A Lady for the Taking

by Bethany M. Sefchick

  “Oh.” She worried her lip between her teeth. “I had not considered that these things…take time.”

  He smiled wolfishly at her. “If done properly? Yes, they do. Hours, truth be told.”

  Penny’s eyes widened again, confirming for him again that she was, indeed, an innocent. “I see.”

  Harry was on the verge of overwhelming her. He could tell. Just then, however, an idea popped into his mind. One that might sate both of them for the moment while still allowing her to maintain her courage.

  “However, I could give you a taste. A slightly bigger one than even what we enjoyed this morning.” It was the best he could offer her right now. He hoped and prayed that she would accept.

  To his relief, Penny swallowed hard, though she didn’t seem inclined to back away from the challenge he had set before her. “I…I think I would like that.”

  “Good.”

  Taking her hand, Harry began to lead Penny deeper into the dark walks that marked the less popular parts of the pleasure gardens. Many of these were older sections that had either long since been abandoned or had fallen out of favor with the crowds for one reason or another. Hidden down these paths were follies and miniature summerhouses, as well as numerous small buildings that once housed equipment for the park. In the past, Harry had used any number of them as meeting places for the informants he utilized in this work, but tonight, he had another, far more pleasurable purpose in mind.

  When they finally arrived at one of the smaller summerhouses, this one used in the past as a setting for the snippets of plays occasionally performed at the gardens during the early part of the season, Harry turned to Penny, searching her face.

  “Is this what you want, sweetheart? Truly?” He had to know before he took the next step. He would not take her innocence tonight, but he was still about to introduce her to the world of sensual pleasure. He wanted to be certain this was what she desired.

  Once more, Penny worried her lower lip between her teeth, but she still nodded, her eyes clear and unafraid. “More than you know. Freedom is a fleeting thing, Harry. I would take advantage of mine all that I could before it is gone.”

  On another night and at another time, he would have questioned her or delved deeper into her comment, but now, he simply made short work of picking the lock and ushering her into the building. Once inside, he quickly lit several of the oil lamps that were scattered about so that the entire room was cast in a soft, golden glow. He had used this place before for clandestine meetings, but never one so pleasurable as this.

  There were no windows here, but a single, small pane of glass in the roof allowed thin shafts of moonlight to spill down onto the floor below, revealing an array of overstuffed couches, high-backed chairs and an overabundance of plush pillows, along with assorted furniture that had been stored here almost haphazardly. As love nests went, this one wasn’t very exotic, but it was both functional and all Harry could offer at the moment. It would also give Penny a glimpse into his life.

  “I occasionally meet my informants here,” Harry offered as he turned to find Penny undoing her elaborate and somewhat confining mask. “Despite the look of the place, it’s really quite comfortable. And private.” He offered her a sheepish grin. “Though I will confess that I’ve never brought a lady here before so I can only assume that you will find it as comfortable as I do.”

  From where she stood in the center of the room, Penny slowly drank in her surroundings. This wasn’t quite what she had expected, but then, she really didn’t know what she had expected when Harry had offered her a small taste of passion. Not this setting exactly, but then, why not? Harry worked for Bow Street. He was a spy. Though they had never spoken much of his job, she knew this. This place, bathed as it was just now in touches of silvery and golden light, was a part of his world. A world she longed to know more about.

  Bringing her here wasn’t just about tasting pleasure. It was about him giving her a peek into his soul, whether he realized it or not. She suspected he didn’t, at least not consciously. Harry wasn’t that sort of man to reveal himself easily. But by showing her this tiny glimpse into his world, he was offering her a piece of himself and she treasured it.

  There was far more to Harry than met the eye and with each part of himself that he revealed to her, Penny found herself falling more and more under his spell.

  “It suits you,” she finally said as she picked up a pillow before putting it back down. “I can imagine all sorts of clandestine affairs taking place here.” Her eyes twinkled in the dim light, as she had made the decision to flirt with him rather than play coy. What was the point, after all? She had already decided not to deny herself. Or him. “All very secretive and mysterious.”

  “Mysterious, eh?” Once he had secured the door again so that they would not be accidentally discovered, Harry slowly strolled towards her, his hands in his pockets. As if that was the only way he could stop himself from reaching for her.

  Penny notched her chin, all but daring him to contradict her. “Very much so. Rather like you.”

  Harry came to a stop in front of her, though he didn’t reach for her the way she had hoped he might. In fact, his hands were now stuffed even deeper into those damned pockets. “I would rather not be so mysterious, Penny. At least not to you.”

  This time, it was Penny’s turn to shush him. To take the lead and be a bit bold, even though she was quaking inside. “Not now, Harry. No confessions of the soul. Remember?” She put a finger to his lips. “As you said, there is time enough for that later. Right now, I want nothing more than to hold you to your promise to allow me to taste passion. Your passion.”

  “Are you certain, sweetheart?” Penny could hear the hesitation in his voice. It was odd to see this otherwise strong and certain man hesitating when he was finally so close to tasting what he wanted. What they both wanted. Which only made her care for him all the more.

  “I am.” Daring to be bold, Penny reached for Harry and drew him closer to her. As she had hoped, his arms came around her as soon as she pressed her body into his, so close she could feel the delicious warmth of his heat. “I want this, Harry. I want you. You promised me a taste and I shall hold you to that.”

  He stroked her cheek slowly with the back of his hand. Gentle, almost like the hint of a kiss. “As the lady likes.” Then he lowered his head to hers and they were both immediately lost.

  Harry’s first kiss in the true seclusion of the summerhouse was a revelation. Hot and sweet at the same time, Penny felt her knees give out as their lips met once more. Somehow, Harry seemed to sense her distress and quickly eased her down onto one of the nearby settees. Her head was light and she felt dizzy as he pushed her body down until she was flat on her back, every nerve in her body seeming to quiver and come alive all at once.

  “Harry.” His name was more of a prayer than anything as he continued to nuzzle at her throat. She ran her hands over the broad width of his back and down further, stopping just at the small of his back. Had she been a more brazen woman, she would have gone lower to cup and fondle his backside, but the idea of touching him there, even fully clothed, was still a little too forward for her.

  “Penny.” Harry nuzzled the curve of her neck before he kissed her there, his lips hot against her otherwise cool skin. “I want you. I want you so damn much. But I won’t take you. God, I swear I won’t.”

  She wanted to say that he could have her if that was what he truly wanted, but she couldn’t make her mouth form the words. This was all still too new and just a bit too frightening. Because she was frightened. Not of Harry, certainly, but rather of her reaction to him and how he made her feel.

  In all of her life, Penny had felt mostly middling emotions at best. She loved some people and cared about others, but the concept of passion, a passion so great that it could not be contained, was foreign to her. She had never even imagined she was capable of feeling anything so grand. But she could feel and she did feel – but only with Harry. And a little voice in the d
ark recesses of her mind whispered that he was likely the only one she would ever feel this way with. She would certainly never experience this with Lord Fullbridge.

  Now, however, was not the time to think of him or any of those awful things, so she pushed that voice away and instead, allowed the feelings Harry was stirring up inside of her to wash over her again.

  “I want you, too, Harry,” Penny whispered as she arched herself up against him, craving more of his masculine heat.

  In the silvery moonlight, he looked like a god, his face partially hidden in the shadows and what she could see of him looked more like a man carved of marble and stone, than of flesh and blood.

  “You are so beautiful, my perfect Penny.” Harry raised himself up on his arms as he settled himself between her legs. “I need to taste you, sweetheart. Please. Just a little.”

  Once more, Penny bit her lip, the briefest of hesitations, before she nodded. “Yes, Harry. Just…yes.”

  He groaned in what sounded like relief and before she could even comprehend what he was doing, he had freed her breasts from the confines of her gown, corset, and chemise until they were bared to his gaze. She could see the heated look that sprang into his eyes as he looked down at her and she watched the way his chest moved as he began to breath faster.

  Desire. He was feeling desire. For her.

  That realization moved her in a way that she had not thought possible and suddenly, Penny felt like offering all of herself to him. She wouldn’t. She was not that wanton. But if Harry asked? She would not say no.

  Her body felt as if it was aflame. Her breasts felt heavy and her nipples swollen. A throb had set up between her legs. She was no fool and knew what that delicious ache meant, but she’d never felt it so powerfully before. At least not like this.

  And yet, Harry did nothing more than look at her, drinking in the sight of her naked breasts as if that was all he desired in life. And that might very well be. But she wanted more.

  “Taste me, Harry,” Penny finally whispered as she reached up to cup the back of his head when she couldn’t bear the ache any longer, drawing him down to her breasts. “You know you want to.”

  “Lord help me, but I do,” he whispered as he leaned down and took the tip of one plump breast into his mouth. “I do.”

  Penny thought she might expire from delight the moment he sucked her nipple into his mouth. She had never felt anything quite so…so…so…powerful. And it was powerful. The feel of his lips on her body pushed her desire even higher and she arched up into him with a moan, gratified when he cupped her other breast with his hand, his thumb caressing her swollen tip.

  As he suckled and laved at her, Penny felt something begin to build deep inside of her, a swirling, twisting sort of sensation that spread out from her center and seemed to engulf her entire body.

  She could hear Harry suckling her, could feel the nip of his teeth on her nipple and the caress of his hands on her bare breast. She felt his fingertips trace her areola, and his tongue lave at the spots where he had just nipped her. She felt his other hand reach beneath her and tilt her hips upward until they were aligned with his.

  She felt the hard length of his cock pressing into her soft, feminine core and she pressed back into him harder, the feel of his erection brushing against her making her eager for more. When he finally thrust hard against her, allowing her to feel all of him, even though the thick layers of clothing between them, she craved more, her body beginning to move on its own, her hips arching, seeking more of what he was offering, even though she had no idea how she had come to this place of pleasure so very fast.

  Penny clutched Harry to her, urging him to continue suckling her while she bucked against him. She had no real idea of what she was doing, only that the press of his cock into her center felt better than she could have ever imagined, that the sensations he was causing to ignite in her were far more delicious than she could have anticipated.

  “Come for me, my perfect Penny,” Harry urged as he pulled back so that he could nip at the tender flesh of her neck once more. “Please, my darling. I want to see you release for me. I need to see you.”

  She had no choice in the matter, really. As her body continued to arch into his and he pressed into hers, his lips feasting upon the soft, plump globes of her breasts, Penny felt the last of her tenuous control begin to slip and shatter until – finally – it did. Completely.

  Penny came with a scream and she felt her own body flood with a wetness unlike anything she had ever felt before. Her mind reeled and all of her senses were alive. Though they were both still fully clothed, she felt as if Harry was everywhere. Inside of her. Around her. Just…everywhere.

  And she wondered how much better it would be when they were finally naked together. And if she could bear to wait much longer.

  Chapter Twelve

  Town Tattler

  Despite rumors that Lord Fullbridge continues to rusticate in the country, my spies swear he was seen at Vauxhall Gardens last evening in the company of a very lovely young lady clad in green. I myself did not catch a glimpse of her (assuming that I was even there, of course) but my spies say that the two looked very enamored of one another. If that was even the duke in question. In any case, whoever the young lady in green was, she appears to be the gentleman’s for the taking – again, whoever they are.

  I have it on far better authority that Miss Worth was also at Vauxhall last night, though in the company of her guardian Viscount Marshfield’s nephew, Lord Pike. Whether or not she was happy to be there with him, however, is another matter entirely. It has only been a scant fortnight or so since that unfortunate pall mall mallet incident, and my spies tell me that Lord Pike has been assigned to keep the young lady from any further trouble or disgrace. Is the young man – newly back from India as I mentioned before – being too harsh with the young lady or is she simply a willful girl unaccustomed to having her behavior curbed? Only time will tell, I suppose. In either case, they did make a rather striking couple. Pity they cannot seem to even tolerate one another.

  And what of our beloved Bow Street Runner, Mr. Greer? He has been noticeably absent from some of his usual events as of late, though he does always manage to make an appearance wherever the Bloody Duke is also to be found. Given that Viscount Waverly is now in almost desperate need of an heir, does that mean that plans are afoot for the disgraceful viscount to finally do the right thing and acknowledge Mr. Greer as his son and name him the heir? We can only hope, dear readers. We can only hope.

  -Lady A

  “So where did you and the lovely Miss Marshwood hare off to last night?”

  As expected, Nick had arrived at Harry’s house bright and early the next morning, even going so far as to burst into Harry’s bed chamber before Harry had completed his morning absolutions. Thankfully, Marcus hadn’t been quite so bold and had done the proper thing by waiting in the study and breaking his fast until Harry was fully dressed.

  Except that Harry still wasn’t fully dressed when Nick, impatient as ever and rather lacking in the concept of privacy once again, all but dragged Harry through his own house and deposited him in his own library before helping himself to yet another large glass of scotch from Harry’s well-stocked sideboard.

  After his far-too-brief moment of passion with Penny last night, the last thing Harry wished to do this morning was have his life picked apart by Nick Rosemont. However, Harry didn’t think he had much of a choice in the matter. Nick was also not known for his patience.

  “I told you already. We went for a walk through the gardens and took in some of the sights. It was Curiosity Night, after all, remember?” Harry managed through clenched teeth as he waited for a servant to bring a tray with some tea and perhaps a muffin or two so that he might break his fast. Clearly, he wasn’t going to enjoy his usual breakfast of eggs and a rasher of bacon that morning.

  And Harry still didn’t want to talk about this. Not when he also had a raging erection so stiff that he was almost aching with it. P
enny might have found release last night, but he certainly hadn’t.

  “A walk? A bloody walk?” Marcus scoffed as he settled himself into a chair and stretched out his damaged leg. “I saw the way you looked at the chit the other day, Harry. You were all but salivating over her outside of that modiste’s shop. With all those dark pathways and hidden grottos, you really expect us to believe that all you did was take a walk?”

  In response, Harry growled. He really didn’t want to talk about this. Especially not with these two busybodies. They were worse than any of the old gossiping tabbies he knew!

  “I expect that you will keep your noses out of my business.” Where in the Hell was the maid with his breakfast, anyway?

  “It becomes my business when you ask for my help,” Nick countered a bit too gleefully. “Clandestine invitations? Planted stories in the gossip rags? Honestly, Harry! What do you take me for?”

  “Don’t pretend you don’t enjoy every underhanded moment of this,” Harry replied irritably. “I know better.”

  Nick shrugged as he tossed back the last of his drink and then went to pour himself more. “I didn’t say that I didn’t enjoy it.” He offered up a cheeky grin. “I simply asked what you took me for. And the correct answer to that question is a spy turned matchmaker, in case you didn’t know. Which I am fairly certain you do.”

  “Oh, I know. I know that all too well,” Harry muttered under his breath as he turned back to his desk. Perhaps he had a bit of candy or something stashed there.

  “Did you say something?” Nick asked while Marcus all but choked on his own drink.

  “Nothing,” Harry replied far too sweetly as he clenched his teeth. “Nothing at all. Just wondering where I left those files. Ah, yes. Here they are.”