Spinster's Gambit (29 page)

She was looking him over, he realized, his arousal dying quickly. She got up from her chair and approached him and Aspen had to force himself not to take a step back, admiring her bravery.

I am doing this,
he told himself and let her push her hands through his robe, onto the hard, cracked scars. She pushed the edges of his robe aside, revealing his chest to the cold air. She ran her hands up and around his shoulders, practically having to reach above her head to do so and he felt like a giant, like the strongest thing in existence and he felt his groin tighten again.

“Do they hurt?” she asked, fingering his scars and he shook his head, watching her breasts shift beneath her chemise.

“No, they -ah-” he tipped his head back as she followed a scar down his chest to his abdomen and his imagination filled in the rest. “You don't have to-” he started, remembering what he'd promised himself that he'd lay her down and get the deed done as quickly as possible and leave her to her own bed if she wanted. But she was sliding her soft hands up his chest and wrapping her arms around his neck and he wanted to grip her and pull her closer. Aspen caught her wrist, barely feeling in control of himself. He cleared his throat, trying to come back to his senses.

~~//~~

Jac had known she would need to take charge. She hadn't quite known how, though watching animals and eavesdropping on servants had certainly filled in the details, but she'd known Aspen would never make the first move.

It is not a secret that I do not have much to offer beyond my circumstance.

I know I am scarred.

He was an idiot, Jac thought, gazing over the muscles on his body, watching them tense under her scrutiny. She could convince him she wanted him, now, she thought, smiling at the vision of him. She ran her fingertips across the warmth of his cheek and he grimaced as if he were in pain.

“You said they didn’t hurt,” she said and he stared down at her without responding.

Jac didn't know how to keep it from being horribly awkward. She slid her hands down the muscles of his back and he seemed to lose his train of thought entirely, his eyes glazing over. She stood up on her tiptoes and tried to pull him down to her with a hand behind his neck. He resisted.

“You don't have to pretend. We can just -' he said, looking stricken and Jac snorted, knowing the masculine sound would ruin the moment but not caring. She needed this man to understand.

“Hush,” she ordered and kissed him. It was remarkably chaste, his lips soft beneath her own, and Jac wondered why kisses were given such importance. She slid her hand down his stomach and let her fingers brush over the rough hair growing by his groin, still covered by the loosened dressing gown. Aspen let his head fall forward and his hand tightened against her back, pulling her into the kiss. His lips moved on hers and Jac inhaled through her nose, surprised at how good it felt to have him press into her, want her that way.

I’m a married woman,
she thought, smiling against his lips, unsure how to contain so much joy. She pulled away, needing to breathe, and Aspen released her. She drew her hand down his chest, her heartbeat racing as she followed the raised scars that led down to his tied dressing gown, keeping her eyes locked to his wide, heavy gaze. Jac felt something hard and warm brush at the back of her hand. Aspen hissed in a breath and Jac drew away quickly, unsure, as she realized what she felt. Aspen swallowed, his posture stiff. She reached her hand out again, her confidence growing, wanting to feel him and wanting to see what she could do to make him make that hissing sound again. He caught her hand and she looked up, disappointed. He cleared his throat.

“I -” he started and hesitated. Jac smiled, doing her best to reveal her joy.

“I’m exploring. Do quit stopping me,” she ordered, sliding her hand down to grasp him. He let his head drop back on his shoulders and inhaled sharply and hell, that was a heady experience.

~~//~~

Aspen swallowed quickly, trying not to push into the feeling of a woman's very soft hand around his manhood. He glanced over her face, trying to find any sign of deception and she beamed at him, looking for a moment like she had just found checkmate.

She’s happy,
he thought, blinking rapidly, barely able to process it before she started to move her fingers. He inhaled sharply, biting back a groan, and she smiled more, and released him to run her hands over his chest again. Aspen ran his hands down her sides, watching as she only smiled more confidently. She pulled his dressing gown aside and Aspen backed up a step, watching her carefully, waiting for the disgust to grow. She met his eyes frankly and smiled again, apparently unaffected by the damaged skin twisting down his chest and left side.

Mr. Jack Holcombe,
Aspen thought, laughing between his teeth, and she reached for him again.

Hang it all,
he thought and picked her up. Her eyes widened, glancing down at where his hands gripped her waist as he carried her over to the bed. Aspen grinned at her and lowered her onto the blankets, following her down. To his relief, she lifted her arms up to grip the top of her chemise and pulled it off herself. The movement had her lifted off the bed, her naked body pushing and squirming against his own and he barely waited until she had the infernal thing off before he was lowering himself onto her, just to feel her body small and lithe beneath his own. His knee slipped between her legs, spreading them slightly and she squirmed against him again, her breath quickening.

He brought his hand down her side and cupped her mound, wishing fervently that he knew what to do. Her eyes widened at the feel of him and she pressed up against his hand, though she looked just as confused as he felt. His finger slipped between her folds, rubbing into the moisture there and his cock pulsed at the feeling. Aspen gritted his teeth, telling himself to be patient as Jac inhaled sharply, pushing quite meaningfully against him.

Do that again,
he interpreted, feeling a grin break across his face and he obeyed, trying not to be too obvious where he was rubbing his erection into her hip. He slid his finger deeper and she groaned deep in her throat, only to bite her lip, looking embarrassed. Aspen felt something like triumph flow through him and pushed himself forward to rest his forehead on the mattress next to her, trying to hold himself back.

This isn't going to last long,
he thought, waiting until Jac looked about ready to kill him before he pulled his hand away and shifted himself up the bed. He could barely keep from forcing forward at the feel of her, wet and warm and smooth against the head of his penis. He let his face collapse into the sheet beside hers as he groaned and tried to keep control.

~~//~~

She was going to kill him, Jac thought when he took his fingers away. She glared at him with all her might and pushed her hips up against him. She felt his fingers return, warm and hard and pushing against her and grinned until she realized that what she was feeling was not a finger. She felt alarm shoot through her until he groaned into the sheets beside her and she felt that feeling of power wash over her again. She grinned and squirmed against him, closing her eyes and biting her lip as the wonderful feeling of it returned.

“You might -ah -” he said, grabbing her hip and forcing it down onto the mattress, “might want to stop doing that,” he said, sounding like he was clenching his teeth, “if you want this to last.”

Jac felt something pleasant jolt through her at the feeling of his strength pushing her down and she squirmed again, just to feel his muscles holding her. Aspen brought his face back up, looking concerned for a moment before his eyes flashed over her smile and he laughed, his face open and happy.

Jac let out the moan she was holding back and felt his body jerk roughly against her own, his manhood pushing in deeper.

“Jac, shut up,” he growled, “I am trying not to hurt you.”

Jac laughed, hearing her name and his words.

I’m a married woman,
she thought again, letting her eyes roam over him, wishing they’d thrown the window dressings open to bathe him in light. He glanced at her nervously, apparently realizing what he’d said and she smiled again, liking the feeling of driving him to madness. His dark eyes met hers and he groaned deep in his throat.

The Duke of Aspen,
she thought, before deciding that if he wasn't going to move, she would. She pushed her hips up and onto him further, squirming when he felt too big for a moment, but something inside her seemed to soften and he pushed in further. He grunted and moved against her, matching her movement and she winced as something was too rough, too tight inside her. She squirmed, trying to get the feeling to go away.

“Would you hold still?” He growled, pushing down on her hips again. Jac felt her heart skip a beat at the image of this muscled, scarred man on top of her. The Duke of Aspen. She smiled again, feeling as if her face was set to crack from too much happiness. Her body softened and she felt his manhood push the rest of the way in, his hips resting against her own.

“No,” she informed him, rolling her hips around him and feeling her eyes roll back at the feeling. She gasped. “I wasn't planning on it,” she breathed out and heard him growl again. He started to pull out and Jac moved quickly, gripping his back with her fingernails and matching his gaze with a glare.

“If you pull out now I will kill you,” she stated. To her surprise he broke out in another of his wide, twisted smiles and kissed the top of her head.

“Trust me,” he said quietly, “I'll be back.” Jac released her hold on him, stretching out her fingers over his back. He slid out only a bit further and slowly started working his way back toward her. Jac felt him pushing deeper, rubbing her everywhere and she let her head fall back to the pillow.

“Good,” she said and heard him chuckle before she pushed up against him and saw him swallow deeply.

“This isn't going to last long,” he groaned, closing his eyes.

~~//~~

Jac pressed against him, doing her best to fight against an insane desire to moan and pull him down to her. He, however, seemed to have no such compunctions about making noise. He grunted above her and cursed as he moved faster and faster. She finally gave up and groaned, feeling as if she was trying to race for something but couldn't make it. His eyes flashed open at the sound and he clenched his jaw, his breath coming hard and heavy through his nose for a moment.

He liked that,
she thought triumphantly, and let herself moan. He inhaled sharply and pushed himself down on top of her, hard enough that she slid up the mattress. He pressed again and groaned and she felt something warmer than the rest push through her. He grunted and stilled, gasping for breath beside her ear. He rolled off her finally, looking peaceful and she took a deep breath; trying to keep her hips from still pressing upwards into the open air, wanting more.

“Just gotta-” he said, breathing, “wait a moment,” he said and she nodded, not quite sure what was going on but thinking it seemed like he had a grasp on things again.

Cold air started to prick at her arms and back and she rolled over, sprawling herself half on top of him. His scars looked different up close. They were puckered and dry but didn't look as discolored and Jac ran a finger lightly over his face, realizing he hadn't kissed her. He pulled away from her fingers and she pulled herself up slightly to look at him.

“I am attracted to you,” she stated. His eyes widened and for a moment Jac wondered if she should have been more feminine. He smirked.

“I believe you,” he panted out, nodding and Jac blushed. She hid her face in his chest for a moment and felt his hand run over her cheek, lifting her face to his. He kissed her softly, his lips running over hers. His skin was rougher against her own.

Why is kissing so special?
She wondered for a moment, not feeling much until he moved and took her head in his hands, his fingers dipping into her hair. He pulled her toward him, his mouth moving over hers, the feeling making her want to groan and smile at the same time. He shifted, rolling to move above her again and she smiled fully at the idea.

“You're going to have to wait, Jac,” he said, sounding amused as he pulled his face up to look at hers.

“Shall we get up, go to the coffeehouse again?” she teased and he glared at her. “I still have Mr. Charington’s breeches.”

“I don’t need that long,” he growled and she smiled. “But then, yes. I’m sure there have been some developments with Sweden.”

Jac blinked and saw that he was serious. She didn't know how to stop smiling but her jaw was starting to hurt.

“I could fall in love with you for that,” she said and his eyes lit up.

“And I you,” he replied.

“Do I still have to wait, then?” she asked coyly and he groaned aloud, rolling his eyes at her.

“Actually...no,” he said, opening his eyes again and chuckling.

~~//~~

“They are staring,” Jacoline whispered, clutching Aspen’s arm as he led her onto the dance floor.

“I am used to it,” Aspen replied, glaring at Lady Branbury before the widow got a chance to open her mouth. Lady Branbury scowled but stayed silent.

“But I am not,” Jacoline answered, turning her head to watch Lady Musgrave smile tightly at her. “Lady Musgrave appears to have developed lockjaw,” she whispered.

Aspen laughed aloud, drawing only more glances. For the first time, they were watching him lead his wife onto a dance floor. Aspen reveled in it. 

“Let her glare. We won’t see her often and she’ll invite you to all her soirees regardless,” Aspen replied.

“And lockjaw is fatal in about twenty percent of cases,” Jacoline added quietly. Aspen laughed and spun his wife around to take her into his arms for a waltz. Jacoline’s green eyes widened comically.

“I have not waltzed in a very long time,” she protested in a whisper, staring at their feet. Aspen smiled and put more room between them to help cover her mistakes. He saw Lady Eleanor Plainsworth meet Jacoline’s eyes and wink strangely. Jac winked back, apparently understanding the odd exchange.