She wet her hands and rolled the soap between them, generating a bit of lather before finally settling her palms onto the tops of his shoulders. His body jerked a bit at the touch, but he didn’t recoil from her. In fact, it felt as if he pressed into her hands, as if he wanted her to push harder. Moving her palms around to the sides of his arms and then to the middle of his back, she took delight in the patterns in the soap left behind by her ministrations. A few more swipes and she had his entire back—or rather what was showing above the water’s edge—covered in soap. She was so intent on her work, she barely noticed how Alonyius had turned his head and was resting his chin on one soapy shoulder.
“Are you... enjoying this?” he asked in a husky whisper.
Stopping her movements, Alice wondered how to respond. Should she admit she was enjoying this... this wholly inappropriate whatever-it-was she was doing? Is this what she had heard referred to as foreplay in overheard whispers? Or was she merely engaging in an exercise that would cement her as fast in his opinion?
“I am, actually,” she replied in a quiet voice. “Are you?” She had begun to move her hands again, this time dipping them below the water, sliding them to his sides and up again.
“It is rather pleasant,” he replied, trying hard not to purr.
Although there was just a hint of the fat pads so many men sported above their hips, he was a lean man. “I’ve never done this before,” Alice said suddenly, smoothing her hands so her soapy thumbs traveled along his spine and up to the nape of his neck. “I do hope I’m... doing it right,” she added, wondering how he might respond.
“Since I have never had my back washed in such a manner, I’m sure I wouldn’t know,” Alonyius said as he straightened his head and then allowed it to drop down so his chin rested on his chest.
Slowing her hands, Alice frowned. “Do you... like it? Truly?”
His body vibrated in response, just before a chuckle erupted. “‘Like’ isn’t exactly the word I would use,” he whispered.
Alice pulled her hands away, rather dismayed by his response. She was about to rinse off the soap from her hands when Alonyius suddenly tipped his head back, forcing his back beneath the water as he gazed at her upside down. “I was trying to come up with a word that would describe a rather pleasant situation I should like to have oft repeated. ‘Like’ simply doesn’t do your ministrations justice, my lady.”
Heartened by his response, Alice allowed a wan smile. Regarding him for a moment, she realized it was now or never. If she wanted this man to share the only bed in the room, and do so with more than mutual warmth in mind, then she needed to make her intentions clear.
So she leaned over and placed her lips over his.
Although it might have seemed a bit awkward at first—his lips were upside down to hers—she found it every bit as intimate as the only kiss she had ever experienced before. Back when a footman had placed his hands on either side of her face and taken her lips in a scorching kiss he meant only as a demonstration of what could be should she agree to accompany him to Vauxhall Gardens. Alice had refused the invitation, but only because it wasn’t her day off. She had to wait for Lady Torrington to return from the theatre so that she could prepare her for bed.
Moving a hand to rest against the side of his face, more to steady herself than to keep him in place, Alice continued the kiss when Alonyius made no move to end it.
At some point, she had to give up her hold on him, though, for his wet hands moved to the sides of her face as he deepened the kiss. When he finally let go, he didn’t pull away as much as simply settle his head against the edge of the tub. “I do believe it’s time we move to the bed,” he whispered. And then he allowed his entire torso and head to dip into the water before he finally emerged and slowly sat up.
Alice couldn’t help the shiver of anticipation that passed through her, the way her body seemed to thrum at the thought of his entire body pressed against hers. The way her own throbbed at the thought of what he might do. She imagined all manner of debauchery, wondering what the valet might expect her to do once they were beneath the bed linens.
What he might do to her.
When Alonyius slowly straightened to a sitting position, the water sloshing just a bit as he did so, Alice was jolted from her reverie. She pulled a bath linen from the chair and unfurled the fabric, holding it out for him as he rose from the tub. Alice couldn’t help but watch as the water sluiced from his body, as he used the linen to scrub at his wet hair and face. She quickly grabbed the other linen, ever so glad she hadn’t been selfish and used it herself. When she shook it out and offered it to him, he was regarding her with what could only be desire.
“Thank you, my lady,” he murmured.
Alice could only nod, her gaze taking in his entire body as he stepped up and out of the tub. She slowly stood up and took the linen from him. Ignoring his frown, she rubbed it over his damp skin, from his shoulders down to his hips and both sides of his body until she reached his manhood.
His fully erect manhood.
She dared a glance up, wondering if he would still her movements or allow her to proceed. But she found his eyes closed, and his breathing seemed labored as she finally saw to drying him there.
His breath hitched. She felt how his body stiffened. She wondered if she should continue, but when he said nothing, she knelt and dried his legs and his feet.
She had never seen a man’s bare feet before. Marveling at the bones that showed in slight relief beneath the skin, she reached out to trace one of them. But her touch had him jerking his foot away before she had completed the track of a single bone. And then he was suddenly bent over, his hands beneath her arms, pulling her up and hard against the front of his body before his lips took purchase on hers.
The kiss was searing in the heat it seemed to generate. Alice was sure her lips burned and swelled under the sweet, intense assault. When he pulled away, he left his forehead pressed against hers.
“First, I shall taste you. I will not stop until you beg me to do so,” he warned in a voice filled with what sounded like menace.
Alice nodded. What else could she do? She didn’t know quite what he meant, but her thighs throbbed in anticipation. If she refused, her body would never forgive her.
“Then, I am going to rid you of this,” he hissed, referring to her night rail.
She nodded, rather wishing he would do so that very moment.
“And then I’m going to fill you with this.” One of his hands took one of hers and moved it to his manhood. She wrapped her fingers around it even before his hand could force them to do so. Her thumb brushed over the end of it so he suddenly squeezed his eyes shut and let out a groan of surprise.
The silk-satin-covered rod was heavy in her hand, alive and throbbing in its own anticipation of a release it hadn’t experienced in a very long time. “Over and over again until I can stand it no more,” he whispered hoarsely. “Do you understand?”
Alice nodded against his forehead. “I do.” She kissed him again for good measure, for she rather doubted they would be doing any kissing for the rest of the night. The simple act of intimacy would be replaced by the more coarse version, if intercourse could even be considered intimate.
His hands moved over the fine lawn of her night rail until they came to rest on her breasts. He broke the kiss to take a deep breath and then recaptured her lips at the same time he pressed his palms over his captives.
It was Alice’s turn to break the kiss, her inhalation of breath loud in the quiet room before the steel bands of his arms were suddenly around her waist.
“And finally, when I fall asleep, I expect to be holding you against me for the rest of the night.”
Alice pulled away to regard him with a quizzical expression. Although she had always expected they would share the bed for carnal activities, she was gratified to learn he intended to sleep with her, too. “I think I shall like that. Although ‘like’ is such an inadequate word...” She allowed the sentence to
trail off because she had to. Alonyius suddenly had her in his arms, carrying her to the bed and settling her onto it before she could put voice to a protest. Even before he had her positioned in the middle, his body was atop hers, his lips taking purchase on one of her hardened nipples through the fabric of her night rail.
Despite the chill in the room, an inferno seemed to erupt between them as her night rail was suddenly rucked up well beyond her hips. His hands were possessive as he splayed them and ran them down the sides of her body, over and under her thighs. When he lifted one—forcing her to bend her knee—and then lowered his face to kiss the inside of it, Alice suddenly realized exactly what he meant with his first warning.
She inhaled at the sensation his lips created on the tender flesh of her thigh. No one had ever kissed her there. Instead of waiting for him to move it, she bent her other leg and allowed it to drop to the other side. Feeling ever so wanton, she speared his short hair with her fingers and scraped his scalp with her nails, hoping to guide his head so he could repeat the exquisite torture on the other thigh. She didn’t even mind that the man’s whiskers abraded her skin as he saw to thoroughly kissing it.
But he merely slowed his movements before lifting his head. Despite her whimper of protest, or maybe because of it, he whispered, “Patience, my lady.”
Alice sighed in protest, realizing she had to slow her breathing or she would faint. Even now, her entire body seemed to buzz in anticipation. She was about to put voice to a plea for surcease when a dart of pleasure came out of nowhere. Not exactly what she expected to experience just then, she held her breath in wonder and was stunned when it happened again, although whatever had set it off was harder, more intense. The darts of pleasure were soon replaced with wonderful waves that rolled through her entire body.
It was then she wondered what had her entire body reacting so, what had her experiencing a spasm of pure pleasure unlike anything she had felt before. Lifting her head slightly, she confirmed her suspicion, shocked to find the valet’s head between her thighs, his tongue obviously the culprit as he laved her engorged womanhood. If she hadn’t just bathed the hour before, she would be appalled. Now, she could only hope he would continue whatever it was that...
She inhaled sharply, her chest rising from the bed as the intensity of the sensations increased. Whimpering and verging on the edge of begging him to stop, Alice cried out. The dart of intense pleasure subsided, and she relaxed a bit. Satiated and warm, she relaxed a bit more and allowed a sigh of contentment.
So she was entirely unprepared as Alonyius delivered a final swipe of his tongue, covered her womanhood with his lips, and then began suckling it. The intensity of the resulting pleasure had her mewling in between screams of ‘yes’ before she finally put voice to a plea for him to stop.
“If you don’t stop, I’ll faint," she whimpered.
A bit reluctant to heed her warning, Alonyius finally pulled his lips away from Alice’s delectable body. His hands remained splayed on her thighs, his fingers covering the bruises he’d left behind by holding her down as she writhed about. He still tasted her ambrosia on his tongue, its aroma engulfing his senses.
Never before had he been in the company of a woman who opened herself so completely for him. Never before had a woman allowed him such liberties—at least without first putting forth a string of protests. And never before had he been as ready to plunge himself into a woman. If he wasn’t careful, his release would come before he was even halfway into her.
The memory of his earlier words reminded him to remove her night rail. He wanted to see her breasts again, to hold them, and to take her engorged nipples between his teeth and do to them what he had done to her womanhood.
He crawled up the front of her body, one hand pushing the offending fabric up as he went. Her hands joined in the effort to remove the night rail, and soon she was naked before him, her dark hair splayed out on the pillow beneath her head. One hand had moved to his shoulder, as if she needed something to hold onto, while her other arm attempted to cover her breasts.
Alonyius frowned. “What is it?” He couldn’t have her turning modest now. Not when his need was so great.
“I’ve not been blessed with much in the way of breasts,” she whispered in despair.
“Then you should know that more than a mouthful is a waste, my lady,” he countered. He lifted her arm from her chest and reveled in the sight before him. With breasts too flat to fall to the sides of her chest, her nipples were erect and perfectly positioned for his tongue and lips. Perfectly sized so that he might encompass one with his mouth. He did so, although slowly and carefully—he didn’t wish to bruise her or cause her pain. Besides, they had all night. Probably all day tomorrow and tomorrow night as well.
Grateful for the bit of reprieve Alonyius provided her, Alice forced her breaths to even out. She watched as he regarded her, surprised when he seemed pleased with her poor excuses for breasts. And then he dropped his face onto one, and another round of exquisite pleasure took her breath away.
She was quite sure his tongue was responsible for the shivers that raced down her torso, for the skitters of pleasure that radiated from her breast. When his worship moved to her other breast, she wondered if they might ever do this again. And before she could give that thought its due, Alonyius moved his member into alignment with her body and allowed her fingers to help it find its new home.
Although his first thrust was a bit tentative, Alice was still forced to inhale sharply. However did he expect to bury himself in her when he was obviously far too large? But his slow movements, careful and controlled, soon had him inside her wet sheath as far as he could go. When she lifted her knees a bit more to grip his thighs, he was suddenly deeper, and a growl sounded from his throat.
When her chest arched up in response, Alonyius took the opportunity to once again kiss her nipples. His body demanded surcease, though, so he quickened his thrusts.
He delighted in how her body responded by rising to meet his, countering his every thrust and making it impossible to hold off the spasm of pleasure that finally had him releasing his seed into her.
Groaning, his face contorted in what looked like pain, Alonyius struggled to catch his breath as his body seized in ecstasy. Overwhelmed and unable to speak or even move, he fell atop Alice’s body and passed out.
Her body suddenly covered with the length of his body, his cock still firmly inside her, Alice slowly lowered her legs and moved a quilt into place over them both. Allowing a sigh of contentment, she wondered how she would ever stop smiling.
Chapter 14
Remembering a Prior Life
Meanwhile, back at Torrington Park
“I never asked you about your first husband,” Milton murmured after a moment of quiet. The hand that held hers beneath the covers squeezed slightly as he made the comment, as if he already regretted putting voice to his thoughts.
Adele furrowed her brows, wondering why he would mention Samuel Worthington at a time like this. The earl had barely recovered from their latest tumble, his labored breaths just now returning to normal.
She turned her head to regard him, but in the darkness, she couldn’t make out his face. “What would you like to know?” Rolling onto her side so her entire body faced him, she nearly let out a yelp when his arms gathered and pulled her against the side of his chest.
“I’m not sure I wish to know anything, but I cannot but wonder why you never speak of him,” he replied before kissing her hair. His words were almost a whisper, but they still sounded loud in her ears. “Do you miss him? Did you feel affection for him? Did you wish to have children with him? Was he kind to you, or did he hurt you? Did you spend the nights in bed with him? Did he snore?” The questions came tumbling out, as if he had banked them for just this moment.
Considering how to respond—or not—Adele allowed a sigh. “My brother introduced us at a ball. Apparently Worthington asked Devonville if he might be allowed to dance with me. I was nineteen at the time
and quite certain I didn’t want to wed.” She paused a moment, not the least bit surprised when she heard a hint of a guffaw erupt from her husband’s chest.
“I remember. You were a feisty chit,” Milton said as he tightened his hold on her, the tips of his fingers drawing circles on her arm.
Adele couldn’t help the grin that came to her face just then. She remembered Milton, of course. Remembered that the night she had first danced with Worthington was the same night the earl had agreed to be a godfather to yet another daughter of the ton. “You had just announced your ninth or tenth goddaughter,” she replied, lifting her head from his shoulder. “And you were quite foxed.”
He allowed a chuckle. “I was quite sober, I assure you,” he countered. “I take my duties as a godfather very seriously.” There was a long pause before he added, “I didn’t get foxed until after I saw you dancing with Worthington.”
Adele gave a start and turned over to hold herself up on one elbow. “What are you implying?” she asked, surprise evident in her voice.
Milton took the opportunity to pull her onto his chest. “I was a fool. I was four-and-twenty. I’d already been in Parliament over seven years. I was supposed to marry and start a nursery, and I wouldn’t have any of it. My cousin, Gregory, had already proven himself a much better manager of money and had a woman in mind to be his wife. I figured eventually he or his son could inherit. He would make a better earl...”
“Nonsense,” Adele interrupted. Gregory Grandby would make an excellent earl, but the younger cousin wanted nothing to do with Parliament. He was all about making money for his coffers and those of his clients and the companies in which he had a vested interest.
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