Chapter Sixteen
Lord Kendrick, Duke of Alton
“I believe it is time for me to try my hand at seduction.” Colt dropped to his knees on the floor and pushed my legs apart.
I stared at his bent head, my mind still reeling from my earlier play with him.
He unfastened the buttons at my waist and slipped his fingers into my trousers.
I had expected him to be a reserved lover.
He’d proven to be quite receptive to stimulus.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was that he was queer.
The way he had kissed Lillian, perhaps he was more like me, straddling both sides of the fence.
I draped my arm around her shoulders and nibbled at her ear. Her breasts were bare and rosy from Colt’s attention. Although she lacked an ample bosom, her small, pink-tipped breasts were firm and round. She tilted her head to allow me access to her neck, but she wasn’t looking at me.
Colt slipped his fingers around my cock and rubbed his palm up and down my shaft.
Familiar heat chased along my spine. I had satisfied two lovers, and my cock was aching for relief.
Passion erupted at his intimate stroke, and I thrust into his caress.
My first encounter with another man was with a fellow artist. It had been passionate but fraught with difficulties.
I had been in love with him. He thought I was young and impulsive.
He was right. Since then, I have had multiple male lovers, Gavin being the latest. Now I would add Colt to the list.
I studied his sinewy frame and tousled hair. Gifted with a wry sense of the ridiculous, his blunt manner kept me entertained. He stood a head above the others. Lillian also fit the same mold as Colt. I was glad to have them in my life.
I reconsidered the repercussions of becoming physically involved with Colt in the back of my mind.
I was notorious for moving from lover to lover.
He often had to clean up the mess I made in my fleeting relationships.
I could depend on Colt to take care of the difficult things in my life.
He was aware of my shortcomings and stuck by me, regardless. His longtime lust for me explained why.
Colt licked his way around my crown, his fingers forming a tight ring around my base. I ran my hand through his blond hair and flexed my fingers across his scalp as he drew my ballocks into his hot mouth.
Lillian would be my wife and would be obligated to put up with me and my antics. I wanted to be a good husband, but I wasn’t always a good person. I pulled my thoughts away from trouble and focused on the woman curled into me.
Sensations built one on top of the other.
Colt rolled the sensitive sac on his tongue, his movements decisive.
Pearly fluid beaded on my crown in response to his seduction.
It was more than apparent he had experience in cock-sucking.
Amber eyes held mine as he licked and sucked his way back up my shaft until he could bury his tongue in the slit on my head.
I had no idea he was this capable. Then again, I had never inquired about his personal life. My selfishness knew no bounds.
My thighs fell farther apart as he took me deep into his throat.
The fragrance of lilies and the more earthy scents of woman invaded my senses.
I tugged at her earlobe, soothing it with my tongue.
She shivered, her alabaster skin raised with goosebumps at my actions, and her nipples constricted.
The ears were a sensitive place for her. I would keep that in mind.
“He is very adept,” Lillian said, her voice breathy.
“Yes, he is.” I couldn’t be the first man he’d seduced. A spark of unexpected jealousy hit. I had no right to feel anything but grateful he deemed to perform this service for me. Colt was the one constant in my life. He owed me nothing. I owed him everything.
Lillian would be the other. I sucked on the soft skin of her neck, my arm drifting down and around her back until I could clasp her breast. My thumb found her nipple, and I dragged the pad over the softness.
She inhaled into my caress, seeking pleasure.
Her eagerness heartened me to take part in such an unconventional scenario.
It cemented my decision to ask for her hand, and I had the man sucking my cock to thank.
The silky heat of Colt’s mouth combined with the masterful way he fisted my cock, brought me to an ardent level too difficult to resist. Pleasure burst forth, and I spunked into his willing throat. I uttered a harsh cry, my lower body convulsing in the throes of my fulfillment.
Lillian rested her head on my heaving chest. “I have what I need for the first scene now.”
“I’ll give you a small bonus scene.” Laughing, Colt got to his feet, his clothing still awry.
The skin over his cheekbones was taut with need.
He’d recovered from his earlier spunk and played his hand over his hardened cock.
I met his stark gaze. He dipped his head and caught my mouth.
The musky taste of my release lingered on his lips.
“Excellent,” Lillian said. “Bonus material is, well, a bonus.”
My tongue gliding along his, I pumped his length until he spunked for a second time.
My chest swelled, pleased I could take him over the edge.
He sat next to me, his palm on the nape of his neck, his eyelids lowered.
I had intended to stop by the library just to say hello.
With Lillian curled at my left and Colt on my right, working on my sculpture didn’t seem so urgent.
Lillian handed me her handkerchief to clean myself. I had no desire to move from this spot, and I was grateful for her thoughtfulness. The mantel clock chimed, a grim reminder that I was needed in the world at large.
“Is it really that late?” Lillian asked on a yawn. With her chest bare and lips plump from our combined kisses, she presented a fetching picture.
“It is. I have to attend a dinner at the palace this evening.” It exhausted me simply thinking about such a dull affair.
If circumstances had been different and I had a younger sibling, I would abdicate my title to him.
I had no younger brother, however. “Consider yourself lucky. As my wife, you will be required to come with me. I received the invitation before we announced our engagement. Thus you will be saved the boredom.”
“I’m sorry you must face this alone. I’ll admit I’m glad I don’t have to go.” She released a heavy sigh and rubbed her face.
“Colt will have the night off.” I realized I had no idea what he did with his free time. I couldn't recall asking in the many years I had known him. “I wonder what mischief he will get up to.”
“I have some correspondence to finish,” he said. From the reedy quality of his voice, he was drifting off to sleep. He deserved some rest. I wish I had the same luxury.
“That isn’t mischievous at all,” Lady Lillian said.
I rested my hand on his knee and squeezed.
The muscles of his thigh bunched under my palm, his forearm flexing.
I studied his face, trying to gauge whether he was upset or merely his usual guarded self.
What transpired between us was life-changing, and the last thing I wanted was for things to become strained between us.
He wasn’t afraid to give me tit for tat, and I would rely on the verbal sparring we often engaged in to lessen any tension between us.
“It is most practical, which is normal for Colt. Sometimes I swear he sleeps in his suit. No matter what time of night I need him, he appears dapper. I believe this is the first time I have seen him without his hair combed.”
“I have you to thank for that.” He lowered his arm and cast a wary smile.
A lock fell over his wide forehead, his clothing still askew.
Uncertainty rested in his eyes, along with affection.
I knew he cared about me, but how much? It wasn’t my place to ask or expect him to answer.
Our dynamic was complicated, even more so now.
“You are welcome. Consider it a gift from me to you. Now, I beg a kiss before I have to depart.” Holding his gaze, I leaned toward him.
Resignation crossed his expression before he met me halfway.
There was no hesitation in his kiss, which bolstered my confidence.
After breaking away, I placed a lingering kiss on Lillian before I withdrew. “I have to get up.”
“I suppose I should go home. Like you, I’ll be subjected to a tiresome night discussing wedding arrangements.
My excuse to visit a sick friend is wearing thin.
” She bit her bottom lip, reluctance in her down-turned mouth before she rallied.
“On the bright side, I have ample material to flesh out my scenes.”
“See, there is a silver lining,” Colt said.
I hoped he was right. Things were progressing at a fast clip.
I would be married soon, and my relationship with Colt would add a new dynamic to our affiliation.
It also came with complications. If I lost interest in him—which experience taught me I might—I would hurt him in a way I never wished to.
Had Gavin simply stopped being stubborn and given in to his greater lusts, Colt would have never been roped into this situation.
If he hadn’t, I would have never known how he felt.
Except he’d admitted to desiring me, nothing more.
I was reading too much into the encounter.
I was also torn about my ongoing feelings for Gavin.
He was the dramatic sort, and even though we had bickered often, I still found him desirable.
Neither one of us had technically terminated the affair, but it was best to end it, given my current situation.
I knew he would attend the night’s event.
If nothing else, I could tie up loose ends to a very passionate affair.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” I stood with legs still shaky from my encounter with my two new lovers. “Can you see her home?”
Colt nodded and sifted a hand through his hair. “Of course.”
Marriage loomed on the horizon and with it came responsibility. The word caused me to cringe every time. There was no help for it. I couldn’t escape who and what I was. My heritage drove my life, and I would do my duty, even at the expense of my independence.
I prayed I wouldn’t end up resenting the sacrifice.