by Fiona Faris
Erik groaned, ducking his head down over the tabletop. Oh, the fantasies were already playing in his head, all the things he could do to that lass.
It was making him twitch with need.
Erik pulled himself together when the bartender started looking at him strangely. Glancing back at the girl, he perked up when he saw that she was getting up to leave. Some other chap seemed to have the mushroom caught in a conversion.
The girl and the man murmured briefly to each other, and the latter looked concerned. The fair lady favored him with a blinding smile, which seemed to reassure her companion before she moved towards the front door without him.
Erik smiled with pleasure as he watched the chit swing her hips with every step just as if she knew he was watching.
His smile became rakish.
Placing his last coin on the bar, he slid off the bench. Stumbling a bit at first, the ale he had drunk making the world tilt dizzyingly, although he was quick to recover from it. Even in his slightly inebriated state, he was able to feign indifference as he followed the lady out of the bar, without looking as if he was dangling after her.
He stayed a fair distance behind her as they both left the warmth of the inn and ventured into the night air. Seeing her bank right, he followed her around the building and knew immediately where she was heading.
The sleeping chambers were only accessible by the inn’s side-stairway. Usually, lodgers would use the main stairway inside, but a recent raid by the Watch had nearly led to a fire. It had been extinguished in time to save the building, but the main stairway had sustained significant structural damage and had to be closed for repairs. Meanwhile, residents had to use the alleyway staircase which meant going outside and round to the back.
While this did make the alley a busy walkway, it was currently very late, and the night was cold. Those who were so inclined had already gone to bed while the rest were in the tavern, drowning their sorrows as Erik had been doing.
The girl turned into the dark alley, and Erik waited a few seconds before following. Turning into the wide lane himself, he watched the lamplight play across her features as she walked towards the staircase at the end of the alley. The dim light made her seem even more delectable.
His opportunity to approach arose when she dropped something. He heard it bounce once on the ground before rolling off into the deeper shadows. Letting out a frustrated sound, she bent down to search for it, and he took the opportunity to announce himself as he strolled up to her.
“May I help ye with tha’, ma’am?”
Chapter Fourteen
The chit immediately straightened, as if startled by him. Her alluring wintry gray eyes glinted in the dim light as she stared at him. She shook herself after a moment and then favored him with a pleasant smile.
“Oh, that would be so nice, thank you! I’ve dropped the key to my room. How careless of me.”
Erik barely registered the words she spoke, her voice far too captivating. It was the voice of an angel, and Erik couldn’t keep his imagination in check as he thought about that voice calling out his name.
He got down on one knee to search for her key in the dark, even as she continued to do the same. Frankly, he was more interested in the bend of her body than finding her key, but it was still his fingers that found the small key.
Picking it up, he slowly straightened up, wary of his drunkenness, and presented it to her.
“Here ye go, Miss...?” she looked up from her search, looking relieved at the sight of the key. Erik felt his blood heat up as he
passed it to her, savoring the soft touch of her hands. She gave him a bright, grateful smile in payment.
“Lady Georgiana. My name is Lady Georgiana. And thank you so much for finding it!”
Erik took too much time, giving her a curious once-over before remembering his manners and bowing briefly.
“Ye’re very welcome. And my name is Erik. Erik Phil Geary at yer service. And if I may ask, why are ye all alone out here?” Erik could see the woman’s face change into a combination of indignation and wariness as she answered him.
“I am not alone. I left my husband down at the bar, he should be up shortly.” She folded her arms across her bosom as she stared off to the side. It only served to highlight her twin peaks so lovingly nestled within them, and she was not helping her case. Biting her bottom lip in worry, Erik’s eyes followed the action, heavy-lidded with lust, and barely able to carry on the conversion.
“The man ye were sitting with?” He asked nonchalantly.
Lady Georgiana flicked him a suspicious glance before nodding in answer.
Erik edged closer to her, gazing down at her with slightly hooded eyes. The itch was starting to dig at him. She stood a foot away from him, ripe for the taking, and he decided to play his card.
“I’m sure that having a beautiful woman such as yersel’ at his side is more than enough for him. Or, at least, it would be for me if I were in his shoes.” His statement seemed to catch her off-guard, and her blush increased in color. Erik almost licked his lips.
“Oh . . . um . . . thank you! That’s . . . uh . . . very nice of you to say.” She stuttered, obviously not used to being called a beauty. A fact that just might make his night all the sweeter. But then, she asked a question that caught him off-guard.
She studied his face. “Mr. Geary, if you don’t mind, can I ask how . . . uh . . . how did you get that burn?” Erik frowned, suddenly feeling irritable at her question. He gritted his teeth and looked away, snarling at the darkness.
“Attack by brigands. I took a torch to the jaw.”
He had no intention of telling the truth, not when he was just itching to grab her and be done with it. Trying to catch her interest was taking too long.
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” The compassion and concern in her voice went some way to soothing his exasperation.
He shrugged. “I dinna feel the pain anymore.”
She nodded back in understanding before looking down at her feet. He turned his head to look at her, grinning widely as he changed tack.
“I’m sorry if it disturbs ye.”
She hastened to reassure him just as he desired with widened eyes and a negating wave of her hands.
“Oh, no, no! That’s not it at all! I was just . . . curious. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you think that.”
He smiled, delighted, as she lowered her head in embarrassment.
Inquisitiveness was good. That interest could lead to some exciting things.
And he was very curious about all the things he could make her do. And all the things she could make him do.
His blood heated and could barely restrain himself from drooling. It had been far too long since he had any proper release. He could hardly wait another second!
He had to hook her now.
“It is quite alright, my dear. In fact, why do we no forget aboot my puir complexion and focus on yers.” She looked at him with a cute tilt of her head, bewildered.
“W-What?”
Erik smiled wide, chuckling at her confusion.
“I’m only saying, why should we focus on me when the whole world should be focused on ye.”
Her confusion transformed into surprise when he grabbed one of her hands and gently kissed it, his eyes on hers.
“For ye must be the bonniest creature I have ever laid eyes on.”
The intense blush that heated her face made him smirk. Reluctantly releasing her hand, he let her pull away.
“O-Oh! Um . . . th-thank you?” Her smile was embarrassed and uneasy, her cheeks like twin apples in the lamplight. Erik stepped forward, unable to overcome the temptation to do so.
“I can see that ye dinna believe me. Has no one ever told you how divine ye are?”
Lady Georgiana stayed put as he came closer, looking down at the ground while rubbing her cheek.
“Uh . . . no . . . yes? Of course . . . my husband . . . maybe not in those exact words . . .” She was nervous, and Erik could
not fathom why. Her eyes shifted to the wall of the inn and stared at it as she wrung her hands anxiously. Then, inexplicably she smiled, small and fond as if she recalled something pleasing.
As much as the thought annoyed him, he had to act like he believed that he held claim over her. He took another step towards her, almost nose-to-nose.
She took a step back.
“Well, let me tell ye right now . . . if ye werena taken . . . me and every other man in the kingdom would be begging for yer attention.”
She stiffened, shock, and suspicion splashed all over her exquisite face.
He stopped her hands from fidgeting by grabbing a firm hold on them and gazed as seductively as he could into her eyes.
“If you were mine, I would give a bonny, buxom lass such as yersel’ everything ye desire, and then some.”
A frown marred her perfect forehead as she tried to pull her hands away again. Erik let her go, enjoying the small game of hard-to-get.
“That’s . . . that’s mighty kind of y-you.” She replied, backing away.
The moment was broken by a strong gust of icy wind, blowing into the alley. It ruffled Erik’s cloak and blew wisps of hair across Lady Georgiana’s face. She held on to her cap in order not to lose it.
She shivered, in spite of the heaviness of her winter clothes, rubbing her cheek, her face receiving the brunt of the cold. Erik’s smile widened as he saw his opportunity. His heart pounded with excitement, his blood filling all the right places, but he forced himself to keep a calm appearance.
“You look chilled. Would you like to come up to my room to continue our chat there?” He flashed her a charming smile.
He was disappointed and in disbelief when she promptly shook her head, not even giving his proposal a moment’s consideration.
“Thank you for the offer, Mr. Geary, but I’m actually feeling exhausted. I think I’m just going to retire to my own room. And besides, Mr. Buchanan would worry about where I am. I do not think it’s seemly for a married woman to be chatting with a man alone in his room.”
At her refusal, Erik soon found himself growing frustrated. At the mushroom’s name, he found himself getting angry. Why should she care what her husband thought?
An obvious social climber was not worth anyone’s time, much less this fair lass. Erik was the man she needed. He could give her everything she could possibly desire. He could give her the time of her life.
“Are ye sure? I am very much enjoying yer company, and I had hoped you were enjoying mine. It would be a shame and a sadness to stop our conversation so soon.” He concealed his ire, making a last-ditch attempt to lure her to where he wanted. But then, his anger flared even brighter when once again, she spurned him.
“I really am sorry, but I really do need to get some sleep. Goodnight, Mr. Geary” She took several steps, turning her back on him to head towards the stairs.
She had barely moved a few yards before he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She turned her head, wide-eyed as Erik’s smile became a fiendish smirk.
“No, I’m afraid that won’t do . . .” He growled with anger and seduction. She was not getting away that easily. He wanted to steal this prize too badly.
“Wha-What are you doing?” She tried to yank her arm out of his grasp in a panic, and amid her struggle, Erik’s hand rose to her cheek, and she froze at his touch.
He purred softly to her, his temperature rising higher.
“Such a divine creature as yersel’ shouldn’t bed down without first being driven there by the most heavenly of pleasures.” The lass’s eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open in horror. Her struggles intensified as she tried to thrust him off her.
“Let-Let go of me!” She shrieked, shaking with fright. She clawed at him ineffectually while wearing gloves, frantic to make him let go, but he dragged her even closer, easily overpowering her.
“Oh, come on now, my darling, I only want to give you the greatest night of se— “
A sharp crack filled the air as Erik’s head snapped to the side. He released his hold on Lady Georgiana as the slap echoed in the alleyway. Stumbling back a few steps, she came to a stop as she hit the wall, breathing hard. For a moment both stood in the dark alley, stunned into stillness. Erik slowly turned his head back to her, holding his reddening cheek.
He watched as Lady Georgiana took several steps back before turning and running for the stairs. He leaped after her, surging with anger and a sick, twisted enjoyment of her pain.
Her boot had just hit the first step when Erik snatched at her again, latching a hand onto her arm and pulling her roughly back to him.
“Ye’re a braw lassie too. I like that.” He snarled, the sting of his cheek screaming at him to put her in her place. And a long lesson in his authority, he would surely give her. It had been a while since he had any sort of power over someone. The prospect of domination was thrilling, to say the least.
But despite that, he was disappointed with her unwillingness. Very rarely did Erik take an unwilling partner, having been a prime catch for women throughout his long life. But this one was just too tempting to pass up, too necessary for the survival of a touch-starved man like him. He was going to have her, one way . . . or another.
He quickly glanced further down the alley. Earlier, he had noticed a broken door leading into the building beside the inn. It was a recently abandoned building that had been damaged in the fire.
He smirked. It would work well for his current needs.
All but crazed with lust and exhilaration, he tightly gripped both her arms, determined to give her no chance of escape. The bruising force of his large hands caused her to flinch in pain.
“Sorry, love, but I’m feeling a tad too frisky tonight to play the gentleman.”
Lady Georgiana’s eyes widened as her terror ramped up. She opened her mouth to scream for help.
Erik quickly forestalled her by pushing her against the wall of the empty building, knocking the breath out of her. As fast as he could, he reached for his belt and dug into a small pouch on his side. Holding his breath, he took a pinch of the powder inside and threw it in her face.
Lady Georgiana closed her eyes, her hacking coughs echoing down the alley as she inhaled a mouthful of the stuff. Merely a few seconds later, she was still… frozen in place, not one part of her moving besides the steady rise and fall of her chest.
Erik grinned with glee as he wiped his fingers onto his pants, ready to finally take his prize.
He rarely used the powder, the ingredients too rare and expensive to use lightly. Its effects also didn’t last long, a minute or two at best. The mixture could be consumed or breathed in, but the result was always the same; near-complete immobilization. He only ever really used it when setting someone up or when trying to make a quick escape.
It was a handy trick to have, and it was a formula he had appropriated years ago from a fellow thief, now long-dead. He was definitely thankful to have it with him now.
“This paralyzing powder will keep that tantalizing body of yours still for me.” He cooed at her, his eyes exploring the body that he would soon get to taste.
Unable to resist, Erik moved closer to the girl, pinning her frozen form between him and the wall. He flung off her cap, burying his nose in her soft, luxuriant chestnut hair, inhaling deeply, and taking in her glorious scent. One of his hands snaked beneath her gown and ran slowly up her thigh.
The trapped girl whimpered, although her mouth was sealed. Pulling back, Erik caressed her face comfortingly and whispered in her ear.
“Shh, there’s no need for whimpering, sweetheart! Or at least . . . not yet. Ye can whimper and moan all ye want once we get started because, I assure ye, I’m going tae make this the most pleasurable night of yer life.”
His other hand trailed even higher up her thigh, caressing her through the cloth of her stockings. His other hand moved down from her cheek to her neck, not stopping there but continuing to her bosom, savoring her soft, creamy porcelain skin.
He noticed the widening of her eyes as something behind him caught their attention, and he paused in his movement.
His shirt collar and cloak went suddenly tight around his neck so fast that he could barely spare a glance to investigate, and he gagged. The next thing he knew, he was wrenched away from the girl and sent flying through the air. He heard the girl cry out, but the rush of air kept her words from his ears.
