A Little Bit Wicked

by Victoria Alexander

  Judith stared, stunned. “I don’t understand.”

  He snorted. “I understood the moment I saw you and Warton to night.”

  “Then be so kind as to explain it to me.”

  “It’s painfully obvious to anyone who sees the two of you together that you are in love with him.”

  “I’m not—”

  “And furthermore, he is in love with you.”

  “Don’t be…” She paused. “Do you really think so?”

  “Indeed I do.” He laughed in a dry manner. “As someone who thought, if only for a moment, that you might just be…well, it scarcely matters.” He shook his head. “I was fairly certain you had no knowledge of what Lady Braxton had written on the invitation. It simply wasn’t the way you do things.” He met her gaze firmly. “If you had wished to renew our relationship you would not have gone through a third party. You would have come to me directly.”

  She raised a brow. “Is that a compliment?”

  “Absolutely. A man likes to know where he stands with a woman, and one thing I will say about you, my dear.” He chuckled. “From beginning to end, I always knew where I stood.”

  She winced. “I’m afraid I wasn’t very straightforward with Lord Mountford this evening, but he caught me unawares. I cannot believe that Harry would think…” She shook her head, then glanced at Samuel. “You’re much more perceptive than Harry.”

  “Perhaps.” He shrugged. “Or simply more realistic.”

  Judith thought for a moment. “Why would she do something like that?”

  “Do you know Lady Braxton at all?”

  She shook her head. “We met for the first time to night.”

  “But you do know about her and your Lord Warton?”

  “He’s not my Lord Warton,” she murmured. But Lady Braxton might very well wish for Gideon to be her Lord Warton. And hadn’t Susanna said Lady Braxton had set her sights on him?

  “He gives an excellent impression of being your Lord Warton. Which is precisely why Violet would pull a stunt like this.”

  “Confronting me with the mistakes of my past?”

  He raised a brow.

  “I didn’t mean mistakes exactly,” she said quickly.

  He chuckled. “I know what you meant. But I don’t think you were Violet’s intended target. Judith.” Samuel straightened and took her hands in his. “No man, no matter how intelligent or rational, likes the thought that the woman he loves has had a life of any sort whatsoever before him, let alone adventures. For the most part, that previous existence can be ignored. We men are foolish that way. We can easily pretend something has no substance if we cannot see it for ourselves. So, to have all of your fellow adventurers in the same room with you at the same time—”

  “Would not only bring home to Lord Warton the reality of my past but would point out as well how very wrong for him I really am,” she said slowly.

  “Warton would come to his senses regarding you and—”

  “Turn to her.” Judith blew a long breath. “That’s quite brilliant of her.”

  “I wouldn’t call it brilliant.”

  “But it is. She didn’t need to do much of anything save throw us all together and see what happens. Why, she scarcely needed to dirty her hands with this little plot. It is indeed brilliant.” Judith gritted her teeth. “It is also, of course, diabolical, vicious, and more than a little mean.”

  He grinned. “And you’ll make her pay for it, won’t you?”

  “I shall certainly try. If for no other reason than what she’s done to Harry, poor dear man.” She thought for a moment. “How, of course, is the question.”

  “You know what the French say?” His gaze caught hers. “About success being the best revenge?”

  She smiled slowly. “That’s good, Samuel, that’s very good.”

  “Thank you,” he said modestly. “Judith, I am not one to give advice on the matters between men and women. Lord knows, I have not been overly successful in that field myself. But I would advise you to take your Lord Warton—”

  “He’s not—”

  “—and flee. Violet will not rest until she gets what she wants.”

  Judith laughed, “I’m not going anywhere. London is my home.”

  “Then marry him.”

  “I am not suited for marriage.” She shook her head. “I tried marriage once, and once was quite enough.”

  “Perhaps you did not try it with the right man?”

  “Nonsense. I loved my husband and my husband loved me,” she said without thinking.

  “And now you love someone else. It’s not a sin, you know.” Samuel’s gaze searched hers. “If you had ever looked at me the way you look at him, I would never have let you go.”

  “Samuel.” Judith widened her eyes. “What you and I shared was never intended to be serious.”

  “No, that was clear from the beginning. I did not expect more. However, I suspect what you now share with Warton was not intended to be serious and yet it has become so, hasn’t it?”

  She stared at him for a long moment and then smiled weakly. “I’m afraid so.”

  “Admittedly, you have lived your life in a somewhat unconventional manner. A little bit wicked perhaps but you have harmed no one. If he cannot accept that, if he does not love you enough…” He squeezed her hands. “Then it’s not you who are not worthy of him but he who is not worthy of you.”

  Her breath caught at his words. “My lord, you are a wonderful man.”

  “Indeed I am.” He grinned. “Pity you didn’t realize that years ago. Well, your loss shall be some other lucky woman’s gain.”

  “She will be lucky indeed,” Judith said with a laugh, impulsively leaned forward, and brushed a quick kiss across his lips.

  “If I were a jealous man, I would be locating dueling pistols at this point,” a familiar wry voice sounded from the doorway.

  Chapter 12

  N ottingdon, or at least Gideon assumed it was Nottingdon, smiled down at Judith in a far too affectionate manner, released her hands, and stepped aside. “However, as you are also an intelligent man you can ascertain at once that this is not—”

  “What it looks like?” Gideon said pleasantly although pleasant was the last thing he felt.

  Judith studied him curiously. “And what does it look like?”

  It looks like a test of some sort. Nonsense. He pushed the thought from his mind. Judith was not the sort of woman to pit one man against another. He chose his words carefully. “It looks like a moment of affection between friends. A brother and sister perhaps.”

  “Ouch.” Nottingdon winced. “It looked like that, did it?”

  “Indeed it did.” Gideon nodded. “Pleasant enough but relatively passionless.”

  Judith bit back a grin.

  “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather just shoot me, Warton?” Nottingdon shook his head. “It would be much less painful.”

  “If you insist. The next time I shall be happy to shoot you.” Gideon smiled. “Several times, if you wish, in extraordinarily painful places.”

  “I would be most appreciative.” Nottingdon’s gaze met Gideon’s in a direct manner, and Gideon had the distinct feeling the man was assessing his character. It was most annoying as Gideon was not the one found in an unused room kissing another man’s—what? Friend? If anyone’s character was in question it was certainly not Gideon’s. “At the moment, however, I must take my leave. I have a matter of some importance I should like to discuss with our hostess.”

  Gideon nodded toward the door. “I saw her a moment ago in the corridor. She directed me here.”

  “Of course,” Nottingdon murmured, then turned his attention to Judith, took her hand, and raised it to his lips. “It was delightful to see you again, Lady Chester. Do feel free to call upon me if the need ever arises.”

  “Thank you, my lord.” Judith smiled at Nottingdon with a genuine affection that made Gideon’s stomach twist. He ignored it. “But the delight was mine.”

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nbsp; Nottingdon glanced at Gideon. “Plea sure to see you again, Lord Warton.”

  Gideon nodded. “Lord Nottingdon.”

  Nottingdon cast a last smile at Judith, then took his leave, closing the door behind him.

  Gideon looked at Judith. “You were remarkably quiet during all that.”

  She studied him in a cool manner. “I did not wish to interfere.”

  “You saw no need for defense? His or your own perhaps.”

  She shook her head. “Not at all. You and I are neither married nor are we engaged. I did nothing that warranted a defense.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “What if I had indeed decided to shoot him?”

  She shrugged. “I might have said something then.”

  He narrowed his gaze. “You find this all most amusing, don’t you?”

  “I find it somewhat amusing. However.” An admiring smile curved her lips. “You were most impressive, you know.”

  He chuckled. “I was good.”

  “Very good. Particularly that comment about kissing his sister. A lesser man might have seen something that wasn’t there. Might have leaped to the wrong conclusions.”

  “You and I have agreed to honesty between us. We have also agreed that when either of us wishes to end our relationship we can do so without reproach.” He gaze met hers. “I daresay if that happens, I shall not have to find it out by discovering you in the arms of another man.”

  She stared at him. “You trust me, then?”

  “With my life,” he said in an offhand manner. With my heart.

  “I see.” She drew a deep breath. “And there’s nothing to night, that, oh, I don’t know, bothered you in any way?”

  “You mean the fact that Mountford gazed at you like a lovesick cow?”

  Judith choked back a laugh. “Well, that.”

  “By the way, I saw him in the corridor. I sent him in another direction.”

  She grinned. “That wasn’t at all nice.”

  “No, it wasn’t.” He stepped to her and pulled her into his arms. “Or I could have been bothered by the fact that I found you kissing another man. As rational as I might have appeared, I did not like that in the slightest.”

  “And yet your behavior was impeccable.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I was not merely impressed but proud.”

  “You should be.” His lips met hers, and desire, familiar and demanding, rose within him. “Especially since I could have been extraordinarily bothered by all of your old friends being in the same room at the same time.”

  She drew back and looked at him. “You know?”

  “I do.”

  “Susanna told you. I should have known she would have noticed although in that respect I must admit she was more astute than I.” Her gaze searched his. “And you’re not…jealous?”

  “Not in the least,” he said in a lofty manner.

  “Not even a little?”

  “How honest am I supposed to be?”

  She smiled. “Reasonably honest.”

  He stared at her for a moment, then blew a resigned breath. “Blast it all, Judith, of course I’m jealous.” He pulled her harder against him and gazed into her blue eyes. “I am jealous of everyone who came before me in your life: men, women, children. I am jealous of anyone who was ever important to you. I am especially jealous of anyone you ever loved.”

  She stared up at him. “Anyone I ever loved?”

  “I hate the fact that you loved anyone before me.” He drew a deep breath. “Is that reasonably honest enough for you?”

  “Yes, I should think—”

  “Now, Judith, now you may be quiet.” His lips crushed hers and for a long moment he lost himself in the taste of her. Of champagne and delight and something…more. Her body molded against his and he could feel the heat of her through the layers of silk and satin. His body responded and he didn’t care. At last he raised his head and stared down at her. “I have missed you more than I imagined I ever could.”

  Her voice was breathless. “I have missed you as well.”

  “I want you, Judith,” he murmured and kissed the corners of her lips, then trailed his mouth along the line of her jaw. Her head dropped backward and he kissed her neck and tasted the hollow of her throat.

  “Which works out nicely as I”—she gasped—“want you as well. We should probably…oh my…leave I should think…before…”

  “Before…” He raised his head and grinned wickedly. “Before what?”

  “Before…” Her eyes were glazed with desire. “Before…”

  He pulled her tighter against him and wondered if she could feel his arousal. “How much do you want me?”

  “Rather a lot at the moment.” She twined her fingers in his hair and pulled his mouth back to hers. Her tongue met and mated with his, and need bonded them together.

  He wrenched his mouth from hers. “It would be a shame to waste it, then.”

  “Yes…well…”

  Without warning he released her, stalked to the nearest chair, grabbed it, and proceeded to wedge it under the door handle.

  Her brows drew together. “What ever are you doing?”

  He tried the door and it held fast. “That shall ensure all the privacy we need.”

  “Privacy?”

  He started toward her and nodded. “It wouldn’t do for someone to walk in on us.”

  “It would be embarrassing of course but…” Her gaze dropped to the front of his trousers and the all too obvious evidence of his arousal. Her eyes widened and she met his gaze. “You can’t be thinking—”

  “I am indeed.”

  She stepped back. “You’re not serious.”

  He chuckled. “I can’t remember ever being more serious.”

  “We couldn’t possibly.” She moved back.

  “We most certainly could.” He stepped toward her.

  “Well…well, I’ve never.” Her voice was firm but there was a gleam of excitement in her eyes. “We shouldn’t.”

  His hand slipped to the buttons of his trousers. “Why not?”

  “There are dozens of people.” She waved aimlessly, her voice weaker than a moment ago. “Right outside that very door.”

  “Hardly,” he scoffed and continued toward her. “They’re in an entirely different part of the house altogether.”

  “Still.” She stepped back once more and bumped into the billiards table behind her. “Oh dear.”

  He raised a brow. “Trapped, are you?”

  “I suppose I am.” She stared into his eyes. “It appears I have no other choice.”

  “None whatsoever.” He stood within a hand span of her now and knew her desire matched his own.

  She licked her lips, and his stomach tightened. “I suppose the only thing to do is surrender gracefully.”

  “One always appreciates a graceful loser.”

  “Oh, I do not intend to lose.” Her mouth curved upward in a wicked smile. She grabbed his jacket and pulled him closer. “No intention at all.”

  His lips met hers, and hunger gripped him. He wanted her as much now as he had the first time, as much, he suspected, as he would tomorrow. He pushed her back harder against the table and attempted to slide her skirts up her legs. It was like trying to swim against a current. Damnation. “Judith, I cannot, well, get to you. Between your skirt and petticoats, blast it all, I’m drowning in fabric—”

  “Honestly, Gideon, one would think you’ve never done this before.” She choked back a laugh. “In a billiards room, during a ball.”

  “Astonishing, isn’t it?”

  “I would think if you remove my petticoats—”

  “Excellent idea.” He turned her around, leaned close, and kissed the back of her neck.

  She sighed with plea sure, then bent forward and braced her elbows on the billiards table. “If you lift my skirt up, you can remove my petticoats.”

  “Gladly,” he murmured. He pulled up her grown, arranged it over her shoulders, wondered in the back of his
mind why he was being so tidy when what he really wanted to do was rip the clothes from her body, then quickly untied her petticoats and pushed them down to pile around her feet. Her nicely shaped derrière was covered by the sheer linen of her drawers.

  She started to straighten and he firmly pushed her back down.

  “I think not.” He ran his hands over the roundness of her buttocks, caressed her linen-clad bottom, and then gently spread her legs apart, opening wider the split between the legs of the drawers.

  “Gideon?”

  “Hmm?” He could have unbuttoned her drawers and removed them altogether but there was something about her backside and legs covered in fabric, framing her womanhood, that was most erotic. His arousal hardened. He slipped his hand between her legs and she gasped. She was already wet and slick with desire.

  “This isn’t at all civilized of you.” Her voice had that delightful breathless quality he had come to recognize. She wanted him as much as he wanted her.

  “Do you think so?” He knew what she liked, what she wanted, and what drove her mad. He stroked the heated flesh between her legs in a slow, almost methodical manner. It still amazed him how merely touching her brought him to a state of intense arousal. His voice was low. “I should think the room alone would make this quite civilized.”

  “Yes…well…” Her breath came in short little gasps and he knew she was trying to maintain control, trying to resist surrender. Excellent. It would make their joining that much sweeter. And watching her was almost as exciting as touching her. He stroked her with one hand and with the other undid the buttons of his trousers.

  “An English gentleman’s billiards room…” He guided himself into her, sheathed himself in her soft heat. She sucked in a hard breath and he felt her tighten around him. He closed his eyes for a moment and summoned his own control. “Is as much a symbol of his position in the world…” He withdrew slowly, almost completely, then thrust into her just as slowly, deeply, and she throbbed around him. “As his library.” He pulled out. “Or his title.” And plunged again.

  “His position?” Her voice was strangled, as if she could barely form the words.

  “And an excellent position it is,” he murmured. He grasped her hips and increased his rhythm. Her hands splayed out on the top of the table and she made those delightful little whimpering sounds that only increased his ardor. He thrust into her harder and faster and she rocked against him until his control failed. He moaned and thrust once more and exploded within her. Exquisite delight shot through him, intensified, no doubt, by the inappropriateness of their surroundings.