Saved By A Siren: Spencers in Love Book One (11 page)

            Gilles exhaled and felt the burning in his
lungs. He'd been holding his breath. Relief washed over him.
One down
,
he thought. What if Lucien wanted her? Could he blame him? He pushed the
thought away.

            The women laughed and Gilles hovered closer. It
warmed him to see his mother and sister accepting the woman he desired so
deeply. When he looked at Elise, he pictured her naked and writhing in his bed,
laughing up at him as he tickled her in the dream meadow, her belly full with
his child...        

            His mother rose and approached him. She offered
her arm.

            "Walk with me in the garden." She
requested.

            Gilles inclined his head and took her arm.
Together they cleared the doors and stepped outside. The moon cast the garden
in an even more magical light. Gilles pictured Elise in her night gown, teasing
him as she skipped along the paths.

            "Your mind is elsewhere, mon doux
garçon."

            He bit his lip and tried to focus.

            "I am told her room is next to yours."
Celine stopped and examined a rose. "I have no intentions of playing the
defender of virtue. I trust you, and my wishes are the same as yours. You must
not drag your feet. Is this correct? Dragging feet to mean wasting of
time?" She searched Gilles' face.

            He nodded and pulled the rose from the bush. He
presented it to his mother, suddenly feeling like a young boy. She kissed his
cheek and pushed the stem behind her ear.

            "These gardens are lovely. I'm glad you
have this place. It would be ideal for a family, no?" With that, she led
him back up the steps to the sitting room. Message delivered, thought Gilles.
He chuckled and entered the room, a new plan in mind.

Chapter 17

            Lucien handed his coat, hat and cane to Joss,
Clarendon House's long suffering butler and strode through the hall.

            "I'll be in for the evening. If anyone
calls, I'm not receiving."

            "Yes, Your Grace. A letter arrived from
Longwood. I left it on your desk. Will you be needing anything?"

            "No. Have a good night, Joss."

            The butler bowed. "You as well, Your
Grace."

             Lucien waved as he made for the study. His mind
already engaged on recent developments and the letter waiting for him. He'd
been investigating a scheme that he was certain wasn't what it seemed. It
involved a member of the ton that Lucien had always suspected of having ties to
criminal elements. His hackles had always been raised when they met. When he
heard of the scheme and his involvement, Lucien's instincts told him it was
going to mean trouble for many unsuspecting people. He'd made a number of
discreet inquiries that were finally yielding results. It did in fact appear
that the scheme was a fraud. Not only that, but there seemed to be a great many
illegal activities attached to his suspect.

            Lucien had used his position within the ton and
at court to investigate and help apprehend French spies and supporters of
Napoleon during the war. His instincts and network of contacts had made this
current investigation a relatively simple one. Simple in execution, at least.
Lucien needed to consider all the information he'd received and how best to
proceed. Bringing down a peer of the realm wasn't as simple. He wished Alastair
was still in town. He could lay the facts in front of him and his magnificent
brain would put the whole puzzle together and provide the best solution. Lucien
went to the sideboard and filled a glass with scotch. He couldn't help but
laugh. Alastair could probably solve it in the time it would take him to read
the letter on his desk. He'd considered asking him to remain behind when the
family left for Longwood but he didn't want to make him choose between an
investigation and his brother. He knew he could handle it without him, it would
just take longer.

            Lucien collapsed into his chair, propped his
feet on his desk and reached for the letter. From Gilles, at Longwood. It had
been hard to remain behind when huge events were unfolding within his own
family. He knew that many would be quick to correct him. The Spencers were not
actually related to him. But, in his mind they were as much his as his mother
was. Gilles had protected and lectured him as many times as he had Alastair and
Mirabelle. Well, maybe not as many times as Mirabelle.
God, she was a
handful
. At the thought, something shifted within him and the hairs on the
back of his neck stood. Shaking his head he raised the glass to his lips. He
missed them all. With his mother still in Bath and the rest at Longwood, Lucien
felt out of sorts. Once he had this matter sorted, he'd be on his way. He'd
already informed his staff and valet. His trunks were all but packed.

            He opened the letter. He smiled and relaxed when
he saw their childhood nicknames on the paper in Gilles' familiar handwriting.

Mercutio,

I beg your assistance in two matters. First, I'm in need
of a female mastiff puppy. Lyme Park if possible. If not, of similar quality.
If you are able to manage this and deliver it when you come to Longwood, I
would be most grateful. I intend this gift as a surprise. Second, I'm hoping
you can help me find an appropriate horse for a disabled rider. It needs to be
of a calm, steady temperament. I'm hoping it can be trained to follow an
experienced rider with little guidance from it's own rider. I've sent an
inquiry in regards to a saddle but any thoughts you may have on the matter are
welcomed.

            Yours,

                Hal

            Lucien's expression would have been comical, if
anyone had been present to witness it. What the hell was going on at Longwood?
Images of a siege in Agincourt and wilder played in his mind. Surprisingly enough,
the puppy would be easy enough to arrange. He'd recently released a mistress to
a grateful acquaintance that could arrange the purchase. The horse might take a
little longer. A few options came to mind as he reached for his stationary. He
was confidant he'd have a puppy in a few days and an answer on the horse by the
time he left for Longwood. As long as he was able to resolve his investigation
quickly and ensure justice was served.

            Lucien smiled broadly.

            "Thank you, Gilles." He muttered.

            He had his answer. He needed to do whatever it
took to exact swift justice and prevent anyone else from being hurt.

            He heard Alastair's voice.

            "Sometimes, the best solution is the
obvious one. Other times, do what's right."

            Lucien finished his scotch and rose. Satisfied
he had his answer, he headed to bed. He'd have the letters sent first thing in
the morning. Then, he'd take all the proof he had to Whitehall and set matters
in motion to see that justice was served. He'd be on his way to Longwood in a
few days.

Chapter 18

            Gilles made his way through the hall and up the
stairs. After his walk with his mother, Gilles decided to check on Alastair in
the study. Alastair had arranged piles of documents and maps in the corner
Gilles had arranged to his needs. They discussed the few loose ends and
concerns Alastair was focused on. He didn't see any patterns that suggested the
presence of a remaining threat but his instincts told him there were still one
or two powerful players yet to be brought to justice. Knowing he had nothing
valuable to add, Gilles wished him a good night and left. The ladies had gone
up in their absence.

            Elise's sitting room was dark and empty. Funny,
he thought, how a room could seem so warm and comfortable until one person was
absent. He turned and headed for his rooms. His mother's comments came back to
him. He didn't agree with her suggestion completely. He wouldn't seduce Elise
and attempt to impregnate her right away. He didn't want her to feel trapped,
nor did he want to risk her digging in her heels and having his child out of
wedlock. But he could use lust to tie her to him and appeal to her concern for
him.

            A plan formed. He felt a little unscrupulous but
he told himself it was for her own good. It began with his dreams and her inability
to let him suffer. Which led to him seducing her step by step until she
couldn't get through the night without him. He grimaced as the irony smacked
him in the face. After a few nights, he didn't think he could get through the
night without her. Her touch vanquished the dream and his bed felt cold and
hard without her. When she was in his arms, his past didn't harass him. She'd
made him realize that he could be forgiven by those he'd failed but he wasn't
able to forgive himself. Perhaps in time, with her help.

            Gilles removed his clothes and faced his bed as
one might the plank of a ship or a firing squad. He slid between the sheets
trusting that he'd be rescued. His conscience tugged at him. He was using her
need to save him to push her sensually towards marriage. How could he rely on
her trust while planning to manipulate it? He told himself that it was
inevitable. She'd already asked him to take her to his bed, she wanted him to
seduce her. She was steadily bringing it about on her own. She might not be
aware of all of the consequences but it was all the same in the end. Whether he
initiated her seduction or she did, she would be his and they would be
together.

            He sighed as he cleared his mind. They needed
each other and it would work out.

            It didn't take long before the dream pulled him
in. Gilles was pushing the horse. The moon was high and full, the coast was
just ahead. A light rain fell but he was soaked through from the coming storm
and sweat. The wind was bitterly cold and stung his flesh wherever it could. He
prayed he'd make it and leaned over the horse's neck.

            Suddenly, the storm cleared and Gilles wasn't on
the horse. He was holding Elise and they were sinking into tall grass and wild
flowers. She laughed against his lips and he reached for the buttons on her
dress. She smelled of sunshine and flowers. Her scent surrounded him and he
felt her hand on his face. Her lips clung to his.

            Gilles sighed her name as the meadow slipped
away and he felt the bed beneath him. His arms were full of lush curves, soft
flowing hair and pleading moans. The fog of sleep lifted and his brain
registered that Elise was in fact in his arms. She wore a silk night gown and
her hair was a riot between them. His lips rested against her throat and her
breasts filled his hands. She writhed beneath him and her thighs cradled his.
Dear God, he'd practically mounted her in his sleep. 

            "You're here." Gilles breathed against
her skin, her evocative scent saturated his senses.

            "I tried to stay away but you were in so
much pain." Her hands clasped his head against her.

            Gilles let his lips glide down her neck and
chest until he felt the swell of her breasts. He lightly bit the soft flesh.

            "Careful." Elise sighed. "Anna
found a mark."

            "Did she? I must have been out of my mind
to have been so careless. I forget everything when I'm touching you."

            Gilles' hands glided up her thighs and she
parted for him. His mouth found her nipple through the thin silk and he drew
her in. He let his teeth graze the hardened peak through the fabric. Elise
moaned and his cock throbbed painfully. It was going to be a trying night.

            Gilles' hands continued their path, pushing the
fabric higher as he drew closer to the apex of her thighs. He used his teeth to
pull her nightgown lower and groaned as her breast was bared to his lips. His
lips seemed to act on their own, devouring the pebbled peak, suckling a bit too
hard, forcing a shriek from Elise.

            Gilles forced himself to slow down, gently
suckling against her flesh as his thumbs glided upwards, finally encountering
damp folds. Elise gasped and bucked against him. He flicked his tongue against
her nipple as his thumbs divided her swollen flesh. The musky aroma of her
drifted up to him and his mouth watered. Gilles lifted his head and dove for
her other breast. He slipped a finger into her and hissed at the scalding tightness
of her core. Elise threw her head back and cried out as he penetrated her. Her
leg wrapped around his thigh and she tilted upwards, welcoming his probing
finger.

            He couldn't resist any longer. He released her
nipple and sent his lips downwards. Gilles licked the underside of her breast
and ran his tongue along the line where rounded flesh met the flatness of her
stomach. He followed the flat plane until he dipped into her belly button.
Elise whimpered and her hips rose to meet him. He continued until his lips
encountered soft, damp curls. Giles inhaled and quested lower until soft,
fragile flesh brushed against the tip of his tongue.           

            Gilles heard a tiny yelp before her fingers
pushed though his hair and pressed his face against her. His tongue parted her
folds and sought the heated center of her. He found it and entered her. Elise
pulled a pillow against her mouth and screamed as he gently rubbed the
sensitive knot of flesh just above his lips. Giles withdrew his tongue and
replaced his thumb, suckling the tender bud as he filled her with two fingers.
She screamed his name into the pillow just before she shattered. He pulled his
fingers from her and lapped at her entrance as her release poured from her.

            Giles took his time, ignoring Elise's pleas and
the hands that tugged at his shoulders. She tasted sweet and slightly tangy. He
thought of crisp apples in cool orchards. His lips found her thigh and he
nibbled the quivering flesh. She bolted up and reached for him. Gilles raised
up, intercepting her lips. Elise clutched at his face, kissing him wildly.
Moaning as she tasted her essence on his lips. Her tongue began bathing his
lips and chin, seeking out every trace of her juices on him.      

            Gilles had never been so aroused in his life.
His cock pounded against her thigh and his balls throbbed. The need to bury
himself within her was so potent he wouldn't have been able to stand if he
tried.   

            Elise settled against the pillows, pulling
Gilles with her, on top of her. She kept his lips against hers and slipped her
tongue between his. She drew him in and urged him on. She wrapped her legs
around his waist and begged. Her hands slid along the glistening planes of his
back and found his buttocks. Elise gripped as she writhed against him. Gilles
lifted his head and cursed. He was so close. His raging cock brushed against
hot, damp curls and twitched urgently. Her mouth brushed against his ear and
his name fell like a prayer from her lips.

            Gilles slid his hands between the mattress and
her silken skin until he found her backside. He tilted her upwards and thrust
against her. Her slick, hot flesh clung to the pulsing length of him. He rocked
against her and the lips of her womanhood caressed him. The head of his
erection brushed against her curls as Gilles ground his hips back and forth.
Elise squeezed him with her thighs, pressing her mons against him. He swallowed
a groan and pulled from her lips and sought her breast. She arched her back,
forcing a nipple against his lips. Gilles wrapped his mouth around her and she
clawed at his back. He suckled as his hips thrust instinctively against her,
her molten juices bathing his engorged cock. His balls tightened as they bobbed
against her bottom.            

            Gilles was so close but he couldn't yet. Not
like this, not until Elise exploded beneath him again. His hand slipped between
them, sliding along the wet, flat planes of her belly into the curls covering
her womanhood. He sent it lower until it found the sensitive nub of flesh. As
he rubbed it, the head of his penis brushed against his fingertips a few times.
Gilles switched to the other breast and she clutched at him wildly. He felt
Elise's body tense and she sucked in a breath. A second later she began to
tremble. Her body jerked wildly beneath him and Gilles covered her mouth with
his just as a cry escaped her. Her legs tightened around his waist as her heat
washed over his cock. He gasped for breath as he felt the pressure build and
then explode from him. His arms wrapped around her as he screamed into her
mouth. His seed surged from him and spilled into her curls and onto her
stomach. Gilles writhed against her for a moment and then collapsed, falling
sideways and pulling Elise against him.

            Gilles held her limp body against his as he
waited for the pounding in his chest to subside. He gathered a handful of her
hair and brought it to his face and inhaled. He'd never been so content. If
this is what it was like outside of her body, what would it be like when he was
inside of her? An aftershock had him shuddering, he pulled her closer. Elise
giggled and rubbed her face against his chest.

            "Do you know what you've done to me?"
Gilles murmured as he kissed her head.

            "Is it anything like what you've done to
me?" She replied as she rolled onto her back. Her hand trailed down her
stomach. "I'm a mess..."

            Gilles apologized as he sat up and swung his
legs over the side of the bed. He dampened a washcloth and returned to the bed.
He wiped Elise clean and kissed her belly. She cradled his head and sighed.

            "I'm so drowsy. I should go."

            Gilles pressed her to the bed and covered her,
burying his head in the corner of her neck. He'd never felt more like he was
home.

            "If you were my wife, you could
stay..."

            "If I was your wife, you might be bored
with me and in the arms of another."

            Gilles lifted his head. If she could, Elise
would have seen disbelief and shock in his face. He shook his head and took her
lips.

            "Do you have any idea just how ridiculous
you sound right now?" He whispered against her lips. "Ton corps est
mon tresor. Je ne peux pax vivre sans toi
."
Your
body is my treasure. I can't live without you
. He rested his head next to
hers on the pillow. "There will never be another, Elise." Gilles
pushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

            "It's been a long day" She wasn't
ready to discuss the future or make decisions.

            Gilles rolled from the bed, located her robe and
picked it up.

            "Off with you, then." He stepped
closer as she got out of the bed and swung the robe around her shoulders. Elise
pushed her arms into it and lifted her face. Kissing her lips quickly, he took
her shoulders, turned her and pushed her towards her room.

            "Goodnight." He called as she sailed
through the door.

            Gilles shut it behind her and smiled. Tonight
could not have gone any better. He took a few steps towards the bed and
launched himself into it.