The Secrets of Seduction (The Ladies of The Burling School Book 7)

by Elizabeth Lennox

  “I like this room,” she said, turning around slowly as she took in all of the details. “It isn’t one of those dark, masculine rooms that I usually read about. You know the kind, the boring rooms with all of the leather and dark walls.”

  He chuckled softly. “You haven’t seen my office yet.”

  Ella cringed. “Sorry.” She turned around again, looking at the large mirrors against the opposite walls that made the room look much bigger and more elegant. “This is really amazing.”

  “An architect and a designer gets the credit.”

  She looked at him with a shake of her head. “You had to have had the original idea.”

  “Perhaps. But we’ve gotten off topic.”

  Her shoulders drooped slightly. “The topic being your horrible father?”

  “No. The topic was why you didn’t call me this morning.”

  She stiffened and he wondered about that. She’d been so open and happy a moment ago.

  “Well, I didn’t call, because I woke up after…” she stammered, pressing her lips together. “Well, after last night. And you weren’t there.”

  “I left you a note.”

  Her eyes widened. Was that hope in her eyes? There was a flash before it was doused again, but he’d recognized the look. Because he felt it too. For the first time today, he was hopeful that they’d just misinterpreted…everything…today.

  “I didn’t see a note,” she argued, crossing her arms over her stomach.

  “I left you a note. I propped it up on your countertop where you’d see it when you went to make coffee this morning.”

  Another cringe. “I don’t have a coffee maker in my apartment,” she explained. “Nor do I have any food. In fact, I just plugged my fridge in a couple of days ago. But I never got around to making it to the store. So my kitchen is completely empty.”

  He moved closer, startled. “So…you didn’t see the note?”

  She shook her head again. “I woke up without you next to me, and was immediately…” She trailed off. He took her hands, pulling her arms away from her body.

  “Hurt?” he offered.

  “No. I’d expected that.” She said the words, but her eyes told him a different story.

  “You were hurt, weren’t you?” he asked.

  Ella shrugged noncommittally.

  “Would it help if I admitted that I was furious that you hadn’t called? I’ve been pacing for hours, wondering when you were going to call. I came up with one excuse after another, trying to justify why you hadn’t called. But after too many hours and too many justifications, I wanted an explanation.”

  She moved closer to him. Just an inch, but it was enough. “So you came looking for me?”

  “Yes,” he replied, tangling his fingers with hers. “I couldn’t stay away.”

  Ella stared up at him, amazed that he’d said so much. “Why?”

  “Because you fascinate me, Ella. I don’t know why, but you’ve gotten to me.” His fingers tangled in her hair and he tugged her head backwards. “Tell me that you feel the same way,” he ordered.

  Ella opened her mouth to tell him…something. She wasn’t really sure what she might have said. But he didn’t give her the opportunity. His mouth covered hers. Just a brief kiss initially. But when she didn’t pull away, in fact, she leaned in, he deepened the kiss. Tongues tangled, lips caressed, and bodies shifted against each other. She felt his hands on her back and slid her own up his chest, amazed at the power hidden under the plain, cotton shirt. But the touch wasn’t enough. She needed to feel his skin, to touch him and feel him respond. She remembered how powerful she’d felt last night when she’d touched him and he’d groaned and demanded more. Ella wanted to experience that again. She wanted him. All of him!

  “Tell me, Ella!” he groaned when she lifted onto her toes to deepen the kiss further.

  “I want you,” she told him in between kisses.

  He wasn’t letting her get ahead of him and pulled her shirt up and over her head, dumping it on the couch. With deft hands, he stripped off the rest of her clothes and looked down at her. “You’re not wearing the pretty lace pieces I gave you,” he commented, sliding off the plain, cotton underthings. “Why not?”

  “Because I was hurt that you left…” she hissed when he took her nipple into his mouth. His tongue swirled against it and his teeth scraped the tip, making her ache with the need to take him into her.

  Ella was completely naked now while he stood in front of her with all of his clothes on. “Not fair!” she protested, but in the end, she didn’t have the restraint to take his clothes off. Pushing him backwards, he sat down on the sofa and she unzipped his slacks, releasing his erection. “You’re so amazing,” she whispered as her fingers wrapped around his shaft. “Would you mind if I...?” she didn’t finish the question, figuring to just do it instead of ask permission.

  He was better than she’d though possible! Tasting him like this was amazing! Moving her mouth up and down, she tasted and teased him, felt his hands dive into her hair and wanted to laugh at the surge of power she felt.

  Before she had enough, he pulled her up onto his lap. “I wasn’t done,” she whispered, moments before he covered her mouth again.

  Ella was frantic with need, pressing against him. His strong hands held her hips still but she wasn’t allowing him control like that. Shifting against him, she found him with her body and shifted until…!

  “Yes!” she gasped, sliding down his shaft, wiggling and shifting until he was fully embedded in her. “Oh yes!”

  Then, because he felt so good, she did it again, sliding up and then down again, taking all of him into her body, arching backwards, leaning into the interesting friction from that particular angle.

  Suddenly, his hands dug into her hips, holding her still. Ella opened her eyes and frowned questioningly.

  “Protection!” he explained, his voice rough with desire.

  “Oh!” And she rolled her hips again. “I’m on the birth control patch.”

  He looked up at her, stunned and still for a long moment. “I’m clean, Ella.”

  “I haven’t been with anyone in a long time,” she explained quietly, blushing at the admission.

  His hands shifted again, taking her hips in his and moving her back to his erection. “Damn it, Ella. We shouldn’t…” but he still gripped her hips, guiding her movements. “I don’t know how long I can last like this.”

  Ella might have smiled. Or maybe not. She didn’t know or care. Her only concern was to ease this ache that was inside of her, to find that elusive release.

  Towards that end, she pressed against him with stronger purpose. Her mouth fell open as her body tightened, spiraling towards that peak. Malcolm caressed her breasts, cupping them as his thumbs teased her tender nipples. Ella’s head fell back, eyes half closed, feeling the pleasure build.

  Closer and closer…

  “Yes!” she screamed, her nails digging into his shoulders as she rode out her release.

  Malcolm watched, amazed and so turned on, he could barely see straight. But he didn’t dare close his eyes for fear of missing whatever happened next. Unfortunately, seeing her like this, he couldn’t hold back, couldn’t enjoy her pleasure for as long as he wanted to. He wanted…needed to…!

  “Ella!” he groaned as his body took over, his climax intense and fast, throbbing into her body as he thrust several more times.

  When it was all over, he held her in his arms, amazed all over again at how beautiful it felt to hold Ella in his arms.

  A long time later, he stood up and carried her up the stairs. There, he made love to her again in his big bed until they were too tired to even move. They napped for several hours until they were too hungry to sleep. He ordered a pizza to be delivered and they devoured the whole thing while watching a movie snuggled up together. He was reluctant to see her get dressed, preferring that she remain naked since he was just going to take everything back off again later. But in the end, he accepted that s
he still looked ravishing wearing one of his shirts.

  He made love to her one more time before they both fell into an exhausted sleep. Malcolm knew that it felt right to have her in his bed. In his arms.

  Chapter 8

  Ella came downstairs the following morning beaming. She was wearing one of Malcolm’s huge shirts that came down to the middle of her thighs. She’d folded the sleeves back so that she could use her hands. As she explored his house, she couldn’t stop grinning. He was here, making breakfast somewhere. But so far, she hadn’t found the kitchen. She wanted her underwear and…well, he’d stripped her clothes off somewhere down here in the great room. Looking around, she spotted her clothes on the floor beside the sofa. Even as she bent down to pick them up, Ella’s cheeks flared with color. It had been another magical night in his arms and she yawned, feeling exhausted and alive. How was that possible?

  Ella wasn’t sure and didn’t really care. Life was good. He’d left a note for her yesterday. It had all been a misunderstanding…or a miscommunication? Or perhaps it had been a lack of communication. She smiled at her mental meanderings as she searched for her panties. They weren’t with her jeans. Where would they have gone? Ella got down on her knees and looked under the sofa. “There you are!” she whispered and reached for them.

  At that same time, she heard footsteps and looked up.

  “I like the view from here,” Malcolm teased, holding two cups of coffee. Ella leaned back on her heels, taking in the soft, worn denim riding low on his lean hips. And nothing else. Bare feet. Bare chest. Rough cheeks because he hadn’t shaved this morning, just showered, then came down here to make them breakfast.

  “You look pretty good, sailor,” she teased. “I like a man who brings me coffee.”

  “Maybe there are a few other things that you like about me?” he said, offering one of the coffee cups to her.

  Ella took the cup and then breathed in the glorious smell of the fragrant coffee. “Oh, this is good!” she sighed and took a careful sip. “Tastes perfect!”

  “What are you looking for?” he asked, sitting down on the coffee table beside her.

  “I was looking for my underwear,” she admitted. “I was starting to think you hid them.”

  One dark eyebrow went up with that explanation, and he chuckled. “Why would you bother putting them on? I’m just going to take them off again after breakfast.”

  She smiled, her whole body warming to the idea. “I don’t think I’ll have any objection to that plan, but I’m just not the kind of gal who can eat without panties on.”

  He laughed. “Pity,” was his only reply. Then he looked at her jeans. “What’s this?” he asked, lifting up a tan piece of plastic that looked like a piece of tape.

  Ella gasped, her eyes going wide. “Oh no!”

  Malcolm’s eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong?”

  “That’s…um…” she blinked and snatched it out of his hand. “This never comes off so easily!” she said and tried to put it back onto her skin.

  “What is it?”

  Unfortunately, the tape wasn’t working very well. It wouldn’t stick to her skin again. “It’s my birth control,” she muttered distractedly.

  There was a long silence after that and she groaned, noticing how still he’d gone.

  “Is that going to be a problem?” he asked softly.

  Ella bit her lip, counting back the days. With relief, she shook her head. “No! It’s not the right time for any problems,” she told him.

  He didn’t seem convinced.

  She shrugged, stuffing the contraceptive patch into her jeans pocket. “I don’t think so.”

  He continued to watch her for a long moment, then stood up. “Fine. So…how about pancakes for breakfast?” he offered.

  Ella watched him move into the kitchen, confused and concerned. What had just happened? His reaction felt odd, but she didn’t really know him well enough to understand his moods yet.

  One might say that they shouldn’t be having sex if she didn’t understand him well enough. But then again, didn’t it take years for two people to really get to know one another? And in the grand scheme of things, could two people ever really know one another?

  Okay, so maybe a couple that had been married for years, decades perhaps. They could anticipate each other’s reactions.

  With a smile, she wandered into the kitchen.

  With very precise movements, Malcolm mixed the ingredients, did a test pancake, and flipped it to ensure that the pan was hot enough. Every movement was careful and regulated.

  Pregnant. The idea of Ella becoming pregnant with his child, their child, sounded…amazing.

  Unfortunately, she’d dismissed the idea. In fact, she’d indicated that the idea would be bad. All the while, he was thinking about how great it could be.

  No, it wouldn’t be good, he corrected as he poured several circles of batter onto the pan. It was too early in their relationship for children. They needed to get to know each other better. They needed to find their rhythm. They needed to talk about having children and connecting their lives together…before Ella got pregnancy.

  He wanted Ella in his life for a long time. But…she was a reporter. She was a free spirit. Ella was only in London to investigate this flaming hand…whatever. Once she’d figured out the mystery and written up her article, she’d be gone again. Off to some other country.

  Okay, that wasn’t fair. Malcolm traveled a great deal for his job too. He couldn’t ask her to stop traveling for her job. Not if he wasn’t willing to do the same. But he couldn’t help thinking that having her travel with him, be with him, spend her life with him, sounded pretty damn nice! Just having her here in his house, in his bed, had been great. It felt right. Perfect.

  So, how did he convince her to stay with him for the long term? How could they work this out, their two jobs, and have a family? A relationship?

  Malcolm had no idea. The issue seemed insurmountable, but as soon as he thought that word, his resolve hardened. There wasn’t any situation that was insurmountable. He’d learned that over and over again. Problems created opportunities. He’d figure this out, he vowed.

  Although, he had to admit that her abhorrence at the idea of children bothered him. And even that stunned him. Until now, Malcolm had always been very firmly on the “No Pregnancy” side of the issue. Although, the women he’d been with in the past had probably been the reason for his lack of a desire for children. None of those women had stirred these feelings in him. They’d been temporary lovers. He’d always been careful with his past lovers to ensure that they knew that going into the affair. But there had been no conversation about a temporary status with Ella. Nor did he want that with her. He wanted…He wanted forever. She wasn’t a temporary lover. Watching her sip her coffee and scroll through whatever was on her phone, he realized that he wanted her forever.

  Was this love?

  He didn’t know. Until this moment, he’d never understood that emotion except with his mother. And even that feeling had been laced with anger towards her for not standing up for herself. To his childhood mind, his mother had allowed the duke to smack her around. Yes, Malcolm had always hated his father for doing the hitting. But he’d also been angry with his mother for enduring the abuse silently. For not standing up to him, calling the police or…hell, running away from the old bastard!

  As an adult, he knew that the physical abuse was only part of what his father had done to Malcolm’s mother. There had been mental and emotional abuse, which was much more insipid than the hitting. The smacks and punches had left bruises, and in some cases, broken bones. Malcolm had only heard his father speak to his mother a few times, but the tone and the words had always been harsh. Demoralizing.

  So yes, as an adult, Malcolm understood that his mother had been hurt in many ways, but his childhood feelings for her were jumbled. Tainted. Everyone considered that being the child of an aristocrat and living on an ancient estate with lots of money was blissful. The reality
was so much different. It meant living up to extremely high expectations set, not just by one’s parents, but by the world. It also meant that he’d grown up knowing that he would have to maintain those old estates, which included buildings that were dangerously unsafe and insanely expensive to heat. They were environmental nightmares as well. In his opinion, every moldering old building on his father’s estates should be torn down. One couldn’t even ignore them and let them decay on their own time, because villagers tended to sneak into the buildings. If they hurt themselves, there could be a lawsuit.

  Ella set her phone down. “Hey, are you okay?”

  He blinked at her, startled by her question.

  “Of course,” he responded quickly, and tossed another pancake onto the warming plate.

  “You don’t look okay,” she replied. “You look serious. After last night, I would think that you would be more than okay.” She paused. “But after that bit of miscommunication yesterday, I don’t want to assume anything.”

  Her words startled him. They were…good. Logical. And caring. He flipped another pancake. “I was thinking about my father’s estates,” he told her.

  She stood up and walked over to lean against the counter, watching the pancake brown in the pan. “What about them?” she prompted.

  Malcolm glanced at her at her, then took a longer second look. The light glowed behind her, through the white shirt she wore, highlighting every curve. “They are old,” he replied, his eyes lifting to hers. “Are you doing that on purpose?” he asked, forgetting about the pancakes for the moment. That shadow was much more interesting. He wondered if she’d ever pulled on panties. He liked the idea of her being naked underneath his shirt.

  “Old and…that had you scowling like a grumpy bear?” she asked.

  “Yes.” He flipped the last pancake onto the platter and turned off the stove. “I hate old buildings.”

  He handed her the serving platter of pancakes, then reached into the fridge to grab the syrup, butter, and fruit that he’d already cut up. “Let’s eat.”