Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 82367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Bryn bared his teeth as the rumble escaped him. Bryn moved so he could see all three of their faces in the low lighting.
Rosamunde didn’t look at him. “That would be nice, but I’m sure you have much more important things than spending time with me.”
They both refused instantly. “We will escort you to your carriage.” Piers made the statement.
“I don’t have one, I was going to hire a hack.”
Fury bubbled inside him. This woman was going to be the death of him. Not only was she down by the docks at night, now, but she didn’t even have her family’s carriage waiting for her.
Yeah, don’t look at me, baby, you know how furious I am with you.
“We’ll escort you to that then,” Piers said without missing a beat. “Just the three of us, we’ll leave the grump behind.”
The guys maneuvered her around him and the trio proceeded up the street. Of course he wasn’t letting that go. She didn’t know them and it was foolish for her to go off with them. Yet, I’m glad she trusts the people I trust.
Both of them knew what he was doing with her, and how she’d asked him to set her up to experience fucking and love before she got saddled with a man she didn’t know. He’d harbored thoughts of Piers or Remington for about two seconds.
Not that his friends wouldn’t treat her right, for they loved women. All women. But because he was discovering he was jealous as fuck at the mere thought of one of them being allowed to peel her clothing away from her body and enjoy her curves. To sample her taste and introduce her to the incredible world of pleasure.
Gritting his teeth, he whipped around and strode off after them. He caught up to them as Remington waved down a hack for her.
“Rosamunde.”
She angled back to him, not releasing her hold on Piers’ arm. “Good night, my lord.”
Yeah, that wasn’t good enough for him. He didn’t ask, just pulled her away from Piers and brought her closer to him.
“This isn’t how that’s going to end, lioness.”
“I’m trying to stay out of your way. I saw the look on your face when your friends invited me out. I get it. Helping me in private is one thing.”
God, she was gutting him, and it was entirely his own damn fault.
“I have to go.”
“You’re not going alone.”
She lifted her chin and he saw a reemergence of the spark he loved so much inside her. “Yes, I am. It’s hardly proper for me to ride in a hack with two men not in my family and who have never been introduced to my father.”
“It’s not going to be two. It will be one.”
Her brow furrowed.
“Me,” he growled. “I’m taking you home.”
Her smile held a wealth of sadness but it didn’t falter. “Thank you for the offer, my lord, but I’ll be fine. I’ll see you in the morning at the academy.”
With grace, she slipped from his grasp and moved by the guys to the waiting hack. Piers helped her in and Remington closed the door before speaking with the driver. The man nodded and popped up in the seat. A mere flick of the reins and she was being driven down the street and away from him.
Bryce’s friends stepped up beside him.
“I’m in.”
They said it at the same time, and he frowned before looking to each of them. “What are you talking about?”
Remington smirked. “Helping you help her. I am more than willing to volunteer myself to teach and guide her into the world of pleasure.”
“And me. I would be honored to spend a night, or a fortnight, between her thighs.”
He was going to kill them both.
Chapter Ten
Today is the day that I take control of my own future and happiness.
Rosamunde gave herself a cheery smile as she passed by her mirror, not even minding the cracks on the left side. While she didn’t feel optimistic or remotely encouraged, she had come to the decision after last night that happiness wasn’t going to come to her, she would have to claim it. She made her way to the balustrade along the stairs.
No one else would be looking out for her. It wasn’t like she could disappoint her father and stepmother any more than she did simply by breathing.
Hopefully Bryn wasn’t upset too much with her for having gone back to the house, but she’d had to do this to feel decent about herself. And she did get to meet his friends.
If those were two of the men he was thinking about setting her up with, she wasn’t all opposed to it. They’d both been delightfully charming and easy on the eyes.
Maybe they wouldn’t feel horrible about taking her virginity.
Even if I think about Bryn whenever I close my eyes.
To hear it, her virginity was the one thing she should be worried about, holding onto it as if it was the greatest gift she could give her husband. Something Rosamunde hadn’t ever understood was why men were praised for being rakes and sleeping with whomever they desired but a woman was immediately shamed for doing the same thing. Even if it was only one man. If it wasn’t her husband, she was a tart.