Sabrina Jeffries - One Night With a Prince (The Royal Brotherhood) (v. 3)

spaniel. No mistress ever gains it from

her lover.

Anonymous,Memoirs of a Mistress

Christabel awakened alone after a tempestuous night of erotic dreams. Byrnecurse his soulfigured prominently in every one, him and his searing kisses and stealthy caresses. How would she make it through the next few weeks? Or, for that matter, a week at Lord Stokelys, where everyone would expect them to behave as if they were intimate? Byrne would certainly take advantage ofthat situationkissing and touching her at will, rousing her passions at every opportunity. Turning onto her side, she crumpled her pillow into a ball that she cradled against her breastsher too-sensitive breasts that ached

Lord help her! What was she doing? What secret potion had the man given her to make her so aware of her body? She never wanted to touch herself wickedly before, yet last night shed actually stuck her hand under the covers to stroke herselfdown there .

Worse yet, shed liked it. Werent respectable women supposed to dislike such things? Shed always Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html known she wasnt like other women, but shed never guessed she was secretly a wanton. Not until Byrne came along.

With a sigh, she pressed her flaming cheek to the pillow. Perhaps she should simply let matters go where they would. The important thing was getting the letters, and wouldnt it be easier if she didnt have to fend him off constantly?

She groaned. Oh, Lord, it was already happening. She was already letting him persuade her into lowering her guard. Next shed be confiding in him about Papa and His Highness and that fateful day twenty-two years ago

A shudder wracked her. She mustnt let that Prince of Sin sway her with kisses and caresses, no matter how enticing. It was too dangerous. She would lay down some firm rules. No physical contact except when absolutely necessary. Their whist lessons would take place with the doors of the parlor open. He couldnt continue his seductions even if

A tap at the door prefaced the arrival of Rosa with a breakfast tray. Good morning! the maid said cheerily as she set the tray down and went to open the curtains. I do hope the extra sleep did you good.

Christabel shot up in bed. Extra sleepwhat time is it?

Nearly noon.

Oh, blast, she muttered as she threw the covers aside. Hell be here any minute, him and the dressmaker! I have to get ready.

She dared not let him guess what a restless night shed spent. A rogue like him would know exactly why shed overslept. And whatwhohad consumed her dreams.

If you are speaking of your Mr. Byrne, Rosa said, a message came for you from him early this morning.

Christabel glanced at the tray, where a sealed note was indeed propped up between the coffee she couldnt live without and the plate containing the buttered scones that she ought to live without, but never did.

Why had he written a note? Hed be here himself in a few moments. The note got right to the point:

My dearest Christabel,

I regret that I will be unable to accompany you to the theater tonight. Urgent business calls me to Bath. I am uncertain of how long I will be gone, but I will call on you directly upon my return. In the meantime, you may wish to read the books about whist that I am sending along. You may also wish to practice your Patience.

Sincerely,

Byrne

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html She gaped at the note, then balled it up in her fist. Of all the arrogant, presumptuousTheyd made a bargain, blast it, and now hed trotted off to Bath without even considering her lessons!

Lessons. Rosa? Were there books included with the note?

I believe so. The footman has them. Smiling to herself, Rosa gathered up the clothing Christabel had tossed onto a chair the night before. So what does your Mr. Byrne have to say?

Hes had to go to Bath on business. She tossed Byrnes note aside. Lord only knows when hell return.

It will not be long, I wager, not when he left these behind. With a smirk, Rosa held up a pair of obviously male drawers. Shall I have them cleaned and kept for his future visits?

A blush rose in her cheeks. You can burn them as far as Im concerned. Leaping from the bed, Christabel paced the room. I won them from him in a card game last night.

You bested the gambler?

Yes, for all the good it did me.

Rosa started to smile.

What areyou smiling about? Christabel said peevishly.

Nothing. Rosa folded the waistcoat very carefully. It is justcurious that you would win. Perhaps he was distracted?

Hed been distracted, all rightwith plotting how to get her out of her clothes and into his arms. And when that hadnt brought quite the success hed expected, hed rushed off to Bath without one whit of concern for the fact that Lord Stokelys party was less than two weeks away. Had he done it because shed refused to share his bed? Horrible thought. Could his passions be so powerful that one denial would send him off in a temper?

Somehow, that didnt sound like the controlled Byrne she knew.

Do you wish to dress? Rosa asked.

Yes, of course. No matter what Byrne did, she still had to continue with their plan. And that meant meeting the dressmaker.

As Rosa helped her don another ugly mourning gown, Christabels mind wandered back to Byrnes defection. What was in Bath that he might consider business? Shed never heard of his owning a club there. So if it didnt have to do with his gambling affairs

She paled. What if it concerned a woman? He might very well have a mistress hidden away there, one who wouldnt hesitate to satisfy the urges Christabel had refused to satisfy exactly as hed wished. She waited impatiently as Rosa did up her buttons. So help her, if Byrne had a mistress in Bath

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html And if he did? She had no hold on him. Shed never said he couldnt be with other women. Hed never protested Lady Jenners claim that he was incapable of fidelity. So why should she assume that just because hed kissed and caressed her, it meant anything?

Blast him! This was precisely why she hadnt wanted him to touch her. Shed known exactly how it would affect her foolish heart.

No, not her heart. Just her pride and sense of fairness. How dared he run off to Bath in the middle of their bargain? Practice her Patience indeedwhen he returned, she would give him a piece of her mind, she would. The audacity of the manto preach patience to her when he was ignoring their agreement!

A knock at the door jerked her from her thoughts. My lady, said one of the lower maids, the dressmaker is here.

Tell her Ill be there shortly, Christabel called out.

Rosa forced her to a chair so she could put her hair into some semblance of respectability. As the brush flew through Christabels tangles too swiftly for comfort, she tried to calm her irritation with Byrne. At least she could have a sensible discussion with the dressmaker today, without having to deal with the mans searing glances that said he wanted to fondle and kiss every inch

She let out an oath as her knees went weak. Blast him for turning her into this silly female, capable of falling into a faint just because he smiled at her. Philip had never done that to her.

There, Rosa said. Good enough for the dressmaker, is it not?

Yes. And you should probably stay out of her way. She doesnt like having ladies maids around.

Before Rosa could protest, Christabel jumped up and hurried from the room. Today Mrs. Watts had an assistant with her, a pretty young woman with riotous brown curls who dropped into a deep curtsy as Christabel entered the parlor. That was something Christabel would never get used tothe courtesies that came to her because of her now lofty station. She didnt reallyfeel like a marchioness. She felt more like a generals daughterhis wayward daughter who had let him down. Certainly not deserving of any curtsies.