Read Online Playboy's Lesson by Melanie Milburne - Free Book Online
Authors: Melanie Milburne
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me.’
Madeleine’s eyes rounded with interest. ‘Do tell.’
‘He kissed me.’
‘And?’
‘He propositioned me.’
Madeleine dropped the piece of croissant she was holding, her eyes as big as the plate she was using. ‘What did you do?’
Lottie gave a little toss of her head. ‘I arranged to meet him and then I stood him up.’
Her sister sat back in her chair with a musing smile. ‘Well, well, well.’
‘Don’t get any funny ideas. He’s the last man on earth I’d ever consider having a fling with. He’s got no morals. He’s a man slut, that’s what he is. He doesn’t stay with women long enough to remember their names. You should have seen the girl he had waiting on him down on the beach. She was fawning all over him as if he was some sort of sex god. It was nauseating.’
‘Listen to you.’ Madeleine laughed. ‘There’s nothing wrong with having a little fling if someone takes your fancy. It’s about time you put yourself out there again. Lucca Chatsfield would be quite a fabulous scalp to hang on your belt. I bet there are things he could show you in the bedroom that would make your hair stand up on end.’
Lottie glowered. ‘That man is nothing but a thorough nuisance. I can’t think why you agreed to such a harebrained scheme to bring him here to meddle with my plans. He’s going to ruin everything, I just know it.’
Madeleine gave her a teasing smile as she reached for another croissant. ‘I think you like him.’
Lottie sprang up from the table. ‘I hate him! I detest him! I swear to God if he was here now I would say it to his face.’
‘Save it, ma chérie .’ Madeleine wiped her fingers on a starched napkin. ‘You can tell him at dinner.’
‘Dinner?’ Her heart gave a sudden lurch. ‘Don’t tell him me you’ve invited him to dine with us. That’s taking things way too far.’
‘Not with us.’ Madeleine said. ‘You and him. Alone.’
‘What?’
‘You can consult him about the hens’ night. I’ve planned a private dinner for you both in the Green Room.’
Lottie gaped at her sister. ‘Why are you doing this? Have you gone completely mad?’
‘He’s fun loving and dashing.’
‘He’s an outrageous flirt and an arrogant devil!’
‘I know.’ Madeleine smiled again. ‘Don’t you just love that about him?’
* * *
A palace official led Lucca to a private room in the west wing of the palace. It was decorated in various shades of green with a background of cream with trimmings of gold. A small antique dining table had been set up in front of the large bay of windows that overlooked the palace gardens, and a bowl of full-headed creamy roses was on a brass-inlaid cabinet nearby, their peppery, clove-like scent filling the room. There were two deeply cushioned sofas facing each other in the middle of the room in a cream brocade fabric with an array of scatter cushions. A cherry-wood glass-fronted bookcase was against one wall with a small writing desk and chair set in front of it with a quaint lamp that was casting an incandescent glow over the room. It was a comfortable room rather than a formal one. It reminded him of a sitting room/library in a stately manor in the English countryside, not unlike his family home, Chatsfield House, in Buckinghamshire.
Thinking about home— why did he persist in calling it home when it had never been anything like one? —always made him antsy. He’d spent far too many years of his childhood yearning for a home and family like that of his schoolmates. Chatsfield House was one of the most beautiful houses in the English countryside but no one could ever call it a home. It had no heart. No warmth. No soul. And as for family...well, with his older siblings and his younger one with issues of their own and a father who sought refuge in a bottle, it was hardly what anyone could describe as a happy family life.
The official poured Lucca a drink and informed him the princess would be with him shortly before bowing
Madeleine’s eyes rounded with interest. ‘Do tell.’
‘He kissed me.’
‘And?’
‘He propositioned me.’
Madeleine dropped the piece of croissant she was holding, her eyes as big as the plate she was using. ‘What did you do?’
Lottie gave a little toss of her head. ‘I arranged to meet him and then I stood him up.’
Her sister sat back in her chair with a musing smile. ‘Well, well, well.’
‘Don’t get any funny ideas. He’s the last man on earth I’d ever consider having a fling with. He’s got no morals. He’s a man slut, that’s what he is. He doesn’t stay with women long enough to remember their names. You should have seen the girl he had waiting on him down on the beach. She was fawning all over him as if he was some sort of sex god. It was nauseating.’
‘Listen to you.’ Madeleine laughed. ‘There’s nothing wrong with having a little fling if someone takes your fancy. It’s about time you put yourself out there again. Lucca Chatsfield would be quite a fabulous scalp to hang on your belt. I bet there are things he could show you in the bedroom that would make your hair stand up on end.’
Lottie glowered. ‘That man is nothing but a thorough nuisance. I can’t think why you agreed to such a harebrained scheme to bring him here to meddle with my plans. He’s going to ruin everything, I just know it.’
Madeleine gave her a teasing smile as she reached for another croissant. ‘I think you like him.’
Lottie sprang up from the table. ‘I hate him! I detest him! I swear to God if he was here now I would say it to his face.’
‘Save it, ma chérie .’ Madeleine wiped her fingers on a starched napkin. ‘You can tell him at dinner.’
‘Dinner?’ Her heart gave a sudden lurch. ‘Don’t tell him me you’ve invited him to dine with us. That’s taking things way too far.’
‘Not with us.’ Madeleine said. ‘You and him. Alone.’
‘What?’
‘You can consult him about the hens’ night. I’ve planned a private dinner for you both in the Green Room.’
Lottie gaped at her sister. ‘Why are you doing this? Have you gone completely mad?’
‘He’s fun loving and dashing.’
‘He’s an outrageous flirt and an arrogant devil!’
‘I know.’ Madeleine smiled again. ‘Don’t you just love that about him?’
* * *
A palace official led Lucca to a private room in the west wing of the palace. It was decorated in various shades of green with a background of cream with trimmings of gold. A small antique dining table had been set up in front of the large bay of windows that overlooked the palace gardens, and a bowl of full-headed creamy roses was on a brass-inlaid cabinet nearby, their peppery, clove-like scent filling the room. There were two deeply cushioned sofas facing each other in the middle of the room in a cream brocade fabric with an array of scatter cushions. A cherry-wood glass-fronted bookcase was against one wall with a small writing desk and chair set in front of it with a quaint lamp that was casting an incandescent glow over the room. It was a comfortable room rather than a formal one. It reminded him of a sitting room/library in a stately manor in the English countryside, not unlike his family home, Chatsfield House, in Buckinghamshire.
Thinking about home— why did he persist in calling it home when it had never been anything like one? —always made him antsy. He’d spent far too many years of his childhood yearning for a home and family like that of his schoolmates. Chatsfield House was one of the most beautiful houses in the English countryside but no one could ever call it a home. It had no heart. No warmth. No soul. And as for family...well, with his older siblings and his younger one with issues of their own and a father who sought refuge in a bottle, it was hardly what anyone could describe as a happy family life.
The official poured Lucca a drink and informed him the princess would be with him shortly before bowing
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