Status Updates From A Reputable Rake

THE END. Review to come.

"The only lady I want is you, Morgana. If we are not respectable enough for the ton, they can all go to the devil."

She gasped.

He went on, "My beahviour has been worse than rakish. I nearly destroyed the lives of others, merely to get back at a man who can no longer hurt me. It makes me ashamed."

YES, GOOD. GROVEL AND APOLOGIZE

She does get into a lot of physical fights, though.

Sloane took it all in and suddenly realised how little what his father did mattered to him.

At the gaming table, Sloane often threw in his cards when there was no other way to come out ahead. Now he mentally tossed in his cards. The wager he made with himself, to gain back respectability and throw it in his father's face, no longer mattered. Nothing mattered but Morgana.

He dealt himself a new hand, one he would

Sloane's insides felt as if a dozen sabres had slashed him to ribbons and his head whirled with the suspicion that she wanted him to be the rake, not the gentleman. She craved the excitement, not the man. Sloane had gone through plenty of women like that, who'd made love to him so they could say they'd been seduced by the dark and dangerous Cyprian Sloane.

Come on, you know her better than that.

Was it too late to convince them that they could be ladies? Oh, not ladies of the ton, perhaps, but respectable women who deserved men who loved them and would never walk away?

"You need not play the gentleman with me, Sloane."

Her words wounded him. She saw it in his eyes. For a moment she wished he would strike her. The pain might distract her from the wrenching ache inside her. But she knew he was too much a true gentleman to do so.

Are you SERIOUSLY writing that she wishes he would hit her? SERIOUSLY?

UGH, why is she doing this horrible and stupid thing?!

He wanted more mornings like this, with lovemaking and easy talk between them, casual touching, ordinary life.

"Can it happen again?" she murmured.

She felt his voice rumble in his chest. "Not without making you sore. Sleep now, Morgana."

You fucking liar. You just can't get it up a third time. Eat her out like a gentleman!

His lovemaking was a glorious gift she would never, ever forget.
...
She was determined to stay awake and savour every second of being with him. To hear the rhythm of his breathing. To feel his warm skin against her cheek. To inhale his scent, a mix of manliness and spice.

Nothing had ever felt as right as this. She'd never felt before as if she were in the right place at the right time and belonged there. Tears stung her eyes. How could finally feeling she was no longer alone make her realise the ache of loneliness she'd lived with her whole life? And would return to again?

"You could conceive a child."

Secretly she thought that would be the most marvellous thing in the world. To have Sloane's child growing inside her. To feel his baby suckling at her breast.

Ew. I'm so put off by this.

Why could she not be a courtesan for one night? What harm would it do? She would be doing nothing with Sloane that he would not do with another after his marriage. It was not so very bad, was it, to want one single night?

That's the STUPIDEST thing I've ever heard. Have some self-respect.

A lecture was not what she wished from him.

I know, he needs to STFU.

She tells him she wants to be a prostitute - for no reason, and it's a lie - and he won't ask her to marry him. Idiots.

No, it was not well done to fall in love with the man affianced to her cousin. Nor was it well done of her to wish she could do with him all the things that Harriette Wilson and Madame Bisou hinted a woman might do to please a gentleman.

What about him pleasing YOU? What about him respecting YOU?

"I forbid it."

She pulled it out of his grasp.

Forbid it? He had no right to tell her what she should and should not do. She was nothing to him. NOTHING. Merely the cousin of his fiancée."

Yes, stand up!

He gazed down at her, so sorry he had led her and her family to count on his suit. He'd selected Hannah primarily because her father was friends with his father, he now realised. Merely to vex his father, he had toyed with this young lady's hopes and expectations. It had been very wrong of him.

Yes, you are trash.

Yes, you fucking idiot! That is what I've been telling you!

He is deciding Hannah's not for him, not due to Morgana, but because Hannah deserves better than him sexually.

Yeah. Yeah.

She realised the loss of his company had been her fault. He had scolded her for her wildness, but then she'd kissed him as wantonly as any harlot might do. He had lost respect for her, and that was painful indeed.

He never had respect for you! Also, how dare he make you feel like a prostitute!? How can you STAND this guy!?!

He'd be damned if he did not find in Morgana a kindred spirit, but one who would cause him to lose the game he'd bid so high to win.

Okay, WHY do you have to marry Hannah? Why can't you marry Morgana? The hell is going on here?

Sloane followed, sickened by his own behavior, but more by his words. He'd blamed her for that kiss, for his own arousal, for his own desire to risk her ruin in the gardens at Vauxhall.

Yes, you are a fucking piece of trash. I hope that is dawning on you.

So they have kissing, and then,

"That was not well done, Morgana." he said.

She looked at him with a puzzled and wounded expression.

He had to impress upon her, convince her that this path she was bent upon would only bring her pain and eventual loneliness. If she did not exercise some restraint, how could he? "Were you practising Bisou's lessons, Morgana? Practising at being the harlot?"

FUCK YOU, ASSHOLE

"What are you going to do?"

"Do?" He stared straight ahead, but his voice still held that timbre of violence.

"About the man who molested Lucy."

He did not answer.

"Are you going to kill him?"

He met her eye. "You think me capable of such a thing?"

She did not look away. "Yes." She could easily imagine him able to kill a man.

His eyes narrowed. "It does not shock you?"

"No."

Wait, wait, wait. How the

She turned back to the spectacle, but her heart beat wildly, not at Madame Saqui's daring exploits, but that she could be in this magical place with Sloane even for a few minutes. Perhaps for the time being she could pretend he was her beau, pretend he was not about to scold her again.

Sigh. Grow a spine, Morgana! You deserve better treatment than this! FFS.

Though both girls craned their necks to search the crowd, they spent as much time whispering to each other.

Sigh. I'm starting to feel like he might hate women.

Besides, he disliked discussing Hannah with Morgana, especially when he was fantasising about seducing her.

Yes. How dare Morgana bring up YOUR FUTURE WIFE when you are fantasizing about fucking her. DO YOU HAVE ZERO RESPECT FOR HER. DO YOU. YOU FUCKING FUCK. How can you treat her like this?!?!!?