Midnight Masquerade (17 page)

Clinking glasses with the handsome sandy blonde man, she took a sip of the
scotch
and felt it warm her stomach and her face.

“
Damn and blast
, I have something for you but it’s in my jacket upstairs.” He said, standing up to go retrieve it.

“It isn’t a ring is it?” She asked joking, taking another sip.

Stopping in his tracks, he looked back at her and grinned, “No love, it is not a ring. It is something I think you’ll like more than a fancy bauble.”

Rolling her eyes, “A wedding ring isn’t a fancy bauble Alastair, it is a sign of commitment and love.”

Walking back over to her, he knelt before her and
ran his
hand up her thigh, “When I give you a ring Lia, I can assure you it will be more than a fancy bauble, and it will not be in your brother’s library, and you will be certain of my commitment and love, you’re not ready yet.”

“What does that mean?” She asked, confused.

“For starters, I’m not sure you’d say yes if I asked you to become my wife, secondly you feel in your heart that I might not be faithful or love you, so it’ll be my job to show you, to teach you that I am everything you want and need
before I ask you to become my wife
.”

Opening h
er mouth to argue, she stopped. He was right, she was jealous of his numerous mistresses and his reputation with the ladies, and she was certainly not sure he actually loved her. He cared, but did he love her?

Seeing her speechless he chuckled, “See, I know you better than you think Lia. I understand, and I am not going to rush this, it is too important to me. Now,” standing up, he leaned down and kissed the top of her head, “I’m going to go grab your present from my jacket in your room, is there anything I can bring back for you while I’m gone?”

Shaking her head, she took another sip of her drink.

Reaching behind him, he pulled out his gun and sat it on the table, “I’ll only be gone a few moments, but seeing how you have a madman after you I’m going to leave you with my prized pistol.”

Smiling, she loved that he trusted her with a gun and how to use it. She knew his pistol well, it was a forged with pure gold
with an intricately detailed ivory handle. He was gifted to him by King George for his services to the Crown in the War Office.

“I’ve always loved your gold pistol, do I have to give it back?” She teased.

“Lia, you’ll quickly learn that I will give you whatever you want. Name it and it shall be yours, anything I have…take it.”
Leaning over, he picked up his glass and downed the rest of his drink as he looked down at her.

“There is only one thing I want from you Alastair…”

“Name it and it shall be yours.” His voice was velvet sin as she starred into his blue eyes. She wanted nothing more than to rip off his shirt and
admire
his body.

Biting her lip, she took another drink of her
scotch
for courage as she said, “Your heart.”

“Done.” He immediately replied, the convic
tion in his voice was absolute, taking her glass from her, he drank the rest of its contents and slammed it down on the table next to her. Leaning down, he reached over and poured them each a new drink as he whispered in her ear, “Now, if you’d only believe me.”

Feeling his lips brush the side of her face as he stood back up, he winked at her and walked out of the room, leaving her to sort through her feelings alone as he went back upstairs to her room.

“Sweet Jesus that man….” She muttered to herself, picking up her fresh glass she threw it back like he had done. Watching the fire dance, she thought of the man who had just left the room, did she really own his heart? All the signs were there that he care
d for her, but did he
love
her and if he did, why was she having such a hard time believing it?

After the pregnancy she was sure he only wanted to marry her because of the child they had conceived, yet, here he was,
even after she lost his heir
he had just told her she had his heart. There was thousands of women who would gladly die to be in her shoes, to have the Golden Duke offer them the world on a silver platter, yet he offered it to her.

Running her finger down the barrel of the polished golden pistol she wondered where they went from here. He had told her she wasn’t ready, that he would give her time to make her believe him, where did that leave them? He had talked about faithfulness and the fact that he knew she wouldn’t say yes if he asked for her hand right now. Faithfulness was certainly a concern she had, not just with him, but any man of the Ton. She couldn’t have a marriage without it, there were no negotiations on that. As far as her saying no, he was wrong.  If the man asked for her hand right this moment, she’d accept and throw caution to the wind. She would not let him go again, not without fighting for him.

Hearing footsteps, she looked over her shoulder to make sure it was Alastair returning, it was. Smiling at him, he had a small package in his hand wrapped in red paper. Seeing the color of the paper, she thought back to their earlier conversation about what color he loved seeing on her, red.
Making a mental note to order some new gowns in red to please him
, she watched him happily. Having this new found intimacy with him was refreshing, no more secrets.

Plopping down in the seat next to her, he saw her glass was empty again and refilled it as he sat the package on her lap, “Open it Lia, please.”

Running her hand over the smooth red paper, she flipped it over and gently removed the wrapping curious as to what Alastair had brought her. Peeling back the paper, she saw it was a book, a very old book. Tossing the paper aside, she turned it over to see it was a copy of her favorite book, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Looking over at the man who sat beside her,
she hugged the book to her chest, “How did you know it is my favorite?”

Winking at her, “I have my ways.”

Looking back to the worn book, she ran her hand over the spine of the book and opened it up and gasped, “This is a first edition Alastair, this is has to be hundreds of years old and priceless!”

Lifting his glass he took a long drink and sighed, “It is indeed a first edition, hence the reason for the wear. A new copy just didn’t seem good enough for you, I wanted you to have something special, from my heart. As far as the cost, it is meaningless comp
ared to your happiness Amelia.”
Toying with her hair as he watched her, “Do you like it?”

“God yes, so much more than a fancy bauble!” She exclaimed, turning towards him she sat the priceless book on the table by her drink and carefully crawled into his lap.

“Lia, you shouldn’t be moving so much.” He warned, holding her waist gently as she positioned herself above him, straddling him.

“You should let me thank you for my gift without complaining, the
scotch
is dulling the pain in my ribs and I want this.”

Running his left hand over her hip and gripping her ass cheek he pulled her closer, “Far be it for me to stop you, I am all yours, by all means t
ake whatever you damn well want my lady.
”

Biting her lip, she ran her hands up his chest to his top button and plucked it open. Feeling him shift underneath her she looked up to see his eyes on her like he wanted to devour her. Leaning into his chest, she pressed her breasts against him as she kissed her very own Perseus.

Feeling empowered, she reached down and took his hands off her body as she kissed him and whispered a
gainst his lips, “No touching
, hands stay here” she ordered, placing his hands down at his side. Hearing him growl, she couldn’t help but smile at his reaction.

“Woman, you are playing with fire,” he whispered into her ear as she slowly unbuttoned his shirt. Feeling him roll his hips into her, she could feel his erection as he kissed her neck and
collarbone
.

Pulling his shirt out of his pants, she opened the last button and r
an her hands up his chiseled stomach
up to his chest. Soft and smooth, every part of his body was hard and muscular. Leaning down, she placed kiss after kiss upon his chest as she reached down between her legs and
tentatively
ran her hand over the
bulge
in his pants.

“Andromeda…we can’t.”

Pouting, she looked up from his chest, “Why not?”
The few drams of scotch were making her tipsy.

Rolling his neck he sighed, “I will not disrespect your bother or Helena by having sex with you in their library, even as badly as I want you, it would not be right.”

“Fine, take me somewhere else then.”

“Until you are physically ready to move into my house
,
under my complete protection, we have to wait.”

“Oh posh we have to wait, nothing about
us
or our courtship
is normal Alastair. I lost my virginity to you at an orgy filled mansion
under disguise
, followed by having sex in your carriage
many weeks later
…I think we are fine.” She rebutted, knowing she had a damn good point.

“Amelia Elizabeth,
you deserve far more than I have given you and I am trying my hardest not to rip your clothes off right here and bury myself into you. Your body is not ready love, your ribs cannot withstand it…yet.
Furthermore, I have no intention of having
your family walk in on us naked. If they do, they will not give you an option, you will marry me. I want you to marry me because you love me, because you want me to be your husband for the rest of your life, not because someone is forcing you to do it.
”

She wanted to grab him and tell him she loved him so very much, she had for a very long time. She
did
want to marry him, just thinking of him with any other woman on his arm as his duchess made her see red. Her body yearned for him, yet she knew he had a point, her body wasn’t ready, yet.

Sitting on his lap, pressed against his bare chest, she whispered, “Touch me.”

Instantly his hands were on her, one running over her thigh cupping her ass, bringing her closer the other he ran up the back of her neck into her hair and held her as he asked, “I want you to move in with me.”

“What?” She asked, completely thrown off by his statement.

“The only way to keep you safe during night is to have one of us by you, as your brothers are married and have children, their duties are to see to their families. I’ve spoken to them and we’ve all agreed that the best way to protect you is to have you with me at night.
”

“
Alastair….” She began to argue.

“There is no other women I have ever invited to my house, ever. I want to experience that house with the woman who will be my wife. It is too large and empty, it needs a family Lia, it needs you,
and most of all
I need you.”

“If the Ton catches wind that I’m living with you there’ll be hell to pay.”

“Do you think I give a shite what they say? Furthermore, did you forget who I am?”

“I’ll never forget who you are Alastair, the Golden Duke, the Duke of Blackstone the man who can do no wrong.” She smiled as she ran her hand over his jaw.

“Nay love, not that title. I am the leader of the most elite
group of
spies in all of London, I think I can handle having a stacked little brunette live with me without anyone finding out. My staff is all ex-milita
ry, my house is the most secure
location in all London, except for maybe the Tower of London. You will be completely safe, and you’ll get to know your future staff and home.”

Chuckling, she wrapped her arms around his neck, “
You make it hard to say n
o.”

“Then say yes, and then I won’t have an excuse to turn you dow
n for sex anytime you so desire.
” Winking at her, he leaned in and kissed her softly as he buried his hand further into her hair.

“
Can we go right now?” She asked, excited at the idea of living with the handsome man.

Chuckling, he shook his head, “Not tonight, but maybe we can work it out for tomorrow. Your family is out tonight and I don’t want them come home to you missing. You just woke up this morning out of a ten day coma Amelia, your ribs are broken and
your body has been through hell. I will
,
however stay the night with you tonight, and we’ll see about tomorrow.
”

Pouting, she leaned back and crossed her arms, “I feel fine.”

“That is because you consumed half of bottle of your brother’s finest
scotch
…that’ll make you numb to pain, why do you think we always drink it right before we get worked on by doctors?”

Running her hand over
the large scar on
his shoulder that her sister-in-law
Genevieve
had sewn up less than a year ago when he had been shot
at close range. Alastair had helped rescue both Helena and Genevieve on two separate occasions, almost losing his life fighting alongside her brothers.