Authors: Kate Pearce
Simply Carnal (27 page)
“We’re not done yet, Delornay.”
“In what way, sir?”
“You agreed to fuck the whore in public.”
“I believe I did.” Christian felt Elizabeth stiffen against his side. “And I’m quite happy to oblige you.” He squeezed her hard. “In truth, I’m looking forward to it.” He bent his head and kissed her on the mouth. “Feel free to scream and object, my dear.”
She held his gaze and immediately pulled out of his grasp and tried to slap his face. Kelveston laughed as Christian grabbed her wrist and yanked her close. He talked as fast as he could.
“Elizabeth, I can’t avoid this. Can you stand it? If I don’t give them this at least, we’ll all end up in that cage or under a sea of bodies. If you can’t, tell me now and I’ll make sure Paul gets you away.”
For a frozen second, Elizabeth ignored the jeering and urging of the crowd gathering around them and just stared at Christian. He was offering to save her at his own expense. Warmth flooded through her. How had she come to deserve that? The least she could do was save them both.
She shoved herself away from his chest and brought her hand up again to slap his cheek. His head recoiled as the crack of flesh on flesh reverberated around the room.
“How dare you!” Elizabeth screamed.
His eyes narrowed and all the warmth deserted his face. He reached out a hand, grabbed the front of her bodice, and yanked hard. The sound of the muslin ripping set off a roar in the salon that made Elizabeth’s ears ring. She staggered backward, one hand holding up the ruins of her dress, the other held out to ward him off.
He started toward her anyway. “You’ll pay for that.”
She turned to run and the crowd obligingly parted for her. He caught her easily and brought her down onto her knees, one arm folded back up against her spine, his fingers hard on her wrist. She shuddered as he nipped her ear.
“Fight me, Mrs. Smith,” he murmured. “Let’s give them a show they’ll never forget.”
He tried to shift his grip on her arm, and she used his forward momentum to slip out of his grasp and crawl away from him. He easily caught her again, bringing her crashing down on her stomach, his long frame stretched over her. She felt the pressure of his growing cock against her bottom.
He wrapped a hand in her hair and yanked her head back until she had no choice but to join her mouth to his. She still tried to bite him and the crowd applauded.
He whispered against her mouth, “I’ll keep Paul close, and that should stop most of the fools here trying to touch you.”
“What about Kelveston?” she gasped as he kissed her hard, his hand tugging on her hair.
“He might be a problem. Could you bear him in your mouth?”
“If he doesn’t mind me biting his cock off.”
“Let’s make sure he doesn’t touch you, then.”
Christian rolled her onto her back and straddled her. She kept trying to escape him, leaving ugly welts on his hands and face with her nails, but he wouldn’t be deterred. And her body was waking up and wanting the fight, wanting to be taken without finesse, with the directness Christian alone had shown her she needed.
Holding her captive between his knees, Christian unbuttoned his satin pantaloons and the crowd went wild. His cock sprang free and he ran his hand up and down it, spreading the wetness. He brought his hand to her chin and cupped it, rubbing the crown of his cock against her tightly closed mouth. His wetness soon coated her lips. She couldn’t move away because of his tight grip.
She heard Kelveston laugh and urge Christian on, his bad humor seemingly forgotten.
“Paul?” Christian said. “Hold her hands still for me. She’s got claws like a wildcat.”
Paul knelt down by Elizabeth and drew her arms up over her head, making her back arch. Christian slid his thumb along her jaw and forced her to open her mouth a fraction. She continued to glare at him as he increased the pressure, widening the gap until the crown of his cock edged inward.
“Suck me.”
Elizabeth frantically shook her head, and he brought his other hand down to stop her moving at all. His finger and thumb closed over her nose, and she had to take a breath or suffocate. He laughed as she gasped out a breath, and he shoved his cock in until she could feel the salty wetness dripping onto her tongue and then running down her throat.
“That’s better.”
He relaxed his hands and let her breathe normally as he started to pump his shaft in and out of her mouth. With Paul still holding her wrists, Christian rotated his position until his back was to Paul. His hands were now free to wander over her breasts, to pinch and pull her nipples until she was writhing with the combination of pain and pleasure he aroused in her.
He yanked up her skirts to the cheers of the Demon Club and went to ease his cock out of her mouth. As he withdrew, she set her teeth on him and his breath hissed out as she deliberately nipped his foreskin.
“Goddammit, she’s a feisty one. She’s drawn blood!” Kelveston exclaimed.
Christian cupped his cock and balls, and Elizabeth knew he was making sure that Kelveston and the others got a good look at the small bleeding wound on his crown and considered whether they wanted to risk the same. He took his weight off her and stood up.
“What’s wrong, Delornay? Are you too scared to continue ?” Kelveston jeered.
Christian’s smile was cold. “Let go of her hands, Paul.” He stared down at Elizabeth and she saw the carnal invitation in his eyes.
“I’ll give you twenty seconds to run.”
She scrambled to her feet, met his gaze, and took off. The enthusiastic club members started bellowing like hounds on a foxhunt, but she hardly heard them. If she could just get closer to the door before Christian caught her again ...
She screamed as he crashed into her from behind and she fell. Before she hit the unforgiving marble steps, he wrapped his arms around her and rolled them both over, his body taking the impact of the fall. He kept moving, and she was under him again, his knee spreading her legs wide, his body covering hers while his cock slid home.
He caught her flailing hands and held them at her sides while his hips thrust and retreated, driving his cock deep inside her. She no longer cared about the audience; all she cared about was Christian fucking her, making her his own, protecting her even when, to most of the men, it probably looked like he was doing exactly the opposite.
His flesh slapped against hers and she felt the pressure to come low in her belly. He shortened his strokes, grinding against her clit until she could no longer fight him, only scream as he fucked a climax out of her that was shocking both in its intensity and its duration.
Before she’d even finished coming, he flipped her over and entered her from behind, his fingers roaming over her breasts and her clit urging her onto another plateau of pleasure where she could only take what he gave her and try not to beg for more.
His fingers slid into her tangled hair and he drew her head back. “Suck his cock. Bite him.”
Paul appeared on his knees in front of her, and she gladly accepted the thickness of his cock in her mouth. Better than Lord Kelveston, better than any stranger.
Christian groaned and pumped harder, pushing her against Paul, making her shudder between the two thrusting bodies. She came again and this time Christian came with her, his seed shooting high and hot inside her. Paul pulled out and blew her a kiss.
“Go, I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Are you sure?” Elizabeth managed to gasp.
“Indeed. It will be a pleasure.”
As Christian recovered, Paul turned to Lord Kelveston with a lascivious grin and crawled across to him. He raised his head and licked the front of Kelveston’s tented pantaloons. Kelveston grabbed for his blond hair, and Melinda shrieked as Paul shoved his hand up her skirts and brought her down to the ground.
The last thing Elizabeth saw before Christian picked her up and stumbled toward the door was Kelveston unbuttoning his placket, his expression intent, and the rest of the crowd pairing off and fucking as if she and Christian had set off a trail of gunpowder that had just ignited.
She buried her face against Christian’s chest as he continued to head for the front door. No one stopped them, and Christian paused only long enough to find her a cloak and to button up his pantaloons. A moment later they were in his coach and on their way home.
Elizabeth opened her eyes and stared down at Christian. He didn’t say anything and she touched his cheek.
“I’m fine, Christian.”
“Are you sure?” He swallowed hard. “I was worried that I was a little ... extreme.”
She shifted on his lap until her wet core rested against the swell of his burgeoning erection and rubbed herself against him until he cursed and disposed of the necessary clothing so that he could thrust upward and inside her. She rode him hard, craving the rough words and caresses he showered on her and the hard pace of his need. He slid a hand between them and made her come and then made her come again until she was sore and begging him to stop, to never stop, to keep fucking her until she died of it....
When they reached the pleasure house, he simply lifted her in his arms, took her to bed, and started fucking her all over again.
23
C
hristian winced as he shaved and the blade caught all the scratches Elizabeth had inflicted on him the previous night. He feared he was going to look rather disreputable to the Walker family lawyers, but there was nothing he could do about it. He smiled into the mirror. Each scratch was a badge of honor.
hristian winced as he shaved and the blade caught all the scratches Elizabeth had inflicted on him the previous night. He feared he was going to look rather disreputable to the Walker family lawyers, but there was nothing he could do about it. He smiled into the mirror. Each scratch was a badge of honor.
His smile faded as he considered all the possible outcomes of the upcoming meeting. He still had no idea what Elizabeth would choose to do. Would she go back to France after all? He sensed that whatever happened, she would not abandon the children, and where did that leave him? He knew that was selfish, but having finally found a woman he could love, he was reluctant to lose her.
But love was all about compromise, wasn’t it? Hadn’t his parents’ experiences taught him that? They’d waited almost twenty years for their particular happy ending. He wasn’t quite prepared to go that far, but he’d be damned if he’d force Elizabeth into anything too quickly. He hadn’t even told her that he loved her yet. Last night she’d shown him exactly what sort of a woman she was, one prepared to go to hell and back to save her children and her friends. With that revelation firmly in mind, he made his way down to his office.
Ambrose was already there sifting through an unusually large pile of mail. There were also several bouquets of flowers on the desk.
“I’m not sure quite what you hoped to accomplish last night at the Demon Club, sir, but you and ‘Sylvia’ seem to have created quite a stir.” He handed Christian a pile of envelopes. “You received any number of congratulatory notes and invitations to every kind of entertainment imaginable.” He nodded at the flowers. “These were sent by admirers of Sylvia who want her to be their mistress and are offering all sorts of incentives.”
Christian groaned. “I didn’t think about that. My whole purpose was to get Elizabeth and Paul out without injury and have something to hold over Kelveston.”
“And what happened to Paul? I didn’t see him come in with you last night.”
“I didn’t see you either, Ambrose.” All Christian’s attention had been on the woman he’d held in his arms. “Paul chose to stay at the Demon Club while we escaped.”
“He refused your help?”
“No. In truth, he sacrificed himself for us. Not that it looked like much of a sacrifice. He seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.”
Ambrose gathered up the remainder of the mail. “Do you want to read any of this drivel?”
“Not particularly. Although, save any that are addressed to Elizabeth. She might find them amusing.” He glanced at his watch. “What time are we expecting the Walker family solicitors and Armand Saint-Brieuc?”
“In about fifteen minutes, I believe,” Ambrose replied.
Christian continued to stare at him. “Ambrose,” he said slowly. “How can Armand be the new Comte de Saint-Brieuc if his brother had children, one of whom is male?”
“I’m not sure, sir.” Ambrose looked puzzled. “Perhaps there are different inheritance rules in France.”
“Not that I know of,” Christian said. “It does beg the question of why Armand wants Elizabeth back with those children so desperately. Do you think he plans to kill the lot of them and claim the title?”
“Hardly, sir. Especially now when he has all this attention directed at him.”
“Then what exactly is going on?”
The front doorbell clanged. “I don’t know, but I think we’re about to find out.” Ambrose gathered the mail and headed for the door. “I’ll fetch Elizabeth.”
The first to arrive was Christian’s solicitor, Mr. Erickson.
“Good morning, Mr. Delornay.”
“Good morning, Mr. Erickson, and thank you for attending this meeting,” Christian replied.
“I was hoping to see you today anyway, so everything tied in quite nicely.”
Christian frowned. “Why was that?”
Mr. Erickson opened his case and handed Christian a bulky envelope. “Your mother and father asked me to deliver this to you.”
Christian slowly opened the package and read the letter on the top from his mother before examining the official-looking documents. He looked dazedly up at Mr. Erickson.
“My parents have signed the pleasure house over to me in its entirety.”
“Indeed.” Mr. Erickson smiled and held out his hand. “Congratulations, Mr. Delornay. I hope you intend to keep your business with our firm.”
“Naturally,” Christian managed to reply, although his thoughts were still with the unbelievable news the solicitor had just confirmed. His mother had given him the pleasure house. He could do with it as he wished—sell it, burn it to the ground, or run it as he saw fit. He swallowed down an unheard of desire to cry. His mother had given him his freedom. And what had he discovered? That his mother’s love for him indeed had no end and that his love for Elizabeth meant the pleasure house was nothing more than a place to do business.
“Mr. Delornay?”
He jumped at the sound of Ambrose’s voice. “Yes?”
“Mr. Ashley is here.”
Christian rose to welcome the solicitor for the Walker family. He seemed quite happy to deal with Christian and immediately apologized for the absence of the Earl of Spentham, who sent his apologies and hoped to meet with his newly discovered relative on the following day at his London town house.
When the door opened again and Elizabeth appeared, Christian was the first to stand up, take her hand, and introduce her to Mr. Ashley and Mr. Erickson.
“May I present the dowager Comtesse de Saint-Brieuc to you, Mr. Ashley? You might know her better as the daughter of the honorable Mr. George Walker.”
“Indeed, Madame la Comtesse, it is a pleasure. The earl did not know of your existence until we heard from the Ross solicitors. He was both shocked and surprised to hear that his younger brother had a daughter.”
Elizabeth smiled and shook the proffered hand. “I’m not sure my father ever thought to contact anyone in his family after he left England and married my mother.”
“I’m sure he had his reasons, madame, but may I assure you that the present earl and his wife are more than willing both to extend the hand of friendship to you and acknowledge the connection.”
“That is very kind of them.”
Mr. Ashley bowed low. “Due to his prior commitments at the House, his lordship was unable to get here this morning, but I have an invitation from him asking you to call tomorrow afternoon at three.”
“I would be delighted to meet him, sir.”
Christian enjoyed watching Elizabeth at her most sweet and beguiling. The combination of her beauty and charm turned most men into blathering idiots. Luckily, he wasn’t one of them, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate her skills.
“The earl wanted me to be here this morning in case any issues arose with the disposition of your deceased husband’s will. I am more than happy to act on your behalf, madame.”
“Thank you.” Elizabeth patted Mr. Ashley’s hand and he turned pink. “I appreciate that.”
Ambrose appeared at the door and beckoned to Christian, who rose and murmured an apology as he excused himself.
“What is it, Ambrose?”
“Mr. Ross wants a word with you. I’ve put him in your mother’s office.”
“Where’s Armand?”
“He’s coming in his own carriage. Mr. Ross wanted to get here before him.”
Christian entered his mother’s study and was struck by both the familiarity and the differences in it to his own. A faint trace of his mother’s perfume remained, and he pictured her sitting at her desk smiling at him. She’d given him the pleasure house.... He found himself nodding a welcome to his half brother.
“What is it, Richard?”
“I have some details about the Saint-Brieuc will.”
“How did you get those?”
Richard shrugged. “As I said, I have a lot of contacts in France and a few favors owed. Luckily they paid off.” He laid out a sheet of paper on the desk. “If there really are children involved in this mess, I don’t see how Armand can be claiming the title, do you?”
“That was my exact thought,” Christian said. “What does the will say?”
“It leaves the title and estates to the last comte’s heir, Jean-Pierre.”
Christian met Richard’s calm gaze. “Then what exactly is Armand after?”
“I have no idea. The guardianship of the boy is left to three people—Elizabeth, Armand, and a woman called Louise Dinard. Do we know who she is?”
Some vague memory stirred in Christian’s brain, but he couldn’t quite retrieve it and he shook his head. “Armand was trying to pressure Elizabeth into marrying him. Perhaps he thought that would increase his power over the boy.”
“But it still doesn’t account for the fact that Elizabeth ran away from two children she loved or that Armand is using the title.” Richard raised his head. “Unless he believes the children are bastards ...”
Christian considered everything Elizabeth had told him about her husband. “How old is Jean-Pierre?”
Richard consulted the document. “He is almost six.”
“Six ... oh, Christ,
no
.” He thought of Elizabeth, of all those men, of the impotent old man she had married ... Christian let out a breath as Ambrose knocked on the door. “What is it now?”
no
.” He thought of Elizabeth, of all those men, of the impotent old man she had married ... Christian let out a breath as Ambrose knocked on the door. “What is it now?”
“The Comte de Saint-Brieuc is here.”
“Good.”
Christian retrieved the papers from Richard and headed for the door.
Armand had taken a seat as far away from Elizabeth and Mr. Ashley as the space allowed, and he already looked irritated. Christian cast him a lethal glare. Whatever was going on, he would not let Armand win.
Christian took the seat behind his desk and Richard sat to his right. Ambrose leaned casually against the door.
“Monsieur le Comte,” Christian said. “Have you met Mr. Ashley? His firm of solicitors represents Elizabeth’s uncle, the Earl of Spentham.”
Armand’s expression stiffened and he glared at Elizabeth. “You did not tell me that your uncle was an earl.”
“I did not think it any of your business, cousin,” Elizabeth replied, and Christian wanted to kiss her.
“As you can see,
monsieur,
Madame is not without friends.” Christian drew a breath. “Now perhaps you can explain to us why you are claiming the title of Saint-Brieuc while the late comte’s will leaves that to his son, Jean-Pierre.”
monsieur,
Madame is not without friends.” Christian drew a breath. “Now perhaps you can explain to us why you are claiming the title of Saint-Brieuc while the late comte’s will leaves that to his son, Jean-Pierre.”
Armand looked startled. “How did you gain access to that information?”
“How I gained it is immaterial,” Christian said. “The question still remains. I understand that you, along with Madame Elizabeth and another woman, were named joint guardians of the heir.”
Armand stood up and started pacing the hearth rug, his hands clasped behind his back. “I am reluctant to share my family’s private issues with strangers.”
“We are hardly strangers, sir. And I’m sure we can guarantee that nothing you say will leave this room.”
Unless it has to,
Christian silently added.
Unless it has to,
Christian silently added.
“Very well, then.” Armand regarded them all and then dropped his gaze to Elizabeth, who found herself tensing. “Madame, you can avoid this shame if you choose to leave with me now and marry me.”
“I cannot, Armand.” Elizabeth shrugged. “Say what you will.”
“My cousin, the late Comte de Saint-Brieuc, failed to father any children.”
“So whose children are they?” Christian asked.
Armand pointed dramatically at Elizabeth. “They are her bastards. Children she
forced
upon my poor impotent cousin and pretended were his legitimate offspring.”
forced
upon my poor impotent cousin and pretended were his legitimate offspring.”
Elizabeth rose and Christian did, too, as if he meant to intervene. “You are blaming me, Armand? Is that how much the title means to you?” She struggled to draw a breath. “What about the children?”
Armand shrugged. “What about them?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “How can you be so callous?”
He smiled. “I offered to marry you, Elizabeth, and go along with your little charade, but you turned me down. What did you expect me to do? Meekly allow those bastards to take what is rightfully mine?”
“And theirs!” She swung around on him, her fists clenched. “Armand, I love those children as if they were my own. I can’t allow you to do this to them.”
“Hold on a moment.” Christian’s interception was sharp. “Elizabeth, what exactly do you mean?”
Her gaze shifted between the two men. Armand was already smiling, thinking he’d won and that she’d never betray the children. Christian was staring at her as if he wanted to look into her soul.
Suddenly, he came around the desk, grabbed her hand, and whisked her out into the hallway. She leaned back against the wall, and he framed her face with his hands.
“Elizabeth,” he said quietly, urgently. “Whatever happened, if you want to keep your children, you can. We’ll go and fetch them today. I’ll sell the pleasure house. I also have an estate in the countryside—we can live there quite happily. Be assured that my family will welcome them whatever their lineage or status in life.”
Other books
Seneca Surrender by Gen Bailey
The Lanyard by Carter-Thomas, Jake
Destiny Binds by Tammy Blackwell
The Power of the Legendary Greek by Catherine George
Flesh and Blood by Jackie French
Crossroads by Ting, Mary
Bad Intentions by Karin Fossum
