Love's Betrayals (The Extraordinary Life of Amy Winston Book 2)

by Liza O'Connor

  “And why where you running?”

  “I was pulling him from the gardener.”

  “And did the gardener have cause to be angry?”

  “He wasn’t angry. He was just saying I shouldn’t be in the maze while snapping his shears in a disconcerting manner.”

  Chavier struggled to suppress a laugh.

  She hoped that was a good sign.

  His focus returned to Darby. “She has pleaded your case admirably McAllister. However, rest assured I am fully aware of your reputation with the ladies and will be watching you closely. If you cause harm to Miss Winston’s reputation, you will answer for it.”

  She could see great indignation in Darby’s eyes. “I intend to guard Amy’s reputation most carefully, and as such, I must insist she return to the dance immediately.”

  Chavier eyebrows rose an inch, as if stunned by the young man’s impudence.

  “It is probably best,” Amy said. “If it truly is your time, then I’ve been out here over a half hour.”

  “It is, and you have,” he replied. “Well then, we shall all go in together as friends and when you leave us, Darby, you will go over to Mrs. Halloway and be charming for at least a quarter of an hour.”

  Darby nodded his agreement.

  To her amazement, they both did an admirable job of pretending to like each other as they entered and Chavier patted Darby on his back before he led Amy to the dance floor.

  The current dance was a line dance giving them no opportunity to talk, nevertheless have an intelligent conversation. And while Amy plastered a happy smile on her face, she found herself desperately wishing for a waltz. When the dance was finally over, Chavier led her to Mrs. Halloway. “We will have our intelligent conversation on another day.”

  Mrs. Halloway smiled and stroked her hair with affection. Unfortunately, her eyes were filled with far too much worry for the smile on her face to be believed, and Amy knew she was the cause of the worry. Before she could assure Mrs. Halloway nothing bad had happened, the last gentleman of the evening, one of Darby’s friends, came to claim his dance.

  Forcing a smile to her face, Amy followed him onto the dance floor. While he did not step on her toes, he did have an awkward gait which caused them to continually drift in a southern direction on the dance floor. It was only when they reached the edge of the room that he stopped and took account of their location. She almost laughed as he looked about as if wondering how they had come to this spot.

  “I told you the southwest corner, you idiot,” a voice stated behind her.

  Amy turned around to face the most extraordinarily handsome and exotic man she had ever seen. His eyes were dark and smoldering with sensuality.

  “Sorry, never good with directions,” the young man explained.

  The man’s eyes returned to hers. “May I have this dance, Miss Winston?”

  Her body melted under the heat of his eyes. She frowned and broke contact with those fabulous wondrous eyes. “That is not possible. We have not been properly introduced.”

  “Damn propriety, it is the last dance of the night. Let us not lose this moment.” He spoke in a distinct and heavy accent she did not recognize.

  “I am sorry, sir, but it is not possible.” She turned her back to him, facing the young man. “Since you do not wish to dance with me, please escort me back to Mrs. Halloway.”

  Searing hot hands clamped upon her waist and her body turned until once again she stared into those demanding sultry eyes. “Dance with me, Amy.”

  Finally, his seductive powers, his accent, told her who he was. “You’re Count Velaski,” she whispered, feeling both horror and excitement at once.

  He smiled…and it was the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. “So, you do know me. Then there is no need for introductions at all.” He took her in his arms and moved her to the sound of the waltz.

  Amy felt as if she were being swept away by a force beyond her control.

  “Please release me,” she begged.

  “I have no intention of seducing you, Amy. My only need of you is to pass a message to Catherine. Tell her I never lied to her. She has and always will be first in my heart. Tell her I regret my choices of last year and the pain I caused her. Tell her as much as I want to stop her marriage and take her as my own, I will not. I will leave tonight and torment her no further. If this is the proof she requires, then she shall have it. Can you remember what I have told you?”

  Amy nodded, hoping she could.

  “Then repeat it back to me, for you look as brainless as all the others.”

  Amy had no chance to reply before their dance stopped and she was torn from his arms.

  “You’ve been warned before Valeski,” Antonio growled.

  “To stay away from Catherine. She is nothing like Catherine.”

  The contempt in his voice was more than Antonio could tolerate and if Amy had not managed to return to her senses and secure his arm firmly while Chavier Jones deftly stepped between them, there would have no doubt been a terrible brawl.

  “Perhaps you should leave town,” Chavier said to the count.

  “That has already been decided. I am leaving in the morning. Your threats only provoke me to remain longer, which unfortunately, in this case, I cannot do.”

  Giving a curt bow to Amy, he turned and left.

  “Can we go home now?” Amy asked.

  “An excellent idea,” Chavier said. “Antonio, have the carriage brought around and I’ll take Amy to Ann.”

  Amy could tell Antonio did not want to release her, and she could feel his frustration as he stepped away from her as Chavier had commanded. She no longer had any doubt to whom Antonio and Ann reported. For nothing more than the order of his commander could have forced Antonio to leave her just now.

  “I told him I would not dance with him,” she said in a low but angry voice.

  She was not angry that Chavier seemed put out with her, which given the disaster that had almost occurred, he had every right to be. Had Antonio attacked the count in public, not only would he never again be allowed into society, but it was very likely he’d have spent the remainder of his life in jail. The courts frowned highly on commoners attacking royalty, even if it was royalty from a foreign state.

  Amy’s anger was solely at herself for being so utterly weak and helpless. Her reaction to the count had been far more debilitating than Catherine’s story had led her to expect. She was now amazed at Catherine’s strength given she had not shown half the resistance. Had the count wished to seduce her on the dance floor, she seriously doubted she could have resisted.

  When they reached Mrs. Halloway, the grand dame stood ready for battle. “The girls are in the carriage and I have given my apologies for our early departure to Mrs. Stanton. She assured me she understood and commended me for taking every precaution. Then she went on to say she hoped it wouldn’t ruin the wedding plans.”

  “And Antonio, where is he?” Chavier asked.

  “In the carriage as well, with Gunter ensuring he remains there, least he do something very foolish.”

  Chavier handed Amy over to her. “Reliable as ever, Ann.” He kissed her cheeks then turned to Amy and gently kissed her hand.

  The smile on his face lacked sincerity.

  Amy felt overwhelmed with anguish for all the harm she had caused. Not just to Antonio, but somehow her disaster even threatened Catherine’s wedding.

  Mrs. Halloway turned to speak to her and frowned. “Amy Winston, you will show no weakness in front of the enemy. Do you hear me? Now lift that head of yours up and give me a smile, and I don’t care how much it hurts.”

  Amy pulled herself together and did as ordered.

  “I wish to advise you on one matter before we enter the carriage. Do not blame Antonio’s stubbornness for your dance. He will blame himself, but he will eventually recover, unless you blame him as well.”

  “It is not his fault,” Amy assured her.

  “Good girl,” She smiled and kissed he
r on her forehead. “Now chin up and smile as if you just had the loveliest night of your life.”

  When they entered the carriage, Amy had the choice of sitting with Domnika and Catherine or beside Antonio. She could see Catherine was upset, but Domnika was comforting her, whereas if Mrs. Halloway was correct that Antonio was blaming himself.

  He had reached to assist her in the carriage and seemed to be guiding her to the seat next to Catherine.

  “I would rather sit by you, if you don’t mind.”

  He pulled her to his chest and held her tightly to him.

  “He doesn’t appear to mind,” Domnika quipped. Her remark even got a small smile out of Catherine.

  Once Mrs. Halloway was in, seated beside Amy, the carriage rolled off. To give Mrs. Halloway more room, Antonio shifted Amy onto his lap.

  Despite the disaster Amy had wrought at the ball, her misery soon disappeared. She was in Antonio’s arms, and he still loved her. Everything else paled in comparison. She snuggled against his chest and breathed out with contentment as she unbuttoned a button on his shirt and slipped her hand inside and pressed it against his chest. She closed her eyes and fell asleep listening to the steady pumping of his heart.

  She had a vague sensation of floating and then resting upon a soft bed. It was only when hot searing hands burned into her shoulders that she woke. She sat up and took in her surroundings. Antonio had brought her to his bed. She stared at him for an explanation. It was either that Catherine was so angry at having her wedding ruined that she didn’t want Amy in her room, or that Antonio had finally come to his senses and was going to make love to her. She hoped, very much, it was the latter of the two, but given his solemn face, she wasn’t certain.

  He sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked her arm. “I was trying to undress you, but the hooks are in the back.”

  Amy rose from the bed and placed her back to him, so he could work his way down the hundred small hooks.

  He stood, his hands caressing her shoulders. She had expected him to start on the hooks next. Instead, he kissed the tender flesh where her neck and shoulder met. She shuddered as waves of pleasure battered inside.

  She whispered his name.

  “Do you want me to stop?” Antonio asked.

  “I think you had better not kiss me like that until you have gotten me out of this dress.”

  He laughed with relief and focused on his task. Ten minutes later, he was softly cursing the quantity of hooks. Fifteen minutes later, he cursed loudly. “Would you mind if I just tear the damn thing off?”

  “Please don’t. Even though it is not fashionable, I plan to wear this dress often to remember this night—that is if we ever get to the memorable part,” she teasingly chided.

  In what seemed an eternity later, the dress finally slid to the floor. She stepped out of the puddle of fabric and laid it over a chair before returning to him. He seemed almost paralyzed by her body. She wore only a thin camisole and pantaloons.

  “You have no idea how beautiful you are.”

  She smiled and untied his tie and focused on his buttons.

  “Well, let me see how beautiful you are.”

  He did not resist her efforts to undress him, but no matter how many times she told him to keep his hands at his sides, they would gravitate to her body and drive her to distraction with their hot searing caresses. She forgot to remove his cufflinks so her first attempt to remove his shirt failed, since the sleeves remained stuck on his wrists. She thought he was holding on to the shirt just to be mischievous and accused him of such.

  “I assure you, I want nothing more than to be rid of the shirt.” He proved it true by pulling at the sleeves until the shoulder seams gave way. Frisking his wrists, she found the cufflinks and removed each of them so now his chest and arms were magnificently bare. She ran her hands over the contours of his muscles, her fingers examining every scar along the way.

  “Now, ’tis my turn.”

  Antonio pulled the bow of her camisole, then with excruciating patience, he unlaced the ribbon that held the camisole tight. When he finally finished, he tossed the ribbon to the bed and then lifted the camisole over her head.

  The material caught her hair pins, causing her hair to tumble down upon her shoulders.

  “I should have taken care of that detail long before now.”

  His fingers raked into her hair, scattering the remaining pins to the floor, and undoing her braids until her hair was an untidy flow of silken locks nearly reaching her waist.

  His hands followed the tendrils of her hair, covering her breasts until the deep rose nipples drew his attention. He sat down on the edge of the bed, spread his legs, and he gently tugged her to him.

  For several minutes, he did nothing but take in her beauty. Finally, he swept her hair across her shoulders and onto her back. Cupping both her breasts in his hands, he leaned forward and suckled each of her rosy nipples in succession.

  Amy groaned and clung to his shoulders as her knees gave way.

  He laughed as he caught her and laid her onto the bed. Lying beside her, he tasted her nipples again.

  She whispered his name as her hands buried themselves into his hair, pulling gently in rhythm with the waves of pleasure surging through her body.

  A knock on the door brought him to a stop. With a soft curse, he rose and answered the door. It was Dodson. “A bath has been set up in your dressing room.”

  “Thank you, Dodson, that was very thoughtful.”

  “I am glad you are pleased, but the credit must go to the mistress.”

  “Send her my thanks as well.”

  Returning to Amy, laying in bliss, he gently pulled her to her feet.

  Her arms encircled his neck as she pressed her naked chest to his. “Don’t stop now,” she pleaded as she nuzzled his chest and neck with wet kisses.

  He pulled her face to his. “We have just begun. But a bath will make the journey even more pleasant.”

  With that promise, Amy joined him in his dressing room where the remainder of their clothes were removed so they could squeeze into the bath together.

  Constrained by the size of the tub, Antonio promised her he would buy Ann a bigger tub tomorrow. She laughed at the presumption of guests buying furniture because what was provided did not suit them.

  “I’m certain Ann could find use of it as well. Although I will be hard put to find a tub to fit Gunter.”

  His words stunned her. She turned her body, so they pressed against one another chest to chest. “Gunter and Ann?”

  “I thought you knew.” He grimaced at having given up a secret.

  “I had no idea.” Something hot and hard prodded her stomach, so she reached down and grasped it.

  Antonio groaned as his entire body tensed.

  “I’m not hurting you, am I?” She gently examined the protuberance.

  “No, my sweet,” he assured her.

  When she reached the soft balls beneath it, she cupped them, trying to decide their purpose. “When I reach eighteen, I’m going to read all those pages with black ribbons. What am I holding right now?”

  “Later,” Antonio whispered and gently placed her hands back upon his manhood and showed her how to stroke him with every increasing speed until he cried out and stiffened and the water between them bubbled and went cloudy.

  Her hand flew to his chest, but she could find nothing wrong other than a racing heart. “Are you hurt?”

  His eyes opened, and he stroked her face. “No, I am fine.”

  “What happened?”

  “If you will turn so your back faces me, I will provide you a similar pleasure to the one you just gave me.”

  She wasted no time doing everything he asked, and her reward was beyond anything she had thought possible. As he brought her to climax, her body shook so violently that half the water in the tub now soaked the carpet.

  After they recovered, Antonio eased from the tub and walked about, determining the damage. He shook his head. “Dodson will
probably never allow us to have another bath in this room.”

  “But he must! I want to take baths all the time now.”

  Antonio pulled her from the tub and kissed her soundly. He then lifted her into his arms and carried her to his bed. “Fortunately, a tub is not required.” He laid her down with her head to the foot of the bed and then got in the bed the opposite direction.

  “Antonio, why am I upside down?”

  “Just be patient and you’ll see,” he chided and then paused. “But if you don’t like what I’m doing, let me know and I will stop at once.”

  Placing two pillows beneath her bottom he straddled her body and spread her legs. The moment his tongue touched her, her entire body jerked from the pleasure that shot through her. He met her eyes. “Do you want me to stop?”

  “Never,” she gasped and stroked his legs begging to do more.

  He shifted his body down towards her face and made himself more comfortable as he once again raised the bar of pleasure.

  Soon overwhelmed of all thought and reason, her body trembled and shook her senseless. When the tremors stopped, he gathered her into his arms and turned her ‘right side up.’

  When her senses regained, she opened her eyes and discovered him watching her with eyes of utter joy.

  “That was the most wonderful thing in the whole world.”

  “I am glad you enjoyed it.”

  “Did you not enjoy it?” she asked with worry.

  “I immensely enjoyed giving you pleasure.”

  She was confused by this. “But when we kiss, don’t you feel pleasure?”

  “More pleasure than I ever thought a kiss could bring.” He then realized her confusion. “For deeper pleasure, it is necessary for each of our lower regions to be stimulated.”

  “Then must it always be done in turns? Can we not both enjoy pleasure at the same time?”

  “It will be possible when we…” he paused. “It might be possible in the future, but presently it is not.”

  “Why not?”

  He stroked her face. “Because I did not take your virtue. I will not deny you the right to come to your marriage bed as a virgin.”

  “Am I still a virgin then?” she asked in surprise.

  “You are. And as long as we keep my part and yours away from each other, you can remain so. But I believe what we have done tonight will do much to lessen your pent-up passion.”