CHAPTER 4
‘We will leave you to your assignation.’ Richard stubbed out his cigar in the crystal ashtray and stood up.
‘Enjoy it while you can,’ Drew added. ‘Soon you will be a respectably married man. I just hope you will be happy with whoever it is they have found for you.’
‘If I can have even a fraction of the happiness you both have found, that will be enough for me.’ Aaron clapped his two friends on the back. ‘For now, my focus is on ensuring this young lady will be in a position to make her husband happy.’
‘We had better make ourselves scarce and will see you at the Crittenden’s soiree next week. Kitty is most excited to hear more about your impending nuptials,’ Drew said.
‘There won’t be any more to tell. Under the circumstances, I doubt either of us is wanting to make a fuss of it. It is merely a means to an end.’ At least that’s what he was hoping. Just legalizing an arrangement that would suit them both. An arrangement that would see him out of his current financial crisis and his bride-to-be off her family’s hands. Perhaps he would take to being a country gentleman and all that having a title would bring.
Aaron saw his friends out just as the sound of carriage wheels came from the mews behind the house, bringing his guest discretely to the back door.
He returned to the drawing room and waited for Mrs Moreton to bring Lizzy. A name that suited her well. From their brief conversation in the garden, and the very fact of her request for his services, she had spirit and that made for a very pleasing companion. Even so, she would no doubt be nervous and his intention for today was to put her at ease. There would be no enjoyment of anything if she was not at ease.
‘Your cousin, Dianna and companion,’ Mrs Moreton announced from the door then stepped away for the two young women to enter the room, and his eyes were immediately drawn to Lizzy. Unlike their previous meeting in the garden, there was no glimpse of her plump breasts above her bodice. A fashionably striped pelisse was buttoned to her neck, but it couldn’t hide the fullness of her figure.
Aaron moved forward to greet his cousin with a kiss on the cheek, then turned to Lizzy, bowing almost imperceptibly. She only met his eyes for a moment, a faint flush of pink in her cheeks.
‘I will be back in an hour. Take good care of her, cousin.’ Dianna gave him a warning glare then kissed Lizzy’s cheek and squeezed her hand before leaving the room.
‘Please, have a seat. Lizzy.’ He indicated the brocade sofa in front of the fireplace.
He waited until she was seated to sit next to her. She sat bolt upright, hands clutched together in her lap, and Aaron understood her nervousness. The fear of the unknown.
He reached out to take one of her hands and she grasped it, drawing a deep, unsteady breath.
‘You are an intriguing woman, Lizzy. It’s not an easy thing to be here and I admire that very much. I find it a very appealing quality. I find you very appealing.’ She needed to know that he had a genuine desire to give her what she needed. That he was not merely performing a service. ‘I would not have accepted your…proposal if I did not find you desirable.’
‘You do?’ She turned questioning eyes to him, and it saddened him to think she didn’t see herself in that way.
‘I do.’ He brushed her cheek with the back of his finger. Lizzy drew a short breath but didn’t pull back. He trailed it down her throat to the fastening at the top of her pelisse and unhooked it, then the next and the next until he could open it.
‘I’m not going to take you to bed today, Lizzy.’ Disappointment, or perhaps relief creased her eyes. ‘Being a good lover is about more than what happens in the bedchamber. It begins well before that.’ He dipped his finger below the lace that edged her bodice, sweeping it across the sweet swell of her plump breasts. ‘Even over a cup of tea.’ He removed his hand and reached beside him to the small brass bell on an end table and rang it.
Moments later Mrs Moreton appeared and Aaron ordered a pot of tea.
Lizzy sat more easily, her hands still in her lap, but not clenched together and a faint flush of pink colored her cheeks but when she gave him a sidelong glance, the hint of a smile played at the corners of her mouth. Aaron smiled back.
‘Thank you for being patient with me. This is…this is a most unusual circumstance.’ Her voice was quiet, but strong.
‘There is as much to be said for approaching things slowly as there is for just rushing in. There’s a time for both as you will come to learn, Lizzy.’
That was what he missed, if he was honest with himself. The very nature of his liaisons didn’t allow for, nor require, slow seduction. Time to savor and enjoy each other. Neglected wives did not have the time to linger. Taking time to introduce Lizzy to the physical delights of marriage would teach her the power of building anticipation and give him the luxury of enjoying her company as well as her body.
Mrs Moreton returned with the tea tray, putting it on the side table without acknowledging Lizzy. She understood the need for discretion when a lady visited the Rakes Club and she quietly pulled the door closed behind her as she left the room.
Lizzy stood, reaching for the pot, but Aaron came to her side and stayed her hand, his fingers resting gently on hers.
‘Allow me, Lizzy. It would be my pleasure to pour for you.’ He didn’t move his hand, so she had to slide hers out from underneath. Which she did with deliberate slowness, the brush of her fingers leaving a delicious trail on his palm.
She took her seat again, watching him intently until he brought the cup and saucer to her.
‘Thank you.’ Her hand trembled almost imperceptibly as she took the tea, reminding him that she was, after all, an innocent and despite being outwardly unreserved, she must surely have some trepidation about her mission.
He poured a cup for himself, putting a biscuit on the saucer and took his place next to her.
Lizzy sipped daintily as Aaron watched the liquid dampen her lips, pushing away thoughts of when those lips might touch his bare skin. That would remain a thought for now. He had promised her, and himself, that this first tryst would be about creating desire.
Picking up the biscuit from his saucer, he dipped it into the tea and held it in front of her mouth. Without a moment’s hesitation, Lizzy opened her mouth. He slid the sugary pastry in, his finger resting lightly on her bottom lip, and her cup rattled on its saucer as he drew it out.
Dipping again into his tea, he offered her the rest, and she opened her mouth readily. This time he let his finger linger and she closed her lips around it. Aaron suppressed a gasp as the tip of her tongue swept over the tip of his finger as he withdrew it, and his cock twitched in his breeches.
‘Delicious.’ She met his eyes. Perhaps not as much of an innocent as he’d presumed. Or a natural-born seductress. ‘My compliments to your cook.’
A speck of sugar clung to Lizzy’s top lip. Aaron pressed his fingertip to the crystal and put it into his mouth. ‘Delicious indeed.’
If she was one of his regular visitors, he’d have her down on the couch with her skirts around her waist or bent over the back of the couch, crying out his name. But even though his cock thrummed with need, waiting, anticipating, would give the inevitable couple all the more intensity.
‘How is it you came to the decision to be here, Lizzy?’ His cousin had explained, but he wanted to hear it from Lizzy herself.
She rested her cup on her lap and looked at him directly. ‘I want a good marriage. I don’t want my husband to look elsewhere.’
‘Your husband will be a lucky man.’ He would be a husband soon. Most likely seeking satisfaction elsewhere. His wife-to-be knew he was offering a marriage on paper only. Once he claimed his inheritance and replenished his coffers, they would both be free to live the lives they wanted. If it wasn’t for his disastrous investment, he would happily renounce the inheritance and title and continue to enjoy the single life. Although Richard and Drew had found true happiness in their marriages, they were the exception rather than the rule.
He only hoped that Lizzy wouldn’t become as disgruntled as the wives who came to the club. That her husband would fully appreciate a woman with a willingly sensual nature. He’d be a fool not to.
‘Are you fond of reading?’ A thought had just come to him.
‘I am.’ He wasn’t surprised that she looked a little bewildered by the abrupt change in the direction of their conversation.
Putting his cup and saucer down, Aaron strode over to the tall bookcase on one side of the fireplace, running his finger over the gold-embossed spines until he came to the book he wanted. Fanny Hill.
‘I think you will find Fanny’s exploits enlightening.’ He handed the small book to Lizzy.
‘Memoirs of a woman of pleasure,’ she read from the cover and the slightest flush of pink tinged her cheeks. ‘You want me to read this?’
‘It is totally up to you, Lizzy. I just think that a woman with your interest in pleasure might enjoy it.’ His hope was that it would open her mind beyond simply being a compliant participant. That pleasure was not just something to be given to her husband. That it was for her as well.
‘She’s a…a harlot?’ There was more intrigue than disdain in her voice.
‘She is a woman who knows about pleasure. Pleasure is not just the domain of harlots, and it doesn’t make you less of a lady.’ A wife who has no shame about enjoying her body, and her husband’s, went a long way to keeping his interests at home.
Lizzy nodded and slid the book into her reticule. ‘I will read it with great interest.’
‘And I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it.’ This was for Lizzy’s education, not his own pleasure, he reminded himself. But interesting conversation, especially about a taboo topic, was as arousing as revealing bare skin. Whether her future husband felt the same way, who knew. If having an open-minded wife didn’t appeal, then it was his loss.
The bag with the book still lay on Lizzie’s lap so he put it on the table and moved closer, taking one of her hands and kissing her palm.
A soft sigh escaped Lizzy’s lips and he brought her hand down to his half-hard cock, taking his own hand away. It was his turn to sigh when her fingers explored the bulge in his breeches. Tentatively at first, then with more assurance and more pressure. She traced the outline with her fingertips then wrapped her hand around the girth which expanded under her touch.
‘Ohh,’ she exclaimed softly, exploring the entire length and Aaron closed his eyes.
He could unbutton his fall and give her access to his rigid flesh. He could lift her skirt and slide his hand underneath her skirts to the bare skin above her stockings. Instead, he brushed his fingers across the top of her bodice again, then dipped under the fine lace until he encountered the taut tip of her breast.
‘Ohhh,’ she exclaimed again, her hand tightening on him as he squeezed gently then withdrew his hand and moved her hand back to her lap.
‘I see you are a willing student, Lizzy.’ He slid an arm around her waist and kissed her briefly on the mouth. ‘But that is enough for now. I hope your appetite is whetted?’
Lizzy looked down to where there was still a significant bulge in his breeches. ‘Oh, I believe I am developing quite an appetite.’
Aaron laughed out loud. ‘Oh, Lizzy. Your wit is as appealing as your delicious body.’ He brought his mouth to hers again, her lips parting immediately, invitingly.
Cupping her neck with his other hand, his tongue found and caressed hers and a soft mewl echoed in her throat as she pressed herself closer.
A knock on the closed door had them pulling apart.
‘Yes, Mrs Moreton’ Aaron called, once they were again on separate ends of the couch.
The door opened, and the grey-haired housekeeper entered.
‘Lady Dianna and the carriage are in the mews.’ She paid Lizzy no attention and turned and left the room. Her discretion about the comings and goings at the Rakes Club was very much appreciated by Aaron and his friends.
He stood, offering Lizzy his hand and she stood also, rebuttoning the front of her pelisse.
‘Don’t forget your book.’ Aaron picked up her reticule.
‘Thank you. I am most intrigued to read it.’ Lizzy took her bag, but he didn’t let it go for a moment, until she met his eyes and smiled.
He offered his arm for them to walk to the kitchen and the back door where the carriage waited. He opened the door, letting Lizzy out into the mews and opening the carriage door.
‘I hope I haven’t arrived too early,’ Dianna’s head appeared in the doorway. ‘That I didn’t interrupt anything.’ She lifted a quizzical eyebrow.
‘We have had a most enjoyable afternoon tea,’ Aaron gave nothing away. It was up to Lizzy how much she shared with her friend, as he had no doubt she would. He wished he could be a party to that conversation, to fully understand how she viewed her first foray into the carnal world.
He handed her up into the carriage. ‘I expect I will see you both at Lord Stanley’s upcoming soiree?’
‘You will,’ Dianna replied.
‘Indeed,’ Lizzy added.
With a smile for both of them, Aaron closed the carriage door, and the driver urged the horses forward, their hooves echoing on the cobblestones.
Usually, once a liaison was over, he thought no more about it until the next time but as the back of the carriage disappeared down the narrow laneway, he was already anticipating the next time Lizzy would be in his company.