7. Chapter 7
Chapter 7
A s much as it would have killed him, James had been ready to walk away from her. He might have wanted to dip his wick in the luscious woman before him more than anything in the world, but he had a bit too much pride to do so if he thought she would just close her eyes and pretend he was another man. He wasn’t sure why such a notion bothered him so much, since their arrangement was one of enjoying each other for pleasure, yet it irked him.
Thankfully, he hadn’t needed to test his resolve after her declaration. His cock ached at the sight of her. While he kicked off his hessian boots so he could free his legs from his breeches, she grabbed something from her dresser drawer. He couldn’t help but notice how her arse rounded, and he moved close and cupped both cheeks with his hands, squeezing the soft flesh.
She sighed and leaned back against him, and he slipped one of his hands deeper between her legs, drawing a deep breath when his fingers were met with the wet heat of her folds.
Rosina spun around and pushed against him, walking him backwards until the back of his bare legs were against the settee. She urged him to sit and then straddled him, allowing his shaft to rub against her.
Cupping her breasts so he could massage them, he kissed along her shoulder and neck until he reached her lips. She sucked his tongue into her mouth and raised herself off his lap and then lowered so she speared herself with his cock.
“Bloody hell,” he whispered against her lips when she took all of him in the single movement.
She pressed her hands against his chest and pushed him against the back of the settee while she rocked herself against him.
“Do not come, James,” she commanded, throwing her head back.
“I make no promises if you keep taking me like this.”
She rocked against him a few more times and then lifted herself off him, still straddling him with his cock protruding between them.
“Why on earth did you stop?” he ground out.
“Because if you wish to come inside me, you must insert yourself somewhere else,” she said, beautiful mischief written all over her features.
His cock twitched, and he wasn’t certain he could possibly be any harder.
She reached for a jar he had long forgotten that she’d sat on the cushion beside them, opened it, and held it up to him. “Coat your fingers.”
Willing to do whatever she directed, he did so and realized it was oil. His heart beat faster when he realized what she intended and shifted his hand beneath her. He slowly rubbed the oil around the tight opening of her arse. “Stick your finger inside,” she panted.
Needing no further invitation, he slid his index finger inside slowly, his eyelids heavy from the sensation of the tight hole around his finger. James added a second finger, coating the inside of her with the oil. She moved herself against his fingers, releasing the most enticing low stream of moans.
Before he knew what was happening, she must have dipped her own fingers in the oil, because she began coating his entire length with it. The sensation of her oiled hand moving up and down his shaft would have made him spend if she did so for very long.
She tugged at his arm to withdraw his fingers and then hovered herself over him, using her hand to guide the tip of his cock where she wanted him to be. Lowering herself slowly, she took more of him into her arse, and each movement was more exquisite than the last. When she fully seated herself with his entire length inside of her, he let his head fall over the back of the settee.
The siren moved, and he raised his head again to watch her. She slipped her hand to her nub while she moved herself on his cock. “Let me,” he whispered, replacing her fingers with his. She panted and moaned while she rode him with her arse.
Her eyes drifted close, and he released a low growl. “Look at me,” he ground out. “Don’t take your eyes off mine.”
Rosina’s eyes blinked open, and she did as he said. He slipped two fingers into her cunt and used his thumb to tease the sensitive pearl, and her breath became even more ragged while she moved against him. “James,” she moaned.
“Yes,” he whispered. “Come on my fingers, and then I’m going to take you from behind.” He knew enough from his friends’ bar room talk to know that there were many positions. The closer she drew to her climax, something came unhinged in him. He needed to possess her. To ensure there was no possible way she would think of another.
Her cunt clenched around his fingers, and she didn’t remove her eyes from his when she shook and moaned his name over and over a few times. If he didn’t know better, he might have thought that a part of his soul had become intertwined with hers from the intensity of the moment.
Taking her with him, he stood, withdrawing himself from inside her before he carried her to the bed, positioning her on her stomach. She hadn’t yet caught her breath and lay flat on the coverlet. Crawling onto the bed, he hovered over her backside, placing a few kisses along her shoulder, then sucking her neck. Her skin was salty from her exertions, and he sucked her neck harder, not caring if he left a mark. He wanted to mark her. Some symbol to remind them both that he had been the one to do so.
She whimpered and panted. He allowed his cock to rest on her arse cheeks as he continued sucking and licking along her neck until he reached her ear. Her moans served as his indication that she liked what he was doing, given he still wasn’t overly confident in his abilities. His primal instincts had long taken over and he just needed to touch and taste all of her most tempting places.
“Do you want me inside you?” he whispered into her ear.
She nodded, causing him to smile against her ear.
“You must tell me what to do, my beautiful tutor,” he said, licking the soft, tender place just behind her ear.
When she moaned, he grinned again. He was a good student, indeed.
“James.” She sighed. His cock stiffened even more at the use of his name.
“Yes?” He ran one of his hands slowly down her side, grazing his fingers over her soft skin until he reached her hip. Wedging his hand between her core and the bed, he used his fingers to tease her slit. “You didn’t answer me.”
“I want you,” she finally said between pants and moans.
That was the response he hoped for. James shifted back on his knees between her legs. She shifted so her knees were beneath her, elevating her bottom to give him better access. He massaged the exposed area of her thighs that her stockings didn’t cover, then spread her rounded cheeks apart and with painful slowness slid his cock back inside of the tight hole of her arse.
Enjoying the control of the position they were in, he knew he wouldn’t last long after the first thrust. He gripped her hip with one hand and slid the other around her front to rub her pearl while he moved inside of her again.
“James,” she moaned again. “That feels so good.”
Part of him longed to puff his chest out with pride at her words, given his lack of experience, but instead, he thrust harder and faster inside of her. Increasing the speed with his hand, she bucked when she came again, moaning his name several times. He wasn’t certain he would ever get enough of hearing her do so—and knowing he had been the one to make her react thus.
He turned feral, gripping her hips with both hands. He fucked her hard and fast for several thrusts before he pushed himself all the way to the hilt. Releasing deep inside of her, he filled her with every shot of his seed. In a territorial urge, he leaned over her and lightly bit into her neck, then smoothed the areas with his tongue.
James refused to ponder why he had such an intense reaction to her. Or why he needed her to want him so badly. He couldn’t mistake a physical attraction for something more, and he wouldn’t. He knew better and knew it wasn’t anything more than enjoying the first woman he had ever been with in that way.
Withdrawing from her carefully, he shifted his feet to the floor so that he could collect a cloth to clean her. After doing so, she turned on her side and caught his gaze. They stared at each other for a few seconds, and he thought she might ask him something, but the question in her eyes disappeared as quickly as he saw it.
His throat tightened, and he had to remove himself from her presence. He longed to crawl into the bed and hold her, something he had never done with anyone before, and the mere idea of doing so scared him.
“I must dress before your maid returns.” He began collecting his clothing and dressing himself.
Rosina had climbed down from the other side of the bed and covered herself with a robe, while James continued dressing himself. For James, the silence was palpable, and he reminded himself that he was being a fool. She was a beautiful woman, who was pleasing in bed. It was just a bonus that he also enjoyed spending time in her presence and conversing with her. He was reading too much into the intensity of the moment they had shared.
There was a knock at the door and Rosina shifted to confirm it was her maid. Once she had done so, she unlocked the door and let the woman slide into the room before closing the door again. James had already donned all his clothing and had just finished putting on his boots.
The woman smirked at James when she entered the room.
“Might you confirm if there is anyone in the hallway for me?” he asked of Rosina’s maid.
“Of course, Your Grace.” She poked her head back outside, then waved him to her. “It’s clear. You must hurry.”
Rosina stopped him. “Will you come here again tonight?”
“Indeed,” he said as there was no question that he would do so. He wasn’t certain he would be able to even wait until everyone went to bed to be with her again, and such a revelation would be problematic if he allowed himself to ponder it any further. “I’ll see you at dinner.”
Her maid stepped back so he could depart from Rosina’s chamber and hurry down the hall before anyone could see where he came from.
The next morning, James blinked his eyes open when his valet entered the room and began readying James’ clothing. He turned on his side, hiding his erection and willing it to subside, wondering how he could possibly be in such a state after the night he had spent with his goddess. They had coupled for hours, experimenting with a variety of positions.
But he must remember that she was not his. He didn’t even wish to marry.
Well, that wasn’t exactly true. He didn’t wish to disrupt his brothers after all the pain their family had been through. Although seeing the pain his father went through made him question if he even wanted a love match.
He had spent the entire dinner and time afterwards in her presence talking and laughing when they hoped the rest of the party didn’t notice. He found he just enjoyed having her near. He might be willing to admit that he felt just a bit more for the lady than he ought, but there was still the matter of the boys and the stability they needed.
Once he had dressed that morning, he joined the rest of the party for breakfast, taking an open seat next to Rosina. She had agreed to accompany him on the trip to town, and he was looking forward to enjoying her company just as much as he enjoyed what they did in her chamber. But it didn’t mean anything, just that she was far more than a beautiful face who was good at bedsport. He could enjoy conversation with a woman and not have it mean anything more than that.
After they broke their fast, they joined the other guests in front of the house and waited for their carriage to transport them. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, so it was sure to be a pleasant day strolling through the shops and outdoor carts in the village.
“Is there something particular you like to shop for, Your Grace?” she asked.
“Perhaps something for my brothers.” He wondered again how they were enjoying school.
She looped her arm in his. “You still have heard nothing from them?” The softness in her tone warmed his heart.
“Not yet. I keep hoping I’ll receive a bundle of correspondence here.” That was an understatement.
“I am sure you will hear something soon, and that all is well, Your Grace.” She patted his arm, and her touch aided in reassuring him.
He drew a breath, tamping down his reaction to her. It wouldn’t serve either of them well.
“Thank you, my lady.”
She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again when Lord Demming approached.
“I thought you weren’t feeling well, my lord,” Rosina said, eyeing the man curiously. At breakfast, he had indicated he was suffering from a megrim.
He waved them off, but for a moment, he appeared almost as if something were troubling him. “I lay down for a few moments and then found I was feeling much better. I would enjoy a trip to the village, and I hope you don’t mind if I join your carriage. I don’t wish to give any of the eligible young misses the wrong idea.”
James would have much rather had Rosina to himself in the carriage, but there was no path forward other than to agree, so he nodded to Demming.
“Spending time in my company might give them a different kind of idea,” Rosina jested.
Demming gave her a small grin. “You don’t expect me to believe you are truly as scandalous as all that, do you, my lady?”
Rosina shrugged. “I don’t much care what anyone else should believe, my lord. I live for myself, not the feather-brained members of society.”
Demming and James both laughed as a carriage stopped in front of them. James handed Rosina into the carriage. Before he could climb in for himself, Demming whispered, “I wish you luck in your endeavor, Your Grace.”
“Whatever do you mean?”
“I know all too well what a besotted man looks like.”
James clenched his jaw, trying to hide his annoyance. “I believe you are mistaken.” Although James wasn’t completely certain it was a mistake. He had become far more infatuated with the lady than he had ever intended.
He climbed into the carriage, not interested in giving Demming a chance to offer a retort. Even though he knew that taking the seat beside Rosina would earn him a knowing look from Demming, he did so anyway. The idea of Demming sitting next to her, their sides touching, irritated him, and the two broad-shouldered gentlemen sitting together would prove quite uncomfortable.
Just as he suspected, as soon as Demming took his seat, the man caught his eye and arched his brows before he shifted to stare out the carriage window.
They rode in silence for a few minutes and James noticed nothing except for how Rosina felt pressed against him. He had the strongest urge to put his arm around her and had to clasp his hands in his lap to keep from doing so. That would only give Demming even more cause to believe he was correct in his declarations.
Demming broke the silence. “I don’t believe I ever got to offer you condolences for your parents, Your Grace.”
“Thank you, my lord.” James’ tone wasn’t one to encourage further words on the subject as he didn’t prefer to speak about his parents.
Rosina glanced up at James and he noted the sympathy in her expression. She gave him a soft smile, and his heart did a flip in his chest.
“Your father was a good man,” Demming continued. “He was quite proud of all his sons.”
James swallowed the emotion that arose from the man’s words. His throat was thick as he hoped his father would be proud of him. Proud that he had devoted his time and attention to caring for his brothers. Although his father would want him to marry and carry on the family line as he was expected to do and not pass the responsibility to one of those very same brothers.
Perhaps considering marriage wasn’t the worst idea if he did so with the right woman. The woman must love his brothers, and they must love her. It was the only way it might work.
“We miss him very much,” James finally spoke. “And our mother.”
A few moments later, the carriage came to a stop at the beginning of the street in the village. James released a sigh of relief that he wouldn’t have to discuss his parents any longer.
He stepped out of the carriage and then lifted Rosina down instead of offering her his hand. When Demming descended the carriage step. “I believe I shall go this way. I will see you both later.”
Demming gave James a small nod, and he knew the man was intending to leave the pair alone on purpose. James wasn’t sure if he was annoyed or thankful for the man doing so. He decided it was the latter as he wished to enjoy Rosina’s company without the necessary pretense if others were to remain in their presence.
Rosina placed her hand in the crook of his arm and pulled him to stroll down the road in the opposite route that most of the other guests took.
“What happened to your parents?” she asked quietly where only he might hear.
So much for avoiding more conversation about them. He drew a deep breath. “They were attacked by highwaymen returning home from our London townhome.”
She gasped. “I thought they were ill for an extended period.”
James closed his eyes to steady himself. “They were injured in the attack. The complications of their injuries left them mostly bedridden and in a precarious condition. My mother passed almost a year after the attack, and then my father passed another two years after she did.” She gripped his arm tighter, and it soothed him, making him wish she could wrap her slender arms around him.
“That must have been so awful for you and your brothers. Were you away at university while they were cared for at home?”
He shook his head. “I never attended university. My brothers didn’t handle the ordeal very well. They were only seven when the attack happened.” He glanced at her and she just stared back at him, remaining quiet so he might explain what he meant. “You see, my parents weren’t like others of the ton. They were a love match and spent a lot of time with us. Before my brothers were born, well, and afterwards, my parents doted on me. They read me stories, took meals with me, Papa played with me on the floor, and they spent little time away from our country home. They were much the same with my brothers. We were a happy, contented family.”
“That sounds like a wonderful life.” They strolled through an outdoor market, mostly pretending to look at the wares.
“Indeed, it was.” He sighed. “But after their attack, I had just returned from Eton. My mother was hardly awake and when she was, she experienced a lot of pain. I had her placed in the same room with my father since they didn’t wish to be apart. Papa was a bit more himself but didn’t quite have all of his faculties from the medications.
“The boys began having nightmares and soiled their beds in the night,” he continued. “They acted out for their nanny during the day, and they weren’t eating properly.” James wasn’t sure why he shared as much as he had. He never spoke of his parents or what his family went through.
Rosina had gasped a few times as he spoke. “Those poor boys,” she said. “And you.”
She glanced up at him, and the tenderness in her expression almost undid him. He always had to be his own pillar of strength for the last five years to ensure that his brothers endured, and the lady beside him was taking down the wall he had built around himself, brick by brick.
“It wasn’t easy,” he said, placing his free gloved hand on top of hers. He just needed to touch her. “I didn’t attend university as planned and stayed with them. I read to them at night before bed as my parents did, and I helped with their lessons. We ate our meals together, just the three of us, and then we’d sit with our parents each afternoon. I had the boys read to them while they slept so they could practice doing so and to make it less scary for them to see Mama and Papa that way.”
“You are a good man, and brother, Duke,” she said, discreetly wiping her eyes. “It’s no wonder you are so concerned for them while they are away.”
“They have been as happy as could be expected, but being away at school is quite the adjustment.”
She squeezed his arm tighter. “You have prepared them well. Far better than most brothers would.”
“I will ensure they both attend university as I never did. Although, I suppose I have fared all right. My estates have prospered since I took up handling all our family business matters at eight-and-ten.”
“Ry didn’t attend university either,” she said, glancing down at her feet as they continued strolling through another market. James wasn’t certain he had glanced at a single costermonger since he had been so focused on their conversation.
“Why not?” James asked.
She drew a deep breath and released it. “Because we didn’t wish to wait to marry. He was nine-and-ten, and I was a year younger.”
James patted her hand, finding that he wished to know more about the man Rosina had loved. He found he wanted to know everything about her and her past. In that moment, he was almost certain that even though they had agreed that things between them would never progress beyond physical attraction, he felt something deeper for her. Without a hint of jealousy in his tone because there wasn’t any, only a desire to know and understand her better, he asked, “Will you tell me about him?”