Cruise, Samantha - Devil's Promise: The Garden [The Devil's Playground 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Samantha Cruise

  “Let us not confine ourselves to time’s restrictions,” he replied with a wolfish smile.

  “I’ve…” she stammered, momentarily caught off guard by the unfair advantage of his marked resemblance to Caleb. “I’ve wanted to tell you that I’ve referred you a client. An engaging woman I met at the dressmaker’s.”

  He shook his head slowly, drawing her closer. “Curtail talk of business, please. I much prefer to enjoy the pleasurable company of an attractive woman during my leisure.”

  “Flattery from your lips is a work of art,” she replied unsteadily. Growing nervous at his close proximity, she looked away. Exceedingly well-suited for this particular game, it wasn’t what Randolph said exactly that made her nervous, rather the way he said it. Perfected over years, he knew the seductive undertone of his smooth, velvety voice affected admiring females. Confidence shimmered in his eyes, indicated his awareness that she, too, was falling prey.

  Megan spied Caleb dancing several yards away with a pretty young woman in a pale green gown with blonde hair shimmering down to her waist. He gave them a smile before turning to speak to his rather slender partner, who appeared enraptured by his attention.

  Once more, she glanced up and studied Randolph intimately. It was like staring into Caleb’s handsome face. Apart from Randolph’s eyes, a striking shade of sky blue, he and Caleb looked so much alike. Dressed in a spectacular cut of black, he held an incredible appeal. There was a familiar look in Randy’s darkening gaze. The same look, she suddenly realized, witnessed right before Caleb rammed his cock inside her, a bewitching sight that left her breathless. An abrupt ache of sexual longing took her by surprise.

  “Your body moves magnificently. To hold you in my arms ’til dawn would be a delight.”

  With the way he smiled, that I want you now look shining in blue pools of sin, she was positive he did not allude to dancing. Perhaps, she suspected, Devin and Caleb put him up to this to test her wits against the master of seduction. If that were the case, she would not be the first to back down. Boldly, she held his heated gaze. “Surely, there is a more promising partner than myself if you intend to dance ’til dawn.”

  “I prefer no other. If a man is fortunate to possess such an accomplished partner, he wishes the last melody never withdraws. And if such a partner is in the midst of folly, then he must be willing to share.”

  She gasped.

  It couldn’t be.

  Caleb would never reveal they were lovers without informing her. It must be pure coincidence, her mind playing tricks. She had to be certain. “Men rarely show such generosity toward other men. It is not in a man’s nature to share his good fortune, especially when it comes to something so prized as a skilled dancing partner.”

  “My dear, you’d be amazed. When the composition is ideal, men partake willingly.” He drew her tightly against his muscled body. The lusty contours of his erection burned through her silk bodice straight to her lower belly and down her legs. “And you, my dearest Megan, are beyond ideal.”

  Unable to stop herself, she moaned faintly. It felt as if they were both nude with not a stitch between them to bar the astonishing arousal permeating from his body. Lost in the intense pleasure of their intimate contact, her response was immediate, disturbing.

  She was a happily married woman, a respected member of society. Not a tart of the evening. She had a reputation to uphold. Her gaze darted about in trepidation.

  When had he led her into a dark corner? Given the late hour, the ballroom was beginning to clear out. Guests remaining gravitated toward the entry of the ballroom and roamed out into the crowded hallways. Few candelabras remained lit in the far-off section of the expansive room. Of the handful of people who sat even remotely near, they were too engrossed in drink and chit-chat to take note. Moreover, he seemed to guide them toward elaborate flower arrangements atop pedestals of various sizes where they would be fully obscured.

  A few slow turns later, she found her back pressed against the wall, pinned next to a giant pillar so even her skirt wouldn’t be visible. Her pulse raced with sexual awareness as she felt the fierce heat of his entire body mold hers. Her breasts crushed against his rock-hard chest.

  Like a trapped bird, she stared up at her captor. With the hue of his eyes no longer visible, it was effortless to imagine Caleb’s hands were caressing her through the silk material, his fingers leaving a trail of fire up and down her body. Easily falling under his enchantment, she closed her eyes, allowed him to tempt and tease as she found she wanted to tempt him.

  She clung to his broad shoulders. On their own journey of discovery, her hips swayed sinuously against the solid girth trapped snugly between their bodies. His cock felt long and thick, incredibly hard. Daringly, she whispered, “Someday, you must reveal the true enormity of your deeply embedded generosity.”

  “Why wait,” he murmured softly against her cheek. Firm hands cupped her buttocks, lifting her so that his impressive erection lodged at the apex of her thighs.

  “Let’s not,” she babbled, rubbing her clit against the length of his thick shaft furrowed hotly against her. “Oh, yes,” she breathed. Tremors rocked her body. Her inner muscles throbbed while the heated sensations rippled through her aching cunt. Game or not—the wanton in her needed him deep inside her with an urgency she didn’t want to make sense of.

  “I agree.” He buried his face in the slope of her throat, his lips gently brushing against the skin. It was as if he was breathing her in. “An enticing scent. That of a woman basking in the afterglow,” he whispered seductively.

  Her eyes flared open. He knew. He had seen them. Randolph was the man in the shadows. She stiffened at the realization. Far from an innocent game of flirtation, he was out to seduce her, and she was letting him.

  A harsh blast of gunpowder shattered the dim roar of festive voices and soft music.

  “Devin!” she screamed.

  * * * *

  “Devin, you promised no more guns.” Megan glared at him from the opposite side of the carriage, steaming with anger and betrayal.

  “Dammit, Megan, would you rather my blood stain Sinclair’s rug?”

  “You gave me your word.”

  “If you recall, I said I wouldn’t wear my gun belt while we were in Boston. I never said squat about my pocket pistol. Besides, the no-account bastard will live.”

  “Yes, he’ll just have trouble playing cards or holding a glass without a thumb,” Caleb remarked offhandedly.

  Devin scowled at him.

  She clutched her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes up at the ceiling inside the gaslit carriage. Moisture formed in her eyes. Refusing to shed a tear, she stared out the window, its shade partially drawn. “Why, Devin? Why? Why must it always be you?”

  “I’ve done told you. Even Sinclair told you. Buchanan pulled first. What did you want me to do, let him shoot me out of courtesy? Would that have made you feel better?”

  Wiping the single tear streaming down her cheek, she shot him a sidelong glance. “Caleb nearly lost his life when one of your outlaw buddies put a bullet in him. Out west, I’ve seen enough blood to last a lifetime. Don’t add yours to the puddle.”

  Caleb put his arm around her and drew her into his warmth. Enveloped in his strength, she was no longer able to control the moisture pooling in her eyes, and tears fell freely.

  “Ex-business associate. We were never friends. And don’t ever forget, not even for a moment, what I was when you married me.” He sat back, a stone-cold mask upon his face.

  “Devin, must you be so difficult? That’s the past,” Caleb said curtly.

  “Same goes for you, too. There is always going to be another Buchanan who’ll try and challenge me. Someone fool enough to go against the notorious Devil’s Spawn. I don’t want an innocent hurt on account of me.”

  “I doubt Mr. Buchanan is aware of your reputation. He is a disreputable old man who has trouble holding his liquor.”

  “Hope you’re right, Caleb. I hope you’
re right.”

  “Devin,” Megan said softly.

  “Don’t ask me, Megan. ’Cause I’ll tell you right now, you won’t like the answer.”

  She bit down on her lip. Damn him to hell, it was as if he could read her mind. He would never put his guns away for good. One husband saved lives, and the other was destined to send them to the great beyond.

  “At least promise you’ll only use it as a last defense.”

  “That I can do,” he assured her with a nod. “You have my word.”

  A faint smiled tugged at her lips.

  “Can we put this behind us now? It’s been a long night—first Paris, then Buchanan, and finally, the law. I’ve had enough celebrating for one night.”

  “What about Paris?” Caleb inquired with mild curiosity.

  Devin shrugged his shoulders. “Ain’t a hundred percent, but I think she hankers after me.”

  “Of course, Paris adores you. You are her favorite uncle.” Megan smiled, snuggling comfortably against Caleb.

  “She wasn’t behaving the way a niece ought to behave.”

  “How did she behave?” Caleb probed with a smirk on his face.

  Devin looked down in deep contemplation for a second, scratched his chin, and then raised his gaze to look from Megan to Caleb. With a solemn face that was beginning to worry Megan, he eventually replied, “Showed off her ankles.”

  “Scandalous!” Caleb feigned shock. He and Megan exchanged looks. Unable to hold their amusement a moment longer, they began to snicker.

  “Seriously, the girl set her cap for me,” Devin grated through clenched teeth.

  “Devin, I’m sure it’s just an innocent schoolgirl crush.” Megan leaned over and patted his knee in an attempt to appease what she thought was wounded male pride. This was the moment to mention her dance with Randolph. Ashamed of how she had allowed him to lure her into a dark corner and anxiously rubbed up against him while he ran his hands over her body, she let the moment pass.

  “Well, why in the hell doesn’t she crush on someone her own age? Like him.” He gestured at Caleb. “I’m twice her age.”

  “You’re just over thirty.”

  “Twenty, thirty, forty, hell, it doesn’t matter. An eighteen-year-old beanpole is too green for pickin’ no matter how big the beans.”

  “Perhaps young, handsome blonds don’t appeal to her,” Caleb countered with smug satisfaction.

  “What are you saying? I’m not good looking because my hair isn’t blond?”

  “Taste runs the gamut from the mundane to the finest one can afford.”

  “Now I’m mundane and butt ugly.”

  “In spite of prosperity, your edges are a bit rough, and you lack certain finesse.”

  “I don’t wanna be no fancy-pants boy. Best remember I can still hog-tie your ass.”

  “Perhaps if I had one hand tied behind my back and wore a blindfold.”

  Megan half listened as they tossed challenges back and forth, suppressing a grin. Caleb loved to provoke Devin into frenzy. It was an ongoing, friendly rivalry where each tried to outdo the other. Once they started, it sometimes lasted hours. Luckily, after they arrived home, she would reap the reward in the secluded bedroom they shared.

  Chapter 4

  Randolph tossed the final patient’s file on his desk and breathed a sigh of relief. Due to family obligations, Caleb had arranged a light patient load and departed hours ago.

  In contrast, his busy day was spent managing attending physicians, treating patients, and handling an influx of small emergencies. Both the affluent and penniless were served in adjoining clinics. Each clinic had its own entrance and waiting area. Exam rooms were separated by a narrow hallway. His second-floor office was located at the end of the hall to provide both patients access. Caleb’s office was next door to his.

  Whether a patient was wealthy or dirt poor, he ordered his staff to provide the same level of respect and care. Only the more outspoken clients ever complained about the close proximity. Everyone else kept their comments to themselves for fear of being shown the door. After all, he and Caleb were considered the best doctors in the state.

  Also known for helping young girls in trouble, he had just learned his services were required yet again. That meant tracking down the offending culprit. In this case, Mr. Peale would soon receive a delicate visit at his office. It was well known the man publicly repudiated paternity. If Peale were to privately dodge financial obligations to his unborn child, then Randy would locate the girl and place her in Seton Hall, a residence he funded for wayward girls. He would personally cover all expenses until the baby was born. Afterward, if she wanted to keep her baby, then he would set her up with gainful employment and decent lodgings. If she felt unfit for motherhood, which was often the case for girls in her situation, then he would have no choice but to place the babe in the orphanage he and Caleb had established after he’d witnessed one too many abandoned children roaming the gutters for food.

  Given the number of women bedded over the years, many of Randy’s friends often taunted he set up the foundling home to conceal his progeny. In truth, no illegitimate offspring flawed the prestigious Sinclair line. Forever vigilant and appreciative of the warm hospitality found in a lover’s bed, he reciprocated by ensuring the union produced only pleasure. He just wished the rest of the male population wasn’t so careless. Especially men of privilege, who had a greater responsibility when it came to heirs but often shirked with women considered beneath their rank. It was too common for so-called “gentlemen” to turn a blind eye on women deemed unworthy, tossing mistresses and servants into the streets when pregnant. As if the misdeed had been managed alone.

  Randolph loved his mother and sister dearly, could no more turn a blind eye to them than any other woman in need. He combined his passion for medicine and his love for women, using the French clinic proceeds to fund homes for troubled girls and orphanages in Boston and France.

  Beyond exhausted, he didn’t want to devote another second on such unpleasant thoughts of social injustices. He dropped into his swivel chair and rested his head against the high, wooden back. Glad the day was done, he shut his eyes to the sun’s late-afternoon glow that cut through the window behind him.

  In a moment of quiet reflection, he thought back to his family garden when daydreams became all too real. Two days had passed since his welcome-home ball. He could think of nothing else other than how his dearest friend conducted a torrid affair with another man’s wife. Not just any man, a man with a reputation for laying to eternal rest more men than an undertaker. Somehow, Caleb managed a liaison in secrecy. Not once had Randy suspected.

  That night, he had noticed Megan leave through a side door and watched Caleb exit into the moonlit garden moments later. Curious, he followed them to a secluded area in the far rear of the garden. From the shadows, he watched Megan lift her skirt and climb on the rigid pole extending straight out from Caleb’s lap. Unable to believe his eyes or ears, Randy couldn’t look away as petite Mrs. Spawn rode his best friend into a moaning tumult.

  When Devin appeared, Randy was prepared to assist Caleb against an angry, jilted husband and fierce army of one. Heaven knew it would take more than one man to subdue the Devil’s Spawn. If that was a feat even possible by an entire military regiment.

  Randy nearly came in his pants when Devin joined in. It did him proud to see Caleb had not forgotten the tradition they had begun years ago. After all, he had arranged for Caleb to dispense of his virginity and encouraged him to become an avid member of The Exchange.

  Whilst in medical school, they had agreed to open a practice in France to ensure their ongoing involvement in the underground, highly exclusive gentleman’s club. His father was a member, as was his grandfather, so it was only fitting that he, too, became a lifetime member of The Exchange.

  His father confided that Randolph’s mother was a good wife. Genteel by nature, she had no desire whatsoever for sex. Randy wasn’t eager to follow that particular path. His fa
ther sought his pleasure elsewhere like most men within his station. He had maintained a string of mistresses throughout marriage. Not once did his father, who married late in life, pressure him to marry. “Marry old, son. There’s plenty of time for making legitimate heirs before I pass,” his strong-as-an-ox father had encouraged.

  Randolph shared his inherited wisdom with Caleb and also shared his women with Caleb. It had become a time-honored tradition acquired compliments of The Exchange and their need to strengthen their unique brotherly bond.

  Megan would be no exception. He recalled her ardent response when he pressed against her while they danced. There was no doubt in his mind she wanted him. It was a matter of time before tradition restored.

  “Come in,” he answered gruffly to the insistent knock on his office door that plucked him out of his musings.

  Mrs. Frasier, his assistant, stepped into his private office. “Dr. Sinclair, Miss McKinley still waits in Room Two.”

  “Who?”

  “Mrs. Spawn referred her. You said to have her wait, and you would work her in as soon as possible.”

  He expelled a deep breath of frustration. Good heavens, how could he have completely forgotten? That was several hours ago. Rising quickly, he ordered sharply, “Tell her I’ll be right in. Give her my deepest apologies.”

  “Yes, Doctor.” After a quick nod, Mrs. Frasier left.

  “Dammit,” he muttered, thinking of Megan’s negative reaction if he snubbed her friends. Dependent upon how well-acquainted she was with this Miss McKinley, Megan might not be too receptive the next time they danced. He had to be gracious.

  On the way, he started to wonder why Megan hadn’t referred her friend to Caleb. In the past, Caleb had treated her friends and family. Why was Miss McKinley so different?

  In a rush, he began to speak the moment he swung the door open. “Miss McKinley, please for…” His voice trailed off the instant she turned from the window and faced him.

  His open jaw froze in place. The woman was temptation to behold. Exquisite!