Read Reckless for Free Online Page B

The thought of someone else drugging his wine was unacceptable.
    He could see Lady Whitmore on the other side of the avid group of nuns and monks, with the occasional bishop’s miter thrown in. She was looking fetching, as always, in her habit. She was undoubtedly one of the great beauties, and she’d made it more than clear she was willing to lie with him. All he had to do was nod her way and she’d be on her back, or knees, in minutes.
    Something stopped him. For all her flirtatiousness, her languid glances and casual touches, she left him with the feeling that she derived no real pleasure from the actual act. Even the well-paid courtesans he usually cavorted with expressed more enthusiasm.
    No, he’d as soon bed her stiff-necked, virginal cousin, Miss Spenser. In fact, that particular fantasy had invaded his dreams recently. Only last night he’d been alone for a change, half asleep, and he felt his body harden at the thought of someone’s mouth. The prim, serious mouth of Lina’s cousin. He wanted tosee if her hair was the same rich copper between her legs. He wanted to see if the freckles covered her breasts, her belly, the insides of her thighs. He wanted to strip the unflattering clothes from her long body, to—
    Montague’s voice rose to a wavering crescendo, and he passed the goblet to the next acolyte, disappearing back into the shadows. Lady Whitmore was the third in line, clearly anxious to get started, and Adrian knew he was going to have to make up his mind. Evangelina Whitmore was beautiful, available, he’d never had her. He was a fool to even have second thoughts.
    As she moved he noticed the tall monk who’d been shadowing her and frowned. Had she already chosen her partner for the next hour, or for the full three days ahead of them?
    And then he saw the white ribbon on the monk’s arm. A watcher. He had no particular problem with that—he’d found a number of women enjoyed an audience. It inspired them to new heights. Though he always wondered if their noisy pleasure wasn’t then more for the audience and less the result of his own expertise.
    Not that that was something that troubled him overmuch. He was quite gifted at the giving and receiving of pleasure. An audience had long since ceased to be a novelty for him—if Lina Whitmorecame equipped with a witness then he might look elsewhere.
    But to his surprise he saw them part company, and he wondered if he’d been mistaken. He’d been very sure they were together, yet Evangelina was disappearing into the darkness, away from him, and he wondered if she’d gone after Montague. There’d be no joy from that union, for either of them, but that was hardly his problem.
    It was the monk who suddenly interested him.
    While he considered himself broad-minded when it came to the pursuit of pleasure, he found his own tastes ran to women exclusively. Monty had always chided him for his lack of imagination when it came to choosing partners thusly, but Adrian ignored his old friend. Women were such delightful creatures, so beautifully constructed, as if made for one reason and one alone.
    He knew otherwise, but his blood was up and he was focused on that one thing alone. With Lina Whitmore gone, he needed to find someone equally enticing. It shouldn’t be that difficult.
    â€œWhy the hesitation, my boy?” Etienne had sidled up to him, his monk’s habit open to expose a burly chest thick with grizzled hair. Etienne was partial to group efforts, while in general Adrian preferred one woman at a time. There were too many people at an orgy—he tended to lose track of limbs and mouths, and sheer sensation had palled long ago.
    Adrian gave him his charming smile. “My intended has gone off with another. I find I must regroup.”
    â€œCan you not join them?”
    The idea of having sex with his oldest friend was entirely unappealing. He remained close with Montague, whose