He reached across the space between his carriage and Lizzy’s horse to take her hand in greeting. “Lady Carlisle, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, though it seems I have done so too late to claim the heart of such a lovely lady.”
Theo eyed the man curiously. He appeared rather taken with her sister, who replied with all due courtesy. “A pleasure, Mr. Denton.”
His attempt to dazzle her sister over with, he switched his attention back to Theo. “That is quite a stunning team and vehicle you are driving, my lady.”
“Thank you. My husband has excellent taste in horseflesh.” Theo resisted the urge to preen.
“Too bad such fine beasts are subjected to a sedate trot through the park.” His unapologetic grin teased Theo with a hint of mischief…and she so loved mischief.
“I am quite capable of providing the cattle the necessary exercise.”
The glow in his eyes warmed. “As handsome as you look atop that rig, I can’t help but think those cattle are more than any lady could handle.”
Theo guffawed good-naturedly—though he had called her driving skills into question. “You play at being a bounder, sir. But, I daresay I can handle my team better than you yours.”
Lizzy gasped.
He chuckled. “Why, that sounds like a challenge. Would you care to place a small wager on that? Say, fifty pounds?”
Theo hesitated. She had nearly forty pounds to hand, and she would bet Lizzy could supply the rest. “Done. Shall we set the course?”
Lizzy gasped again. Was she breathing at all? Were her sister’s laces so tight she’d faint as soon as Theo took off?
“Lady’s choice.” Denton bowed gallantly despite being seated and managing his team.
“Theo, you can’t do this,” Lizzy pleaded.
“It is done, Lizzy.” She turned to her competitor. “Queen’s Gate to the North Gate.”
“We’ll need a starter and someone to spot the finish.” Denton glanced around. “Hail, Brougham.”
Theo was sure her entire head had caught fire. The one bloody person that had to be trotting by was the Earl of Brougham. Damn and blast.
“Good day, Denton, Lady Stonemere, Lady Carlisle.” He tipped his hat at each in turn.
“Excellent timing, Brougham. We need someone at the finish line to judge the winner, and I hope the ladies will excuse me if I declare Lady Carlisle biased.”
“Oh, are you racing Carlisle?” Cooper looked about for Lizzy’s husband.
“Not at all, I’m racing Lady Stonemere.” Denton failed to hide his pleasure at the surprise on Cooper’s face. Theo wanted to drive away and pretend the whole episode had never happened. She suppressed a groan, desperate to escape. How had she gotten herself into this scrape?
“Lady Stonemere?” Cooper blanched. If he’d been a woman, Theo was sure he’d have fainted.
“Quite so. I intend to show Lord Denton that not only can a lady handle a vehicle, but she can do so better than he.” Theo tilted her chin up and refused to look into the eyes of the handsome man who had pleasured her ruthlessly a few nights earlier.
Cooper sighed. “Where is the finish line?”
“The North Gate. Lizzy will see us off at Queen’s Gate.” Theo nudged her cattle forward as they became restless. It was as though they knew what she was about.
“I shall await you there.” Cooper nodded and then turned and trotted off on his chestnut.
“Excellent. Shall we assemble at Queen’s Gate?” Denton tapped his reins and left Theo to turn her vehicle around.
After dispatching her groom to accompany Lizzy’s maid for a short stroll, she and Denton set up at the start and waited for the signal from Lizzy. With the drop of a handkerchief, the race was on. Denton took an early lead, but Theo knew where she would take control. With his higher-sprung phaeton, she would be able to careen around the corner onto the north path and breeze past Denton, who would need to slow down to prevent tipping over.
She stayed close to him, and with the first turn, surged ahead. After the final turn onto the north path, she was well in the lead and leaving him behind. His cattle had worked so hard in the first part of the race that they had little stamina left as they hit the final stretch. Still, in the end, he was nipping at her heels as she crossed the finish line and burst onto High Street. With a quick jerk of the reins, she avoided a dray cart and three street urchins attempting to earn a few pennies.
Once she pulled back around, she found Lizzy and Cooper both fuming at her. “I won!” Her pronouncement fell flat as the pair glared at her. Then Denton pulled back around as well, and they relented in their demeanors.
“Good show, Lady Stonemere.” Hugh acknowledged her fine driving and paid his debt before he bid them all a good day.
“Well, it was a lovely drive in the park, but I must collect my groom and be off. I do have errands to run.” Theo waved and urged her horses away from the site of her latest catastrophe. Or at least it would be once Stone heard about it. And with Cooper as a witness, there was little doubt in her mind that he would hear of the race.
After retrieving her groom, she drove to Bond Street. She might as well enjoy her first and last outing in the cabriolet.
Chapter 20
Stone was relaxing by the fireplace when Parsons announced a guest. “The Earl of Brougham to see you, my lord.”
“Show him in.” Stone steeled himself for his first visit with his friend since they’d shared Theo.
Said friend stormed into the study, his face a mask of fury. “Stone, what the hell are you doing turning your wife loose on London like that?”
Stone shot out of his chair. “What the devil are you talking about?”
“You gave her your cabriolet to drive?” Cooper sputtered and huffed in agitation.
“I allowed her to take it out for a drive.” He groaned. “What did she do?”
Cooper snorted.
“No, wait. Just tell me who she raced.” He pinched the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger.
“Denton.”
“Dear God.” He collapsed into his chair. “How awful was it? Clearly, she’s not hurt.”
“Awful? The bloody wench trounced him. She beat him handily and took fifty pounds in the process. But you should have known better than to let her alone in that vehicle. She’s far too reckless.”
Stone had known this would happen. He’d almost reneged on his promise to her. But he’d wanted to trust her to be careful. It was clear that had been a bad idea. “I know. I had hoped if I trusted her a bit, she would prove to be worthy. Clearly, I am too besotted with my own wife to know what’s good for her.”
“Well, the worst I should expect will be the gossip. Though I doubt Denton will be touting his loss at the hands of a woman. But it was the middle of Hyde Park. Someone will have seen the race and will make mention of it.” Cooper poured himself a brandy.
“Yes. It seems Theo will be facing the cross a bit sooner than either of us expected. Thank you for letting me know about the race. I would have been much angrier to have heard it through the grapevine.”
“Yes, well, since I played witness, I knew you needed to hear of it. Do be sure to give her a good swat for me.”
Stone grinned ruefully. “Certainly. By the by, do you have a moment? Been meaning to run something past you.”
“Of course.” Cooper settled into a nearby chair.
Stone sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose again. “Well, I feel a bit silly, but I seem to have grown rather accident-prone. In the last few months, I have tripped and fallen in front of two moving vehicles, gotten caught in a snatch-and-rob carriage, and was attacked in an alley while attempting to rescue a lure.”
“Sounds as though you either need to be more careful, or something more nefarious may be afoot. Any ideas who might prefer to see you under the ground?” Cooper took another sip of his drink.
“No. I can’t imagine who dislikes me enough to wish me dead. Either way, I shall endeavor to be more car
eful. And if anything new comes to light, you will be the first to know.”
“Very well. Stay safe, my friend.” Cooper tossed back his drink and departed.
Stone remained seated and stared at the flames in the fireplace. His wife had turned out to be more trouble than he had ever imagined.
* * *
Theo opened the front door and peered around the solid wood obstruction. Lucky her. The foyer was empty. She eased the door closed and turned around to sneak upstairs. Without a doubt, Stone would have heard about the race by now. She had been approached by no fewer than three ladies on Bond Street while shopping to offer their congratulations.
She had one foot on the stairs when the silence shattered. “Theodora Denton, in my study.”
She cringed. Double damn. Word had obviously reached him. She turned and walked into his study.
“Attempting to sneak in, were you?” He sat behind his desk.
“Um.” Her heart raced as indecision warred within. Should she make a run for it and lock herself in her sitting room until he calmed down?
“I know you were. Just as you know that I am aware of your afternoon excursion.” He rose and paced around the desk.
She nodded, unable to force words past her parched throat.
“Please explain to me how you wound up behaving so recklessly after our conversation about how important the vehicle, cattle, and—most importantly—you are to me?”
Anger radiated off his towering body. She’d cocked it up. She had suspected, but now she knew just how badly she’d done so. She swallowed and wet her dry mouth. “I stopped to chat with Lizzy when your cousin Denton joined us. Well, it all started out friendly enough, I suppose, but then he suggested that a woman couldn’t handle a team. It was a challenge I could not let pass, not only for myself, but for all women.”
Stone turned his back on her, which made her stomach rise up, twist, and belly flop in her torso.
“I’m very sorry, my lord. I promise the cattle were never in jeopardy, and there is nary a scratch on the paint.” She bit her lip to quell its tremble.
“Go upstairs to our private room. You know which room I mean. There you will strip and kneel in the corner to await my pleasure.”
“Yes, Master.” She scurried from the study, up the stairs, and into the new room. There she hung her dress and paletot in the wardrobe that had been added since her last visit. She struggled with the rest of her undergarments but finally managed to free herself. With only one corner available, she knelt there naked but for her stockings, as was his usual preference.
An eternity might have passed as she waited. Perhaps it had only been ten minutes, but her knees ached and her heart pounded with such force that she was certain she would have an aneurysm. His heavy footsteps thumped down the hallway, and then he entered the room. The creak of wood bearing a significant weight indicated he had taken a seat on the throne.
“Come to me, pet.” His command startled her, but she stood and approached him immediately. “Kneel, please.” He waited for her compliance. “Do you know why you are to be punished?”
“Yes, Master.” She nodded. “I was reckless, I put your cattle and your vehicle in danger, and myself at risk.” A tear slipped down her cheek as the guilt of her rashness settled on her chest like a weight. It was how she always felt after each scrape. Usually she hid in her room and cried until the feeling passed, but Stone had not allowed her such retreat.
“Most importantly, you put yourself at risk. Beyond the possessions and the horses, you could have broken your fool neck. Come here.”
* * *
Stone pulled her back to her feet. He could see the misery etched on her face as she realized how rash she’d been. He took pity on her, enough so that he would not strap her to the cross as punishment. By all accounts—and he had heard more than one over the course of the late afternoon at his club—she had acquitted herself well. Poor Denton appeared the cad for goading her into such a display, even if it hadn’t been malicious.
“Yes, Master.” She stepped up beside him and hesitated.
“Bend over and settle your hips across my knees.” He helped her get into position. “You will take twenty spanks as punishment for your disregard for your well-being. This is not about the carriage, nor the cattle. This is simply about you risking your neck. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, Master.” Her muffled response was enough.
He could no longer delay the inevitable. He landed the first swat and paused.
“One, Master.” Her voice waffled with the sting of the first strike.
Then the second. “Two, Master.”
The next four came in a flurry of quick slaps. Her bottom was nice and pink, and she counted for him without his direction to do so. While the need to spank her made him unhappy, her capacity to remember that he preferred someone to count was gratifying.
The next four strikes of his palm came in an even distribution across the meat of her backside and increased the color to a bright pink. Heat radiated off her flesh now as he continued on to an even dozen. Just over halfway, and he could hear her tears between her accountings.
“Almost done, pet. Eight more and you will be clear of your misbehavior. Do you promise to never again put yourself at risk in such a manner?” He rubbed her inflamed flesh.
“I promise, Master.” When her voice cracked, he almost stopped the punishment.
He much preferred pleasuring her to punishing. But if she was to respect him and his authority over her, then he must follow through with this onerous task. He shifted the next four strikes to the cuff of her bottom. They fell slow and hard to ensure as she sat for the next day or so, she would remember this lesson. He ranged the last four blows from the top of her bum down to the newly spanked cuff.
Theo cried, though she never thrashed, fought, or otherwise attempted to prevent the spanking. She accepted her punishment with the grace and poise he had come to admire her for. When it was over, he helped her stand, gave her a sip of water from the pitcher he’d placed in there earlier, and settled her on his lap.
“How do you feel after your first real punishment?” He tried to hide his worry that he’d been too rough with her.
“First? Master, you spanked me our first night in here.” Her face flushed at the memory.
“I did, but that was less punishment and more an aid to help you past your fear. It is the motivation that determines if it is punishment or discipline. Discipline is a way to help you push your boundaries or remind you of what they are. Punishment is the result of wrongdoing or poor behavior. The other more significant difference is that I do not enjoy punishing you, whereas I shall always thrill to watch you respond to discipline.”
“I’ll have to mull that over a bit before I can fully understand the nuances of each, Master.” Theo’s brow wrinkled as it always did when she thought hard about something.
“There is no rush. Once you are sure you understand the difference, we should discuss it to make sure we are in accord.” He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
“Yes, Master.” She sighed and settled closer against his chest.
“Now that the ugly part of the night is over, you will refrain from speaking again until I grant you permission. Simply nod your understanding.”
She dipped her head forward in acknowledgment.
“Good. Stand for me, pet. I want to introduce you to something we will both enjoy.” He stepped toward the St. Andrew’s Cross but drew up short when she did not move. He glanced back to see her eyes wide and her chest rising and falling in rapid, shallow bursts. “Theo, I promise you will not be struck again tonight. Do you understand?”
She nodded.
He tried to ease her forward, but she remained rooted in place. “Are you still ashamed about your desire to be tied to the cross?”
She nodded.
“And do you remember what I told you the other night?” He pitched his voice low and warm to soothe her.
She nodded and l
et her gaze lock with his.
“I am as eager as you to tie you to the cross. I intend to restrain you and make you orgasm until you are too weak to stand on your own. Then I shall lay you down and make love to you until dawn.” His cock throbbed after painting her a picture of what the evening held in store.
She drew in a long, slow, and very deep breath. Then she nodded and smiled at him.
“You please me beyond measure, pet.” This time when he stepped toward the apparatus, she followed.
He placed her so that her back pressed against the wood beams and then used the buckles on each extension to bind her at the wrists and ankles.
Theo drew a deep breath and sighed as he let his fingertips trail up her leg. Her thigh quivered and her flesh prickled with goose pimples. He reached the apex of her thighs and dipped the tip of his finger into her folds. Her juices coated his skin and made him weak with the need to taste her. With a wicked smile, he lifted his hand to his lips and sucked the digit. Her sweet-tart flavor burst over his tongue as he savored the taste.
He looked up to find she avidly watched his every move. Lust gleamed in her eyes and sparked a reciprocal feeling within his own breast. It still boggled his mind how desperately he wanted this woman.
He reached between her spread thighs and gathered more of her feminine essence. As deliberate as any artist, he painted each nipple with her juices. Then he leaned over and sucked one until she moaned and pressed her peak deeper into his mouth. Satisfied with her response, he switched to the other side and repeated the process.
When he reached down to find her thighs damp with her cream, he dropped to his knees. More her supplicant than her master, he wedged his shoulders between her legs and parted her labia. With her tender pink flesh exposed to his gaze, he eased closer. Hungry to have her musky taste on his tongue, he leaned in and licked her from her channel to her clit.
Theo muttered something that sounded like the start of “Master,” but since she was under orders not to speak, he dismissed it as faulty hearing. As he delved deeper into the matter at hand, his cock gave him an angry throbbing reminder that he had kept his own needs at bay for far too long. And still, he remained determined to melt her with pleasure.
His Hand-Me-Down Countess: The Lustful Lords, Book 1 Page 17
