“But the gossips will talk behind her back. And yours.”
He shrugged. “I’m sure that happens now. People can be petty and jealous, but rarely to our faces. How refreshing it would be to have someone actually say something within my hearing instead of falsely flattering me then reviling me once I walk away.” He cupped her cheek, brushing his thumb over her silky skin. “That day at the church picnic I knew you hadn’t been taught to ignore hurtful words. I wanted to protect you from gossip as much as possible for your sake, not ours.”
“I am bad for you, Luke. Why can’t you see the truth? You need a genteel wife who will make you proud.”
“You are exactly the kind of wife I need. I have been traveling the world in search of something that would make me feel whole again, and you were right here all along. You are what I need.”
Tears flooded her eyes; her expression twisted with doubt.
“You also make me feel out of control, Viv, and I hate it. I want to keep you safely by my side. I want to love you into our dotage, so why won’t you allow it? Do you have no faith in me?”
She eased away from him and swiped at her tears. “I don’t understand.”
“You know of my failings. How I turned my back on my responsibilities and my struggles with—” His throat tightened and refused to allow the last word.
“Oh, Luke.” A soft glow emanated from her bright eyes, and she reached out to caress his face. “I have absolute faith in you. I wish nothing more than to spend my life with you, but you deserve more.”
His heart stuttered before launching into a driving rhythm. She thought she was saving him, a misguided attempt to protect him. “You have everything I want, Vivian.”
She sighed and let her hand hang by her side. “You only say that because there are things you don’t know about me. Things I have done that could change how you feel about me.”
“You are speaking of the groom.”
She gasped. “How—?”
“I have known for some time, and I don’t believe the rumors.”
Her lips parted on a breath, tempting him to kiss her. “Just like that, you believe in my innocence?”
“I know you and I believe in you, but the question remains whether you believe in me, too. Upon my honor, I will protect you, my love. I will utilize every drop of power my title allows me to save you, but I must know if you trust in my capabilities.”
She blinked, his words seeming to penetrate her stubborn head. “I have never doubted you.”
“Nor I, you.” He leaned forward until they were nearly nose to nose. “And someday, if you want to tell me what happened that day with the groom, I will listen with an open heart and mind.”
“What is wrong with now?”
“Now I want to kiss you.”
***
Vivi gave up her arguments the moment his lips touched hers. His kiss was demanding and possessive. Her heart stalled then began to beat heavily, more vigorously as hope built inside her.
Luke wanted her. He believed in her. He promised to weather any storms for her.
Even if it was unfair to ask this of him, she couldn’t deny the truth any longer. She would have no life if they were separated, and neither would he.
He held her tightly against him, his hand cradling the back of her head as his tongue swept across her lips. She moaned softly, opening her mouth to welcome the sweep of his tongue. He kissed her deeply, intimately until she could no longer distinguish what was her and what was him. They had merged into one.
Luke broke the kiss but didn’t pull back. They were suspended there, mouths close but not touching. Her lips were moist and swollen; her pulse was fast and strong.
His thumb moved in a slow arc across her cheek. “Stop me now, my love, for I haven’t the willpower on my own.”
There was no stopping for either of them. She needed him like she needed air to breathe.
“I don’t want to stop.” She flicked her tongue across his bottom lip, goading him. He cursed softly then seized her mouth again.
His fierceness fed her desire, challenging her to love him with the same passionate intensity. She climbed onto his lap. Cradling his head, she kissed him as deeply as he had her. How she loved his touch, his spicy scent, the brush of his dark hair against her wrists. Every inch of her was pressed against him, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted to see the strength she could feel beneath his clothes.
She unknotted his cravat then moved to his waistcoat, shoving the garment down his arms. He released her long enough to pull his arms free.
“Undress me too,” she said as she tugged his shirt from the waistband of his trousers.
Luke urged her to stand at the edge of the bed then spun her away from him. His fingers attacked the fastenings down the back of her gown and pushed it off her shoulders. With the last button released, the muslin slid down her body and pooled at her feet. He unlaced her corset and tossed it to the floor. Her petticoats followed.
“Turn around.”
She did as he commanded. With his blue eyes ablaze, he grasped the hem of her chemise and peeled it over her head. She bent forward to release the ties of her stockings.
“Leave them on.”
Her hand paused in midair and shook slightly. His demands excited her in a way she never would have expected.
He ripped his shirt over his head, messing up his curls, and then stood to unfasten his buckskin trousers.
Her stomach tumbled. “What should I do now, Your Grace?” Her voice sounded deeper, sultry.
He kicked off his boots, dropped his pants, and sat back on the edge of the bed. He extended his hand and she placed hers in his. “Come here so I may touch you.”
His fingers curled around her wrist and tugged her toward him. Her thighs bumped against the mattress, and she cried out in surprise. He raised one brow and grinned most wickedly as his fingers walked up the backs of her legs to cradle her bottom. His lips grazed the valley between her breasts.
“I want to taste every inch of you, Vivian.”
He began at the hollow at her collarbone, licking, and he stroked her body from hip to shoulder then back again. Her breasts felt fuller and moisture pooled between her legs. She captured his head and drew him to her breast, her nails lightly scraping his scalp. His tongue lapped at her nipple until she twisted in his arms, wanting to be closer. He sucked her into his mouth and lovingly circled her bud until it was hard and tingling. His fingers made lazy loops at the base of her spine, and tremors coursed through her.
An ache began deep inside her, a longing for something more than the pleasure she had known recently.
“I want…”
She didn’t know what to call it or even what she was asking. She just knew she couldn’t get enough of him no matter how closely she hugged him to her.
He gazed up at her, his eyes almost black. “And I want you.”
His hand continued its journey down her belly and delved into her curls. She leaned into his tender touch with a satisfied sigh.
“Show me what comes next.”
“Vivian,” he said on a breath. He sounded as if he intended to argue, but she wouldn’t allow it. Grasping his chin, she tipped his head back then leaned over him, her mouth hovering close to his.
“I want to know how to make love. Please, tell me what to do or I’ll be forced to explore all on my own.”
He grinned. “Is that supposed to sway me to do your bidding?”
“May—”
He pulled her onto the bed and she squealed. He rolled so she was beneath him and smiled down at her. “You are wrong again. When will you learn I play to win?”
“I—”
His mouth plundered hers until she lost awareness of everything except the most delicious details—the searing heat of his hand on her hip, the rapid beat of his pulse at his neck, his hardness pressing against her intimately.
His kisses trailed down her chin, her neck, and her chest. He took her nipple between his teeth and gentl
y tugged.
“Luke!”
He drew back, his eyes filled with concern. “Did I hurt you?”
“No,” she whispered. Her chest rose and fell more rapidly than before. Making love with him was exhilarating beyond anything she had ever imagined.
“I’m frightening you.”
She shook her head. “Do it again.”
A sly grin spread across his face before he lightly nipped her breast again. His fingers touched between her legs and she arched her back. He caressed and teased her body until she quivered from head to toe.
He shifted to kiss her again then placed his head close to hers. His warm breath feathered over her ear. “I’m going to bring you to completion now.”
“No!” She gripped his shoulders and tried to hold him in place when he slid down her, but she didn’t have the strength.
He settled between her thighs. “Yes, Vivian. And then I am going to take your innocence, because I am beyond the point of stopping.”
She laughed, the sound airy. “I’m giving it to you.”
“And I love your generosity.”
***
Luke’s blood rushed through his veins. Vivian’s taste on his tongue and her erotic sighs and moans made him harder than he could ever remember being. His sexual hunger for her was untamed and his control overtaxed. When she had appeared frightened by his fervor, he had felt like a scoundrel, but then she had held him captive with her liquid-silver gaze and told him to do it again.
He licked her again and again, sensing the tremors racing down her legs. Vivian’s breaths came faster and harder. When she came, she cried out loudly, her legs clamping around his head. He thrust his fingers into her, feeling her body grip him. She released a long sigh and dissolved into the bedding, her arms and legs limp.
He feared she would still experience pain, but perhaps her relaxed state would make their coupling easier. Positioning his body above her, he kissed her forehead, her nose, her chin. “I love you.”
“Me too,” she whispered.
He smiled and brushed the back of his fingers over her soft cheek. Would she ever make the same declaration to him? Perhaps he didn’t need to hear the words for there was no mistaking the affection for him in her gaze.
He prepared to enter her, uncertain if he should give her fair warning first. He kissed her again and surged forward while his mouth still covered hers.
She stiffened and tore her mouth from his. “Oh, my Lord! Gads, that—”
She snapped her mouth closed and stared up at him with wide eyes. He held still, his tortured breath stirring her hair. She felt amazing surrounding him, but he hated that she had to suffer for his pleasure.
He kissed her temple. “I’m sorry, darling. This is the only time it will hurt, I promise.”
She shook her head. “I’m all right. It was just a bit…shocking.”
“You are a horrible liar.”
Her chin lifted. “I am not lying. And this can’t be all there is to it, so please continue.”
His laugh was strained, but he genuinely appreciated her pluck. Gently, he withdrew and slid back inside her. As he repeated the motion, she sighed and closed her eyes. Her hands brushed his buttocks and tension seemed to drain from her.
“Move your hips with me,” he murmured.
When he thrust into her, she met him and sighed again. He stopped to kiss her then pushed into her once more. She quickly adapted her movements with his and soon he was lost in her. Her soft moans filled him with elation as she welcomed him, loving him back with her body. Her fingers clutched at his back, urging him to go deeper.
His thoughts abandoned him, all except one word repeating in his head. You. He had found what he had been searching for all this time. Vivian was his guiding star, leading him back to the life he had always been meant to live. She was his hope, his deepest desires, and his destiny.
“You are mine,” he murmured moments before she sent him to his la petite mort. He surrendered to it, welcoming his temporary destruction, for his beloved Vivian would put him together again as only she could.
Twenty-eight
Luke hadn’t realized he had been holding his breath, but when Vivian signed her name to the marriage settlement, it came out in a whoosh. She laid down the quill and accepted his mother’s enthusiastic congratulations.
Richard clapped him on the back. “Well done, brother.”
When Mother released Vivian from her embrace, she joined hands with Luke. Their fate was sealed, come what may. Vivian was his and soon she would have his name to prove his devotion. He lifted her hand to his lips, drew in her sweet scent, and marked her with a kiss.
Mother slanted a smile at him. “What an exhausting day. I am afraid you will have to excuse me so I might retire for the evening. Richard, will you escort me to my door?”
“My pleasure, Mother. I should collect Phoebe and make our way back to Shafer Hall.”
When they were alone, Luke scooped Vivian into his arms and carried her to the settee. He settled on the upholstered piece with her on his lap and traced the rim of her ear with his finger. She leaned into his touch.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“The soreness is mostly gone and I feel amazing.” She wiggled to around to face him, her eyes snapping with the curious energy he had loved from the moment they had met. “Will we share a bed often? I wouldn’t like waiting long between visits.”
Luke laughed, rejoicing in the fact Vivian was as passionate as he had judged her to be. “Try keeping me away.” He nuzzled her neck, becoming aroused again. If he hadn’t taken her innocence only hours earlier, he would already have her half undressed. “Perhaps I should send you to your chambers while I still have the wherewithal to do so.”
“Soon.” She played with the hair at his collar, her expression turning thoughtful. “Miss Truax wasn’t at dinner. Has she been locked in her chambers like Mr. Collier?”
“She has been ordered to stay there until I can decide what should become of her.” He hadn’t felt right about imprisoning a family member and one-time confidant, but he couldn’t look upon her without disgust.
“What do you want to do with her?” Vivian asked. “I hope you won’t be too harsh with her.”
“She conspired to ruin you and take you away from me. How can I be anything but harsh?”
“You said yourself she fancies herself in love with you. What she did is unforgivable, but I can understand her desperation. Mr. Collier is the true culprit, filling her head with lies and empty promises. Perhaps I would have believed him too if the situation were reversed.”
“But you would never conspire to hurt another person.”
She dropped her gaze. “No, I wouldn’t. I simply ask that you give careful consideration before you decide her fate. People make mistakes.”
He kissed her forehead. “You are too tenderhearted, my love. I promise the punishment will fit the crime. Nothing more and nothing less.”
“What will you do with Mr. Collier?”
If Luke made Collier’s transgression public, the man would have accomplished his aim to some degree. He wouldn’t allow the blackguard to taint Vivian’s reputation. The bastard had sought his revenge where it would most hurt Luke. Damn the consequences to Vivian. And Luke had been stupid enough to reveal his weakness to Collier. It would be easiest to take him into the woods and put a ball in him, but murder wasn’t the answer even if Luke’s rage called for blood.
“Lord Brookhaven has offered to take him back to London, but Collier’s days of mingling with the ton are over. Without the viscount’s support, he has no access to society, and Brookhaven has assured me he has already dissolved their friendship. If I find he has lied, I will challenge them both.”
Vivian nibbled her bottom lip. “What about Owen? You won’t say anything to Lady Stanwood, will you?”
“I see no reason to bring the countess into family matters. From all accounts, the man is blameless.”
This seemed t
o put her concerns to rest, and she laid her head against his shoulder. “Thank you for believing me. If my brother had placed more faith in me, Owen wouldn’t have been driven from his home.”
“Your brother believed you, Vivian. But sometimes a man must make decisions to protect those he loves. I would have done the same thing if my sister were in a similar predicament. And he defended your actions to my father.”
She sat up with a soft gasp, her cheeks flaming. “Your father knew?”
“He did not put any more credence into the rumors than I do. The only thing I would have done differently is deal with Mrs. Honeywell from the start. If Ashden failed you, it was in that respect.”
“But he did attend to Mrs. Honeywell.”
“He could have performed the task better. Rewarding her wagging tongue with invitations to join your brother and sister-in-law in Town was foolish.”
“What would you have done?”
“It doesn’t matter. She will give us no more trouble.” He wrapped his fingers around the back of her neck and urged her forward for a kiss.
When they broke contact, she wrinkled her nose. “You do realize in most circumstances you will not be able to divert my attention that easily, but I care nothing for Mrs. Honeywell so I will let it go.”
“I will take your warning to heart.”
Luke escorted Vivian to her bedchamber and left her in the care of her maid then made his way to the chamber where Collier was being kept. He didn’t trust himself alone with the bastard. He tested the door to confirm it remained locked then found his way to the master’s chamber.
He hadn’t decided what to do with Johanna yet, but perhaps his mother would have some guidance on the morrow. One thing he knew with certainty: she was no longer welcome in his home. She had already proven untrustworthy. He wouldn’t be fooled twice.
***
“Lady Vivian, wake up.” A hand at her shoulder shook her violently. “She is here, Your Grace,” Winnie bellowed.
Where else would she be but in her bed in the dead of night? Vivi rolled over to find her maid leaning over her. Long shadows blocked out one side of her face, her other bathed in dim light from the candle she held aloft. “Winnie? What the devil are you doing waking me at this hour?”
Samantha Grace - [Beau Monde Bachelor 04] Page 25
