trouble coming up with an explanation as to why Her Highness would hit you. Any suggestions?”
    “Let it be.”
    Shay cleared his throat. “Are you certain about that? The look you gave her when you were dan—”
    Sebastian whipped around to face his younger brother.“What look?” he snapped. If he couldn’t rid himself of this frustration, he was going to burst.
    “Christ, Melbourne. Nothing.”
    “What look, Shay?” he pressed. Angry, frustrated, aroused—whatever the devil she’d done to him, he couldn’t think straight. He advanced on his brother. “What?”
    “Fine. Lust. You—you looked like you wanted to throw her on the floor and…I know that’s not you, but half a hundred people saw—”
    “Lust,” Sebastian interrupted again. Heat burned just beneath his skin. Lust made sense. “Let them say what they will. My reputation can withstand the charge that I had a lustful look on my face.”
    With a nod, Shay stepped backward. “Don’t kill me, but are you well? How about a whiskey? I’ll fetch you one.”
    The duke looked at his brother for a long moment. “It may surprise you, but on rare occasion I do have baser thoughts.”
    “You’re human, Seb. I know you’d like us all to forget that sometimes, but you are.”
    If this chaos was being human, he didn’t like it. “Whatever thoughts I might entertain, I have no intention of acting on them. So go back inside with me, and laugh.”
    “Laugh?”
    “Yes. We’re highly amused by the eccentricities of Princess Josefina.” Putting his usual calm expression back on his face, he threw an arm across Charlemagne’s shoulders and steered him back in the direction of the ballroom. “So laugh, dammit.”
    Whatever the devil the princess thought to accomplish by attacking and baiting him, she would learn that she’d just engaged in battle with a master. If she knew what was best, she would immediately surrender. Of course, considering how close he’d been