You, and Only You

by Jennifer McNare

  Biting down nervously upon her lower lip, she was suddenly unsure how to begin. “Are your mother and sisters at home?” she finally asked, for lack of a better way to start off the conversation.

  “No. They are presently in Bristol, visiting my mother’s sister.”

  “Oh, I see.” Good heavens, this was so much more difficult than she’d anticipated. Clasping her hands together in her lap, she glanced fretfully about the room. Go on, ask him, her inner voice commanded.

  “Tiffany-”

  “Alex-” They both spoke at once.

  “Please,” Alex said, motioning for her to go first. “What were you going to say?”

  “Alright,” she said quietly, meeting his steady gaze. “Alex, did you…lose the wager to my father on purpose?”

  He blinked in surprise. His first thought was to ask her how she could have possibly known that, but after a moment’s hesitation, he simply answered her truthfully. “Yes, I did.”

  “Why?” Tiffany’s voice was little more than a whisper as she gazed at him searchingly.

  He regarded her thoughtfully, pondering just how to put his feelings into words, as he held her intense gaze. After a moment, he spoke. “Do you remember that night at the theater? You were there with Ashleigh and your father.”

  “Yes.”

  “When I saw you there, sitting in your box, I was… utterly captivated,” he began. “And then, after that night, I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about you,” he continued earnestly. “I told myself that as time went on I would somehow be able to get you out of my mind, but then, when I saw you again, I knew that I’d been fooling myself.”

  Tiffany listened to what Alex was telling her in utter fascination, for what he was saying was so similar to the initial effect he’d had upon her.

  “I did my best to avoid you after that,” he admitted with a slight shake of his head. “I confess that I was both baffled and unnerved by my reaction to you, and I was afraid that it would only get worse, the more time we spent in each other’s company, the more I got to know you. And of course, it did.”

  Tiffany sat spellbound as Alex continued.

  “But even so, I told myself that I could stay away from you, that I had to stay away from you. But then, on the night of your birthday, when I saw you with Fitzpatrick, I nearly lost my mind. In fact, I wanted to strangle the boy,” he acknowledged with a wry smile. “Then, when I kissed you, I knew that everything had changed. Though I tried stubbornly to deny it, in my heart I knew that my feelings for you were so much stronger than I was willing to admit. I was just too dammed pigheaded to acknowledge, even to myself, that I was falling in love with you.”

  Feeling her eyes grow moist, Tiffany fought to hold back her tears as Alex continued.

  “As crazy as this may sound, when your father presented me with that damnable wager I was furious, but surprisingly, there was a part of me that felt an odd sense of relief as well.”

  “Relief?” Tiffany questioned softly.

  Alex smiled tenderly. “Although he didn’t know it at the time, and though I foolishly continued to fight my feelings, your father was offering me not only one, but two things I desperately wanted.”

  “So you agreed to the wager, and then lost on purpose because you wanted to marry me?”

  “I knew that I had your father beat, but in the back of my mind I realized that if turned my cards over, I might lose you. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t take that risk.”

  She wanted to say something, but she was suddenly too choked up to speak.

  “I’m sorry for being such a damned fool. And I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you about the wager when I had the chance,” Alex said earnestly, his expression filled with remorse. “It was a terrible mistake, but I swear that I was only trying to protect you.”

  Tiffany nodded in understanding.

  “And then, when I got your note, to know that you had found out like that, to know what you must have been thinking, I felt sick inside. I wanted to see you, to talk to you, to try and explain if I could, even though I feared you wouldn’t believe anything I had to say, but you had already left,” he continued. “Knowing that I might have lost you forever was like having my heart suddenly ripped from my chest.”

  “Oh, Alex,” she whispered, for she could well understand the pain he must have felt, so much like her own.

  “I wanted to go after you right away. But I waited, hoping that if I gave you enough time you might eventually find it in your heart to forgive me.”

  She couldn’t fight them any longer. Gazing at Alex in absolute wonder, she finally gave in and allowed the tears to slide slowly down her cheeks.

  Rising from his chair, Alex moved across the short space that separated them, dropping onto his knees before her. Lifting his hands to her face, he gently wiped the tears from her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. “I love you Tiffany,” he said, feeling the sudden sting of tears at the back of his own eyes.

  Gazing into the depths of his beautiful grey eyes, Tiffany felt as if she had just received the most precious gift in the world.

  With the weather outside worsening by the minute, Alex had insisted that Tiffany, along with her driver and footman, stay the night at Chesterfield. Reluctant to leave Alex’s side for even a moment, she had readily agreed. And now, having just finished the evening meal, a scrumptious repast that had been both satiating and delicious, she was feeling both relaxed and utterly carefree as Alex led her into the massive library at the rear of the house.

  Having offered to teach Tiffany the game of chess, Alex led her over to the large square table that held the ornate, antique chess set that had once belonged to his grandfather.

  “Oh, it’s beautiful,” Tiffany exclaimed as she eyed the finely-detailed ivory pieces, each and every one an exquisite work of art.

  “My grandfather discovered it during a trip to India, in a tiny little shop on the outskirts of Bangalore,” Alex said as he pulled out her chair. “It was one of his most prized possessions.”

  “Did he teach you to play?” Tiffany asked as she took her seat.

  “He did.” Taking his own seat, directly across from her, Alex smiled at the memory. “He caught me playing with the pieces one day, even though I had been told repeatedly by my parents that they weren’t toys and instructed not to touch them,” he said with a mischievous grin. “And although I couldn’t have been more than five or six years old at the time, instead of scolding me as I had expected, he immediately sat me down across from him at the table and gave me my first lesson.”

  “The two of you were close?”

  “Very. He was a wonderful man. And while I was close to my father as well, it was my grandfather and I who seemed to share the most similar interests,” he revealed.

  “Excuse me, my lord.”

  Alex and Tiffany both turned to the open doorway.

  “Come in Patrick,” Alex said, motioning the young footman forward.

  “Your port, my lord, and sherry for the lady,” he said as he lowered the silver tray he carried onto a nearby side table.

  “Thank you, Patrick,” Alex said, as the footman then handed them each a liquid-filled crystal glass. “That will be all, for now.”

  “Yes, my lord,” he replied, and then promptly took his leave.

  Taking a sip of the wine, Tiffany smiled appreciatively. It was delicious.

  “Alright then,” Alex said, after taking a healthy sip from his own tumbler and then setting it aside. “Shall we begin your first lesson?” Teaching Tiffany to play chess wasn’t exactly how he would have preferred to spend the evening with her, but since taking her upstairs to his bedchamber wasn’t a viable option, it seemed the safest course.

  Nearly an hour and thirty minutes later, Tiffany had a rudimentary understanding of the game. However, after consuming another two, or was it three, glasses of the surprisingly potent sherry, it was becoming more and more difficult to focus upon Alex’s instruction.

  Noticing Tiffany’s w
aning concentration and the slightly glassy look that had entered her eyes, Alex cast a glance to her empty sherry glass and chuckled softly. “Perhaps we should call it a night,” he suggested.

  Tiffany blinked and attempted to focus. “So soon?”

  “It is getting rather late,” he said, motioning to the clock.

  “Oh, so it is,” Tiffany replied as she noted the time.

  “We can continue your lesson another time.” Rising from his chair, Alex held out his hand.

  Slipping her fingers into his, Tiffany stood up, swaying slightly as she gained her feet.

  Reaching out to steady her, Alex clasped his hands around her upper arms, inadvertently drawing her closer.

  Their faces mere inches apart, Tiffany could see the sudden spark of desire that entered Alex’s eyes, likely a mirror image of her own in that moment. And then suddenly his hands were at her back, his mouth lowering purposefully over hers. He kissed her hungrily, masterfully and oh so thoroughly as she pressed forward, molding her body to his. It was wonderful and perfect and she never wanted it to end.

  For Alex, holding Tiffany in his arms again, feeling the welcoming, eager movements of her body and her lips against his and knowing that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her, was all that he could have hoped for. Unfortunately however, with a houseful of servants wandering about, he also knew that it was neither the time nor the place to assuage their rapidly escalating hunger for one another. And so, though he wanted nothing more than to carry her upstairs to his bed, he forced himself to temper his need and slowly gentled his assault upon the sweet perfection of her luscious mouth.

  When he finally pulled back, Tiffany dropped her forehead to his chest, struggling to catch her breath and slow her racing heart.

  “I’ve been wanting to do that all night,” Alex admitted, his voice hoarse with unremitting desire as he rested his cheek atop Tiffany’s bowed head.

  “Well then, that make’s two of us,” Tiffany murmured softly against his shirtfront, her lips curving into an impish smile as she pulled back then to look into his eyes.

  Alex emitted a sound that was part laugh, part groan. “Be careful my little wanton,” he teased, “or I may not be able to wait until our wedding night to finish what we started.”

  Chapter 21

  Despite the lingering effects of the sherry, Tiffany had been tossing and turning for the past two hours and had finally given up on falling asleep. She knew what the problem was of course. It was Alex. Knowing that he was so close, just a short distance down the hall, was a temptation she found nearly impossible to ignore. Regrettably, after their passionate kiss in the library, he had promptly sent her off to bed, leaving them both feeling frustrated and woefully unfulfilled. She understood his decision, for he was behaving as a gentleman should, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. She smiled then. My little wanton, he’d called her. How right he was, she thought shamelessly.

  Rolling onto her side, her restless gaze fell upon the bedchamber door. How easy it would be to open that door, she thought, and walk the short distance to Alex’s own chamber. But she certainly couldn’t do something so bold, so utterly brazen. Could she? No, what on earth was she thinking? Of course she couldn’t do that, she thought with a dejected sigh.

  Ten minutes later, Tiffany slowly opened the door to her bedchamber. Leaning her head around the wooden panel, she looked cautiously up and down the hallway. Seeing that it was empty and confident that the servants had long-since retired to their beds, she slipped through the narrow opening, pulling the door shut softly behind her. Padding along the carpeted floor, her bare feet made nary a sound as she moved along the darkened hallway in the direction of the master bedchamber.

  As she approached the door at the end of the hall, she could discern a faint glow at its base. Was Alex still awake, she wondered? Tapping softly upon the thick oaken panel, she listened for any sound coming from within, but she couldn’t hear a thing. Afraid to knock any louder lest someone else hear, she reached for the solid brass knob, and then turned it ever so slowly, pushing the door open. Stepping inside, she shut it softly behind her and then turned to peer about the room. Her eyes immediately went toward the bed, but after casting a quick glance at the large four poster, she could see that it was empty.

  Walking forward into the room until she could see around the side of the enormous bed, she suddenly stopped as the stone fireplace came into view. Alex was standing before it, still dressed in his shirt and breeches, though his feet were bare. With one of his hands braced against the mantel, he stood unmoving, gazing into the dancing flames.

  She too, stood unmoving, simply watching him for one long moment, drinking in the sight of him.

  Alex wasn’t sure what drew his attention, but suddenly he turned from the flames, his eyes scanning the darkened room. He saw her then, standing in the center of the room, wearing only a thin, sleeveless chemise of white linen and lace that fell to the middle of her naked calves, while her glorious hair fell in a wild mass of curls around her shoulders. For a moment he was simply too stunned to speak. “Tiffany,” he began, once he found his voice, “is everything alright?”

  For a moment her eyes were riveted upon Alex’s chest. His shirt, untucked from his trousers, hung open, revealing the muscled planes of his naked chest. She swallowed reflexively, her mouth suddenly dry. “I…couldn’t sleep,” she replied softly, forcing her eyes upward, meeting his gaze.

  “You couldn’t sleep?” he replied inanely, feeling as if he’d suddenly lost his wits.

  Her lips curling upward into the barest hint of a smile, Tiffany shook her head slowly from side to side.

  Seeing the seductive little smile that tugged at her lips, Alex felt as if he’d just received a blow to his solar plexus. An instant later he was striding across the floor. When he reached her, she met his hungry gaze unflinchingly. Reaching out his hand, he laid it against her cheek, staring into the endless depths of her expressive eyes.

  Turning her head, Tiffany’s eyes never left his as she placed a feather-soft kiss upon the center of Alex’s palm.

  “Tiffany,” Alex groaned. Then delving his hands into her hair, he drew her to him, capturing her lips with his in a kiss that left them both breathless.

  “I want you to make love to me,” she whispered against his parted lips.

  Scooping her up and into his arms, Alex needed no further invitation. Turning to the bed as Tiffany wrapped her own arms around his neck, placing tiny little kisses all along the line of his jaw, he carried her to the edge of the mattress. Placing her upon the silken counterpane, he gazed down upon her for a moment, knowing that there was nothing in the world that he had ever wanted more.

  As Alex knelt down upon the side of the bed and leaned over her, Tiffany reached for him, her hands seeking out the naked breadth of his chest, her fingers splaying across his muscled abdomen as she began a tentative journey of discovery.

  Alex drew in a long, quivering breath as Tiffany’s fingers traced gently down the center of his chest and then moved to the contours of his ribs, her innocent exploration stoking the flames of his already burning desire. When he could stand it no longer, he pressed forward, lowering his mouth to hers, the kiss both consuming and demanding in its intensity.

  Tiffany arched against him, her fingers moving from his chest to twine in his thick hair as she returned his kiss without restraint.

  When Alex was finally able to tear his mouth from hers, he sat up and then quickly shed his shirt, relishing in the sight of Tiffany’s appreciative gaze as it travelled over his nakedness.

  Lying there, Tiffany watched in fascination as Alex discarded his shirt and then rose from the bed. His body was so different than hers, utterly masculine, yet remarkably beautiful at the same time. Then, as he reached for the waistband of his trousers, pushing them down and stepping free, his every movement was illuminated by the flickering orange glow from the fire; her gaze became riveted upon his jutting manhood. Good heavens, it wa
s long and thick, and so much larger than she had ever imagined, she realized, feeling a moment of unease.

  Alex noted Tiffany’s changing expression with a hint of amusement. “Do not worry, my love,” he said reassuringly. “Our bodies were designed to fit together perfectly. You’ll see.” Then, without giving her time to think any more about it, Alex stretched out beside her on the bed and set about distracting her with another round of impassioned, mind-drugging kisses.

  When she felt his hand move slowly up the length of her thigh, pushing her chemise upward inch by inch to the juncture of her thighs, Tiffany felt that now familiar, and oh so pleasant sensation begin to unfurl in the pit of her stomach. With only the slightest encouragement from Alex, she opened her legs to his searching fingers, allowing him access to the moist heat that radiated from her core.

  Sliding his fingers over Tiffany’s slick opening, Alex was delighted to find her hot and wet, unmistakable proof of her desire. Smiling as he explored her damp cleft with a practiced hand, he was soon rewarded with a tiny moan of satisfaction as Tiffany arched her hips against his palm. Then, parting her delicate folds, he slid his finger into her tight passage as he began to slowly flame the fire burning inside of her.

  As Alex heightened her desire with the movements of his skillful fingers, Tiffany began to writhe beneath him, seeking fulfillment for the growing need, the ache in her loins that was both pleasurable and painful at the same time, which demanded to be assuaged.

  Pushing her closer and closer to the edge, Alex stroked Tiffany’s sensitive bud with his thumb, as his finger continued to slide in and out with a steady rhythm.

  Tiffany tensed then, feeling her body go taut as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her. “Alex,” she cried out as her shattering release sent her mind spiraling out of control. Lost in a haze of carnal delight she was only vaguely aware as Alex pulled her chemise up and over her head, tossing it aside as he bared her to his ravenous gaze.