“Am I in your house?”
His eyes returned to her. “No, you’re at Lorena’s. I carried you to this room.”
“Oh,” she whispered. “Then why are you here?”
“Because you’re here.”
“Oh.”
Warmth spread from her belly and lower.
Then, very slowly, he lowered himself until his body settled on hers.
His eyes narrowed. “Now, where were we?”
She began to panic but her words were smothered by the warmth of his mouth and heat exploded on her skin. Alice closed her eyes. Gooseflesh rose on her and her hand went to his head to hold him steady. His body grew heavy as the kiss went on and when his knees nudged hers apart, she allowed him between her legs.
The moment his hardness pressed to her secret place, Alice shook and her body strained to get closer.
With a breath, she breathed in the scent of soap and warm skin. She couldn’t deny the thought that she’d dreamed of him coming to her this way. She’d gone to sleep hoping he would be there in the morning or even sneak in to visit her while she dreamed but never had she believed it would happen. Her life was far from the tales of princesses she’d read as a child. She’d known there to be no Prince Charming to save her.
Even now, she suspected he only came to her in obligation. She’d been hurt on his behalf and now he felt like she owed a part of him when she didn’t. But the hand that touched her bare knee came as a shock, and she gasped before she turned her face away from him but his mouth seemed intent on touching her. He moved his lips to her jaw and throat.
She brought her arms up to push him away and groaned as warmth swept through her, taking with it all the remains of her earlier desire.
He pulled away then and stared at her. Then he placed one hand behind her back and the other at her neck before gently sitting her up, his body cradling hers. For some reason, his touched seemed more intimate than his kiss and Alice knew she had to get away.
They faced one another on the bed.
He reached for her hand.
She avoided him and her injured arm and slipped from the bed to see she’d been dressed in a night-rail made of the softest cotton she’d ever worn. She’d barely noticed how heavenly it felt against her body before she was spun around and Calvin was holding her close again. Though she could gain physical distance from him, she decided to keep herself emotionally distant.
“You mustn't be here.”
“Why?” He pulled her closer and dipped his head, placing his lips on hers. “There’s no place I’d rather be.”
Alice’s heart fluttered, and then she was released as Calvin took her arm, pushed up her loose, billowing sleeve, and took a look at her bandage.
Then he let her go. “I’ll redress it.” He started for a basin that had been set in the room by the door.
“I can do it myself.”
“I hardly think you can manage to wrap one arm with the other.”
It did seem rather complicated. “I can try.”
“No need.” He placed what he needed on the table and motioned for her to have a seat.
“Lorena can help me.”
“I’ll do it.”
“There’s no need.”
He crossed his arms and said, “Correct me if I am in error. Was it your arm that was injured last night or your hearing?”
Rage burned through her and she balled her fist. “You mustn’t be here.”
“I will leave once I see to your needs,” he told her. “Dr. Hanford advised the wound be checked twice a day to make sure that infection doesn’t set in. If it does, you could lose the arm, which I am sure is something that would not please you.”
Rage turned to fear.
“Alice, come.”
Fear mingled with raged. “I am not a dog to be summoned—”
It barely took him five strides to meet her. He lifted her, strolled back to the table, and placed her in the seat.
She made herself comfortable as she heard him mutter something that sounded very close to, “Maddening woman.”
He stared at her sleeve again and Alice prepared to pull away at the feel of his ungloved hand when his words broke her thoughts “I’ve never cared for a woman before.” There was a faint smile in his eyes as he glanced at her before rolling the sleeve up.
Alice’s mind called for her to create distance. “I’m sure you’d have done the same for any woman you felt obligated to.”
He lifted his eyes at her as he continued to roll up the sleeve. “There are not many women I feel any obligation toward.”
“I suppose not many cads would,” she said as she gazed at the empty fireplace.
His fingers stilled, and she looked at him. Once she caught his eyes, he said, “I’ll admit, I’ve had my share of women but what exactly is it that you think occurs when I seek a woman out for pleasure?” He looked and sounded angry.
Rose’s face came to mind. “I’d rather not think about it.” She was growing angry as well but fought to keep herself calm.
“Every woman I’ve been with was willing and understood what was taking place between us when it occurred. I have never forced myself on a woman.”
“Of that, I have no illusion.”
He leaned over to look at her wound. It was small but a vicious red. Where the stitches lay, the skin puckered, and Alice knew it would leave a scar.
Calvin pulled away. “Never have I touched a virgin.”
She gave him a direct glare. “Aren’t you forgetting someone?”
Calvin narrowed his eyes as though he were truly trying to remember. “I have no idea who you could be referring to.” He reached for a small dish of Butler’s and Co.’s Pommade Divine, stuck a finger inside, and then began to rub the favored salve of the upper class over her puckered flesh in sweet tender motions that she hardly felt. The smell of cinnamon and cloves filled the small space between them.
Calvin lifted his head and their noses almost touched. “Now you’ll smell delicious all day. How am I ever supposed to continue to resist taking you?”
Alice heard her heart racing in her ears. “You’ve been resisting?”
He lifted a brow. “You still have your clothes on, don’t you?”
Her eyes widened at his arrogance. “Your hand was under my skirt and you were touching my knee before I pushed you away. It is I who have stopped you.”
His lips tilted up and he leaned forward, licking her lower lip.
Alice closed her eyes and let out a trembling breath.
Then he kissed her and, against her lips, whispered, “There are other things that can be done with just my hand underneath your dress without me ever removing my breeches. Many things I can do and many ways to bring you pleasure.” She felt the air in the room touch her calves and realized one of his hands was moving her dress up until his hand rested on her inner thigh. “Would you like to find them out?”
She did. Her heart did. Her trembling body did. Her mind, however, did not. “Rose.”
“What?” He was still kissing her.
“Rose is a virgin,” Alice said.
Calvin stilled against her mouth before pulling away and dropping his hand. “Rose is not a virgin.”
Alice narrowed her eyes. “Of course she is. She’s an unwed lady.”
Calvin seemed done with the topic and started to wrap her arm.
“Calvin?” Alice called. “She is, isn’t she?”
“Once more,” he told her.
“What?”
He stilled his hands and met her eyes. “I’ll allow you to mention what happened between your cousin and I once more and then never again. I’ll not let it hang over us forever.” Then he continued to wrap her as though his word was final.
Alice straightened in her chair, which took her arm away from him, and she was lucky to find that he was done. It was time for the arrogant male to leave. She stood and said, “There is no us.”
He stood, grabbed the back of her head, and brought
her until their heads touched once more. “Don’t you know?”
“Know what?”
“Us has just begun.” Then he kissed her hard, broke away, and left through the door.
Alice took a few moments to breathe before she moved to the door, taking note of how splendid the carpeting felt beneath her bare feet, and pressed her body to the wall as she peered around it.
Calvin was gone and his parting words had given her much to think about, like his definition of the word ‘us’.
She put thoughts of him aside and looked down a well-appointed hallway. It was overflowing with art and décor like her room that in its own way blended beautifully.
The sound of voices gave her pause and she recognized the one that responded and headed in her direction. She found the door open with sunlight spilling into the hall and turned to find Lorena standing in the center of the room with Genie, Maura, and Sophia sitting in chairs around her. A maid was at Lorena’s back, fastening her dress together.
Alice looked around the boudoir and thought it a beautiful pink room that held less décor than the hall and the room she’d slept in.
Sophia’s eyes found her first and she smiled. “Oh, wonderful, you’re up. I brought you some dresses since you and I seem about the same height. The dress you wore last night had to be thrown away, as blood is not in fashion.” She stood and started across the room.
“Good morning!” Lorena told her while continuing to stand perfectly still for her maid.
“Why am I at your house and not my own?” Alice asked.
“Your father never showed,” Genie told her. “The servants couldn’t find him.”
Alice frowned. “He wasn’t at his club?”
Genie shook her head.
Alice shook hers as well and readily assumed her father had been with a woman. He wasn’t the best looking of men but he was still the most charming man she knew. He could get the meanest of women to smile and did so regularly whenever wives of the demi monde decided to complain about their husbands’ continued absence from him in exchange for time at the club. Peerage wives never complained but working-class wives were not above doing so. Nevertheless, Ralph Wilkins could make anyone do as he wished, which was how he’d managed to build his club and how he’d kept Alice in large dresses for years. She had no idea what sort of dress Sophia would give her to wear but had a feeling that if it was anything like the one Sophia was currently wearing, a dress that exposed just enough to make one wonder if she was simply being fashionable or improper, then Alice’s father would never approve of it.
But Alice’s father was apparently not around for the day, so she grinned.
“It doesn’t appear you’re worried about your father,” Lorena noted after taking in her expression.
“I’m not. He’s known to keep company some nights. He usually leaves one of his men in charge.”
Lorena nodded.
Sophia approached her and pressed a dress into her hands. “This will look lovely on you.”
Alice looked down and saw the dress was lovely, made of white with green embroidery. “Did you do the needlework yourself?” she asked.
“No,” Sophia said quickly. “I detest doing needlework. One of my father’s women did it. The sleeves will cover your wrapped arm.”
Alice lifted her head. “Thank you.” She meant it for more than just the dress. She was speaking of her sending Calvin to her last evening.
Sophia’s green eyes crinkled at the edges and she whispered, “You’re welcome.”
Lorena’s lady’s maid went over to Alice, placed her hands on her hips, and said, “Had it been me, I’d have let him get shot.”
Alice gasped. Never had she heard a lady’s maid speak so boldly before.
“Jane,” Lorena called. “She couldn’t allow him to die. She’s in love with him.”
Jane’s blue eyes grew large. “Oh,” she said, before taking the dress from Alice and saying, “Best get the night-rail off so I can get you in the dress.”
Alice was too amazed for speech. She was amazed that Jane was offering to put her dress on since Alice had never had another woman put a dress on her since she’d learned to do it herself at a young age. She was also amazed at what Lorena had said, so she didn’t move.
Jane went on. “No need to be shy. We’re all women here.”
Alice shook her head and moved from the door just as Jane closed it. Then she lifted the night-rail over her head and watched Jane walk over to the bed and grab hold of a chemise. Then she turned to Lorena. “How do you know I’m in love with Calvin?”
“She doesn’t deny it,” Genie said with a smile.
Lorena sat down and said, “Well, once Calvin went into Lord Dovehaven’s spare room to be with you, I suspected something was afoot, so I asked my brother about your history with Calvin. He knew nothing, so I asked Julius, but Julius wouldn’t tell me anything. So I asked Emmett, but Emmett wouldn’t tell me a word… so I asked Emmett again when he was in a position to be more forthcoming. He told me that Calvin said that your cousin Rose told him that you were in love with him and had been for years.”
Alice stood before the women in nothing but her drawers and felt more exposed than ever before by the knowledge that Rose had spoken her secret to the very man the secret had been about. Never mind that Alice suspected she knew exactly what Lorena meant when she’d said Ashwick had been forthcoming. Alice was utterly done with Rose. Utterly!
But what truly struck her was that Calvin knew. When he’d come to her room that morning, he’d known.
Us has just begun.
“Who did Calvin tell?” she asked, hoping it was only Lord Ashwick.
“His friends,” Lorena said, still grinning. Her face took on a faraway look that made Alice believe she was no longer thinking about her and Calvin but of herself and Ashwick and how he’d become so very forthcoming.
“Who exactly are his friends?” Alice assisted Jane in pulling the chemise over her head.
Genie answered since Lorena seemed caught in a daydream. “Francis, Emmett, Julius, Morris, William, Hugh, Aaron, Rollo, and his brother Frank.” She held up nine fingers.
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CHAPTER EIGHT
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“He told the Men of Nashwood,” Alice whispered, while slipping her arms into a corset, ignoring the pain in her arm.
Genie’s eyes went large. “Oh, yes, that’s right. He told them all.”
“And then Julius mentioned that Calvin had had feelings for you for years,” Sophia said. “But since he didn’t intend to act on them until recently, Julius has decided to change your mind.”
Alice straightened when Jane yanked on the ties and shouted, “What?”
That woke Lorena up and she blinked. “Hm?”
Sophia smiled. “Apparently, Calvin noticed you long before last night but Julius doesn’t care because he feels Calvin should have done something before placing your life in danger.”
Alice’s face went warm and she whispered, “I need to sit down.”
Jane tied the corset and Alice moved to the chairs and sat down heavily. Her hand with to her forehead and she tried to think past the rushing of her heart. Calvin liked her, had for years… and had done nothing. Now Julius wanted her. Calvin’s family was the wealthiest landed gentry in England. Julius was a marquess. It was all too much for Alice and she didn’t understand any of it, including her feelings.
One part of her was happy that Calvin had taken notice of her, but another part wondered why he’d done nothing about his feelings… and then she didn’t have to wonder at all. She was nobody and surely Calvin had his sights set on better women, or rather a lady. Any lady would marry him since his family was wealthier than many of the men with titles. More than likely, Calvin simply wished to bed her and Julius the same. No one married the daughter of a club
owner. She had no title or vast wealth to offer. She realized she should be thankful that Calvin had left her alone all those years. It was better she not have him than to have had him only for him to leave.
But he’d claimed he wouldn’t leave her.
Which could only mean he planned to make her his mistress.
Her eyes widened and she released a breath. Calvin felt nothing more than lust. It was why he’d claimed her in front of Julius. They both wanted to bed her.
“How utterly stupid can I be?” she whispered.
“That doesn’t sound like you’re having happy thoughts,” Genie said.
Maura leaned over and handed Alice a cup of tea.
“Thank you,” Alice whispered and took a sip. Then she blinked at the cup and said to Maura, “How did you know I took so much cream?” Alice had only recently begun to enjoy tea when she visited her uncle’s. Before then, it had been milk or her favorite chocolate. The tea tax had been too high for her father when Alice had been young. Thus, she enjoyed milk more.
Maura smiled and said, “It was only a guess.”
“She’s very wise when it comes to people,” Lorena said as she sipped from her own cup.
Alice smiled at Maura and supposed it was the silence that gave her the supernatural ability. She could simply study people and learn everything about them.
Sophia brought them back on subject. “What do you plan to do?”
“Nothing,” Alice declared. After another sip, she stood, feeling more than confident in her decision. “I want nothing to do with either Calvin or Julius. They’ll have to find another woman to bicker over.”
Genie gasped. “But you love Calvin. Surely, you’ll wish to do something. We can help.”
“No.” Though, yes, she did plan to do something, which was to stay far away from them.
“How did Calvin hurt you?” Lorena asked. “You told us he did the other night.”
Alice looked at the ground and sighed. “I caught him in bed with… someone I know very well last night.” Though she was upset with her cousin, she didn’t want to reveal her name.
Alice’s Shameless Spinster’s Society (The Spinster’s Society Book 2) Page 5