Scandalous Scoundrels

by Aileen Fish

“What’s that?” he asked, obviously waiting for her next joke.

  “Your kiss.”

  With a guttural moan that echoed her own feelings, he pulled her into his lap and covered her lips with his.

  ***

  “After a slow seduction nothing is more relieving than finally being alone together.” ~ Lord Lucifer

  John had thought that her kisses could never be sweeter, could never be hotter, than the ones they had already shared. But now she was his. Perhaps he had never been a greedy man before, but with Elisa he was. He wanted all of her. For her he would fight, he would beg. He would buy and sell bloody investments to impress her guardian. Anything to have her like this. He gently pulled the bodice of her dress down, careful not to rip the only garment she had to wear. When he covered her bare breast with his palm she gasped against his mouth. He rolled the tip between his fingers, feeling the nipple pucker under his touch.

  “John,” she moaned.

  “Good?”

  “Good,” she confirmed.

  He kissed his way down her throat and across her chest until he could take the other nipple in his mouth, swirling his tongue over it. She cried out and buried her hands in his hair. When he nipped and suckled at her she wriggled against him. “John, please.”

  “Please what, my love?”

  “I don’t know,” she complained.

  He kissed his way over to her other breast. He still used one arm to support her back, but his other hand played at her skirts. She lost patience with his meandering hand and raised her skirts herself.

  “Slow down, darling. Didn’t I tell you there’s a good bit of boredom in traveling? If you rush this you shall have nothing left to do but count the sheep that dot the countryside.” Belying his words, his voice sounded a bit thin even to his own ears. Truth be told, he was harder than oak and wanted nothing more than to cover her on this fancy seat and possess her in the most primal way. But surely he could wait through one long trip to Scotland?

  “Touch me, John.”

  He couldn’t refuse her request. Her command. He ran his hand up her thigh and stroked over her mound as he sucked her nipple again. She bucked against his hand and put her fingers in his hair again to pull him closer to her. God bless Lord Lucifer. The man was worth his weight in gold. Teasing the lips of her sex with his fingertip he could tell that she was already wet. He kissed her on the mouth again, gentle kisses until she was soft and pliant in his arms. He swirled a finger over her pearl so soft and gentle that she sighed in response. His lips moved to her breast. Feather light kisses and licks. Ever so slowly, he increased the pressure. Slid his middle finger inside her as his thumb kept up the rhythm against her. She pushed her sex against his hand, riding him with little thrusts of her hips. Her bottom rocked against his erection, increasing his pleasure. He had another finger join the first inside her and felt her inner muscles quiver against him. She was so close. He needed to taste her and covered her mouth again. When she came she broke their kiss and gave a keening sob that his body responded to on a visceral level. He wanted to be inside her when she came like that. Wanted to hear that cry against his ear while he came to his own completion.

  She recovered quickly and wrapped herself around him.

  “I love you,” she said softly.

  It was hard to think when so much of his energy was concentrated in his cock, but he did realize there was something he had forgotten to say. “I love you, too.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “Some of my fondest memories are from inside carriages.” ~ Lord Lucifer

  Elisa awoke to the gentle sway of the carriage. She had learned, over the last thirty-six hours, that even the most comfortable of carriage lost its luster within at least a half day. Boredom and discomfort, indeed. Her fiancé, however, had not lost any of his luster at all. If anything, she had only grown to adore him more. He was gentle, protective, and entertaining. With his day’s growth of beard he looked even more the rogue than when she had fallen in love with him the first time. Her only complaint was that he refused to engage in any more pleasures until they were married. Nothing she had tried had convinced him otherwise.

  She was never one to give up easily, though.

  Snuggling against his chest, she kissed his throat. He shifted in his slumber, pulling her closer. She unbuttoned his shirt a few buttons and ran her hand inside, along his chest. Touching him was more thrilling than she had expected. Like eating forbidden fruit.

  “Elisa.” His voice was rough from sleep, and irritable.

  “John,” she countered, matching his tone.

  He trapped her hand under his own, throwing his other arm over his eyes to block the encroaching sunlight. “We should be there today. Have some patience.”

  “I’m not patient.”

  She saw him smile. “Dammit, woman, you should have warned me in advance.”

  “Did my fiancé just swear?”

  “Of course not.”

  After a few moments she asked, “What time will we arrive today?”

  He sat up and kissed her, then set his forehead against her own. Watching him she suspected this was just a tactic to get a few more minutes of rest before she pestered him again. She entertained herself by running her finger over his jaw to feel the scratch of his beard.

  “Hopefully,” he said, “I can find somewhere to get a shave.”

  “I like it.”

  He opened one eye to look at her skeptically.

  She shrugged. “It makes you look piratical.”

  “Known many pirates, have you?”

  “Tons. They bring me spice and rum.”

  He laughed softly. “Is that the way to your heart? Spice and rum?”

  “You know the way to my heart.”

  “Elisa, please have some patience,” he pleaded.

  “I didn’t mean that, thank you very much. Although it has its charms.”

  He sat back so that he could look at her. “Then what did you mean?”

  “You see me.”

  “Well, you are sitting in front of me.”

  “Stop playing at being obtuse, you know what I mean. You see me. At the masque you knew I was sad. At my receiving hours you knew I was irritated. You sent me a book because you knew I wanted adventure. You see me. Until you I didn’t realize that no one had before.”

  He reached out and smoothed a lock of hair to lay behind her ear. “You’re easy to see.”

  ***

  “A woman is made up of the most intoxicating collection of scents and flavors.” ~ Lord Lucifer

  It killed him to see her looking so sad. He considered lifting his ban on pleasure just to distract her, but then the carriage rolled to a stop. He pulled back the curtain to look outside.

  “Where are we?” she asked.

  “Someplace with grass.”

  She snorted. “Your renown as a world explorer shall grow in leaps and bounds from your observations.”

  He pulled her close for a kiss.

  “I saw a man in a kilt. I’m feeling good about this.”

  “Really? How long have you been attracted to men in kilts?”

  “Vixen.”

  A knock at the door interrupted their verbal sparring.

  “Come,” he called.

  A footman opened the door. “We’ve arrived in Gretna, sir.”

  “Perfect. Are there accommodations?”

  “We will know shortly, sir. Just rest easy here for a bit and we will ensure that everything is taken care of.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Of course, sir.”

  Elisa had gone to the window to peer out herself.

  “Trying to catch sight of those men in kilts?” he asked.

  “No, I was trying to see what the area looks like. When our grandchildren ask me what our wedding was like I don’t want to answer them ‘we were someplace with grass’.”

  He pulled her into his lap. “Yes you do. It’s just the sort of saucy thing you would say, and then laugh wit
h your eyes.”

  “Laugh with my eyes? That sounds disturbing.”

  “Mm, no. It’s charming.”

  They were silent for a few moments, simply looking at each other.

  “What are you thinking?” she asked.

  “Will it bother you to have our anniversary the day before your birthday?”

  “How did you find out my birthday?”

  “You’ve already forgotten that we have the same best friend?”

  “I suppose I have.”

  “I had to know it so that I could be sure to marry you before Emberly’s blasted deadline.”

  “We have his blessing! Surely we could have taken more time.”

  “Casimir says that I’m risk adverse.”

  “Not always, I shouldn’t think.”

  He traced his finger over her lower lip. “I would risk anything for you. I just won’t risk losing you.”

  “Oh, well, that’s fine I suppose.”

  He chuckled. “Fine? Yes, I suppose it’s very fine. I can only hope you won’t ask me to risk my life too terribly many times.”

  “I’ll try to space them out.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “A seduction well played always ends in pleasure.” ~ Lord Lucifer

  Elisa had tidied her dress as best she could and placed the crystal pins back in her hair. In her mind she was composing how she would tell the story. That her dress was the very stare of fashion, in the most popular color. She wouldn’t mention the stains and splatters from their travels. But all of her story weaving fell out of her head as soon as she saw her groom. At the anvil, rather than the altar, as this was a Scottish smithy wedding.

  “Couldn’t find a barber?”

  “You said you liked it.”

  She smiled at him. It was, she thought, the biggest and most genuine smile she had ever smiled in her life. His answering grin made her heart roll over in her chest. It had been John at Violetta’s masque. It had always been John. They smiled at each other for the entirety of the ceremony.

  Walking hand in hand to the tiny cottage they had rented, John said, “I may have made one mistake in my preparations.”

  “Oh? What is that?”

  “Since I spirited you away on such short notice I doubt that you’ve had a chance to, er, talk to anyone about the wedding night.”

  “Wedding afternoon.”

  “Yes, wedding afternoon.”

  “No, I haven’t. But you can tell me anything I need to know, can’t you?”

  “As you may realize, I’m not likely to have much insight into the feminine perspective.”

  “I suspect somehow we’ll muddle through.”

  He laughed. “That’s what you said about how we would manage our finances.”

  “And look at how brilliantly you’ve prepared us to do that.”

  He kissed her hand. “I love you, Elisa.”

  “See? You’ve already started brilliantly on this, too.”

  He opened the door but stopped her before she stepped through. “Oh no, we should do this properly.”

  She laughed. “Are you going to carry me?”

  Before she could stop him, he slung her onto his shoulder like a sack of wheat with her head hanging down his back. She was laughing so hard she didn’t have the breath to argue. When he set her on her feet inside the one-room cottage she finally said, “I’m fairly sure that wasn’t the proper way.”

  “Do you think? We could do it again another way.”

  She jumped back with a shriek. “No! I hate to think what else you would try.”

  He clucked his tongue. “Trust issues aren’t good for a marriage, Elisa.”

  That sobered her. “I do trust you.” She smiled again. “I just know how outrageous you are.”

  He tapped her nose. “I trust you, too. Even though you’re outrageous.”

  He was silent for so long that she felt she needed to prompt him. “Was there something you wanted to tell me?”

  That jarred him from his reverie. “Yes, actually. It’s about the, er, wedding afternoon.”

  “Yes?”

  “Do you have any idea of the, er, mechanics?”

  “Only what you’ve shown me.”

  He nodded. “I see. Well.”

  “Yes?”

  “I’ll credit you with being an enthusiastic student, but this next bit. Well. Sometimes it hurts the first time for a woman. It won’t after that, I promise. Or at least I think. If it does we’re probably doing something wrong.”

  “I have no idea what you’re babbling about, John. And you never babble, so this must be dire indeed.”

  “No! No, not dire. Just awkward. At first.”

  She placed her fingers over his mouth to silence him. He moved her hand and kissed her. A deep, sultry kiss that left her craving more, but he stepped back.

  “It’s probably better to explain first so that I don’t scare you.”

  “Scare me?”

  “Mayhap shock is a better word?”

  “You’ve inspired my curiosity.”

  “You know how I put my hand on you, in you?”

  She felt her nipples tighten at the memory of his hands on her. “Yes.”

  “Another part of me is made for being in you. It’s larger that just having my fingers in you.”

  “Yes?” This was the most stirring awkward conversation she had ever been a part of.

  “I guess you could say it’s the complementary part to yours. And the first time we come together it could be painful or you might bleed. But it won’t always be like that.”

  “Thank you for telling me.”

  “I- of course.”

  “Perhaps if I could see this part, I might be less frightened of it?”

  “From what I’ve read that’s not necessarily true.”

  “Oh, well now I have to see it.”

  He finally smiled at her again. “I’d love to see yours, too.”

  She wriggled her way out of the blue dress, with John helping her a bit. Once they had laid her dress aside he started on his own clothes as she worked at the tapes for her petticoats. Even though she had started first, he was striped bare before she was down to her chemise. His complementary part caught her eye. “Oh my. That is a bit larger than two fingers.

  “Just a bit.”

  “May I touch you there?”

  “Any and every time it occurs to you to do so.”

  She smiled at him and finally removed her last article of clothing. Her modesty seemed to have deserted her. Stepping closer she reached out tentative fingers to stroke him. He stepped closer still and kissed her shoulder. His touch made her shiver with desire. As her fingers became surer in their exploration, she became more certain that she wanted to feel him inside her. She looked at his face and saw his expression was one of near agony. She stilled her fingers.

  “Am I hurting you?”

  “No. It’s the sweetest pleasure I’ve yet known.”

  “Oh.”

  “You took a bath before the wedding?”

  “Yes.”

  He kissed her throat. “Good, because there’s something I’ve been wanting to do.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Kiss you. In the place where my hand has been.”

  Her belly tightened at his words.

  He stroked a feathering caress over her abdomen. “Will you let me kiss you there?”

  “Yes,” she said in a strangled whisper.

  “Lie down on your back. Open your legs wide for me.”

  She did as he asked, feeling terribly vulnerable, but also powerful. He lay down on his belly below her, wrapping his arms around her thighs. With the first swipe of his tongue she thought she might come out of her skin, but he teased, and licked, and sucked until she had found her completion twice against his lips and fingers. He kissed her hip.

  “Do you think you’re ready?” he asked.

  “More than ready, love.”

  He aligned their bodies so that their
complementary parts were close and he set to kissing her and stroking her breasts.

  “John, please. I don’t want to be distracted. I want to feel you sliding into me.”

  He kissed her shoulder. “Are you sure? It may hurt quite a bit.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “Watching her come apart in your arms is the moment you have worked for.” ~ Lord Lucifer

  John positioned himself at her entrance and prayed that losing her maidenhead wouldn’t hurt as much as it could. “Are you sure you’re ready?”

  “Yes.” She adjusted her hips a bit and brushed the head of his cock. He bit his lip from the sweet agony of the contact.

  “I doubt I’ll last very long.”

  “I don’t know what that means.”

  “It’s all right. You’ll learn.”

  He looked down into her beautiful dark eyes as he pushed into her the first time. For all that he had read about this moment, it was finer, lovelier than he had ever imagined. Her body accepted his with a slick, hot welcome he hadn’t known before, but his body celebrated. Then she winced and he stopped moving, becoming more still than perhaps he ever had in life.

  “Are you all right?”

  “I think so, it just pinched for a moment.” She shifted again, most likely to make herself more comfortable, but feeling her hips surge against his, her body accept more of him, almost made him spend himself.

  “More?” he asked, his voice rasping.

  “Yes,” she sighed, caressing his shoulders. “More.”

  He slowly sank into her and she was so good, so tight, he couldn’t breathe. Here, deeply joined with her, was the only place he ever wanted to be. Her eyes were misty with contentment and her fingers drew lazy patterns on his skin. He kissed her, and their kiss became everything. There was no beginning or end, just the sighing satisfaction of intimacy. As the kiss became more intense he began to move in her, finding a rhythm against her. She pressed tightly against him, her legs wrapping in his as she strained to be closer, faster. He felt his completion coming and called her name, surging into her.

  He rested on his forearms over her for a moment, undone. Kissing her temple he asked, “Still all right?”