London Lace, Series Complete Set

by Catou Martine

“Oh, that’s right. I’ll have to remedy that.”

  She leaned forward, kissed him on the lips to shut him up, and murmured, “For now, let’s remedy this.”

  She guided him into her, the gusset of her pulled-aside thong tugging with the pressure of their joining and adding an extra sensation. Todd had yanked his Oxford up over his belly. He rolled his hips into her, going as deep as he could, watching her arch to receive him. The firelight made them both glow.

  Eliza had one knee on the couch and one foot on the floor as she straddled Todd. This gave her more purchase and control of her movements. She rocked with a steady rhythm. He moaned. His hands cupped her ass and squeezed.

  “Can I touch you?” he said.

  “Mmmmm….” Her head was thrown back and she focused on accelerating her rhythm.

  Todd’s hands roamed over her ass, his fingers slid along the crack until they found her other opening, the one that nothing went into. He pressed and she gasped, opening her eyes.

  “Is it all right?” he whispered as he moved with her rhythm. Was it? She closed her eyes. He probed a little deeper, his finger wet with her juices. It felt invasive at first, but then stimulating. She was so aroused, on the brink of coming as their bodies undulated in sync. She relaxed more, opened to his exploring finger. She leaned forward, her hands on the arm of the couch just behind his head. This allowed her to lift higher off of him, and she looked down, watched his cock driving up into her. He held one finger at her anus opening, so that when she slid her pussy down over his cock, his finger went deeper. She whimpered at the pain-pleasure of it. And she was surprised to find she liked it. She moaned deeper, which set Todd off on his own faster rhythm. He groaned, using his other hand to push her thigh down so there were no gaps between them. He started to move under her, shifting their position, pushing himself up to sitting, and pulling Eliza close to his chest, burying her hips into his.

  “Eliza, don’t leave,” he said. “Don’t leave me. I need you, I want you.” He squeezed her close. She was rubbing so close against him she began trembling from the seismic shudderings in her clit and pussy. Her muscles clenched and unclenched.

  “I’m coming,” gasped Todd.

  “Me too,” whispered Eliza. “I’m coming. And I’m staying.”

  Her climax rippled out from her groin to her extremities. Her fingers tingled. Todd clutched her as his cock flexed and released deep inside her.

  “I hear bells, Todd.” And she really did.

  “I do, too.”

  Tinkling melodious bells ringing in the distance. They stopped and then they started again. Maybe it was a sign.

  Bells. It made Eliza think of wedding bells. She smiled. Todd wasn’t marrying Melissa Selfridge. He wasn’t marrying anybody, no matter what the rag readers of London thought. He wanted her. To stay. To not leave. He needed her. He wanted her.

  The bells rang again while they breathed deeply in each others’ arms.

  And then there was a rap at the library door, the door, Eliza was chagrined to realized, that was still partially open.

  “Todd?” called a sweet inquisitive voice. “Are you in there?”

  Todd and Eliza scrambled to right themselves on the couch. She pulled down her now-crushed velvet dress. Todd fumbled for his zipper. But no one stepped into the room.

  “If you’re there, if you’re listening…” The voice giggled. “Dinner is ready.”

  “Be right there, Christine.” Todd cleared his throat. “Go on in ahead of us,” he added.

  Did Eliza actually see a blush creeping across his cheeks?

  She giggled herself. “Big brother caught with his pants down?”

  He rolled his eyes at her. She closed hers and kissed him passionately on his perfectly sculpted and oh-so-luscious lips. And she finally, just a tiny bit, let herself wonder if maybe she was falling in love.

  LONDON LACE #4

  FAREWELL JEZEBEL

  Todd kneeled down next to his dying mare Jezebel while the vet, Dr. Miles, loaded his .32 caliber pistol.

  Albert and Marjorie stood over by the barn door next to a folding table. Marjorie had brought in a pot of strong tea and several cups. Christina and Melissa, at home with this intimate group, leaned into each other holding hands. Christina’s eyes looked very sad; she had known Jez almost as long as her half-brother Todd, and her empathy for his loss showed plain on her pretty, young face.

  Dinner earlier had been delightful, despite the imminent, ominous event at hand. Melissa and Christina had turned out to be lovely gregarious girls and, as soon as they knew that Todd had explained their relationship to Eliza, they relaxed into themselves and beamed their appreciation at Eliza. Together they kept glancing at Todd and then at her and then back again, giggling and whispering to each other. It would have bothered Eliza except she knew that they were just so happy and surprised that Todd had a ‘girlfriend’.

  “He doesn’t bring anyone home for dinner,” Christina had said. “Not since that bag, Jo-Jo before Papa died.”

  Todd had shut her up with a glare but his lips were smiling. He was happy, too. And Eliza was happy. Happy to finally understand that Christina was Todd’s half sister, not his lover, and Melissa was his sister’s lover, not his fiancé. It wasn’t exactly a normal situation but it had improved significantly since Eliza had hopped into Albert’s car and driven down to Devonshire that morning.

  Melissa had been very apologetic about misleading the London public and it mattered a great deal to her that Eliza understood her situation and she expressed sincere regret about the bad timing.

  “It’s not like Todd falls in love very often.”

  “Like never,” Christina had added.

  That simple implication had made Eliza blush and nearly burst with pleasure. Understanding Todd through their eyes was making Eliza realize how much he really did care about her—maybe he was in love with her, as they suggested—and the settling of her doubts, which had sprung up like weeds over these past weeks, was opening a part of her heart she hadn’t known existed. The fear and excitement this vulnerability inspired made the dinner of roast quail taste richer, the lemon tart sweeter, the colors of the dining room more vibrant, and the company of the girls more tender and meaningful. And when Eliza had had the courage to turn her attention from the girls and glance at Todd, the focus in his blue eyes was fiercer, the shape of his lips more luscious, and her desire for him more insistent than ever.

  Their jocular dinner, with pent up tensions released, had kept at bay the sad event to come that evening.

  During coffee in the salon they had all grown more somber as they waited for Dr. Miles to arrive. They all tried to comfort Todd.

  “She had a good long life and a good home,” said Melissa, praising Todd for his care.

  “Remember that time after she had Dante when she wouldn’t let any other horses near him? She’d chase them away, and the handlers, too? All except Todd, because Dante would sneak around her to go to him.” Christina laughed with her memories and pulled a smile out of Todd.

  “I only met Jezebel for the first time today,” said Eliza. “I never saw her in her prime, but I know, from all of you, what an exceptional creature she is, and how much she has given this family. You’re lucky to have had her, and she’s been blessed to have had you all love her so much.”

  Todd held out his hand to Eliza and drew her close on the couch beside him. She was aware of his leg alongside hers, of every one of his breaths, of the weight of his sadness, and she wanted to lift some of it away but all she could really do was be there with him.

  She was so relieved that she hadn’t stormed off earlier that afternoon. He needed his loved ones around him. She started to feel all choked up when she realized she was one of those now. One of his loved ones. Not with the history and depth of connection he had with Melissa and Christina, even Albert and Marjorie. But she was someone whom Todd had decided to let get close. She was sitting here with him, with the family he had chosen after losing first
his mother and then his father. The other Montgomerys weren’t here, the ones who wanted more from him, who thought his focus on horses lacked seriousness and acumen. They were not part of this intimate circle. But Eliza was, and she felt blessed.

  By the time they proceeded to the barn, there was little left to say. Jezebel lay in the same position from this afternoon. Her breathing seemed more labored. She tried to lift her head when Todd entered whispering her name. He kneeled down to be close to her, so she didn’t have to try to exert strength she didn’t have to lift her head to greet him. He fondled her ears, stroked her nose, and murmured soothingly to her. He kept his face turned away from the group and focused on Jez. Eliza guessed he shed some tears as she watched his shoulders rise and fall gently.

  “It’s time now,” said Dr. Miles, his sleeves rolled up. His pistol was cocked and ready, aimed toward the roof of the barn. Eliza had thought he’d use a needle, but apparently that was not the standard procedure. An injection was easier for people to witness, it being quiet and leaving the impression of a horse falling asleep, but it had the effect of shutting down an animal’s systems and organs one by one, the brain being the last. A single shot to the skull was instantaneous. It seemed horrific to Eliza, and she wasn’t sure she could remain in the barn to hear the shot, but she wanted to support Todd, and she knew he wouldn’t leave Jez in her final moments. Despite Eliza’s poor and rough upbringing, she realized that life on a farm dealing with animals gave one a stronger stomach for handling certain realities.

  Melissa and Christina moved aside to let the doctor pass. Two tears slid across Christina’s dimpled cheeks. Eliza stepped forward and laid her hand on Todd’s shoulder.

  “Are you ready? Have you said goodbye?”

  He nodded and ran his fingers through his hair. He stood up and faced the doctor.

  “Thank you for all your help, Doctor Miles. For trying everything. I know this is the best thing but it is also very painful.”

  Eliza was reminded of Todd’s words about enduring pain and how our good memories help us to get through the difficult times.

  She rose up on tiptoes and whispered to Todd. “The first time you took me to the races I saw Dante’s Fire run, he was like magic, full of speed and grace. Jezebel lives on in him, and the others she’s foaled. Think of them now. Remember her this way.”

  Todd smiled and nodded to the doctor.

  “Someone once said that the only prayer you ever need say is ‘thank you’. Thank you, Jezebel. Farewell.” Todd’s voice broke at the end.

  Everyone except Dr. Miles and Todd left the stall. It just seemed right to leave Todd alone with Jez for her final minutes. When Eliza turned for her last look back, she saw Todd had kneeled down again and was gently hobbling Jez’s weak legs together.

  The five of them waited outside the stall in the lantern light. Eliza cupped her ears when she heard Todd give the okay. A shot reverberated through the barn. As the echo faded, a thick silence stole in.

  Marjorie sighed, “Well, that’s that.” She quietly poured and served tea.

  Dr. Miles joined them a moment later. Shaking his head, he said, “That’s one of the hardest parts of my job.”

  About ten minutes later, Todd emerged from the stall. His eyes were red-rimmed but his expression was stoic. He unlatched the second stall door, leaving a wide gateway for moving the body in the morning.

  “Thank you,” he said to them all. “For being here with me. It meant a lot.” He reached out a hand toward Eliza. She took it.

  “Let’s go,” he said, and he led her out of the barn.

  As they walked away together, Eliza heard the light clatter of Marjorie collecting the tea dishes while Melissa and Christina mumbled with Dr. Miles. All this faded into the background as she and Todd crunched across the gravel back to the house. Todd didn’t say anything until they were close to the back door.

  “I’d like you to stay with me in my room tonight, if that’s all right with you.”

  Eliza nodded. Of course it was all right with her. She wanted to be close to him. She’d wanted that as soon as she’d seen him standing outside her door in the middle of the night. Even if her mind fought her on the details, her body—her heart—was clear in its desire.

  Todd drew her close and embraced her. It felt different. He leaned into her in a way he never had before. He hugged her like a dear friend, like a life raft keeping him afloat. This embrace was not full of sexy passion, a desire to claim or possess or dominate, or full of an uncontrollable urge for pleasure and release, it was solid, steady, reliable, giving rather than demanding. It was different. It was deep.

  He pulled away and looked into her eyes. The redness had cleared and his brilliant blue gaze shone down on her. He smiled, and Eliza was grateful that his arms were still firmly around her waist and holding her steady. She felt a surge of emotion rise up from her chest, making her cheeks flare pinkly and causing her eyes to blink rapidly. She knew then. She knew. And a part of her wanted to flee. Another part wanted to cling to that same life raft, to hold on for dear life because hers had suddenly changed; she was no longer a free agent building her career, rising to the top of London fashion, moving further and further away from her shabby roots, and keeping her heart in a box to be viewed but not claimed. She was no longer who she once was; she could feel herself becoming more now. And she was frightened.

  “Come,” said Todd. He led her up the stairs toward his room.

  At the top of the stairs they turned to the left. Todd’s room was at the other end of house, exactly opposite where Eliza’s was situated.

  “I didn’t realize you put me as far away from you as possible.”

  “I didn’t want you to think I had expectations.”

  “What if I did?” she said ruefully.

  He chuckled lightly. After this evening, she knew he wasn’t in much of a laughing mood, but she did want to cheer him up as best she could.

  “Then I assumed you’d put in the efforts to get those expectations fulfilled.”

  She smiled. “But now you’re making it easier for me?”

  He shook his head. “Actually, I’m trying to make it easier for me.” He sighed heavily as his sadness returned. “Eliza, I might not be up for… I mean, all this has been pretty emotional for me.”

  She squeezed his hand. “No expectations.”

  His room, or rather rooms were decked out in reds, pale golds, mahogany wood, and leather. A dark marble mantel framed a flickering fire. A mirror hung above the fireplace, which dominated the wall directly across from the bed, a heavy four-poster canopy seemingly built for a king— plus a queen and a bunch of courtiers. It was huge.

  “Is this what they call a California King?” said Eliza running her fingers along the velvet foot blanket.

  Todd shrugged. “It’s the biggest I could get. I like my space.”

  “So I can see.”

  She padded over the thick-pile carpet taking in the small details. On the walls were several oil paintings of horses. Of course. On the mantel was black and white photo in a silver frame.

  “Are these your parents?”

  “The day they were married.”

  His mother had been a refined beauty, yet something in her smile and her gaze looked mischievous, playful. The groom, Todd’s father, looked besotted.

  “Her dress is gorgeous.” It was simple and stunning, the lace a delicate weave cupping her bosom and framing her narrow waist. Another thin sheath overlay the long bell-shaped skirt that fell to her ankles. And another piece, flecked with pearls, cascaded along the length of her hair—the veil, that which first hides and then reveals a bride’s love.

  Eliza turned away from the picture, away from the mesmerizing yet disturbing image of a happy couple.

  Todd sat down in one of the leather chairs beside the fire and took his shoes off. Once he had both off, she picked them up and carried them to his closet.

  “You don’t have to do that,” he said.

  “I
know.” But it gave her a chance to do something for him, and take a peek in his closet. In addition to a few suits (which she’d only seen him wearing once, in the tabloid photograph with Melissa), she noticed several stacks of trousers, jumpers, and Oxfords.

  “All my clothes are in my room,” said Eliza.

  “You shouldn’t need anything.”

  “I should at least go get my toothbrush.”

  “But you’ll come back?”

  “Of course,” she said. It was odd seeing him like this, so sad, so vulnerable, like an insecure boy. She walked over and kissed his forehead.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll just be a few minutes.”

  She followed the wide hall back to the main stairs, passed them, and continued along to the west wing. Just before opening her door, she heard someone say her name.

  Christine had just turned into the hall after climbing the main stairs. Melissa was right behind. “Eliza. I’m glad we caught you. I just spoke to Dr. Miles…”

  “What did he say?”

  “He made arrangements with Gelson over at the dairy farm to take care of the body. The backhoe will be here around half past nine tomorrow. I was thinking maybe Todd shouldn’t be here.”

  Melissa stepped forward. “We can take care of those details. We thought maybe you could invite Todd out to ride, to get his mind off it all.”

  “It’s what makes him happiest,” added Christine, nodding.

  After Eliza’s shenanigans earlier she wasn’t sure Todd would let her ride one of his horses again, for her sake and the horse’s.

  “I’ll try,” said Eliza. “They say you should get right back on, don’t they?”

  “I just don’t want him to see Jez like that. You know, hauled away like so much glue.”

  “Chrissy!” Melissa hit her on the arm.

  “I didn’t mean it like that. Her spirit’s gone. That body’s just a shell now. And these are the crummy details.”

  “So can you get him out of the house tomorrow?” said Melissa.

  “Sure, I’ll think of something.”