Once Upon an Accident 02 - Lessons in Seduction (22 page)

He slipped a hand between them and flicked his finger over her hardened nub again. Her second orgasm caused her to scream his name, which he tried to swallow by capturing her mouth in a kiss. Her muscles tightened, then quivered around him, pulling his own release from him.

Moments later, he collapsed on top of her, his body, his mind, his soul sated. She hummed, the sound filled with satisfaction. As if she were a kitten with a bowl of fresh cream.

He lifted his head and looked down at her. Her lips were reddened from his kisses, her eyes heavy lidded from spent passion. As he eased away, he stripped out of the remainder of his clothes and joined her beneath the covers. Part of him was well pleased with what had transpired. The other part of him was shaken to the core. Never had he lost complete control of the situation, given to a woman a part of himself he knew could be twisted, used and then tossed away. But he had.

He waited for fear or panic to grip him but there was nothing. Only peace filled him as he lay back down beside her, drawing her close. She snuggled closer, her body relaxing against his, her hand over his heart.

“I believe that went well, Your Grace.” She giggled, apparently pleased with her formality when they were both nude. He responded with a smile.

He’d noticed these past weeks she had been laughing more frequently, and the careless sound slipped right under his defenses and captured him. “I have to say, I now understand what all the fuss is about.”

He chuckled. “And that was just one experience.”

He felt her raise her head and he opened one eye to look at her.

“There’s more?” He did not miss the excitement in her tone, or the flush that was now darkening her skin.

He groaned. “I have created a monster.” With one hand, he grabbed her by the back of the neck and brought her down for an openmouthed kiss. His body stirred, but he knew they both needed a break. Him for rest, her to recover. After he finished kissing her, he shoved her against his chest.

“Get some rest, then we’ll see.”

“But—”

“Go to sleep, Cicely.”

He closed his eyes waiting for her to argue, but she gave up her quest, softening against him. Moments later, her breathing deep and even, he relaxed, his own mind drifting into nothingness.

Cicely moved her hands over Douglas’ bare back, tracing the faint scars that marred his flesh. They were not that easy to see in the dim light of the fire, but she could tell they had been brutal.

“Where did you get these?”

He tensed and the moment of silence stretched.

“Tell me.”

For a moment, she was certain he would not. He rolled to his side and propped his head up with his hand. The pain she saw in his eyes, the nightmares she could almost feel, held her still. Waiting. Silently she pled with him to share, to give to her some bit of him. She worried he would not, especially when he laid on his back and stared up at the canopy on the bed. But as if unable to hold back, the story poured out.

“I spent most of my childhood at the estate, like many children of station. My parents kept me out of the city, telling people they did not want their son to be exposed to the unhealthy air. They would explain how I was a distraction and my overabundant energy would drive them batty within a day. But, they truthfully kept me in the country to hide the bruises.”

She bit her lip to keep from gasping.

“You see, the Dukes of Ethingham have a penchant for making money and beating the bloody hell out of their children. Father believed in beating the devil out of an ill-mannered child, me. But he had nothing on his father. My grandfather was a world-class bastard. I know why my aunt ran, not only for love, but to escape.”

“Oh, Douglas.” She blinked back the tears, her heart breaking for the boy who had suffered.

He didn’t seem to notice her words. He sank further into his memories, despair etched over his proud face, and continued, completely wrapped up in the retelling. “There was nowhere to hide when he was in a bad mood. Even in that cold estate with its multitude of rooms, if he was mad at you, he would find you. It could last for hours, days. It took me years to realize that the sadistic old bastard enjoyed the hunt. My parents would leave me for weeks on end with a man who hated me.”

She slipped her hand up to cup his face. “I am so sorry.”

“I do not want your pity.” His voice had turned harsh.

Cicely started. “I am not offering that. Maybe I have some for the little boy who was betrayed by people who should have been protecting him.

But the man I know, the one I love, is not that frightened boy anymore.”

He huffed a breath, then swallowed. “That is why I stayed off the mart so long. I swore I would never submit a woman or a child to that. I worried since both my father and grandfather were abusive that their blood tainted me in some way.”

“Despite the horrible childhood you were forced to endure, you have become a man people admire, and I know deep within my soul, that you would never hurt another human being for pleasure, especially not a child.”

He studied her face, his gaze moving over her features. “You’re sure of that?”

She did not hesitate. “Yes.”

With a groan packed full of surrender, he grasped her hand and used it to pull her closer. She fell over him, her breasts flattened against his chest. He took her mouth in a kiss that had her body humming within moments. It possessed. It declared ownership. Something she would give now, forever.

He rolled her over, stretching his body on top of hers, and said, “I do believe it is time for lesson two of the evening.”

Douglas watched Cicely tie the ribbon at her throat, then slide her feet into the slippers. Brushing a hand over her hair, she smiled at him.

“I guess I should be getting back.”

The sun was not even peeking over the horizon, but Douglas agreed she needed to go. Soon, the house would start to buzz with the early-morning work of servants. But he did not like it. He wanted her in bed with him.

He rose and felt a spurt of pride when her gaze roved down his nude body in appreciation. Pulling her into his arms, he gave her a quick, hard kiss. “We have one more night here, but then once we get back to London, we can start planning.”

“Planning?”

“Our wedding.”

“Wedding?” She blinked and just like that her expression shuttered closed.

He pulled back slightly. With horror, he realized they had not discussed the implications of their actions the night before. A small coil of unease whipped to and fro in the pit of his belly. Her tone. The deceptive calm, the careful silence following her words, made the unease shift rapidly to panic. “Is something amiss?”

She pulled completely out of his arms and cleared her throat.

“Nothing except there is no reason for us to marry.”

He bit his tongue. Their entire relationship had been too rash. He grabbed a pair of pants and stepped into them. After he fastened the last button through its hole, he said, “Other than the fact I just took your virginity?”

“Do not be silly. You took nothing. I gave.”

He opened his mouth to argue his point, but she stepped forward and brushed her mouth over his.

“Have you married every woman you have been with?”

Heat filled his face. “No, but that was different.”

She shook her head. “Douglas, really, marriage was not part of the bargain. I did not ask it of you before. I do not ask it of you now.”

“What if I say it is?”

She moved away, frowning. “I beg of you, do not make this more complicated than it already is.”

The panic clawing his gut had him rushing forward. He caught her before she unlocked the door. She looked up at him, questions in her gaze.

“I plan on making it more complicated, more than you can imagine.”

She grimaced. “Douglas, I do not want to argue with you, and I have to get back now.”

Knowing she was right, he acquiesced. He unlocked his door, checking the hallway for people. Finding it clear, he slid back inside. As she moved to leave, he stopped her by placing a hand on her arm.

“Just know that this is not the end of this conversation.”

She searched his gaze with her own then nodded before slipping out into the hall. Closing the door behind her, he sighed. He should have known she would not agree to marriage, or be coerced. It would take more than losing her virginity for Lady Cicely Ware to accept marriage.

What that one thing was, he had no idea, but he would find out.

And she would find just how hard it was to tangle with a duke.

In which a villain suffers a mishap.

Cicely stared out at the pouring rain, her melancholy almost suffocating her. It had been a week since they had returned from the country, and she had yet to get Douglas alone. He still gave her those heated looks and danced every waltz with her. Sighting her loss of virginity—which she told him did not bother her in the least—he claimed they must marry. Each day she could tell he was chomping at the bit to go to Sebastian and confess everything that had happened.

She sighed, thinking once again that she had not chosen wisely. Oh, she could not have picked a better partner, the man she loved—even if he was being a complete drudge about the whole thing. He had shown her such tenderness, such love that she knew in that she had been right.

But she never counted on Douglas getting morals. Seriously, if a man was a rake, he should not change his colors. Why was it that men just could not seem to stay the same?

“Cicely?” Colleen called from the hallway.

“In here.”

Colleen stepped into the room and smiled although worry tinged her gaze. “Sebastian wants to go over some things Daniel found out about your diary. Do you have it with you?”

She shook her head. “No, it is up in my room.”

“I will send Fitzgerald to get it.”

“Oh, no. Let me. I need to freshen up.”

Colleen smiled. “We are in the study so just come back down when you have it.”

When she reached her room, she found the door slightly ajar. Cicely was of a habit of closing her door because the draft sometimes caused the door to slam. Thinking one of the maids must have left it open on accident, she pushed it open further and then closed it behind her before she saw the figure by the window.

“I’ve been waiting for your arrival, Lady Cicely.” Cummings’ voice was hoarse, and he bore no resemblance to the man whom she had seen weeks before. He was wild, dangerous and desperate. He had not shaved, or from the stench, bathed. The hair that had never been out of place now stuck out in all different directions and his clothes looked as if he had rolled about in rubbish.

The only thing that looked new and in working order was the pistol he leveled at her.

“I would advise you not to say a word, my lady, or it could end badly for you.”

“If you think that I will go with you, as if Sebastian would give you money if you forced me to marry you, you have gone completely mad.”

He laughed, the sound of it so cold it sent an icy chill filling her heart. “I do not give a bloody damn about marrying you. Hell, I cannot even imagine being shackled to you and that load of bothersome family.”

“Then what do you want?” She tried to keep her voice steady but she knew he had heard the catch.

“The diary.”

That made her pause, her mind going completely blank. “The diary?”

He snorted. “Of course. I need it.”

“You want to research my diary?”

“No, you stupid bitch! My father was one of the five.”

Every preconceived notion she had before she walked into the room shattered. “Your father plotted treason?”

His face turned purple with rage. “Yes, the miserable old bastard. It is just like him to leave me a damned mess to clean up. Where is it?”

She nodded toward her bedside table and he motioned with his gun for her to retrieve it. Her breathing had grown shallow, her pulse beating an erratic rhythm.

“So who was your father?”

“Does it really matter?” When she just turned to look at him, he grunted. “My father was Noir.”

She hoped Cummings did not notice how slowly she was walking.

“And so, you found out by…”

His eyes narrowed. “You are walking too slow. It took me days to break in here, and I will be damned if you are going to screw up my plans. Get the damned diary.”

Cicely opened the drawer, then reached in to lift it out.

“It’s all there? You’ve not pulled out any letters?”

“That’s it.”

“Now, over to the window.”

She paused and he chuckled. “You did not think I could just leave, did you?” He tsked. “I cannot go on with my life if you are here. And surprisingly, I can say with all honesty I’m sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I tried for it not to come to this.”

“Why did you risk it? Letting me find out who you were?”

“I had no choice. Every day was a day closer to you discovering who they were, who we were. It would ruin all of us, but especially me.” He motioned with the gun. “Now, come along. The craziness that had plagued your mother has now taken you over, you see.”

“No one will believe that.”

He cocked his head to one side and smiled. “They will. Since you returned from the country you have been out of sorts, everyone has mentioned it.”

The horror of the situation caused her to follow instructions. She could not think, could not even devise a plan when she was sure she would die. When she opened the window, cold rain pelted her dress and her face. Drawing back, she turned to face him.

“Step up, my lady.”

“No.” If she was going to die, she was not going to make it easy on him.

“I will shoot you if you don’t.”

It was her turn to smile evilly. “Go ahead. A shot would bring everyone running.”

His mouth tightened slightly and he looked out the window behind her. Then, he rushed her. She was ready for it and although she had nowhere to go, she braced herself for the blow. Both of them stumbled back against the sill. Rain dampened their clothing as they struggled over the gun. Cicely knew she needed to get the gun away from him and only then would she have a chance to run. So with every bit of her energy left, she wrapped her hand over his wrist and dug her nails into his skin.