“I want you to stay on the other side of the room still, but I am hopeful your mother will pull through.”
Joy bubbled in Piper. She didn’t care about anything else at the moment. If she had her mother, all of her other troubles would work out.
She sat in her chair and Barrett pulled one next to her. “That is wonderful news.”
He reached for her hand and she took it. His larger hand enveloped her own. While it sent the usual jolt through her, she ignored the feeling and tried to enjoy the physical comfort the gesture brought. Her gaze slid to his thighs again. She closed her eyes to block out the vision.
“Meet any interesting men tonight?” Barrett’s tone was innocent but Piper’s eyes flew back open.
“Are you asking as my guardian?” She turned towards him. It gave her a little satisfaction he was as interested in her as she was in him. And really, he deserved to squirm a little for keeping her mother’s request a secret.
He straightened and cleared his throat. He looked from left to right, shifting in his seat. It was one of the few times he hadn’t given her his intense stare. “Your mother didn’t tell you about that?”
“No, she didn’t.” Piper was enjoying this. Usually it was the other way around, and he was making her uncomfortable.
“Just like she didn’t tell you about why your first season was in London.” His eyes met hers.
Damn. Piper never swore but somehow he had turned the tables on her. Still holding her hand, he pulled her up out of the chair and into the hall.
“I know what your mother is up to now. She wants to marry you back into English nobility. She tried last season and she is trying again,” his voice was low and dangerous.
Piper’s mouth hung open. “She is not.”
“Who asks a man she has just met to care for her daughter?” Barrett growled out.
“I don’t know? Maybe a desperate one?” Piper bit her lip. She hadn’t wanted to admit it, but it did seem like her mother was playing matchmaker.
“I won’t be trapped by your mother, Piper. I won’t make you a duchess. It’s not that I don’t want--”
“Did I ever ask you to?” her voice rose in anger. Whatever her mother’s intentions were, they were not hers. True, she had hoped he might ask her, but she would never try to make it happen. In fact, she was actively trying to find other suitors. “As I recall, I have been asking you to leave me alone. It is you who can’t seem to—”
Her words were cut off as his lips crashed down on hers. This was not the sweet kiss of the first night or the passionate kiss of yesterday. It held anger and lust, but Piper rose to meet him. Her hands wrapped around his neck, pulling him hard against her. Her lips opened at his request and their tongues thrust angrily. Her hands snaked up to pull at his hair. Her body was crushed against his. He raised his head to look in her eyes.
“Barrett, you are going to drive me mad,” her voice came out in a breathy moan.
His lips came down on hers again with less anger but more passion. She could feel his hard shaft pressing against her stomach, but it didn’t frighten her this time. Instead, she pressed closer.
He lifted her up higher and began trailing kisses down her neck. His mouth bent to kiss the top of her breasts, exposed by her dress. “Dear God, Piper. I can’t watch you dance and flirt with those other men. I want to rip them to pieces.”
“We are in quite a mess,” she gasped out as his tongue darted under her dress and caught her nipple.
“Tell me, Piper, that you don’t feel about any of them the way you feel about me.” His tongue kept working her nipple and her head fell back as another moan escaped her.
“I don’t,” she cried out as he lifted his head, but he only shifted her to access the other round orb of flesh.
“Is it just this? Is it just when I touch you?” He licked again.
“You know it isn’t,” she tried to catch her breath. His hand was travelling up her leg and bending it around his waist, while his other hand supported her weight and his tongue continued its assault. “I feel safe with you. I tell you everything I think. I never do that. I can’t pretend…” She stopped talking and gasped as his hand reached the mound between her legs. He began to rub gently through her layers of clothes.
“Tell me you can’t live without me. Tell me you need me.” His hand and his tongue increased their pressure and she squirmed underneath him. It felt so good. He continued rubbing in small light circles. Her pleasure intensified in waves until she couldn’t breathe or think a rational thought.
“Barrett, what is happening?” she moaned out as she ground her most sensitive parts into his hand.
“Don’t fight it, love. Just relax and feel.” He kept up the soft undulations until she thought she couldn’t possibly stand it another second. Then she fell over the edge and with a cry, her passion broke.
His lips found hers again. He kissed her long and softly.
“Barrett?” she whimpered.
“Yes, love?” His mouth continued kissing hers. She could still feel him rock hard through his pants.
She pulled back just a little. “I need you,” she answered his demand.
“Keep going.” He kissed her harder.
“I can’t live without you.” Their mouths joined again; his hand massaging her breast.
He began rubbing her mound against his trousers where he was hard.
“Say it again Piper.” He rubbed her faster. She felt her own passion building again. Dear God, how could she ever be with anyone else?
“I don’t want anyone else, only you.” He kept moving her against him. She grew frantic with wanting.
“Piper,” he ground out as they both moaned together, climaxing in unison.
He rested his forehead against hers and then kissed her again.
“What just happened?” she asked between kisses.
“Sweetheart, you’re still a virgin.” He pulled away slightly.
“Oh.” She blinked.
He chuckled, “Barely.”
“Barrett, what are we going to do? If we keep doing this, I will be ruined. I might be already. I left the party with you unattended.” Tears stung her eyes.
“Piper, I could keep you in the finest clothes, the nicest homes. You would never want for anything.” Barrett kissed her again but she shook her head.
“My mother would never forgive me. And my children? Your children, they would be bastards. What life would there be for them?” She started crying then. A tear slipped down her cheek. She didn’t want anyone else, but she couldn’t have Barrett either. Suddenly being in his arms made it so much worse. “What happens when you tire of me? Is that what happened with Mrs. Fox?” She bit her lip. She hadn’t meant to ask that question. She felt his body stiffen.
“This is different. You are different. I can’t be without you Piper.” He gently wiped her tear away.
“We have come back to the same problem,” she sighed.
“Piper,” her aunt’s shrill voice cut through the moment.
Barrett let out an exasperated breath. Then he set her down and began straightening her dress and fixing pins in her hair. She would have been awed by his sweetness if she weren’t so distracted by her aunt’s anger.
“Yes, Aunt Lizzie,” she called down the stairs as Barrett pulled and tugged her clothes and then his own.
“Where are you?” The other woman sounded angry.
“Mother’s room. Wonderful news, her fever broke.” Piper rounded the corner to see her aunt climbing the stairs.
“How dare you leave with Mr. Maddox,” her aunt huffed. Her shrewd eyes raked up and down Piper.
Barrett came to stand next to her. Her aunt’s lips pursed.
“He was upstairs…with you…in this house,” her aunt’s voice was shrill. Her eyes bulged and her chest heaved.
“We were checking on Mother. Did I tell you I received an invitation from a gentleman for dinner tomorrow night?”
Her aunt paused. She visibly re
laxed. “Who?”
“Phillip Stanford.” Piper smiled encouragement.
Her aunt sighed, “Good. Get him to commit quickly before news of this…” she paused waving at Piper and Barrett. “…gets out. Both you and Sybil need to marry this season. I can’t do this. You leaving in a carriage unattended, Sybil in the study. Ridiculous. I didn’t have children for just this reason.” Her aunt kept talking as she went down the hall but her words were lost.
“Who do you think Sybil was in the study with?” Piper giggled despite the situation.
“I’ve got a pretty good guess.” Barrett began walking her back down the stairs.
“Sybil needn’t worry. Her reputation won’t matter nearly as much as mine. She is titled and wealthy. Not to mention her beau—“
Barrett cut her off, “Piper you have as many assets as Sybil.”
“Not the ones that matter. I’m not jealous. I love Sybil. She has had her share of pain and suffering but she is freer to choose than I am.” Piper’s shoulders slumped.
“Don’t sell yourself short, Piper. You could have any man you wanted.” Barrett gave her a meaningful stare. “You practically have me begging.”
Piper didn’t respond. It was useless to point out Barrett wouldn’t marry her.
In the entryway, he kissed her one more time.
“We’ll talk tomorrow.” And then he strode out the front door.
Piper leaned against the doorframe. Her mind was spinning. Her fingers trailed to her lips. She didn’t see a way out of her situation.
TAMING A DUKE’S RECKLESS HEART
CHAPTER TEN
Ethan was waiting for Barrett when he returned to the house.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Barrett asked as he poured himself a drink and avoided making eye contact with his friend. He shouldn’t have touched Piper, and he wasn’t sure he was able to keep it a secret from Ethan. Why couldn’t he control himself where she was concerned?
“We all had to sneak out so Piper’s absence wouldn’t be missed. It was a mess.” Ethan cocked his eyebrows. “Is she still a virgin?”
“Yes.” Barrett downed the drink and poured another. “Why?”
“If she isn’t, you’re marrying her.” Ethan stood with his arms crossed on the other side of the desk. Ethan was one of the few men who evenly matched him in a fight. Warily, he turned to his friend. Whatever he was feeling about Piper was none of Ethan’s business
“Says who?” Barrett straightened. He wouldn’t be intimidated by Ethan.
“Me. Has she even kissed another man?” Ethan leaned forward.
“Strictly speaking, yes.” Barrett tossed down his second drink. He knew he was speaking in technicalities, but he needed Ethan to ease up. Between what had just happened with Piper and Ethan’s onslaught, he couldn’t’ think. He didn’t want to be without Piper, but he couldn’t have her either.
“Strictly speaking? Christ, Barrett, why not just marry her. You’re in love with her.” Ethan threw up his hands.
“My father has already made arrangements for me. It is my duty— Besides, Penelope would be ruined if I abandon her now. It’s not that I love her, but I’ve known her my entire life. I can’t do that to her.” Barrett glowered at his friend. Didn’t Ethan understand Barrett’s entire life he had been drilled with the knowledge he would marry to better the family? It was his duty. While his mother didn’t like him starting a business, he had done it because it was the best option for the dukedom. He couldn’t make the same argument about Piper. She was not best for the title.
“Help Penelope make another suitable match.” Ethan shrugged like it would be easy.
“It isn’t that simple. How would I find another man for her—“
“You were willing to help Piper find a husband, why not Penelope? She is titled, she can find a husband like Sybil did.”
“Sybil is a rare case. She didn’t need parental permission, and she has plenty of wealth. Penelope’s family is struggling like mine was. Besides, it is my duty to the title to marry Penelope.” Barrett threw his hands in the air. Ethan just didn’t understand.
Ethan stepped closer. “You’re making excuses. This notion that as an aristocrat you can only marry another aristocrat is ludicrous.”
Barrett’s fist slammed down on to his desk. Ethan had crossed the line. “What do you know about any of it?” he yelled.
“I know you asked a lady to be your mistress. And you’re supposed to be the proper Englishman. Is that what being titled means? You get to treat Piper’s life like it doesn’t matter?” Ethan was yelling now and Barrett’s own anger was about to boil over.
“How dare you!” Barrett was close to jumping over the desk. Piper meant more to him than anything. How could Ethan say he was treating her like she didn’t matter?
“Someone has to look out for the girl. It sure as hell isn’t you no matter what her mother said. What is really going to happen if you marry Piper? Will your family cut you off? But you fill the coiffeurs. Will you lose the title? You know you won’t. Will your mother be angry? When was the last time you even saw her?”
Barrett gave his friend a hard look, but a lump was forming in his chest. Ethan pressed on.
“I will tell you something else. If you ruin Piper and don’t marry her, our business is over. I won’t stand by and watch you ruin a girl who is already on hard times. Those two women need some men to look out for them. If it isn’t going to be you then it will be me. You will have to find a new partner because I will be out.” Ethan turned on heel and stomped out of the room. Three seconds later Barrett heard his front door slam.
Barrett sat back down in his chair and poured a third drink. “Bloody bullocks!” he yelled to the room at large. Was Ethan right? Was he just making excuses as to why he couldn’t marry Piper? He had known his entire life he would enter into a loveless marriage like his parents. It was a beast he understood. But a marriage full of love? That he didn’t understand at all and it was frightening beyond belief.
He was supposed to return to England and attend to the Ducal obligations. He had left because his brother had been too young, and too inexperienced, to take on the role of provider. And Barrett had a natural head for business, but he promised his mother he would return once he secured the families’ finances. He would marry Penelope and live miserably ever after. She was a perfectly lovely girl but his every look seemed to frighten her half to death which in turn irritated him. She had none of Piper’s gumption.
He had long since secured the funds needed, but he found himself delaying his return. He loved his shipping business.
Something else nagged at his brain. Piper was making him think all kinds of things he hadn’t before he met her. What it would be like to marry a woman he chose? A wife that suited him perfectly. But to wed her was to shun the unwritten laws of his society. Was Ethan correct that Barrett was mistreating Piper? He cringed at the thought, but to abandon Penelope now would be to trade one evil for another.
He raked his hand through his hair. To wed Piper was to have her in his bed every night. To watch her grow large with his child. To hear her wit and her laugh that was as beautiful as a bell.
She wasn’t afraid of him—not even a little. Not when he glowered or growled. She said he made her feel safe. There had been plenty of women willing to share his bed but somehow Piper seemed to fit his entire life.
Living without her sounded cold and lonely. It would be exactly like his parents’ marriage.
He gave a small shudder. It had been difficult on his parents but he guessed it had been worse on himself and his brother. They had married because it was mutually beneficial, but that was where their feelings ended. And the lack of love had grown into hate over the years. His father had had affairs. His mother had manipulated. It pained him to remember.
He pictured his life here with Piper next to him. It was full of laughter and happiness. His mother would hate him too for choosing an American bride. While he could easily withstand h
is mother’s wrath, it was his duty to the title that nagged his conscience. Could he ignore his duty for love?
***
The clock downstairs chimed two o’clock in the morning. Piper sat by the window in her mother’s room. Her mother had hardly spoken, but Piper still didn’t want to leave the other women’s side. She dreaded going to this dinner party. She had not wanted to go to the ball either, but her aunt insisted this was what her mother would want.
She especially didn’t want to see Barrett. Now that her passion had cooled, she was embarrassed by her own behavior. And the connection between them grew stronger. How could she possibly concentrate on Phillip Stanford or any other man with Barrett in attendance?
Mrs. Fox had reminded her Barrett’s offer as his mistress was a temporary position. He would tire of her, and then she would be just another woman at a party trying to get a scrap of his attention. She had to face the fact she must let Barrett go. She couldn’t be around him and control herself. It was growing more difficult. She could not see him anymore.
She sighed heavily and then got up to walk to her room, desperate to get some sleep. In the morning she would pen a note to Phillip stating she couldn’t attend the party, but she would like to make other plans with him. Plans that did not involve Barrett.
It took a long time for sleep to come.
When she woke in the morning, her mood was even worse than it had been before. Dragging herself out of bed, Piper got herself ready for the day. After breakfast she would pen a note to Mr. Stanford explaining why she couldn’t attend.
When she arrived, she found Mr. Abbott dining with her Aunt Lizzie. “What brings you here, now?” she couldn’t keep the irritation out of her voice. He was supposed to have been on the Maria, but they had not heard from him in days.
“Piper.” He smiled in his simple way. “I was delayed in Boston. Business, you know, you wouldn’t understand. How is your mother?”
“You left us on the docks at night in a terrible part of town. We were attacked by thieves. Now you ask after her wellbeing?” Piper’s back straightened with every word.
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