The Sweetest Sin

by Jess Michaels

  Trevington swallowed as he made his way to a chair on shaky legs. He sat, smoothing his stained and wrinkled shirt across his barrel chest with shaking hands.

  “Five thousand pounds,” he said softly. “Each.”

  Hawk let out a low whistle that Landon ignored. “Done,” he said softly. “You will have the funds deposited tomorrow in your accounts.”

  “Landon!” Hawk exclaimed, but he raised a hand to silence his brother.

  “There are, of course, stipulations to this bargain,” he said and realized with a start that he was using the same terms he had used when he struck his deal with Juliana a few days ago. What a difference those few days had made.

  “And they are?” Trevington asked, still shaking from the thought of his ten thousand pound windfall.

  “First, you will never speak of what you did to Evelyn to anyone.”

  Trevington shrugged. “I won’t speak of it, but I can’t say what Sin will do.”

  Landon folded his arms. “I will deal with Sinclair. Secondly, you will not make contact with either of your daughters for the rest of your days. After what you have put them through, it will be in their power to decide if they wish to gift you with their presence.”

  “Never speak to them?” he repeated and his brow wrinkled.

  “Ten thousand pounds should ease the pain of your loss, I’m sure,” Landon said.

  Trevington bowed his head. “Very well.”

  “And finally, you will never make any wager or bargain that involves them again.” Landon stepped closer and Trevington flinched. “If I hear of it, I will personally make sure you do not repeat it or anything else. Can you live with these terms?”

  Trevington panted out a few breaths and looked longingly toward his bottle before he nodded. “Y-Yes, my lord.”

  “Good. Make arrangements for the girls’ ladies maids to pack their things. I will send for them by the end of today. If they wish to continue to serve their mistresses, I will pay their wages. If not, then they are free to return to your home.”

  Trevington stumbled to his feet as Landon and Hawk turned to go. “She-she never wanted to end your marriage.”

  Landon froze. After all he had done, now Juliana’s father wanted to repair the damage. He slowly turned back and met the man’s eyes.

  “It-it was my doing,” Trevington finished.

  “I know,” Landon said. “And that is why you do not deserve to ever see her again. Drink yourself into oblivion, old man. I hope you choke on your libations.”

  He yanked the parlor door open and stepped into the hallway. As Hawk shut the door behind them, Landon turned, ready to depart. But before he could take a step away, he caught a glimpse of something on the stairway leading to the family quarters.

  Juliana sat on the stairs, her knees brought up to her chin, silent tears streaming down her face.

  Landon rushed to her, dropping down before her as he grabbed her hands and clutched them in his.

  “Are you hurt?” he whispered.

  She didn’t answer for a moment, she tried to catch her breath past sobs. Finally, she shook her head. “N-no.”

  “What is it?” he asked before he lifted her hands to kiss her knuckles. “What is it?”

  She looked at him and her mouth turned up in a little smile that nearly broke his heart. “We’re free. We are free of him?”

  He shut his eyes. She’d heard his deal with her father. God, how he wished he’d known or he wouldn’t have been so harsh. Never in the world would he have wanted her to know what little value her father put on her life.

  “Yes, you and Evelyn are free,” he said quietly.

  She dropped her chin and freed her hands from his grip as she began to cry again. Without a word, Landon gathered her into his arms and carried her from the house.

  “Come, Juliana,” he said softly, pressing a kiss against her temple. “I’m taking you home.”

  Chapter Nine

  Juliana stared at her reflection in the mirror and winced at what she saw. Her hair had come down from its careful style and her eyes were puffy. As she sighed, she caught a glimpse of Bianca Hawkins, the wife of Landon’s brother Hawk, staring at her. After they had arrived at Landon’s home, Hawk had fetched his wife.

  She tried to give the woman a smile, but couldn’t manage it. She was too overwhelmed. First, she had been put in a guest room. Not Landon’s room, not the connected room to his that would one day be his wife’s… but a guest room.

  Looking around, she admired the beautiful floral design of the furniture and the soft carpeting.

  A very nice guest room. But still…

  And that did not even begin to cover her upset. There was her father, her sister, the knowledge that she was no longer under the Trevington thumb. But also the knowledge that Landon now owned her and she wasn’t quite sure what that meant.

  “Isn’t there anything I can do for you?” Bianca asked as she came and placed a gentle hand on Juliana’s shoulder.

  She glanced up at the woman. There had only been a few occasions for her to meet with Bianca. Before her marriage to Hawk…and truth be told, even since… she had been subject to a wealth of gossip about her lovers and her appetites. Juliana had always been a little nervous around her, but now she felt warmth from the woman that put her at ease. Somehow… someway, this lady understood.

  “No, thank you.”

  “May I at least fix your hair since your maid has not yet arrived?”

  Juliana glanced at herself in the mirror again and flinched. She did look a fright. “Very well.”

  Bianca smiled as she began to search for the remaining pins in Juliana’s hair. “Men. A woman cries and they feel the world is coming down. They instantly require another woman to fix whatever they’ve done to the first one to make her weep so.”

  Juliana bent her head as the brush began to make slow sweeps through her tangled locks. “Landon hasn’t done anything to make me weep.”

  That wasn’t entirely true, but she wasn’t going to invite his sister-in-law’s censure.

  “No. And to my surprise, he didn’t really want to leave your side, either.” Bianca smiled. “You are lucky. The Hawkins men are very good husbands. When he is yours, you will not want for anything.”

  She started. “Landon-Landon will not be my husband,” she stammered, adding ‘again’ only to herself since Bianca didn’t seem aware of the truth.

  “You think not?” Bianca asked, her voice suddenly soft. Her hands stilled in their work with her hair. “I see you want to deny what is right before your eyes. Certainly, I cannot judge that. I have been known to do it myself from time to time.”

  Juliana stared at her hands as Bianca spun her hair up and fastened it with her hairpins. When she had finished, she put one hand on each of Juliana’s shoulders.

  “Take a little advice from a woman who could have thrown away love because of fear. Don’t try to deny your heart. It is a useless exercise. And don’t try to assume you know Landon’s heart, either.” She smiled. “I don’t think any woman can truly understand a man’s feelings, even when she has been married to him for an age.”

  She stepped toward the door with a smile. “I will report to the gentlemen that you are no longer weeping and let Landon know that you are taking some time alone to think. But I beg of you not to wait too long. Men can be quite fragile, especially those as desperately in love as my brother-in-law seems to be.” With that shocking statement, Bianca tipped her head in goodbye and left Juliana alone with her tangled thoughts.

  Rising on shaky legs, Juliana moved to the window and looked out. The sun was beginning to set in the distance and sent a wash of violet, pink and orange across Landon’s beautiful gardens. She pressed her head to the glass as thoughts and emotions assailed her from every side.

  There was so much to think about, so much to resolve, but she was afraid to go downstairs and face Landon. She was terrified that he would demand she become his mistress to repay her debt.

&nb
sp; And almost equally terrified that he would not.

  She folded her arms as she forced some calm back into her shaking heart. After five years of enduring hell of varying types, she could not turn coward now. All that was left to do was to face Landon. Only then could she determine her next move.

  * * *

  Landon frowned as he looked at his brother and sister-in-law. They stood in the corner of his parlor by the window where Juliana had first stood when he found her waiting for him. Their heads were together and they whispered conspiratorially. From time to time, one or the other glanced over at him, then they immediately went back to their conversation.

  Every moment that passed on the clock grated on his nerves, yet he could not make a move. Juliana needed this time to recover her nerves. And he had no choice but to let her come to him in her own time.

  He could only pray that she would do so.

  From behind him, the door opened and Winston stepped aside. He motioned to someone in the darkness of the hallway. “Here you are, my lady.”

  Landon clenched the slippery crystal of the drink in his hand as Juliana stepped into the room. Her blue eyes were dark as they swept across the room just briefly, then settled on him with a focus so intense that he almost turned away from it. He wasn’t sure he was ready to face her pain or the possibility of her anger.

  “Good afternoon,” she said and her voice cracked slightly.

  He gave an awkward bow. “Juliana.”

  She turned to Hawk and Bianca with a tight smile. “I-I’m sorry to be rude, but might I have a moment with Landon?”

  Bianca sent a smile to her husband as the two of them made for the door. “Of course. Hawk and I were just thinking about a walk in the gardens.”

  Hawk shook his head as if to say they had not been, but he followed his wife out nonetheless with only a smile of encouragement for Landon. Then the door shut behind them and Landon found himself alone with Juliana. His wife. Still his wife, despite her attempts to end the union. Despite his attempts to forget its existence.

  He motioned to a chair beside the fire as he crossed over to the poorboy. “Would you like a drink?”

  “No,” she said softly, though she did take the offered seat. “I don’t think it’s wise to have my emotions dulled. They have been dulled too long, I think.”

  He nodded and released the bottle. Turning, he faced her. His heart throbbed with anticipation, but he waited. Waited for her.

  She drew in a harsh breath. “I want to be sure I heard correctly when I went to the parlor in my father’s home today. I want to be sure I understand what has transpired.”

  “I will answer your every question to the best of my abilities,” Landon said softly.

  God, how he wanted to touch her. To take her into his arms and soothe away the lines of worry around her mouth and eyes. But her posture and demeanor showed him she would not accept that comfort. Not yet, at any rate.

  “Did you buy my freedom and that of my sister for the sum of ten thousand pounds?” she asked. Her eyes lifted and snagged his.

  He held her gaze, though it hurt him to see her raw emotions so painfully displayed. “Yes.”

  He held his breath as he awaited her response. Her anger at his heavy-handedness. She got to her feet and slowly approached him. Her shoulders trembled and her eyes were soft with tears. But she did not strike out at him with words or a slap.

  Instead, she put her arms around his neck and clung to him.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice broken. “Thank you for that sacrifice. I know you did it for me. For Evelyn.”

  He brought his arms around her and brought her close, smoothing his palms over the curve of her back as he savored this embrace as if it was a lifeline.

  After a moment, she drew away. He let her go with reluctance and once again, awaited his fate. She swiped away renewed tears and stiffened her jaw.

  “You realize, of course, that I cannot ever repay that debt. At least, not with money. But-but I do not wish you to think I won’t repay it somehow.”

  He shook his head as pain spiked through him. “I do not expect repayment.”

  “But I must,” she insisted. “Or I am no better than my father. I am yours now.” She caught her breath. “And I shall do anything you desire.”

  Landon swallowed hard for her words inspired such a large range of fantasies. But one sprung forth before all others. Only one that could satisfy the debt fully in his mind. But he almost feared to say it.

  Reaching out, he caught her hand and raised it to his cheek. “There is only one method of repayment that will be satisfactory.”

  She shut her eyes as her fingers curled against the stubble on his cheek. “Yes?”

  “I want you as my wife. Again.”

  * * *

  Juliana’s eyes flew open and she jolted back, but Landon clung to her hand and would not let her retreat. She stared at him and he held her gaze with even focus.

  “You cannot be serious,” she whispered, though her heart screamed at her not to call his bluff, but to agree. Still, she had to know that his offer was real. She didn’t think she could bear being as close to heaven as she had once been and then have it snatched from her as it had been in Scotland.

  “I assure you my lady, I am completely serious,” he said, a smile tilting his lips. “If you ask my brother, he will probably report that I am never anything but serious.”

  She shook her head. “But… but our bargain… the money you are giving to my father…”

  He winced even as he gathered her closer. “The agreement I struck with your father, I do not regret. If you will agree to be my wife, I count my investment as a steal, indeed.”

  She smiled despite the overwhelming emotions that were building in her chest with his every word.

  “As for the bargain I made with you…” He shook his head. “It was cruel and I apologize. I ached for you for five long years, Juliana. And I foolishly thought that if I could make you hurt as much, then it would cleanse me of my pain. All it did was make me want you more. Make me realize I still loved you. And when I realized you had left me, not because you did not love me, but because you had to protect your sister… it made me feel like a cad for not fighting harder. I know I’ve not yet proven it to you, but I swear I will fight for you from now on. Every day. Every night. For the rest of my life.”

  Her eyes welled with tears yet again, but this time they were tears of joy, not pain. She cupped Landon’s cheeks in her palms and shook her head.

  “My God, you think you have not proven you would fight for me?” Leaning forward, she kissed him. “You are my champion, Landon. And I would be lucky to have a second chance to be your wife.”

  He brought her in closer and she thought she saw moisture glistening in his eyes before he took her lips and made her forget everything but the feel of his mouth moving against hers.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him as she opened to him. Opened her lips, opened her heart. And this time, she knew there was nothing to part them. No dark cloud over the horizon. Just their love.

  He stumbled forward until she sat down on the settee and sprawled between her legs, kneeling on the floor before her. She clung to him, tasting him, sliding her hands along his shoulders, his back, feeling every inch of him because he was hers now. Really hers.

  His hands found their way to the edging of her skirt and warm air brushed her legs as he started to push the gown up.

  “Landon,” she protested weakly between melting kisses. “Your brother and Bianca-”

  “Trust me, Juliana,” he said as he slipped down toward the flesh that had been revealed. “Hawk and Bianca will understand my need to do this more than any other people on earth.”

  Juliana would have blushed or tried to protest a second time, but all her thoughts and words were lost when Landon lifted her skirt as high as he could and pushed her legs open. Then his mouth was on her, hot and wild against her folds. He stroked her as her head fel
l back on the cushions and she let out a moan.

  “I wanted to do this the first night I saw you,” he admitted as he used his thumbs to open the outer lips of her sex, then went back to tonguing her.

  Her hips arched as he rolled his tongue around her sensitive clit. “I wanted you so much,” she sighed. “And I was so afraid you would turn me out.”

  “I couldn’t,” he murmured against her flesh. His gray eyes peered up, snagging hers. She was mesmerized by the sight of his dark head between her legs, his eyes focused on her even as his tongue did such wicked things to her clenching body.

  Stroke after stroke, he brought her to the brink of release, but just as she was close to completion, he withdrew. She would have sobbed with frustration if he hadn’t immediately loosened his trousers and set his cock free from the confines of cloth.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck as he positioned himself at her entrance. Before he moved, he leaned down to kiss her and she tasted her own essence on his lips.

  “I love you, Juliana,” he murmured, then he filled her in one smooth thrust.

  Immediately, her body exploded with pleasure. He pounded into her, riding through her release until he collapsed on top of her, pouring his heat into her as the last tremor of her pleasure rocked her.

  For a while, they lay like that. Her against the settee, his head resting on her breast and his body still buried deep. She stroked her hands over his hair as peace filled her to her core.

  “How soon would you like to marry again?” he whispered.

  She smiled. “As soon as Evelyn is back here safely and able to attend the wedding.”

  “Good.” He sighed. “Because I cannot wait until the world knows you are my wife.”

  “Say it again,” she whispered.

  He lifted his head and she knew that he was remembering her saying those very words so long ago. “Lady Juliana Hawkins,” he murmured. “My wife. Forever.”