by Hilly Mason
With the stays freed he paused and looked at her for a moment, relishing her beauty: her eyes heavy with lust, her hair fallen from her bun and spread wildly around her shoulders, and the outline of her nipples, erect and visible through her thin chemise.
“You are absolutely beautiful,” Alex told her wistfully.
Sophia blinked at him a few times and then wormed her way out from beneath him. She sat up and then turned quickly away as she laced up her stays and pulled the sleeves of her gown back over her shoulders.
“I’m just building you up to disappointment, Lord St. George,” she said demurely, straightening her gloves and her skirt. A deep blush painted her cheeks, and her mouth was swollen from his kisses. “I most certainly do not want to marry you.” She wiped her mouth with her hand, like she had just covered it with something foul, and then took her leave.
Alex stared after her in bewilderment.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Alex slept fretfully that night.
The disappointment he had felt toward his sister’s pregnancy turned into sadness and guilt. Maybe he had been paying too much attention to his work and not to his sister’s wants and needs, instead throwing money at her so that she could remain happy. Had he been a better brother, would this have happened?
Well, what is done is done, and I will now try to make things right.
What other options were there for Diana? She could stay out of society for the months leading up to the baby’s birth, and then send the baby away as Sophia suggested, but it was difficult to imagine his sister hiding indoors for so long.
Still, Alex had a lot of money, not just from his family but from his own lucrative business. There were sure to be plenty of bachelors in England who would marry Diana if it meant that she would come with a substantial dowry.
With that reassuring thought, he settled back into bed. Still wide-awake, he stared up at the ceiling. Sophia slept only one room away from him. It was a cool night, and he thought about how lovely it would be to go to her room, crawl into bed with her and hold her in his arms. He wanted to feel her heart beating wildly against his bare skin as it had earlier that evening.
If she didn’t want to be with him, then fine, he would learn to accept that, but it didn’t mean that he couldn’t imagine being with her. He knew that if (and when) he won tomorrow that he would tell her that she needn’t go through with her bet. He wasn’t going to force her to marry him if she didn’t want to.
The next morning, Alex and Sophia took breakfast together in the dining room, a quiet affair, each deep in their own thoughts. Diana joined them a while later. Her face was pale, and her eyes bloodshot, as though she had been crying all night. Sophia gave his sister a sympathetic look, but said nothing.
He took Diana aside after breakfast, after Sophia went up to her room to fetch her bonnet and gloves.
“I overheard you talking to Sophia last night.”
Diana paled immediately.
“What did you hear?” she asked suspiciously.
“You are with child, Diana.”
Diana’s eyes widened and she balled her hand into fists. “That Lady Gibbs! I swear to you, I’ll...”
“You’ll do nothing to Lady Gibbs,” Alex said to his sister. “You don’t hate her as much as you act like you do. I know that much.”
Diana relaxed her shoulders as tears filled her eyes. “No, I don’t.” she said, sniffling into her handkerchief. “I was just worried that you would be hurt again, after Lydia. You are actually in love with her, aren’t you?”
Alex hesitated. “Yes. I am,” he finally admitted.
Diana nodded through her tears. “Well, you needn’t worry about me either. I’m going to take care of... things.”
“Diana,” Alex said quietly. “There are other options. I can find a man who would be willing to marry you.”
“Oh, is that so? I’d imagine some old man with no regard for scandal would be the only one who would want me.”
“I’m not going to make you marry the first man I find. You have the ability to choose for yourself.” Alex said to reassure her. “Your life isn’t over because of this.”
“It certainly feels that way.”
“I love you, Diana.” Alex said. “And I believe Lady Gibbs cares for you as well. Let us help you.”
Diana nodded, relenting. And, like they were children again after Diana had taken a fall and scraped her knee, she went into her brother’s embrace.
“So, are you going to propose to Lady Gibbs, then?” Diana asked quietly.
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, I saw you two kissing last night.”
Alex’s face grew hot. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, don’t play stupid with me, dear brother,” Diana said, poking him in the ribs with her very sharp elbow.
“Sophia doesn’t see me like that.”
“It did not look that way to me,” she shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind having her as a sister, I suppose.”
And I’m sure Annie wouldn’t mind having her as a mother, Alex thought. But it doesn’t seem like that’s what Sophia wants.
“I must get ready to leave. Promise me, Diana, that you will not make any major decisions yet.”
“I won’t.” Diana then smiled. “Thank you for supporting me, Alex.”
“All right,” Alex said later that day, after he opened the door to the Green Room. “Who let the word out that we were doing this?”
Sophia looked around and then glanced at him sheepishly. “Well, I did tell the Duchess about it. I suppose she told a few other people as well.”
“Well, it does make the game more exciting the more spectators there are,” Alex muttered. “Care for a drink?”
Sophia shook her head, no doubt remembering her last run in with the house brandy. Alex chuckled and grabbed a glass for himself before taking a seat at his favorite card table.
“Lady Gibbs!” The Duchess appeared from the throng of people and gave Sophia a kiss on both cheeks. “Are you ready?”
“Quite ready,” Sophia replied.
“Shall we start a game of piquet?” the woman asked, taking the piquet box from under the table.
Alex was quick to notice how quickly Sophia’s face paled when the game was mentioned. She looked like she was shaking, and she made a nervous glance toward the bar as though she were reconsidering her decision for sobriety.
Alex laid a hand on her arms. “Sophia, are you all right?”
She forced a smile at him and nodded. “Yes, quite fine.” She took a deep breath and announced loudly so that the crowd could hear: “I want to play hazard instead.”
A chorus of gasps was heard around the table.
“Darling,” Alex said. “You do know that hazard is purely a game of chance. At least with piquet there is a bit of skill involved.”
“Oh, I know,” Sophia said, laughing nervously. “I just wanted to make things interesting.”
Alex frowned at her. If she were to lose, she knows that I would refuse marriage and give Comerford to her anyway. I don’t know how, but she knows that I will not turn that damned place into a gaming club. She just wants this to be over quickly. Why else would she chose a game like hazard, a game solely based on randomness?
Either way, she’s going to win Comerford.
“Fine. Let’s begin,” Alex said sharply.
Everyone cheered and clinked drinks as the two dice graced the table.
“Let’s make this quick.” Sophia said, reaffirming his thoughts. “We have three rolls each. We play until whoever is the first to win. Agreed?”
“Yes, yes. Agreed.”
“You go first, Lord St. George.”
“Seven,” Alex announced. He took the dice, gave it a swift kiss for luck and tossed them onto the table.
The dice landed him a three—an out. He gave Sophia a hard look as he grabbed the dice and rolled again.
It was an eleven—a win.
W
ould it be this easy? Another roll and he could win. If he lost, then he might have another chance if Sophia were to lose her round as well.
Sophia was staring at him, her eye bright with amusement. “Well?” she said.
He rolled again, holding his breath.
Three. A chance.
The crowd groaned. “Throw again, throw again,” they chanted. Alex took a deep breath and did so. Come on; give me a seven or an eleven, he told the tiny cubed objects as they flew across the tale. Even though he planned on giving her Comerford, he did not enjoy losing.
Twelve.
“Damn,” he said under his breath. He gathered the dice and handed them to Sophia. “I hope you have better luck than I did.”
She gave him a smirk. “Seven,” she declared as her main.
The dice stopped at two. She shrugged nonchalantly, and picked up the dice to roll again.
“I’m going to win, Lord St. George,” she said to Alex from across the table.
“How do you know that?” he asked her dryly. “Are you a clairvoyant?”
She shrugged again and gave him a wink, dropping the dice onto the table.
Seven.
“Ah ha!” she said a little too gleefully. “This is it!”
“Have a drink first, love,” Pierre appeared at her side with a cup of brandy in his hand. She grabbed it gratefully and took a sip. Alex watched as the liquid slid down her throat in long gulps. She put the cup aside once she was finished and gazed at him. “I hope you didn’t ruin Comerford completely during my absence,” she told him. “Otherwise you will have to pay for damage expenses, too.”
“You are a natural gambler, darling,” he said demurely. Damn, that woman was being churlish! He wanted to turn around and walk out the door, but he forced himself to keep his composure.
“This is it!” Sophia rolled the dice, and as the dice stilled, the crowd leaned forward for a glimpse.
Seven again.
“Lady Gibbs wins!” the Duchess announced, clapping her hands with delight. Some patrons cheered while others groaned. Money was exchanged between hands.
Sophia leaned back in her chair and threw her hands up in the air and laughed. “I can’t believe I did it!”
“Well, Comerford House is yours,” Alex told her blandly. He turned away from her, not wanting to see her face. Damn you. Damn you, Sophia.
He got up and walked over to the bar counter and ordered a drink. He hadn’t realized that Sophia had followed her until he heard her voice requesting a brandy of her own. Alex looked at her out of the corner of her eye, surprised that she did not seem as pleased as she had looked just moments before. Her eyes were lowered to the drink she held in her hands, and a frown tugged at her face.
“You don’t seem happy,” Alex remarked.
She glanced at him, took a sip of her brandy, grimaced, and set it down on the table. She took too steps in his direction and tilted her head up to meet his gaze.
“No, I don’t think I am,” she admitted.
“Christ, woman. What will make you happy then?”
Her lips parted as she reached her hand out and wrapped her small fingers around his.
“I want you to kiss me, like you did last night.”
Why? Why does she continue to play these games after she has already won?
“Really?” he hissed. “Damn it all, Sophia. Just let me know what it is you want instead of pulling me around like this!”
She dropped her hand and stepped back. “You’re right,” she said softly. “I’m no better than the girl I was at the ball four years ago.” She shook her head. “I apologize. I...”
She started to turn around, but he stopped her, grabbing her arm. She stared up at him in shock as he pulled her closer to him, pressing his lips onto hers with perhaps more force than he had intended. Sophia stiffened in response, but quickly softened her body as he wrapped his uninjured arm around the small of her back.
What am I doing? What the hell am I doing?
But his thoughts turned into a hazy fog as Sophia kissed him back with the same desperate, pent up passion, her body pressing against him with want. Years of frustration, anger, and sadness were in her gaze. She gripped his clothing as though frightened that he would pull away.
The Green Room was large, but not large enough that their actions could remain discreet. Eyebrows were raised and whispers could be heard through the club as people gaped at them.
Reluctantly, Alex did pull away. “I’m sorry to say that we are not your entertainment for the evening, gentlemen—and ladies.” He bowed to the Duchess, who was holding a lorgnette to her eyes to better watch the spectacle. “I bid you adieu.”
And with that, he took Sophia’s hand and led her out of the club, to Widley House, and straight to her bedroom.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The walk back to Alex’s town house was all but a blur. Sophia’s heart was beating erratically and her lips felt bruised where Alex had ravished her. Even Comerford House didn’t seem important anymore. All that she wanted in that moment was to be back into his arms.
The house was quiet. The butler greeted them as usual, but with a much directed look from Alex, he retreated into an adjacent room. Sophia didn’t care. She didn’t care if the whole world knew what they were about to do.
Oh, dear Lord, what is happening?
What about her plan? Her body burned with an unyielding lust, and her mind seemed to have left the building on an extended holiday. All she wanted was to take care of what her body needed, and quench that primal energy that shot up through her like a jolt of lightning.
They had somehow made their way up the stairs and into her bedroom. Alex quickly shut the door behind him and lit the candles that lined the walls, casting light across the room to the canopy bed.
Sophia froze.
What am I doing?
“Sophia,” Alex said. He walked in front of her and towered over her, his dark shadow casted against the wall. At first Sophia thought of the ghost in her past and almost recoiled, but then laughed at herself for her foolishness.
“Are you all right?”
This was Alex… the man whom she had planned to marry years ago if she hadn’t been so foolish and naive.
Alex, the man she had always loved, even when she thought she didn’t.
“Yes,” she told him. “I’m fine.”
That seemed to be the answer he wanted to hear. He took two steps toward her and reached out to untie the large dark green ribbon tied just below her bosom. The silk ribbon drifted to the ground. Although Sophia was still dressed she felt naked under his burning gaze. Her legs felt weak, like jelly, and her heart felt as though it was going to burst out of her chest.
She was nervous, like this was her first time. However, her first time was nothing compared to now. Never in her four years of marriage with Lord Gibbs did she ever harbor such a longing, a yearning to be touched by another man.
The lack of self-control frightened her.
“This doesn’t mean anything, you know,” she whispered desperately to Alex as he unbuttoned her gown. Her breath then caught in her throat as the fabric fell down to her ankles. She was only in her stays now, with her chemise underneath. Only a thin piece of fabric separated herself the man standing in front of her.
Alex leaned forward, his breath tickling the curve of her neck. She closed her eyes and gasped.
“Of course not,” he replied. “After what you did to me there in the Green Room, I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Sophia let out a startled shriek as he began to nibble the tender skin of her neck. She leaned into him, as though to keep herself from falling. He caught her by wrapping his strong arm around her waist, holding her close to him. Her bosom pressed against his chest, and her nipples hardened at the contact. She could feel his hardness against her belly, causing the area below her navel to burn with need.
“God, Sophia. Do you know how long I’ve wanted to be this close to you?”
Sop
hia parted her lips to say something, but no words came out. She wouldn’t be able to say anything if she tried for Alex stole her breath with a passionate kiss on her mouth. With his free hand, he started to undo the laces of her stays.
“Please tell me you want this, too.”
What a terrible lie it would be to say no.
“Yes,” her answer was just above a whisper.
“What was that?”
“Yes, Alex. I want this.”
A primal moan escaped from his lips as her stays fell open. He pulled the sleeves of her chemise down from her shoulders, spilling her breasts into his warm hands. Sophia gasped as her skin made contact with his. His thumb brushed against her hard nipples, and she arched his back, begging for more.
But Alex withdrew and had moved away.
She almost let out an outraged noise, until she realized he was lifting her into his arms.
“Alex! Your arm!”
Alex grunted. “There are more pressing matters to attend to.”
He carried Sophia over to the bed and laid her down on it as though she were made of glass. Sophia propped herself up on her elbows and watched, almost as though she were out of her body and floating above near the ceiling like a spirit. Alex crawled over her, and bent over to take a nipple in his mouth. He worked it with his tongue as Sophia writhed underneath him, reaching her hands forward to pull at his clothes, aching for her skin to make contact with the rest of his. After he hastily took off his sling, Sophia pulled his coat from his shoulders and his shirt from over his head, then wrapped her arms around him and sighed contentedly. Realizing that it wasn’t enough, she then pressed her breasts against his chest, relishing in his warmth.
When she heard an uttered curse, she opened her eyes. Alex was pulling at the remainder of the chemise that still hugged her hips, trying to figure out how to get it off.
“I can never understand how these things work,” he muttered.
“Allow me.” She chuckled as she reached behind her back and untied the remaining lace. Alex then pulled the skirt off her hips and discarded it on the floor.
She was now completely exposed to him, Alex St. George, the first man she had fallen in love with. She grew hot as she watched him trail his gaze all the way up her body, pausing at the secret area between her legs, which was now throbbing with need.