Geoffrey nodded. He scratched his neck, contemplating what on earth could have compelled the highwaymen to lead the coach here.
Ice clutched his chest. Perhaps his uncle was rather more alive than people thought. Perhaps he had arranged this whole thing. If he was indeed the outlaw the duke insisted he was . . . Geoffrey’s mouth dried. My uncle wouldn’t kill us, surely?
*
Crisp wind swirled around Etienne, and the horses’ trot quickened.
Etienne darted a glance at Barnesley. The man’s face remained directed on the horses.
“He won’t be happy about this,” Barnesley said.
“I know.” But hopefully he’ll be happy after this.
Etienne swallowed as the coach halted in front of the castle. His chest tightened.
“He’s not in any danger is he?” Barnesley frowned at Etienne, his bushy eyebrows fixed in the intimidating glare Etienne was already accustomed to.
“Of course not.” Etienne managed to sound outraged. He lowered his voice conspiratorially. “It’s to do with the duke.” He sent the message.
Barnesley nodded slowly, stroking his chin. “Aristocrats.”
Etienne shrugged. “Not worth understanding.”
“Most assuredly.”
Etienne jumped from the seat. His heartbeat quickened, and energy rushed through him. “Thank you.”
“I would say anytime,” Barnesley said. “But I hope it doesn’t happen again.”
Etienne laughed. “I’ll try not to make a habit of attacking the magistrate.”
Barnesley glared and followed Etienne. He grabbed hold of Etienne’s wrist, his grip like iron. “He’s a good man. Don’t you dare harm him.”
Etienne blinked and swung open the door of the coach. Geoffrey glowered, and Etienne swallowed, forcing his voice to sound as deep as it could, “Come.”
One-syllable words were better. One-syllable words meant Geoffrey might not recognize him.
Geoffrey crossed his arms. “I’m not leaving my friend with this highwayman.”
Etienne swung his head to the other side of the coach, taking in a slim blond for the first time. He scowled. This wasn’t part of the plan. Geoffrey wasn’t supposed to drag a handsome man along with him to visit the duke, as if he couldn’t bear to be parted from all of London’s pleasures. Or just this man’s pleasures.
Etienne stared at the unexpected addition. The blond wore a foppish cravat, tied in a manner more complex than any Etienne had ever seen before. His hair curled in stylish waves around his face. He had fine, chiseled features. His eyelashes fluttered, and his cheeks and lips were stained perfect shades of pink. Damned cold nights.
Joshua lay splayed on the floor. Etienne’s heart stopped. “You haven’t injured him, have you?”
Perhaps involving anyone else in my problems was foolish.
“He’s fine,” the blond said. “Aren’t you?”
The blond knelt by Joshua, laying a slim hand on the other man. Joshua’s eyes fluttered open and he blinked, not drawing his eyes from the other man’s face.
Etienne coughed. Joshua did not seem to be in a sound state, but if he was moving, that was a good sign. He growled, “Out.”
With a sigh, Geoffrey and the blond man exited. Joshua scrambled up and followed, his eyes still somewhat dazed.
“You didn’t hurt your head?” Etienne whispered to him.
“All fine,” Joshua said, his eyes still fixed on the other man. The words came out more slowly than normal, and Etienne frowned.
Their feet pounded on the flagstones. He indicated for Geoffrey and the stranger to stride in front.
“You take the other gentleman somewhere,” Etienne whispered.
Joshua nodded, and his mouth sealed shut.
Etienne’s heart pulsated as they neared the castle. The decorations were arranged; everything was set. No servants were in the castle: the few remaining ones Geoffrey had not taken with him were now on holiday. This was Christmas after all.
His fingers tingled, and Etienne rested them against his mask, wary of what Geoffrey would make when he discovered Etienne had interrupted Geoffrey’s obvious tryst, conspiring with the duke to force him from London. Geoffrey was better off with somebody like the blond man. Somebody elegant, part of society. Somebody who probably hadn’t occupied his youth demeaning himself for food and shelter.
Etienne grimaced. Well, let Geoffrey laugh at me. It would serve me right. Make the world just a little more just.
He swallowed, attempting to relieve the dryness in his throat. His heart was off somewhere else, fluttering away. He could change his mind. Geoffrey still thought he was just some highwayman. Etienne could tear down the decorations, and Geoffrey could simply remain baffled by everything that happened. No doubt his new companion could distract him.
Etienne’s mouth angled into a scowl. He would not leave Geoffrey to some London fop. He puffed out his chest and yanked the door of the castle open. He led Geoffrey toward the ballroom and stopped. Joshua dragged the blond man to a neighboring room. Geoffrey frowned, and Etienne gripped his wrist and pulled him toward the ballroom.
His heart clenched, conscious Geoffrey might soon berate him. Perhaps holding Geoffrey’s wrist would be the last contact Etienne would have with him. He allowed himself to stroke the underside of the man’s wrist, contemplating Geoffrey’s warmness and the nice curve of his hands.
Geoffrey inhaled sharply, and with a heavy sigh, Etienne swung the door to the ballroom open. Geoffrey would either mock him or reprimand him for dragging him all the way here.
“What . . .” Geoffrey’s voice boomed in the empty room.
Etienne shut his eyes. Geoffrey noticed. Dear God, he noticed. He opened his eyes. Of course the man noticed, he isn’t blind.
Christmas garlands looped around the ceiling. Oranges, cloves, and pinecones were scattered about, infusing the room with their scent.
Geoffrey swung his head at Etienne. His voice stammered. “What is this?”
Etienne sighed and removed his mask. His face felt bare, exposed under Geoffrey’s shock and bewilderment, and he forced his eyes to remain on Geoffrey.
“Etienne?” Geoffrey’s eyes widened, and Etienne nodded. “You arranged this?”
“I wanted to give you Christmas. Forgive me for laughing before, when you set up the St. Nicholas festivities here. I wasn’t unappreciative; I was stunned. And then you were gone and—” Hot tears threatened to overflow, and Etienne inhaled, forcing himself to direct his gaze at Geoffrey. “And I know you must be angry at me for dragging you from London. I didn’t know you were spending your time there with another man. And I’m sure he’s much, much better than me, and,” Etienne swallowed, and Geoffrey stepped toward him, “And I’m sure you’ll be very happy together, but I wanted to give you this. As a thank you.”
“You’re giving me Christmas?” Geoffrey swallowed hard.
Etienne nodded. He inhaled, attempting to be calm, attempting to show he wouldn’t mind if Geoffrey turned to laugh at him. His fists clenched, prepared for when Geoffrey’s eyes would turn to disgust, and he would storm off and snatch the blond man, and do very noisy things with him in his bedroom.
“And you kidnapped me?”
Etienne nodded. Lord, I hope he doesn’t arrest me. “I had to ask the duke to send the note to you. And Joshua helped, of course.”
Geoffrey blinked. “That was Joshua?”
Etienne nodded. The details didn’t matter. All that mattered was Geoffrey. And these might be the last moments I ever have with him. He’ll hate me now. He already does.
Geoffrey stepped closer to him. Etienne smelled his musky scent and turned his head. The man was so tempting, so wonderful.
And then Geoffrey’s hands were on him. But not in an aggressive manner. In a tender, caring manner. Etienne swallowed.
“Thank you,” Geoffrey’s voice rumbled in Etienne’s ear, and Geoffrey’s arms encompassed Etienne, drawing him into an embrace.
&nbs
p; Etienne moaned and pulled Geoffrey closer to him.
“I’m sorry for everything,” Etienne gasped.
“So am I,” Geoffrey said.
Etienne buried his face in Geoffrey’s chest, longing to memorize everything, longing to never leave. Geoffrey tucked Etienne’s hair under his ear, and Etienne gazed up. Geoffrey’s face became larger, filling all of Etienne’s sight, and then Geoffrey’s lips brushed against his.
Chapter Twenty
They stood that way for a while. And then Geoffrey grasped his hand. “Show me the decorations.”
“Captain Carlisle helped.”
Geoffrey’s lips rose. “I thought he despised me.”
“It’s possible the duchess forced him. I told the duke my intentions, and he involved his wife, and then she involved Lady Reynolds, Carlisle, and Sebastian Lewis.” Etienne lifted his head and bit his lip. “I’m sorry so many people were involved. If it helps, none of them minded at all. They must have suspected that my feelings . . .”
Etienne swallowed and buried his head against Geoffrey again.
Geoffrey laughed and kissed the top of Etienne’s head. He had his suspicions about Carlisle and Lewis. Carlisle seemed decidedly cheerful ever since his visit to Yorkshire.
The room dazzled. Flames twirled in the fireplace, illuminating everything in its warm rays. It was wonderful. Too wonderful.
Geoffrey stilled. “You lied to me.”
Etienne stepped away, and his face paled. “It was my job.”
“I couldn’t think of a more dishonorable one.”
Etienne’s mouth tightened, and Geoffrey’s heart thudded as a more dishonorable job did come to his mind.
“I didn’t mean…” Geoffrey’s voice was hoarse.
“I missed you,” Etienne said. “When you didn’t come that night . . . I missed you so much. And then the next day—you disappeared. You didn’t even say goodbye.”
Geoffrey averted his eyes.
“If you had been a bother or a nuisance,” Etienne continued, “I would have been grateful for your absence, for removing any chance at awkwardness. Instead… Instead it felt like someone had torn my heart away.”
Geoffrey darted his gaze back at Etienne, and his eyes widened. Etienne returned his stare. Geoffrey’s throat dried.
“Everything we did…” Etienne swallowed, and Geoffrey was struck by the fact that Etienne abhorred speaking about any emotions, and yet here he was, ushering forward with expressions of his feelings. “Everything we did was real. I needed to spy on you, nothing else.”
Geoffrey squeezed his hand, and his voice roughened. “I missed you.”
Etienne swallowed. “I missed you too.”
Etienne lips met his, and Geoffrey smiled. There was always something to smile about when Etienne kissed him. He stared in awe at Etienne, at the room, wondering how he could be so fortunate to have Etienne before him.
“You haven’t shaved,” Etienne said.
Geoffrey tangled his hands in the man’s locks. “I’ve been a bit unhappy.”
“You don’t shave when you’re unhappy?”
Geoffrey smiled. “I don’t leave my apartment when I’m unhappy. Unless I get a very formal request from the duke.”
Etienne’s smile tightened. “I understand you’ve found someone else. You needn’t worry about me. I just wanted to give you this.”
Geoffrey frowned, and lifted Etienne’s chin to gaze into the man’s eyes. “There’s no one else except you.”
Etienne blinked. “Oh.”
He pulled Etienne toward him again. “Why did you think I was kissing you?”
“Politeness? And there’s mistletoe too.”
Geoffrey raised his head, and his lips parted. “So there is.”
“Hadn’t you noticed?”
“No.”
“I thought it might warrant a kiss, just to be sure.”
Geoffrey gazed at him. “Because you are so fond of kisses.”
“Only from you.”
Geoffrey smiled and pulled him toward him.
“But the person in the coach…” Etienne stammered. “The blond gentleman…”
“Is a friend,” Geoffrey said. “Only that. You—you are more.”
Geoffrey pulled Etienne toward him.
“I wasn’t sure how you would react,” Etienne said.
“I’m glad you took the chance,” Geoffrey said. “Though perhaps you could have chosen less dramatic means.”
Etienne bit his lip, and averted his eyes. Geoffrey stared at the thickness of Etienne’s eyelashes, and he touched his finger to the corner of Etienne’s eye, smiling as the man lifted them toward him again.
“I wanted to see you in person,” Etienne said. “And the duke said you resigned your position.”
“I’m sorry.” Geoffrey stroked Etienne’s back. “I was a fool.”
“I shouldn’t have laughed before. I was simply—overwhelmed.” Etienne pulled him toward the fire. “Nobody has ever done anything like that for me.”
“Then everyone is a fool.” Geoffrey leaned his forehead so it touched Etienne’s. Everywhere there was Etienne, there was warmth.
Etienne smiled, and Geoffrey’s heart lurched. It floated away as Etienne’s fingers stroked Geoffrey’s shoulders and then descended to remove Geoffrey’s frock coat.
Geoffrey reached for Etienne’s clothes, and they laughed as their fingers brushed against one another.
“I think it would be quicker if we removed our clothes ourselves,” Etienne said.
“And stop touching you?” Heat rose to Geoffrey’s face at the absurdity of the statement, but Etienne’s eyes only crinkled, and he didn’t protest again.
Geoffrey smiled as Etienne’s bare chest became visible. He moved to touch it, but Etienne’s mouth was already on him, doing interesting things to his chest, such as sucking it. Hard.
Geoffrey moaned, and Etienne lifted his head to grin. “Did you miss that?”
“Yes,” Geoffrey gasped.
Etienne cupped Geoffrey’s cock and licked his lips.
Geoffrey moaned at the sudden sensation, at the sight of Etienne before him. His cock strained against his buckskins. “Lord.”
He pulled Etienne away, dragged him to the rug in front of the fireplace, and tossed him on it. And then crawled onto it himself.
This was about Etienne too. Etienne was the one who made it possible for them to be together. Etienne had taken that huge risk, getting the damned duke involved, and Geoffrey was not just going to stand there.
As wonderful as that might be. And other nights he might do that, definitely.
But not tonight.
“Tonight is for you,” Geoffrey said, his voice rough.
Etienne’s eyes widened, and Geoffrey smiled as he undid Etienne’s breeches. He snatched hold of the breeches and dragged them from Etienne. Etienne’s hard cock popped up.
Geoffrey crawled toward it. He ran his finger over the hard velvet length and concentrated on the region where the crown and the shaft merged. Etienne’s cock glistened, and Geoffrey leaned his head to it, eager to taste it.
He licked the underside of his cock. Etienne moaned, the sound filling Geoffrey’s ears with pleasure. He moved his hands to Etienne’s arse, fondling the man’s cheeks as he licked and sucked him.
Etienne gasped beneath him, and Geoffrey lifted his hands to Etienne’s face. His cheeks pinked, and Geoffrey smiled, remembering the soggy, angry man he had met all those months ago.
So much had changed. Everything was heavenly now. Everything was perfect.
Etienne brushed his fingers through Geoffrey’s hair, and Geoffrey sighed and buried Etienne’s cock farther into his mouth.
“You don’t need to do this,” Etienne gasped.
Geoffrey lifted his head, removing his mouth from Etienne. “I want to. I desire you so completely, and . . .”
Etienne squirmed beneath him, and Geoffrey smiled, returning to sucking on Etienne. He brushed his fingers over Eti
enne’s thighs and parted them. He moved his mouth to them, nibbling on his thighs as he stroked Etienne. He wanted to touch every inch of him.
“Inside me,” Etienne gasped. “I want you inside me.”
Etienne flipped over onto his knees, his delicious bottom raised for Geoffrey.
Geoffrey scrambled up. Maybe kissing every inch of Etienne could wait. He moistened his cock and slid it down Etienne’s crevice, teasing him. Etienne wriggled toward him.
Etienne panted. “I want you now. Hard.”
Geoffrey grabbed hold of Etienne and flipped him back over. “I want to see you.”
Etienne’s eyes widened and his rosy lips parted. “Oh.”
Geoffrey moved his fingers over Etienne’s chest, rubbing his nipples into tight peaks. Etienne moaned, and Geoffrey eased inside him. Everything was tight and hot and Etienne. “So good.”
Etienne’s eyes fluttered. “Yes . . .”
Geoffrey grinned, and his cock swelled against the warm flesh. Etienne’s scent strengthened, and his cock slickened with beads of moisture that gleamed even in the dim light. He moved his finger over the length of Etienne’s cock, and he swallowed hard, as his lover’s length strengthened and hardened underneath his touch.
Etienne wriggled his arse again, driving himself downward. His hands brushed against Geoffrey’s nipples, paying them more care than he thought possible. Feathery strokes turned into firmer ones, and finally Etienne pulled Geoffrey downward. His arms tightened around Geoffrey’s body, and Geoffrey gasped at the sensation of warmth that surrounded him. He thrust farther into Etienne, diving into this mixture of heat and bliss. “Next time, I want you to be inside me.”
“Oooh,” Etienne moaned, and his fingernails scraped against Geoffrey’s back.
Geoffrey inhale, his breath uneven, and Etienne and he filled the room with pants and muffled cries. They were merging, melding together, and the emptiness inside of him vanished.
He smiled thinking that he once believed he might survive life without this, envisioning himself content on his own. Etienne showed him all the wonder there was around him, everything he ignored as he focused on whether something were right or wrong, whether something should be punished or not.
Captured At The Castle (Scandal in Sussex Book 2) Page 18
