Anxious to find her, he tore off his blindfold so he didn’t stumble right over her should he catch up to her. A soft curse came from up ahead, a clear indication of her direction.
He came upon her quickly, spun her around, and covered her mouth with his when she gasped out a protest. She warmed to the kiss quickly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and rubbing those delectable breasts of hers against his chest.
“We have to keep moving,” he whispered. “We aren’t far enough into the maze to not be found by your cousin.”
She raised her hands to untie the material about her eyes, but he stopped her.
“Right now, I’m the only one cheating at this game,” he said. “I’ll find us a safe, quiet place and take care not to lead you too far astray in the gardens of this paradise.”
She pushed at his chest playfully and stepped out of his arms.
“Isn’t there a hidden alcove in here?”
“There are three dead ends,” she confirmed.
“Can you tell me where they are? Or how we find them?”
“If you turn right at every fork, you’ll eventually find one.”
“Then that is exactly what we’ll do.” He took her hand and led her down the path. He came to a sudden halt on hearing a rustling just beyond their side of the hedged wall. He placed his fingers over Genny’s mouth so she wouldn’t say anything and they both listened. He leaned in and whispered, “Someone is close.”
She nodded, letting him know she had heard a slight rustling, too. They waited for some minutes before quietly walking farther into the maze. Another swish sounded, but it was followed by a soft moan.
Genny covered her own mouth this time. He thought it was an action derived not from shock but to smother a startled laugh. So, they weren’t the only couple meeting clandestinely.
Whispering in her ear, he asked, “Should we find out who it is?”
She shook her head. “They would see us together and assume…”
The rest didn’t need to be said. Yes, she was right. But the need to know tugged him in the direction of the other houseguests.
“Don’t make any noise till I tell you it’s safe to do so.” He didn’t want them to risk getting caught. She complied, not knowing that he planned to find out who was around the hedge before finding another place to hide.
Carefully, Leo spied around the corner he was positive the lovers had ensconced themselves in, and sure enough, he was correct. The lady’s skirts were tossed back, concealing her face. Her lover thrust up between her semi-exposed thighs, with his trousers loose about his hips, his blindfold still tightly tied at the back of his head. He would never have guessed that these two would be involved. Very interesting.
Turning back the way he’d come, he nudged Genny in a different direction. When they were far enough out of earshot, he said, “Our private alcove was occupied.”
“Did you see who it was?”
“I thought you didn’t want to know?”
“I don’t. But did you see them?”
“I did. And what a fine gossip column this would make.”
Genny’s mouth dropped open. She covered her expression of surprise with her gloved hand. “Say no more, I really don’t want to have that kind of incriminating knowledge. What if someone should somehow finagle the truth from me?”
“Then their secret will be safe with me. Unless I should need to use it against either party involved.”
“Leo, you’re terrible.”
“True, but sometimes the best defense against society is what you know and what information you’ve been privy to. How do you think my friends and I traverse society so easily with our reputations?”
“I never thought of it that way. Do you know something terrible about everyone?”
“Just about.”
She was silent a moment before saying, “Never tell me. I don’t want to be a part of anyone’s downfall.”
They walked for another five minutes before Leo came back to the center of the maze. Charlotte was nowhere in sight, and since every entrance to the center was connected one way or another, he led Genny to another path and made all the right turns she’d told him to make.
He untied her blindfold and pulled it away from her eyes when they reached their private little corner.
“Do you think we’ll be safe from discovery?” she asked.
He placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled her close so her face rested against his tan-colored jacket. “We’ll be extra careful. Will you meet me here later tonight when we don’t have to worry overmuch about being caught?”
She raised her head suddenly when the wind rustled up branches around them.
“There is no one about,” he assured her.
Her gaze clashed with his. “How can you possibly know that?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “I just do.”
“How long do you think it’s safe to stay here? Before either Charlotte or someone else manages to find us?”
“Everyone, aside from the couple currently enjoying their afternoon tryst, will be quietly hidden somewhere in the maze.”
She worried her lower lip. “So you mean we’ll be found together?”
“I doubt it. But to play it safe, we’ll only stay here together for a short time. I’ll leave just as soon as I’ve had my fill of you.”
He pulled her down so she was sitting atop his lap on the small rounded bench that filled the dead end. “How is it that you know your way around this maze better than I do? I grew up next door, spent my younger years causing all sorts of havoc around town, yet I never ventured over here to figure out the secrets of this maze.”
“I spent two summers here,” Genny said. “The first time was the year before I met you. I tend to wander about at odd hours of the night to look at the stars. Not all the time, just when it’s too hot to sleep comfortably.”
“Any time you are feeling restless, you need but knock on my door.”
She shook her head, but was smiling at him. “Only you would say such a thing.”
“I mean that in more than one way. If you want to go for a walk, Genny, I think I’ve proven to you that I’m happy with simply spending time in your company.”
“Yes, you have.” She placed her palm against the side of his face and leaned in to give him a sweet kiss on the lips. “But I like kissing you no matter where we are or what we are doing.”
“I couldn’t agree more with that sentiment.” Placing his hands against her face, he noticed a residual powder. “Genny, since when have you worn cosmetics?”
“I don’t.” She pulled back, shock in her expression at being discovered. “I’ll endeavor to never wear it again if it’s so noticeable. But I looked dreadful this morning.”
“Well tumbled, I imagine.” He grinned, happy to have been the cause of it. “And that reminds me … it seems we have an ally.”
Abruptly, she stood from his lap and looked around them nervously.
“There are no allies for what we are engaging in.” Her agitation was clear in the animated way she spoke with her hands. “People will use information about our affair against us should it be of benefit to them. You said yourself that that is what you do when needed.”
“She wouldn’t share this information with anyone, Genny. And I haven’t had to use the gossip I know for any betterment.”
“And what of your friends? Have they?”
His silence must have been answer enough to that question.
“I thought so. Who is it that you consider an ally? No, wait.” She waved her hands in front of her, closed her eyes as though it could block the truth. “I don’t think I could bear to know. I’d blush like a naïve virgin every time I looked at them. Don’t say another word.”
“I’ll say no more, but you should know that she is a friend who is above gossip.”
Genny pressed her fingers lightly to his mouth.
“My lips are sealed, then.” He kissed her lace-gloved hands, and nibbled t
he tip of one finger before she pulled slowly away.
“You should go,” she said in a hushed voice.
“Soon. I’m not done with you yet.” He took her hand in his and pulled her back onto his lap, letting her feel his arousal. She grinded down on him and moved his hand to cover one of her breasts.
“What I’d give to take you here,” he said.
“I want you to touch me.”
He hiked up her skirts and burrowed his hands between her thighs searching for the slit in her drawers. When he found it, his finger slicked through the fluids that had built up in her excitement.
She pressed her mouth to his, and wrapped her slender arms around his shoulders in acceptance when he inserted his middle finger into her tight quim. Goddamn, he wanted to be inside her in a completely different way. He settled for rubbing her clitoris simultaneously with quick thrusts of his fingers inside her velvety sheath. He bit her lip gently to remind her that she needed to remain quiet.
He adjusted himself as best he could in his trousers, thrusting up into her heavy skirts with every forward jerk of her pelvis as she rode out her pleasure on his hand. It would be so easy to slip open his trousers and take her here. He needed her.
“Let me have you.” He nibbled at her earlobe hoping she wouldn’t say no. He so badly needed to be inside her. The danger of their actions, of the possibility of being caught, spurred them both on and heightened their appetites for something more titillating and dangerous.
When she nodded, he tossed her skirts forward more fiercely in his need to have her, released the ties on his trousers, and took his cock in hand. Fuck, he’d never needed her so bad as he did now. He settled her on his lap so her back was to his chest and pulled her hips down hard on his aching cock.
One hand guided her hip, the other wrapped around her front and pressed and rubbed at her bound breasts.
For leverage, she put both her feet on the ground and rode him as hard as he pounded up into her. When she made those sounds again that drove him mad with lust, he put his fingers in her mouth and said, “Bite down on them.”
When she did, he knew it was because her orgasm took hold of her. He took her as hard as he could in this position, letting her sheath milk him for all his worth. He yanked her down on him as his come spurted out into the sweet haven between her thighs.
Shit. He hadn’t meant to come in her. “I’m sorry.”
She leaned her head back onto his shoulder. “For what?”
“I didn’t pull out.”
“It’s okay. I’m not near…”
He wasn’t sure if she stalled because she had to catch her breath or because she didn’t know how to word what she was going to say.
“No harm will come of it,” she finished. “We are safe right now.”
He nodded against her and kissed the side of her neck. “I’ll not forget myself again.”
“I like it when you forget yourself.” She reached her arm around and cradled his head in the crook of her neck.
They sat on the bench like that for some time. There was no way he’d ever get enough of her, so he stood her up on wobbly feet and put himself back together. Genny dabbed a handkerchief over her perspiring face and flattened out the wrinkles in her skirts.
The shush of slippered feet headed in their direction. They both looked toward the opening in the maze. Not knowing where the sound came from, he held out Genny’s blindfold and she obligingly turned her back to him so he could secure it behind her head. He went around the corner first, wondering if he’d step directly into someone’s path. There was no one there, so he led Genny quietly away from the noise they had heard in order to whisper in her ear.
“I know you haven’t said yes to tonight, but give it some thought. I would love to see you again, Genny.” He brushed the back of his hand lightly over the side of her face. “I’m going to leave you here, and it’ll be your choice if you want to find another spot to hide. I’m going to tie my blindfold back in place and head in another direction.”
“Thank you for finding me, Leo. I am glad I could spend even this short amount of time with you.”
He gave her a quick peck on the lips. “I will see you at luncheon, when the game has concluded.” He gave her one more kiss for good luck. This time he slipped his tongue gently between her lips and tangled it with hers before pulling away. “Good luck.”
Then he headed down the path, away from the lady who was not only driving him mad with lust, but with a much deeper feeling of affection than he’d previously felt for her.
Chapter 17
I ponder the reason for Lord B___’s current devotion. Could he be slipping in his normally circumspect manner? To date, there are only rumors surrounding his scandalous proclivities. That is not to say that what is whispered isn’t true, just yet to be proven. Does he intend to publicly ruin a woman who by all accounts has no prospects and offers no political gain? How incredibly out of character this current behavior is.
I am still awaiting news of any illicit behavior at the most talked-about house party of every season. Having already mentioned oddities, I find it rather peculiar that no stories have emerged after nearly two weeks. Never fear, this writer will dig up some tale before the week concludes.
The Mayfair Chronicles, August 2, 1846
There must be something about being reckless that appealed to her. Could it be an inherited malady that made her act so impulsively and scandalously? Whatever it was, it had her up past the witching hour and searching for her lover under the cover of night once again.
She’d contemplated sleep as opposed to what she was about to commit to. But after tossing in her bed for the past two hours with a frenzied mind on what she should do, she’d been unable to resist the lure as the midnight hour approached.
As she slipped around another corner of the tall-hedged maze, she worked her way toward the fountain. She could just hear the trickling sound of water at the center.
She knew perfectly well that Leo had suggested they meet here because of its total seclusion and privacy from the main house. And unless someone else was meeting for an assignation out of doors, the night was theirs alone. Rounding the last corner, she came to a sudden halt on reaching her destination.
The overhead sky was clear and dotted with millions of little stars, bringing light to the dark enshrouded path around them.
Leo stood up from one of the granite benches that flanked the fountain, reminiscent of a powerful predator stalking his mate. She swallowed against the sudden dryness in her throat and dropped both hands anxiously at her sides. She almost couldn’t believe she was here, willing and ready to be seduced by him.
He wore dark trousers and loose shirtsleeves. She could see the dip at his throat and the hair sprinkled on his chest at the open vee. She wanted to press her face into all the strength and listen to the steady beat of his heart. The thought brought back memories of their past times, and of last night.
The closer he came, the more real the moment felt. She could make out the laugh lines around his eyes, the softness of his hair now that the pomade taming his loose curls had been washed away.
Her gaze slipped past his shoulder for a moment where she spied a basket and blanket. The very idea that he came well prepared for an evening of seduction made her smile.
“I wasn’t sure you would come after all your teasing and hinting otherwise.” The backs of his fingers caressed the underside of her jaw and cheek, drawing her attention solely to him.
“I almost didn’t.” Her voice was throaty, seductive even to her own ears. “This feels more dangerous than last time. I’m more afraid of being caught.”
His thumb stroked over her lower lip and his fingers lightly grazed over her cheek. “What made you change your mind?”
“I’m not precisely sure.”
His smile was magnetic and wicked and she found herself leaning closer so she could have a nibble at his lips.
“I’ll make this worth your having to sneak around an
d the sleeplessness to come.” He took her hand and led her farther into the lion’s den. “How do you feel about a nightcap?”
“What have you pilfered from the kitchen?”
“Only some strawberries.” That dashing smile of his was like a flash of welcome light in the pitch-black night. “The champagne I purloined from the wine cellar.”
“Was it your plan all along to make me tipsy so you could properly take advantage of me?” Not that she had any objections to this mad plan of his.
He released her hand and bid her to sit on the blanket-shrouded bench. The dribble of water from the fountain was calming and added a pleasant ambiance to the setting.
“Though I don’t think we need to imbibe in anything to go down the path we’re headed.” He popped the cork smoothly on the champagne bottle and poured out two glasses. Removing a bowl full of tiny field strawberries, he plucked the green ends off two and dropped them into each of their bubbling, fizzy drinks.
Taking a seat next to her on the bench, he tipped one glass to her lips and bid her to drink. “Does this meet with your approval?”
The coolness of the drink infused her mouth as the bubbles trickled down her throat. The strawberry added just the right amount of zest to the dry beverage.
He eyed her intently as he waited for her answer. All the while he swirled the strawberry in his champagne flute round and round.
She licked at her top lip suggestively before finally saying, “There can’t be anything more delicious.”
“I can think of a few things.” His gaze dropped to her mouth and trailed a hot path down the front of her peignoir. She felt his gaze like a heavy petting touch, and it heated her skin and had her heart pounding in her breast.
Oh, God, she craved his touch like never before. These last two nights felt so much different than all those years ago when they’d been young and in too much of a rush for a slow seduction. Much like wine, time seemed to make some things better.
Leo tipped his head back and took a sip from his glass, catching the little red berry on his tongue. She shamelessly watched his throat work as he swallowed the champagne.
Wicked Nights With a Proper Lady Page 20