The boy’s face paled to almost paper white. “Wh-why are they cutting off his leg?” Griffin asked, his voice a low croak.
“The reason he’s suffering is because he works for me. This is a hard and dangerous life, Mr. Merrick.” Jack took his seat again and folded his hands on the desk. “And you’re too soft for it.”
Griffin’s face twisted with disappointment and pain at first, but then it reddened with anger. “You don’t know me,” he said.
Jack nodded. “Yes, boy, I do. I’ve known a dozen yous. Some I’ve stolen from without them noticing. Others have died in some ridiculous pledge to thwart their fathers, a pledge just like the one you’re so desperate to make. I’m finished with it. I have neither the time nor the inclination to bother with you. So go home. And don’t come back.”
Griffin’s bottom lip quivered and the boy still residing within the man was very clear in that moment. Jack almost felt badly for crushing him. But it was for his own good.
“I’m going to prove you wrong,” Griffin said, his voice catching. “You’re going to be sorry.”
Jack shrugged. “I doubt it. Hoffman is waiting for you in the hall. He’ll escort you out safely.”
“Fuck you, Jack,” Griffin snapped, and turned to all but run from the room.
Jack stared at his paperwork for a long moment after he’d been left alone. Then he got to his feet to go to the infirmary and check on his men.
“That family is going to kill me,” he muttered.
He only hoped that where Letitia was concerned, the murder wouldn’t be literal.
Letty settled back into her chair in her parents’ parlor and forced a smile for them. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to spend time with them. She enjoyed their company most of the time.
But today her thoughts were elsewhere. Specifically on Jack and the fact that she would join him at his townhouse in…she glanced at the clock…less than seven hours now.
Her body twitched with desire at that thought. A desire she now recognized and even welcomed when it woke her from her erotic dreams of Jack.
“You look very nice, my dear,” her mother said. “Your eyes look so bright and aglow.”
Letty blushed as she returned her attention to where it rightly belonged. “Thank you, Mama. I am happier than I have been in a long time.”
“That’s good,” her father said, his tone distracted as he sipped his tea.
“Are we not waiting for Griffin to join us?” Letty asked, surprised that both her parents were drinking.
Her father lifted his gaze and even before he spoke, Letty braced herself for what was to come. He was angry, that was clear, and from her mother’s tight jaw, it was clear she was worried.
“Your brother,” her father spat.
Letty sighed. “Oh dear. What has Griffin done now?”
“He is out of control, Letty,” Mr. Merrick burst out, slamming a hand down on the arm of his chair. “Utterly wild. Do you know he came home at dawn yesterday? Dawn.”
Letty shook her head in disbelief. “Where in the world had he been?”
“He was so intoxicated he could hardly stand up, let alone speak,” Mrs. Merrick groaned. “But we managed to get him to say he was out ‘proving himself’.”
“Proving himself?” Letty repeated. She very much did not like the sound of that. “What could he have meant by that?”
“Apparently his way to prove himself is to get in fights like a savage,” Mr. Merrick said, waving his arms around. “He’d clearly been in a brawl. His eye is still black. I’ve told him until he no longer looks like he lives on the street, he can stay in his chamber.”
Letty’s lips parted. “Oh, Papa. I understand you’re upset, but do you truly think that isolating him from the family is the best option?”
“Does he deserve to join us for tea?” Mr. Merrick asked. “To look at us sullenly and remind us what a disappointment he has become?”
“Letty, he is behaving very badly,” Mrs. Merrick interjected. “My friends have whispered about it. I don’t want him embarrassing us further in front of family or friends. Your father is right—let him think about the consequences to his actions.”
Letty nodded. “Yes, I realize he has not behaved prudently.” She hesitated as she thought of her brother’s appearance at Jack’s not so long ago. Had he gone back? She would have to ask Jack later. “But he is a young man. He sees the life laid out in front of him and he is frustrated by it. Surely you were like that once, Papa? You couldn’t have always thought the role of a gentleman was exciting.”
“I didn’t demand that it be exciting. It was my duty to fulfill and I never questioned it.” Her father folded his arms.
“All right,” Letty said, frustrated her father refused to find common ground with his son. “But Griffin seems to want more. Perhaps if you allowed him some leeway, a bit of freedom in the form of an occupation, it would fill his time more wisely and help him mature.”
“An occupation?” her father repeated, saying the word like it was a curse. “The Merrick family does not hold occupations, Letty. We are landed, though not titled, and we are greatly respected in the ton. We have worked hard not to have to join the riffraff in earning a living.”
Letty bent her head. This was an old argument and one she knew she wouldn’t win. What her father didn’t realize, though, was how bent Griffin was on doing as he pleased. She feared their mutual stubborn streak would destroy their relationship in the end. She feared it would send her brother far away where she might never see him again.
“Just think about it, will you Papa?” she asked, reaching out to touch his hand. “Griffin is headstrong, like his father. It isn’t the worst trait when harnessed properly.”
He smiled at her, his face suddenly more gentle, and her heart swelled with love for him.
“I only hope his behavior doesn’t affect your prospects,” Mrs. Merrick said with a sigh.
Letty turned her attention to her mother. “My prospects? What do you mean?”
“Well, you have been back out in Society half a year,” Mrs. Merrick explained with a frown. “Certainly I would like to see you make a bit of headway with the gentlemen.”
Letty tensed, worries about her brother’s future now replaced with concerns for her own. “Mama, I am a widow, not a debutante. I have enough funds to take care of myself comfortably. Why must you push me into the path of the gentlemen?”
“You are too young not to marry again, Letitia,” Mrs. Merrick snapped. “It is foolish, all this hemming and hawing about remaining a widow. You want children, don’t you?”
With a sigh, Letty nodded. She did want to be a mother. And when she had first returned to Society, she had known that would likely never happen for her. Noah’s secret, carried on her untouched body, would prevent it.
And yet now she was free. Her innocence taken, no man would ever know she had once been a virgin widow. No man but Jack. That should have thrilled her. She should have been putting her head together with her mother to determine if there were any men in their sphere who would be right for her.
But she had no desire to do that. She didn’t want to find some Society fop who would settle for her, likely as much for her inheritance as for herself.
She wanted Jack. Only Jack.
“I just need time,” she murmured, more to herself than to her parents.
“Time is running out,” her father said with a harrumph. “I adore you, my dear, but you are not getting any younger. Add to that my fear that your brother will do something rash which could link our name with scandal. Not to mention your Woodley cousins all seem to step in it wherever they go! It all leads me to feel, as your mother does, that it would be sensible for you to seek out a new mate as soon as you can.”
“Don’t you think I should choose a husband based on mutual attraction, on feelings? A man who would care for me regardless of any scandal that may or may not come our way?”
Mr. and Mrs. Merrick exchanged a look of pure confusion before Mrs. Merrick said, “That kind of man must only exist in those books you read, Letty. Most men of substance and character want a woman without a smidgeon of shame associated with her. As for feelings and attraction, well, you have been unduly influenced by your wild cousins, I fear. Love matches are not all they are cracked up to be. Look at your father and I. We’ve been wed near thirty years, and never once have we been so silly as to muddy the waters with love.”
“Never once,” her father agreed with a nod.
Letty sighed. They made that claim like it was something to be proud of, but like her brother, she could not desire what they had planned for her. Another loveless marriage? That sounded entirely painful, not to mention boring.
“I will think about it,” she promised.
“Good, do,” her mother said.
Her parents seemed placated by her acquiescence and began to talk to her about other things like London gossip, their home in the country, even something about horses, but Letty was able to shut out the topics. All she could do was think about Jack.
Her mother and father were right, she supposed, that she ought to begin looking for a match quickly. And she would. She would.
But right now she intended to enjoy her wicked affair as long as she could. Right now, all she wanted was Jack Blackwood’s touch.
Chapter Thirteen
Letty could hardly contain her nerves as she followed Jack’s butler to the parlor.
“May I get you anything, my lady?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Nothing, thank you. What was your name?”
“Lawson, my lady,” he said with a nod.
“Thank you, Lawson.”
She smiled at him as he stepped from the room and then exhaled a long breath. Jack’s servants had to be buzzing below stairs about her being here not once but twice. She could only imagine the uproar would be caused amongst the staff by a long-missing master suddenly appearing, then engaging in what was quite obviously an affair with a lady. She supposed there was some danger in that fact. They could spread their tales outside these walls.
But right now, waiting for Jack to arrive, she didn’t really give a damn. If she came upon that bridge, she would cross it then.
Right now she wanted to focus on tonight. As ordered, she had brought The Ladies Book of Pleasures. It was tucked into her reticule even now. She set the bag on a chair and smiled as she tried to imagine what chapter Jack would want to read together. There were so many wicked things in that book. Now she found herself wanting to try them—at least some of them—before she surrendered to the staid life her parents had recently been insisting she pursue.
The door behind her opened and she turned, expecting to find Jack making an entrance. Although it was him who stepped into the chamber, she was surprised by his appearance. He was dressed nicely, but there was a smudge of dirt on his cheek. And his face looked drawn and haggard, circles shadowing his dark eyes.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here to greet you, Letitia,” he said, shutting the door behind himself and going straight to the sideboard, where he poured a very tall glass of whiskey.
“It’s fine,” she said slowly, watching as he took a few long gulps. He set the half-drunk glass aside and approached her.
“God, you look beautiful,” he said, tilting his head. “Exactly what I’ve been waiting for.”
She smiled at his words, but even as he took her in his arms she saw the distraction in his eyes. Still, when he kissed her, her worries melted away. He tasted strong, like the liquor mixed with a flavor that was his and his alone. She wrapped her arms around his neck and opened to him, sliding her tongue across his and losing herself in his warmth.
He grunted beneath his breath and finally set her aside. “Oh yes,” he drawled. “Exactly what I need. Shall we go upstairs, Letitia?”
She was about to nod when his stomach made a great rumble. Her eyes went wide. “Jack, how long was it since you last ate?”
“What?” He shook his head. “Oh, it doesn’t matter.”
“It most certainly does matter,” she insisted, setting aside the flaming needs of her body to focus on him. “How long?”
“The lady is trying to run the show,” he said with a chuckle. “Very well. Er, let’s see…last night, I suppose. I grabbed a chunk of bread and a little cheese right before I collapsed into my bed for a few hours.”
She sucked in her breath. “So you have not eaten for almost twenty-four hours?”
He shrugged. “I won’t die, Letitia. And I’ve been…busy.”
The way he said the last word was dark and angry, and she stared at him. There was the dangerous man who made her so nervous. He had come to replace the one who made her knees weak. And yet, as she looked at him, she realized that was still just a part of Jack. And that part looked just as tired and run down as the rest.
He needed something tonight, and she was going to give it to him.
“Stand right there,” she ordered, pointing a finger at him.
“I’m sorry?” he said as she walked away.
She turned at the door and pointed again. “Right there,” she repeated before she opened the door and lifted her hand to the bell. Lawson swiftly appeared, and she smiled at him. “Your master requires food. Can some be sent up to his chamber?”
Lawson looked surprised for a moment, but he nodded. “Of course, my lady. I will have the cook prepare a plate and bring it up as soon as possible.”
“Thank you,” Letty called out as he turned to hustle toward the kitchen. That duty done, she turned to find Jack staring at her with wary interest.
“I am standing right here,” he offered, holding up his arms as if for inspection. And she did so want to do just that, explore him and taste him and give in to such pleasures.
She shook her head. “So you can follow direction,” she teased as she held a hand out to him. “Well, then follow this one. You are coming with me.”
He hesitated but at last took the outstretched hand she offered. “Your wish, my lady, is my command. Especially since we are going exactly where I want to be. My bedroom where I intend to take back this control you think you have.”
She shivered at the words, spoken in a low, seductive tone that made her sex clench. He was going to test her, she could see that. It would take everything in her to pass that test. To get past his walls, his seductions, and give him what she could see he needed.
They reached his bedroom and she opened the door. He passed her to enter, but before she could close the door, he pressed her against the barrier, using their combined weights to slam it shut. She was wedged between the door and an unyielding, very handsome, very aroused man.
“What are you about, Letitia?” he asked, his warm breath stirring the tendrils of hair around her face.
She waged a battle against her body, which screamed at her to simply surrender to him. Somehow she managed to keep that heated desire at bay.
“I am trying to help you, Mr. Blackwood,” she said, placing a hand on his warm chest and pushing gently. “Please allow me to do that.”
“Help me?” he repeated, as though the words were foreign. He did step back, at last, and mercifully gave her space to breathe and move again. She dodged his embrace and moved into the center of the room. “What makes you think I need help?”
She sighed. “It is all over your face, Jack. The exhaustion, the tension, the worry. Whatever you’ve been doing since we last met here, it has given you no pleasure.”
His cocky grin faded. “How do you see that?”
She shifted beneath his suddenly focused stare. “I just do. Do you want to tell me what happened?”
“A battle in a war,” he said softly. “With causalities. Against an enemy I can’t see, so fighting him is almost impossible.”
“Jack,” she said, sucking in her breath as terror gripped her.
He shook his head as if clearing it
. “There is one thing we can do that will help me forget all that, Letitia.”
“I agree,” she said, setting her jaw. “Now hold still.”
His brow wrinkled as she approached him, hands shaking. She had done what she was about to do before, but under very different circumstances. She wasn’t certain Jack would bend to her will, that he wouldn’t turn the tables.
But to help him, she was going to try.
She unfastened the buttons on his coat and slid her hands beneath, sucking in her breath at the body heat trapped there. He smiled as he realized what she was doing.
“Saucy little minx,” he growled. “Undressing me?”
“For what I have in mind, it will be much easier,” she whispered.
“Oh yes, it will,” he said.
He made no move to undress her, but let her unfasten and unhook, removing his shirt. She brushed her fingers along the toned muscles there with a sigh. God, he was so perfect. And normally this was as far as she would go with her plans, but not tonight.
Tonight she needed to go further. She traced her fingertips along his stomach until she reached the waist of his trousers. Her hands felt clumsy as she unfastened them and slid her hands along his toned hips to remove them. Now he was naked, and judging from the thick erection that stirred against his stomach, he was also ready for a far different activity than she had planned.
“L-lay on the bed on your stomach,” she ordered.
He laughed. “I know you are new at this, so let me tell you that me on my stomach won’t work.”
She shook her head, dodging him as he reached for her. “On your stomach, please.”
His eyebrows lifted, and he shrugged. “Well, I’ll try anything once. And you do have that wicked little book, don’t you? If you know some trick that will teach me something new, who I am to dissuade you?”
She frowned. That “wicked little book” was currently downstairs in her reticule. But let him think whatever it was he thought she was about to do to him. If it put him in the position she needed him in, that was good enough.
Seduced Page 12
