Sylvia Day - [Georgian 01] (7 page)

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Groaning, he lowered his head, his silky hair drifting across her breasts filling the air around her with his scent. “Touch my cock,” he commanded gruffly.
Taking a breath of courage, Elizabeth reached between their bodies and stroked the silken length, amazed at the hardness and the way it jumped under her touch. It was obvious he found pleasure in the caress, the crests of his cheekbones flushing, his lips parting with panting breaths. Encouraged, she experimented. Rough and soft, quick and teasing, she attempted to find the rhythm that would drive him to madness.
“Do you want me?” he asked. He stayed her hand by covering it with his own and she frowned in confusion. Then his hand drifted lower, catching her knee and spreading her wide.
“I’m surprised a libertine such as yourself needs to ask,” she retorted, refusing to give him the capitulation he requested.
With no further warning he thrust into her, sliding through swollen tissues until there was no farther he could go.
She whimpered in surprise. Lovemaking in the bright light of day was something she wondered if she could ever learn to accept. She looked up at him, eyes wide.
Pinning her with his hips, Marcus gripped the straps of her chemise and rent the garment in half to the waist.
“You think you can build barriers between us with words and clothing?” he asked harshly. “Every time you attempt it, I will take you just like this, become a part of you so that all your efforts will be for naught.”
There was no place to hide, nowhere to run.
“This will be the last time,” she vowed.
She was stunned that she had allowed him this close, a man whose beauty and charm had always weakened her. Then he lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her with a ravenous hunger. Gripping her hips possessively, Marcus held her still as he withdrew and then thrust again, shuddering as she did at the exquisiteness of it.
Elizabeth shifted restlessly, awed that her body had stretched to accommodate him, was even now stretching to hold him more comfortably. It was amazing, his hardness inside her, filling her completely, bringing a feeling of connection so deep she couldn’t breathe.
“Elizabeth.” His voice was deeply sexual as he wrapped his arms beneath her, pulling her tightly against him in a full body embrace. He nuzzled against her throat. “Only when I’m sated will you be rid of me.”
With the ominous threat he began to move, a sinuous glide of his body upon and within her own.
“Oh!” she cried, startled as the sensations built higher with every slide. She’d meant to withhold her pleasure from him, meant to lie there and deny him what he wanted. But it was impossible. He could melt her with a heated glance. To fuck him, as he so crudely called it, was an act she was helpless to resist.
She tried to increase the pace, wrapping her legs around his hips, her hands grasping his buttocks and pulling him into her, but he was too strong and too determined to have his own way.
“Fuck me,” she gasped, trying to regain the feeling of control by stealing some of his. “Faster.”
Marcus groaned as she writhed beneath him. His voice came, slurred with pleasure. “I knew it would be this way with you . . .”
In response, Elizabeth dug her nails into the flesh of his back. She loved feeling his damp skin against hers, his warm scent surrounding her. Slipping a little in his control, he slammed into her, hard and impossibly deep. Her toes curled.
Liquid heat traversed her veins, pooled in her core, and then convulsed in climax. She tightened around his thrusting cock, crying out his name, holding onto his flexing body as the only anchor in a swirl of incredible sensation.
And Marcus held on, drenched in sweat, heat radiating from every pore. He growled her name as he spilled into her and the brand of possession burned deep.
Closing her eyes, she cried.
 
Elizabeth felt as if her limbs were weighted with lead. It took all the effort she had to turn her head and look at Marcus sleeping next to her. His long, black lashes cast peaceful shadows upon his cheeks, the austere beauty of his features soft in repose.
She managed to roll onto her side, which was no easy task with his heavy arm thrown casually across her torso. Lifting onto one elbow, she studied him silently. Boyishly innocent while sleeping, he was so gorgeous she could hardly breathe.
Slowly, she traced her finger along the generous curve of his mouth, then his eyebrows and the length of his jaw. She squealed in surprise as his arm tightened, drawing her body over his.
“What do you think you are doing, madam?” he drawled lazily.
Sliding off him, Elizabeth sat on the edge of the bed, struggling for the nonchalance she was certain she should display. “Is this not when lovers part ways?” She needed to think and she couldn’t do that with him lying naked beside her.
“There is no need for you to go.” Leaning back against a pillow, Marcus patted the space next to him. “Come back to bed.”
“No.” She slid off the mattress and gathered up her clothes. “I am sore and tired.”
As she came around, his arm shot out and grabbed her, hauling her closer. “Elizabeth. We can take a nap and have tea later. Then you can go.”
“That’s not possible,” she murmured without looking at him. “I must go home. I want a hot bath.”
He rubbed her arm and grinned playfully. “You can have a bath here. I’ll attend you myself.”
Standing, Elizabeth hastily pulled on her stockings. She struggled with the tapes of her skirts, having difficulty tightening them. Marcus rose from the bed, heedless of his nakedness and crossed the room to her, brushing her fingers aside.
She turned away quickly, her face flushed.
Lord, he was handsome!
Every part of him was perfect. His muscles rippled with power just beneath golden skin. Recently sated, she still felt the renewed stirrings of desire.
He made quick work of dressing her, adjusting her garters, and securing her tapes. Jealous at his obvious experience, she stood stiffly until he turned her to face him.
He sighed, pulling her against his bare chest. “You are so determined to keep to yourself, to allow no one to get close to you.”
She rested her head against his chest for a moment, savoring the smell of him now mixed with her own scent. Then she pushed him away.
“I gave you what you wanted,” she replied, irritably.
“I want more.”
Her stomach clenched. “Find it elsewhere.”
Marcus laughed. “Now that I’ve shown you pleasure, you’ll crave it, crave me. At night, you will remember my touch and the feel of my cock in you, and you will ache for me.”
“You conceited—”
“No.” He caught her wrist. “I will be craving you as well. What happened today is singular. You won’t find the same elsewhere, and you will need it.”
She lifted her chin, hating the idea that, deep inside, she suspected he was right. “I am free to look.”
His fingers tightened painfully. “No. You are not.” He tugged her hand down to his rampant erection. “When you need this, you will come to me. Don’t doubt that I would kill any man who touches you.”
“Does such forced fidelity work both ways?” She held her breath.
“Of course.”
Marcus stood for a moment in the tense silence, before turning away to retrieve his discarded breeches.
Expelling the air from her lungs in a silent sigh of relief, Elizabeth took a seat in front of the mirror and attempted to fix her hair. She was amazed at the visage that stared back at her. Cheeks flushed, lips swollen, eyes bright—she looked nothing like the woman she’d been that morning. Looking away, she caught Marcus’s reflection. She watched him dress, weighing his words and damning her foolishness. He was even more determined now than he’d been before bedding her.
When she was ready, she stood quickly, a little too quickly for legs still shaky from the afternoon’s events. She stumbled, but Marcus was there, his arms warm bands of steel around her. He had been observing her as well.
“Are you all right?” he asked gruffly. “Did I hurt you?”
She waved him away with her hand. “No, no, I’m fine.”
He stepped back. “Elizabeth, a discussion is in order.”
“Why?” She fluffed her skirts nervously.
“Bloody hell. You and I. Just made love. In that bed.” He gestured with an impatient thrust of his chin. “And the chair. And the floor in a moment, if you don’t cease irritating me.”
“We made a mistake,” she said softly, icy fear settling in her stomach.
“Damn you.” His sidelong glance was scathing and she flinched. “Play your games and bury your head in the sand if you must. I will have my way regardless.”
“It was not my intent to play games, Marcus.” She swallowed hard and moved toward the door. He made no move to stop her so she was startled when she turned and found him directly behind her.
“Don’t be frightened about what happened in the park today,” he murmured, once again all charm and honeyed drawl. “I will protect you from harm.”
Her eyes slid closed. Suddenly the thought of leaving held less appeal. “I know you will.”
“Where will you be this evening?”
“The Dunsmore musicale.”
“I shall meet you there.”
She sighed and opened her eyes. His determined gaze and dogged persistence warned her that he would not allow the matter between them to rest.
He brushed his mouth softly across hers before stepping back and offering his arm. Wary at what she perceived to be his far too easy capitulation, she took it and allowed him to lead her to the main floor.
The butler stood ready with her hat and gloves. “My lord, a Mr. James has called.”
“The study? Excellent. You need not wait.”
The butler bowed and retreated.
Elizabeth searched Marcus’s face as he settled her hat on her head and deftly tied the ribbons. “I pray I can leave here unseen.”
His mouth moved to her ear, and he spoke in a seductive whisper. “Too late. Even now the servants are watching us. It won’t be long before every household in London knows we’re lovers. Avery will learn of us, whether you are seen or not.”
The color drained from her face. She hadn’t considered that. Servants were the worst gossips. “I would think a man with a secret life such as yours would have discreet servants in his employ.”
“I do. However, this is one bit of news I suggested they spread.”
“Are you mad?” Then her eyes widened. “Is this about the wager?”
Marcus sighed. “You wound me. Losing is odious, love, but I would never use you in such a callous manner.”
“Lose?” she cried, her mouth agape. “You didn’t!”
“I did.” He shrugged with nonchalance. “How foolish to avoid a bet in which the outcome is decided by my own actions.”
She frowned. “Which way did you lean?”
His grin was blinding and made her heart skip a beat. “As if I’d tell you.”
His hand at her elbow, Marcus escorted her through the rear garden and out a side gate that led to the stables beyond. He looked on grimly as she mounted her horse. The two armed outriders waited a discreet distance up the mews.
He sketched a quick bow. “Until this evening.”
The burning between her shoulder blades told her he watched her until she rounded the corner and blended into the street beyond. The ache in her chest made breathing difficult and she knew it would only get worse the more time she spent with him.
And she knew what must be done about it.
Chapter 7
“W
hy does it smell like a perfumery in here?” William grumbled as he walked the upstairs hallway of the Chesterfield mansion with Margaret.
“The scent comes from Elizabeth’s rooms.”
He glanced at her with a frown and saw her eyes shining in mischievous anticipation.
He paused at the open doorway of his sister’s sitting room and blinked rapidly. “It looks like a damned florist shop!”
“Isn’t it sweet?” Margaret laughed, her fiery hair swaying softly with the movement.
William could not resist touching one of the swinging curls. His sweet, wonderful wife. Those who did not know her well thought her a rare redhead of even temperament. Only he knew how she saved the wild, passionate side of her nature just for him. As desire tightened his loins, he sucked in a breath, and was assaulted with the overpowering smell of flowers.
“Romantic?” he barked. Entering the room he dragged Margaret behind him. Riotous bouquets of expensive, richly scented floral arrangements covered every flat surface in the room. “Westfield,” he growled. “I’ll kill him.”
“Calm yourself, William,” she soothed.
He surveyed the scene grimly. “How long has this been going on?”
“Since the Moreland ball.” Margaret sighed, the soft sound making him scowl. “And Lord Westfield is so handsome.”
“You are a hopeless romantic,” he grumbled, choosing to ignore her last comment.
Stepping closer, she wrapped her arms around his lean waist. “I have a right to be.”
“How so?”
“I have found true love, so I know it exists.” She stood on tiptoe, brushing her lips across his. William immediately increased the pressure, kissing her until she was breathless.
“Westfield is a scoundrel, love,” he warned. “I wish you would believe me.”
“I believe you. He reminds me of you.”
He pulled back with a grunt. “And you would want that for Elizabeth?”
Margaret laughed. “You are not so wicked as all that.”
“Because you have reformed me.” He nuzzled against her.
“Elizabeth is a stronger woman than I. She could easily bring Lord Westfield to heel, if she were of the mind to do so. Allow her to handle him.”
William backed out of the room, pulling her with him. “I have duly noted your opinion.”
She attempted to dig in her heels, but he lifted her easily and turned in the direction of their bedchamber.
“You don’t intend to listen to me, do you?”
He grinned. “No, I don’t. I will handle Westfield and you will cease talking about it.” He kissed her soundly as they reached their room. It was only by a twist of fate that he turned his head at that moment and saw Elizabeth reach the top of the stairs. He frowned, and lowered Margaret to her feet. She gave a soft murmur of protest.
“Give me a moment, sweet.” He started off down the hall.
“You’re meddling,” she called after him.
Something was wrong with Elizabeth. That was obvious even from a distance. Flushed and mussed, she looked feverish. His stomach clenched as he neared her. The color of her cheeks deepened upon seeing him, and she looked for a moment just as their mother had before she died, burning with fever. The brief flash of remembered pain quickened his steps.
“Are you unwell?” he asked, placing a hand to her forehead.
Her eyes widened, and then she shook her head quickly.
“You look ill.”
“I’m fine.” Her voice was low and huskier than usual.
“I will send for the doctor.”
“That’s not necessary,” she protested, her spine straightening.
William opened his mouth to speak.
“A nap, William. It’s all I need. I swear it.” She sighed and placed her hand on his arm, her violet eyes softening. “You worry too much.”
“I always will.” He placed his hand over hers, and then turned to escort her to her room. Since their mother had passed on and their father withdrew emotionally, Elizabeth had been all he’d had for most of his life. She’d been his only emotional connection during the time before Margaret when he’d been determined never to fall in love and risk the same misery as their father.
As they neared her room, his nose reminded him of the organic eruption that awaited them. “Why didn’t you tell me Westfield was harassing you? I would have dealt with him.”
“
No!
”
Her abrupt cry gave him pause, the fierce protectiveness he’d always felt for her rearing up in suspicion. “Tell me you are not encouraging him.”
Elizabeth cleared her throat. “Haven’t we had this discussion before?”
Closing his eyes, William released a deep breath and prayed for patience. “If you assure me that you will come to me for assistance if you have a need, I will refrain from asking you questions you don’t want to answer.” He opened his eyes and looked down at her, frowning at the sight of the high color of her skin and glazed eyes. She didn’t look well at all. And her hair was disheveled. The last time her hair had looked like that . . .
“Have you gone racing again?” he barked. “Did you take a groom with you? Good God, what if you were thrown—”
“William.” Elizabeth laughed. “Go see to Margaret. I’m tired. If you insist on interrogating me, you can do so once I’ve rested.”
“I am not interrogating you. I just know you well. You are stubborn to a fault and refuse to listen to good sense.”
“Says the man who worked for Lord Eldridge.”
William released a frustrated breath, recognizing from her sudden rigid tone that she was finished talking. All well and good. He intended to manage Marcus on his own terms anyway. “Very well. Find me later.” He bent and kissed her forehead. “If you still look flushed when you wake, I’m sending for the doctor.”
“Yes, yes.” Elizabeth shooed him away.
William went, but his concern would not be dismissed so easily, and they both knew it.
 
Elizabeth waited in the hallway just outside the office of Lord Nicholas Eldridge, pleased with herself for having snuck out of the house while William was occupied. Because she arrived unannounced, she anticipated cooling her heels. To his credit, Eldridge did not keep her waiting long.
“Lady Hawthorne,” he greeted her in what she imagined to be a customarily distracted manner. Rounding the desk, he gestured to her to have a seat. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” Though the words were polite, the tone held an undercurrent of impatience. He resumed his seat and arched a brow.
She’d forgotten how austere he was, how serious. Yet despite the drabness of his attire and the gray of his wig, his presence was arresting. He bore the weight of his power with consummate ease.
“I apologize, Lord Eldridge, for the importunate nature of my visit. I’ve come to offer you a trade.”
Gray eyes assessed her sharply. “A trade?”
“I would prefer to work with another agent.”
He blinked. “And what are you offering in return?”
“Hawthorne’s journal.”
“I see.” He leaned back in his chair. “Has Lord Westfield done something in particular, Lady Hawthorne, which would cause you to seek his replacement?”
She could not prevent her blush. Lord Eldridge pounced on the telltale sign immediately. “Has he approached you in some manner that would not befit his duties? I would take such an accusation seriously.”
Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably. She did not want Marcus reprimanded, simply removed from her life.
“Lady Hawthorne. This is a personal matter, is it not?”
She nodded.
“I had valid reasons for assigning Lord Westfield to you.”
“I’m certain you did. However, I cannot continue to work with him, regardless of your motives. My brother is growing suspicious.” That was not her only reason, but it would suffice.
“I see,” he murmured. He remained silent for a long time, but she did not waver under his intimidating scrutiny. “Your husband was a valuable member of my team. Losing him and your brother has been difficult. Lord Westfield has done an excellent job of shouldering a great deal of responsibility despite the demands of his title. He is truly the best man for this assignment.”
“I don’t doubt his ability.”
“Still, you are determined, are you not?” He sighed when she nodded. “I will consider your request.”
Elizabeth nodded, understanding he had conceded as much as he was going to. Standing, she smiled grimly at his assessing gaze. He escorted her to the door, pausing a moment before turning the knob.
“It is not my place, Lady Hawthorne, but I feel I should point out to you that Lord Westfield is a good man. I am aware of your history, and I’m certain the ramifications are uncomfortable. However, he is genuinely concerned for your safety. Whatever happens, please keep that in mind.”
Elizabeth studied Lord Eldridge silently, and then nodded. There was something else, something he was not telling her. Not that she was surprised. In her experience, agents were always tight-lipped, sharing little of themselves with others. She was greatly relieved when he opened the door and allowed her to escape. While she held no ill will toward Eldridge, she nevertheless looked forward to the day when he and his damned agency were no longer a part of her life.
 
Marcus entered the offices of Lord Eldridge just before ten in the evening. The summons had arrived just as he prepared to depart for the Dunsmore musicale. While he was impatient to see Elizabeth, he had some thoughts to share about the investigation and this unexpected audience was highly opportune.
Marcus adjusted his tails and dropped into the nearest chair.
“Lady Hawthorne came to see me this afternoon.”
“Did she?” Settled, Marcus took a pinch of snuff.
Eldridge continued to work without looking up, the papers before him lit by the candelabra on his desk and the shifting glow from the nearby fireplace. “She offered Viscount Hawthorne’s journal in exchange for removing you from your duties.”
The enameled snuff box snapped shut decisively.
With a sigh, Eldridge set aside his quill. “She was adamant about it, Westfield, even threatening to become uncooperative if I refused her.”
“I’m certain she was most persuasive.” Shaking his head, he asked, “What do you intend to do?”
“I told her I would look into it, and so I have. The question is—what do you intend to do?”
“Leave her to me. I was on my way to her when I received your summons.”
“If I discover you are using your position with the agency to further your own personal agenda, I will deal with you harshly.” Eldridge’s expression was grim.
“I would expect nothing less,” Marcus assured him.
“How is the journal coming along?”
“I’m making headway, but the going is slow.”
Eldridge nodded. “Soothe her concerns then. If she comes to me again, I will have no choice but to honor her request. That would be lamentable since you are making progress. I would prefer you to continue.”
Marcus pursed his lips and said what was on his mind. “Avery related today’s events to you, yes?”
“Of course. But you have something to add, I see.”
“I’ve thought of this situation ceaselessly. Something is amiss. The assailant was too aware of our preparations, as if he’d gained the knowledge beforehand. Certainly he would have expected her to contact the agency considering her husband’s involvement and the relevance of the book, but the way he’d hidden himself, the escape route he had planned . . . Damn it, we were not incompetent! Yet he evaded four men with little effort. He
knew
how the men were arranged. And Hawthorne’s journal. How did he learn of it?”
“You suspect internal perfidy?”
“How else?”
“I trust my men implicitly, Westfield. The agency couldn’t exist otherwise.”
“Consider the possibility. It’s all I ask.”
Eldridge arched a gray brow. “Avery? The outriders? Who can you trust?”
“Avery bears an obvious fondness for Lady Hawthorne. So you, Avery, myself—that is the extent of my trust at this moment.”
“Well, that certainly negates Lady Hawthorne’s request, does it not?” Eldridge pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed wearily. “Let me reflect on who might have been told about Hawthorne’s journal. Return tomorrow and we’ll discuss this further.”
Shaking his head in silent commiseration, Marcus departed, gazing about the empty outer offices before moving down the hall with its towering ceilings and dimly lit chandeliers. For a brief moment, he’d been furious with Elizabeth and then the feeling passed. She would never have involved Eldridge unless she felt the need was dire. She’d been affected this afternoon, shaken enough to set aside her formidable pride.

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