An Earl to Enchant: The Rogues' Dynasty

by Amelia Grey

  “Give me an example.”

  “I tried my best never to remember anything the man said and usually don’t until you say something that sounds like one of his quotes.”

  “All right,” she said, “I think it’s time we return to our original conversation anyway. Will you show me what happens between a man and a woman when they are all alone on the coast and sitting half dressed under the moonlight?”

  She’s not going to give up.

  Arianna sat on her buttocks and leaned back, supporting herself with her hands open on the ground. The simple white shift she wore lay invitingly against her breasts, her stomach, and the upper part of her legs. He should have insisted she put her cape back on the minute they made it back to Redmond.

  The narrow ribbon that held her gown together at her throat had come untied, revealing the hollow of her throat, the gentle slope of her shoulder, and the beautiful rounded swell of her breasts. He glanced down at her foot. Her ankle was cupped in his hands, the sole of her foot resting snugly against his abdomen.

  Her gorgeous hair spilled invitingly around her shoulders. He remembered that it smelled like a day that had been kissed with sunshine, and it felt like the finest of silk from the Orient.

  “You don’t intend to answer me, do you?” she said.

  His gaze held steady on hers, and he said, “Don’t tempt me, Arianna. I’m not as strong as you obviously think I am.”

  Her gaze whipped down his chest to where he held her foot firmly in his hands, pressed between his legs, and then quickly back up to his eyes. “You look enormously strong to me.”

  “As Lord Chesterfield was so fond of saying: ‘Looks can be deceiving.’”

  “I won’t let you divert the conversation back to him again, Morgan. I’m asking you to show me what comes after kisses and caresses between a man and a woman. Do you not want to?”

  Morgan was hurting. He wanted her so badly. He was a fool to think he could bring her out here, look at her, touch her, and not take her. He wanted her too much. Why did she have to be so eager and so damned responsive to his every touch? Why did she have to encourage him instead of rebuff him?

  He told himself to push her away, leave her alone, get on Redmond, and ride like hounds from hell were nipping at his ankles, but he stayed put, caressing her foot. He had lost his willpower to move away from her.

  He swallowed hard and managed to say, “Hell, yes, I want to, Arianna. I am not made of stone.”

  She moved as if to rise up and meet him, but he lifted his hand and said, “No, stay where you are. I want to show you, but I will not.”

  A gust of wind blew a strand of hair across her face, and she delicately moved it behind her ear, exposing her beautiful slender neck.

  “I know what I’m asking is unconventional.”

  “Immensely so, Arianna.”

  “I don’t think you are giving me enough credit, Morgan. I am old enough to know what I want and to understand what I’m asking of you.”

  He sighed heavily. “No, I don’t think you do. There are always consequences to what you are asking, and I’m not prepared to accept them.”

  A warm breeze drifted across his face, and he closed his eyes and took a deep, solid breath, wishing the wind had been chilling so it could cool the heat in his loins. He opened his eyes and saw her watching him with wonder, with hunger in her eyes, and he knew what he must do.

  He moved her foot so he could run his palm under her arch. He let his fingers slide in between her toes, and his gaze slid up her ankle, to her long and shapely leg, to her knee.

  Right now, the way she was looking at him, the way he was feeling about her, he didn’t care if he ever got her back to the house. He was thinking, propriety be damned, and innocence could go to the devil. Would it really be so bad to be leg-shackled if it was to this tempting lady before him, who was so eager for his touch and all that he could show her and all he could make her feel?

  “You think I would make demands on you, don’t you?” she questioned him in a soft voice.

  “It has crossed my mind,” he admitted honestly, his open palm moving to her thigh with light caresses.

  Every time he rubbed up, he went a little farther up her leg. With as little distraction as possible, he rose up from the back of his legs to rest his weight on his knees so he could continue on his present course. He caressed past her knee and let his hand disappear beneath the hem of her nightshift.

  “I know you have no reason to trust in what I say, but I assure you I would not cry foul should anything unfortunate befall me from actions you took at my request.”

  His hand inched farther up until he found her soft inner thigh, letting his fingers stop and hover just short of the center of her legs.

  Her breathing quickened. Her eyes rounded with surprise. As he very lightly touched her warm skin, making it pebble with anticipation of what was to come, she gasped and trembled. It felt damn good to see how he was making her feel.

  “I do believe it is easy enough to say that now, Arianna, while you want the education I could give you.”

  Education? Had he really said that?

  He stroked down with the pads of his fingers and up with the backs of his nails, loving the feel of her bare, heated skin. Her lips were slightly parted. Her shallow breaths were short and choppy, making her chest heave. He watched and savored the tremors of expectancy that shook her body.

  “I suppose,” she said in a breathy voice, “that it is easier for me to say than it is for you to believe.”

  “Most definitely.”

  Morgan smiled. He was having the desired effect on her. She was having trouble focusing on their conversation, and Morgan loved the way he was making her feel. He moved his fingers to her innermost warmth, and she gasped again.

  Her body tensed and then tightened. Her thighs caught his arm like a clamp. A trace of fear outlined her eyes, but he knew it would soon disappear and be replaced with a sensation so glorious that it couldn’t be adequately described by mere words.

  It was almost killing him to do it, but somehow, from somewhere, he had found his willpower. He remembered when Gibby had talked about how a pugilist had to find his bottom to know the depth of his strength, and Morgan was determined to find his inner strength, too.

  He took his time, keeping his gaze riveted on her eyes, teasing her, barely touching her center, but treasuring every moment.

  “Open for me, Arianna,” he whispered huskily.

  She hesitated, but that didn’t surprise him. She knew what she wanted, but she was still unsure about what exactly would happen. Her thighs parted only a little.

  “Open for me,” he whispered again.

  When her thighs slowly relaxed against his arm, he parted the folds of her womanhood and found her soft, moist center with his thumb. He was careful not to enter her. It would give her more pleasure, but that was more than he was willing to take from her future husband. He only rubbed, circled, and explored her riches.

  He took his time and was careful how, when, and where he touched her. He didn’t want this experience to go too fast for her or for him. Even though it was exquisite pain for him, he wanted her to enjoy and savor the spreading, languorous warmth of being awakened to hot, indescribable desire, and then feasting on the climax of it.

  And she was getting close.

  Her raspy intake of breath thrilled him. His body protested its absence of participation in what was obviously giving her so much pleasure, but he savored every minuscule touch of her. The center of her desire was where he wanted to be with the heavy thickness between his legs, but he would settle for the gentle touch of his fingers and give her what she desired.

  “I’m not sure what you are doing to me, Morgan, but is it supposed to make me feel like my heart might stop beating?”

  He chuckled softly. “That is exactly how you are supposed to feel.”

  “I might stop breathing, too,” she whispered breathlessly.

  “If your heart stops b
eating, you will definitely stop breathing, but I don’t think either of those things will actually happen.”

  She had wanted to know how a man could make a woman feel, and he was showing her the shortcut way. By doing this, they would both be somewhat satisfied. After it was over, she would still be a virgin, and while she wouldn’t exactly be untouched, he wouldn’t feel duty bound to marry her.

  Her dampness gave him the indication that she was ready, so he slipped his thumb over to the small nub of her core, and within seconds her thighs slammed against his hand and arm. She closed her eyes, threw her head back, and moaned softly, her body pumping against his hand and arm. And then slowly, slowly, she stopped, relaxed, and fell back onto the ground, gasping for breath.

  Morgan looked at her and smiled even as his body protested that it too needed release. Her face was serene, beautiful. He had never pleasured a woman without taking his own pleasure, too. But tonight, it seemed the right thing for him to do, and somehow he’d managed. He felt quite good about that.

  He had enjoyed giving her pleasure, and now she wanted to lie still and bask in the glow of fulfillment, but he couldn’t allow that. Dawn was fast approaching, and they would have to ride like the wind to get her back inside her room before the servants started stirring.

  One thing was for sure; he now knew that he would have to see her while he was in London. There was no way he could not call on her and see that all was well with her. He didn’t know why he hadn’t told Arianna or Constance that he would be traveling to London as well in a few days. He rather liked the idea of surprising them both. He would give Arianna time to get settled, and then he would pay her a visit.

  “Arianna, I hate to disturb your peacefulness, but we must go.”

  She opened her eyes, pulled her nightshift over her legs, and sat up. “I’ve never felt that way before. It was as if one moment I was soaring through the air without wings, and then suddenly I exploded. What did you do to me?”

  Morgan smiled, chuckled low in his throat, and started pulling on his stockings. “There are a number of different ways to explain it, but I think the best way for me to say it to you is simply to say that I satisfied you, did I not?”

  “Without question. Completely.”

  Hearing her say that made him feel damned good. “That is what I set out to do.”

  “But what about you?”

  “What do you mean?” he asked, rolling down the legs of his riding breeches.

  “I have not satisfied you, and while I don’t know everything about the intimate life between a man and a woman, I do know I was supposed to do the same for you.”

  He grabbed a boot and shoved his foot inside. “That is not always the case, Arianna. In some cases, such as this, it is perfectly acceptable for one person to be satisfied and not the other.”

  Concern shadowed her face, and he thought he saw a touch of sadness in her eyes. She grabbed one of her shoes and slipped it on her foot.

  “Why the long face?” he asked.

  “Your explanation seems unfair,” she argued, putting on her other shoe.

  He rose and settled his feet into his boots. “Nonsense, Arianna.”

  “It’s not nonsense. I’m disappointed you didn’t want me to satisfy you. Is it that you didn’t think me capable?”

  “Of course not. That’s not true.” He then bent down and took her hands in his and helped her rise. He looked directly into her eyes and said, “Hear my words: my desire for you is great, but my desire to keep you an innocent miss is far greater. Do you understand what I am saying?”

  The concern on her face deepened. “Of course, I understand. I am not a simpleton. I do not agree with you.”

  He frowned. “You don’t agree with what?”

  “I do not agree with keeping me a maiden.”

  Morgan took a deep breath, reached down and picked up his coat, and shook it. He shoved his arms into the sleeves and fitted it over his shoulders while thinking about how to respond to her.

  He looked at Arianna and with blunt honesty said, “Then the only option you have is to find someone else willing to relieve you of that, Arianna. I will not.”

  Fifteen

  My Dearest Grandson Lucas,

  What do you have to say about these wise words from Lord Chesterfield? “When evils are incurable, it may be the part of one friend to conceal them from another.”

  Your loving Grandmother,

  Lady Eldr

  “You shouldn’t be helping me with the work, Miss Ari, it isn’t right.”

  “I believe I told you I didn’t want to hear such nonsense as that again, Beabe,” Arianna said, reaching into another barrel and gently pulling out a large piece of bright red cloth. She carefully laid it on the kitchen table of her new home and opened the bundle.

  “But you have more important things to do than maid’s work.”

  “At the moment it is important to me that I preserve as many of my father’s vials, potions, and tonics as possible. It’s more than an hour before I have to leave to meet with Mr. Warburton. Besides, I am letting you and the other servants take care of most of the unpacking. Which leads me to ask, how are you getting along with the new staff?”

  “Me?” Beabe said as she opened a small box and looked inside. “I’m getting along fine with them, but I think they are wary of me.”

  “You? Why would they? You are one of the most pleasant people I know.”

  “I think it’s because I’ve been with you for over ten years, and they think I will get special treatment.”

  “And you will.”

  Beabe’s hands went still, her eyes widened, and her mouth formed an oh. Arianna laughed at her maid’s shocked expression.

  “Don’t look so surprised. Remember, you saved my life when we were put off that ship in Egypt. You found us a safe place to stay, and you took care of me. You will always be special to me.”

  “It was mostly your father’s medicines that saved your life, Miss Ari.”

  “But you were there to give them to me. But don’t worry, I will make sure that Lady Raceworth’s former employees know that I’m very pleased they stayed on and will now work for me. And in time they will see that I’m fair with them.”

  “They should have known that when you didn’t turn off any of them after you took possession of the house.”

  “I do believe they were all pleased about that. And I don’t mind earning their respect and their trust,” she answered and looked at the label on the bottle she was holding. “And you shouldn’t either.”

  “I don’t. They won’t have cause to find fault with me.”

  “Good, because I am so pleased to be settled, Beabe. I never dreamed we could lease a house so quickly. And that it was already staffed and had enough furniture for us to get by until I can purchase more was a godsend. And it’s the perfect size for me. I had fears of it taking weeks to get settled.”

  “Mrs. Pepperfield knows how to get things done; that’s for sure.”

  Arianna unwrapped another bottle from the red cloth and looked at it. Her stomach did a flip. It was the same mixture that she had given to Morgan when he hurt his hip. Suddenly, vivid memories flashed through her mind of when she was nestled with Morgan on his horse, to their passionate kisses in her room, to when she was sitting on the coast with his hands divinely working their magic on her body. She squeezed her eyes shut and lightly shook her head. Taking a deep breath, she placed the dried concoction in line with all the other small bottles with cork tops. She hoped the day would come when she could think of Lord Morgandale and not feel such overwhelming longing.

  It had been a week since she’d seen him, but already it felt like years. He had been most circumspect on the morning she left Valleydale. He didn’t come below stairs until it was time for her and Constance to board the large, comfortable coach that had brought them to London. He had been the perfect gentleman when he walked them outside, chatting easily about how the remarkably good weather would make their journ
ey shorter.

  She would have loved to have seen a possessive smile from him or feel a brief squeeze of her fingers as he helped her board the coach, but he had been the perfect, distant gentleman, leaving her no doubt that he felt none of the things for her that she had felt for him. There was nothing about his manner or his words that would have suggested that only a few hours earlier, he’d awakened her womanly desires and showed them how to flourish.

  Arianna took in a deep, cleansing breath, trying to clear her thoughts. She missed the earl desperately and wanted to see him again so badly that there was a constant ache in her chest. She had decided that after she finished her work for her father, she would make a visit to Valleydale to thank him for all his help.

  She reached into the bottom of the barrel and pulled out a piece of dark blue fabric. In India, she had lined all the barrels with straw and then used fabrics as an extra cushion for the contents on the long voyage, knowing she could make the material into dresses when she settled in London. She ran her hand over the very fine cloth, feeling its slightly rough texture. She immediately knew the fabric would be a stunning color for Morgan. It would highlight his beautiful blue eyes.

  As Arianna stared at the fabric, an idea popped into her mind. She would have a banyan made out of the fabric for Morgan. She had read somewhere that the long coat with a banded collar, that had long been fashionable in India, had become quite popular in England, too. Though the article stated that most of the gentlemen who had them wore them only in their homes and not out in Society. Presenting the coat to him for his kindness toward her would be the perfect reason to visit Valleydale and see him again.

  Arianna hugged the fabric to her chest and smiled.

  “What’s made you so happy?” Beabe asked.

  “Oh,” Arianna said, having forgotten for a moment that her maid was in the room, “I was just thinking how delighted I am that all of these bottles and jars seem to have made the trip across the seas in perfect condition.”

  “Excuse me, Miss Sweet.”

  Arianna turned to see her new housekeeper, Mrs. Hartford, standing in the doorway.