How to Ravish a Rake

by Vicky Dreiling

  She wasn’t ordinarily given to superstition, but for some reason, the rain seemed like a bad omen.

  Over the next week, Amy discovered new facets to Will. He loved chocolate, despised porridge, and liked baked eggs. One morning, he’d brought the newspaper to the table and then, with an abashed look, apologized for reading at the table, but she didn’t mind. That had pleased him. Then, while drinking her tea, she’d noticed him perusing the paper very fast. She’d laughed and said he must be looking for something in particular. He’d shrugged and gone back to his paper. His gaze had sped down one column and then the next equally fast. When she’d questioned him, he’d admitted that he read quickly.

  She’d not given it a great deal of thought until one day he walked in while she was frowning over the household accounts. No matter how many times she’d added the long column of figures, she got a different sum every time. Frustrated, she’d asked him to check her arithmetic. He’d not even put pencil to paper. Once again, his gaze flew down the column and then he’d given her the answer. At first, she’d not believed him. Then he told her to turn to a new page and cover the final sum. When she did, he surveyed the long column quickly and gave her the answer. She’d uncovered the sum. He was right.

  She’d been amazed, but he’d shrugged it off and told her he’d always learned faster than most people. When she’d insisted that he acknowledge his brilliance, he’d sighed and told her that it had caused problems in school. He grew bored easily, and as a result, he’d resorted to all sorts of mischief.

  On Saturday morning, it rained again. She found Will sitting on the floor in the parlor with the mantel clock. “It stopped,” he said.

  She frowned at the parts on the carpet. “We could purchase another.”

  “I’ll have it fixed quickly,” he said.

  She sat on the sofa, watching him. “Your sisters told me that you took up with Gypsies when you were five.”

  He smiled. “I mended utensils for them and then got caned for running away.” He started putting the parts of the clock back together. “When I was a lad, I was curious about the mechanisms of clocks. I went to my father’s study, moved the ladder for the bookshelves to the mantel, and carried the clock down. Then I took it apart. It was fascinating to me. My father rapped my knuckles for breaking it. I asked him to let me prove I could put it back together. My father didn’t believe I could do it. His face turned purple when I successfully finished the job.”

  “You got into trouble for being smart.” She paused. “Will, why did you run away so often when you were little?”

  “I don’t remember,” he said. “I probably just did it to see if anyone would notice I was gone.”

  She blinked. “Why wouldn’t they notice? Surely your nurse kept a lookout for you.”

  He shrugged. “I would wait until she fell asleep, and then make my escape.”

  “I cannot believe your mother did not sack that nurse for incompetence,” Amy said. “You might have been hurt.”

  “The nurse was old and had been with our family since Hawk’s birth. At any rate, I was quite naughty. I was the youngest and got under foot.”

  Amy figured he’d wanted attention and had gotten it by misbehaving.

  “I learned to use my brains to avoid trouble, and I also figured out how to charm others into giving me what I wanted. Cook adored me. It’s a wonder I didn’t get fat from all the biscuits and cakes I wheedled out of her.”

  “I’m not surprised,” she said.

  “Oh, you weren’t easy to charm. In fact, you were quite the challenge.” He grinned at her. “That’s the reason I couldn’t resist you.”

  “You liked to tease me only for your own amusement.”

  “I liked it, because you always had a quick retort. You’re clever and very talented as well.”

  “Are you trying to charm me?” she said, laughing.

  “Yes, but I meant it.” He stood and put the clock back on the mantel. “Voilà. It’s ticking.”

  She clapped.

  The rain drummed the roof. She walked over to the window. The wavy glass distorted the view, but the downpour made it even more difficult to see out. His footsteps thudded on the carpet until he stood behind her.

  He wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck. “I like thunderstorms.”

  “They frightened me when I was a child.”

  The room was dim, and his scent filled her head.

  “Come upstairs with me,” he said.

  “It’s daytime,” she whispered.

  “It’s darker now with the rain. And I want to kiss and touch you.”

  Her heart beat faster. “Very well.”

  He took her hand and led her upstairs. Then he opened his door.

  “What if the servants come in?” she said.

  He walked over to the table, picked up a key, and locked the door. Then he set the key aside and came to her. He stood behind her, unhooked her gown, and untied the tapes. Then he unlaced her stays. She didn’t want to think how he’d learned to undress a woman so well, but she knew there had been many others before her. Soon, he’d divested her of everything but her shift, stockings, and slippers.

  “Leave the stockings on and kick off the slippers,” he said.

  She stepped out of her slippers. “Your turn.”

  He gave her that thousand-candle smile, the one that never failed to make her melt.

  She managed to get him out of the tight-fitting coat. He untied his cravat and tossed it on the floor. Then he removed the braces. She unbuttoned his shirt, and he drew it over his head. He took her hands and put them on his trousers. Clearly he wanted her to unbutton the falls.

  She smiled and let her fingers brush over the bulge in his trousers. When he let out a ragged breath, she enjoyed knowing she had a certain feminine power over him. She wanted to give him pleasure. And though she knew little of lovemaking, she would experiment and pay attention to his reactions to guide her.

  When she finished, he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled his boots off. He stood and pulled off his trousers, leaving only his drawers. “We’re going to start with the first course and then proceed to the second one.”

  Amy felt a bit nervous. “What will be served in the second course?”

  “I’ll show you. It may shock you a bit, but you’ll like it.”

  “Tell me first,” she said.

  He shook his head, stripped back the covers, and lifted her onto the mattress. Afterward, he stepped between her thighs and pushed down the layers of her shift and soft stays. Then he urged her to lie back. He joined her on the bed, turned on his side, and cupped her breasts. She closed her eyes as he suckled her. Rivers of pleasure coursed through her body. She felt the dampness between her thighs and arched her back as he switched to her other breast.

  He kissed her, and she opened for his tongue. She loved the way he rhythmically tasted her. Then she kissed him back, imitating him. Her breasts felt fuller, and she was breathing harder. Her skin seemed to be on fire. She held his face and tangled her tongue with his again. He trailed kisses down her neck and sucked where her pulse beat. Afterward, he blew on the spot as if he meant to cool her.

  She caressed his chest, loving his muscular body. He was her husband—her man. “I like to touch you,” she whispered.

  He smiled. “I like it, too.” Then he put his knee between her thighs and hovered over her. When he tried to touch her, she caught his hand, but he whispered, “I promise you will like this.”

  Will knew that he would shock her. She might object, but he was determined to make her come. He moved slowly down her body and lifted her shift to her waist. The red hair at the apex of her thighs excited him. When he spread the folds and looked at her, his blood ran hot. She released her breath and nodded. He smiled, slid his hands beneath her bottom, and tilted her upward. He bent her knees one at a time until her feet were planted on the bed. Then he pressed her legs wider. When he touched the folds of her sex, she jerked.

&
nbsp; “Easy, love,” he said.

  He wanted her badly, but she was a bit nervous. Will was determined to take his time and slowly stoke the fire within her. The sight of her half-bared to him made his groin tighten. He ran his hands over her calves clad in silk stockings. God, she had the most fantastically long legs.

  “Will, what are you doing?”

  “Looking at you.” He licked his lips. “It makes me hard.”

  He kissed the inside of her knee and ran his tongue underneath her garter. The whole time, he looked up at her from beneath his lashes. Her lips were parted, and her eyes held a sultry expression. Then he switched to the other garter. Her tits were rising and falling fast with each breath.

  Will winked at her. Then he trailed his tongue all the way up her inner thigh and stopped just short of the red curls that made him hard as stone. He painted a wet trail up her other thigh, only this time he ran his tongue along her soft folds.

  She gasped.

  He did it again.

  “Oh, my God.”

  Will smiled at his virginal bride’s blushing face. “Relax, Amy. I won’t hurt you.” He caressed her soft folds. Then he spread them a little and found her sweet spot. He gently rubbed her there, and she inhaled on a shattered breath.

  He ran his finger down the length of her folds, and his cock got harder as he encountered moisture. One day soon he would watch as he penetrated her, but today, he would focus on her pleasure only. He spread the folds again and touched his tongue to her. She bucked beneath him, and he chuckled.

  “What are you doing?” She sounded shocked.

  He touched his tongue to her sweet spot again.

  “You are wicked.”

  “I am the devil.” Then he touched his tongue to her again and again and again, slowly building up the rhythm and eventually quickening it. He looked up at her. God, her eyes were glazed over. “I’m going to make you come.”

  “What?”

  He laughed, and then he flicked his tongue rapidly. The whole time he watched her writhing on the bed. He could feel the tension building in her body. She was soaking wet, and he had to restrain himself, because he craved to be inside her.

  A little high-pitched sound came out of her throat.

  He rubbed her again. “Come for me, Amy.”

  When he flicked his tongue again, her back bowed.

  “Will,” she cried out.

  He leaned over her on his elbows and watched her face as the little death overtook her.

  When she collapsed, he kissed her lips gently.

  She opened her green eyes and stared at him with an expression of wonder.

  He grinned. “Did you like it?”

  “You devil. You should have warned me.”

  He grinned. “You would have protested.”

  “Probably,” she said in a faint voice.

  Will rolled to his back. He was still breathing fast. His cock was fully erect and pushing up his drawers.

  She turned on her side and looked at him. “You’re aroused.”

  “Yes.”

  “Will, is there some way for me to reciprocate?”

  “Without penetration? Yes, but it might disgust you.”

  “Were you disgusted when you pleasured me?” she asked.

  “No. It excited me.”

  “Then I won’t be disgusted with you.”

  He turned and opened the drawer to the night table and grabbed two handkerchiefs. “It’s a bit messy. I’ll ejaculate when I come.”

  She knit her brows.

  “My seed will spill.”

  “Ah, the reason for the handkerchief.” She paused. “I don’t know what to do.”

  Something tender unfurled in his chest at her innocence. “I’ll show you.”

  She kneeled beside him and untied the ribbon on his drawers. He sprang out, and she gasped. “Good heavens, you’re huge.”

  He chuckled. “My sweet wife, you just uttered words every man wants to hear.”

  She tentatively touched the tip of his cock and swirled her finger round the bit of moisture. He made himself lie still and watched as she lightly ran her finger down the length of his cock and over the sacs. He inhaled, took her hand, and wrapped it round him. Then he showed her the rhythm. She caught on quickly. “Oh, my. It’s getting bigger.”

  The sight of her tits and her tumble-down red hair made him wild with lust. Her soft hand felt so good wrapped round his cock. God, he wanted to be inside her, but she was squeezing him now, and he looked down at her through his lashes. He wanted it to last a long, long time, but his lust for her had been climbing higher and higher every day.

  She looked at him and her lips curved in a sly smile. Then she bent down and swirled her tongue round the head.

  “Jesus.” He’d never in a million years expected her to do that. Most women refused if a man asked.

  “Do you like it?” she asked in a sultry voice.

  He looked down at her through his lashes again. “God, yes.”

  She smiled and licked him again as if were some delicacy. He touched her cheek, and then he guided her hand back to his cock. She squeezed him again, and he gritted his teeth as the pressure built and built and built. He’d been hot and hard for too long, and he was burning from the feel of her tongue on him.

  Tension gripped every muscle in his body. He grabbed the bedpost with one hand and leaned his head back. The throbbing was intense as it overtook him. His seed started to spurt, and she wrapped the handkerchief round him. Then she grabbed the second one, because he’d soaked the first. It seemed to go on and on and on. When he collapsed, she kissed him lightly on the lips. Then he let the little death take him.

  An indeterminate amount of time later, he awoke to find his wife on her knees, admiring his body. Her breasts were half hidden by her hair, and her lips were kiss-swollen.

  “You look like an erotic wood nymph,” he said.

  She met his gaze. “You swooned.”

  He laughed. “Men fall asleep after they make love.” He stretched his arms. “It’s still raining. I wonder what we’ll do today.”

  “I think we should stay abed,” she said in a chirpy voice.

  “What have I unleashed?” he said.

  “I liked it,” she said, bouncing on her knees.

  Her tits jiggled. He figured he’d be hot and hard again soon.

  “Can we make love again?” she asked.

  “I need a few minutes to recover,” he said.

  “Oh.” She looked disappointed.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll rise to the challenge again.”

  “Are there other things we can do and still abide by the wager?”

  “Yes.”

  She knit her brows. “I’ve lost track of the days. I think it’s only been eleven days. We still have ten more to go to the third course.”

  “Your arithmetic is unreliable,” he said. “There are only five more days to the third course.”

  “You lied,” she said. “That’s a black mark on your courtship.”

  “I can erase the black mark,” he said, pressing her to her back.

  “No, you can’t.”

  He tickled her waist.

  She shrieked. Then a horrified expression came over her. “Oh, my God. The servants probably heard us.”

  He laughed. “A minute ago, you were raring to have a go at me again. Now you’re prim and proper.”

  “We had better dress and make ourselves decent.”

  He wasn’t about to let her out of the bed now. “The rain is loud. No one can hear us over it.”

  “Are you sure?” she asked.

  “Positive,” he lied as he came over her.

  “What is next?” she asked.

  He cupped her tits, pressed them together, and flicked his tongue rapidly back and forth between her nipples.

  “Will,” she cried out.

  He’d never suspected that a wanton lay beneath her prim façade, but he counted himself a very lucky man.

  On Su
nday night, they sat down to dinner. She looked at him. “Are you hungry?”

  “I’m starved—for you.” He held her gaze. In the candlelight his dark eyes held a sensual promise, one that mesmerized her. This afternoon, he’d shut the door to the parlor and kissed her with unrestrained passion. He was a man with strong appetites. His masculinity excited her, and while she did not yet know much about pleasing him, she vowed to learn.

  She intended to make him so happy he would never stray.

  After the soup course, the footman brought in the second course. Will gave her a heated smile. She blushed a little, wondering what he had in mind for bed tonight. He ate with gusto, but each time he looked at her, she found herself able only to nibble at the food, because his seductive smiles excited her too much.

  When the dessert arrived, he grinned at the cheesecake.

  “I know it’s your favorite,” she said.

  He shook his head. “You are.”

  She found it a little difficult to breathe. Tenderness unfolded in her chest. Her feelings for him were growing little by little. She sometimes wondered if he felt the same way, but she didn’t want to press him. She wanted him to be the first to declare his love. Amy admitted it was probably too soon for him. He desired her and often used endearments in bed, but she mustn’t allow herself to misinterpret his charm for love.

  When the footman retreated, Will placed his hand over hers. “I’ve been thinking about tonight.”

  Her face grew warm.

  “You’re blushing,” he said.

  “What have you been thinking?” she asked.

  He leaned toward her. “We’ve done almost everything, except consummate the marriage.”

  She thought of the way he’d slipped his cock, a word he’d taught her, between her legs. The friction had overwhelmed her. She squeezed her thighs together, remembering the pleasure.

  “I know we have this wager, but I hoped you would agree to move forward,” he said.

  She stared at him. “You mean forget the wager?”

  “I want to make love to you, unrestrained.”

  She wanted more than physical pleasure from him, and if she capitulated now, she sensed he would never open his heart to her. “Let us go on as we agreed,” she said.