by Monica Burns
“Sweet Jesus,” he rasped as her hand tightened her grip around him.
“You haven’t answered me, Tobias.”
“Yes,” he choked out as her fingers played with him in a fashion that said she wasn’t the inexperienced woman he’d thought or even expected her to be.
“Good. I like it when I surprise you,” she whispered. Her hand pumped him a little faster, and he dragged in a deep breath of air as her mouth grazed the edge of his jaw. “Shall I surprise you again?”
Something in the way she asked the question threw Tobias out of the hazy fog that had been holding him hostage to her touch. There was a distinct note of disappointment in her question that helped him regain control of his senses. Gently, he captured her wrist and pulled her hand off of him. Despite his body’s shouts of protest, Tobias turned away to place his aching cock back in his trousers.
Tomorrow night, Mystère would assuage the physical relief he was craving so badly now. It would come at a high price, but it would not be a difficult penalty to pay. He would willingly pay almost any price Mystère demanded if it spared him the sting of Jane’s contempt. The strength of his desire to protect her from the darkness inside him twisted his gut with raw panic. Tobias crushed the sensation before it could take permanent root inside him. It would be far easier to reveal a small dark piece of himself to Mystère than expose Jane to the depths of his darkness.
Tobias slowly turned to face her. He barely had time to register the look of defeat flashing across her face before it vanished and a calm serenity smoothed her lovely features. Not even those dark sapphire eyes of hers reflected anything other than a cool assessment. Only one other woman had ever studied him in such a way.
The resemblance between the two women was striking—disbelief fired off a warning shot in his brain. A split second later he dismissed the possibility. To even consider the idea that Jane was Mystère was no different than listening to the ravings of a madman. Unfortunately, he was the madman wishing for the impossible. Still, he found it difficult to suppress the rising tide of suspicion nagging at him.
“Jane—”
“Perhaps I should have confessed my lack of innocence before we announced my engagement.”
Her voice was as serene as her expression, but it failed to disguise the pain layered beneath her statement. His muscles tightened with the need to pull her into his arms and console her. Someone had hurt her deeply, and he wanted to rake that person over hot coals. Tobias considered her question then shook his head.
“Such a confession would not have changed my mind.”
His response made her gape at him in astonishment. But he knew he’d spoken the truth. Jane’s virginity or lack of it had no bearing on his proposal of marriage. Tobias’ jaw clenched with self-disgust. His sole motivation had been an instinct for survival.
“What man would be willing to take soiled goods?” she asked in a cold voice.
“Give me the name of the bastard who said you were soiled goods.”
Tobias hadn’t meant to make his voice sound so harsh and demanding, and he winced at her reaction. In an instant, her composure vanished and she stared at him in wide-eyed surprise. When she didn’t reply, he stepped forward to take her hand.
“Other than my desire to cause injury to the man who hurt you, your past doesn’t matter to me, Jane.”
“I was the one at fault. I didn’t see Barnaby for what he was until it was too late.”
The look of dismay on her face made him realize she’d not meant to speak her thoughts out loud. The overwhelming need to comfort her made him pull her into his arms and press her head into his shoulder. She shuddered slightly, but didn’t attempt to leave his embrace. Tobias’ chin brushed against Jane’s dark hair as she rested her head on his shoulder. She didn’t cry, she simply stood quietly in his arms.
“We all make mistakes, Jane, and sometimes the penance we pay is well deserved. At other times, it’s someone else who should be punished,” he said quietly.
“You’re a good man, Tobias.” With her cheek pressed into his coat, her voice was muffled. He closed his eyes at the compliment he was unworthy of and prayed she would never learn the darkest truth of all. A small smile of bitterness twisted his lips.
“There you’re wrong,” he said with more than a touch of irony. “And I shall prove how terribly wrong you are if I ever meet this Barnaby. I’ll destroy him.”
“Ever the Lancelot,” she murmured.
It was a barely perceptible whisper, but he heard it just the same. Shock made his muscles knot hard like a piece of petrified wood. Only Mystère had ever referred to him by that name. Although his mind fought to make him believe Jane was Mystère, Tobias rejected the idea. It was nothing more than his desire for a wife who would find pleasure in the same way he did.
Tobias closed his eyes in an attempt to conjure up Mystère’s face. In the dim shadows of La Maison des Plaisirs Sombres, it was difficult to know if Mystère’s eyes were the exact same beautiful sapphire as Jane’s. The mask she wore covered half of her face, and made it difficult to be certain the two women were one and the same.
Even their voices were alike, yet different. Mystère’s voice was sultry and filled with confidence. The mere sound of it could make his cock hard as iron. Jane spoke quietly, and the sound of her voice often conveyed a vulnerability Mystère did not. If he didn’t know better, he could say Jane had a twin.
The similarities were strong, but not enough to for him to risk confronting her. If he were wrong, it would raise questions he had no intention of answering. He was too fond of Jane to expose her to his dark world and destroy the bond they were forming. They might never be lovers, but he valued her friendship. The thought made him wince.
Jane deserved better than him. She deserved to be loved, cherished, and protected. He could protect her, but that was the extent of his capabilities. Anything else would put both of them at risk. Almost as if she’d sensed his confusion, Jane retreated from his embrace. Fear swept across her face as her gaze met his, but she quickly composed her features into a cool, unreadable mask.
“Is something wrong, Tobias?” Her question made him shake his head as he struggled with his suspicions that Jane and Mystère were the same woman.
“It’s nothing. My ribs are protesting my adventures from earlier this evening,” he lied.
“Your ribs,” she exclaimed fiercely as she glared up at him. “Why didn’t you say something earlier?”
“I’ve simply bruised the muscles.” He scowled at her renewed fixation on his injuries. “If I’d mentioned it earlier, I’ve no doubt that you would have made me remove my shirt and coat to examine Dr. Wilson’s exemplary job of binding my ribs.”
“And would you have obeyed that command?” Her cheeks flushed, her sapphire eyes were dark with irritation.
“Yes.” His quiet response made her eyes widen before amusement made her full mouth curved upward.
“You may regret allowing me to rule you so easily.”
“Do not underestimate me, Jane. There are certain times when my decisions will overrule your dictates.”
“I see,” she said in a regal manner that displayed every bit of the strength inside her.
“Actually, I think we will do well together, Jane. You have all the qualities I wish for in a wife.”
“What might some of those qualities be? A wife who knows her place?”
“No. I have no use for a docile wife. The strength I see in you is something few men respect, but I find it…enticing. Your insights have already proven valuable in helping me to view a problem from a new perspective.” He watched a flush of color fill her cheeks at the compliment. “But never mistake indulgence for complete surrender to your demands.”
“A challenge,” she said with a small laugh. Again his mind struggled with the possibility that it was Mystère standing before him. She tipped her head to one side. “I look forward to developing this strength you see in me. But for now, you’re to go home an
d rest. I told you before that I expect you to take better care of yourself.”
“As you wish.”
Tobias bit back a smile at the startled look on her face. She’d clearly expected him to object. In actuality, he was more than eager to obey her instruction. His side had been signaling protests for more than an hour. Not even the stab wound he’d received more than two months ago had been this painful.
He knelt to pick up the door key off the carpet and looked up to see her intent gaze on him. Impulsively, he lifted the hem of her gown to press it to his lips. His gesture made her eyes take on a slumberous look, and she drew in a ragged breath as desire flashed across her face.
The stirring of his cock in his trousers made Tobias quickly straighten upright then moved to unlock the door. He swallowed hard as he experienced the need to gather her in his arms and carry her out of Culverstone House to his modest rooms at the boarding house. God help him. If he wasn’t careful, this woman could easily bring him to his knees in a way that could bring intense pain as well as pleasure. Tobias opened the study door and looked over his shoulder.
“Goodnight, Jane.”
“Goodnight,” she said softly.
Although she didn’t say anything else, she didn’t have to. Desire still burned bright in her gaze, and his chest tightened in reaction to her look until his lungs threatened to deprive him of air. His side viciously protested his reaction. Still uncertain of his suspicions, Tobias bit back a grunt of pain and left Jane alone in the study.
Chapter 11
The library door closed with a soft thud behind Tobias as Jane stood frozen in place. God in heaven. What had possessed her to act as though they were in La Maison des Plaisirs Sombres? She’d clearly shocked Tobias with her behavior. On the heels of that observation was the realization she’d excited him as well.
Jane closed her eyes as she remembered how she’d placed the door key between her breasts, and the manner in which Tobias had retrieved it. A hot wind streaked across her skin at the memory. She had sought to be the dominant one by ordering him to kiss her, but she was no longer convinced she’d succeeded in her attempt. Tobias’ touch had burned its way deep into her soul to a place she never thought any man could ever reach again.
The moment he’d plucked the library key from between her breasts, Jane had fully expected him to make a hasty retreat. Instead, his desire had engulfed her like a fire raging out of control. Wild and passionate, Tobias’ kisses had been unlike any caress she’d ever experienced with Barnaby. With each persuasive touch of Tobias’ lips and hands, she’d lost her ability to think straight. Her complete lack of clear-headedness could have been no more evident than when she’d caressed him so brazenly. As Lady Mystère she’d brought him to climax with her hand, but this had been different. Tonight, it had been the respectable Lady Jane Grisham who’d stroked him with such shocking self-assurance that he’d gone rigid with shock.
There was no reason why Tobias should have expected his future wife to be experienced, and when she’d taken him in hand, his surprise had been immediate. Her hand tingled as she remembered the heavy, velvety-smooth feel of holding Tobias in her palm. He’d eagerly rocked his body against her hand, and she knew her touch had pleased him.
But her exhilaration at his reaction to her caress had been a short-lived sensation the moment he’d turned away from her. His rejection hadn’t surprised her. But never in her lifetime had Jane ever expected him to overlook her past. A past her father still took the time and patience to remind her of on a regular basis. Tobias had done more than forgive her transgressions. He’d forgiven her sins without even knowing what they were.
Jane slowly crossed the floor to sink down into one of the large, reading chairs situated in front of the library’s fireplace. A small blaze burned in the hearth, but its heat could not compare to the fire Tobias had aroused in her tonight. Not once, but twice, his kiss had pulled her toward a vortex of sensation that emphasized how little self-control she possessed where he was concerned. With each incendiary kiss, his touch had stirred to life emotions she’d thought long dead. Emotions layered beneath the old wounds of her scarred heart.
Despite the passage of time, they still had the power to hurt. Images of the past flashed through her mind. Her father’s grim disclosure that she could not marry Barnaby because the man was already married. Her lover’s cavalier dismissal when she’d confronted him with her father’s revelation. To her horror Barnaby had simply laughed at her naiveté and proceeded to barter with her father over the sum of money that would buy his silence. Jane flinched as she quickly buried the old memories. The past was dead, but she was very much alive. Tobias’ kisses had proven that to her.
The sharp click of the library door opening jerked Jane out of her thoughts. An imperceptible sigh escaped her at the unwelcome interruption. Her mood was dampened further as she heard Irene’s voice float through the room. Jane closed her eyes in resignation. The last thing she wanted was to face the older woman’s sharply worded barbs. As Jane mentally prepared herself to announce her presence to the woman, she heard a heavier tread accompanying the quiet rustle of Irene’s gown.
Dismayed that she was about to be privy to a tête-à-tête between her father and future stepmother, Jane leaned forward to announce her presence only to see Irene wrapped in Lord Mallen’s arms. Eyes wide with horrified amazement, Jane quickly recoiled back into her seat as she struggled to comprehend the scene taking place only a few feet away.
As her shock wore off, Jane’s mouth tightened with anger. Mallen had been quite attentive to her for the past two months, and now she understood why. The man had used her as a shield to hide his dalliance with Irene. It was bad enough that she’d been forced to endure his boring conversations, but his reasons for seeking her out stung. She resented him and the way his behavior made her feel. The sound of Irene’s ragged sigh broke through Jane’s thoughts.
“Oh, my darling, I’ve missed you so much this past week.”
Irene’s voice was breathless from just having been kissed, and a bitter taste filled Jane’s mouth. While she had never received any real affection from her father, Jane didn’t take pleasure in knowing Irene was making him the object of ridicule. Her father was not without his faults, but Jane knew what it was to be betrayed. Her father was deeply infatuated with Irene, and her treachery would devastate him.
“Why must you continue with this charade?”
“You know why, Alfred,” Irene said in a placating voice. “You’re completely without funds, and I will not marry a poor man.”
“But you don’t hesitate when it comes to my sharing your bed behind Culverstone’s back.”
“Would you rather we not see each other again?”
“You know the answer to that,” Lord Mallen snarled.
“Then I’ll return to Hounslow Place within the hour. Wait for me there. Culverstone will play cards late into the night. He’ll not question my desire to sleep in my own bed…and he’ll never know that you’re the only man who could ever satisfy me.” Irene’s voice was a silky purr, and Mallen uttered a dark groan.
“Christ, don’t do that,” he growled. “Do you want that prig of a butler seeing me leave here with a cock that’s as rigid as a stick of wood?”
“Caldwell will hold his tongue, and I love knowing that soon you’ll be hard and rigid inside me.”
Jane’s cheeks grew hot at Irene’s comment. The older woman gasped once more, and the sudden silence in the room was more telling than any words could convey. Jane didn’t have to peek around the edge of her chair to know how blatantly Irene was betraying the Earl. No longer willing to be party to Irene’s lies, Jane yawned loudly as if just awakening from a nap. The silence in the room became almost tangible as Jane stretched her arms up into the air. The sudden sound of the library door clicking shut made her turn in her seat to see Irene standing alone in the center of the room.
“Irene? What are you doing here?” Jane rubbed her eyes as if she’d just
awoken, and she kept her expression one of innocent surprise as she met the other woman’s gaze. Eyes narrowed in angry suspicion and a hint of fear, Irene clasped her hands in front of her.
“Jane, dear, whatever are you doing in here at this hour? I thought you’d already gone to bed.”
“I was just about to do so.”
She didn’t attempt to say she’d been sleeping. Irene would easily see through such a falsehood. Jane rose from her chair and took a step toward the door. Before she’d gone more than a few feet, Irene was blocking her path.
“What a clever girl you are, convincing Mr. Lynsted to announce your engagement tonight.” The older woman’s eyes glittered with anger. “You know how much I’d looked forward to hosting your engagement party.”
“Yes, I’m certain you would have enjoyed impressing the Marlborough Set with the story of how you arranged my happiness,” she said in a cool voice. “Everyone would hold you in the highest regard for ensuring the Earl of Culverstone’s daughter didn’t die a spinster. But we both know that anything you do is done solely to improve your status among the Set. Perhaps even a position in Princess Alexandra’s circle?”
“You wound me to the quick, Jane,” Irene said with antipathy. “While it seems more than fitting for the future Countess of Culverstone to attend the Princess of Wales, I have only ever had your best interests at heart.”
“I’m flattered.” She eyed her future stepmother with arched eyebrows. “However your disappointment at my having deprived you of hosting an engagement party seems at odds with your desire to have me out of my father’s house. After all, it was you who insisted I would be better off married than managing my own household.”
“As I’ve said, I’ve only had your best interests at heart.”
“Obviously,” Jane said caustically. “And if my father had given me an annual stipend for my own household, it would mean far less money for you after his death. You are nothing if not transparent, Irene.”
