DangerbyDalliance (9 page)

Archer, blazingly hot behind her. Warren, pleasuring her
with his mouth. The two of them together pushing her past all boundaries and
rules.

Her eyes slid closed. No matter what else happened, no one
would ever be able to take those memories from her.

And she wanted more.

Sarah’s eyes sprang open and she checked the small
wristwatch. She’d told the coachman to pick her up twenty minutes away from her
house. If she wanted to be on time she’d have to get ready soon.

She sat up straighter, tingles spreading across her body at
the thought of seeing them again, at the pleasure they would visit upon her.
But above all else, the knowledge she didn’t have to plan the next twenty steps
ahead. She trusted them to take care of her.

To keep her safe.

Every muscle in her body softened as she remembered how safe
and protected she’d felt in their presence.

What would it be like to be with them openly and forever?

For a moment Sarah froze completely. Joy and excitement
swirled through her. But then her father’s and Kemmer’s images floated through
her mind. She jumped to her feet and hurried into the entranceway to pull on
her boots.

She couldn’t allow herself to dream like that. No matter how
advanced science had grown and how magical it appeared, magic still didn’t
exist. Her exposure to men was limited, but she had read books and observed the
male of the species whenever she had the opportunity. Beatrice had more
opportunity to meet men, as her mother wanted her to marry well. And Beatrice
had always said men rarely denied themselves anything they wanted.

Sarah had been right before them.

Naked.

With everything on display.

Chances were they couldn’t help but respond. All her life
she’d been told she wasn’t pretty enough to entice a man and now suddenly two
dashing and handsome bachelors wanted her?

Sarah wasn’t familiar with Warren, but Archer’s exploits
with the other sex were well talked about. And none of the women he’d been seen
with had ever looked like her.

She might wish for forever, but it would never come. She
would squeeze every ounce of pleasure out of this dalliance. When it came to an
end she would cherish the memories.

But she would protect her heart, no matter what she had to
do.

With that resolution dominating her thoughts, she shoved her
dreams and hopes into the deepest, darkest corner of her mind, so far down she
could barely remember them.

Sex was all she wanted. All she would allow.

Sarah drew her coat from the wardrobe, put it on along with
her hat and gloves. Ice spread through her chest.

Her heart would not become involved. She smiled. Under no
circumstances.

Archer drummed his fingers on the desk, forcing his gaze to
stay on the papers before him and not wander off to the clock on the wall.
Chances were only a minute or two had passed since the last time he had
checked. It wasn’t as if they’d agreed on an actual time for her arrival
anyway. She’d only said she’d come later.

The speed of his tapping fingers increased. The words before
him blurred and his mind wandered back, reliving the pleasure of having her in
his arms, of bringing out the passion inside her.

His cock swelled.

And the sight of Warren pleasuring her with his mouth.

He wanted him to do it again while he thrust deep inside her
from behind. The clasp of her tight cunt with the occasional lick from Warren
would drive him crazy.

Warren had been magnificent last night. Archer leaned back
in his chair, his eyes dropping closed as he remembered his lover’s torture.
The featherlight touches, the teasing kisses, followed by his demanding
thrusts.

He rubbed his chest and hoped his words and touch had eased
whatever worry had slid into Warren’s heart. His lover rarely became this
demanding unless something gnawed at him.

Archer had his own concerns about this unusual relationship
they were attempting. All day his dominant thought had been,
Today I want to
pleasure her
.
Show her what she means to me while Warren watches.

But he dragged himself away.

This would never work if he competed with Warren for her
affections. Complete trust was the only way their unusual relationship could
succeed.

Sarah was the one. They would make it work. There was no
other option. He would not allow it.

Archer sat up and picked up his pen. The little boy inside
him who’d struggled all his life to live up to his father’s expectations and
invariably failed every time finally settled down.

They would succeed.

He sank into his work until a sharp beeping roused him
again. He looked to his shelf and the flashing light. With a smile he finished
the last couple of papers and waited for Warren. He didn’t have to wait for
long.

“What kind of bloody stupid contraption have you dumped into
my studio now? The blasted beeping nearly made me drop my palette.” Warren
pushed through the door, his hair wild as if he’d run his hands through it more
than once. Plus he’d acquired an indigo streak across one cheek. Archer thought
it quite fetching.

Archer settled his hands on his desk and smiled at his
lover. “You look absolutely delicious.”

Warren gaped. “Have you finally snapped?”

“Why would you think that? I speak only the unvarnished
truth.”

Warren frowned and sank into one of the chairs in front of
the desk. “It’s official, you’re insane. But no matter, make this annoying
noise stop!”

Archer rose, flicked a small lever beside the blinking bulb
and sat back down.

Warren crossed his arms across his chest and slumped back.
“Almighty Archer, what has your genius mind concocted now?”

He laughed. “Just an early warning for Sarah’s arrival. The
coach just turned onto Kensington Court and will be here in about,” he pulled
out his pocket watch, “twelve minutes.”

Warren’s eyebrows shot up. “You what?”

Archer smiled and tapped his crossed fingers against his
lip. Warren had been in the zone and the early warning system had yanked him
out of it, leaving him a little scattered. “You have about eight minutes to
wash your hands and clean the paint off your face. Unless you want to meet her
looking like William Wallace.”

Warren rubbed his clean pinky across his cheek and grumbled
when it came away blue. “Something has you in a good mood.”

Archer only continued his smile. “Seven minutes.”

Warren frowned as he rose, but asked no more questions. He
must have decided cleanliness was more important than information.

Archer shuffled the papers on his desk into a neat stack
before straightening his cuff links. He arrived in the hallway just as Jennings
accompanied Sarah through the back entrance.

He smiled and kissed the back of her hand. “It is lovely to
see you. I trust you are well?”

“I am. Thank you.”

It’s chilly here.
She had surrounded herself with a
wall of ice and appeared determined to cling to her pretense of wanting nothing
more than a good time. Archer contemplated the next step. Warren had said they
needed to reassure her, show her that they were open to more, but he preferred
the more direct approach.

He turned her hand palm up and gently tugged on each
fingertip of her glove. Her breathing flattened and with each pull it was as if
he undressed something far less innocent than her hand.

His smile deepened as he raised it and kissed her pulse. Her
blood raced under the skin. Archer pressed his lips against it one more time
and gave it a slow lick.

A sound escaped her.

Ah, there she is.

She gasped when he repeated the teasing tugs on each finger.
He put the second glove beside her first and turned over her hand. Her veins
ran blue under the white of her skin.

He captured her gaze as he teased her pulse with his lips.
Her pupils dilated. Archer wasn’t sure what would have happened if Warren
hadn’t interrupted them.

“Sarah, how lovely to have you here again.” Archer stepped
aside. Warren took her free hand and kissed the back of it before clasping it
between both of his. “Are you ready?”

“I am.”

“Very good.” Warren set her hand on his arm and guided her
toward the studio.

Archer fell into step behind them. Warren might have been
content to not push her, but Archer didn’t agree. They could not establish a
strong relationship by hiding their feelings. There were enough secrets between
them.

He wouldn’t let her hide behind her wall of ice.

“How is your father? Will he be speaking at the Hall about
the Rigdon’s Banknote Verification Device?” Archer thought he saw a small spark
in her eyes, but she only smiled.

“Not that I am aware of. His teaching schedule is keeping
him busy and you haven’t had time to study it just yet.”

Archer scrutinized her. Her last words carried a bitterness
he’d sensed before, but he only ever caught hints. Never enough to ask her
about.

“Would you like tea or anything to eat?” Warren asked.

“A cup of tea would be lovely.”

Archer walked to the corner of the room and picked up the
speaking tube. He called the kitchen and requested a pot of tea, then pulled
off his waistcoat and undid the top few buttons on his shirt, never looking
away from her. Warren had prepared the studio for the session by turning up the
heat and closing the window coverings. “Sarah?”

She turned her head and smiled the blank smile that drove
him crazy.

Enough is enough.
He strode to her, pulled her tight
against his chest and kissed her.

At first she was cold and unresponsive in his arms. But then
she warmed to his touch. The stiffness drained out of her. She opened her lips
to him. He rubbed his tongue against hers, her taste hitting his system and
shooting straight to his dick.

Archer pulled back, both of them panting. “If you want to
fully explore and enjoy this dalliance to its fullest extent you have to allow
yourself to feel.”

Desire turned her eyes as blue as the ocean, the passion of
her personality finally released. “I don’t know if I can.”

“Would you prefer we go back to being artist and model?”
Warren spoke from behind Archer. He joined them and stroked across Archer’s
arse as he passed, out of Sarah’s line of sight.

Her cheeks pinkened and she studied her toes. Before Archer
could say anything, she straightened her shoulders. “I have agreed to a
dalliance, but we never talked about involving emotions.”

Archer kissed her again. If the walls around her had indeed
cracked he would do whatever he could to widen the rifts. He intensified the
kiss, guiding her deeper and deeper into passion, bringing her inherent
sensuality, denied for so long, to the surface.

Finally, when the need for air was as strong as the desire
to dive even further into their desire, he released her.

Her knees weakened and she stumbled against him. He
tightened his arms around her waist. “Easy, darling, we’re right here.”

Warren moved behind her until they’d sandwiched her between
them. Sarah shifted until she could wrap an arm around each of their hips. Her
head remained on Archer’s shoulder.

Archer savored the moment. There was still a mountain of
issues to work through, but right now he held the two most important people in
his arms. And everyone appeared to enjoy the moment as much as he did.

He kissed her forehead. “True passion and desire encompass
everything—mind, body, spirit. If you want to experience every drop of passion
we can surround you with, you have to decide to be with us completely.” He continued
to rain gentle kisses along her hairline until he reached her ear. He sucked on
her earlobe.

Sarah slumped more fully against him.

Warren spread his palm across her stomach and kissed down
her neck.

Archer’s cock grew harder. She stood between the two of
them, accepting their touch, even inviting more, coming very close to his
fantasy. He could only hope that she believed him. Of course they could have
sex without her fully involved, but he wanted more.

She only had to allow it.

He tongued the rim of her ear until he grabbed the outer
edge with his teeth. Her whole body tensed and he thought it had been too much,
but then a low moan escaped her parted lips.

Archer repeated the caress and her groan nearly drove him to
his knees. He cleared his throat. “What will it be, Sarah? Do you want to
explore this new world in all its depth or do you just want to skim the
surface?” He captured her stubborn chin and lifted her head until she met his
gaze. Storm clouds filled her eyes, her pupils dilated and her luscious lips
well kissed.

He had to clench his teeth to keep his growl contained. He
wanted nothing more than to spread her across the sofa and feast, but he needed
to know—he looked over her head at Warren—
they
needed to know if she
really wanted to be with them.

She licked her lower lip and looked between the two of them.
After what felt like an age she finally appeared to come to a decision.

Sarah had no idea what had happened. One moment she had been
safe and sound behind the barrier she’d put in place between her and the world
around her. All her life she had been an observer and not a participant in
life, keeping distant with the exception of only a handful of people.

It was a lonely but safe and familiar place.

But then Archer had pulled her close and kissed her. His
passion, the way he made no excuses, had burned through her blockade within
seconds. Warren had filled the empty space on her other side.

And now they wanted an answer.

She studied Warren. His smiling lips, his beautiful eyes
sparkled with humor, but also held a depth and a touch of vulnerability. Sarah
wondered how much of himself he hid behind the charming smile. She lifted her
arm from around his waist and cupped his cheek. The bristly feel of his stubble
teased her senses. He captured her thumb in the wet heat of his mouth when she
caressed his firm lips.

Sarah’s breath sped up. Moisture flooded her already wet
quim.

Warren brought up his hand to support hers. He curled his
tongue around the digit and licked the sensitive skin between it and the index
finger.

Her knees crumpled.

Archer caught her. He always did.

Warren released her finger and pulled her hand against his
racing heart. He let her see that this meant more than them just making the
most of an available woman.

More than she expected.

Behind her Archer’s hard member rubbed against her derriere.
She wished her dress lacked the bustle. She wanted to feel him without all the
fabric between them.

She tilted her head and examined his dark, dark eyes. He was
more like she and tended to hold back parts of himself. For a moment she
wondered what had driven a strong and successful man like him to protect
himself.

He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to
her fingertips before copying Warren’s posture. The symbolism wasn’t lost on
her.

Her hands on their hearts.

What to do?

Sarah looked down and studied the grain in the wood floor.

She’d thought she’d made her decision. Enjoy what they gave
her, but don’t let them touch her emotions. But did she really want that? All
her life she’d watched what happened around her and never participated. Always
held back, protected from feeling pain.

Until yesterday she’d never taken the risk to live life.

She leaned more fully against the men on either side of her.
Their hearts beat beneath her hand, actually raced as if her decision was
important.

She’d never been important to anyone, not even her father.

Oh for goodness sake, when do you expect an opportunity
like this to ever come along again? You’ve been on the shelf for years. All you
have to look forward to is ensuring Father doesn’t lose us home and hearth. If
you give this everything you can, you’ll at least have the memories. For once
you’ll actually
live
life.

Sarah raised her gaze and straightened her spine. She
grasped their shirts and pulled.

They came without hesitation. Archer’s arm went around her
shoulders, his hand rested on Warren’s chest. Warren wound his arm around her
and Archer’s waists. Not even a puff of steam could have made it past them.

Archer’s hand cupped her nape in a firm grip. “Tell us.”

His demand shot through her, released that giant knot of
emotions at her center. Her grip on their shirts tightened. “I want to
experience everything.”