Lily gasped behind Max. “She wouldn’t. That’s low even for her.’
Camille shook her head. What had happened with their mother? She’d always been strong-willed, perhaps vain. But she’d still been a committed parent. What had gone wrong?
Chapter Eighteen
Camille paced about her room in her night-rail as she waited for Rex and Max to return. She and Lily had left the party in the Longleys’ carriage. Max and Rex had hired a hack to deliver Michael to the Bow Street Runners.
She heard the wheels of the carriage on the cobblestone below and raced to the window. Sure enough, Max climbed out, followed by Rex. She wanted to launch herself down the stairs and fling herself into his arms but she resisted. Tonight, she wanted to be near him and that meant waiting until Max had gone to bed.
It was another agonizing half hour before she heard his cane thump up the stairs and then a quarter hour until the house quieted.
Tiptoeing to the door, she slowly turned the knob and opened the large wooden panel inch by inch so that it wouldn’t squeak.
“Good thinking,” Rex murmured. “Max has exceptional hearing.”
Camille slapped her hand over her mouth to keep from yelping. She reached out to pull Rex in but as their hands clasped, he gave a gentle tug to pull her into the hall. “Max told me he’d shoot me if he found me in your room. For all the times I’ve squarely stated I expected to die in such a way, I find I have less appetite for it now that I am about to be a married man.”
Camille stepped into his arms, as she lay her head on his chest. “You are forbidden to get shot again. It’s one of the stipulations I’m adding to the proposal.”
He let go of her hand and wrapped it around her shoulders. “Consider it done.” Then he started walking her to his room. “Can I add a stipulation as well?”
“Absolutely.” They walked into his room and crossed to the bed where he kicked off his boots and then lay on the bed. She slid next to him, pressing her body to his. He was strong and lean, and as she fit against him, she wanted to touch his skin, to be even closer.
“If your mother tries anything like that again then—” He stopped. “Not that I am judging your mother.”
“Judge all you like. She’s never going to be allowed in our home. My sisters, however, you have to be kind to. And considerate.”
He gave her a small smile. “I’ll do better than that. Max and I will keep them safe.”
Her heart swelled and she propped up on one elbow, an arm and a leg crossing over his body. “I love you, Rex.”
He nudged her on top of him so they touched the full length of one another. “I love you too, Angel.”
She kissed him, her lips teasing softly over his. He groaned and then buried his hand in her hair, tilting her neck so that he could slide his tongue along her bottom lip. The kiss intensified, lengthened, and she moved against him until the hem of her night-rail shimmied up her legs. She didn’t even notice until his hand came to the back of her leg.
The feel of his rougher skin against her softer flesh made her shiver with delight. As his hand slid up her leg, she pressed into the hardness of his manhood, desperate for relief from the ache.
He caressed her inner thigh, making her frantic for him to touch her. She bucked against him and suddenly he held her in place. “Camille,” he ground out. “If I don’t stop now, I won’t be able to. I’m losing—”
She kissed him again. “Why would we stop? We’re getting married and I’ve been ruined for months.”
He brushed her folds then and she spasmed with delight, giving a small cry as her head tilted back. “Oh Rex,” she gasped. “Please don’t stop.”
He pulled his fingers back and she nearly cried out again, but then he was tugging off her night-rail. “Help me with my shirt, love. I’m still not very good at getting it on and off myself.”
That made her still. “Am I hurting you?” Gads she was selfish.
“Not even a little.” He brushed his thumb along her lips. “I want you more than I have ever wanted anything, anyone, in my entire life.” He kissed her again, much more softly. “I want you more than I wanted money when I was sleeping in the gutter on the street. I want you more than I wanted a warm bed.” Then pushing her up, so that she straddled him, he pulled off her night-rail.
She was naked before him, and she reached down to start unbuttoning his shirt. It was time he took off some of his clothes too.
He reached up and cupped her breasts, kneading the flesh, weighing it in his hands. “You’re divine.”
Heat and want pulsed through her.
After undoing the last button, she tugged the shirt open and exposed his chest. Thick muscles were partially covered by his bandages, and she ran her hands over his exposed skin, longing for more. Then she reached for the buttons of his trousers. As she slid them open, he traced her curves, her stomach, her back, and her legs.
“You are perfect, love.”
Pulling at his pants, she managed to get them off his hips. She stopped for a moment, staring at his manhood. “Is it…is it supposed to be that big?”
He chuckled. Before she could move his pants any further, Rex pulled her down on top of him. As their skin pressed together, she moaned. Her hands threaded about his neck as he once again slid his fingers along her slit.
Tiny little noises of pleasure started falling from her lips as his fingers worked along her seam, his manhood adding to the friction. She gripped him tighter as she tensed until she finally shattered, lights sparkling behind her lids.
He groaned too and with a flick of his wrist, his manhood was free from her body and nudging into her opening.
It felt…delightful. It sparked all the tender nerves along her flesh until it began to push inside her. As it stretched her open, she began to burn and ache. She tensed against the pain.
He smoothed his hands down her back. “Relax,” he murmured into her ear. “I love you, Camille. I’ll go as slow as you need me to.”
How could this rough, giant man be so tender? She kissed him then and she relaxed, he pushed further inside her. She felt her maidenhead tear and then break, but his kisses and the soft stroking hands along her back allowed her to relax into the pain. “Rex,” she said between kisses. “I’m so lucky to have you. I love you.”
Chapter Nineteen
What had Rex done in his life to deserve this?
Camille’s blonde hair spilled about him in a cascade of silky tickling tresses, as her smooth skin rubbed against his.
He ran his hands down the soft curve of her back and over her buttocks. He’d never tire of the feel of her.
As he slowly pulled out, and pushed back inside her, he placed kisses along her neck. Words he didn’t even know he could say tumbled from his lips. “I’ll be yours forever, until my dying breath.” He told her of her perfection, of how he’d give her every worldly possession he owned if only she’d sleep in his bed every night for the rest of his life.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined something so beautiful and wonderful could be his to have and to hold. He’d heard of people having a divine moment where they found God. This was as close as he’d reckoned he’d ever come to that. She was an angel after all.
She relaxed under his touch and, after a bit, he felt the change. Her hips didn’t just accept him, they pushed into him, seeking more. He gave it to her.
Even as stars began to explode behind his eyelids, he held on until she was bucking against him, begging for release. When she shattered, he broke too.
Collapsing on top of him, she melted like butter, her body fitting against his.
“Camille.” He brushed her hair away from her face and over her shoulder. “Love.”
“Mmmmh,” she mumbled, her hand resting on his collarbone, tracing little circles.
“Before you fall asleep, my sweet. Do you think you could finish taking off my pants? They are cutting off the blood to my legs.”
She lifted her head and gave a small gig
gle. As she slid down his body, his manhood jumped again. She hooked the pants in her hand and then gave the tip a soft kiss. His teeth gritted.
“Someone is anxious for more.”
Camille kissed down the shaft and he hardened and lengthened as she pulled the pants down his legs. She kept going, kissing down his leg as she pulled the pants off each foot. Then she began kissing back up him, sliding the blankets with her.
“Your body needs rest. It was the first time and—”
“You brought me to completion with your hands. Can’t I do the same? Or with my…” And she kissed the tip again.
Hell and damnation. “I am trying to decide if you are an angel or the devil, woman.”
She gave him a wicked smile. The kind that made his already hard manhood throb. “You’ll have to spend some time with me to find out. Lucky for you, we’ve got a lifetime.”
He’d have liked to answer. Say something clever even but as her lips wrapped around him, he forgot how to speak.
It wasn’t until later, when she lay curled against his side, her body pressed to his that the words came back to him. “You’re both, love. My angel, my little devil, my savior, the softness in this hard, cruel world. I shall do everything in my power to make sure that you stay that way. I know all about what makes this world awful and I will always keep it away from our door and away from you.”
She sighed softly in her sleep and he kissed her hair as he closed his eyes too.
Epilogue
One week later…
Rex stood in Max’s ballroom waiting for his bride. His three friends next to him, Chase, Si, and Key. Lily and Max were in attendance, of course, currently with the bride, but her parents had declined to attend.
Which meant her other sisters weren’t there either. He knew that hurt Camille deeply. He understood, but for his part, he was just glad they had consented to the match and signed all the contracts.
Max had come to the meeting with Lily and Camille’s father where they had also settled upon an agreement. To the rest of society, it would appear the two Ducat sisters had made excellent matches with their parents’ full consent and participation.
He gritted his teeth as he thought about the deception. How her mother had actively campaigned against him and how, in all likelihood, she had set her own daughter up to be forced into a match with a duplicitous criminal.
Rex had promised himself to protect Camille, and he’d do everything in his power but, he confessed to himself, it would be challenging to protect her from her family.
His angel appeared in the doorway, a vision in a pale green gown that made her eyes sparkle in the morning light. For once, her hair held in place and he smiled to himself, thinking that he’d take great pleasure in mussing it later.
She smiled at him, her grin bright and full of promise, and he returned the grin, relieved she wasn’t too upset by the lack of family in attendance.
The men next to him shifted. They hadn’t said much this morning as they filed in, but now, Key cleared his throat. “This is really happening. Another friend is marrying a Ducat.”
Chase made a low groaning sound deep in his throat. “It’s coincidence. Vadoma said nothing about marriage. Only a simple kiss.”
“If memory serves.” Rex gave Chase a sideways glance. He wanted to see his face when he twisted the proverbial knife. “You are the one who mentioned marrying the girls.”
Chase choked, spluttering and coughing as Si let out a noise close to a growl. “If you cursed us to this Chase, I’ll see you pay for the transgression.”
Rex hid his smile, covering his mouth with his hand. His eyes crinkled in amusement though as Camille walked toward him. Curse? Si didn’t understand. This was salvation.
Max walked her to Rex’s side and then handed her arm to him. “I’m holding you to our agreement,” Max rumbled.
“You had better,” Rex returned and then pulled his bride close.
“Here we are,” she said, looking up into his eyes. Her gloved hand lifted as she trailed her fingers down his cheek.
“Here we are,” he replied. Not able to wait, he leaned down and stole a small kiss. “I love you, my angel.”
He heard a deep groan behind him. Likely Chase or Key. Let them squirm.
“Shall we begin?” the magistrate asked.
Rex nodded. The ceremony was short and to the point, but for him, it made it that much more meaningful. He was anxious for Camille to be his wife. “I promise to love, honor, and cherish you for the rest of my days.”
Camille squeezed his hands. “I promise to love, honor, and cherish you for the rest of my days.”
“You may kiss the bride…again,” the magistrate declared as the small group applauded.
Rex dropped his head to capture her lips. He hadn’t cried since the age of ten. But as he looked down at his bride, the urge to allow a tear of joy to slip down his cheek overwhelmed him. He was the luckiest man ever to live.
“Rex,” she breathed, her hands gripping his shoulders. “We did it.” Her smile trembled and her eyes filled with tears as well. “I’m so happy.”
But as he made to answer, a movement at the door caught his attention. A red scarf floated into view first as the gypsy, Vadoma, sashayed into the room. “My congratulations.”
“What are you doing here?” Max demanded. “How did you get past the butler?”
Vadoma’s smile remained firmly in place. “I’ve come for the wedding, of course.”
“But how could you know that we were getting married now?” Camille looked at Rex, her eyebrows drawn together.
Vadoma winked. “I’m a gypsy, Angel. It’s my job.”
Had she just called Camille Angel? He felt the blood drain from his face.
“I have to confess. The wedding isn’t the only reason I’ve come. I couldn’t resist seeing what happens next.” Vadoma sat herself in a chair looking first at Chase, then Key, and finally resting her eyes on Si. The only sound to break the silence was the shifting of their feet on the floor. “Are you gentleman as excited as I am? What a delightful idea this bet was. I haven’t had this much fun since I told the fortune of a Russian prince.” Vadoma gave a small clap and then turned toward the door. “Here comes the excitement.”
All eyes turned to the door as it banged open. Without even realizing what he was doing, Rex pulled Camille closer.
Cristina stepped through the door, gasping for breath. “Lily,” she called. “Lily, I need your help. I’ve run away from home.”
Key sucked in his breath as Rex snapped his teeth together. But Si? Si cursed loud enough for all of them to hear. Rex didn’t understand the words, they were likely Gaelic. But no one misunderstood his meaning. Si was not happy to meet Cristina Ducat. He placed his hand over his coat pocket and Rex wondered if his tarot card was there even now.
Taking care of these Ducats was going to be more difficult than he’d thought.
Never Kiss an Earl at Midnight
Never Trust an Errant Earl
Victoria stood watching her sister, Cristina, hold the hand of her new husband. It was their wedding breakfast and she had never seen Cristina happier. Tears of joy sprang to her eyes, as she watched her sister give Sirius Renwall, Earl of Clearwood, a glowing smile that lit her entire face and pulled at the apples of her cheeks.
Victoria pulled out a kerchief and dabbed at the corners of her eyes. It was nice to see such a happy ending considering how difficult life had been of late. Her father stood next to her. “Where are we, Victoria?”
She grasped his hand, her heart twisting in her chest. “We are at the Duke of Longely’s London estate, Papa.”
“Who is Lord Longley?” he asked.
Her lips pursed together as she held back a groan. “Your daughter Lily’s husband.”
He nodded absently. “Are we here for breakfast?” He gave her a hopeful smile as he looked down at the plate of food in his hand.
She blinked away tears. He was getting worse by the day. “
This is Cristina’s wedding breakfast, Papa.”
“Oh yes,” he answered flatly. “Now I remember.”
Victoria’s insides twisted uncomfortably again. Her mother had run off recently without a word to where she had gone, though the why had become apparent. Lady Rosemond had been having an affair with a much younger man and her sister Camille’s former fiancé. Victoria’s fist clenched in her skirts. How could her mother act in such a deplorable and selfish way?
Victoria relaxed her fingers. She couldn’t dwell on that now. Instead, she’d made a plan, a good one. Her life, since she’d been a child, had been filled with academic pursuits. The study of animals and their habitats filling her free time. It was a pastime she quite enjoyed but it made her less…interesting to the male species.
She’d known that for some time. The moment she began talking, most men ceased listening if they were kind or openly laughed at her if they weren’t.
She gripped her father’s hand tighter. He was losing his mental faculties. Which brought her back to her plan. Of all of her sisters, she was the least likely to find a match. So, after careful consideration, and weighing various options, she’d made her decision. She would remain unmarried and be her father’s caretaker instead. It would leave her free to continue to her studies and allow her sisters the freedom from responsibility they needed to build their own futures.
“Is this why you are staying with Max? Your father can’t even remember his daughter’s wedding?” A deep voice rumbled behind her, rippling across her skin in the strangest way.
Glancing over her shoulder, she swallowed down a lump as she met the deep blue eyes of Lord Kenneth Kissinger. “It’s none of your concern,” she answered, turning forward again.
“Your brother-in-law has asked for my help, which makes it my business.” He had moved closer and his breath tickled along the back of her neck. It was pleasant except for the smell of stale alcohol from the evening before.
Meddle in a Marquess’s Affairs: How to Reform a Rake Page 9
