The footman he had addressed stared at him blankly. “I don’t recall, Your Grace.”
Adam cursed. “You’re well trained, aren’t you? Well, I’ll find them myself.” He strode to the nearest door and flung it open. A woman’s voice cried out in alarm and a couple that was embracing on the couch fell away from each other, their clothes in disarray. Adam stormed into the room, bile rising in his throat.
“I see you couldn’t restrain yourself, madam,” he said, and then paused in shock. The woman who gaped up at him wasn’t Allegra, but a certain infamous Countess, and her companion wasn’t Lord Gresham, but instead his friend, Freddie Brocklehurst.
“Damn it, Gravesmere, what are you about?” he demanded. “Aren’t two women enough for you?”
Adam gaped at the couple. The countess clutched her open bodice together with her hands, but her long lashes fluttered at him flirtatiously. He gave a snort of disgust. Was all of society given over to debauchery? He bowed and backed out of the room.
“Forgive the intrusion. I mistook you for someone else.”
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Adam heard Freddie say as the door slammed shut behind him. He looked up at the footman he had spoken to and detected a look of amusement there. Snarling, he moved down the hall, opening the next door with a bit more caution.
A darkened room spread out before him, faintly lit by a few candles in the wall sconces. Silence prevailed, but he saw a figure huddled on the couch, and he moved closer. Even in the dimness he could sense that it was Allegra. Her shining hair reflected the glow of the candles and her skin took on the glow of pearls. Where the hell was Gresham, he wondered.
He stepped on a loose board and the floor creaked.
Allegra gasped and sat up, her hand at her breast. Her eyes widened when she saw Adam standing before her, staring at her grimly.
“Adam!” she choked out, her hands flying to her cheeks in a vain attempt to wipe away the tears. “What are you doing here?”
“I might ask you the same thing,” he answered, looking at her closely. Her silk dress was crushed as though someone had been holding her, and her hair was in disarray. Something had been going on here, he thought grimly. It seemed he was just moments too late to catch her in the act. “Where’s Gresham?”
“He left,” answered Allegra quietly.
It seemed pointless to try to explain to Adam what had happened. It seemed extraordinary, even to her, and there was no reason why her husband would believe her. And any explanation would involve telling him that she loved him, and that was something she couldn’t do.
“So you admit he was here,” snapped Adam. “What a fine gentleman you have there. He uses you and then leaves? He might at least accompany you back into the ballroom.”
“It wasn’t like that,” protested Allegra, a little of her spirit returning. Why did Adam always think the worst of her? He was the one who had turned away from her in the first place.
“No? What was it like?” Adam approached the couch and grabbed her by her naked shoulders, lifting her so that she stood in front of him. Her scent enveloped him, and he closed his eyes. “Why don‘t you tell me all about it?”
Allegra shook her head, her tears threatening to spill over again. “No, Adam. We just talked. And then he left. That’s all.”
“Gresham doesn’t take beautiful women into private rooms to talk to them,” snarled Adam. Black waves of anger beat through his brain. Allegra belonged to him. “What kind of an idiot do you think I am? Tell me, Allegra, does he please you more than I did? Does he bring the same fire to your blood, do you call out his name the way you did mine?”
“Adam, you’re hurting me,” protested Allegra, struggling in his grip. In truth, his hold was tight but not painful, but she wanted to move away from him in order to fight the feelings that shot through her at his touch. It was unfair that she should respond to Adam’s mere presence in this way, when Tristan’s experienced kisses had left her feeling so empty.
“Answer me,” said Adam. “Did you feel the same things with him that you did with me?”
“No, of course not,” Allegra cried out. “I haven’t done anything with him, Adam.”
“Liar. But since you enjoy it so much, perhaps you’d like a comparison. I know you enjoyed what we did together. Now you can see how I rate next to your lover. Does he make you feel like this, Allegra?”
Allegra stared up at him, both mesmerized and horrified, as his lips descended towards hers. She gave a tiny cry, whether of surprise or protest she wasn’t sure, and then his mouth covered hers. She knew he was furious, but his kiss was unexpectedly gentle and persuasive. She sighed into his mouth as her body exploded with reaction. She felt her knees grow weak, her heart began to pound, and a telltale dampness gathered between her legs. If his kiss had been brutal and rough she might have had the strength to fight him, she thought, but this tender assault was more than she could resist. Almost without her wishing it, her arms rose to clutch his shoulders and she returned his caress with abandon, opening her lips and entangling his tongue with her own.
Adam laughed knowingly. “You’re insatiable, aren’t you?” he muttered. In one corner of his mind he contemplated walking away, but he knew that he couldn’t do it. No matter what sort of a wanton Allegra was, he couldn’t control his desire for her. He gripped her more tightly, one hand sliding up to tangle in her carefully arranged curls, tearing them loose from their pins as he held her head still, raining kisses across her mouth, her cheekbones, her brow. She gave a tiny groan of desire and tried to move closer.
Continuing to hold her head with one hand, his lips playing skillfully across her face and neck, Adam’s other hand went to the bodice of her dress, tugging at it until the low neckline slipped further, exposing one white breast. He grazed the nipple with his fingertips, watching her face with intent eyes as she gasped and bit her lip, the sensation rocking her entire body.
“Lord, Adam,” she groaned. “Please.”
“Please what?” he asked, his fingers stroking her gently. He lowered his head and gently nipped at her, and she clutched at his head with frenzied fingers.
“You know what I want,” she said, a touch of petulance in her voice. “You know exactly what you’re doing to me.”
“Maybe I do.” Adam’s tongue moved over her nipple again, while his hand caressed her other breast through the material of her dress. “But I like to hear it.”
“Love me, Adam,” she whispered, hating herself for saying the words, but aroused beyond the point of holding back.
“Ah.” Adam cupped her naked breast, his fingers gently kneading it, and he kissed her again, a deep, dark kiss that promised endless pleasure. “So you still want me.”
Allegra nodded, unshed tears glimmering on the ends of her lashes. She wanted him to love her, to take her because she was the woman he loved, but if this were the only way she could have him, she would accept it. For just a few minutes, anyway, he would be hers.
“Well, I want you too.” Adam’s big hands wrapped around her waist and he urged her backwards until she leaned against the silk covering of the library wall. “You’re in my blood, whether I like it or not.“
Allegra stiffened as she felt him brush aside her heavy skirt, but then his hand was on her thigh and she let out her breath as another wave of desire swamped her. His tongue continued to torment her breast as his hand crept higher, creeping tantalizingly near to the seat of her need, but not touching it, tangling gently in her curls and bringing her to a fever pitch. She made a sound of frustration and then reached out, grabbing him through his breeches, and realized with a flare of triumph that he wanted her every bit as much as she wanted him. He was rock hard, straining against the material until it seemed it would be unable to contain him.
“So you’re impatient, are you?” asked Adam. “No time for subtleties?” He laughed in his throat and then, rapidly tearing her lacy drawers away, plunged two fingers into her, making her gasp with astonishment and delight. Throwing all cauti
on to the winds, she ground against his hand, seeking the release that she so desperately needed.
“You certainly are ready for me,” muttered Adam, withdrawing his hand with one swift movement and holding it in front of her face so she could see the signs of her need. Too desperate to be abashed, she made a mewing noise in her throat and worked away with impatient fingers at the buttons of his trousers until he burst forth into her hand. She squeezed gently, teasingly, remembering exactly what he liked, what would send him over the edge most quickly.
“Damn you,” snapped Adam. But then his anger was lost in the wonderful feelings coursing through his body. He never felt this abandonment with Louisa, this rush of joy, of being completely overwhelmed and overcome. He lifted her skirts high and wrapped his hands around her waist, lifting and bracing her against the wall.
Allegra’s eyes grew wide with astonishment. “Adam, what are you doing?”
“So there’s still something Gresham hasn’t taught you? I’m surprised. I would have thought him a master at this.”
Allegra opened her mouth to protest against his charges, but Adam covered it with his instead, kissing her with a dangerous passion that erased all her thoughts. Then, before she had recovered, he angled himself up between her legs and brought her down with one swift movement onto his fully erect staff. He slid in all the way to the hilt as Allegra’s body welcomed him, reveling in the sensations it had been denied for the last few days. She gave a shout of amazement and satisfaction as he filled her and then continued to stretch her, her warm flesh giving way eagerly.
“God, you’re good,” panted Adam. His hands slid down to cup her bare buttocks, and then he was pounding into her, holding her steady against the wall, suckling on her breast as he withdrew and slid back in, each stroke filled with all his pent-up anger and desire. Allegra, too overwhelmed to think, responded to the dictates of her body, wrapping her legs around his waist so as to draw him in deeper, her fingers pressing into his shoulders, holding him, urging him forward. Each desperate stroke was like a caress, filling her, making her complete. She gave herself up entirely to Adam, urging him on with the eager sounds that erupted from her throat. Soon, too soon, she felt the coil deep in her stomach begin to unwind, the roaring rush of her climax descending on her. While she welcomed the release, she also sought to hold it off, knowing that with it, Adam would withdraw, that this wonderful closeness would end.
“No,” she cried out. “No, I can’t.”
“Let yourself go,” muttered Adam in her ear. He shifted slightly and pushed in even deeper. “You’re so beautiful when you do.”
With a wordless cry she went over the edge, shock waves tearing through her as her climax was sustained endlessly as Adam held her down on his erection, pressing forward, seeking to go deeper. She shook all over, her head falling back, her grip loosening, her lips moving soundlessly as the dark wave overtook her. Finally, as the last shocks ebbed away, Adam allowed his own release, pumping up into her, releasing a torrent of seed, his knees almost buckling at the fierce pleasure that shook him. Then, to both their amazement, he felt Allegra’s climax begin again as her body responded to his. She seized his face between her hands, kissing him with thoughtless abandon as they climaxed together, soaring to new, never-before-experienced heights.
After a long time it was over, and they stood together, Allegra still pressed against the wall by Adam’s body, his forehead resting on the wall above her head. Allegra, suddenly embarrassed by her situation, made a fluttering motion with her hands, and Adam stepped away, gazing down at her with re-awakened mistrust as he hastily refastened his breeches. She was so beautiful, so sensual, her lips swollen from his kisses, her hair tumbling down about her shoulders, her white breast still peeping above her neckline. How many men had seen her this way, he thought morosely. How could so much passionate energy be contained?
Allegra hastily pulled up the neck of her gown, and tried half-heartedly to smooth the wrinkles from her skirt. She could feel the silken remnants of his ejaculation on her thighs, and she closed her eyes, wondering if this time she was pregnant. She didn’t know if she would welcome it or not. To have Adam’s baby would be a wonderful thing, but not if he didn’t love her and cherish her, not if the baby was the only thing he wanted from her. Forcing herself to return to reality, she raised her hands to her hair, hoping to salvage her coiffure.
“Don’t,” said Adam suddenly. “You look wonderful.”
Allegra raised her eyes and looked up at him, searching his face for some sign of his feelings. She saw only confusion and regret in his green eyes. “You don’t have to say pretty things to make me feel better,” she answered, trying not to let her voice shake. “I know how you feel about me.”
“It’s what a gentleman does,” answered Adam, rebuffed by the rebuke in her voice. After what they had just shared, was it too much to ask that she show some tenderness towards him? Was their coupling just one of many to her, a way to satisfy her body that didn’t touch her heart?
Allegra closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The lovemaking that had just taken place had been both exhilarating and heart breaking. It had been marvelous to be back in Adam’s arms, but her response to him, in comparison to her inability to respond to Tristan, had terrified her. She needed and wanted Adam desperately, but if this was all he wanted from her, she couldn’t stand it. To be nothing more than an occasional receptacle for his lust, to have him take her to dizzying heights and then walk away, was worse than being parted from him.
“Save your sweet words for Lady Manning,” she answered, her voice without inflection. “No doubt she will appreciate them. But you’ve used me like a whore, and I doubt even a gentleman wastes his sentiments on a woman of that stamp.”
“I used you?” Adam’s tone carried an undercurrent of anger. “You seemed willing enough.”
“Oh, I was,” Allegra shot back. “You can make me want you, Adam, whether I wish to or not.”
“And what is so wrong with wanting your husband? Isn’t that how it should be? If you’re willing to share yourself with any man, why shouldn’t I have you as well?”
Allegra flinched at the accusation of infidelity, and his callous turn of phrase. True, she had led him to believe she was being unfaithful in an attempt to get some measure of revenge for his involvement with Louisa. But why was he so willing to believe it, and why did he seem so angered by it, when he clearly didn’t care for her? “Go away, Adam,” she said softly. “I can’t do this anymore. Go back to your pretty mistress and forget about me.”
“With pleasure.” Adam’s tone was like ice. When she had been in his arms, in the throes of passion, she had seemed warm and generous. But now the cold-hearted woman he had come to know had returned, and seemed completely uninterested in sharing anything more than her passion with him. He felt as though the final brick had been laid in the wall that separated them. Whatever Allegra’s motivations were, he couldn’t figure them out. He turned on his heel and strode towards the door, anxious to be out of her tantalizing presence.
“Adam.”
He stopped at the sound of her voice calling his name softly. “What?” he asked without turning around. If he had to look at her again he would probably take her in his arms and make a total fool of himself.
“For what it’s worth, I’ve never had anyone but you.” She held her breath after speaking the words, waiting for some reaction. It had been hard to say the words, fearing his laughter or rejection. But after all the anger and deceit between them, now, after their passion had stripped them bare, seemed the time for honesty.
She thought she saw a quiver run through Adam’s frame, but then, without a word, he stepped forward and left the room, leaving her still standing against the wall. Wearily she straightened herself and walked to the couch, where she collapsed, too exhausted to even shed tears. It was over, she thought. She had to find a way out, to get away from Adam forever. This last rejection had been final, she was sure. And she couldn’t sta
y with him, hanging about, hoping for a kind word or a smile, giving herself up to the occasional night of torrid lovemaking, only to have him pull away again. Something had to be done.
In the ballroom, Tristan leaned against a wall, his arms folded over his chest, a brooding look on his face. He ignored the admiring glances women cast at him from time to time as they sought to attract the attention of the notorious Lord Gresham. Indeed, he barely saw the colorful crowd that swirled in front of him. His thoughts were turned to the dark sitting room and the events that had just occurred there. What was wrong with him, he wondered. Why had he backed away when victory was at hand? She had been at his mercy, ripe for the taking. It would have been so simple to overcome her scruples. Instead, he had run like a frightened boy.
There was a rustle at his elbow and he looked down into Louisa’s charming face. Her beauty was marred by the frown creasing her brow, however, and she took his arm in a firm grip, rising up on tiptoe, the better to whisper into his ear.
“What are you doing here? Adam left the ballroom barely five minutes ago. He couldn’t possibly have caught you in the act.”
“He didn’t,” replied Tristan coolly. “There was no act to catch.”
“What does that mean? Did you fail with the duchess, Tristan? I thought that you said you had this all carefully planned.” Louisa’s face darkened, and her hand tightened on his arm.
“I did. However, matters don’t always go as we wish. The duchess, it seems, had other ideas.”
“What are you talking about? Did she refuse you?”
“She was most apologetic about it, but yes, she refused me.” Tristan looked down into Louisa’s furious eyes. “It seems she felt that it wasn’t the right thing for us to be doing.”
“And when did that ever matter to you?” Louisa glanced about to reassure herself that no one was listening. “You should have forced her. It wouldn’t have been difficult; she’s a tiny thing. All that mattered was that Adam catch her with you. I’ve filled his head with enough stories about his wife that he would never believe her if she said she was unwilling.”
A Duchess Enraged Page 26
