DangerbyDalliance

by Tina Christopher

  Archer rubbed his hand across her hipbone. “You have mentioned these books before. What kind of books include manhoods?” He covered her top hand with his and uncurled it from Warren’s dick.

  Warren cursed under his breath. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could stand the torture.

  “Form a circle with thumb and forefinger and move up and down his cock. Use your wrist and lift your elbow if necessary. You can use both hands.”

  Warren clung to his control. Her hands and Archer’s voice drove him closer and closer to the edge.

  Archer moved her other hand to Warren’s balls, making him hiss.

  “Gentle, darling. Roll him in your hand while you keep circling his cock.”

  Warren groaned and closed his eyes. “You may get more than you bargained for.” It was a little difficult to speak through his clenched teeth.

  With an eager smile curving her lips Sarah followed Archer’s instructions. His lover’s dark smile worried Warren. What the hell is he planning? Archer knew each and every one of his weak spots and how to push him over the edge.

  “Now rub his testicles. Softly, softly.”

  Warren had to lock his knees. Sarah stroked her thumb over his balls, her pattern inconsistent and unpredictable.

  Archer kissed her neck, his palm covering her stomach. “Are you sure you want to go all the way? We can wait.”

  She raised her chin. “I’ve waited half my life. Stop treating me like a wilting flower.” She pressed her lips together. “I am inexperienced, not stupid.”

  Archer chuckled. “All right. You’ll need more lube to finish him.”

  She stretched out her palm and he squirted another dollop of lubricant onto it. Warren licked his lips, his mouth dry.

  Archer cupped Sarah’s hand around Warren’s balls and squeezed. “Increase the pressure just a little bit—”

  Warren shot to his toes as a delicious shiver spread across his body.

  “Until he does that.” Archer chuckled. “Now, release his balls and grasp the base of his dick. Hold it steady and rub your other hand up and down the part of his cock that is not covered by your hand. Move fast, hold him tight and keep going as long as you can or until he comes.”

  Sarah nodded and increased her grip on Warren’s balls just a little bit more. He was on the knife’s edge between pleasure and pain, that fine line that drove him crazy.

  With care she released his testicles, which had pulled up high against his body. He was so close her breathing on him could break him.

  She didn’t breathe on him, but clasped the base of his cock in a firm grip and wrapped her extra-lubricated hand around the second half. For a moment she studied him.

  He tried to give her an encouraging smile, but he was too close. She bit her lip and moved her hand.

  Fast. Hard. The lubricant squishing with the speed of her hand. Sweat trickled down the side of his face and across his chest. He couldn’t look away from Sarah. Her eyes had grown glassy, her breathing uneven and she was completely and utterly focused on his rod. He had the feeling an engine could have caught fire beside her and she wouldn’t notice.

  And neither would he.

  Archer moved beside him and smiled. Warren squinted at his lover to see what he would do next.

  He didn’t move.

  Warren’s attention shot back to Sarah. The constant friction of her hand thrust him to the edge. “Sweet, let go.”

  She shook her head and instead increased her speed.

  All his control crumbled like a faulty brick wall. “Lord, sweet!” His growl echoed through the studio as his cock pulsed, covering her hand and wrist with jets of his come. His knees weakened and his head went light. Archer stepped close and held him upright.

  Warren panted, aftershocks of pleasure zinging through his body. Sarah had not released him, but continued to caress him. Her hand was soft and gentle, extending his pleasure.

  “That was…interesting.” With one last touch she let go of him.

  Warren met Archer’s gaze. The two of them burst into laughter. He tugged her between them, his hand cupping her shoulder. “From my point of view this mind-blowing encounter was far more than interesting.”

  She smiled and snuggled between them, resting her head against his shoulder and clasping Archer’s hand in hers. Archer lifted it and kissed her knuckles. “Does it live up to your expectations after reading your famous books?”

  She chuckled. “They were not my books. The father of a friend of mine had an eclectic collection in his library. We snuck in whenever he was away and studied what we could.” Her smile died and sadness darkened her expression.

  Warren kissed her forehead. “What is it, sweet?”

  She sagged against him. “Most of our lives Beatrice and I have been inseparable, but now—”

  “Now what?” Archer asked.

  “I did something that hurt her.” Sarah remained silent for a moment. “She had to do something incredibly brave to save herself from a marriage that would have destroyed her. It ruined her reputation. I had to deny her my support or be brushed with the same feather.” She blinked. “I chose my father and my reputation over my best friend.”

  Warren caressed her jawline. “If you’ve been friends for this long she will forgive you once you apologize and explain.”

  She stared at nothing, rubbing her lips. “I hope so.” She straightened and the polite smile appeared on her face. “I need to get going.”

  Warren held her closer for a moment, but then released her. They had made headway and established trust. He smiled at her. “And I need to get dressed.” He pointed to the small bathroom.

  She laughed and rubbed her palms over his chest. “Not on my account.” With a quick kiss to his chest and a caress of Archer’s biceps she stepped away, cleaned up and walked behind the screen.

  Archer came to stand beside him. He kissed his shoulder before handing him his trousers. “When do you think you will be able to come tomorrow?” he asked Sarah.

  Warren got dressed.

  “How about we make it early. I could be here about eight o’clock.”

  Warren rubbed his brow and groaned. “Please don’t tell me you are one of those people who love to get up early.”

  Silence hung across the studio.

  “To be quite honest I have never really thought about what I would prefer. My father is an early riser and he likes me to have breakfast with him.”

  Archer looked at him, consternation coloring his expression. He pulled on his shirt.

  “You have never wanted to just lie in bed and stay there?”

  She came out from behind the screen, her lips pursed. “As I said, it has never been a topic of discussion for me. Will eight be too early for you?”

  “Eight will be just fine,” Archer said. “Would you like to join us for breakfast?”

  She tugged on the cuffs of her blouse and studied the buttons. “That would be nice. Thank you.”

  Archer took her hand and pulled her close for a kiss. “I look forward to it.”

  A smile lightened the darkness in her eyes the mention of her father had brought.

  Warren tugged her out of his lover’s arms for his own kiss. Her soft weight against him raised his heartbeat, but he kept it gentle. “Thank you for an unforgettable afternoon.”

  A slight flush covered her cheeks. “It was my pleasure.” She looked between them. The temperature in the room rose.

  Sarah cleared her throat and moved to the door. Archer offered her his arm and accompanied her out of the studio. Warren wanted to follow but in his current state he couldn’t risk anyone looking through the front windows.

  A few minutes later Archer returned. Warren went to him and rested his head on his shoulder. “Why does it feel every time we take one step forward we immediately stumble three steps back?”

  Archer stroked his hair and kissed his chin. “Because that is exactly what is happening.”

  Warren sighed and straightened. “All we can do
is be there for her and hope that soon she trusts us enough to share what worries her.”

  Archer studied the door and nodded.

  Warren didn’t believe his friend was in an optimistic state of mind.

  Chapter Nine

  Sarah laid her head against the velvet cushion, focused on the rhythmic chugging of the horseless steam coach. Fatigue had settled over her like a blanket and she wanted only to get home and have a nap.

  Be able to relive the afternoon and imagine what would happen tomorrow.

  She hoped her father had taken her advice and not gone to the Hall, but a small part of her knew her hope was probably in vain. It was more than likely he had bragged about the Banknote Verification Device. Not a lot she could do about it now, other than deal with whatever fallout would follow.

  She remembered the feel of Warren in her hand. Archer’s instructions had been surprising. It was as if he knew exactly how to drive Warren to the edge. Sarah shook off the unease. Archer probably had just told her what he enjoyed and it worked well on Warren too.

  The coach came to a halt. Sarah sighed and dragged herself upright. The automaton opened the door and she nodded to it before turning left onto the road and walking home. Dusk had fallen and the cold wind drove through her coat. Her walk didn’t take long. She had asked the driver to let her off close to home. When she strode up her front-door steps she caught movement to the side of her, but when she looked no one was there. With a shrug she unlocked the door and entered.

  Her father was not in. The rooms carried the stillness of an empty house. She sighed and rubbed her forehead. There was nothing she could do until he arrived back home. With heavy steps she climbed the stairs until she reached her bedroom. For once she did not undress and hang her clothes, but just dropped onto the bed and closed her eyes.

  Archer’s slightly rough hand on her cheek and neck. Warren’s fingertips stroking her hips. Archer’s full lips caressing every inch of her body. Warren’s tongue tangling with hers.

  The images spun before her inner eye. Her breathing grew labored and the now-familiar heaviness settled between her legs. But unlike the other night, today she welcomed it. Archer and Warren would ensure her pleasure. Over and over again. Her arousal meant she had something exciting in her life, something more than helping her father work or picking up the pieces after him.

  A smile curved her lips and she fell asleep.

  She woke to the slamming of the door. A quick glance at the clock told her it was after ten o’clock. She straightened, climbed to her feet and slowly walked downstairs. Her father was in the kitchen, slapping together a sandwich. He hummed under his breath and whipped from side to side as if dancing.

  Sarah’s stomach churned. He was in a very good mood.

  He swiveled around, a huge grin spread across his face. “Darling, how was the day with your friends?”

  She hugged herself. “Fine, thank you. How was yours?”

  His grin widened. “I saw the Franklin boy and then went down to the pub.”

  Her throat constricted. Pub meant rounds. Rounds meant money they didn’t really have to spare.

  He kissed her cheek. “Don’t worry, Sarah. I only had half a pint and I nursed that throughout the evening.”

  Her brows rose. “What?”

  He took her hand in his. “I know I’ve not been the best father, but even I know that we are not exactly flush with money right now.”

  Her heart stopped beating for a second. It didn’t happen that often, but once in a while he would surprise her. “Who were you with?”

  “A bunch of inventors.” He laughed, happiness pouring from every pore. His moment of sincerity passed and he was back to being obsessed. “I dropped a few hints about the Rigdon’s Banknote Verification Device and how close to success I was.”

  “You are putting a lot of pressure onto Arc—onto Mr. Latimer. What if he cannot decipher where you went wrong? There is a chance he won’t be able to find a solution.”

  “You worry too much. I have the utmost confidence Latimer can figure out why the ink detector isn’t working properly and make everything come together.” He laughed. “More than one of those nosey busybodies wanted to know details.” He shrugged. “Of course I didn’t give them anything they could use, but told them to wait for the big announcement.”

  You mean the one that will never come? Sarah’s heart ached at the hope sparkling in his eyes. Every time he put something new together he thought it would be the one that brought him fame and acknowledgment. He wouldn’t—no, couldn’t give up.

  She kissed his cheek. “I am glad you had a nice evening, Father. I am going to bed and will see you in the morning.” Sarah wanted to say something about preparing himself for disappointment, but he hummed and danced along the corridor and disappeared down the steps that led to his workshop.

  For a moment she stared into nothing, remembering how he was when her mother was still alive. The vibrancy that her parents shared and the love visible in every move and touch. He had been attentive. A patient teacher first and an inventor second.

  After her mother’s death he had turned to his tinkering for solace and things had changed. It had taken her some time before she realized how much of the necessary chores remained undone. When she mentioned it to him he patted her on the head and told her he’d get to it. She’d been thirteen the first time a creditor knocked on their door.

  That had been the moment she took over everything that slipped his head.

  Sarah fully took on looking after the house instead of filling gaps as she found them. She arranged his teaching assignments and nagged him incessantly if he had appointments or assignments to keep.

  Over time he slipped further and further away from her and the only way she could reach him was to ensure he had food and shelter and most of the materials to build his inventions.

  It had only been over the last three years that she actually assisted him with his projects. His eyesight had diminished and his fingers were no longer as nimble as they once had been.

  She’d ask Archer to move the RBVD to the top of his list so they could get the final results. Sarah didn’t want her father’s hopes to climb even higher than they already had.

  With heavy steps she plodded back up to her bedroom and got ready for bed. She sank between the sheets with a heavy sigh.

  Maybe she shouldn’t have encouraged him when he first presented the idea of the Banknote Verification Device. That had been close to six years ago and she had been so excited that he asked for her help. Sarah had seen it as an opportunity to be close to him, to share his life.

  She knew enough students and young men eager to be challenged. It had taken three tries to get a young metal worker to get her a printing plate for £5 notes that matched the real one very closely. It then took her another couple of years to learn enough about the grading of the colors and the way the security features were woven into the notes. None of her fake notes had ever left the workshop and she kept meticulous track of them until she destroyed them.

  During all that time her father had gone through attempt after attempt to find a mechanism that allowed him to identify false notes. It was only when the Bank of England changed their ink and added chemicals that he came up with a solution.

  And now all his hopes were set on the Rigdon’s Banknote Verification Device being the machine that changed everything.

  Sarah closed her eyes and clung to Archer’s and Warren’s images in her mind. She didn’t want to think of days gone by or shattered dreams.

  For once she wanted to be selfish and savor the excitement she’d experienced this day.

  * * * * *

  Much to her surprise, very early the next morning Sarah received an urgent message from Kemmer asking her to meet him at his office. She snorted. It was no request. The phrasing made it clearly an order. She had no idea what he could want, but until she paid the outstanding taxes she did not dare refuse him.

  She got ready quickly and sent a mess
age to Archer and Warren telling them she would be late before heading out. Despite telling herself over and over again that Kemmer couldn’t do anything to hurt her, that she had a way to pay the taxes, her stomach rolled and her palms were sweaty. She arrived outside the tax office, but didn’t enter. Instead she walked farther down the street, pretending to study the shop windows, focusing on her breathing, ensuring she calmed down and no longer sounded like a faulty steam engine.

  After a few minutes she had herself under control. With one last tug of her cuffs she turned around and headed back to the office. The same young man sat behind the front table, but this time he took her straight to Kemmer’s office.

  “Mr. Kemmer, Miss Rigdon has arrived.”

  Kemmer rose and waved her inside. He did not come around his desk, but only waited for her to sit before doing so himself. He leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. Her mind flipped back to the moment she’d seen Archer do this. He had looked elegant and confident. Kemmer looked silly.

  “Miss Rigdon, it has come to my attention that your father and you were not truthful in the listings of your taxable estate.”

  Sarah froze. Nausea swirled through her. “I don’t understand. We gave an exact listing of everything my father has earned as a teacher and the income he has received for his patents and inventions.”

  Kemmer tutted. “Then why did you not mention this amazing new machine he has recently finished?”

  She frowned. “I am uncertain as to what you are referring to.”

  His gaze narrowed. “Please do not try my patience. Your father has not stopped talking about his successful Rigdon’s Banknote Verification Device. According to him it is only a small step away from mass production, which means it is valuable and therefore should be part of your taxable estate.”

  Relief spread through Sarah. “Unfortunately you are misinformed, Mr. Kemmer.”

  He picked up a pen and tapped it against the desk. “Really?” The anger burning in his eyes chased away her relief.

  She looked down and tugged on her cuffs before clasping her hands together. “Yes, really. My father was a little hasty in announcing his project a success. It is not yet finished.”