Lady Alexandra's Lover (24 page)

Evan stumbled over to Alexandra’s bedside and began to sit down in a chair, when yet another dratted knock came on the bedchamber door.

“My lord,” Woods said, “your father and stepmother have returned.”

W
hen I came
down from my explosive climax, Christophe had replaced his finger with his tongue. He licked and sucked at my swollen cunt lips. My arse yearned for his cock.

As if reading my mind, he said, “My lady, you need more preparation. Next time I will use two fingers, and then three. After that, you will be ready.”

He flipped me over and lay down next to me. “Come sit on my face, sweet Lady Prudence.”

I wasn’t going to turn that down! I positioned myself above his lips.

“Now you can lean down and suck my cock whilst I pleasure you,” he said.

How exciting! He began to kiss my slit, and I did as he bid, taking his glorious erection between my lips. I sucked him hard, wanting to milk every last drop of essence from him, to bring him at least a bit of the pleasure he had bestowed upon me.

Meanwhile, he sucked at my pussy. I shivered, my whole body trembling with need as I continued to lick and kiss his beautiful cock.

And then a shock coursed through me, followed by the intense delicate pleasure I had come to know. He was fingering my arsehole whilst he ate my cunny. Oh, Amelia, such rapture! I knew I couldn’t hold out for long, but I did so love when we climaxed together.

I increased my suction on his cock, sucked him hard until my cheeks and jaw ached. I pushed harder, determined to milk him to the limit, yet still he tortured me with his lips, tongue, and finger.

Amelia, the man has a will of steel! But I can give as good as I get. I summoned all the strength I possessed and held back my climax, even lifting my hips a little to escape his tormenting mouth.

Within seconds, though, he had yanked me back down to his mouth, his tongue tantalizing me once more.

I writhed. I ground against his probing tongue, so wanting to scream his name but unable to with my mouth so full of hard cock. I braced myself and circled one hand around his member, twisting my wrist as I pumped him, still sucking him.

That did it. His hips tensed beneath me, and I knew he was ready. I ground against his face to my heart’s content, Amelia, my whole body quivering, my veins bubbling with boiling nectar.

When the convulsions began at the base of his cock, I let myself go, flying, soaring, shimmering, traveling to places unknown. He filled my mouth with his seed, and I flew higher and higher still.

When I finally drifted back down, he gave my pussy a smacking kiss and released me. I crawled off of him and lay down next to him, in his arms.

“My lady,” said he, his voice shaking, “I am spent beyond recognition. You are magnificent. I do believe that was the most brilliant orgasm I have ever known.”

I smiled into his chest. “For me too, good sir.”

And I eagerly await the next one. Until then, dear Amelia, I am yours, affectionately,

Prudence

E
van groaned
. What was he going to say to his father and new stepmother? He’d gotten one of her daughters kidnapped, the other beaten. They’d never trust him again.

“In a moment please, Woods,” Sophie said.

“Of course, my lady. I haven’t told them anything yet.” Woods left.

“Look, Evan,” Sophie said. “I don’t want to worry our parents, and I don’t want to violate Ally’s confidence. I don’t know how they would feel about her writing…well, you know.”

Evan agreed. He would do nothing to hurt Alexandra. She’d been through enough.

Sophie continued, “I hate dishonesty, so I think we should tell them the truth—minus Ally's involvement. I need to protect her.”

Evan nodded. “Yes, that seems prudent. I truly had no idea that my business was publishing the material, and the culprit is now dead. We’ll tell them of your kidnapping and my being shot.”

“Do you suppose Ally went to your establishment to exonerate herself? To find out who was behind this?”

He nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m thinking. Why didn’t I believe her? This is all my fault.” He cupped his head in his hands, his heart threatening to break.

“It’s not your fault, Evan. We both know Ally has her own mind.”

He looked up at Alexandra’s sister. Sophie was quietly brave in her own way. Nothing like Alexandra’s passionate strength, but still courageous despite what she’d been through. He had newfound respect for his—he hoped—future sister-in-law.

“We can’t tell them why Ally went to your business,” Sophie continued.

Evan nodded. “We’ll just say she went to the shop to check on something for me while I was laid up, and she found evidence— Oh, I hate lying.”

“As do I,” Sophie said. “But I don’t think we have a choice until we’re able to get the truth out of Ally.”

A
fter several hours of talking
, Iris had calmed down enough to take to her chamber for a few hours.

“We’re fine, Mama, I assure you,” Sophie said again and again.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t take care of the girls better, Father,” Evan said, his head bowed.

“It doesn’t sound like any of it was your fault, Evan,” the earl said. “I’m just glad everyone is all right. I must see to my wife.” He strode up the stairs.

Evan stood with his cane. He was exhausted and filled with disappointment in himself. He had strived to look after Iris’s daughters, and he had failed miserably. And he’d fallen in love with one of them. Once Alexandra was able, he would speak to her and beg her forgiveness. Even if she wouldn’t take him back, at least she would recover. That was the most important thing.

He took to his own chamber and slept for the rest of the day and well into the night.

A
lly woke
the next day to find her mother at her side.

“Mama?”

“Yes, my darling. We returned yesterday. My God, what did that barbarian do to you?”

“It’s all right,” she choked out. “I’ve endured…worse.”

Iris nodded. “I know you have, Ally, and I’m so sorry.”

“There was nothing you could do, Mama.”

“I did what I could. Please believe that.”

Ally’s heart filled with love. For once, she truly did understand what her mother had endured to keep her and Sophie as safe as possible. “I do believe you. Truly.”

Iris’s eyes filled with tears. “I thought these days were over. I thought…”

“I’m going to be fine.”

She nodded. “Yes, I know.” She let out a yawn.

“Mother, when is the last time you slept?”

“For a few hours yesterday afternoon. I’ve been with you most of the night.”

“Please, go. I’ll be fine. Get some rest. Spend some time with your new husband.”

“I’ve spent the last month with him. Now is for you.”

“Please. I just need to rest.”

“If you insist.” Iris kissed Ally’s forehead. “I’ll be back to check on you in a few hours.”

Ally yawned as her mother left. She hadn’t dared say anything. She wasn’t sure what Sophie had told their mother. Before she could ring for a maid to summon Sophie, a knock sounded on the door, and in walked Evan, limping with a cane and holding a leather-bound book in his other hand. He set the book on her bed table.

Oh, no. Well, she’d have to deal with this sooner or later. Lord, surely she looked a fright.

He strode quickly to her bedside. “My love, I’m so sorry.”

My love? Had she heard correctly? She opened her mouth, but he stopped her.

“Please, this is all my fault.”

His fault? “What?”

“You went there because…because I didn’t believe you, didn’t you?”

She nodded shakily. “I’m sorry, Evan.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for. I should have believed you when you professed your innocence. If I could, I’d kill the man who did this to you.”

“He’s already dead.”

“Lucky for him.”

“Evan—”

“No, please let me finish.”

She wanted to hear what he had to say more than anything, but first she needed to know what he and Sophie had told their parents.

“Please, Evan. Just tell me what our parents know. Do they know about my…writing?”

Evan shook his head. “No. We told them everything except why you went to the print shop that day. We said you had gone on an errand for me, to pick up some documents.”

She heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

“They’re terribly worried about you.”

She nodded. “I know.”

“As am I.”

“I’ll be fine, Evan. I’ve been through worse.”

Evan frowned, his eyes sunken and sad. “That doesn’t make me feel any better. This is truly my fault, Alexandra.”

“How in the world could it be your fault?”

“If I had believed you, trusted in you, I would have known you had nothing to do with publishing
The Ruby
. You swore you didn’t, yet I didn’t believe you.”

“It’s still not your fault. My actions these past few weeks haven’t inspired a lot of trust.”

“But if I had trusted you, you wouldn’t have gone there.”

Ally’s heart warmed. “I might have anyway, to find out who was behind this. After all, Sophie was kidnapped and you were shot. You didn’t expect me to just sit idly by and let that happen.”

Evan let out a chuckle. “No. I do know you better than that.”

Ally smiled, and then grimaced. “Ouch.”

“My love?”

“Sorry, it just hurts to smile.”

“You poor thing. And your smile is so beautiful too.”

She tried again…and failed.

“Alexandra…”

“Yes?”

“I don’t deserve your forgiveness, and I’m completely unworthy of you, but if you’ll forgive me…”

“I forgive you, Evan, if you’ll forgive me.”

“For what?”

“For being such a pain. I was truly horrible. And then insisting upon marrying Mr. Landon when I was in love with you. I was a ninny. A true idiot. Can you forgive me that?”

“I’ll forgive you anything, love. And if you’ll have me, I promise to spend the rest of my life making you and our children happy.”

Warmth bubbled through Alexandra. “Then you mean…?”

“Yes, my beautiful love. Will you marry me, Alexandra MacIntyre?”

“Oh, Evan”—she blinked back tears—“I would be proud and honored to be your wife.”

Evan leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. A tiny firecracker exploded inside her.

“Mmm,” she said. “I wish…”

“What, sweet?”

She smiled again…and winced. “I wish we could do more.”

Evan laughed. “In a few weeks, we’ll be able to do everything we want to do.”

Ally spied the book Evan had set on the bed table. “You came in carrying a book. What is it?”

“Oh, I almost forgot. I just had this published. The printers had to rush to keep deadlines on other projects, but I’m the boss.” He smiled and handed her the book.

It was covered in embossed leather. She opened it.

Leaves in the Wind, A Collection of Poetry
by Evan Xavier

Tears welled in her eyes. “You’re a writer.”

“You don’t sound surprised.”

“Well”—her cheeks warmed—“I found a poem in the bureau downstairs when I was looking for— Oh, never mind. Anyway, it was about me. It was lovely, and quite…erotic.”

Evan’s handsome face reddened. “You saw that?”

“I did.”

“I’m sorry to tell you, but that particular poem won’t be in the book.”

“Why not? It was beautiful.”

“Because of its nature. And the Vagrancy Act…”

Ally looked away. “Oh.”

He cupped her cheek and turned her back to face him. “Listen to me. I love your writing. You’re a natural, but let’s both cease trying to publish our more…
arousing
works until the law is changed.”

Ally nodded sadly. He was right, of course.

“That doesn’t mean we have to stop writing. We can write erotica solely for our own pleasure, and we can write mainstream work for publication. Write a novel, my love, and it will be my privilege and utter joy to publish it for you.”

Ally nodded. “Of course. Whatever you want.”

“It’s whatever
we
want from now on. I do love you so, Alexandra.”

The warmth of love consumed her heart. “And I love you, my Evan.”

A
month later
, Evan and Ally retired to their suite after being married via special license. It had been a small ceremony at the Brighton estate, attended only by family and a few close friends. Although they had both been cleared for pleasure a week earlier by the doctor, they had chosen to wait until their wedding night.

Ally bathed with Millicent’s help and dressed in a sheer pink night rail. She sat down at her dressing table, dabbed a bit of lavender on her pulse points, and pinched her cheeks and bit her lips to pink them. Her face was back to normal, the only remnant of her beating a small scar next to her right eye. It wasn’t her first scar, but it would be her last. She smiled in gratitude for her new husband and life she had been given.

Perhaps she was not as broken as she’d thought. Perhaps she was worthy after all.

She lay down on the bed and waited for her new husband to come to her. A few moments later, he walked through the door, breathtaking in a burgundy silk robe.

“Alexandra, my love. You are stunning.”

“As are you, my Evan.”

He slid the robe off his shoulders and hung it over the back of the chair, striding forward, his nakedness mesmerizing her. She would never tire of looking at his magnificence.

“I’ve missed you so much,” he said, pressing his lips to hers. “The last month has been torture, not being able to touch you, to love you.”

“I assure you it has been no less torturous for me.”

They crushed their lips together in a primal and drugging kiss. Oh, how she had missed his kisses, those kisses that were not kisses at all, really. They were another form of lovemaking. When Evan broke the kiss, they both took a deep breath. He rained tiny pecks over her cheeks, her neck, her earlobe.

“My God, I love you.”

“And I love you, Evan. Only you. Forever.”

He sank his teeth into her shoulder. She shivered. She was so ready for this man, this night. Her wedding night.

Evan pulled back slightly, lifted her night rail over her head, and let it fall to the floor.

“Tonight, my Alexandra, I shall claim
all
of you.”