by Chloe Harris
Praise for Chloe Harris
SECRETS OF SIN
“Obsession and passion sizzle on the pages of this mouthwatering debut.”
–Kate Douglas, author of the Wolf Tales series
“Sensuality at its best!”
–Diana Cosby, author of His Woman
“Chloe Harris’s debut novel is funny and slightly dark in a sensationally passionate way where jealousy, desire and love run wild. A great read!”
–Mandy Burns for Fresh Fiction
“Set in the Caribbean in 1745, this story is hot from page one, and the temperature just keeps rising. The characters are well wrought, and a clever subplot sets up the sequel.”
–Romantic Times Book Reviews, Four Star
“These authors turned me into a believer, and made this book an enjoyable one … it touched me at a deep emotional level.”
–Sarah Silversmith for The Romance Readers Connection
“A superheated erotic historical romance starring two delightful lead characters … Readers will relish this strong mid-eighteenth-century Caribbean erotica!”
–Genre Go Round Reviews
“Secrets of Sin … had me at hello. This book is erotic without being porny … really hot and descriptive … a compelling read!”
–Lynette Curtis for The Season–Historical Romance
Also by Chloe Harris
SECRETS OF SIN
In Deep
CHLOE
HARRIS
APHRODISIA BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2010 by Crystal Jordan
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
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eISBN-13: 978-0-7582-6230-1
eISBN-10: 0-7582-6230-1
First Kensington Trade Paperback Printing: December 2010
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America
Contents
Praise for Chloe Harris
Also by Chloe Harris
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1
_____________________________
Jaidyn Donnelly heard the door open behind her. The unbearable task ahead was imminent. She tried not to cringe, but how on earth was she ever going to get through this?
She would because she had to. Wallowing in self-pity was not an option. Jaidyn had to keep telling herself it would be over soon enough. Then before too long she’d be off and it would have all been worth it. Yes, not only did she have to keep telling herself that, she had to keep convincing herself to believe it.
It was the only way to earn a passage north. Where she needed to be; where she was supposed to be. Yesterday wouldn’t be too soon.
Madame Poivre, her hostess these past few weeks, had warned her she didn’t think Jaidyn was cut out to be one of the girls. Well, she might not be, now or ever, but her body was all Jaidyn had. And she was determined to make use of it any way she could, period.
She steeled her spine just as Madame Poivre murmured, “Amusez-vous, Messieurs,” and let Jaidyn’s first customers enter.
Customers–plural. She still couldn’t quite wrap her head around the idea of that. But when she saw them, her trepidation grew even more and her pulse leapt.
Contrary to what she expected, they were both reasonably tall and quite handsome. They both moved with an air of confidence that was more intimidating than she could have ever imagined. The man who absently threw his coat over the chair and began moving toward the bed was blond. The other man stood just inside the door and didn’t move. He only stared at her. His hair was black. Not dark brown but shiny pitch-black. And his eyes looked like the sea she’d recently crossed and the sky above.
She knew that coloring.
Dear Lord! Not a fellow countryman. What were the odds of that in this remote corner of the wilds of the Caribbean?
The fact that this man might well be Irish caused a deeper shame and the comfort of kinship to battle for control within her.
She noticed that both men were now watching her and waiting. Jaidyn subconsciously looked away. Clearing her throat, she pulled the flimsy white dressing gown tighter over the matching corset that was scandalously cut below her breasts.
“Gentlemen,” she began with a croaky voice barely over a whisper. “I have been instructed on what you expect. So, what would you have me do?”
The blond leaning on his elbows on the bed spoke first. “Patience. We have all afternoon and half of the night for this … At least I do. I believe my friend can stay even longer.”
The lazy buoyancy in his voice shook her while his words confused her. What could possibly take so much time to do? Could they possibly want to more than once?
Surely not.
Jaidyn swallowed the building anxiety and studied a fascinating flower in the slightly worn carpet.
She looked up when she heard the soft rustle of fabric. The dark-haired man had thrown his coat over the blond’s and he was moving toward her.
Jaidyn stood as still as a statue as he walked slowly around her like he truly was examining a piece of sculpture. She could almost feel his cheek upon her hair and barely heard the words he spoke against it. “Tell us your name.”
With a quiver, Jaidyn shook her head. She wouldn’t give them her name. For one, she didn’t feel as if she was still that woman who had left Ireland with happy expectations and dreams of a grand new life. And secondly, she just couldn’t attach her disgrace to her birth name.
The black-haired man walked around her until he faced her. She shuddered once more.
“Are you cold?” He clasped her hands in his and she fought her first instinct to pull away.
“Come, sit down,” he offered next.
This time Jaidyn didn’t resist when he pulled her to the bed until she perched on the end of it between the two men. Heat began to seep into her whole body as the dark-haired man continued to warm her hands.
“I am Connor. And this is Reinier.”
Connor. What a solid Irish name. She even had a cousin named Connor. There was no doubt in her mind now that he was her countryman. Her eyes moved to the floor. Once again she was torn between the solace and familiarity of home and the dishonor to her kin.
“Tell us something about you. Where are you from?”
She turned toward the blond man–Reinier, if she remembered correctly–and really looked at him for the first time. His eyes were amazing. She had never seen eyes like those before. Her own eyes were a deep emerald color but his were gold, mixed with the lightest, clearest shade of pale crisp green. They were so mesmerizing, she found she couldn’t lie. “Éire. I was born and raised in Ireland.”
Connor’s hands on hers immediately
stopped their caress.
Her heart sank. Had she said something wrong? Was he saddened that an Irishwoman had been brought so low? Somehow it hurt that this man might be disappointed in her.
“Born and raised?” Reinier questioned as Connor’s hands tenderly moved up and down her upper arms.
She looked slightly away from Reinier’s piercing gaze as she stuck to the story she’d concocted. “I am a maid’s daughter. My father is unknown.”
“You look like you loved to ride through the vast green fields bareback.”
“Indeed, I did!” How did he know that? Bittersweet memories flooded her mind. Images of how she dashed through the lush countryside on the back of the filly that wouldn’t let anybody close but her. Sadly, she’d never found the pleasure in “ladylike” entertainment such as needlework or fashion as the other girls her age did, elevated status or no. She’d much more enjoyed the rougher company of her outré cousins. “Much to my cousins’ dismay, though.” Jaidyn herself was surprised by the laughter that escaped when she thought back on the merry times then. “But was it my fault that their horses weren’t as fast as mine?”
She caught Reinier looking over her shoulder at Connor with what she thought was an oddly knowing expression just before she felt Connor’s warm breath on her ear. It was comforting to know he was here with her. It made her head–and her heart–suddenly light.
“You had a horse?” Connor’s words catapulted her into the harsh reality of here and now. That jolly laughter died in her throat. What had she said! A grave mistake. Surely she would never last long enough at this to do what she needed to do if she couldn’t even keep her story straight after ten minutes in the presence of two reasonably attractive clients.
Gathering her thoughts again, Jaidyn took the offensive as she looked to Connor. “Of course not. I only helped the groom so often that he let me secretly ride a horse when the masters weren’t home.”
Seeing Connor’s pupils dilate, Jaidyn instantly regretted her haughty tone. He was the customer. She should behave more like what was expected of her–only she’d never been good at that.
“You were grooming horses when you didn’t work in your masters’ household?” Reinier inquired.
Jaidyn wanted to reply; she was trying to think of another facet to her story, but when Reinier took her hand in his, all she could do was watch as he slowly raised it to his elegantly full lips. He placed a kiss so gentle on her palm. Connor’s caress on her arms now felt like the light touch of butterfly wings.
Her mind stopped working for a moment. Jaidyn felt adrift in something she couldn’t quite understand. Her skin heated under their touches and felt as if it was suddenly too tight.
Stunned at her own reaction, she met Reinier’s unique gaze again. She let him guide her hand to his midsection.
Immediately the warmth of skin and lean muscle permeated her palm even through his clothing. Next, Connor’s gentle touch brushed her hair aside. She wanted to linger in the amazement that so far this had been easy and gentle and not at all the quick roughness she’d expected, but she never had the chance. That moment both their lips rained kisses along her neck.
The sensation was so oddly pleasant, so … she wasn’t sure what. Her fingers shuddered against Reinier’s abdomen. Her head felt heavy and fell back against Connor’s shoulder of its own volition. She was restless and sleepy all at the same time.
Their lips parted in unison to taste and lave even more. Jaidyn didn’t even attempt to stop the sigh she knew she shouldn’t have uttered.
She was drawn out of the fog she couldn’t quite name when she felt Connor’s hands drifting down her sides to the small ribbon holding the flimsy gown that was her last pitiful shred of modesty. It glided off her shoulders as Connor gently prodded it off her arms, parting it to expose her breasts to both men. In her shock she let her arms fall and offered no resistance to Connor pulling the garment off.
The madness of it! She was going to–
It was the only way. Jaidyn had not been innocent when she’d come to Madame Poivre’s, but she had also never experienced anything like this. She’d only imagined enduring quick pain, sacrificing her comfort and dignity to achieve her goals. Surely this was wicked beyond measure, and so now was she. Not only was there so far no pain and no quickness but–to her eternal damnation, she was certain–it felt good. And–Lord help her–she wanted it to continue.
Reinier sat back and gazed at her exposed breasts. Her nipples tightened in the cool air. His large hand was on her chin, easing her farther back onto Connor’s chest as the Irishman’s kisses moved down to her shoulder. Reinier’s hand moved from her chin to subtly wander over her neck and then move down to cup one of her breasts.
The sweetness of the sensation barely registered before it was doubled as Connor caressed the other. Her pulse beat a jig when his rough thumb brushed against the hard peak. She sighed as his lips once again bathed her neck. When those soft kisses turned to gentle bites over her beating pulse, she arched, instinctively opening herself to their ministrations.
Jaidyn was lost in pleasures she hadn’t known existed. Once again a restlessness she couldn’t define crept into the enjoyment. She couldn’t seem to stop her body from moving. Her hand reached out for something to hold and found the bedspread. Reinier intercepted it and brought it to the buttons of his shirt, whispering against her skin, “Undress me.”
Without thought, her shaky hands worked the buttons of his shirt, inexplicably eager to feel what lay underneath. There was a slight tug behind her as Connor worked the laces of her corset. It fell away at the same time Reinier pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it aside. The next instant Reinier’s mouth was tasting her skin again while he guided her hand back to his belly.
His skin was warm and soft and the muscles underneath were taut. Jaidyn was so wrapped up in the unique tactile sensations she did not realize her hand was being guided slowly downward. But when her fingertip skimmed the seam of his breeches, the actual magnitude of his enjoyment became glaringly clear.
She tensed and instantly felt ashamed of her virginal reaction. The next instant, Connor leaned in against her back as if to see what might be amiss. His broad chest against her back felt protective in a way.
But the reality that was now very clear was the matter. Their sweet kisses and balmy affection had lulled her into forgetting about what lay at the end of this business agreement–and that there were two to contend with. Yet she knew she must go on.
Right or wrong, there was pleasure for her in this. She had never thought there ever would be. And for whatever reason, she felt oddly safe with these men. She’d curse herself later if she was horribly mistaken, but with Connor there she somehow knew it would be all right.
When he began to gently suck her earlobe and his hands came around to lightly cupping, then squeezing her breasts, Jaidyn convinced herself that at least there was this pleasure now and she would enjoy as much of that as she could until it came to the humiliating act itself.
Everything else felt oh so nice, especially now as Reinier took the offering Connor held in his hands and began to suck and nip at her sensitive breasts until she gasped for more. Jaidyn leaned more fully onto Connor’s strength while Reinier continued his assault.
The delicate fragrance of little white roses combined with something deeper, masculine and heady nudged her senses. Sandalwood. That was it. It wrapped itself over her tongue and stole into her nose. Tiny whiffs of it spread through her body and multiplied that strangely comforting feeling she had. Jaidyn gave a soft gasp and inhaled more of that fine aroma.
She didn’t even notice that Reinier had untied her undergarment until Connor lifted her body slightly off the bed. The last bit of cloth between herself and what was to come slipped off.
Connor laid her down at the end of the bed and was gone. Jaidyn fought the urge to turn and find him, reach for him to come back, tell him that she needed him.
Before she could move, Reinier, wit
h his tousled blond hair and piercing pale eyes, loomed above her. Instead of the sweet, light but slightly musky combination of roses and sandalwood, another bouquet filled her head. Deliciously sweet, like opium made from lilac poppies, yet there was something that made Jaidyn lick her lips and clear her throat as it slightly burned. Pepper, she thought and almost smiled at the contrast in Reinier’s natural scent.
Jaidyn watched him as his beautiful lips drew a path of sweet, wet kisses down her body that set her shivering. But not with cold. His hand found the junction of her thighs and she allowed him to part them while his mouth continued to taste her heated skin.
Once more she couldn’t fight the need to move, pushing both into his seeking fingers and then into the soft tick underneath her. Jaidyn’s sigh held both delight and relief. Her eyes closed as she concentrated on the feel of Reinier’s hand moving over her thigh to rest just above her mons.
On the bed above her she heard a low, favorable sound. The fact that Connor watched what she could not and reveled in what he saw sent a thrill through her veins and heightened each sensation tenfold.
Again Jaidyn gasped the instant Reinier’s probing fingers opened her nether lips. His touch was delightful. His expert fingers stroked her with just the right pressure in just the right places. Each of his small movements sent delicious waves of welcome shudders through her body. A soft, appreciative sound escaped her when Reinier’s deft fingers spread and explored some more.
That murmur turned into a keen and her back arched as he found her small erect nub and concentrated his attention there. A tickly, fiery feeling took hold and shook her whole being. She arched and moaned as funny stings sizzled through every muscle in her body. She pictured Connor watching, felt something akin to the warm glow of the sun just out of her reach. It was as if she was climbing too many stairs, only the strain in her muscles wasn’t unpleasant.
Reinier stroked her folds and rotated his fingers on her sweetest spot until that sensation in her belly spread with a rush to her toes, her breasts, her fingertips, even to the roots of her hair. Then it was almost agonizing and she didn’t know why, but she spread her legs more, a rough moan coming from deep inside her.
