“What are you talking about?”
“Lady Marcia talked about that as well. She said you had been with plenty of women in the past, and you don’t need to worry about a cold bed due to the … companions you have. I don’t know why she’s so focused on being with you when you’ve got that reputation, and I don’t care. That’s up to her. But don’t drag me into it as well.”
Lucas was really confused. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say. What on earth was going on? Suddenly, Dorothy stood up and picked up her candlestick.
“Goodnight, Lord Dashwood,” she said stiffly. “I need to get back to sleep. Thank you for the bread and cheese. I’m sure that will help me sleep.”
“Dorothy …”
But Dorothy was already walking away. Lucas got up, almost falling flat on his face when his foot caught on the bench and hurried after her.
“Dorothy, wait a moment!” He caught up with her just outside the door. “Please, just listen to me …”
“Why should I have to listen to anything you say?”
“Because it’s not what you think.” Lucas ran his hands through his hair. “Fair enough, I did flirt with a lot of women in the past, but not to the extent she said. And I haven’t done that in a long time.”
“How am I supposed to believe that?” Dorothy demanded. “It’s not really my business, is it? If you just have flirtations with another woman, that’s up to you. And Lady Marcia is beautiful, plus she’s made it clear that she’s interested in you.”
“But I’m not interested in her at all. Not like you think, anyway.”
He could see Dorothy faltering, something flashing across her face before it was gone. Did she not believe him? Normally, Lucas didn’t care what people thought about him, but he did when it came to Dorothy. He wanted her to see who he really was, not what she had been told. It hurt that she believed he was a rake like that.
He had been with women in the past, but not to the extent that he would be considered such a cad. What had Marcia been saying to her?
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, Lord Dashwood?” Dorothy jerked her chin towards the hallway. “I have to retire back to my bedchamber. I think it’s best that I do.”
“You really think I’m like that?”
“Do you have anything to prove otherwise? What am I supposed to think?”
Lucas reacted on instinct. He pulled her to him and kissed her. Dorothy stiffened in his arms, and for a moment, she didn’t react to his kiss. Lucas was beginning to think he was looking a little too desperate when she started to kiss him back. Her free arm went around his shoulders, and she seemed to mould against him.
God, she felt perfect. Lucas almost slammed her into the wall. It was all he could do not to knock the candlestick from her hand, not wanting to cause a fire. Keeping it as gentle as he could without losing his self-restraint, Lucas deepened the kiss and explored her mouth, his tongue curling around hers and tasting every part of her.
Dorothy responded in kind, a little more tentatively than him, but it was still beautiful. It was enough for Lucas to know that he wouldn’t be able to let go anytime soon.
He was a fool for breaking off the engagement with her. If he had actually behaved like a mature person and met with her, married her and all, he could have had this far sooner. Lucas regretted not doing that.
There was nothing he could do about it, but Lucas was planning to change that.
Then he realised where his thoughts were going and how tightly he was now gripping Dorothy, and he broke the kiss with a gasp. For a moment, the two stared at each other. Even in the darkness, Lucas could see how wide her eyes were, her breath tickling his mouth. It was so tempting to pull her back in for another kiss, but he held back. Swallowing hard, he stepped back.
“I … I think we should stop. Otherwise, I might not be able to control myself.”
“I see.” Dorothy’s expression faded, and she took on a blank look. “Well, maybe I should thank you, My Lord.”
“Thank me? What are you talking about?”
“Well, you seduce plenty of women, don’t you? You like to use them. At least, on my part, I know how to deal with men like you.” She touched her lips and gave him a sardonic smile. “Not too bad on the seduction part, I’ll give you that. At least I know what it feels like. But I’m not about to lie down for you.”
Lucas wasn’t even sure what was going on anymore. He stared at her.
“What are you talking about? Are you saying that I’m doing this to seduce you?”
“Well, aren’t you?”
“What if I wanted to kiss you because that’s what I desired?”