His Mistress

by Monica Burns

  Did she have any idea how lovely she was? What had possessed her to hide her strength and lovely features behind the severe appearance she’d maintained before they’d sealed their marriage agreement? Jane’s new wardrobe was nothing like the brightly-colored, sometimes excessively lavish, gowns Lady Hounslow favored. Instead, she’d chosen a wardrobe of muted, jeweled tones. The change was remarkable. The nondescript woman he’d barely noticed a month ago had risen from gray ashes to reveal a graceful woman with a seductive smile and classical features. Every bit of her strength was revealed in her captivating features, and as he studied her, desire snarled through him.

  Quick on its heels was the knowledge that his instincts had been right where Jane was concerned. She would test his ability to hide his dark side, especially when she opened her bedroom door to him. Tobias bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep from grimacing. He should never have added that condition to their agreement. The lilting tone of Jane’s voice broke through his thoughts.

  “If you don’t mind, Lord Camden, I’d like a few words with Tobias.”

  “Of course, my dear,” Camden said with a jovial smile as he clapped Tobias on the back and left them alone together. Jane waited until the older man was out of ear shot before she turned her head toward him.

  “I have something I want to give you,” she said with a smile.

  A secretive look swept across her face as she glanced over her shoulder before she tugged him toward the salon door and out into the hall. Jane led the way into the study that adjoined the Earl’s smaller office. Tobias had been in the study only once, but he hadn’t forgotten the room’s polished wood or its mixed scent of leather and paper.

  Jane drew him into the room and shut the door behind them. There was an air of anticipation about her that made him smile as she hurried across the room to a large library table. He followed her and watched as she reached for a wrapped package sitting on the well-polished tabletop. Excitement made her blue eyes sparkle, and something fired in the back of his mind at the way she was looking at him. The thought vanished as she handed the parcel to him.

  “I’ve been saving this until we announced our engagement. I knew I would receive a ring, and I wanted you to have something to mark the occasion as well,” she said. “I found it at Hatchard’s Booksellers.”

  The coarse twine bow in the center of the package gave way easily beneath his fingers as he slowly removed the brown wrapping paper from what he knew was a book. He dropped the wrapper onto the desk as he stared down at the leather bound tome in his hand.

  “It’s a biography of William Wilberforce,” Jane said with excitement. “He was an abolitionist and lawyer who fought for the rights of others just like you do.”

  Admiration echoed in her voice as he stared down at the book. In the evening hours, he enjoyed reading by the fireside, and biographies were his favorite type of book. His fingers slid across the gold lettering of the volume. When was the last time a woman had given him a present specifically suited to his tastes? Jane knew him far better than he’d realized.

  Slowly, he raised his head to meet her gaze. When he didn’t speak, the excitement flaring in her eyes was snuffed out like a candle flame. Like a window shutter, her expression became closed off to him. He immediately set the book down on the library table and reached out to take her hand into his.

  “It’s a splendid gift, Jane,” he said quietly and carried her hand to his lips to caress her fingertips with his mouth. “Thank you.”

  “So you really like it?” The tentative note in her voice made him gently squeeze her hand.

  “Very much. I’ve never received a finer gift.”

  “I’m so glad,” she said huskily. “I selected it because Wilberforce was like you in many ways.”

  “Oh?” he murmured while his senses drank in her soft floral scent as he watched a rosy hue crest in her cheeks. She really was lovely. His mouth caressed the top of her knuckles again, and he saw a flash of emotion spark in her dark blue eyes.

  “You believe everyone deserves justice, just as Wilberforce did,” she said with a smile as she pulled her hand from his. “Your work in the East End exemplifies that.”

  “The comparison is flattering, but my efforts affect only a few, while Wilberforce changed the lives of many.”

  “One life or many is not the point,” she chastised. “You have made a difference in the lives of others.”

  “I am hardly the romantic figure of good deeds you seem to think I am,” Tobias said with a scowl as an image of La Maison des Plaisirs Sombres filled his head.

  “Make light of your work if you wish, but I have great respect for you and your efforts to help those less fortunate. As your wife, it will be gratifying to help you in your labors.”

  “No,” he growled and eyed her sternly. “My work in the East End is far too dangerous. In fact, I’ve been meaning to warn you to always be on your guard. I’ve made a number of enemies over the years. Some of them wouldn’t hesitate to use you to get to me.”

  “And what about you?” she snapped with an expression of outrage. “Should I prepare myself for the possibility of a visit from a policeman in the future to inform me of your demise?”

  “Not if I can help it,” he said with a chuckle. His attempt at levity only seemed to increase her displeasure as a frown furrowed her brow.

  “Do not dismiss my concern for you, Tobias. I told you earlier that you have a responsibility to take better care of yourself.” Jane’s voice resounded in the air between them like of crack of a whip.

  “Forgive me.” Tobias nodded his head in a placating manner. “The world I live in is far darker than most people imagine. I often make light of it to maintain my sanity.”

  “I might not have experienced the plight of those you help, but I am far from oblivious to their dismal situation.” She glared at him for a second longer before her expression softened. “I am not most people, Tobias.

  Regret nipped at him as he met her injured gaze. He’d misjudged her when he knew not to do so. While they’d not known each other for a great length of time, he was well aware of her thoughtful and generous nature. Tobias caught her hand in his and lifted it to his lips.

  “No, I don’t think you are,” he said. “In fact, I think you are quite remarkable.”

  “If you think flattery will suffice for an apology then you are forgiven.” Her quiet laugh made Tobias grin.

  “I shall interpret that to mean I shall be forgiven any future insults simply with a compliment.”

  “Are you always this incorrigible?” she asked with a wry twist of her lips.

  “Always,” he murmured as he watched a delicate pink color flood her cheeks.

  There was an unexpected vulnerability about her that stirred his protective instincts. Culverstone might not appreciate his daughter or her strengths, but he did. The earl’s indifference wounded her, but Tobias knew something else had made her wary of trusting him or any other man. It was a vulnerability she hid quite well except in moments such as this.

  “Then your reform is unlikely.” There was a breathless note in her voice that signaled a change in her. An awareness he was experiencing as well.

  “It is always a possibility.”

  “And why do I think you would fight that reformation every step of the way?” Her question made every muscle in Tobias’ body tighten with a need for her to recognize the potential she had within her.

  “You should never underestimate the strength and power within you, Jane.”

  A voice deep inside him challenged him to help her acknowledge her latent abilities. Tobias tried to ignore the provocative notion, but failed as an image of Jane hovering over him swept through his mind. It wasn’t the first time he’d visualized the erotic picture, and without thinking, he pulled one of her slender fingers into his mouth.

  She gasped softly, but didn’t retreat from him. Pleased by her lack of trepidation, Tobias swirled his tongue around the soft flesh of her finger as his
gaze met hers. Something flashed in her dark blue eyes, and a vague memory nagged at him. The thought continued to hound him as Jane tilted her head slightly to study him carefully. Damn, what woman had looked at him like that before? The memory was just on the edge of his consciousness when it vanished in a split second.

  “Kiss me again, Tobias.” She issued the command in a calm, serene manner. Stunned, he jerked his head away from her hand.

  “What?”

  He stared down at her in amazement as he struggled to grasp her change in demeanor. Gone was her expression of bemusement. In its place was a confident stare and even a bit of laughter in her sapphire eyes. Eyes that reminded him of someone else. He swallowed hard as he dismissed the ludicrous possibility.

  “I said kiss me again.” A sultry smile curved her lips. “Would that be such a difficult task to perform?”

  Christ almighty, she wanted him to kiss her again. And she was ordering him to do so. She was a seductress demanding she be pleasured. Temptation threatened to overrule every sane thought he possessed. With one simple request, she’d awoken the beast inside him. A dragon that would devour her in one fiery breath. His gaze didn’t wander from her face as he struggled to devise a reason not to obey her command. In the back of his mind, a realization roared out at him, but it subsided into the background as he shook his head as if doing so would clear it.

  “I don’t think that would be appropriate,” he choked out. “As you said earlier, a more private setting is called for.”

  “Very well,” she murmured as she turned away and walked toward the door.

  Relief lashed through him at the realization she’d spared them both from the darkness that flowed through his veins the moment she’d uttered her command. Disappointment followed a brief moment later. Bloody hell, he was mad to even consider the possibility of exposing her to his demons. Tobias took a step forward to follow her then froze in his tracks as Jane locked the door. Disbelief made his muscles draw up taut as she turned to face him and held up the key for a moment before slowly tucking it down into her bodice.

  “There, I think we have all the privacy we could want. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  There was a mischievous look on her face, but it was the determination in her voice that said he was in trouble. With a shake of his head, Tobias fought back the urge to give in to her demands. Suddenly remembering the door into the earl’s study, he allowed himself a smile.

  “I think my best course of action is to take my leave through your father’s office.”

  He turned away with great effort as his mind flashed images of the dark, luscious valley the door key was nestled against. Even more dangerous than the image was the voice in the back of his head that said she needed to be kissed thoroughly. Kissed hard until she understood she was playing with fire. Tobias crossed the floor to the door of the earl’s office and turned the knob. Locked. For a moment, he simply stared down at what should have been his salvation before he looked over his shoulder at Jane. Her lovely mouth curved in a slight smile, she rolled her shoulders in a small shrug.

  “Father always locks his office when there are guests in the house.” The amusement he heard in her voice made him growl with frustration. In several long strides he was mere inches from her and returning her satisfied expression with a glare.

  “You’ve no idea what you’re asking of me, Jane.”

  “Oh, I think I do,” she murmured. “The problem is, you simply don’t want to do as I ask.”

  “Ask?” bit out between clenched teeth. “I’d call it more of a command.”

  “And would it be so difficult to surrender to my…command?” The softly whispered question was like a velvet-covered iron fist to his stomach. He ignored the question.

  “If one plays with fire, one should be prepared to burn, Jane.”

  “You say that as if I’m in danger from you.”

  “Maybe you are,” Tobias growled as the scent of her invaded his nostrils. God almighty, he wanted to bury his face in her neck just to savor her like one did the fragrance of a fine bottle of wine.

  “Then I would like to experience that danger.” She reached out to brush her fingers across his unmarred cheek. “Now kiss me. I’ll not produce the key until you do as I say.”

  “Do not forget that I warned you,” Tobias rasped as he tugged her into his arms with a suppressed violence at the way she’d forced his hand.

  Not waiting for her reply, he crushed her lips beneath his. Desire pounded its way through his blood as he molded her to his body. Beneath the harshness of his kiss, she froze against him, and he prepared himself for her protest. It didn’t come. Instead, she became soft and pliable in his arms. Deep inside, he shouted the need to stop this madness, but he ignored the warning.

  With a sharp nip at the plump skin of her lower lip, he waited for the gasp that would part her lips. A fraction of a second later, his tongue slipped past her teeth to plunder her sweet succulent mouth. Mint and a hint of citrus made her taste cool and tangy. The flavors reminded him of her strength and the occasional mischievous side she kept hidden beneath her serene countenance.

  One arm wrapped around her waist, he caressed the side of her throat with his free hand. The pads of his fingers could have been touching silk if he’d not known otherwise. Eager to taste more of her, his mouth left hers to make its way across her cheek and down the side of her neck. A low moan broke free of her lips, while her head fell backward and her breasts pressed deeper into his chest. Immediately, his hand slid downward to caress the peach-toned swells of her breasts framed by her gown’s bodice. She was lovely, and she didn’t deserve his darkness touching her in any form.

  Desperately, he shoved aside the desire she’d aroused in him and prepared himself to secure the room’s key then leave her before he did something he regretted. In an adroit move, he plucked the key from between her breasts. At her small cry of surprise, he swung his gaze up to her face. Cheeks flushed with warm color, she had the look of woman ready for the intimate touch of her lover.

  Subtle and feminine, her scent filled his nostrils with a hint of flowers in a summer meadow. The essence of her sank its way into him in a manner that sent alarm bells ringing in his head. Her fresh, feminine fragrance was a direct contrast to the shadows that filled his soul. Eyes closed, Tobias struggled to regain his self-control. His ability to do so was hindered by the sound of her ragged breathing, the softness of her pressing into his hard muscles, and the memory of her sweetly curved breasts.

  Erotic images of suckling her nipples while cupping the lush curve of her filled his head. The thought pounded against the barrier he’d created between sanity and desire. With a violent crash, the darkness broke through his restraint and enveloped him like a raging river of fire.

  The key slipped from his fingers to hit the carpet beneath their feet with a barely perceptible thud as he bent his head and probed the edge of the cleft between her breasts with his mouth. The quiet mewl of pleasure drifting out of her throat only increased the level of his desire as he allowed his tongue to imitate a more intimate act.

  A shudder wracked her body as she clung to him and sighed his name with an ache he recognized. It matched the desire barreling its way through him, and in an instant his cock was hard. Urgency and need crashed through him demanding a satisfaction he knew he didn’t dare ask of her. Almost as if she could read his mind, her hand glided downward from his chest to his erection.

  Nimbly, and with unexpected assuredness, she unfastened several of his trouser buttons and freed his cock. Cool air brushed his skin for the briefest of moments before the heat of her hand wrapped around him. Tobias dragged in a harsh breath of air at the touch, and she squeezed him again. Her touch was pleasurable and painful all in the same instant.

  It was as if she knew the precise amount of pressure needed to bring him close to losing his seed. Her hand curled around his neck as she tugged his mouth back to hers. The moment her tongue probed his mouth, his cock jumped. Fingers still w
rapped firmly around him, she slid her hand up and down in one slow stroke.

  A dark growl rumbled in his chest as he pulled her tight against him and rocked his hips toward her. Her hand immediately complied with his silent demand. It didn’t escape his notice that she understood his need without a moment’s hesitation, but it was a fleeting observation. Desire crashed through his body and blinded him to any other thoughts as she pleasured him with her hand.

  Lust crashed like a wave over him taking him downward into a dark mist of shadowy lust. Again she stroked his erection, and he failed to contain the desire assaulting every muscle in his body. The shadowy mist closed around him as the rising tide of lust drove coherent thought from his body. God help him, but if she kept stroking him like this, he was going to come in her hand. Suddenly, she broke their kiss and brushed her mouth across his cheek until she nipped at his ear.

  “You like my touching you like this, don’t you, Tobias?”

  The softness of her voice revealed a quiet confidence that made his eyes fly open to stare down at her face. Somewhere deep inside, he recognized the seductive curve of her lips. It was so familiar. As he struggled to remember where and when he’d seen a similar expression before, she stroked him again. The memory slipped into nothingness. Her hand continued to slide up and down his cock as she looked in his eyes.

  “You haven’t answered me, Tobias.”

  “Christ almighty, yes,” he rasped as he envisioned her in his bed. Tobias immediately shook his head in an attempt to clear the image from his head. He needed to regain control of his senses.

  “Have I shocked you?”

  Amusement echoed in her question, but the part of him that still held a slight grasp on reason heard a hint of apprehension in her voice. Fuck yes, she’d shocked him. How could she possibly know, let alone have the courage, to touch him like this? A widow he could understand, but Jane had never been married. Was it possible she wasn’t the innocent he’d assumed her to be? The thought of her with another man aroused emotions in him that he didn’t want to consider. Her finger, traced its way along the ridge of Tobias’ cock, and his body jerked at the erotic touch.