Cooper had thought to leave well enough alone after having made plans with Emily to meet for the first time at The Market, but once he’d found out—purely by accident—that she would be attending the theater that evening, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see her sooner than planned. With that in mind, he’d called on each of the Lustful Lords and extended an invitation for them to join him in his box.

He arrived first, followed quickly by Lord Wolfington and Lord Lincolnshire. Neither man was accompanied by a lady, so the three chatted about their plans for later that evening.

“Is everyone planning to attend The Market later?” Wolf settled into a chair, stretching his long legs out.

Linc laughed as he followed suit. “Don’t we always?”

Cooper lifted one shoulder as he scanned the boxes across the theater for the woman who had captured his interest. “I have plans.”

Linc sat up. “What do you mean you have plans?”

“I’m meeting a woman at The Market, but not with you lot.” Cooper continued his perusal of the other box occupants.

“Another man succumbs to the wiles of a woman.” Wolf sighed and shook his head. “It’s a bloody travesty, the second Lustful Lord to fall under the yoke of domestication.”

“If you were to assume the woman who has enticed me is domesticated, you would be mistaken.” Cooper laughed, trying to picture Emily as a demure domestic woman, which was odd considering he’d once counted her his ideal candidate for a stable, scandal-less wife.

As Linc and Wolf considered his statement, Lord and Lady Stonemere entered his box. It was the first group outing the man had attended since his marriage. His lady wife, though dressed in the first stare of fashion, also exuded a sensuality that had Linc and Wolf standing up and taking notice. Normally, Cooper would join them, particularly having sampled her wares along with her husband, but tonight his mind was focused entirely on Lady Emmaline—his hellion.

As the newcomers were welcomed by Linc and Wolf, a flash of lavender caught his eye. He turned to focus on the new arrivals across the theater—not that he’d been cataloging each empty box—and found the very object of his desire, Lady Emmaline.

His gaze stroked over the artful folds of her gown and the appealing dip of her neckline as he relished what the night held. When their gazes locked, her eyes widened in surprise at finding him so near. Then there was a movement in the back of the box she occupied, and her back was presented. As he imagined bending her over later and plunging deep within her hot core, his cock grew hard and his breath shallow. Need had him by the balls, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Cooper, what are you staring at that you have yet to say hello?” Stone ripped him from his deeply sensual thoughts and returned him to the moment.

“My future, but I am glad to see you and your lovely lady wife.” Cooper bowed over Lady Theodora Stonemere’s hand and then hugged his friend. Images of the one night spent in bed with Stone—and more particularly Theo—flickered dully in his head. A faded image that seemed to grow more and more faint after each encounter with Emily. For months after, if he were honest, he had wrestled with a terrible bout of jealousy. He found it hard to believe Society could produce two unique and engaging women, but to his great stroke of luck, it seemed it had.

Stone raised his brows and looked at Cooper curiously. Clearly, he had questions. “Dare I assume love has struck our merry band again?”

“Let’s call it infatuation for the moment.” Cooper tipped the corner of his mouth up ruefully. “The object of said infatuation is less than welcoming of any deeper sentiment.”

Stone, Linc, and Wolf all laughed while Theo patted his arm. “If anyone can convince her of the merits of love, it’s you.”

He couldn’t hide his surprise, even as his friends laughed harder. For far too long, he had been about the hunt, and then an entanglement-free arrangement. He’d cut Sarah, the merry widow with whom he’d had a dalliance, loose once he’d decided to do his duty. But his friends likely remembered him waxing poetic about his easy arrangement with her not all that long ago.

“While I have my doubts, she’s a stubborn, freethinking woman such as yourself. But I do aim to try to sway her to my thinking.” Cooper offered a roguish grin and a wink.

Theo narrowed her eyes at him for a moment before a beatific smile appeared on her face. “Then I wish you all the joy Stone had convincing me to settle down.”

Cooper wanted to groan at the politest curse he’d ever been gifted. “Theo! I thought you liked me.”

Everyone laughed again, since they were all well aware of the struggle Stone and Theo had gone through to make their marriage work. But it seemed they were doing well together in the end.

“I do like you, immensely.” She cast an inquiring look at her husband, who nodded. “Which is why I am asking you to stand as godfather to our next child when he or she is born.”

Cooper would do anything for Stone, his best friend, and possibly more for the spirited woman he’d married. “Of course, whenever that day comes, you may count on me once more.”

Their box grew very quiet.

“But I am asking you now, Cooper.” Theo’s brows rose high up toward her hair as she waited for him to comprehend her statement.

Pregnant? Theo was pregnant? Again? Cooper was both pleased and a little worried all at once. After all, it was the logical outcome of marriage and then marital relations, but somehow, even with Theo having recently given birth to her and Stone’s first child, it seemed shocking. After taking a moment to let it sink in, he felt the joy for his friends burst through the chaos of all the other emotions. “Congratulations!” He scooped Theo into a tight hug.

Once he let go and stepped back, he caught Emily staring at him from across the theater, one brow sharply raised. Her little display of jealousy pleased him as he turned to thump Stone on the back.

Then the lights flickered, so they all took their seats. Cooper was man enough to admit it was good having Stone about again, even if it was only while they were at the theater.

* * *

Emily sat in a blue room in The Market, her pulse racing as she toyed with the mask she’d worn into the establishment and waited for Cooper to join her. She assumed it was known as the blue room since every fabric covering almost every surface was some shade of blue. Despite the multitude of blues, the palette worked together, running from the palest cornflower to the deepest navy. She studied the space for a moment more before her focus shifted to her own internal thoughts, particularly the ease with which she had escaped for the evening.

It turned out slipping away once Arthur had engaged in his nocturnal carousing was far too simple. With Aunt Hortense as her sole chaperone at home, there had been no one to gainsay her when she blithely announced she was going out to the theater with Lady Gladstone—a theater lover through and through, who would likely let her slip away without much fuss—and her daughter. To her surprise, the very man she was to meet later also appeared at the theater.

Watching him greet a woman in his box whom he then publicly touched in a terribly intimate way—a mere hug, mind you, but one simply did not embrace in public—caused her to doubt his trustworthiness. Of course, sitting alone waiting for him as she stewed over what she had seen had her questioning everything she had agreed to—possibly even her sanity.

A sharp knock sounded, driving her to her feet as the door swung open and delivered Cooper into the room. “Ah, there you are. I hope I did not keep you waiting long.”

He crossed over to her and pressed a kiss to her cheek in greeting. It was such a casually intimate gesture, she pressed her palm to the spot that seemed to tingle from his lips as she tried to absorb an unexpected swell of emotion. “No, of course not.”

He stripped his coat off and laid it carefully over the arm of a brocade-covered wingback chair. “May I offer you something to drink?”

“Whatever you’re having is fine.”

Without any further comment, he poured a whisky for her and one for himself. After handing her a glass, he sat in another chair and perused her from head to toe.

Earlier that evening, she had considered her choice of dress carefully. She had opted for a green watered silk with an organza overlay and a plunging scooped neckline that was as daring as propriety would allow a spinster. But when his gaze lingered at her breasts, almost caressing them, she found herself excited despite the displeasure lingering from the theater.

“Come here.” He waved her over to where he sat regally in his chair.

She harrumphed and remained seated as she sipped the whisky he’d poured her. Not anticipating the burn from the liquor, she coughed and sputtered. Once she recovered from the unexpected momentary lack of oxygen, she pinned her companion with a glare. “I believe you need to explain that woman in your box at the theater before I shall come anywhere near you.”

Cooper blinked, almost as though confused for a moment. Then a smile split his kissable lips before a chuckle escaped. He laughed for what seemed an eternity, all while she sat fuming. Partly because she was jealous—there was no denying the aberrant emotion—and partly because she was terrified of all the things this dangerous man already made her feel.

Once he managed to tame his mirth, he looked at her, his eyes nearly watering. “Are you referring to Lady Stonemere? My best friend’s wife?”

Emily gave him a cold stare. “The very one you embraced in a public spectacle this evening? If that is she, then yes.”

He stopped and blinked. “Yes, well she shared some good tidings with me, and I believe I became overwhelmed with the news. I suppose hugging her was a bit inappropriate, but we—Stone, Theo, and I—are quite close.”

His phrasing struck her as odd. She narrowed her gaze at him. “How close?”

Cooper glanced away from her and then back, but more in the vicinity of her feet as his cheeks flushed.

Her free hand fluttered to her throat and rose from her seat. “Oh, my. How close?”

He rose, set his glass on a nearby table, and strode over to where she stood. “I shall not disclose another’s secrets. You may rest assured there is nothing between Theo and me but companionable affection. If Stone thought for one moment either of us harbored some romantic feeling, I assure you he would trounce me soundly and tie his wife to their bed after spanking her thoroughly.”

“Perhaps you shared too much, at any rate? I cannot imagine any lady of the ton allowing her husband to spank her and tie her to the bed.” She gnashed her teeth, unsure she believed another lady might welcome such treatment.

He took her drink and set it aside, then pulled her into his arms. “Ah, but then you have yet to be properly spanked while tied to my bed.”

Rich male laughter surrounded her until he swooped in and stole a kiss, their lips melding together as they pressed closer. She whimpered and opened to him, unable to resist his sensual assault. And if the kisses she’d experienced with him were any evidence, she thought she might enjoy anything he wished to do to her. But she would never admit that to him.

As his scent and taste overwhelmed her senses, she felt his clever fingers working the laces of her dress loose. Her heart sped up as she realized there was no turning back from what lay ahead. She wanted to know the touch of a man, but she could not deny the agitation that made her limbs restless.

The men in her life had been less than reliable, most betraying her in one fashion or another. Her reserves of fortitude had been well used up by her brother of late, she had little left to deal with another man who might be of a similar bent. She pressed a palm to his chest. “Cooper, do not toy with me. Our agreement stated we would remain faithful for the duration of the contract.”

She ignored the squeezing sensation that gripped her heart.

“And I told you, there is nothing but platonic love between Theo and me. She belongs to Stone.” Then, like an expert, he worked her gown open and then over her head. Next, he started on the rest of her undergarments, each layer coming away as he pressed kisses to her shoulders, her neck, the tops of her breasts, and then even her back.

All the while, she considered his words. She believed him, and yet there was this uncontrollable doubt that assailed her. With a sigh, she set the unwanted emotion aside. After all, she had no time for such entanglements. This was about her sexual exploration, nothing more.

When she finally stood wearing naught but her stockings and garters, she bent to pluck them free, but he stopped her.

“Those can stay. I will enjoy the silky feel of your stockings as you wrap your legs around me.” His wolfish grin had her thighs squeezing together as her center grew damp with need.

“Oh. Well, if you prefer them.” She straightened up and stepped closer to him. She worked his tie free and then started on his shirt as he tugged at his trousers and slipped his shoes off. Within moments, he was naked, his cock springing up from a nest of blond curls. She imagined many men looked ridiculous in this state, but somehow it made Cooper look even more beautiful, more appealing.

Her previous rancor forgotten, she stood awkwardly, wanting very much to cover herself. Of their own volition, her arms crossed over her breasts, but Cooper intercepted them midpath. “You are a beautiful woman with nothing to be ashamed of.”

She glanced at the bed and back to him as her cheeks heated. “Could we…”

“Shhh.” He stepped into her and pulled her into his arms. “I promise I will be as gentle as I can.”

Then he swooped down and captured her lips in a searing kiss that had her forgetting about their nudity. Her pulse thrummed under her skin, a steady drumbeat of desire. His tongue tangled with hers, a wet heat that was both sensual and demanding.

Between her thighs, she ached with a need that made her wish to press closer to him. To find some part of him that might relieve the pressure. Why she wanted to do such a thing or even where the notion had sprung from eluded her, considering her years of training to be a good wife had not prepared her for such desires. Of course, neither had her years of being a freethinker and, even of late, a thief.

She hated it when her mind took over and nearly paralyzed her with too many thoughts. It didn’t happen often these days, but every once in a while, when she pushed up against some unforeseen boundary, her old habit popped up. And still, despite the whirlwind of thoughts spinning through her mind, she managed to lose herself in his kiss.

Finally, he broke away, gasping for the same much-needed air as her. After a breath or two, he demanded, “On the bed.”

Again, her mind raced as she struggled within. She stood there frozen in indecision. Then he moved a foot or so away from her, and she wondered what he was about.

“I am going to assume that all that good breeding that makes you Lady Emmaline is interfering with your desires. Yes?”

She nodded.

“I see. Well, fortunately for you, I am an expert at getting past these issues. If you want something or want me to do something, you must state it clearly for me.”

Her face grew very hot as she imagined explaining what she had wanted to do only moments earlier.

“Otherwise, I shall simply do as I wish.” He waited for her to react. When she said nothing, he scooped her into his arms.

The next Emily knew, she was on the bed with Cooper coming down beside her. His bulk created a dip in the mattress, which caused her to roll into his side.

He faced her, lying on his side, and tipped her chin up to him. He kissed her again, a soft sweet press of his lips. Then he dropped kisses down her cheek, along her neck, and over her collarbones.

All the while, her nipples felt swollen and the ache between her thighs grew more intense. A soft whimper escaped her as Cooper latched on to one nipple and sucked. Her upper back arched up off the bed, pushing more of her breast into his mouth. His big, warm hands chased away the chill of the English night more effectively than the fire that crackled merrily in the fireplace across the room.

He moved lower, still using his lips to brand a trail over her skin as he kissed down her ribs and across her belly until his face was far too near the spot that ached with some need she did not understand.

And then he wedged his shoulders between her thighs and let his warm breath feather across her skin.

She jerked partway up, her weight on her elbows. “Cooper! What are you doing?”

He grinned at her over the length of her body. “I’m preparing to sample your sweet, sweet pussy.”

Emily gasped at his words, shocked to hear such language. But then he flicked the very spot that ached so severely, and her body trembled with pleasure. He licked her flesh, a long slow stroke that sent sparks of heat up her limbs and had her moaning with need.

“That’s it, lie back and enjoy the sensations. Let me make you feel good.” His voice sounded low and rough, not at all like his usual smooth baritone.

When he pushed his tongue into her, all coherent thought fled. He licked and suckled at her swollen flesh, increasing the pressure that felt like steam trapped in a kettle. When he slid something long and hard inside her, she bucked against him and cried out. “Please, Cooper!”

Without a reply, he focused on that sensitive bundle of nerves, licking and lapping at it while he pumped his finger in and out. When he added a second finger and amped up the suction on her nub, her world exploded. She cried out an incoherent string of words as lights danced behind her eyes and her body seemed to shatter into thousands of pieces.