"Adam, where is your Horace?" she asked plaintively.
Adam looked up, amused. "Horace? When did you learn to read Greek?"
Allegra turned towards him and leaned her arms on the carved railing, smiling at him teasingly. "I've many talents you don't suspect."
Adam gazed up at her, transfixed by her appearance. He always thought of an angel when he saw her, even if sometimes that angel was behaving in a naughty fashion. Her hair glinted in the sunlight, her delicate hands fluttered on the dark wood, and her ripe breasts seemed almost to pop out of the neckline of her gown. He put the book down in his lap.
"Come here," he ordered.
Allegra felt a tiny fluttering in the pit of her stomach. Days of flagrant sex, of giving into her every wanton desire, had made her entirely susceptible to him and exquisitely aware of the slightest change in his intonation or expression. He wanted her, she knew, and the thought immediately sent her pulse racing. She wondered vaguely if she would ever grow used to this feverish need, or if she would be a slave to it forever. She hesitated.
"I said, come here."
Adam's tone was calm, but Allegra knew that he had sensed that moment of resistance, and felt his mastery reaching out to her; it increased the heat already kindled within her. She made her way to the staircase that spiraled down from the balcony and came down it, slowly enough to signal some little defiance, enjoying the wait as each step increased her anticipation. In a few moments she stood in front of Adam, who still sat in the chair, watching her with a bemused expression.
"What do you want, Adam?" she asked, her voice clear in the silence of the room.
He swung his leg back over the arm and sat up, taking her hand in his and pulling her forward and downwards.
“I want you to hurry when I tell you to come to me,” he muttered.
She giggled and tripped, landing on her knees in front of him on the soft carpet, her skirts frothing around her in a wide circle. Adam looked down at her upturned face and felt his heart give a sudden lurch. He raised his hand and laid it on the top of her breast as it rose out of her bodice.
"This neckline is almost unseemly, and who are you displaying these breasts for?" he said conversationally. "I wonder that you go out in public like this."
Allegra shrugged. "'Tis the fashion. You should be used to it by now. And, I am not in public, but here in our country house," she added defiantly.
"I don't know if I like the idea of other men seeing your breasts," observed Adam.
"But you don't mind seeing them yourself," said Allegra, her voice holding a tiny edge of temperamental passion.
"Not at all." Adam sunk his finger under the edge of her dress, pushing down on it slightly. Allegra's breasts rose higher out of it, the edges of her nipples appearing, thrust upwards by the constricting bodice. Adam smiled to himself and touched one, watching Allegra's face as she immediately shivered in response. She was so easily aroused, he thought, so available. The thought was immensely exciting.
Suddenly he reached around behind her and seized the back of her bodice, grabbing it firmly and tearing. Several tiny pearl buttons popped loose, scattering across the carpet. Allegra jumped slightly in surprise, and then Adam was pulling her bodice down until the neck of her dress framed her naked breasts, the creamy skin and pink nipples framed by the innocent white lace.
"Why not bare them completely, after all?" asked Adam, leaning back in his chair to survey the view he had created. "Why taunt me with just a glimpse?"
"Do you prefer this style then?" asked Allegra, a stab of excitement shooting through her. Already she could feel the dampness growing between her legs. "You've ruined my dress."
"I'll buy you a hundred dresses, if only for the pleasure of tearing them off you." Adam reached out and took her breasts in his hands, amazed as always by their silky softness. "Yes, I think I like you this way. Perhaps I'll have some dresses specially designed for you to wear when we're alone. Or maybe I'll simply lock you away here at Gravesmere, so no other man can see you."
"Only if you stay with me to assuage my wicked needs." Allegra's breath was coming hard now as her skin tingled under his hands. She reached impatiently for his waistband and began to undo the buttons of his trousers.
Adam laughed, pushed her hands away. "Patience, darling. We're still fully dressed."
"I don't want to wait." Allegra's voice reflected the heady need he had taught her to feel, the cry of her body for immediate fulfillment.
"Well, you will have to before you get what you wish." Adam stood up, grasping her about the waist and lifting her as lightly as a child. He stalked across the room to the desk, holding her in front of him. Her breasts were in front of his face, and he paused for a moment to tease the nipples with his tongue, until she wriggled and protested.
"You're so greedy," he chastised as he sat her down on the edge of the desk. He lifted her skirt and thrust his hand underneath, sliding it up past her knee to her thigh. He paused a moment and looked at her, his eyebrows raised.
"No drawers?"
She laughed and reached into his unbuttoned breeches, pulling his erection free and cupping his heavy balls in her palm. "I thought they were a waste of time."
“I’m quite certain that wife that walks around without drawers is a wife that needs a lesson to be less forward and available.” Adam warned her.
“Who will know here at Gravesmere, or for that matter, anywhere else?” she asked impudently.
“By God, it had better be none but I,” Adam declared. “But now, I think there will have to be a little consequence for your rashness, my dear.”
In an economical move he pulled up the big chair that graced the desk, seated himself, and jerked Allegra onto his lap. Suddenly she found herself resting face down across his lap and the arm of his chair, struggling to get upright.
“Be still,” Adam muttered, lifting her skirts. “I want to gauge the full scale of your impudence.”
Allegra could feel the fabric of his breeches against her excited and sensitive nipples, and the cool air of the library over her exposed buttocks, along with an accompanying rush of moisture and heat in her nether regions. She squirmed.
Suddenly, the sound of a smack pierced the air, and she jerked.
“You spanked me!” she squealed.
“And what should a wife who walks around without drawers expect, I wonder,” Adam drawled. He paused for a beat, “Did you like it?” he inquired.
Allegra could feel the heat spreading from her behind to the empty space longing to be filled, and the tightness that was consuming her with demands for more pleasure.
“Are you sure that you want me to wear drawers every minute?” she responded in a deeply sarcastic tone.
Another smack followed the first, but Adam’s hand clearly lingered caressingly on her smooth flesh as it landed.
Allegra ground herself against the aggressive bulge she could plainly feel beneath her, and pushed her behind against his hand, lifting her behind invitingly.
Adam squirmed beneath her, and replied “Not entirely,” in a somewhat constricted voice.
Suddenly Allegra, felt his fingers running down the cleft between her rounded and stinging cheeks, then two of them drove into her drenched channel. Adam slid them against her sweet spot, and she was pinned between that pressure, and that being exerted by his erection against her front. She felt him spread his fingers within her, and melted still more, clenching inside with the urge to come. Adam felt her heat and tightness and withdrew his fingers.
“Not yet!” he commanded, and tapped her behind again warningly. “You have to wait until I let you come.” Allegra moaned, and he put the fingers that had only moments before been bringing her close to paradise, to her face, rubbing her moisture against her lip.
“Lick them,” he husked, “you can taste yourself, and then I will taste you.” Allegra opened her mouth, and sucked his fingers inside, desperate for him to continue the pleasure she was feeling.
“
Very good,” Adam approved, and removed his fingers. He flipped her skirts down again, and for a moment Allegra feared he would leave her wanting. But then, he lifted her off his lap and onto the edge of the desk. He tossed her skirts up again, and spread her legs, leaving her pink and glistening pussy exposed to the air.
Adam's hand moved straight to the source of her need, and he delicately plucked at her bud with his thumb, deftly re-inserting two fingers into her. She gasped and allowed her head to fall back, revealing an expanse of white neck that he obligingly kissed. Her hand tightened on him, moving skillfully up and down.
"You're an apt pupil," he said, sucking in his breath and willing himself to regain control. Allegra smiled up at him dreamily, her need apparent.
"The door," she murmured. "We should lock the door."
"No one will come in. And if they do, they'll simply have to leave." Adam knew that the servants at Gravesmere were far too well trained to enter a room without knocking, but he saw the tiny flash of excitement in Allegra's eyes at the thought of being discovered. "You're a wanton little thing, aren't you?"
"I'm only what you've made me," she gasped, grinding against his hand. "Please, Adam."
Adam muttered and withdrew his fingers, pulling her forward to the very edge of the desk to spread her thighs with ungentle hands. He dipped his head and kissed her at the very seat of her passion, his tongue flicking over her distended and hypersensitive clit. She gave a shriek of delight and buried her hands in his hair, pulling him closer and tilting her hips. His tongue slid along her wet surfaces, paying exquisite attention to each and every fold, his lips and teeth nipping and grazing, urging her to the very brink of fulfillment. Then his tongue penetrated her and he could feel her tremors starting, spreading through her with increasing violence.
He looked up to see her on the edge of the desk, her head thrown back in abandon, her breasts gilded by the late afternoon sunlight, a scream rising in her throat. It fell into the dim silence of the library and disappeared, and then Adam was on his feet, shoving the books off the desk and pushing her back, seizing her hips and driving into her before her last spasm had passed.
A sudden cold anger seized him as he pounded into her, feeling as though his brain was about to explode. She was so willing, so open to his advances, so ecstatic in her enjoyment of his sensual attention. Was it only him, or would she respond this way to any man? He knew he was the first, but would she take her pleasure anywhere it was offered, like so many of the women in London? The idea of Allegra under another man made his blood boil, and he pumped harder, trying to drown the thought in fevered passion, to imprint himself on her so she would never think of another man. She screamed again as another climax seized her and then he joined her, his own orgasm even stronger than those he had experienced before. He collapsed forward on to her in a tangle of skirts and petticoats, his breathing unsteady, his heart pounding.
Allegra gently raised her hand and touched his cheek. He was so beautiful, she thought, so splendid. A week ago she hadn't imagined that they would ever be on speaking terms, much less lovers. And now he was hers. She sighed.
"Adam, I'm scared."
Adam raised his head, roused from his own black thoughts. "What's wrong?"
Allegra hesitated and then struggled up on her elbows. Adam couldn't help admiring the way her breasts swayed, still framed by their lacy border.
"I'm scared to go back to London tomorrow," she said.
Adam looked perplexed. "Why? Mother will be happy to see us."
Allegra sighed. "I know. I just...it's just that in London we were different people than we are now. I'm frightened that if we go back everything will change."
"What will change? I will still be your adoring husband, and you will still be my beautiful wife." Adam leaned forward and kissed her lingeringly.
"But everything here is so perfect," Allegra tried to explain. "We're happy together. In London there will be...other people. It won't be the same. Can't we stay longer?"
"I'd love to, darling, but people will talk. And I have business to attend to that shouldn't wait. Don't worry, I'll always have time for this." Adam allowed his hand to glide across her shoulder.
Allegra gave a wan smile. "I know. I'm being silly, I suppose. It just seems that everything will change when we go back."
"I won't allow anything to change," promised Adam. "You can trust me."
"I know," said Allegra. "I do."
They clung together on the desk, the rays of the setting sun caressing their mingled bodies, each lost in thought.
Chapter 14
Ladies and Lies
They left Gravesmere early the next morning, and Allegra looked back regretfully over her shoulder as the carriage bowled down the drive. The old house slumbered in the hazy light, and she couldn't repress a pang of regret and a tiny shiver of fear. Despite Adam's reassurances the day before and a wonderful night spent in his arms, her doubts would not be dismissed. After all, everything that had come between them in the past was in London; her social life and many beaux, and Lady Manning. The thought of Adam's mistress distressed her. She knew that Louisa wouldn't take her dismissal easily. And the older woman had kept Adam in thrall for many months; how could Allegra compete with her after only a week of real closeness? He had never mentioned love to her, and while he had seemed to enjoy their time together, she still knew so little about him and his interests and needs.
She moved restlessly on the brocaded seat, and Adam gave her a shrewd glance. His own thoughts were less than enjoyable, as he remembered his doubts about Allegra's blossoming sexuality. Any man would feel blessed to have a wife who responded with the rare passion of his bride, but somehow a tiny corner of his mind wished she were somewhat more restrained. He shook his head. It was nonsense, of course. He had no reason to doubt Allegra; he was absolutely certain that she had been a virgin on their first night together. And while she had never spoken of love to him, she showed no signs of missing her beaux. He would simply have to make sure she was too busy to become interested in another man.
He reached across the space between the seats and grasped her about the waist, pulling her towards him in a tumble of silk.
"Adam," she gasped, stifling a giggle. "What are you doing?"
"You looked lonely over there," he answered. "I thought you'd like some company."
"Mmmm, I would." Allegra nestled her head into his broad shoulder and took a deep, steadying breath. The changes in her life had been so abrupt that she simply wasn't ready for them, she told herself. Surely Adam had shown how fond he was of her over the past week? And if he didn't love her, at least he found her satisfactory in bed, and perhaps affection would grow from that. She flushed slightly as Adam's arm tightened around her. Everything would be fine, she thought. London was no different than any other place.
Several long hours later the carriage pulled up in front of Gravesmere's townhouse. The liveried footman climbed down from the box and went to open the door for his master. The curtains were drawn over the windows, and he thought he heard the sound of nervous laughter. He cleared his throat and rapped cautiously.
"Your Grace?”
"Just a moment." The duke's voice sounded as though something was amusing him greatly, and several seconds passed before the door swung open from the inside. Adam, his hair slightly ruffled, swung down from the carriage with a jaunty step. "It's all right, Charles," he said. "I'll attend to Her Grace."
He turned and gently lifted Allegra down, holding her a moment longer than was necessarily. The silks of her skirt were slightly crumpled, but she held herself proudly as she cast a roguish glance up at her husband.
"I can't believe we've arrived so soon. The trip took no time at all."
"Indeed. Travelling together relieves some of the boredom."
Allegra dimpled. "I used to prefer to ride, but I think that this trip has convinced me of the superiority of the carriage as a form of transportation."
Adam took her hand firmly in hi
s. "You're insatiable."
Allegra nodded. "And you, Adam? You're not?"
Adam laughed and led her up the stairs to the front door. "Behave yourself. My mother awaits us."
"And I do look forward to seeing her. I've missed her, despite your excellent company. And she'll be so happy to see that we're getting along so well." She stepped into the dim light of the hall and began to remove the pins from her hat.
"I will indeed. I was almost afraid that after I left the two of you would begin quarrelling again."
Allegra swung around to see Emily awaiting then at the foot of the stairs, wreathed in smiles. She gave a glad cry and ran to her mother-in-law, hugging her close.
"Have you missed us?" she demanded.
Emily looked over her daughter-in-law's head into Adam's eyes. What she saw there seemed to reassure her, and she nodded. "Of course I have, darling. But I'm very happy that you and Adam seem to have come to terms with each other. Come upstairs now and tell me all about your honeymoon."
"Of course!" Allegra turned to Adam, who still stood near the door. "Will you come with us?"
Adam hesitated. "In a moment. I need to go to my study and check some business matters. Can you do without me for a little while?"
Allegra laughed. "Of course. Your mother and I will have a comfortable chat and you may join us when you will. Come along, Mama. I need you to fill me in on all the gossip I missed in my absence."
"Goodness!" exclaimed Emily. "All of it? That would take hours!"
Adam watched as his mother and wife turned and went up the stairs to the morning room, a smile on his lips. He watched the gentle sway of Allegra's hips under her silk skirt, and the proud way she held her head. She was lovely, and quite irresistible. It was almost alarming how she filled his thoughts.
He sighed as he turned and strode down the hall to his study. He pushed open the door and took a deep breath. The room was his sanctuary, a place he would go when he wished to be alone and think things out by himself. But now he had a difficult task ahead of him, and he wasn't looking forward to it. He sat down behind the large oaken desk, sinking into the soft leather chair. A number of letters that had been delivered during his absence rested on the desktop, and he sorted through them impatiently. He paused as he lifted one addressed to him in a flowery, feminine handwriting that was very familiar. The faint scent of lilacs wafted from the paper, and he set it down quickly, unopened. Louisa.
A Duchess Enraged Page 15
