A Gentleman's Wager (22 page)

Bella flashed him a look of defiance. ‘Rot in hell!’

He smiled briefly. ‘Exactly what did you plan to do? Lock me away? Club me over the back of the head? We both know I can make you talk, Bella.’

You can’t, she thought, but his commanding presence reminded her exactly what he was capable of. He’d made her beg before now and, as strong as she was, she couldn’t deny that his proximity and the threat of punishment excited her.

Vaughan smiled again and swivelled his hips. Bella guessed that he knew her thoughts, but his arrogance knew no bounds if he thought his power over her was absolute. She decided to play along with him, to teach him a lesson.

‘I want you,’ she said in the most seductive voice she could manage. Vaughan’s gaze dropped to her prominent breasts, then flicked back up to her face.

‘I know.’

‘I mean to have you.’

‘By force or seduction?’

Bella placed her open hand on his thigh. ‘By catching you offguard, of course.’ He felt warm and desirable to the touch. Between her thighs she was melting. Playing games with him was exciting.

‘I see,’ he replied, as if intellectually fascinated by the idea. ‘Is that why you followed me?’

‘Perhaps,’ she replied.

Vaughan regarded her evenly. ‘You’d probably have to drug me, which would give you no satisfaction. Perhaps I should let you arouse me with your tongue?’

Bella’s pulse quickened. Rarely was she offered that pleasure with such boldness and candour. The opportunity
to
hold him powerless in her mouth was heady wine; he’d never before allowed her to taste him. ‘Show me how much you want it,’ she said, determined to make him work for his reward. Vaughan swept forwards and descended on her for a kiss. He sealed his lips over hers and invaded her mouth with a fiery, hungry penetration. Bella’s head swam. To her disappointment, he soon drew back, his ardour temporarily dimmed.

‘Tell me why you were following me, and then maybe we can continue.’

It would take more than a kiss to make her talk. She laughed at him to emphasise this.

‘Bella,’ he murmured, and forced another kiss.

Her laughter died. She pushed him away, sick of the game, and snapped, ‘I thought you were going to meet Lucerne.’

Given any number of tries, she could never have predicted his response. ‘I see,’ he said, and his voice was ice-cold. He grabbed her wrist so that his grip bit into her flesh, and dragged her out of the door on the other side of the small chamber. They raced along several dusty passages until they burst into Lucerne’s sitting room.

Lucerne stood up in mild surprise, lips parted to ask for an explanation.

‘There! Go to him.’ Vaughan shoved her across the room. Bella put her arms out to save herself when she stumbled under the impact, but Lucerne caught her and only one knee hit the floor. The graze stung, but no worse than his words.

‘Vaughan?’ Lucerne said, as he helped Bella regain her balance. ‘What’s this about?’

A vision of high colour, Vaughan glared back furiously. His jaw tightened as Lucerne crossed the room and attempted to embrace him. ‘No,’ he said, and stepped
backwards
. Lucerne repeated his entreaty. He forced Vaughan to look at him, and rubbed his thumb over the other man’s lips.

Bella stared in shock as tears of anger welled from Vaughan’s eyes. He had never seemed so vulnerable before. She thought he was hard and cruel, but she saw that when it came to Lucerne all that fell away. Her concept of Vaughan being dominant in the relationship was obviously incorrect. Lucerne seemed to be in control as she watched him force a kiss.

Vaughan shoved him away and tried to leave, but Lucerne grabbed his arms and grappled with him. They fought amid snarls and curses, before finally ploughing into a chair which overturned, throwing them both to the floor. The thump made Bella wince. Lucerne trapped Vaughan beneath him.

‘Leave me be,’ he pleaded, but Lucerne shook his head and began to caress Vaughan’s tense body with aggressive excitement. As Vaughan struggled to prevent his own inevitable response, Bella felt herself becoming aroused. She’d never seen two men fight for sexual dominance. She’d wondered what they did beyond touching and kissing. Their responses seemed magnified and inappropriate as they veered from tenderness to violence.

Vaughan’s tortured eyes met Bella’s gaze and his features contorted into an image of pure hatred. ‘I won’t perform for her amusement,’ he snarled.

Lucerne’s hold slackened and Vaughan easily extracted an arm. He lashed out and caught his lover hard across the jaw. Lucerne reeled aside, shocked and hurt but, as Vaughan got to his feet, Lucerne gently touched his thigh as if seeking an explanation. However, Vaughan only clenched his fist again, ready to strike.

‘No!’ Bella darted forwards. Vaughan looked up and
spat
at her in his rage. She stumbled over her feet to back away. Only when she’d reached the relative safety of the bedpost did she dare look back at Vaughan. He hadn’t moved. His eyes were closed and he breathed deeply as if to control his anger. Stunned by his inexplicable violence, she realised that she actually regretted the rift she’d caused, and wondered how to calm the situation. Before she could reach an answer, Vaughan’s eyes snapped open. He gave her a vicious stare, then stormed from the room. The sudden slamming of the door shook the soft furnishings, then an eerie silence settled.

Bella quickly collected herself and then helped Lucerne get to his knees. Although he rubbed his jaw, he didn’t appear too hurt. He ran his hand through his thick hair and looked thoughtfully at the door. For an awful moment, she thought he would leave her and go after Vaughan. ‘What did you say to him?’ he asked.

Bella shook her head. Vaughan’s fury had been sudden and fearsome. She wondered if it would abate just as rapidly, or if he would stew for days.

‘Are you all right?’ Lucerne asked. He got to his feet. Bella buried her head against his chest. As his warmth seeped into her she realised that she was shaking, and craved comfort.

‘Kiss me, Lucerne.’

‘Just a kiss,
ma chère
?’ he said, and he pressed his lips to her brow. ‘That’s uncommonly reserved of you.’

‘I didn’t say that.’

‘Ah, only an aperitif.’ He seemed determined to make light of the situation. He took hold of her as if he meant them to dance, and then kissed the tip of her nose. Bella tilted her head so that he could more easily reach her lips. Instead, he pecked each cheek, and then her chin.

‘Lucerne, please.’

‘I was getting around to it, but perhaps I’ll kiss you everywhere else instead.’ He continued the tease, and pressed the next kiss to her inner wrist.

‘You’re as bad as Vaughan.’

‘Am I, indeed?’ he averred, raising his eyebrow an eloquent quarter-inch. ‘And since when were you so well acquainted?’

The words, ‘We’re not’, stuck on her tongue. It was a lie she couldn’t speak. Thankfully, Lucerne seemed to have already forgotten the question. He walked her to the bed and stopped just before it. ‘Are you staying the night?’ he asked coyly.

Bella gave the oak bed an appraising look. God knows, she’d dreamed about it often enough, and the opportunity was just too good to miss. She’d have to find a way to thank Vaughan for his intervention later, although she still wondered at his reaction.

‘If you’ll have me,’ she remembered to respond when Lucerne raised an eyebrow questioningly.

‘I certainly intend to.’

Lucerne undressed. Naked, he blew out all but two of the candles lighting the room, then sat down on the edge of the bed. Mesmerised, Bella watched, suddenly shy of him. She removed her lace fichu from around her neck and knelt between his legs. The eager stalk of his penis rose to greet her. She dipped her head to draw her tongue across the tip. His eagerness was salty on her tongue. ‘Too soon, too soon,’ he gasped as her mouth closed over him. He pulled away and pressed her down onto the bed to recline alongside him. ‘You’re always in a rush. Let me look at you.’ Bella hesitated, but let him undress her, garment by garment.

His eyes roamed over her entire body in a way that made her feel like she was being caressed. His fingertips
followed
and traced every peak, curve and hollow. As his hands moved across her thighs, she whimpered with need. Unhurried, Lucerne traced a luxurious path from her navel to her breasts, before lowering himself so that his face was level with her hips. ‘Kiss me,’ she begged. Lucerne nuzzled into the dark curls of her mound, before lifting her thighs to lap at her cunt and flick the little nubbin with steady sideward strokes.

‘Not there, up here.’ She pressed a finger to her lips.

His body covered hers and she rubbed against him lasciviously as he moved in for the kiss Bella had longed for. She did not open her lips but allowed him to part them with a seductive foray. He kissed her softly but deeply, so that she tasted herself on his tongue.

Lucerne rolled onto his back, and pulled her on top. ‘Touch me – and take your time,’ he added as she headed straight for his cock. Bella reluctantly obeyed. She wanted him inside her but, as her hands moved over his body, she became absorbed with the texture of his skin. He wasn’t overly muscular, but he was well made. She sat astride him and gripped his waist with her thighs. His penis brushed against her bottom, anointing the crease between her cheeks.

‘I want you,’ she whispered. ‘Lucerne.’

‘And only me?’

‘Only you.’

Lucerne pulled her forwards and down, so that her pubis pressed on his loins and his penis pulsed against her. ‘Ready?’

Bella raised her hips and his impatient prick reared towards her. He slid into her easily. ‘Not too fast,’ he said, but let her set the rhythm. Bella pushed down hard to enclose him completely before taking charge. Steadily she rose to a climax, rocking on his hard prick, her hands
clasped
upon his shoulders, his thumb on her clit. When he finally bucked inside her she knew that, for that moment at least, he was entirely hers.

‘Vaughan.’

He didn’t even turn his head as Lucerne walked the length of the gallery towards him. Vaughan was still sulking. Lucerne stopped three feet away from him and addressed his back. ‘You weren’t at breakfast.’

‘I had no stomach for it, my lord.’

Lucerne bit his tongue in response to the acid in Vaughan’s voice, and wondered what to say. Portraits of ancient Marlinscars stared down from the walls, offering neither wisdom nor comfort. Their faces were stern and guarded, never allowing emotion to betray them. Lucerne knew that giving in to Vaughan would cause problems, aside from courting public disgrace, but he had not counted on the marquis being so possessive.

‘Did you want me for something?’ Vaughan asked.

‘I wish we hadn’t fought last night. I didn’t want you to leave. Bella didn’t tell me …’

Vaughan shifted uncomfortably.

‘Vaughan,’ Lucerne said insistently. He stepped closer, and tried to avert some of Vaughan’s anger with a caress.

‘Get off me.’ Vaughan shook himself free, then sidestepped out of Lucerne’s immediate reach. Lucerne followed him, and placed his hands on Vaughan’s hips.

‘Don’t be like this.’

‘I told you to leave me alone.’

Lucerne took a few steps back, determined to maintain the dialogue. He felt frustrated. He knew what they both wanted, and his direct nature demanded a quick resolution. He couldn’t understand why Vaughan had to poison things with his resentment. Couldn’t he live in the
moment
, and let the past become history? In agitation, he ran his hand through his short hair, and reached the conclusion that, no matter what, he wouldn’t get Vaughan to face him; he’d have to try a different tack.

He glanced over his shoulder to the open doorway at the far end of the gallery, and considered closing it for privacy. It would mean leaving Vaughan, and he wasn’t sure that the other man wouldn’t just disappear through the near exit. He’d rather risk intrusion. For the third time, he closed the gap between them. This time he pressed his cheek to Vaughan’s shoulder. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘Don’t be cross.’

Vaughan turned his head away.

‘You’re jealous!’ Lucerne moved his hands to Vaughan’s waist. ‘I don’t believe it, you’re actually jealous. What did you suppose would happen? Did you honestly expect me to give up women?’

‘That woman is in love with you.’

Lucerne considered himself fortunate that Vaughan still faced the window. ‘Should that matter to us?’

Vaughan shivered. ‘She matters to you.’

Lucerne nuzzled against Vaughan’s neck and slid his hands forwards over Vaughan’s hipbones to his loins, in an attempt to pacify him. Although Vaughan’s back immediately stiffened, another part of him also hardened. With a light but insistent touch, Lucerne traced the erection. One button on Vaughan’s waistband fell undone, followed by a second. Soon Vaughan’s buttocks were bared, and Lucerne began to prepare himself for entry.

‘I’m going to fuck you,’ said Lucerne. ‘You know you like that.’

He heard Vaughan’s heart hammering. ‘Let me be,’ Vaughan said without conviction. Lucerne bit into the
muscle
of his shoulder through the fabric of his shirt. When he moved himself against Vaughan’s bottom, his penis prodded between the downy cheeks.

‘Stop it!’ Vaughan lashed out with his elbow, but Lucerne held on, unswayed by the attack. ‘Get off me, Lucerne.’

Lucerne pinned Vaughan’s upper body against the polished surface, pulled his arms into the small of his back and gripped his wrists in one hand, while he explored Vaughan’s puckered whorl with the fingers of the other, seeking entrance. ‘Remember Italy …
il mio amore
… Vaughan,’ he soothed. From Vaughan’s waistcoat pocket, he retrieved the stowed vial of oil. ‘Don’t fight so; let me give you what you want.’

The cabinet rocked against the uneven floorboards as Lucerne slid his oiled cock in. Bright sparks kindled in his loins, beating a pathway of fire to his brain. All that mattered was the sensation he felt in his cock, and the pleasure he derived from repeatedly plunging himself into another man’s arse. Not so long ago that idea would have disgusted him, that now he could hardly imagine why he’d lived twenty-seven years without doing it. It seemed, at this moment, such a sensual act.