Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
C harles’s stomach was cramping from all the laughing. After the disastrous meeting this morning, which ended his trip abruptly, he was in the mood for a night of solitude in his favorite chair with a tumbler of whisky.
He didn’t even stop to converse with Samuels when he walked through the door. Charles just handed Samuels his overcoat and proceeded to go straight to his study.
Come to think of it, Samuels was blabbering on about something, but Charles was busy shutting down his mind from the riotous chaos brought on by dealing with imbeciles this morning.
Shock did not adequately describe what Charles felt when first he opened the door to his study. If he were being completely honest, he was concerned he walked into the wrong room. Seeing old curtains that once hung in the Duchess’s wing when he was a child paired with an old rug from his mother’s room had him questioning if he opened the door to another time.
It was the sight of the pillows that started his laughing fit. He picked up the satin pillow and ran his fingers over the ruffles.
The vivid pink pillows clashed against the stark darkness of his leather sofa. Much like a certain presence that now invaded his senses. A soft, timid touch landed on his shoulder.
“Your Grace, are you sure you’re all right?” She sounded confused and he didn’t blame her. He couldn’t remember the last time he laughed this much.
He turned to find a very perplexed Sarah staring at him like he had lost his mind. Perhaps he had.
Charles wiped another tear from his eye. “Yes, yes, I’m fine Sarah. This,” his arms gestured broadly and he turned in a circle, taking in the entire room, “is quite an accomplishment. I must know how you pulled it off.”
Sarah’s wrung her hands in front of her while she chewed on her bottom lip. “It was all me, Your Grace.” She said quite matter-of-factly. “I sought out Miss Cordell, told her I wanted to do some redecorating, then as I was looking around, getting to know the house, I, um, stumbled upon some old curtains and rugs and brought them in here.”
Charles raised an eyebrow. “You were getting acquainted with the attic?”
Two flags of red bloomed on Sarah’s cheeks. “The attic is a part of the house, is it not?”
He laughed again. With each laugh he felt lighter, as if he was breaking down a piece of a wall that had been long standing within him. Charles took in his wife. Or was she the one breaking down his wall?
Charles eyed the tall window behind his desk, garishly wrapped in fuschia curtains with ruffles. It was an eye sore when he was a child and his mother would be happy to know they still were.
His mother hated the curtains, but they were his father’s mother’s decoration and the old bird wouldn’t let his mother take them down until she passed away.
The day after his grandmother’s funeral his mother, along with a few trusted footmen, snuck into the rooms, tore them down and stored them in the attic.
Seeing them now soothed a part of Charles he didn’t realize was aching.
Charles walked to the curtains behind his desk. “And you put the curtains up by yourself as well?”
Charles watched as Sarah swallowed, her slender neck bobbing in the motion. He remembered what that soft skin tasted like. He licked his lips at the memory.
Sarah sucked in her bottom lip as she thought of a lie to tell him. He knew anything she said would be a lie. There was no way a slight thing like her could haul those heavy curtains down from the attic and hang them by herself.
A wicked smile widened his mouth. He couldn’t help to think of all the fun ways to punish her for whatever lie she came up with.
“If I told you how I did it it would take away the magic of the surprise, Your Grace.” Her omission was a sign of loyalty to the staff. Loyalty was a quality Charles held in high regard. Hearing her stand her ground pleased him immensely.
“Clever girl,” he murmured.
The twin flags of red on her cheeks spread over her entire face and her eyes widened in embarrassment. Or was it something else?
Her chest heaved against the confines of her dress, and the pupils of her eyes were blown.
My, my, my, she is a receptive little thing.
“Is this your revenge for dinner last night?” Charles cooed teasingly low and soft as he rounded the desk and walked towards Sarah still standing at the sofa.
A slim hand brushed a stray curl behind her ear as she licked her dry lips.
“I am astounded by your eye for decorating. You should renovate the whole house.” He said with a drop of sarcasm.
Sarah shook her head, the lust he once saw in her eyes began to melt away.
“You like it?” Confusion and a hint of anger dripped from her words.
“What’s not to love?” He said playfully. He felt like a predator playing with his food.
He slowed his steps, carefully moving with the grace of a cat prowling. With each step he took she took a step back until the back of her legs hit the sofa.
Sarah huffed. “Well…” her arms gestured wildly. “It’s… pink!”
Charles took another step closer to her, until he was directly in front of her. Standing this close to her he could see a whisper of freckles that dusted her cheeks. He had the sudden urge to kiss every one of them.
“Oh, it’s very pink.” He agreed. “But I think it’s the perfect combination of light and dark, wouldn’t you agree?” Charles’s body roared to life when he saw the goosebumps erupt across her skin at his seductive tone.
Sarah only nodded. Her hazel eyes were once again heavy with lust and they called to him.
“But, you have to admit that your intentions were not in good faith and for that, you must be punished.”
Sarah’s knees buckled beneath her. Charles reached out and grabbed around her waist, pulling her to his chest.
“Do you want to be punished, Sarah?” His voice smooth as velvet.
Sarah’s eyes flared in response to his question.
“Yes.” Her voice was quiet, but determined. There was no hint of question in her affirmation.
Charles rested his forehead against hers. “Good girl.”
Sarah’s moan was captured by Charles’s lips as his tongue swiped into her mouth.
She didn’t fight back, she didn’t try to outmaneuver him, she simply gave into him. She pressed her body against his, molding her slim frame to his.
Her mouth’s compliance didn’t equal full submission, however. Her hands reached up and found purchase within his long hair. She pulled against the strands eliciting a growl from Charles.
His little hellion could definitely stand her own ground which made this all the more enjoyable.
After all, the hunt is just as enjoyable as the meal.
Sarah had given up trying to understand the man who was now holding her bottom as her legs wrapped around his waist. And she most definitely stopped trying to understand why her own body forgot everything she stood for when he talked to her in his seductive way.
Clever girl nearly sent her tumbling. Good girl almost sent her to an early grave.
His mouth continued his attack on her and she willfully gave in to him. Her body was on fire and it craved consumption. If this was how she would go out, she’d welcome it.
Her legs tightened around his stomach, a part of her needing to be closer, and closer still, to him.
Her fingers played his silky strands, scraping his scalp with little tugs here and there. Every time she tugged he grunted and moved against her causing the most delicious sensation to course through her body.
Charles dipped at the waist laying her down on the sofa amongst her sickly sweet pink pillows and she couldn’t help to giggle at the juxtaposition of the feminine pillows against the masculine sofa.
“Are you really not mad at the state of your study?” She whispered.
Charles’s bruised lips were plump and marked by her lip stain. His hair was tousled giving him a roguish charm she found pleasing.
He shook his head. “Not one bit. I quite admire you, actually. Not many people have had the gall to stand up to me. And no one has had the ability to do so through room decorating.”
Sarah laughed at his joke while her body warmed. Who was this man and how could she get him to stay?
Charles closed the space between them, fully laying her on the sofa. He placed his forearms on either side of her head, his legs pushing hers out to allow him to nestle between her legs.
Sarah brought her legs up and, once again, settled them around his waist.
He took her mouth and pushed his tongue into her.
Even fully clothed Sarah felt his length push up against her and she moaned loudly into his mouth.
“Charles.” She groaned in pleasure.
“You are so receptive of me, darling.” He was relentless and shameless.
Darling.
Sarah’s eyes rolled back and she arched against him. There should be studies done on this man’s voice and his affect on her. Simple words like “clever,” “good,” and “darling,” had the ability to send her into a different reality.
His mouth trailed down her neck and found a sweet spot right at the base of her neck and sucked. She gasped and raked her hands through his hair.
She pushed up against him, needing more friction, more of him. Surely he wasn’t going to make her wait a full eight days. Especially since she was supposed to take those eight days to wrap her head around being with him.
Considering her body was currently literally wrapped around him, she felt most decidedly ready to have him.
She pulled at his shirt, hoping he would get the idea she wanted it off of him. Charles ignored her ministrations as his kisses kept traveling south.
His heavy lidded eyes looked up into hers as he ripped the collar of her dress exposing her breasts to him. Instead of embarrassment at being partially naked in front of a man Sarah felt emboldened.
It was not only his words that encouraged her, but the way he looked at her. As if she were the only one in the world that mattered. Being a middle child, that was a feeling that alluded her many times. In this moment with Charles, she felt like she was the middle point from which everything came.
Even when they fought, he challenged her to be quicker, smarter, better. It was frustrating, it was exhausting, but she had to admit, it was also exhilarating.
His hot mouth twirled against one of her peaked nipples and she sighed into him. His lower body pushed and swirled in small circles against her. Her legs tightened against him, needing him closer.
Charles shifted his weight so he could move his arm that was holding him up. He reached below and started pushing her skirts out of the way.
She wiggled in anticipation. His actions became more aggressive and needy. Sarah’s core was molten magma looking for a vein to erupt.
Charles’s hand found her center and she cried out in ecstasy.
A knock sounded from the door and Charles’s hand froze.
“What do you want?” He barked.
Sarah bit her lip to stop from moaning. Even with the disruption Charles’s fingers still played with her. She couldn’t hear who was answering him and she didn’t care as long as he never stopped his movements.
Her hips pushed against his hand and her body began to climb the hill she’d come to love.
But his movement stopped.
Sarah’s eyes flew open.
Please don’t say my punishment is delayed gratification again!
Instead of playful, and lustful eyes she was just looking into before ecstasy took over, Sarah found dark and dangerous eyes looking down at her.
“What is it?” She whispered.
“Who did you say is here?” He demanded from the disembodied voice.
There was a pause. “Miss Honora is here to see you, Your Grace.”
Sarah’s heart dropped.
A woman?
“Who is Honora?” Her voice cracked. Her mind was racing with thoughts of scorned women coming to demand his time.
Charles cursed and pushed himself up off of Sarah. He stood up, adjusting his trousers.
She took a pillow and covered her bare chest. She was thankful whomever was on the other side of the door, most likely Samuels, didn’t come in to deliver their news.
Tears prickled her eyes and she blinked quickly in hopes they’d stay put.
Charles stormed to the study door and opened it enough for him to look through the crack.
He spoke in hushed murmurs but she could tell that he was not happy with the news. Sarah sat up and tried her best to put her collar to rights but the Duke had ripped it enough that it was thoroughly ruined.
She stood up, brushing her skirts down with one hand, while her other hand held her shirt together at her neck.
Her heart sank at the idea of walking out of the study in a disarray in front of the staff. The tears she tried to stave off began to fall as embarrassment fell like a heavy blanket over her.
The click of the door had her looking up at Charles. She quickly wiped her tears, hoping to keep her embarrassment to a minimum.
“Is everything all right?” Sarah’s voice was thick.
Charles walked over to his desk and began looking through papers.
“Yes, it’s fine. I just wasn’t expecting her, that’s all.”
Charles sounded distracted and no longer looked at her, rummaging through papers and cursing when he couldn’t find what he was looking for.
Sarah bit her quivering lip. One moment she was his world and with one knock on the door she ceased to exist to him.
She bit her lip harder hoping to stop the tears that were threatening to fall again.
“Who weren’t you expecting?” She barely managed to get the words out over the lump in her throat.
“Honora.” He stated, ignoring her as he walked past her and back to the study’s door.
“Charles.” Sarah pushed her voice as much as her closing throat would allow her.
He stopped and heaved a sigh before turning.
“She is Eli and my younger sister.”
Relief flooded Sarah’s body. “Your younger sister? I did not know you had a sister.”
“She’s not someone…” His pained eyes glanced over his shoulder to the open door. He lowered his voice. “She likes to keep to herself. Most people do not welcome her presence.”
Sarah’s eyebrows raised. “What? Whomever would scorn a young woman? What could she have possibly have done?”
Charles expression darkened. “Her crime was being born. And to answer your question as to who would scorn an innocent child?” His head nodded towards the window that faced the town. “Those people you dare to defend as kind and loving people took it upon themselves to be judge and jury to an innocent woman and child.”
Charles turned on his heel and disappeared into the hallway.
The Duke’s remark slapped her across her face. She stood stunned. The people she met seemed like such generous people who were discarded by their Duke.
The realization that she was too busy trying to establish dominance with the Duke that she was taken for granted broke her heart. Was the Duke’s original warning about the townspeople correct?
Doubt and confusion began to eat away at her.
She moved towards the door when the state of her dress caused her to misstep. Peeking her head into the hallway she thankfully found it empty.
Sarah needed to get to the parlor where she could hear the light melodic feminine voice drifting into the hallway. She was eager to get there in hopes of finally putting the pieces her mysterious husband together. But first she needed to change out of this ruined dress.