Passion Regency Style

by Wendy Vella

  Chapter Eighteen

  Along for the Ride

  Emboldened by his drooped eyelids and the way his chest rose and fell rapidly when she straddled him, Ellie skimmed her fingers down his chest to trace the ripples of his stomach. She sighed. So perfectly built.

  She had read of this position in a naughty book—an instruction manual of a kind, she supposed—but had never tried it. The times Edward had bedded her had been quick and perfunctory. And even then he had struggled to find her attractive.

  But Lucian did not, it seemed. His manhood remained firm, large...impressive. Even at the sight of her on top of him. Remarkably, she did not seem to repulse him. She had no idea why, but she didn’t care. Little Ellie Browning had one of the most eligible, attractive men in England between her thighs and she refused to question that.

  She looked her fill, using her fingers and her gaze to trace him. He stared up at her, his green eyes dark and intense. That wry smile sat on his lips but she did not believe he was being sardonic. Perhaps her boldness amused him, but either way, she had one chance with Lucian and she was going to use it to fulfil everything she had been dreaming of for so many years.

  Marveling at the way his muscles contracted under her fingers, she dropped her hand down to curl around his arousal. The heat and strength of him made her body tighten and desire pooled low in her belly.

  So beautiful. Even with the rough skin on his arm, he was almost too beautiful to look at. His dark hair was ruffled with a curl falling across his forehead. His full lips begged for kisses. In fact, the damage to his arm only made him more attractive if possible. It added a dangerous air—or perhaps increased his dangerous air. There had never been anything safe about Lucian. He’d always been a rogue.

  Lucian reached to cup her breasts and she batted his hand away. An eyebrow rose and she grinned. “Do not distract me.”

  “Distract you? What of me? How am I to suffer you touching me when you will not allow me to touch you? You are like a tempting morsel, just out of reach.”

  “Poor Lucian, such a tortured soul.”

  “Oh I am, my love. I am.”

  Love. The endearment rang in her ears and nearly turned her to mush. It meant nothing—a mere throwaway comment—but it warmed her chest. She certainly preferred it to ‘little Ellie.’

  She leaned over him and flattened her aching breasts to his chest. His breath rasped in his throat and his shaft pulsed against her. Ellie mimicked his early attentions, kissing her way down his chest, lapping her tongue over his nipples and kissing his torso. He stiffened when she tried to kiss his scarred arm so she switched her attention to his firm thighs. Perhaps his scars affected him more than she realized. It was astonishing to think Lucian, Viscount of Rushbourne, had a weakness.

  With her tongue, she licked up his thigh, inhaling the musky scent of him. He groaned and pressed his fingers into her hair.

  “Ellie, don’t you dare,” he warned.

  Grinning, she licked higher.

  “Ellie.”

  She even heard his teeth clench together when she darted her tongue over the smooth head of him. He tasted tangy and slightly salty. She wanted more. Never in her married life had she ever been able to do such a thing, yet her travels had afforded her much more knowledge than many gently bred ladies.

  Strong hands wrapped around her arms as he rose up and dragged her back up.

  Wide-eyed, she found herself sprawled atop him and staring into his eyes. “Did I do something wrong?”

  “You do everything very right and any other time, I might have let you continue...”

  “You mean I can do that again?”

  He rolled his eyes. “I swear, you will be the death of me.” She waited for an answer. “Yes, you can do it again. Just not now. I shall disgrace myself.”

  “I do not think that possible.”

  “It is very possible when I see your beautiful lips touching me... Where in the devil did you learn such things?”

  There it was again. Beautiful. It was impossible to believe yet Lucian had never been one for false compliments. Quite the opposite, as she well knew.

  “Books,” she replied, dropping a kiss to his lips. “All from books.”

  “I think,” he said, skimming his hands up and down her back, and grasping her rear, “I should take much more time to read.” She moved against him and saw the cords in his neck stand out. “Or not.”

  His fingers dug into her flesh and he coaxed her to rock her hips so her damp folds rubbed up and down his shaft. Bursts of pleasure shot through her and she dug her nails into his chest.

  Jaw tight, he lined her up with him, never taking his gaze from her. Ellie reached between them and grasped his arousal to guide him into her. The urge to sink sharply down onto him drove her wild but he must have sensed her eagerness as his hands pressed to her hips stopped her.

  “Slowly.”

  He was right of course. It had been a long time and even then, she had never been with a man like Lucian. She inched down, the pace almost unbearable, but his grip remained firm on her. Ellie felt her eyes go wide as he entered her and that dry smile of his dropped. Lucian’s expression grew serious and made her chest tighten.

  “Bloody hell,” he pressed through clenched teeth when she could go no further.

  Tempted to echo those words, she pressed her lips together and moved experimentally. The tightness eased quickly and instant gratification simmered through her veins. She rose and fell again, unable to prevent a cry spilling from her lips.

  Something snapped, maybe inside her, perhaps inside him. Any restraint she had disappeared with the one movement and she repeated the movement quickly at the urging of his hands. The sensation of him so deep inside her was unbelievable and the sight of him so handsome and serious was almost unbearable. She needed to close her eyes to it but could not.

  Lucian’s grip tightened on her hips and he lifted his own to work deep inside her while she rode him with an increasing pace. Her hair tickled her back and likely spilled all about her but she did not care. All she cared for was more.

  Nails scraping across his chest, frantic sounds escaped her every time he rammed up into her. Her body grew tight, every muscle clenched in anticipation. A tingle of perspiration tickled down her back and she noted Lucian’s muscles had grown slick.

  “Lucian, Lucian, oh God...”

  “That’s it, my love.” He rested his thumb at the juncture of her thighs and her movements meant her sensitive nub worked against that coarse thumb.

  Those words and his touch spurred her to the edge. She closed her eyes then and may well have screamed loud enough that the whole of England heard her, but sounds were muted. Only his rasping breaths registered. Stars burst behind her lids and she sucked in a sharp breath to hold it while her body shuddered of its own accord. Warmth flooded her veins.

  When she finally drew in another breath, Lucian gave her little time to catch it. He rolled her over, disengaging only long enough to settle between her legs and hook them around his hips. He lunged into her with ferocious savagery.

  Ellie buried her head against his shoulder as she accepted his lovemaking. His muscles tensed under her hands and his breathing grew erratic. Through the haze of her orgasm, she relished every breath and tremor of his strong body. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought of Lucian like this—desperate and vulnerable in her arms.

  His strong body shuddered and he released a strangled noise that sounded remarkably like her name. He withdrew and hot seed touched her thighs. Ellie lifted her head to see his crumpled expression and her heart stretched impossibly wide. Unable to stop herself, she stroked a hand over his hair as if he were a child. When he opened his eyes, she feared she might have ruined everything, that this was it, they were done and he had no more use for her.

  But a smile broke across his face and he dropped a kiss to her lips before moving away and reaching for a washcloth.

  Ellie stretched her arms and took the moment to enjo
y the sight of his firm bottom while he dipped the cloth in the washbowl and came back to clean her up. Heat surged into her cheeks at the thought of him touching her so intimately. It did not matter that he had just been buried inside her or that he had kissed her there...

  Oh Lord, he had kissed her there.

  But that was different. She had been swept aside by lust. Though desire still lingered very strongly, she didn’t have that warm haze surrounding her anymore. Now she recalled that she was a bony thing and her hair was likely in disarray and her rouge would be gone. She reached for the sheets to draw them over her, but Lucian gripped her wrist and flung aside the washcloth.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “What?”

  “I’m not done with you yet.”

  “Already?”

  Lucian chuckled and drew her to him. “Not quite. But give me a few moments to enjoy you and it will not take long.”

  Ellie was powerless to do anything but accept his kisses and enjoy the swirl of excitement in her stomach at the thought of more Lucian.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Afterglow

  Was there a certain lightness to his step as Lucian walked out of the hotel? Perhaps there was. It was a little embarrassing but he could not bring himself to care. The street was dark with no traffic. He had been loath to leave her and, in fact, she had begged him not to, but he wouldn’t shame her by sneaking out of her room in the daylight. Better to leave her now and leave her reputation intact, regardless of how hard it was to pry himself away from that sweet, soft body.

  Lucian pushed a hand through his hair and winced when one of his muscles pulled. He’d not made love like that for years—even before the fire really. Ellie was one demanding lady. Who’d have thought?

  Well, perhaps he should have known. The Ellie he had once known had taken full advantage of every moment in life and, he had to admit, he liked that side of her very much. The hours until he was back in her bed tonight were going to be long indeed.

  Torn between returning to his townhouse and resting as he should, or going to the mill and getting a head start on the day, he opted for the mill. In spite of endless lovemaking, energy still burned through his body. If he had to, he would finish early and take a nap before visiting Ellie. Lord knows, he would need the energy.

  It took him twenty minutes of walking through the backstreets to get to the mill. Smoke hung in the air but the streets were blessedly quiet. The inns would have emptied hours ago and only a few windows released a golden glow onto the cobbles.

  Lucian unlocked the gate and drew it shut before locking it again. He stuffed the keys into his coat pocket and made his way to the office. The quiet would disturb him normally. He had come to relish the clatter of the machines. It gave him something to concentrate on. No one seemed to realize how much the fire had cost him. How could he continue being the consummate rake with a face and a body like his? Though it didn’t seem to bother Ellie.

  A grin crept across his face as he thought of her curled up and warm and soft beneath the bedding.

  Still, the accident had done one thing. Turned his attention to his father’s investments. And the mill was one place he could make a difference. Most of the other schemes ran themselves and none were threatening to collapse beneath him. Every person who had known his father spoke of his business acumen, and Lucian had to prove himself as capable.

  He paused at the top step when he spotted a spark of light in one of the windows. One of the foremen perhaps? No, why would they be here at four in the morning? He scowled. A thief more likely and a damn brave one. They’d have had to scale the gates to get in.

  Lucian strode in the direction of the mill and found one of the doors open, unlocked. What the devil? He entered slowly, aware he had no weapon on him. He liked his chances in a fair fight but not in a dark mill with an unknown would-be assailant.

  A shuffle drew his attention to the rear of the mill and he peered into the darkness, past the motionless looms. Cotton dust swirled in the air, telling him someone was in there. He took another step forwards and a sudden flare of light had him reeling back. The flash of a figure dashed across the back of the room and he swore aloud when he realized the light was coming from the cotton bales.

  Fire.

  Bloody hell. He had to put it out.

  He raced over and tore off his frock coat. The flames were not large but cotton went up easily, as he well knew. He threw the garment over the flames and stomped until he was sure there was no chance of the flames restarting. The smell of singed cotton and sack hung in the air and his arm itched with remembrance.

  Peeling back the coat, he flung it aside and inspected the damage in the dim light. The bale had hardly caught thankfully, but he had lost the person responsible for the fire. Damnation. He strode out of the back door and peered around but he knew the blackguard would be long gone.

  “What the bloody hell...?” he asked himself.

  Something odd was going on. For a mill with such a low record of accidents, too many had happened and now someone had tried to set fire to the place. That was no accident.

  Three hours later, he had his head foreman in his office. His dour expression likely matched his own.

  “I’m going to hire some security for the nights. Are you sure none of the men have seen anyone suspicious?”

  “Nothing, my lord,” said Mr. Fuller. “If the criminal was here last night, chances are they entered at night.”

  “And they’re a fine lock picker. And saboteur. I don’t know why we did not see it before.”

  “Machinery goes wrong, my lord. We had no reason to think otherwise.”

  Lucian rubbed his itchy eyes. The smoke and lack of sleep had taken its toll and though the bobbies had been, they could offer no answers. They promised to patrol past the mill at night but they had a whole town to look after.

  He had already spoken with a rough character his foreman knew who could hire several aggressive types to look after the mill. He didn’t relish having that type of man around but better them than someone wanting to burn the place down. And now they had looked into the previous accidents it seemed clear they were deliberate. Why had he not seen it before?

  Lucian pinched his nose. Because he had been so intent on keeping the place running and fighting his attraction to Ellie. He’d failed on the latter but the mill was still afloat. Just.

  Nothing more could go wrong. They would never catch up on the orders if something did and if whoever this person was succeeded in burning the place, there would be no salvaging it. Who was it?

  “Fuller, can you think of anyone who might wish to close the mill? An ex-worker perhaps?”

  The older man shook his head. “No, not off the top of my head. You have a good reputation, my lord. It would be far more likely one of the other mills would have disgruntled workers.”

  “Well, keep your ear to the ground.”

  “Of course.”

  Fuller left, leaving Lucian staring at the ledger for the week. Ellie would probably want to look over it, nosey little chit. In spite of everything, the thought made him smile.

  Pushing back his chair, he scraped two hands through his hair and made to put on his coat only to remember it had suffered a stomping on and a fire. He pulled down his rolled up sleeves and strode out into the courtyard. Lucian slid past a cart with fresh bales of cotton on and stepped into the mill.

  This time the rattle of machines washed over him and the workers touched their caps in greeting as he strode past to the back of the room. The police had already inspected the scene but found nothing. No evidence of the intruder. Could it have been an accident, they asked. A figment of his imagination? Had he been smoking? Devil take it, he did not even smoke. He had enough vices as it was and now they were treating this as though he was blind and not just scarred.

  He rubbed a hand over his arm when his skin itched again. The blackened remains of a cotton bale remained. He’d have to get someone to clear it up. But, wait a momen
t?

  He grabbed one of the nearby workers. “Was this how it was this morning?”

  “The bales, my lord?”

  “Yes, the bales.”

  “Aye, my lord. We’ve not touched it. Did not know if you wanted to keep it for evidence or summat.”

  “Right, my thanks.” Lucian nodded distractedly and waved the man away.

  The bales puzzled him. They would normally be stacked much higher and they’d only had a recent delivery but these were set apart from the rest and were only a few high. As though a great blaze had never been the intention. But why set a fire if the purpose was not to burn the place down?

  He rubbed the back of his neck. If only he wasn’t so tired, then maybe he could figure this puzzle out. No doubt Ellie would have some smart answers for him, but he was not sure he wanted her involved. She had been harmed once before and he was loath to let anything happen to her. Not to mention, he could do without her distracting him as she had the past months.

  Well, at least he’d burn through his attraction to her before long. Maybe he’d regain his focus then. He pictured her milky skin against the purple bedding and tried to shake away the image. Or perhaps not.

  Chapter Twenty

  More Berry Red

  The day had been uneventful for Eleanor. She had risen late, shopped a little and poured over the few books from the mill she had brought with her. Something was still striking her as odd but she could not put her finger on it. With no friends in town, she had little else to occupy her but it did strike her as a little miserable to be sitting in her hotel room, pouring over accounts.

  Not that her smile would leave her face or even let her lament the fact she still knew few people in England. Her thighs ached and her body felt beautifully used. Had she dreamed the whole thing? It was hard to believe she’d bedded Lucian, one of the most infamous rakes in Yorkshire. And he had been beautifully tender and passionate—even amusing at times.