She laughed. “You don’t have any worldly goods and I already know I’m the best.”
With a groan, Caspar spun her round so they faced the same way, Ally on her back under him, his knees pinning her arms next to her ribs. She looked up at his tense face, the tendons in his neck standing out and dropped her gaze to his cock. One lick of her lips and he let out a choked growl.
“Do you have any idea…?” Caspar sighed. “Yeah, of course you do, you little tease.”
Ally wriggled one arm free, dropped her hand between her legs and scooped up the moisture gathered there. She wiped her sticky fingers between her breasts and then took hold of Caspar’s cock.
“Oh God,” he muttered.
Ally slid her slick hand up and down his length, gathering his pre-cum and adding that to the mix so he slipped more readily in her hand. Caspar angled his body so his cock lay between her breasts, and Ally pulled her other hand free so she could press her breasts against him.
“Ally, Ally, Ally.” He groaned each word as he slid back and forth, his hips rocking, his face taut in concentration.
The sensation of his hot, hard cock sliding between her breasts, the way it looked, made her feel drunk, made her powerful. Caspar closed his eyes and trembled. He pulled away from her breasts and trailed the head of his cock down the center of her chest, over her belly and the teardrop of pubic hair and came to a rest on the folds of her sex. Ally tipped her pelvis and the soft, round head of his cock just penetrated her swollen lips.
Ally wrapped her hands around his hips and tilted her pelvis until more of him slid inside her. Caspar grunted, then began to move, pressing his thick length in as his legs forced hers to widen. He rested on his arms and stared into her eyes as he worked himself deeper, rocking back and forth, sliding in and out, teasing them both with the slow penetration while he held back from thrusting all the way.
She wanted all of him, needed all of him. “You win. You’re the best.”
Caspar laughed and his cock flexed inside her. Ally tightened her muscles around him and his eyelids fluttered as he hissed. Encouraged, she did it again.
“No, you win,” he gasped.
He began to move, pulling back to slam into her. Long, hard, passionate thrusts of hard flesh into soft. They were both wet with sweat, gasping and panting with excitement, with effort, with lust.
“Jesus, Ally. You’re so fucking tight.”
As Ally arched into his down thrust, Caspar brought his fingers to her clit and rubbed. The telltale streamers of an orgasm on the rise rippled through her body. His hips moved faster, impossibly fast, and he dragged her with him into a perfect rhythm that lasted only moments before their movements became frenzied, their breathing choppy. As he rubbed her clit faster and fucked her harder, Ally could feel herself going over. Animal cries burst in his throat and she knew Caspar neared his limit.
Each thrust reached her heart and was accompanied by a gasp of her name.
Oh fuck, I love him. It wasn’t just the sex, though it left her more vulnerable to blurting out those three words. Ally couldn’t say it but she thought it.
I love you.
Ally didn’t want to come yet, didn’t want the sensation to end, that feeling as if her body had been taken over by something greater than her but she might as well have been trying to push water uphill. As the first spasm twisted her flesh, his cock jerked and they unraveled together. Ally pulled his face down and they kissed their way to satiated bliss.
Their breathing eased, their bodies cooled and their minds calmed. Caspar rolled onto his back and pulled Ally on top of him, his arms wrapped around her.
Please hold me forever.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ally skipped down the hill toward the village. The weather looked crappy, thick gray clouds glowered overhead, but her world grew brighter and brighter. No one out there trying to kill her, assuming Jack wasn’t a total idiot, and she had a gorgeous boyfriend who was so sexy he made her mouth water. Caspar still wanted her. She wasn’t like all the rest. Everything was going to be great.
She almost felt sorry for Jack. He had to have gone a bit mad to do what he did. Ally still found it difficult to believe he could have been desperate enough to kill her. Though she could see if her death looked like an accident, no one would have checked her emails and even if they had, the chances were small any alarms would have gone off.
So the danger had gone and the future looked rosy. She needed to talk to Caspar about Jack but it could wait.
Ally popped into The Rumblin’ Tumand smiled at Rose. “Morning. Bacon sandwich, please.”
“Morning, Ally. Coffee as well?”
“Please. To take out. I’m due at the adventure center. I need to eat on the hoof. My friends are leaving this morning.”
“I heard about the fun in the pub. My other half’s miffed because we went to the pictures and missed it.” Rose rolled her eyes. “He wants to buy me a nurse’s uniform. So are you…okay?”
The local grapevine had been busy. “Yes. I was lucky the bracken was soft and I missed the rocks. I’m a bit bruised but that’s all.”
The blank look told Ally wires had crossed.
“I meant about this,” Rose said, and put an open newspaper on the counter.
The headline said Moonraker.Three photographs. Caspar in a convertible with Lina Moon. Caspar eating cakes with Lina Moon. Caspar holding hands with Lina Moon. Oh shit.
Ally dropped a handful of coins on the counter. “Can I take the paper?”
“Help yourself.”
She headed for the door.
“You’ve forgotten your sandwich and coffee,” Rose called.
“Changed my mind,” Ally muttered.
As she continued down the street, she skimmed the article. Reading it properly could wait until she caught the gist of what it said. Even now, Ally tried to make the photographs tell a different story.
How could they?
Caspar Sanderson… Son of the Earl of Lynham… Sister’s murder… Albanian prison… Lina Moon… Cambridge students… Rekindled romance… Filming at Wyndale Hall… Engagement announcement expected… Lord and Lady Lynham delighted.
The pain in Ally’s chest scared her. Hard and fierce as though she’d been stabbed. No Caspar to administer CPR. He was the one who’d caused it, though Ally didn’t understand any of this. She’d left his bed a short time ago. He’d come to her last night. He’d taken her to his place and they— Oh God. Why would he do that if he was involved with that bitch of an actress? How could he lie to her like that?
She walked faster.
He felt sorry for her because of the bike crash. Was that it?
Ally stumbled as she started to run.
The son of an earl?Why hadn’t he told her? Even if the papers had exaggerated, it still didn’t matter. The photos of Lina and Caspar holding hands didn’t have to mean anything. What hurt was that he hadn’t told her.
He said he’d given Lina a lift, not that he’d had tea with her, walked hand in hand with her.
That hurt.
Ally had opened her heart and told him everything. Now she could see how little Caspar had told her in return. What had he been doing when his sister had been taken? She’d wanted to think it was something excusable and he’d let her.
She ran faster.
I’m the cheap fun on the side. Okay to fuck but not to marry. And yes, Ally was aware she hadn’t known Caspar a week and she wasn’t thinking about marriage, but it still hurt. It hurt.
She’d lasted longer than his normal one-night stands. Was that supposed to make her feel better?
It didn’t.
After she burst into the adventure center, Tom took one look at her and pulled her into his office. The newspaper fell from her hand.
* * * * *
Caspar stirred, touched cold sheets on his right and knew Ally had gone. He needed to talk to her. He shouldn’t have slept with her last night. It was hardly going to make what he had to do an
y easier. He turned and his face hit a piece of paper. Caspar read Ally’s note. I’ll be back soon with lunch. Stay naked. xx He checked his watch. Ten forty-five. How long did it take her to buy lunch? He froze. Oh shit. He was due at Tom’s place in fifteen minutes for the modeling thing.
He leapt out of bed. Yelped during a two-minute cold shower. Dressed while he was still wet. Grabbed his keys and ran.
Juno stood by her car tapping her foot when he arrived, panting.
She smiled. “I thought you might have changed your mind.”
“Not when a hundred pounds is at stake.” He was going to blow it all taking Ally out for a meal and— Oh God, no he wasn’t. Could he take her for a meal and tell her then? Would that make it any easier?
Moron.
“Will your fiancée mind?” Juno asked.
“What?”
She handed him a newspaper. “Didn’t realize you were a viscount. I should be able to get you lots of work if I tell people that.”
Caspar glanced at the photos and the article. Richard told him he’d squash the newspaper speculation—nothing like a phone call from a senior member of the Foreign Office to silence the press, though the Moonraker headline showed the editor of this particular paper still had the potential to bite. And, Christ, what were his parents thinking? Still, it could have been a lot worse.
“What do I have to do?” he asked.
“Nothing more than stand and look gorgeous.”
Caspar followed her into the building and down a corridor to a small room. She took a towel from her bag, handed it to him and leaned against the door. When he saw her swallow hard, Caspar had a bad feeling. He looked around the room hoping for a rail of clothes and saw nothing. He turned back to face her.
“What’s going on?” he asked. “What am I modeling?”
“Yourself.” She took a deep breath. “It’s a life drawing class.”
Caspar ground his teeth. “You want me to strip?”
“Yes.”
“Fuck off,” he snapped.
She spread her arms over the door. “You said you’d do it. You can’t let me down.”
“Yes, I can.”
“Please,” Juno said. “I’m just starting off. I have to make this business work.”
“Well, honesty helps,” Caspar snapped. “You should have told me what was involved.”
“But you’d have said no.” She lowered her arms and clenched her fists at her sides. “Look, it’s just a group who want to draw pictures of a naked guy. It’s not serious. It’s fun. I did it in London. I thought it would work up here.”
Dots began to join up inside Caspar’s thick skull. “Does the group happen to be young and female?”
“Yes.”
“Are any of them actual artists?”
“No.”
“Is this a hen party?”
“Yes.”
Oh fuck. Caspar had assumed they’d come for the weekend and left last night. Not only were Ally’s friends a few feet away, waiting to draw a guy with his kit off, but Ally would be there too.
“I can’t do it,” Caspar blurted.
Juno’s shoulders sagged. “Look, I’ll give you all the money. A hundred and thirty. I don’t want to let them down.”
“It isn’t the money.”
Except, would Ally be there? She’d said she’d be back soon with lunch. Did it matter anyway? In fact, if she was there, maybe she’d be so pissed off she’d finish with him and save him some heartache. Oh Christ, he didn’t want to end things with her. Why did he have to lose the person who’d believed in him when no one else had?
Because he had no choice.
Was that true?
Caspar wondered if his head were going to spin off.
“Please,” Juno said.
Even if Ally wasn’t there, she’d find out soon enough. Maybe she’d seen the photos in the newspaper. He was going to lose her without even trying. Caspar closed his eyes, took a deep breath and snapped them open. “Okay.”
Juno gasped. “You’ll do it? Oh that’s brilliant. Thank you. I’ll keep charge. I won’t let them mess around.”
Shit. “You mean you’re in there too?”
“I have to…direct things.”
Oh Christ. Direct what? Order his cock not to rise to the occasion? Tell his balls not to play hide and seek?
“I’ll wait outside the door while you get undressed.”
Why fucking bother?
She left before Caspar could take another breath. Presumably in case he changed his mind. At least he hadn’t been expected to strip in front of them. He ought to run fast in the opposite direction but instead he took off his coat, pulled his sweater over his head and peeled off his t-shirt.
After the last sock hit his piled up clothes, Caspar wrapped the towel around his hips. No danger whatsoever of an erection. He slid his hand beneath the towel and pulled down on his cock. Had the damn thing shrunk?
He could do this.
He took a step toward the door and froze.
No, he couldn’t.
He took a deep breath.
Yes, he could.
How hard could it be? He wasn’t shy about his body. He took his clothes off regularly in front of the women he fucked. They seemed to like what they saw. The only difference was that now more than one woman would be in the room and… Oh fuck it. If he thought about it anymore, he wouldn’t do it.
Caspar flung open the door and strode out.
Juno beamed. “This way.”
He scowled and followed her down the corridor. If he saw Tom, he’d turn round.
Unfortunately Tom didn’t appear. Caspar’s heart seemed intent on breaking all speed records.
If he saw anyone, he’d turn round.
“Here we are,” said Juno.
Damn. Blast. Fuck.
Caspar followed Juno in and looked for Ally. When he didn’t spot her on the first quick sweep of six grinning females, he looked again. She wasn’t in here. Thank God. And thank God none of this lot appeared to remember it was him who’d dragged Ally out of the pub.
“Want to introduce yourselves?” Juno asked.
“I’m Bryony. Single and available.”
Had she been the nurse? Where was Ally? A prickle of unease ran down his spine.
“Kerry. The bride-to-be. Still single and I’m thinking about being available.” She winked at him.
“Kerry!” they all chorused.
“Delia. Nice to…see you.” She giggled.
Had Ally found out he was doing this and decided to stay away? Or did she have a run-in with another snake?
“Hi, I’m Emma. I can make myself available too.”
How would she react when she knew?
“Sal. Taken.”
Maybe she’d laugh.
“Hi, I’m Jen.”
“Hi,” Caspar said, and smiled. He wished they’d stop looking at his hand where it clasped the top of the towel.
“Now here’s what’s going to happen,” Juno said. She gave each woman a sketch pad and a stick of charcoal. “The model’s going to strike a pose he’ll choose himself. You have a few minutes to sketch him and then we’ll look at what you’ve done. Next time you can tell him how you’d like him to stand. No touching. No taking photos with your phones.”
Caspar hadn’t thought of that. He swallowed hard.
“Want a glass of champagne?” Kerry asked.
“Thank you, that would be great,” Caspar said. The less sober he was the better.
He took a large gulp, put the glass on a table and moved to the couch. The six of them lounged on chairs and another couch, staring at him. Well, not at him, at his clenched fist.
Do it.
He couldn’t.
Oh fuck it. Caspar forced his fingers to uncurl and he let the towel drop. As though all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room, breathing became impossible. He wasn’t the only one affected. The women seemed to be frozen. He lay down before he fell and reclined on his si
de. At least they hadn’t laughed.
“Sorry, I’m late, I…” Ally burst into the room.
Oh God. Caspar bent his knee to hide his tackle. How stupid was that? Ally was the only one here who’d already seen him naked. His balls shrank in embarrassment.
There was a collective intake of breath.
“Drop your knee, Caspar,” Juno said. “They can’t see anything.”
That was the idea. He gritted his teeth and changed knees. That was easy compared to dragging up enough courage to look at Ally. He fixed his gaze on the window and hoped like hell he didn’t see anyone looking in. Even a cow.
“Champagne, Ally?” Kerry asked.
“Thanks.”
Ally’s blank voice gave Caspar little clue as to how she felt about seeing him naked in front of all her friends. He still couldn’t look at her.
“Here’s a sketch pad and charcoal. Sit next to me,” said Kerry. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine.”
“We all spoke to the police but we didn’t see anyone do anything to your bike,” Delia said.
“They arrested Jack,” Ally mumbled.
Her ex-boss? Why hadn’t she told him?
“Christ, did they?” Emma asked.
“Said he didn’t do it though,” Ally added.
Just as well if she cut the brakes herself.
“You missed a treat last night with the speed-dating,” Bryony said.
“Ooh, I think Ally had better things to do.” Emma laughed. “Want to tell us why Tom spirited you away the moment you arrived this morning?”
What? Caspar bristled.
“Keep still,” Juno said.
Caspar wanted to look at Ally now but still couldn’t quite muster the courage.
“And he was in your room yesterday morning when we got up,” Emma said.
“Spider,” Ally mumbled.
Delia chuckled. “You’re the only one of us who doesn’t freak out at spiders.”
Ally was in my bed on Saturday night. What are they talking about?
“And it was you Tom chose to partner in the paragliding,” Jen said.
Caspar hadn’t missed that. The bastard.
“You’ve got a gorgeous cock,” someone said.
“What?” he gasped.
Kerry burst out laughing. “Emma!”
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