Surrender of Trust (First Volume of the Surrender Series) (14 page)

Running his teeth lightly over her mound,
Lucy’s breath hitched in shock and she tried to sit up.

"What, what ... "

Before Lucy could finish her sentence,
Chalifour plunged his tongue into her sweet folds. Lucy cried out
and arched against his face. Chalifour bore down on her with his
mouth and his tongue, sucking and licking her, until Lucy was
grinding against him. He wouldn't let up. Lucy bucked and thrashed
against him. Grabbing Chalifour's head between her hands, Lucy
whimpered and pressed his face deeper into her.

"Please, oh, please."

Satisfaction rose in Chalifour. He had waited
for Lucy to reach the point where she could no longer stand the
exquisite pleasure without a greater release. He pulled his face
from between her thighs.

Rolling over, Chalifour reached for the wet
cloth he had laid earlier beside the wash basin on his bedside
table. Grasping the cloth, he wiped his face and mouth and looked
at Lucy. She lay panting, chest heaving, legs slightly parted. She
was limp with desire, her eyes filled with lust for him.

No longer needing to control his carnal
appetite, Chalifour moved over Lucy and covered her body with his
own, nudging her legs further apart with his legs. He had wanted
Lucy from the moment he saw her in the stables. He had fantasized
about her in his bed and now he had her. Chalifour slid into Lucy
until he reached the resistance of her maidenhood. He pushed softly
against the membrane, putting ever greater pressure on it.

Lucy went rigid in his arms. She cried out
and started to struggle, "It hurts."

"Ssh," he soothed her, "it will be better in
a minute." Chalifour covered Lucy's lips with his own and kissed
her, easing further inside Lucy, holding her gently but firmly. The
membrane gave way with a pop and Chalifour slid deeper into Lucy.
He shivered.

Lucy exhaled and relaxed, the tension drained
from her body. Chalifour shuddered and the satin glove of Lucy's
body closed around his cock. Chalifour paused a moment to let Lucy
adjust to the feeling of his hard intrusion into her, then moved
slowly in and out of her.

Feeling Lucy beneath him, Chalifour's lust
swelled and his rhythm increased. Lucy moaned, urging him on. Her
body began to answer his, rising to meet his thrusts. Lucy’s
growing urgency only sharpened his. The musky scent of their
passion rose up around him.

Chalifour dove deeper and harder into Lucy.
She spread her legs wider to accept him more deeply. He held back,
held back, held back, painful ecstasy in the base of his stomach.
Lucy's body shuddered and went rigid. She cried out and arched up
against him. He couldn't hold back any longer. Chalifour thrust
himself into Lucy as far as he was able, a sharp knife into her
sweet flesh. Chalifour shuddered and cried out, exploding deep
inside Lucy.

Chalifour collapsed onto Lucy. "Ah, my dove,
you are the sweetest thing I have ever had and might have just
damned me."

Lucy awoke, resting on her side in the warm
cocoon of Chalifour's embrace. Sighing, she pressed herself against
Chalifour's chest and his arms tightened around her. A sense of
contentment rose within Lucy and she made an effort to shove her
worries into the back corners of her mind, if only for a little
while.

Chalifour had seduced her just as surely as
he had in all likelihood enticed many women. Lucy would be ruined
in society if their affair became known, but Chalifour was
discrete, of that she was sure.

Monique had mentioned there were whispers
about Chalifour's various liaisons, but certainly no outright
gossip or accusations of impropriety with any of the women of the
ton. Even though Lucy was not a member of the beau monde, Chalifour
treated her with the same deference and courtesy he would afford a
lady of his own station. Perhaps Chalifour treated her well simply
because she was Lucien's sister. Either way, her reputation was
safe with him.

Lucy rolled onto her back and rubbed her
palms across her breasts, where Chalifour’s hands had touched her
only hours before. Lucy could not believe her own wantonness or how
much she had wanted Chalifour. She would readily make love with him
again.

Lucy’s hand moved lower, her fingers stroking
her pubic mound, remembering the sweet sensation Chalifour had
given her. Lucy had never imagined how all-consuming lovemaking
could be. She replayed the delicious details in her mind. A shudder
wracked her body and a wetness seeped between her thighs.

Lucy was reasonably sure Chalifour had
deliberately set out to captivate her, and she had allowed him, had
been ready for him. Lucy was just a diversion for Chalifour. She
had no illusions Chalifour held any special feelings for her, but
she was undeniably drawn to this man and had been from the first
time she met him.

Lucy had already realized it was doubtful she
would marry. English law made her chattel, a tenant for life, when
she married. Lucy feared being marginalized and could not tolerate
the thought. It was likely she would become a spinster. Lucy
rationalized that it was only natural she wanted to experience
passion with the one man to whom she experienced such a strong
attraction. Besides, at the moment, the threat of imprisonment for
her forgery was more of a concern to her than her reputation.

Visiting the estate had presented Lucy with
the opportunity and the setting to hide from prying eyes. No one
would be the wiser, as long as Lady Elizabeth was not too
inquisitive about any of the details of last evening after she had
taken her leave.

The uncertainty of Lucy's future created a
desire in her to become a woman in the fullest sense. It seemed
only logical to Lucy to allow Chalifour to seduce her. Lucy had no
regrets. She touched herself again and smiled. Lucy snuggled
against Chalifour and luxuriated in the warmth of his body and the
steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Safe for the moment, Lucy lay
blissful, floating.

Slowly, the specter of Lucy's current
circumstances began to crowd her mind. Lucy shifted in the bed. She
had a momentary stab of guilt she hadn't given much thought to
Lucien since her arrival the day before yesterday. How was he? In
the brief time Lucy had spent in her home after returning from Town
and prior to her departure here, she had spoken only briefly with
Lucien. He had been so groggy, Lucy doubted he would remember she
had been there. At least Lucien was recovering, and for that she
was thankful.

How would any of this resolve itself? Would
her brother recover fully? Would Lucien's breeding business survive
the financial blackmail? How would Chalifour view her if he
discovered she had forged the contract with him or the cheque paper
she had given Perdan? Chalifour had high morals and strong
principles. He detested cheats, and by extension, liars certainly.
Would Chalifour turn Lucy over to the authorities if he knew? Would
he have held her so tenderly in his arms if he knew about any of
this?

Careful not to disturb Chalifour, Lucy turned
on her side and watched him sleep, his chest rising and falling
deeply with each deep breath. A lock of dark, unruly hair fell
across his forehead as it often did. Lucy felt a tender urge to
brush the hair back into place. Chalifour's face in repose reminded
her of a child, except this was no young boy. Chalifour was a
capable and forceful man.

Lucy couldn't allow their affair to continue,
of course, but she intended to bask in the memory for the time
being. Rolling onto her back again, eyes closed, Lucy began to
massage herself, one hand caressing her breast, the other between
her thighs.

"Would you like me to help you with that?"
The rich voice sent shivers through Lucy.

Breathless, Lucy turned on her side to face
Chalifour. Pulling the covers down below her waist, Lucy presented
her entire body to Chalifour and rubbed against him. "How did you
guess?" Her voice was low and husky with passion making it
unfamiliar to her ears. So much for not continuing their affair.
Maybe she was a trollop at heart, but Lucy wanted Chalifour's
warmth inside her again. Their ardor would end soon enough, Lucy
told herself.

Satisfied, Lucy drifted off into sleep after
their second bout of lovemaking, only to awake with a start.
Someone was stirring outside in the corridor. The servants were up
and going about the house, engaged in their morning duties. She had
to get to her room! Had her absence been noted yet?

Lucy tried to disengage herself from
Chalifour's arms, but he mumbled something incoherent and pulled
her closer to him. She struggled to free herself and one blue eye
popped open to peer at her. "I must get back to my room before I am
missed!"

"You won't be missed, sweetling," Chalifour
drawled, holding her still.

A small thrill coursed up Lucy's spine upon
hearing the term of endearment, though she knew Chalifour meant it
only casually. "Of course I will! It's cool this morning and the
maid will be in shortly to start a fire."

"No, she won't. I told the staff last evening
that you ladies had far too much wine and would likely benefit with
more sleep in the morning. I left strict instructions that neither
you nor Lady Elizabeth were to be disturbed for any reason this
morning and to leave you alone until you called." Chalifour looked
at her with a shameless smile.

"You knew you were going to seduce me last
night, didn't you?"

Chalifour's expression turned serious, "I
knew I was going to try. You had to accept me though. I also
believe that we are on sufficiently intimate terms that you should
call me Chali, rather than Lord Chalifour. Perhaps I should call
you Lucy?" Chalifour cocked an eyebrow at her.

"I don't think that's a good idea. If we were
overheard speaking to each other in such familiar terms, I believe
that people would certainly guess what the nature of our
relationship has been, or at the very least, speculate on it."

"Speaking of private situations and the
nature of our relationship. I believe we need to discuss something
else," he said."I have compromised you and your good name. We
should, of course, wed.," Chalifour's face had a grim cast to it,
certainly not the expression of an anxious lover eagerly proposing
to his sweetheart.

Lucy couldn't keep her eyes from widening and
her jaw from dropping. "Lord Chalifour, there is no need to worry
about my reputation. Unless you are in the habit of discussing your
bed partners, no one will be the wiser. I know you are trying to be
an honorable man in making such a gesture, but I must decline."

Lucy would not accept an offer of marriage
based on a sense of misplaced duty and honor. The thought of
marriage was difficult enough, but to endure a loveless marriage
would be unbearable, even more so in light of the strong feelings
growing in her for Chalifour.

His face darkened, "I must insist, Lucy."

"Miss Goodwin, please, so that we don't give
any hint as to our ... familiarity. And it is I who must insist.
You do not really wish to marry me. You only offer out of a sense
of duty and honor, so I will not marry you, Lord Chalifour. I'm
sure in a few hours you will be relieved that I refused. Please
help me dress so I can return to my room, unless you truly wish to
ruin me."

Chalifour's expression was thunderous so Lucy
ignored him and gathered her clothes in silence. Suddenly conscious
of her nudity, Lucy struggled into the gown she had worn last
evening. Without anyone to help her button her gown, Lucy's back
was exposed. Bundling her petticoats in her arms, Lucy walked out
of Chalifour's bedroom and into the corridor.

Heaven help her if anyone saw her! There
would be no misunderstanding as to what had occurred. Here she was
leaving the master bedchambers first thing in the morning, her hair
in tangles, the back of her gown unbuttoned, and holding her
undergarments. No, there would be no misunderstanding if she was
spied.

Lucy hurried down the hallway to the safety
of her room. Closing the door of her room, she heard the footsteps
of one of the maids treading softly on the carpet just down the
hallway. Lucy sagged against the door and let her breath out. She
made it!

Chalifour was furious, but only because his
pride had been stung because a woman had refused him. Lucy would
not allow Chalifour to make that kind of mistake and doom them both
into something as serious as marriage for all of the wrong reasons.
If Lucy accepted, Chalifour would be indifferent, grow to resent
her, maybe worse.

Moreover, how would Chalifour react if he
knew Lucy had forged the documents? How would he feel about Lucy
committing him to a business relationship with Lucien with full
knowledge of the allegations of cheating? It would besmirch
Chalifour's reputation and shatter any trust between them.
Chalifour would grow to hate her. Lucy simply could not bear that,
particularly after last night.

Lucy had never wanted to marry. She had a
vague fear of giving herself over to any man. Lucy had never
trusted any man enough to be become his chattel, or what amounted
to such under English law. Ironically, it was she who was not
worthy of Chalifour's trust at this point in time, not vice versa.
Lucy smiled mirthlessly at the thought.

Chalifour paced his bedroom, replaying the
events of the night before. He had surprised himself when he
offered Lucy marriage. Though he had offered more out of a sense of
obligation than any real desire to wed, Lucy had apparently
realized that and said as much. Her rejection, however, chafed him
for some odd reason.

It had occurred to Chalifour belatedly that
bedding the sister of his new business partner might not have been
the wisest of actions and could potentially create complications.
After all, he would be seeing Lucy on a regular basis. If her
indiscretion was exposed, Lucy would be ruined in society. Lucy
would be expected to marry soon. She was already perilously close
to being on the shelf as it was. Lucien might not take well to
Chalifour having impeded any chance Lucy had of making a good
match, or possibly any match at all.