My Lady Notorious (48 page)

He nodded.

“When we were there, I thought… I wanted it to be our wedding night.”

“So did I.”

He handed her down and led her into the inn. The innkeeper bowed
low, and it soon became clear Lord Cynric Malloren had taken the whole
inn for his use. They were shown up to the familiar, small, beautiful
room. Someone had found fresh roses and a bowl of them sat before the
window, scenting the air.

The servants brought up their baggage, but were then dismissed. A
cold collation and wine were laid on the table. A fire made the room
cozy.

Cyn shrugged out of his greatcoat. Chastity removed her cloak. She
stroked the fur. “This is a lovely thing. It must have cost the earth.”

“Rothgar’s wedding present to you. I couldn’t have afforded it. Do you mind marrying the poorer end of the family?”

She could see the twinkle in his eyes, and sighed. “Alas, I had no choice, sir.”

He held out his hand and she walked forward to put hers trustingly
into it. He kissed her palms, by now unblemished, then pulled her
closer to kiss her lips, his hands on her sides.

“Whalebone and hoops,” he commented. “I warned you. Off with ‘em.”

“But sir,” she protested, “you threatened… er, promised to strip them off me.”

He assessed her expensive gown and found it was in one piece and
fastened down the back. Soon it was pooled carelessly on the floor. He
smiled at her hoop-frame. “These things look damn silly with nothing
over them.” Then it too was gone, and her laced corset followed.

She turned to face him, clad only in her sheer silk chemise and her
clocked stockings. She pushed his coat off his shoulders and unbuttoned
his brocade waistcoat. This time her fingers made it to the end without
failing. She even managed to unknot his cravat and slowly pull it off.

Soon he wore only his gold velvet breeches and open-necked shirt. Chastity waited, her mouth dry with anticipation.

He looked at the table. “Food,” he said.

“Cyn!”

He took her hand and pulled her to the table, sat down, and tugged
her into his lap. His nimble fingers found her garters and untied them.
He looked at them and grinned. They were a pair they knew well. “Do you
remember… ?” he asked.

Trembling, she hid her face in his shoulder. “Yes.”

He slid the silk stockings off her legs, then his hand traveled up
her naked leg, but up the outside, all the way to her hip. She twisted,
but he wouldn’t touch where she wanted him to touch.

Instead, his hand came out from under her chemise and picked up a tart, a golden apple tart with a frill of rich cream.

“Do you remember?” he asked.

She laughed. “I remember! Heavens above, Cyn, are we to relive our time together, moment by moment, meal by meal?”

“What a lovely idea,” he said. “I wonder where I can find some Shrewsbury biscuits…”

Chastity grabbed the pie and took a large bite.

“A wench of truly ferocious appetites.” he said, and licked some
cream and crumbs from around her mouth. When she swallowed, he kissed
her, full and deep. “Mmm,” he said. “Delicious.”

“You only love me for my apples.”

With a hoot of laughter, he set his lips to first one nipple and then the other. “And your cherries,” he murmured.

His hand traveled lightly over her chemise, exciting where it
touched. He produced a vial she remembered and tenderly anointed secret
places.

“I wondered where that had gone,” she whispered.

“I bought it with this moment in mind, though perhaps I did not know it then…”

Chastity snatched the vial and anointed him in turn. After a
laughing struggle, he recaptured it. The musky perfume swirled around
them as they wrestled for it. As her hand ran down his body, she found
something else. “Cucumber!” she declared, and they dissolved into
laughter.

Then he slid from under her so she sat alone in the chair. He put
the remains of the tart in her hand and slowly stripped off his
clothes, watching her with darkened eyes.

Chastity was frozen in breathless delight, the tart ignored in her
hand. He was so beautiful, her husband, that tears sprang to her eyes.

“I thought you were hungry,” he said.

She looked at the tart, then threw it at him. He just stood there as
golden fruit and juices and rich yellow cream slid slowly down his
lithe torso. It landed on his penis, hovered there for a moment, then
dropped off, leaving him well decorated.

He looked down and grinned. “I do believe dinner is served, milady.”

Chastity felt somehow this wasn’t the way a proper married couple
was supposed to behave, but she rose and advanced on him. He retreated
until he fell back across the bed. “I surrender!” he declared. “Have
your wicked way with me, wench.”

Chastity was mesmerized by a big blob of cream on the tip of his
penis and she leant down and sucked it off. He bucked. “‘Strath!”

When she looked up, though, it was clear he wasn’t angry. She slowly
but gently cleaned him with her tongue. She could see his chest moving
with mighty breaths, hear his breathing, sense the tremors running
through him. She slid on top and impaled herself on him.

“No!” he gasped, but then rolled them and surrendered, loving her
with fevered intensity. Chastity burned with joy to be able to do this
to him, for him, with him. They roared into flame.

They were damp with sweet-odored sweat when Cyn pushed himself up
from her, frowning. “I didn’t mean our first time to be like that.”

Chastity’s heart sank. She’d known, hadn’t she, that proper married people didn’t behave like that. “I’m sorry…”

He silenced her with a kiss, a long drowning kiss. “I’m not,” he
assured her. “I just wanted it to be perfect for you this first time.”

“It
was
perfect, but I’m sorry…”

He covered her lips gently with his hand. “Don’t be. You can ravish me anytime you want. But now, dear wife, let me ravish you…”

Through silk, then under silk, he teased her pleasure points to
heat, until she writhed under his hands and lips, longing for release.
Then he entered her with infinite, tantalizing slowness and set her
free.

The next day Cyn and Chastity wandered the ancient streets of
Winchester in a private world of joy. But in time they came to a
certain crossing-boy.

“I remember you, Captain,” the lad said with a grin, then quickly added, “Milord.”

Cyn laughed and tossed him a golden guinea. “That for your memory, and because I’m newly wed.”

The boy whooped, then remembered to make a bow. “And best wishes to you both.”

As they strolled on, though, Chastity’s smile faded and she pulled
her fur cloak closer around her. “People do have long memories, don’t
they?”

Cyn glanced at her then steered her toward a familiar building—Darby’s Bank.

They walked in and were both quickly ushered into Mr. Darby’s paneled sanctum and plied with sherry.

“And what can I do for you, Lord Cynric?” the banker asked.

“I am here to make financial arrangements for my bride, Darby,” said
Cyn. He turned to Chastity. “My dear, this is Mr. Darby. I will arrange
for you to draw funds here while we are in England.”

Mr. Darby bowed and kissed her hand. “Lady Cynric, this is indeed an honor. Please accept my warmest felicitations…”

Soon they emerged into the crisp air again and Cyn smiled at
Chastity. “You see? The reputation of the Notorious Chastity Ware is
being put to right, but she has also disappeared. From now on you are
Lady Cynric Malloren and safe, I assure you, from all distress.”

Chastity turned with a shining smile. “I was newborn from the day I
met you… Oh, Cyn! It’s really going to be all right, isn’t it?”

He pulled her into his arms, there on the street. “It is, and always
will be perfect, my beloved. But I think we should create a new
notoriety. Let’s become notorious for our unfashionable contentment and
fidelity. And for the amount of time we spend in private. As I recall,”
he said, his eyes already darkening with desire, “we have a delightful
private room awaiting us…”

Chastity’s happy laughter lingered as they hurried back to the sweet privacy of the room at the Three Balls.