Christie Kelley

by Every Night Im Yours

  “Yes, my lord.” Avis held out her wrapper and nightrail and gave him an elegant curtsy.

  “You’re too cheeky by far,” he said with a smile and then walked down the stairs.

  Avis glanced back into the study he’d prepared for her. “You are too nice by far,” she whispered.

  They walked along the shoreline hand in hand for close to an hour. A comfortable companionship evolved as they strolled even though they barely spoke to each other. They trudged back to the cottage slowly as if they resented having to return.

  Reaching the terrace, Avis shook the sand out of her boots, noting that he did the same. His strong leg muscles stretched as he pulled off his second boot. Suppressing the urge to rub her hand down his leg, she wondered if she would always feel this potent attraction to the man. Perhaps once they made love she would be able to look at him and not feel these strange sensations.

  “Would you like some time to write?”

  It might be best to get some time and perspective away from him. “That would be nice.”

  Banning turned away but not before she noticed his small frown. All she had done was accept his offer. Had she imagined the crestfallen look?

  “Shall we meet for luncheon at one?” she asked. That was only two short hours from now. She hoped that would appease him.

  “Yes, let’s have a luncheon on the terrace.” He gave her a quick bow and left her alone.

  She walked into the study and the kindness of his generosity struck her again. Never had she known a man to think about a woman’s needs as he had done. In her father’s home, he was the ruler, the king, and the man with the power. Everything was for his pleasure and God help the person who displeased him. Especially his wife.

  Avis pushed aside the dreadful memories of her past and concentrated on her story. Determined to uncover the mystery of her dull writing and fix her errors, she read the first page and saw nothing. Frustration surged in her. Perhaps it just wasn’t the first paragraph, she read further. The prose was lyrical, the descriptions lush, what more could a reader want?

  A knock on the door interrupted her. “Lady Selby, may I have a word?”

  Lady Selby? How could she have forgotten she was supposed to be his wife? “Yes, Mrs. Hathaway. Please come in.”

  Mrs. Hathaway heaved a breath. “Thank you, my lady. I need to know if you wish to plan the meals while you are here.”

  That was a chore she certainly did not need. “Thank you, but you are doing a fine job. I will leave our appetites in your trusty hands.”

  The older woman blushed at the comment. “My lady…” her voice trailed off.

  “Yes?”

  “I’m sorry,” she waved a portly hand at Avis. “I’m just a busy old bee who should mind her own business. It’s not my place—”

  “Mrs. Hathaway, if you have something to say, please feel free,” Avis said gently.

  Mrs. Hathaway nodded. “We’re a little more informal in the country than those town servants.” She cleared her throat before continuing, “It’s just that Lord Selby is downstairs playing some mournful tune on the pianoforte, and you’re up here staring at your papers. For a newly wedded couple, you don’t seem very happy. I was wondering if everything was all right?”

  “We are very well.”

  “If there’s any problems, you just come ask me. Harry and me have been married forty years now. There isn’t much I don’t know.”

  Avis blinked. Married forty years to the same man and Mrs. Hathaway didn’t act as if that was anything out of the ordinary. Avis shouldn’t unburden herself to a complete stranger. But having a few answers might help her feel more comfortable with this arrangement.

  “Mrs. Hathaway, you are very astute.” She glanced down at her ink-stained hands. “Lord Selby and I did not know each other very long before we wed. He wants me to be more comfortable around him before we…” She looked at the knowing nod the older woman gave her. “I’ve read a couple of books but…well…I don’t exactly know…” Her cheeks blazed with heat.

  Mrs. Hathaway walked to the desk. “I understand, my lady.”

  “My mother died before she could tell me what I should know on my wedding night and…well,” she couldn’t believe she was asking this but the question burst from her, “will it hurt?”

  “Only a little bit the first time. But Lord Selby is a good man. He’ll know how to make sure you get your pleasure out of the act too. Now let me tell you everything you should know.”

  The lovely old lady proceeded to tell her all she needed to know and more. Forty years of wisdom and experience illuminated the entire process, including things Avis had never dreamed of that happened between a man and a woman. By the time Mrs. Hathaway left the room, Avis felt much more confident.

  Tonight she would learn about passion first-hand.

  Banning stared out at the wild sea. The waves broke farther out than usual and higher than normal—a storm was brewing. He looked down at his pocket watch and frowned. Avis must have lost track of the time.

  He decided to give her a personal reminder about luncheon. He strolled up the stairs and quietly opened the door to what had been a guest bedroom, not that he ever had guests here. The sight before him made him smile. Her head lay on the desk with her arm on either side. Those beautiful amber eyes closed.

  After tiptoeing across the room, he glanced down at the paper where her head rested. In big letters was one word: PASSION. Under the word was a list of smeared words and phrases she must have decided meant passion. He let out a low chuckle as he read the list. The darling woman needed him desperately.

  Her head jerked up. “What are you doing?”

  Banning bent over and kissed her forehead. “What your cheek says.”

  “What my cheek says? Have you gone mad?”

  “No, it’s right here,” he said, pointing to her cheek. “K–I–S–S–E–S. My pardon. The word is plural so you must need more.”

  Before he could bend down to kiss her again, she shoved the chair back and stood. “What the devil are you talking about?”

  She walked to the old bureau and the small mirror there. She let out a shriek when she looked at her reflection and the smudged, faint word on her face.

  “I must have fallen asleep before the ink dried!”

  She rushed from the room into the bedroom and to the basin in the corner. Banning followed her to the doorway in amusement.

  “This is not funny!” she said, soaping a cloth.

  “I find it quite entertaining.”

  “Well, you are a—”

  “You’ve already used up your beast quota for the day,” he said with a laugh.

  She scrunched up her face and scrubbed even harder.

  “Give me that,” he said, walking toward her with his hand held out for the cloth. Surprisingly, she handed it to him. The letters faded with each stroke, but her heady scent increased until he felt surrounded by it and her.

  She would make a wonderful wife. He had no doubts that once she overcame her initial fears of making love she would be an energetic partner. The thought of her lying naked in his bed sent his cock thickening. He had to find a way to get past her fears before he did indeed go mad with desire for her.

  “What are you thinking of? Your eyes are almost as stormy as the sea,” she said, pulling him out of his erotic musing.

  “You don’t want to know.”

  “Oh?” She gave him a sly smile. “Perhaps later I shall tell you what Mrs. Hathaway and I discussed today.”

  “How much later?”

  She only smiled mysteriously. Avis looked as if she was hiding a great surprise, and his cock throbbed in anticipation. No other woman excited him as she did. He had to get his desires under control. A lovely luncheon awaited them on the terrace. Women loved romance and he had plans to make this the most special meal Avis had ever eaten.

  “Shall we dine?” he asked.

  She glanced down at her wrinkled dress and sighed. “I really should change.�
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  “Come along, Avis. This isn’t London. Personally, I think you look adorable with your hair slightly mussed and your gown wrinkled.” Unfortunately, the sight of her reminded him of how she would look after a quick afternoon tumble. So much for getting his desire under control.

  She smiled. “All right then. Let us dine.”

  He escorted her to the terrace, but she stopped when she noticed the table. Pink rose petals covered the table and blew around the terrace. Two silver covers hid the delights Mrs. Hathaway had cooked for them.

  “How lovely,” she said, picking up a rose petal and releasing it into the breeze.

  “Have a seat and I shall serve you, my lady.” Banning pulled out a chair for her.

  Avis let out a soft laugh and then sat. The smell of her, combined with the roses and the sea, affected him in a wholly erotic way. If he didn’t have her soon, he might just explode. He forced himself to sit in the chair across from her when all he wanted to do was use the terrace wall as a brace and sink deep inside her.

  Again, he forced the lascivious thoughts away. He lifted the lids, which covered the ham, warm bread, and pudding.

  “Banning, why are you being so nice to me?”

  He glanced over at her and smiled. “Why would I not?”

  “How often in the past eight years have you actually been pleasant to me?”

  She had a point there. Ever since that first kiss, he spent more time arguing with her than anything else. He couldn’t tell her the truth. Besides, he could barely believe it himself. After putting off marriage for years, he had decided it was time to marry, and he had chosen her. Not that he had picked Avis because he loved her. No, she would just make marriage much more bearable than any other woman he’d met in the ton.

  “Well?” she asked.

  So why was he being nice to her? “Because I hardly think you’d want to bed me if I was nasty to you.”

  “True. But are not blackmailers supposed to be nasty and evil?” she asked, suppressing a grin.

  “I was not blackmailing you. I merely wanted to protect you—” He stopped before he gave away everything.

  “Protect me from what?”

  Perhaps a little truth was in order. “From being made a fool of by Emory Billingsworth. The man has no sense of decorum and will freely discuss any woman he has ever bedded. I doubt you would have wanted your good name so abused.” Or any other part of her lovely body.

  Avis chewed a bit of ham and frowned. “How do you know this?”

  “What would you like to know about Lady Susan Hythe and her sexual habits?”

  “Lady Susan has been bedded by him?” She twisted her lips in thought. “How do I know you are telling me the truth?”

  “According to Billingsworth, she prefers two men in her bed, and he has no qualms in satisfying that quirk.”

  Her fork clattered to her plate. Banning almost laughed at the gaped expression on her face.

  “Two men. At the same time? How can that possibly work?”

  “I shall explain that to you another day,” he said with a laugh. She was a very entertaining woman. And he couldn’t wait to show her exactly how much passion she had inside her…with just one man.

  Him.

  Chapter Ten

  After an afternoon in each other’s company, reading and discussing politics and art, Avis still felt confused by the two Bannings. The one she’d known and argued with for eight years, and this new man with whom she laughed and whose company she enjoyed. She wondered if he knew that each hour with him heightened her attraction and affection for him. She noticed facets of the man she never even imagined existed.

  He played the pianoforte for her as she sat on the settee, staring out at the wild sea. She had heard many people at the pianoforte, but Banning had a touch that made her wish she could play.

  “Is that Mozart?”

  He smiled and shook his head as his fingers glided over the keys.

  Avis frowned. “Hayden?”

  “No.”

  She wondered how her music education was so lacking.

  “I doubt you’ll guess this one,” he said. As he finished, he turned on the bench to face her.

  “I give up,” she said with a shrug.

  “A new English composer whose music shall never leave this room.”

  “You?” she breathed.

  “Just a little hobby to pass the time while I’m alone here.”

  “But you play beautifully. You should sell your compositions.”

  He rose from the bench and looked out the window. “I am an earl, Avis. That is my priority. This is just a hobby.”

  She crossed the room to sit beside him. “And one that you love.”

  “Perhaps I do,” he said, leaning down to kiss her lightly. “But my priorities come first. And right now, you are my only priority.”

  He drew her into his arms and kissed her deeply, then pulled away. “Why don’t you change before we dine?”

  She nodded. Tonight, she would let him do whatever he wanted to her. She would not push him away but welcome his advances. She had packed her one and only gown suitable for a seduction.

  The emerald dress showed off her assets quite magnificently, or so the dressmaker had told her. Mrs. Hathaway had assisted her with her gown but then departed to finish dinner. Without a lady’s maid to assist her with her hair, Avis had two choices. She could either put it up into a tight chignon or let it flow down her back. She chose the latter option, knowing he would like her hair down. The warm sea air curled her brown hair into spirals, so she fluffed her tresses once more with her fingers and left it free.

  The low-cut dress made her feel sensual, and tonight she wasn’t about to bury the emotion. She wanted to feel bold and sensual, and she wanted Banning to find her desirable. She walked down the stairs to the small dining room in the front of the house. With a table that only sat four and a small sideboard, the room was a perfect place for an intimate meal.

  Banning faced her as she strolled in the doorway. His shocked expression almost made her laugh. Instead, she only smiled at him—a long, seductive smile. She noticed the instant reaction as the fullness returned to his trousers. Her cheeks heated as she remembered touching the hard length only this morning.

  “You look…beautiful,” he said.

  “Thank you. I remembered you had said you were quite fond of me in this dress.”

  “I would be fond of you without the dress too.”

  She had no reply because her mouth stopped working. He looked at her in such a manner she felt as if she were already standing naked in front of him. A slow burning heat slid into her belly and lower.

  “I believe we had better eat,” he commented.

  As they ate, they discussed all manner of important and not so important topics. While they disagreed on the importance of repealing the Corn Law, they maintained a polite attitude with each other. And it drove Avis mad. He acted as though this was just a normal meal at a dinner party in town. She wanted this meal over with now. She wanted to throw herself in his arms and kiss him.

  “Would you mind if I read your novel?” he asked, dragging her out of her ponderings.

  “Pardon?”

  “I would love to read your story.”

  Avis bit her lip. She wasn’t certain why she hesitated. After all Emory had read it and even Jennette had read her story.

  “I promise to be gentle with my criticism.”

  She laughed softly.

  “Is that a yes?”

  “I daresay it is,” she replied. The man asked for something and she seemed unable to say no.

  “Good.” Banning scraped back his chair and stood. “Brandy in the salon?”

  At least they wouldn’t be a table apart. Maybe if she put her hand on his leg while they sat on the settee he would understand her implied message.

  “Yes, brandy would be lovely.”

  He gave her an odd look but clutched her elbow and led her into the back room. She deliberat
ely sat on the settee and moved into the corner so he would notice there was plenty of room for two. Banning handed her a snifter and then took a seat in a chair by the window.

  “Is something wrong, Avis?” he asked with a wry smile.

  She took a gulp of brandy, coughed, and nodded. “Yes,” she rasped. She sipped her brandy down and stared at him. “I want you to kiss me.”

  “I thought we agreed to take this slower?”

  “We did.”

  “And?”

  She knew what he wanted to hear. “I don’t want to take this slowly any longer,” she whispered.

  “Thank God. Come here.”

  “There isn’t room in that chair for the two of us.”

  “You’ll be on my lap, not on the chair.”

  Now that had possibilities. She placed her glass on the table and walked toward him. The warmth from the brandy suffused her entire body. Courage took over from fear. Tonight she would discover all the secrets between a man and a woman.

  When she stood before him, he did not move for a full minute. He only stared at her. Twilight muted the room with long shadows, casting his face in darkness.

  “Will you take off your clothes for me?” he whispered hoarsely.

  “If you want me to,” she mumbled as her confidence waned.

  “Not yet.”

  He drew her down on his lap and continued to stare at her. He twined a piece of her hair around his finger. “You have the most unusual hair. When I first met you, I thought it was plain brown. But when light hits your hair it is brightened to shades of gold.”

  He moved his thumb to her lower lip. “What are you waiting for, Avis? Kiss me.”

  What was she waiting for? She inclined her head toward him and touched her lips to his. This was nice but it would never do. Using her tongue, she parted his lips and explored the warm, tangy recesses of his mouth, savoring the hint of brandy from his drink. As he responded to her, heat blazed between them. His hands flowed through her hair and down her back, heating her skin through the layers of clothes, drawing her closer to him.

  It quickly became apparent to Avis that she was no longer the one in control. The moment he returned her kiss, she was lost to the fiery sensations of his lips on hers. He took the lead, and she let him. For once, it felt wonderful to allow another person to exhibit a little influence over her.