Chapter 13
Elle felt as if she’d stepped through a portal somehow. Er, another portal, she supposed. The last one had sent her two hundred years into the past, this one to another world. The room beyond the red door was large, clean, and lavishly decorated. Brass lamps sat on the various tables and were mounted onto the dark blue walls, and several large chandeliers hung above, crystals hanging down like icicles. The scent in the air was a mix of cigar smoke, whisky, and perfume, but somehow, wasn’t unpleasant. A faint blanket of smoke hung around the space, but it wasn’t suffocating.
Several tables were scattered throughout the room and people looked to be playing cards. Poker? Is that a thing yet? Lounging areas were set up along the walls, with oversized chairs and comfortable looking couches in shadowy alcoves. Waitresses bustled through the space with large trays of drinks, clad in far more daring dresses than Elle had seen at any ball she’d been to, all tight corsets and plunging necklines. A small band played in the corner and people danced in front of them, laughing and twirling and holding each other far closer than what would be considered appropriate. It was Elle’s kind of place.
“What do you think?” Alec asked, sounding nervous. He snagged two drinks from a tray and the waitress gave him a sultry smile and a wink.
“It’s amazing,” Elle breathed, turning to grin at him. She could almost pretend she was back home, at some sort of themed event in costume. They made their way through the room towards the card tables, and Alec raised his glass here and there in greeting to the other patrons. “How did you find out about this place? It doesn’t seem like the kind of spot a gentleman and future viscount should be,” she said dubiously.
“Now, how many times must I tell you, Eleanor? I am no true gentleman.” He grinned and gestured towards one of the tables. “Do you want to play? I can teach you.”
“I would be allowed?” she asked in surprise.
“Of course. The rules out there,” he jerked his chin upward, “don’t make their way down here.”
She felt herself truly relax for the first time since arriving in London. Tonight, she didn’t have to worry about saying the right thing or doing the right thing or looking the right way. She didn’t have to worry about constantly being on guard and acting like a lady. Tonight, she could just breathe.
They approached a table with an empty chair and Alec gave her an inquiring look.
“You play. I’ll watch.”
He settled in, shaking hands with the three men across the table, and nodding at the woman on his left. The woman was beautiful, with hair black as night, lips red as blood, skin a beautiful deep brown, and to call her voluptuous would be the understatement of the century. She smiled at Alec and then glanced at Elle, her smile widening and her dark eyes glittering.
“And who have you brought with you tonight, Alexander?” she purred, never taking her eyes off of Elle. Her accent was exotic, but Elle wasn’t sure where she hailed from. It called to mind sun and sand and spices. It was lovely.
She flicked a finger into the air and a moment later, a man bustled up with another chair for Elle, setting it on Alec’s right.
“Behave, Isadora,” Alec scolded. “I plan to take Eleanor with me when I leave this evening.”
Isadora pouted, but winked at Elle. “Well, if you should change your mind, I am more than happy to take her off your hands.” Elle’s brows rose in pleasant surprise. “And call me Isa, dear,” she said to Elle.
Elle smiled back at Isa. “Well, Alec, it seems like you had best show me a good time or I may be trading you in by the end of the night.”
Isa threw her head back and laughed, the others at the table joining in. Except for Alec, who, of course, narrowed his eyes at her, his lips tilting upward in a relaxed, crooked smile.
“I shall endeavor to hold your favor then,” he said with a wink.
Elle giggled and everyone turned their attention to the game. To her surprise and delight, they were playing blackjack. Elle was a novice card counter—another mischievous pastime she and her dad had gotten into together—and she figured if she could manage it in some of the smaller casinos back home, she could probably do just fine at an underground club in London in the 1800s.
Alec leaned toward her. “It’s called vingt-et-un. The object is to have all of one’s cards add up to—”
“Twenty-one?” Elle finished with a sardonic look.
“Well, yes. I suppose that was rather obvious from the name, wasn’t it?” He smiled, and Elle was amazed how at ease he seemed, like maybe he finally felt as if he could just breathe too. “There are a few caveats, but it is fairly easy to understand once you see a few rounds.” Elle nodded, feigning ignorance, and the game began. Elle studied each card, her mind cataloging and calculating. After a bit, she leaned into Alec, lips inches from his ear. He stiffened, but remained still.
“I’m going to help you win. You’re abysmal at this,” she whispered. He turned his head to whisper back and she barely stifled a shiver as his breath tickled her ear.
“I am most certainly not abysmal!” he said, sounding slightly offended, but quickly added, “but how can you help me?”
“You’re going to have to trust me, can you do that?” He pulled back enough to meet her gaze. Hers was a mix of challenge and pleading, and his was full of curiosity. He gave her one slow nod in agreement and she smiled, leaning back in to whisper again. “If I tap your leg, hit. Er, get another card.”
“Do you two need a moment alone?” Isa teased in a sultry voice.
Elle pulled away, smiling sheepishly to the table. “Apologies.”
Isa waved her away. “None of that, dear. When he looks as he does, and you look as you do—well, it’s no surprise neither of you can concentrate. If I were you, I wouldn’t even bother getting dressed at all. I would simply stay in bed all day, doing all manner of unholy things—”
“Enough, Isa,” Alec cut her off. “Let’s get back to the game, shall we? I do believe I was about to take all of Phillip’s money.”
The first time Elle tapped Alec’s leg, he surreptitiously gave her a look that clearly said are you crazy? She gave him one back that said justfucking do it. He sighed as if exasperated but motioned for another card.
“Bold of you, Kentworth,” Phillip said with a deep chuckle, but it quickly faded into stunned gaping when Alec hit twenty-one.
“What was it you were saying, Phillip? Ah, yes, was it that you were happy to hand your money over?”
And so the evening went. They drank and they laughed and they ran the fucking table.
“Would you like to dance?” Alec asked after a while, “I could use a break from taking all of Phillip’s money. The poor man is only a Duke, after all. I would hate to take his entire fortune in one evening.” Alec grinned and winked at Elle.
“Please, go dance, I beg of you,” Phillip groaned, taking Alec’s friendly barb about his title in stride.
Elle laughed but nodded. Alec tossed back what was left of his drink and led Elle to the corner near the band. It was different than the music at the balls, the dancing different to match, but the rhythm of it filled her veins with excitement and her body began to move instinctively to the beat. To her surprise, Alec pulled her in close, wrapping an arm around her back. She gasped quietly and he smirked.
“How on earth did you know how to win so easily?”
“A lady never reveals her secrets,” she teased. He pulled her even tighter against him and leaned down so that his lips were beside her ear.
“I promise not to tell,” he whispered, making her shiver. “I’m an excellent keeper of secrets, Eleanor.” She swallowed hard, achingly aware of how close their bodies were, how easy it would be to wrap her hands around his neck and draw his mouth to hers. Or to find a darkened alcove and do much more than kiss.
She shook herself but her hand slid across his shoulder and slowly up his neck, fingers lightly trailing along his skin and playing with the edges of his hair. Did she imagine the way his breath hitched? The way his fingers tightened on her? Elle pulled back to look at him, and she saw her thoughts mirrored in his eyes. He wanted just as much as she did. Just as she was about to do something incredibly stupid, Isa interrupted.
“May I cut in?”
Alec forced an easy smile, chasing the moment of crystal-clear desire away. “Are you asking me or Elle?”
Isa pursed her lips. “Hmm, either will do.”
“I need a drink,” Elle said. “You can borrow Alec.” She stepped away, feeling cold and empty without Alec’s arms around her. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Alec bowed low before taking Isa’s hand, making the woman laugh airily. As Elle walked away, she called over her shoulder, “I’ll want him back intact, Isa!”
“I make no promises, Eleanor!”
Elle got a drink and smiled as she watched Alec spin Isa around the floor dramatically. The two had obviously danced many, many times before, their bodies knowing exactly how to move together. What else have they done together? She wasn’t jealous, exactly, but she did wonder if they were still doing whatever it was. When he left Elle for the evening, did he come here and see Isa? The feeling in the pit of her stomach that wasn’t jealousy suddenly felt like a lead weight.
Elle wandered back to the table where they’d played cards earlier. Phillip groaned and Elle chuckled.
“How about a new game? It’s one we play often in America. It’s called quart—er, uh, coins.”
***
Alec couldn’t keep his gaze from flitting to Elle as he danced with Isa. Bringing her had been an excellent idea. Quite possibly the best he’d ever had. He’d never seen her so relaxed, so carefree and like her true self. It was as if she was breathing for the first time in a long time and the thought hit him like a punch. He hadn’t realized until that moment how trapped she must feel in all of this. The season, the Ton, the expectations—all of it. She hadn’t been born into this, never would have expected to be thrust into the middle of it by a twist of tragedy and fate. Alec understood all too well the feeling of being trapped, of suffocating from the weight of it all, and seeing her relax with him here, one of the few places he could feel like himself as well, made him think…well, things that didn’t matter.
“She’s quite stunning,” Isa said with a knowing smile, following his gaze. “Who is she?”
“She’s a…friend,” Alec replied. It was true enough, though the things Alec wanted to do with Elle, to Elle, were far from things he should want to do with a friend. Being alone with her in the carriage had been a special kind of hell and he’d nearly lost all control, had nearly pulled her to him and crashed his lips to hers, settled her over his lap and wrenched her down, kissed her throat like he’d been longing to do for weeks until she was begging for more. And he would have given it. He would have given her anything and everything that she wanted in that moment, consequences and reputations be damned.
Isa made a bemused and suspicious “hmm” before she spun away from him and then back again. “Well, she is lovely and you should bring her back as often as possible.” She followed Alec’s gaze and raised her brows. “What is she doing now?” A large group had gathered around the table and shouts and laughs and groans were rising up from them in waves.
“Taking more of Phillip’s money I suspect,” he chuckled.
“Oh goodie. Let’s go watch!” Isa grinned.
When they made their way to the table, Alec saw that they were playing some kind of game involving coins. A game that Elle was especially adept at by the looks of it. She effortlessly bounced a coin off of the wooden table and into a glass, making half the table cheer and Phillip groan as he took a long gulp of his drink and slid a small stack of money towards Elle. Her cheeks were flushed and she was grinning widely. She met his gaze and winked. He was hit in that moment with a feeling so strong that it startled him.
He…God, did he love her? Was this what love felt like? He hadn’t the foggiest idea as he had never really given much thought to romantic love before now, but he couldn’t find the words to explain the feeling any other way. When she looked at him like that, it was like his entire world tilted, finding the proper axis finally, after all this time. Everything suddenly made sense, everything was suddenly clear and focused. Everything suddenly felt right.
Someone hurried up to Isa, talking in low, urgent whispers. The band stopped playing at some unseen signal and Isa raised her voice.
“Time to go!”
Everyone knew exactly what it meant and what they needed to do. Everyone except for Elle, of course. She stared around in confusion as everyone rose from the table, scattering in all directions while muttering quick goodbyes and amused cries of “good luck!”
Alec was beside her in an instant and she rose, blinking at him in surprise. He quickly pocketed her winnings for her as he watched the commotion.
“What’s going on?”
“We are about to be raided, I’m afraid,” he said, jaw clenched. He hadn’t meant for Elle to be caught up in this. If they were found here, Alec could talk his way out of it with ease, but Elle’s name could be ruined. Several hidden doors opened in the walls and people began to pour through each of them.
“Get her out of here, Alec,” Isa said, pointing towards the wall where the band had been playing moments ago. “Eleanor, it was lovely to meet you. I hope to see you again. Now, go on. Hurry, dear.”
Elle muttered a quick “nice to meet you too” as Alec pulled her along.
“Raided?” Elle asked as they neared the door.
“Puck’s isn’t precisely legal, technically speaking. Sometimes the constables poke in to shake things up, but Isa always pays them off and smooths things over and they leave her alone for a few more weeks. But it wouldn’t do well for you to be caught up in the mess.” They’d nearly reached the wall when the front door burst open and yells went up, some of anger, some of alarm, some even of amusement. Alec tensed, worried that Elle would be afraid or angry with him for putting her in this situation to begin with, but when she met his gaze, she…grinned.
Alec couldn’t help but smile back, gripping her hand in his and flinging them through the door. They ran, winding their way through shadowed hallways, Elle giggling in wild abandon as they did and soon he was laughing too. He could only imagine what the pair of them must have looked like, running like thieves and laughing like loons. Eventually, they hurtled up a flight of rickety stairs and flung a door open into a small alley, a different one than they’d come through earlier. They hurtled down the narrow space between the two buildings, splashing in God only knew what, but Elle didn’t seem to care. She ran in front of him, still holding his hand in hers. She reached the mouth of the alley and skittered to a stop, nearly making him crash right into her when she stepped back from the street.
Alec heard the shouting, the constables yelling for people to stop running. Elle turned, meeting his gaze for a heartbeat, before closing the distance between them in a few quick steps.
She whispered, “trust me,” just before she gripped the front of his jacket and pulled him down to her, her lips slamming to his. His eyes flew wide and he was frozen in place for what seemed like an eternity. Was this truly happening? Was he kissing Eleanor? They shifted so that she was against the wall, half in shadow, the cold bricks pressed firmly into her back, and his body covered hers.
She moved her lips against his and it was utter ecstasy. They were soft and warm, and when he slid a hand up the side of her neck, gently cradling her cheek, she parted them on a soft gasp. He didn’t hesitate, despite part of his mind screaming at him to stop, telling him that this was a mistake, that it wasn’t proper, that there was no way she could want this. He delved his tongue into her mouth, gently thrusting it against hers. She moaned quietly, the sound sending chills of desperate need cascading over his entire body. He gripped her waist with the other hand, and to his utter shock, she hiked her thigh upward, hitching it over his hip. Instinctively, he moved his hand to grip her thigh, sliding her skirt upward and holding her tight, fingers skating over smooth, bare skin. Christ.
His blood was roaring in his ears but he somehow heard the shouting getting closer, the sound of beating footsteps as someone ran past the alley.
“You there,” a slightly out-of-breath voice said from a few feet away. Alec jerked his head up but Elle nuzzled his neck, moving to whisper in his ear.
“Pretend you paid for me. They don’t know we were inside.” Then he understood. It was a ruse. She wasn’t kissing him like this because she couldn’t stop herself, she was kissing him like this to keep them both out of trouble. The bitter sting of disappointment felt like acid in his veins.
But he had to admit, it was a good plan.
Alec pulled himself up to his full height, squaring his shoulders and letting the proud, future viscount shine through. He’d learned long ago that it wasn’t his name that made people take note or cower, it was the way he held himself, the absolute authority that he exuded.
In his most haughty tone, he said to the constable, “I’m quite busy at the moment, and I didn’t pay to be interrupted.” Elle ran the lobe of his ear through her teeth and Alec’s eyes slid shut for a moment, hips subtly arching forward. Her hands tightened in his jacket and…did her own hips thrust against him now?
The man—no, he was a boy really—the boy’s bushy brows shot upward in understanding and even in the dim light from the streetlamp, Alec could see his cheeks redden. He must be brand new. He had better get used to this kind of thing if he plans to stay in this profession long, Alec thought. He would be seeing far, far worse than this soon enough.
“I…uh, carry on, sir,” he said, swallowing audibly. Elle licked Alec’s neck before planting a kiss there, just above the spot where his pulse was thundering, and his fingers dug into her thigh. How did she know exactly how to drive him mad? Exactly how and where to kiss and lick and touch?
“I plan to,” Alec said in a dismissive voice. He turned his head back and forced Elle’s face back to his, pressing his lips to hers again, quickly slanting his head to deepen the kiss. He thrust his tongue against hers, knowing it was a farce, but also knowing it may be the only chance he’d have to kiss her. So, he kissed her for all that he was worth. He wanted her to remember this, to think of him any time she kissed another man for as long as she lived. He wanted to sear himself into her mind and body and soul somehow, wanted to brand her as surely as she was branding him. I’m ruined, he thought, I’m ruined for anyone but her for the rest of my life.
With that thought echoing in his mind, he kissed her with more vigor, nearly desperate. He tangled one hand in her hair, the pins holding it up pulling free and the tumbling strands slipping through his fingers like silk. She clutched at his coat and she moaned quietly against his lips. He inched his other hand up her thigh and he didn’t have to question if she thrust her hips against him this time. She lightly bit at his lower lip and an unearthly noise rumbled from his throat, his cock hard as steel and throbbing painfully. Christ almighty. He kissed across her jaw and down the delicate column of her throat, licking and grazing his teeth as she tangled one hand in his hair. He trailed his lips across her collar bone, lower still.
“Alec,” she breathed, making him shudder, his hand inching further up her thigh, trailing nearly to her hip, the tips of his fingers trailing over the curve of her backside. No. He had to stop this. He had to pull away. If he didn’t, he would take her right here in this alley and that was not something he would allow to happen, no matter how badly they both seemed to want it in that moment.
He somehow forced himself to calm, moving back to kiss her once more. He finally pulled away, only to press his lips softly to hers once, twice, a final time before leaning his forehead against hers. His heart had never beat so fast, had never felt as if it might fly right out of his chest. Her chest was rising and falling in quick, shallow bursts, and she didn’t release her grip on his coat. They stayed that way for what felt like an eternity. Maybe it was. He couldn’t be sure, couldn’t think of anything except Elle, of the way her body felt against his, the way her heart thundered in time with his own…of how right she felt in his arms. Finally, he found the strength to speak.
“That was…” He cleared his throat. “That was quick thinking, Miss Montgomery.”
He realized that he was still gripping her thigh, still lightly grazing his fingers over her skin. He released her, gently lowering her leg to the ground. She released her grip on him and he stepped away. Her skin was flushed, her eyes wide and luminous in the darkness.
She smiled, smoothing her hands down the front of her dress before trying to fix the mess he’d made of her hair. Did she need a moment to collect herself before she could speak? Was she as affected as he was? She cleared her throat quietly.
“Well, I am nothing if not a quick thinker, Lord Kentworth.”
He felt the moment between them slip away into the night like smoke on the wind. It made his heart clench, but he was exceptionally skilled at hiding his true thoughts and feelings, so he merely gave her a wry smile back and held out his hand.
“We should get you home.”
The ride back to the MacTavish house was a quiet one, both of them seemingly lost in their own thoughts. Alec’s mind was whirling, his thoughts a tempest of confusion and nonsense. He kept telling himself that it had just been a ruse, it wasn’t real. It didn’t mean anything.
Except, that it did. It meant…everything.
“That was quite the evening,” Elle said as she exited the carriage.
“One could never accuse me of being boring.”
“Thank you. It almost felt like I was back…” She trailed off and her smile was oddly sad. Was she thinking about her home? He imagined she must miss it. “It was the most fun I’ve had in a long time,” she finished.
“You are quite welcome. Good night, Eleanor,” Alec said quietly.
She nodded and turned to walk away. She stopped after a few steps, made as if she were going to turn back, but shook herself and hurried on. He watched her go, his chest twisting painfully. Alec had kissed plenty of women in his life—a fact that he wasn’t exactly proud of, but it was a fact nonetheless—but the one he’d shared with Elle in that alley had made him forget nearly every other one. It had been fire and passion and he wanted more, wanted to spend the rest of eternity kissing Elle, tasting the sweetness of her lips, feeling her skin beneath his fingertips.
But it hadn’t been real.