Like a courtesan trained to please her lover, she turned sinuously and wrapped her arms around him.
He swept her into his arms and carried her to the bed. He left long enough to impatiently strip off his clothes and toss them on the floor.
His body was all sinew and muscle, and she eyed him with appreciation. A sprinkling of dark hair covered his chest and narrowed to a thin line down the corrugated muscles of his belly, then lower still. She experienced a pang of fear at his thick, long manhood.
As she watched, fascinated, it moved, growing harder.
Heavens! Charles had never…
Then he joined her on the bed and all thought fled as naked flesh touched naked flesh. Her breasts were sensitive as they rubbed against his chest, and set her nerve endings on fire.
His lips grazed her ear. “Do you know what I want to do to you?”
Her breath caught at the raw honesty in his voice. “Tell me.”
“First I’m going to kiss your lovely breasts.” He lowered his head to lave her breast and tug on her nipple. Her heart leapt, as though he’d flattened his palm against her chest and tugged on her most secret longings.
“And then?” she asked breathlessly.
He smiled slyly. His palm trailed down her body until his fingers splayed across her stomach, his thumb grazing the curls between her thighs. “Then I’m going to lick you here until you shudder and cry out with pleasure.”
She inhaled sharply. The image of him touching her with his mouth was shocking and arousing at once. “And then?” her voice was a throaty whisper.
“Then I’m going to make love to you until you come all over me.”
Her heart thundered in her chest. His words set off tremors that heated her thighs and groin in delicious anticipation.
His lips traveled down her body, kissing a fiery trail from her breasts, to her stomach and hip. He nudged her thighs apart, cupped her bottom with large hands, and blew his hot breath on her most secret center. She raised her head in surprise, but at the first stroke of his tongue, her tension and nervousness eased in a rush of pleasure. Every nerve ending in her body fired as he made love to her with his mouth. He laved and licked with wicked skill and when he stroked across her sensitive bud, it was the most sinfully sensual act she’d ever experienced. As her pleasure built, she arched restlessly beneath him. She knew what she was reaching for now, but she wanted more, she needed more. She longed to be intimately one with Gareth.
Panting through slightly parted lips, she tugged on his hair until he raised his head. “I want you. Make love to me, Gareth.”
He loomed above her, his expression one of pure male satisfaction and lust. “You’re magnificent,” he said in a hoarse voice.
She twined her arms around his neck and pulled him close. He needed no further encouragement. He positioned the throbbing head of his shaft against her core and slowly circled her wet, aching heat. Her body sang with liquid fire, and she dug her heels into the mattress and raised her hips. He slid an inch inside her.
Her eyes closed as she surrendered completely. This was what she’d craved since their first night together. She arched her hips, wanting to feel all of him. Another delicious inch.
“Oh, yes,” she panted.
She wasn’t a virgin; there would be no pain. Only pleasure.
He lunged forward and sheathed himself to the hilt. She gasped at the incredible fullness. Nothing had prepared her for his size. For the throbbing, pulsing fullness deep inside her. Her body seemed to melt and stretch to accommodate him.
His breath was hot against her ear. “Ah, Jane. It’s heaven to be deep inside you at last.”
He began to move within her with maddeningly slow strokes. She loved the hot sliding friction and the weight and warmth of his body on hers was intoxicating.
He looked into her eyes, their connection all-consuming. “I fear I’ll never get enough of you.”
His words stripped the last vestiges of her defenses, touching a vulnerable part of her that she’d kept locked away. A spurt of hungry desire spiraled through her, and she turned urgent in her need. She scratched his back, dug her fingers into his buttocks, and wrapped her legs high about him.
He grunted and finally unleashed the full force of his desire. He was pure power then, commanding her body with erotic mastery. She reveled in his raw passion, and the thrill of his arousal carried her to greater heights. She sculpted her hands over the sleek rippling muscles of his arms and chest. She matched his strokes, their bodies in exquisite harmony with one another. Their moans melded together, heating the air between them.
She’d been missing the rapture of a skilled lover all these years. Yet she knew it was because of him, because of Gareth, and no other man could make her heart and body come alive like this.
She was poised on a precipice of pleasure, and with one more stroke, she soared over the edge to a shuddering ecstasy. Burying her face against his throat, she kissed his moist skin. Then Gareth stiffened above her and cried out her name with a groan of completion, his manhood throbbing and thick as he spilled his white-hot seed inside her.
…
Gareth rolled to his side, taking Jane with him.
His heart pounded and his breathing was ragged. He’d planned to go slow. Planned to show Jane what she could feel, erase memories of her insipid and cold marriage bed. But she was incredibly responsive in her passion, and she’d stolen his will. His control had snapped.
Christ. It was the best sex he’d ever had.
He kissed the top of her head and pulled her close. “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”
She looked up at him, brushed his hair from his brow, and smiled. “No. I want to do it again.”
His cock stirred in agreement.
“It was never like that with Charles,” she whispered.
It had never been like that for him, either.
She ran her hand down his chest, and desire pumped through Gareth. He should be sated. Wanting to sleep. Certainly not wanting sex this quickly. She’d bewitched him. There was no other explanation.
“Don’t think of your husband.” He knew he sounded surly, but he disliked the thought of her thinking of another man in his bed, even if she did admit that what they’d shared was exceptional compared to her past.
She smiled sweetly and smoothed the frown lines from between his brows. He felt it again. His chest tightened at the hard pull. The relentless tug of unfamiliar emotion. Emotions he was helpless to fight.
She brushed his lips and arched against him. His cock grew and there was only one place it wanted to be. Deep inside her.
Again.
And again.
He vowed this time he would go slowly, easily, the way he’d planned from the beginning.
She sighed and wrapped her legs high about his back and squeezed. He slid inside her welcoming slick heat. Her thighs were surprisingly strong, her inner walls milked him. His nostrils flared from the pleasure and he met her urgency with deep thrusts. He worried he was riding her too hard, then her hands cupped his buttocks, her nails digging into his flanks, and at the same time she bit his neck. All thought left save for the pleasure.
The night exploded.
Chapter Nineteen
The following weeks passed quickly for Jane. She received more social invitations each day. Masques, balls, garden parties, teas, wedding breakfasts, and christening invitations were delivered. She accepted a few and declined the rest. Her motives were simple. She wanted to spend more time with Gareth.
When he’d send a note for her to arrive earlier one evening, he’d surprised her at his door. “I want to take you for an evening meal.”
“Aren’t you worried we’ll be seen?”
“No. Dolly’s is off Paternoster Row and it’s famous for its steaks and turtle soup. It’s also not the type of establishment that’s frequented by the ton. Barristers and solicitors eat there. I’ve reserved a table in a dim corner.”
“How exciting.”
After feasti
ng on a delicious dinner, they sat and enjoyed each other’s company. Jane sipped her wine and was filled with curiosity about him.
“Tell me something about yourself. What was your childhood like? Your upbringing?” she asked.
“It wasn’t very pleasant. My parents had a cold marriage. My father had a title, but no money. My mother had a substantial dowry, but no title. It was a convenient match, but hardly a love one.”
“Your father shares Charles’s vice of gambling. Did he neglect your mother?” She could hardly lift her voice above a whisper when she asked.
“My mother died ten years ago. But during her life, the baron rarely had time for his wife or his children. He spent most of his waking hours at his clubs and managed to drink and gamble away almost all of her dowry. I have too many memories of screaming matches between them as a child.”
She stilled. “I’m sorry. It must have been horrible.”
He shrugged. “It was upsetting as a young boy, but I no longer think of it.”
She knew that couldn’t be true. Childhood years were critical and sculpted one’s adulthood. She suspected Gareth’s past had made him the man he was today.
“My older brother has it worse. He’s the heir and must deal with the baron on a daily basis. He’s left waiting to inherit what remains, whereas I took my own path years ago,” he said.
“As a barrister,” she offered.
He nodded. “The baron didn’t approve at first. Now I believe he’s grateful I’m not asking for an allowance from the family coffers.”
“Do you speak to him at all?” she asked. “Olivia told me there are rumors that you are completely estranged from him.”
A faint look of amusement crossed his face. “Do they? The rumors are not entirely true. I speak to the baron on occasion. I visit my brother on holidays. But it’s also best if I don’t speak with my father about anything other than trivial matters such as the weather. I know I’ll never turn him away from the gaming tables or his clubs.”
Just like she hadn’t been able to stop Charles from going to the track. It was so sad. She longed to reach out and touch his hand across the table, but restrained herself. Tonight was not about dredging up upsetting stories from the past, but to enjoy a leisurely dinner together.
“I understand why you became a barrister, but why handle the types of cases you do?” she asked, changing the topic of conversation to something lighter.
His lips curled in a smile. “You mean why represent disgruntled, married gentlemen?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t plan it. I had a strong stroke of luck and obtained a divorce for a viscount, which required an Act of Parliament. After word got out, an endless stream of gentlemen began flooding my chambers. The work chose me more than I chose it.”
She didn’t want to insult him, but she wanted to know. “Has it tainted you?”
He swirled the wine in his glass. “I suppose so. Each client has their own history, whether it’s about cheating spouses, wives who are cold fish in bed, or those that have overbearing and unbearable mothers. Others claim their wives suffer from melancholy or are spendthrifts. The list is endless.”
“You must have many stories to tell.”
He chuckled. “This morning I met with a client who believes his wife is dallying with the head gardener. He claims she insists on eating asparagus at dinner and has an abundance of gas every night to keep her from his bed.”
“Goodness! I wonder what she says about him?”
“He asked me how to be rid of her. I told him to buy the woman flowers and take her to dinner at an establishment where asparagus is not featured on the menu. He may be surprised at the result. Needless to say, he wasn’t very pleased with me.”
Jane burst out laughing. “I wish I’d witnessed it!”
Gareth reached across the table to clasp her hand. “You have a wonderful laugh. I love hearing it.”
Her heart pounded, and she smiled. “I haven’t laughed in a long time. I have you to thank for it.”
He squeezed her hand. “Thank you for accompanying me tonight. There’s no one I’d rather spend time with.”
His words wrapped around her like a warm blanket. “I enjoy hearing your stories, and I suspect you are being modest. You must be very good at what you do.”
He stilled. “You should know that I haven’t always treated women favorably in the courtroom. A trial for criminal conversation is never pleasant. I’m adept at sifting through a client’s anger and bitterness to extract the most pertinent and favorable facts—anything I can use in a court of law to paint a sympathetic picture of the husband. I’m not known to be a nice person.”
She understood. A wife’s adultery was often revealed, rarely the husband’s. “It’s your job to represent your client.”
“Perhaps. But the truth is it had never been difficult for me. Until lately. I find I don’t enjoy it as much as I used to. My motivations have changed since my earlier days when I’d been first called to the bar. I fear my clients’ incessant displeasure has taken its toll. I’m not proud of some of the things I’ve done, and I’ve been thinking of handling different types of cases.”
“Then you should. I have faith you’d be a success in any chosen area. I also believe life has a way of shaping us. Sometimes our dark past can turn out to be a shining light. If I hadn’t lived through Charles’s suicide, I wouldn’t have been searching for a lover. I would most likely have remarried and never met you.”
“You are a treasure indeed, my lady.” His thumb slowly circled her hand, and he placed a hot kiss in the center of her palm, sending delicious shivers marching up her arm. A palpable, sensual tension grew between them, and there was no mistaking the invitation in the smoldering depths of his eyes.
“Gareth,” she breathed.
“Shall we leave?” He stood and held her chair.
A quick carriage ride later, they arrived at his home. Breathless with excitement, they rushed upstairs hand in hand. They kissed hungrily as she tugged on his jacket and waistcoat until they were discarded. When her fingers tried to work the buttons on his shirt, he aided her by tearing the fabric and tossing it aside. He cupped her bottom and pressed her to him, letting her feel the extent of his desire for her.
Arching her back, she offered her breasts to him. He kissed her eyelids, her lips, the lush swell of her breasts above her bodice until she was aflame with need. She was impatient to have him, all of him, and she grasped his hand and placed it on her silk stocking beneath her gown. He understood what she needed, thank heaven, and his fingers skimmed her slim leg, past her garter to her bare thigh, until he found the moist heat between her thighs.
Clothing fell to the carpet with tantalizing gasps and low groans until nothing was between them but soft skin against sinewy muscle. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around him as he slid into her.
“Ah, Jane,” he groaned, his breath hot against her ear.
She buried her face in his throat as his manhood throbbed and pulsed hard inside her. He didn’t bother to carry her to the bed, but began moving as he held her. One stroke, two…and her pleasure peaked in an exquisite climax. His body went rigid, and his rough growl of completion pounded through her heart, head, and soul as she held him tightly to her chest.
…
The remaining weeks until the Marburys’ ball were a whirlwind for Jane. Olivia’s highly anticipated status as a duchess required a considerable new wardrobe, and Jane was happy to assist her friend. Jane’s days were spent accompanying Olivia to the dressmaker for fittings, shopping for bonnets and accessories, and visiting the shoemaker for colorful ballroom slippers to match the new stylish gowns.
However busy Jane’s days were, she looked forward to her nights filled with rapture in Gareth’s arms. She would sneak out past midnight and return before sunrise. Aunt Eleanor had commented that Jane appeared happier than she’d been in a long time, but she’d never suspected the reason.
Jane knew the tru
th.
She was in love with Gareth. And their nights of passionate lovemaking had awakened her body as well as her heart. She’d never felt so alive.
Or so happy.
Certainly not during her three year marriage. Looking back, she realized what she’d felt for Charles had never been true love, but the infatuation of a young girl. He’d been a handsome and charming man during their engagement. She’d been easily smitten and envied by all the debutantes during her first season on the marriage mart. She’d known he enjoyed horses, but what gentleman of the ton didn’t gamble? Young and inexperienced, she hadn’t realized the truth until well after the wedding.
But she was a woman full grown now and—thanks to Gareth—she understood what it felt like when a man took care to pleasure a woman in the bedroom and not just see to his own pleasure.
Finding a skilled lover had been her goal all those weeks ago, although she’d never intended or wanted to fall in love. To the contrary, she’d believed herself weak-natured and feared love like the plague.
But no longer. She understood the risks and was willing to continue their affair. Only this time her eyes were open. Gareth cared for her, she was certain. He may not love her, but neither would he lie to her.
A warm glow flowed through her. It was all wonderful and miraculous; something she’d never believed would happen to her again.
She trusted Gareth Ramsey.
Completely.
Chapter Twenty
Jane dressed carefully the night of the Marburys’ ball. She chose a white satin dress trimmed with silver tissue and wore tiny white rosebuds in her upswept fair hair. In a daring move, she’d ordered the dressmaker to lower her bodice, and her breasts swelled above the embroidered neckline. A diamond necklace glittered at her throat. Glancing in the looking glass, she knew she didn’t dress for the bon ton, but for Gareth.
“You look lovely,” Aunt Eleanor said from the doorway. “You’ve changed and I’m happy for it. May I assume it’s due to a certain man’s interest?” Her hands rested on her cane as she looked at Jane with avid interest.
At the Spy's Pleasure Page 14
