The Accidental Courtesan

If Noelle thought a Ton crush was spectacular in its garishness, the courtesan ball brought revelry to a new level. Displays of flesh, gowns in every bright color imaginable, beading, sequins, gauzes, and silks, with deeply cut necklines meant to shock. The rotunda was packed with bodies, and rogues of all ages and sizes thought nothing of publicly placing hands in places on their lovers where hands shouldn’t be. It was quite possible—no, it was certain—she’d never again see the like.

Noelle had been to Vauxhall once or twice during the day and had enjoyed the labyrinth of arbors, the endless walkways, and the sheer beauty of the place. To see tawdry displays in what she’d once considered Eden was a blow to her senses.

She paused, bringing Gavin to a stop. “Is there something wrong, My Lady courtesan?” he asked. There was a knowing in his eyes as he looked at the company, then back to her. She shook her head. He seemed to understand her hesitation and gave her a moment to collect herself.

“The last time I visited these grounds, there was much less exposed flesh,” she jested. She waited until the last few strains of the orchestra faded before continuing. “The gardens look much different filled with courtesans. I fear I am not as worldly as I profess. This goes far beyond what I imagined.”

“Absolutely not,” she said. Her eyes twinkled with amusement. Sheer bodices and rouged nipples aside, she wasn’t about to forgo the adventure of the evening. “I wouldn’t miss the sights of this outrageous ball for anything in the world.”

Her companion’s handsome mouth twitched. “You surprise me, My Lady,” he said. “I was certain one look at nipple displays and you’d beg me to return you home.”

The graphic speech warmed her cheeks. “If I cannot look at dozens of pairs of nipples without blushing, what sort of courtesan would I be?”

Gavin tipped up his head and laughed wholeheartedly. His blue eyes danced when he peered down at her. “I think you’ve spent too much time with the courtesans. You are starting to speak like one.”

“Then perhaps I will make an acceptable courtesan after all,” she teased. A bit of fondness edged his eyes when he examined her face. Clearly, he liked her and enjoyed her company. She enjoyed his as well. What wasn’t there to like when accompanied by a fine-looking man?

He chuckled. “Remember this is a game, My Lady. If you run off tonight with a dandy and his fat purse, I will be sorely disappointed. I need your help catching the thieves.”

Noelle leaned to press her breasts against his arm. “I only have eyes for you, my darling,” she purred. For a moment their gazes locked. The intense sensuality in his face left her breathless. Her skin tingled in hopeful anticipation of his touch. He didn’t disappoint. Gavin turned her until they were face-to-face and slid his hands slowly up her bare arms to her cap sleeves.

Her lips parted as he lifted the bottom of the veil. She wanted his kiss and cared not who might be watching. After all, a kiss was the least scandalous of all the possible courtesan ball experiences. And if the thieves were watching, they’d expect two lovers to act . . . loverly. Gavin dipped his head, and she watched every movement, anticipating what was to come.

Unfortunately, a pair of drunken lovers chose that moment to stumble past. The man’s elbow caught Gavin on the arm and jostled him sideways. Gavin righted himself, but there would be no kiss. The veil fluttered back into place.

The attractive young man shot a rueful look over his shoulder. “My apologies, sir.” He winked and rushed off after the giggling woman, who was moving at a fair clip toward an arbor. There was no question of the reason the man was so eager. There were dark places in the garden perfect for trysts.

Envy. That was what Noelle felt deep in her quivering heart. The woman was about to be kissed, and who knew what else, by her lover. Noelle was standing on a path, an arm’s length away from the most handsome man in all of London, regretting a lost moment.

Clearly, Gavin felt it, too, down to his slumped shoulders. He jerked his coat into place and tucked her hand back under his arm. “Shall we continue onward?” He led her farther into to the rotunda. With each step, her stomach added another knot until the space was full.

“Have you seen any sign of the men who attacked you?” Noelle asked and casually glanced around. She saw no one who matched Gavin’s descriptions. She saw nothing but well-dressed men and their colorful courtesans.

With her veil in place, Noelle didn’t fear recognition by several men whom she knew casually, each with a garishly dressed woman on his arm. One was a duke. A very married duke. No, it was the tension of not knowing if they’d entice criminals to act that overshadowed any worry about discovery by someone she knew.

To her surprise, Edolie was correct. There were indeed women dressed as befitting a society gathering. However, those were few. Her entire body tensed with distaste when a man dressed in a red velvet jacket tweaked his companion’s left nipple through the thin fabric of her clearly dampened bodice.

“Easy, love. You are a much sought-after courtesan. Every man in attendance longs to share your bed,” Gavin murmured in her ear, his warm breath teasing her flesh. “I am the luckiest man in all England to have you on my arm.”

Noelle leveled her breathing and smiled. She wanted to appear as a woman well versed in seduction. Unfortunately, she could only shake her head slowly as a middle-aged gentleman in green followed a redheaded woman in deep russet into the shadows. They had barely broken free of the flickering lamplight before their groping began in earnest.

“No, it is I who am lucky,” she said absently. She shifted her eyes away from the spectacle, mortified by the display of lascivious behavior.

Gavin cocked a brow at the couple. He seemed quite comfortable in the setting, as if he commonly frequented courtesan balls. Still, in spite of the goings-on around him, he had eyes only for her. “I can see by your face, love, this was a mistake. We will go.”

“No,” she said sharply. “Please let us stay.” Noelle straightened her shoulders and her chin. “I am well beyond the age when a bit of exposed flesh and questionable acts should permanently damage my sensibilities. It isn’t as if I have never seen a couple take advantage of a quiet garden.”

A light cough made her tip her head up, and she found Gavin struggling with his mirth. “How many times have you seen that in those darkened gardens?”

The man in green had his lover’s breast freed and was making strangled sucking noises on her flesh. This time it didn’t shock her. Another emotion bubbled up in her throat as the man lifted his head and the pair finally moved deeper into the shadows.

No matter what happened tomorrow morning, for this night she was his courtesan. She would laugh and flirt and perhaps even allow a few kisses and a caress or two—in the interest of flushing out the thieves, of course. It wasn’t as if she planned to enjoy his attentions. Not in the least.

“If at any point this evening you become weary of nipples and bottoms and lengths of leg, say the word, and I shall spirit you away from this den of debauchery. We can worry about catching our culprits at another time.”

The comment gave her confidence. “No worries, sir. I shall uphold my part in this scandalous production.” She slid a fingertip down the center of his chest. “Can you?”

His grin broke loose, and he reached up to cup the side of her face. “It will not be difficult to play the part of a besotted lover, sweet. You are beautiful.”

Noelle felt the heat in the rotunda notch up a full dozen degrees as his appreciative gaze ran down her body in a slow caress. Gavin’s fine-looking male form was bedecked in a deep blue coat and striped vest over a snowy white shirt, with matching cravat. His cheeks were freshly shaven, and she caught a hint of an earthy-spicy scent on his skin.

She fluttered her lashes and turned her fingertip into a flat hand on his chest. His heartbeat was slow and steady. “I think it is you, Mister Blackwell, who is beautiful.”

Noelle tensed. She shot them damning glares, and the trio turned away. From the courtesans’ gossip, she knew a rich protector was to be closely guarded at all times, lest another brightly plumed bird swoop in and snatch him away.

It didn’t concern her that she was only playing a part. She didn’t want a scandalously dressed strumpet putting any part of her anatomy anywhere near Gavin. For this evening he was hers, and hers alone. She’d unsheathe her claws if she had to.

Ignoring the other courtesans, Gavin pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. “I’ve never been called beautiful.” She felt him inhale deeply against her skin. She’d worn the lemon and cinnamon scent just for him.

“Then the women of your acquaintance have been remiss, Mister Blackwell. Gavin.” His mouth moved down her neck to her collarbone and on to her bare shoulder. All sorts of delicious sensations followed his heated mouth. “You most assuredly have a male beauty to be envied.”

He chuckled against her skin, then nipped her shoulder gently. She gasped, and was certain she heard the trio of women twitter. In her disguise, she was seductive and free to behave as she wished.

Noelle struggled to remember the real purpose of their attendance. A difficult task when Gavin was teasing her breathless. “You must look for your footpads. You cannot do so with your lips pressed against my neck.”

The clearing of a throat reluctantly brought Gavin’s head up from her collarbone. He peered, annoyed, at the intruder. He slipped an arm around her as a gentleman wearing black, and a wide leer, stopped before them.

Noelle flinched, planning to back away from the familiar face, but the veil and Gavin’s arm kept her still. She’d momentarily forgotten her disguise.

“Blackwell.” He reached out a hand to Gavin, but his eyes were fully on her. Noelle peered at the broken blood vessels on his bulbous nose and grimaced. A sour taste filled her mouth.

The Earl of Cranbrook. The man was a known lecher, and Noelle had always taken pains to avoid him. She had suffered through an unexpected encounter with the cad at a party three years previous, when his hand had found a resting place on her bottom. She’d quickly refused his fumbling advances with a loud slap to his cheek.

“Your Lordship.” Gavin frowned and tightened his hold on Noelle. She took comfort in his nearness. In a setting such as this, there was no telling what a man such as the earl might do. If she let any distance open up between her and Gavin, she might find herself dragged into the bushes by the earl and debauched.

“I see you have plucked the finest bird from the flock.” His voice slurred, and Noelle glared into his red eyes. If she’d felt sorry for his long-suffering wife before tonight, she felt renewed sympathy for the sweet-tempered woman now. To be married to such a man had to be hell.

The earl needed a sound beating, or two, or ten. According to gossip, he’d all but run through the fortune his father left him and was on the verge of seeing his family left penniless. Noelle vowed to do whatever she could for his wife and daughter, if there ever came a day they were thrown into the street.

The earl licked his thin lips. “Perhaps when you tire of her, you can send her to me.” He reached for her, but Gavin blocked him, catching Cranbrook’s wrist in his grip. The earl winced. Gavin scowled and released him.

“You are touchy, Blackwell.” He rubbed his wrist. “A whore is a whore. Enough coin can get any one of these women in bed.”

Noelle lightly dug her fingernails into Gavin’s hand as a warning, then faced the earl. She needed to defuse the tension before the two men came to blows.

“I fear, My Lord, you couldn’t you afford me”—she paused and opened her eyes wide with feigned innocence—“and I fear Gavin has ruined all other men for me. I would find your awkward fumblings in my bed very unsatisfactory.”

The middle-aged man turned ruby red and blustered, casting a few drops of spittle into the air. “Why, you impudent whore!” He appeared to strain for further insults but produced only strangled gasps.

Gavin shook with rich laughter as the man spun on his heels and launched himself into the crowd. “Well done, love.”

Noelle didn’t know what warmed her more, being complimented for her tart tongue or being called “love” several times this evening. Either way, she felt pleased to be the recipient of his affectionate regard.

“He desperately needed a set-down.” She inhaled deeply. Her first test had been a success. “To call him a pig only serves to insult swine.”

“Then we shall forget about the earl and concentrate on making you a successful courtesan-spy. Then, when you’ve captured the thieves and the Home Office calls to press you into service for king and country, you will be able to use your success with disguises to flush out traitors and foreign spies.”

Noelle smirked. “I shall single-handedly take down the dangerous band of thieves and become revered all over London. My mother will be proud.” Her mother would be horrified. That thought alone was enough to bring a smile.

Covertly, Noelle glanced around. She peered into the shadows and looked at many faces for any sign of danger. She saw no one who matched Gavin’s descriptions.

“I fear our presence here has been a waste.” She sighed. “It has been nearly an hour, and we have we flushed out nothing more than one drunken lord.”

“We may not gain anything tonight but an assault to the senses,” Gavin said. “But you have become a very successful courtesan. All the true courtesans are filled with envy.”

He tipped his head to press his lips against her temple. He said against her skin, “I do. All of your lessons have paid off. If this night doesn’t end as we hoped, it will not be your fault. No one would ever suspect you are a Lady.”

Normally, Noelle would take offense at being called unladylike. Instead, she reached up to pat her wig. “Thank you.”

Touched, Noelle moved into his arms and slid her hands around his waist. He was warm and inviting. “And you are a charming rogue. From the moment we met, you have made sure you are the one thing in my life I will never, ever forget.”

Oh, how she wanted them to be! It would be easy to make it so. But she couldn’t. Couldn’t! She was Lady Noelle Seymour. As such, she had to live by certain rules.

It was becoming difficult to concentrate on anything but Gavin. Her thoughts were never far from him, and worry crept into her mind. She started to feel as if she was setting herself up for a broken heart. It was time to take a few steps back. She needed to look at their situation with a clear mind.

Noelle’s face flamed when he chuckled. How could she have said such a scandalous thing? Gavin’s presence in her life was certainly having a negative influence. It reconfirmed her need to put some distance between them. He was far too handsome, and she was far too interested in his sensual draw.

Gavin didn’t bat an eye as an older man escorted a woman past them. The courtesan winked at Gavin as she tottered by, and he returned her wink with a nod.

Noelle sighed, frustrated and a bit jealous. “If you’d care to run off that randy old goat and spend the rest of the evening in her bed, I can undoubtedly find my way home without your help.”

“I wouldn’t want you to miss an opportunity to find a new lover. A real lover. I know men such as yourself suffer from needs they have difficulty controlling. I hear that if you don’t slake them frequently and with due diligence, certain parts of your body can turn a vicious shade of blue.”

It took a full minute for him to settle from his laughter. “My dearest Lady, you are a delight.” He caught up her hand and drew it to his mouth. He held her with his gaze and turned the hand over to nibble on the bare flesh exposed at the top of her glove. “You’re jealous.”

“I am not,” she insisted. “I don’t care enough for you to be jealous. We are only casually acquainted. I simply find it rude for a man to escort a lady to a social function, only to find his interest focused elsewhere.”

“Trust me, love.” He lowered her arm and leaned to whisper in her ear. “My interest is fully engaged right here.”

It was impossible to remain angry with him when he ogled her with a mixture of raw sensuality and teasing humor. He was a cad, an arrogant cad. But when he held her in his blue eyes, there was little she could remember to be angry about.

“I despise you,” she said breathlessly as he bent and pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth. She smoldered beneath her gown. “You are far too arrogant and confident for your own good.”

He straightened and collected her hands. “And you are far too beautiful. Come, let us partake in one dance before we call this night at an end.”

The waltz was still considered shocking among the older members of society, yet it had been widely accepted for years. However, not many mamas allowed their newly minted debutante daughters to partake in the seductive dance.

Gavin led her through the crush to join the other dancers and pulled her into his arms. Noelle tried to keep from getting too intimate. Gavin refused keep a respectable distance between them. His hand on the curve of her back kept them close together. “Clearly you have decided my annoyance with you isn’t enough to keep you from attempts to seduce me,” she said tartly.

“My dearest Noelle,” he countered, and pulled her closer. “The thugs could be standing at the edge of this dance floor, and I’d still want nothing more than to charm my way into your drawers.”

“You are despicable,” she wheezed, surprised by his frankness. It took lots of will to keep from smiling. Even the most annoying aspects of his personality left her wanting to laugh. “Do you ever think of anything but launching a coup against my drawers?”

This time she did laugh. Somehow, even his lack of manners was charming. He was bold and arrogant and far too free with his hands. And he was unapologetic about it all.

“I believe it is time to change the topic before you break into an explanation of how to launch a successful attack on my undergarments.” She narrowed her lids.

He faltered ever so slightly, then easily regained his footing. Her saucy comment was only a temporary distraction. He was an expert at seductive banter.

“Perhaps later, when we have privacy, you’ll let me draw you an assault map.” He stared at her mouth. “That way you will know every attack point on your body before it comes, and can eagerly anticipate my next move.”

Noelle rolled her eyes heavenward and shook her head. “You are entirely too confident that I would enjoy your seduction.”

The conversation was shockingly intimate. “You are saying that only in the hope that by the time I realize you are a braggart without skill to back up your claims, it will be too late. I will have already sacrificed my innocence to your lackluster ability.”

Intensity took any humor from his face. “My Lady courtesan, I will make you this wager. If I ever fail to satisfy your every desire, in bed or out, I will give you my entire fortune, down to the last ship and shilling, to compensate you for your disappointment.”

From someplace outside herself, Noelle felt herself treading on his toe. He didn’t flinch. She was locked onto his eyes and her whole body exploded with heat. “You are that confident,” she whispered as the music died.

She felt his hand flex on her back, then dip to just above her buttock. She leaned into him until her breasts flattened against his chest. “Then I accept your wager.”

The music swelled, and she hardly noticed they were dancing again. She’d just agreed that if she ever lost her common sense and became his lover, she’d accept a wager that would financially ruin him. By the look of shock on his face, he hadn’t expected her to accept the bait.

“You dance quite well, sir.” She acted as if nothing important and intimate had passed between them. He clearly needed a minute to collect himself. She enjoyed studying the grim line of his mouth. “Though you do need some instruction in proper hand placement.”

He blinked and shook his head. Then he cocked a brow. The confident American was back. “Trust me, love. I am very well versed as to where my hands are supposed to be, as you will soon find out. Unfortunately, you have on far too many clothes.”

Noelle pretended to yawn. She wouldn’t let him see how deeply the thought of fulfilling the wager had affected her. The chance he’d actually satisfy her needs was slim. She had no intention of bedding him; therefore, no wager. Besides, sex was for procreation, not pleasure. Enjoying his kisses did not make her a vixen in bed.

“Back to what, exactly?” He offered a mock puzzled frown as if deeply confused by her implication. “Tell me details, and leave nothing out.”

“I think I shall hire a pinch-faced matron to give you instruction on proper topics of conversation, like the weather. Clearly you have spent much of your formative years with doxies and whores, as you seem to want to turn my every word into some sort of opening for seduction.”

“Indeed? Then you must forgive my forwardness, My Lady. Making a wager against my fortune, and your acceptance, has left me reeling. However, I’ll not regret the offer. I’ve been suffering from a serious case of frustration for several days now, and you are the key to my fulfillment.”

He sighed and frowned. “I can speak quite eloquently about the weather. ’Twas a fine day today, was it not? There were just enough clouds in the sky to keep the day from becoming overly warm.” He looked up. “The night is cool and clear with a few stars to draw the eye. Tomorrow should be much of the same, unless a storm is brewing that we didn’t expect. Hence the reason it is considered unexpected.” He drew her to a stop when the music died again. “I think it would be wise to ask Lady Penny for her thoughts, as her left foot seems to swell when bad weather is brewing.”

Noelle was laughing by the time he ended his haughty speech. His humor was infectious. Not a hint of the American accent could be found in his perfectly proper words. But the stiff manner behind his pontification caused a stitch in her side.

“Well done, Mister Blackwell.” She clapped several times. “Stuffy old Baron Wegan could not have done better.”

The music began again, and he swept her into his arms. “Your skin is like a sweet siren song that calls me to explore its silkiness. When I press my mouth to it, I have never tasted the like. When I inhale the light scent of lemon and cinnamon, I find I cannot think of anything but how I’d like to nibble every inch until I can assure myself I have fully tasted heaven.”

“Oh, my.” The words tumbled from her mouth. She expected jests and instead received verse. Not excellent verse. Still, anything that issued from his perfect mouth sounded like poetry.

“And your eyes.” He bent slightly to peer into her eyes. “They are the softest, beautiful amber, with a ring of pale green around the center. The color reminds me of new spring grass.” He paused. “The way you looked at me the night in the coach, I was certain I had experienced something wondrous, something no man has ever experienced, no matter how many women have passed beneath him. It was the purest desire, and it was directed at me. It was a gift I shall always treasure.”

Noelle gaped. Many men had spun odes to her beauty over the years in an effort to woo her, but she’d never heard anything so lovely.

But he wasn’t finished. “From our first kiss in my bedroom, I’ve been able to think of nothing but having you in my arms again, tasting the sweetness of your lips.” His eyes darkened. He danced her to the entrance of the rotunda and stopped. “I know it is madness. You are a Lady and a maiden. I have no right to you, to your body, lovely Noelle, regardless of the outrageous wager. I think I should take you home.”

He wanted her. Not what her title could offer him. Not the obscenely generous dowry her father had left for her. Only her.

Damn everything. They hadn’t seen or felt one hint of trouble. The night hadn’t gone as expected, but it didn’t need to be a failure. She’d steal a bone-searing, bodytingling kiss before he dragged her home.

Without hesitation, she pulled him into a darkened corner of the garden. She gave him no time for questions but pushed him back against a tree and pressed her body against his. Lifting to her toes, she tugged the veil free, clasped him tightly around the neck, and pulled his face to hers. She heard his breath catch the moment she melded their lips together. She kissed him with every ounce of passion inside her.

It was but a moment before he opened his mouth to accept her probing tongue and caught the back of her head with one hand. Her legs melted. His other hand cupped her buttock, keeping her close.

Noelle felt the wonder of his kiss and knew she’d always feel so in his arms. In the moment when he’d spoken about her with such sincerity and passion, she’d confirmed she was becoming far too attached to her pretend American lover.

“No.” Noelle pushed Gavin back, her mind racing. She couldn’t love him. She never wanted to love anyone. To do so would open up all sorts of vulnerabilities. And because he’d never love her in return, it promised tragedy for her heart.

How had she allowed this to happen? Emotion was the enemy when it came to men. Somehow this American had breached her defenses without her knowing and dug himself a large spot right in her heart.

Through her tears, she couldn’t find Gavin’s coach, so she settled into the shadows of the one closest, without a coachman seated above, to review her heartbreak. Leaning against the frame, she let the tears flow down her cheeks, uncaring if rivulets of wetness ruined the powder.

In the distance, she heard him call for her, and she stepped deeper into the shadows, and into something she knew instantly was not part of the coach. It was a movable object of flesh and bone that was much larger than her, and a pair of hands caught her in a viselike grip.