The Devil Rogue (32 page)

“Your behind is quite
fetchingly displayed in these men’s breeches you’re wearing,” he said, while his hands firmly cupped the area he spoke of
.

Ian l
ower
ed
his head, cover
ing
her mouth with his,
and
kiss
ed
her deeply
.
He groaned low in his throat as he pressed her
lower body
into
the
firm ridge of his arousal
.
He had to wrestle for
control of the
animalistic
urge to
mate with her, right here, right now
.
There was something primal within him that was unleashed whenever he was around
her,
whenever he touched her
,
kissed her
.
It was
something he
’
d never experienced before
. He
could
n’t
explain it to himself or anyone else
.

When
he
finally lifted his
mouth away
from hers,
she gasped
.
“I don’t think we should be doing this right now,” she said
in a low,
husky
voice
.

“I agree,
” Ian said, “
but I find I
cannot keep my hands off you.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“Did you find anything?”
he asked.

“
N
o, I didn’t. What about you?”

“Nothing, I’m afraid
.
It was a risk coming here, and a long shot to expect to find
what we’re looking for
.
What
are
we looking for?
”

“I haven’t the vaguest clue
.
I suppose I was hoping for someth
i
ng to jump out at me – not literally, of course
,
”
she said with a laugh.
S
he was
probably
remembering the way he had grabbed her in the dark
.

Sounds of the servants returning to the study
prompted Ian to step away from her
.
“I want to be alone with you,
” he said low
.
“Tonight, when all is quiet I’ll come to your room
.
And then w
e
’ll
finish what we started here
.
”

The ride back to the house was an interesting experience, with six people crammed into a closed carriage that was designed to seat only four comfortably
.
Ian had hidden the vehicle in a nearby side alley and led the way
.
Angela, Rosemary
,
and the three aging servants followed quietly behind him like a bizarre group of ducklings.

Getting into the house unnoticed was another matter entirely
.
Mrs. Brown met them at the rear entrance wielding a broomstick with the dedication of a knight fighting in the Crusades
.
If it weren’t for Ian’s quick reflexes, his skull might have sustained permanent damage.

“Oh, your lordship, I had no idea ‘twas you!” Mrs. Brown exclaimed with a hand over her heart
.
“You scared ten years out of my life, you did.”

“Good evening, Mrs. Brown,” Ian said, relieving her of her weapon
.
“I’m sorry to have frightened you.”
He felt oddly calm in the midst of such an unorthodox entrance into his own house
.
It seemed that unusual events were becoming a common occurrence around here lately
. W
hat was even more unusual,
or possibly even disturbing,
was that he took
it all
in stride
with an uncharacteristic
acceptance.

He watched Mrs. Brown’s eyes widen as she took in the sight of the others filing in after him
.
“Heavens
,
is that you, Miss Angela?” she asked, tactfully pretending not to notice
Angela’s
attire
.
“And Rosemary, too
, I see. W
ho are these other people?”

Feeling a bit out of sorts for having to explain to a servant who the three strangers were standing in their back foyer, Ian said curtly, “We’ve acquired some additional help, Mrs. Brown
.
Could you see to their accommodations for the night
?
More permanent arrangements can be made on the morrow.”

Angela stepped in front of
him in a move to protect
his servant
.
“Mrs. Brown,” she said kindly
,
“
w
e’ve brought with us three good and loyal servants from my
previous household
.
With the conditions being as they were, Lord Blackridge has most graciously offered them a position here.”

Mrs. Brown’s expression remained impassive, except for the quick blink of her eyes
.
Ian suppressed
his amusement over
Angela’s
use of diplomacy on his behalf
.
Her protective instincts were so ingrained in her that it was second nature for her to defend others without even thinking about it
.
Did she see him as such an ogre
?
He hoped in time she would come to trust
him enough
not
to
judge him so harshly.

“To be sure, Miss Angela
,
your lordship,” Mrs. Brown said
.
“I’ll get to it right away.”

Turning toward the three servants, Angela introduced them
.
“Mrs. Haversham, Connors, Viola
,
this is Mrs. Brown
.
She’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping tonight.”
They each nodded in understanding and moved to follow Mrs. Brown.

The last in line, Viola stopped before Angela
.
“I’m glad to see you away from the likes of the baron, my dear,” she said, her voice parched with age
.
Placing her gnarled hand on Angela’s arm, she continued, “It’s all come full circle, child
.
Mayhap this time
fate will right itself.”

Angela could only stare at the old woman
.
Before she could get the words she wanted to speak off her frozen tongue, Viola was out of sight, swallowed by darkness
.
“What – what do you suppose she meant by that?” she asked no one in particular
.

She looked at Ian, catching his intent gaze
.
Rosemary had disappeared, and
Angela
suddenly realized they were alone together.
A small oil lamp cast an amber glow in a weak radius around it
.
The way the light r
eflected in Ian’s eyes, it made them appear
positively predatory
.
The blatant desire and raw sexual need she saw there was impossible to miss, causing Angela’s breath to
catch in her throat
.

“Perhaps
Viola
knows something of your past,”
he
said, his voice deep and rich
.

Angela licked her dry lips
.
“Do you suppose she knows who my father is?” The subject was fast losing its hold on her attention
.
Her mind, her body
,
and her senses were
all shifting toward
something less tangible, and yet as powerful as the pull of the moon against the tides.

He
stepped closer to her
and leaned in,
inhal
ing deeply, his nostrils flaring.
“She’s old enough to have been around when your mother was alive
.
By her words alone, we can assume she has some knowledge of the subject
.
Now,” he said, taking her into his arms
.
“It’s time we went to bed.”

Fire ran through Angela’s veins, her nipples harden
ing
against the solid wall of his chest
.
His mouth came down on hers, hot and demanding, turning her legs to
jelly
.
She felt the thick ridge of his arousal pressing into her belly, causing heat to pool between her thighs
.
Every part of her was aware of him – how his lips felt against hers, where their bodies touched, the smell of his shaving lotion
.
She became disoriented for a moment, and then realized he
’
d picked her up without
even
breaking the kiss, cradling her in his arms.

Pulling his mouth from hers,
he
gazed at
her
briefly,
then
without a word, turned down the lamp and headed through the darkness to the stairs
.
Miraculously, they made it to her room without crashing into anything, or breaking their necks
.
Someone – Rosemary, most likely, had already lit a couple of lamps, and
had
turned down the bedcovers, revealing crisp, white sheets
.
The evening was warm, a gentle breeze fluttering the filmy curtains at the room’s two windows.

“It’s amazing what one can accomplish with the proper motivation,” Ian said with a rakish grin.

“Do you think we should be doing this
,”
Angela a
sked, still nestled in his arms, “
with your mother here, I mean?”

“My mother isn’t here
.
She’s in her own room, asleep.”

“You know what I mean.”

“We’ve gone beyond the barriers of propriety, princess, and now that I’ve had a taste of you, I hunger for more.”
His grip loosened, allowing Angela’s feet to drop to the floor
.
“As deliciously adorable as you are in breeches, I think it’s time to remove them.”

Stepping back from him,
Angela
ran her gaze down his magnificent form, pausing for a moment on the distinctive bulge in his trousers before moving back up again
.
“I think it’s time to remove your clothes, too, my lord,”
she said
with a saucy smile
.
“And I would like to do the honors.”

S
pread
ing
his arms
wide, he rasped,
“I’m at your me
rcy, princess.”

Angela’s mouth went dry,
as
with trembling fingers, she began unbuttoning his immaculately tailored jacket
.
She marveled at the physical differences between them as she concentrated on her task
.
He was so much larger than her – the width of his shoulders, the muscled expanse of his chest, the strength of his arms.

As soon as t
he jacket
hit
the floor, her hands
were
skimming over the finely woven material of his shirt
.
She felt as though he were a wild animal, his power barely
leashed
while he allowed her to explore as she wished
.
It was by his will alone, Angela realized, that
he restrained himself
from acting on instinct and taking what he wanted
.
This, in turn, gave her a sense of power
,
the feeling that she was in charge, that it was she who set the pace
.
He possessed the size and strength to dominate her
,
to overcome her, yet he didn’t use
that power
against her.

5

Villarreal / The Devil Rogue
                                     

Chapter
19

ANGELA TURNED HER
attention to the buttons on his shirt, releasing each one down to the waistband of his pants
.
She pulled the edges apart, revealing skin made golden by the mellow glow of the lamps
.
She heard his sharp intake of breath when her hands skimmed along his belly and ribcage
.
Her fingers
traveled slowly up his chest, and
then
over his shoulders, slipping the material
away u
ntil it draped
in loose folds
down his arms
.

The heat radiating off his body engulfed her, raising her own temperature to a dangerous
level
.
Suddenly, she felt overdressed, but she wasn’t finished with her expedition just yet
.
With her lips, she traced the path of each scar, her tongue tasting the saltiness of his flesh
.
Finding his nipple, she
lightly
sucked
on it
, a thrill shooting through her belly when it puckered
, accompanied by a low groan.

She
look
ed
up at him
.
“Where did you get these scars?”

His
voice
was
a hoarse whisper
.
“I was sixteen
. O
ne of my father’s hunting dogs had turned vicious and attacked me.”

“I’m so sorry you had to endure such pain,”
she
said softly
, sympathizing with the younger version of the man standing before her
.

“It was a long time ago
. T
he memory of it has since faded
.
I was rather proud of the scars
back then.” His lips curved. “They
made me feel more rugged, more ma
sculine
.”

“I cannot imagine a more rugged
or
masculine man
than you
are right now
,
”
Angela said, smiling.

“I was quite scrawny at that age.”

“
Well, t
hey detract not at all
from
your beauty
,
unlike my own
—
”

“Do not say it
.
Your scars b
ear
witness to the victory of your survival
–
your perseverance of the baron’s tyranny.
”
He p
lac
ed
his hands on either side of her face
.
“You are a
lovely
, sensual woman, Angela
.
I’ve known many beautiful women, but none of them can match your inner spirit.”

“I don’t think I care to hear of all the beautiful women you’ve
known
, my lord,” Angela said with a spark of jealousy.

“I
’ve
forgot
ten
every single one of them
since
the moment I saw you, princess.”

“Nice try.”

“
If y
ou
continue with
what you were doing, I guarantee no one but you will occupy my
thoughts
.
In fact, when you touch me the way you were, all intelligen
ce
takes flight.”

Angela
laughed
, warmed by his admission
.
It mirrored her own reaction to him
.
“Then I believe it’s time to remove these,” she said, reaching for the fastenings on his breeches.

“I’m all yours,”
he
growled
.

Angela slid the now open breeches down his
narrow
hips, freeing
the rigid
phallus jutting
proudly
from the
thatch
of black curls
.
Stepping back, she admired his naked body
.
He was magnificently formed, more perfect than any marble statue could ever hope to be, because he was flesh and bone
.
The sight was such a stark contradiction to her
own
female curves, the golden patch of hair between her thighs
,
her sex hidden deep within her, where his was displayed so blatantly.

She began by placing gentle kisses on his chest, her tongue darting out to lick each nipple in turn, and then trailed down the center to his belly button
.
She smiled against his skin when she heard him hiss through his teeth
.
Her hands explored every plane, every ridge of muscle, and as she moved lower, caressed his firm buttocks.

Kneeling in front of him, she
wrapped her fingers around
his penis,
completely absorbed by its size and shape, and the velvety softness surrounding its steely hardness
.
Slipping her tongue
out
, she licked the tip, so soft and smooth
,
tast
ing
the tiny droplet that had been released, evidence of
his
state of arousal
.
Still curious, Angela took him
fully
into her mouth, closing her lips around the thick shaft, exploring further with her tongue.

“
Sweet Jesus
.
”

Ian’s temples pounded, his chest expanding with the need to fill his lungs with more air
.
The sensation of Angela’s mouth on his cock was something he had not anticipated
.
It was ecstasy in its purest form, setting his blood on fire
.
He was consumed by it
.
E
yes
closing and
head dropping back
,
he allowed himself to become lost for just a moment
.

“My God,” he said, grabbing her shoulders, and pulling her to her feet
.
“If I let you continue, my sweet angel, it will be over before it’s even begun
.
We need to get you out of those clothes – now.
”

Urgently, h
e fumbled
with
the buttons o
f
the men’s jacket she wore
.
Once
i
t was removed, his clumsy fingers tangled in the cloth of her shirt.

With a huff of exasperation, Angela made a suggestion
.
“Why don’t you just rip it off?”

“What?”

“I said why don’t you just tear it off me
?
It would be quicker, and the thought of it quite excites me, I must admit.”

“
Great Christ
, Angela
,” he said hoarsely, “
I don’t want to hurt you
.
You’ve managed to get me to a level of need
that
I
,
quite frankly
,
fear may become too intense
.
”
Ian practically groaned the words, his breathing labored, muscles trembling from
the
forc
e
of his
control.

“I’m not made of glass, Ian
.
Rip away.”

Needing no further encouragement,
Ian tore the material of her shirt down the front, sending buttons flying in every direction
.
The sight of her bare breasts drove him further over the edge
.
Lifting her, he p
ull
ed
her to him, fasten
ing
his mouth fully over one nipple, sucking and licking, while he worked on removing her breeches
.

Both of them c
ompletely naked now, he mov
ed
with her in his arms
to
ward
the bed
.
He continued to suckle at one breast, then the other,
as he lay her down upon the
cool sheets
.
S
preading her legs with his knee
s
,
he
opened her to his wicked fingers
.
She was slick
and hot
, writhing under him in her own state of building passion.

Positioning himself at
the
opening
to her body
, he thrust into her
as
far
as he could go
, a shout of triumph bursting from his throat
.
He heard her cry of pleasure, and covered her mouth with his, kissing her
hotly, passionately.

He
pumped
in and out with
long
, powerful strokes
,
while she welcomed him home
into
her
honeyed heat
.
Her
husky
groans and cries of delight beckoned him like a siren’s song, luring him
further into the realm of
fairytales and
dreams
.
They were separate, yet singular,
driven by an instinct a millennia old.

“Wrap your legs around me,”
he
commanded
in a raspy voice
.

When she did, he went deeper still, the head of his cock pushing against the entrance to her womb
.
For a split second, he remembered her request
to prevent a pregnancy, but it was too late
.
Her inner muscles contracted around him, signaling her impending climax
.
He came with an explosion of such intensity, that for a moment, he felt as though he were no longer in his own body, transcended to some other plane of existence on a current of joy.

He
rested his head in the curve of her shoulder, gasping for air
.
Both of their bodies were slick with perspiration, already cooling
n
ow that they lay motionless
.
“My God, Angela,” he
whispered hoarsely
.
“Is it not apparent to you now that you are the only woman who occupies my thoughts?”

Angela stroked the back of his neck, running her fingers through his dampened hair
.
Her breathing was steadily calming to a normal rhythm
, as was the beating of her heart
.
Except that
it seemed
her heart had fill
ed
with an overwhelming emotion, making her chest ache
.
Tears escaped from the outer corners of her eyes, trailing down her temples
.

When had she fallen in love with him
?

She supposed it didn’t really matter
when
it happened
, just that it had
.
And whether or not his proposal of marriage was born of a guilty conscience, she was, regardless, in love with him.
Suddenly, the ache turned to warmth, a feeling of blissful resolve washing over her
.
S
he would have moments like these to cherish in the years to come.
It didn’t
really
matter how this
e
nded
.

He
stirred,
moving
to her side
, tucking
her head on his shoulder
.
Sighing, he said, “I’m sorry, princess, I forgot about your concern about an untimely pregnancy.”

Angela turned her head up to look at him
.
“Aren’t you concerned about it, as well?”

“Of course
it concerns me
. I
t’s just that you
bewitch me so
,
I
can
think of nothing else but kiss
ing
your body, touch
ing
every inch of you, and bury
ing
myself deep inside you.”