The Secrets of Seduction (The Ladies of The Burling School Book 7)

by Elizabeth Lennox

  But what was even more disturbing, besides all of these married men laughing and drinking with women other than their wives, was how bored she was. So many people worked their whole lives to be included into an event such as this one. The desire to talk and be included among the highest ranks of society was what some people lived and breathed to accomplish.

  Growing up, Ella had wondered what the big, fancy parties were like at Malcolm’s estate. She’d been jealous of what may or may not have happened during the big social gatherings and imagined stories about what she thought was happening. Of course, in her imagination, she was the veteran reporter who covered all of the events.

  Now, standing among all of these people, she had to stifle a yawn. Much to her chagrin, this kind of a gathering wasn’t the amazing, glittering event that she’d pictured all those years ago. In reality, it was…boring. Tedious! There weren’t any interesting conversations happening, no good-natured political debates or intense financial revelations, no shocking business deals being made. It was just a bunch of pretentious, self-righteous, overweight men drinking heavily and pretending to be important because they had a beautiful woman on their arm.

  “I’ll be right back,” she whispered, trying not to interrupt the conversation about a man’s fishing expedition. He was bragging about catching the biggest fish that day, but he was so drunk he kept forgetting to say that he was the one that reeled in the big fish. Several times, he’d accidentally mentioned the ship’s captain, who had stepped in to save the fish.

  Malcolm held onto her hand for a moment, looking down at her. “You okay?” he asked softly, whispering in her ear.

  Ella shivered, and hoped he didn’t notice. “I’m fine,” she replied. “Just need to find the ladies room.”

  He moved closer, lowering his voice as he said into her ear, “You’re coming back, right? If I have to listen to one more golf or fishing story, I’m going to do something drastic. I can’t be held accountable for my actions.”

  Ella laughed, then realized that she was slipping out of character and suppressed her amusement. “Behave!” she hissed back at him, then slipped away. She had no idea where the restrooms were, but she didn’t care either. As long as she got away for a few moments where she could relax her cheek muscles and stop smiling at inane, tedious stories.

  After several wrong turns, she found a bathroom and stepped in with a sigh of relief. Her feet were killing her and she wanted to get rid of this stupid dress. She would kill for a pair of sweatpants right about now!

  Not literally, she corrected mentally as she walked to one of the mirrors. Her lipstick was still in place, but she pulled out a tube of lipstick anyway and touched up the edges. Two other women walked in, talking and appeared to be just as bored now that they were in front of their men.

  “Can you believe that stupid story about climbing Mount Everest?” a woman in a pink, low cut dressed groaned. Her friend in a blue dress, shuddered.

  “No! I don’t believe any of the stories these blowhards tell at these stupid events. They are all lies.”

  Pink-Dress laughed. “Even if he did make it to the top of Mount Everest, I read an article that talked about how it’s actually the Sherpas who do all of the real work. If it weren’t for them, none of us silly Europeans would make it up the mountain.”

  “Yeah, well, it makes these guys think they are strong, powerful men. So, I don’t care.”

  Blue Dress took her lipstick out and smiled to Ella. “Nice dress,” she said. “Who are you with?”

  Ella was stunned to be addressed. For so long tonight, she’d pretended to be invisible and, for the most part, it had worked. The men mingling with the other beautiful women rarely deigned to look in her direction. If they did, it was merely to ogle her breasts before comparing Ella to the woman on their arm. So it was startling that someone addressed her directly.

  “Oh, um…I’m here with Malcolm Reynolds,” she said, wondering if she should have said “Marquis” or something more formal.

  No need, she realized moments later.

  “The Marquis of Theeds?” Pink-Dress exclaimed.

  Blue-Dress was equally impressed. “Goodness, I’d love to be with him! He’s the only man in here who can actually see his feet!”

  Both ladies laughed as they checked their perfect hair, shifting a pin or two as if that did something dramatic to their appearance. Ella suspected that they were just as bored with the party as she was and trying to find reasons to linger here in the bathroom rather than head back out and listen to the men who most likely paid their bills.

  A cynical assumption, and they were probably making the same assumption about her. But hey, it’s a mercenary world out there!

  “He’s a very nice man,” Ella replied.

  Blue Dress laughed. “Nice? He’s hot and not fat! And he probably has ten times as much money as the rest of those idiots out there combined!”

  Pink Dress groaned. “Damn, I bet he’d buy me that Fendi bag! You know, the blue one that would go with my blue shoes?”

  “Seriously? There’s no way any of these men would buy a Fendi bag! Those kinds of gifts are reserved for the wife-side of the equation,” Blue Dress admonished, then dabbed at her lipstick. “Look at the time. We have maybe an hour before show time.”

  Ella blinked. “Show time? What’s that?”

  They both blinked at her with astonishment. “You’re new to this whole mistress thing, right?” Pink Dress chuckled.

  Blue Dress reached into her dress and lifted her breasts so they were more visible. “Show Time is when we perform.”

  “Perform?” Ella echoed, still not sure what they meant. There was no way she was getting up on stage!

  “Perform?” Pink Dress repeated, as if the answer were obvious. “On our men? The whole reason they take us out?”

  Blue Dress laughed. “My guy promised that he would take me to Tular for his next business trip. For that, he gets a bit of special attention.”

  Pink Dress shrugged. “Don’t fall for it,” she warned. “I was there last month and it was a total drag! And I don’t even know why he brought me. There were other women that he was more interested in. Besides, it was really hot and uncomfortable there. Not even the hotel had air conditioning could break through that heat.”

  Ella’s ears perked up. Tular? Women? “What did you do while you were there?” she asked, pretending as if her heart wasn’t racing with anticipation.

  “I watched television,” Blue Dress said with a shudder. “The shopping wasn’t worth the trip and my guy left me in the hotel room while he went out and did something weird. I don’t know what it was, but it sounded like hunting.” She pulled back from the mirror and looked at her reflection, turning from side to side and pressing a hand to her stomach as if that movement could flatten it more than it was already. “For all I know, he went on one of those illegal safari hunting trips.” She shrugged and turned towards the door. “You’ve been warned!” Blue Dress announced with a laugh. “Stay away from exotic-sounding adventures!”

  “My guy told me he’d buy me some pretty jewelry.”

  Ella bit her lip, trying to keep herself from warning these two ladies that the gems mined in Tular weren’t done with ethical staffing solutions. Some of the mines used child labor, which was slave labor. From the looks of them, Ella didn’t think that they’d care as long as they received a shiny rock for their performance efforts.

  Ella tucked her lipstick back into her evening bag as casually as possible. “Well, it sounds like anyplace in Africa would be pretty hot right about now. Isn’t the equator somewhere around there?” she asked.

  Pink Dress shrugged. “That’s up near the north pole,” she explained, putting a hand on Ella’s shoulder. “It’s easy to get those things mixed up with the penguin region.”

  Ella bit her tongue and nodded in agreement. She didn’t explain that penguins actually lived in Antarctica, which was on the South Pole. And the equator wasn’t anywhere near the Nor
th Pole. Instead, she followed the two women out of the bathroom. Puffins! Puffins could be found near the North Pole! They were pretty cute, but penguins generally stole all of the cold-weather attention.

  Ella followed at a more sedate pace, not interested in returning too quickly. Pink and Blue had mentioned something about the party winding down and their required “performance” becoming imminent.

  She didn’t want to perform, but Ella couldn’t deny that she’d been painfully aware of Malcolm all evening. She’d stood by his side, either hugging his arm, or with his arm around her waist, his heavy hand resting against her hip or the small of her back. Occasionally, his hand had slipped lower and she’d held her breath, waiting, wondering if he would do something outrageous.

  He never did, but when he moved his hand higher, she would glance up at him and see his smirk.

  In other words, she’d been on edge all night! Her mind might be bored, but her body wasn’t. Her body was incredibly aware of Malcolm and his strength as well as the never-ending tension that seemed to vibrate between them.

  Even now, she stepped into the room and looked for Malcolm. She located him over near the fireplace and it wasn’t simply because he was the tallest man in the room. There was just something about him that drew her gaze.

  He must’ve felt it as well because he looked towards her. Eyes clashing, he lifted his drink to his lips, not releasing her from that hold he had over her.

  He dared her with that look. Ella couldn’t resist him. As if in a trance, she moved towards him. The crowd might have parted or she might have simply shifted in between the mingling bodies. Ella wasn’t sure, nor did she care. Malcolm was watching her as she came to him.

  When she was only a few feet away, he extended his hand towards her. Without hesitation, Ella placed her hand in the warmth of his and…it felt right. Good! Exciting!

  “Let’s go,” he growled into her ear.

  Ella stared up into his eyes for a long moment, reading his intent. Did she want this? “Yes!” she replied, both to herself as well as to Malcolm’s unspoken question.

  Malcolm’s fingers tightened on her waist. It was there in her eyes as well as in the way her body swayed towards him. She trusted him! Damn, that felt better than it should!

  He squeezed her hand. Yet another pompous jerk sidled up to him, eager for conversation. But Malcolm wasn’t in the mood to speak to anyone now. He didn’t want to hear about a fishing story or a trip to the Bahamas, a great swing at one at the golf courses that was probably a lie anyway. He didn’t want to reassure some idiot that their investments were in a good place or pretend that he might consider a business deal.

  Malcolm wanted to be alone with Ella so that he could explore her amazing body. He knew her mind. Loved her mind. But tonight was all about the physical. He wanted to make love to her until this insane urgency subsided. He wanted to walk into a room, see her and be able to ignore the immediate pain of lust, the need to pull her into his arms and make her his.

  She followed him willingly. Eagerly! They made their way through the thinning crowd. Several people called out to him, but Malcolm nodded to some and completely ignored others. No matter what they wanted to talk about, he wasn’t interested.

  It was a testament to the excellent service in this place that someone had realized he was leaving and had called his driver. The man was standing outside, holding the back door to the limousine open so that Ella and Malcolm could step inside.

  As soon as the driver closed the door, Malcolm turned to Ella, needing to pull her into his arms and kiss her. But she was already moving towards him, sliding into his arms as if she were water, melting into him. His mouth covered hers and he kissed her, feeling her arms wrap around his neck as their tongues danced together. There was no preface to this kiss, no teasing nips or tastes. They were too hungry for each other and Malcolm loved that her eagerness almost matched his own need.

  As the driver guided the limousine through the quiet streets of London, Malcolm learned more about Ella’s body. About where she wanted to be touched. He was careful not to release any clasps or slide down any zippers. Not yet. But his hands found bare skin under the burgundy chiffon, sliding along her legs. He absorbed her gasps of pleasure into his mouth as he continued to explore her.

  Thankfully, it didn’t take long to arrive at Ella’s apartment. The limousine came to a smooth stop right in front and he pulled her hands from him. “We’re here. I’m coming inside, Ella. If you don’t want this, tell me now.”

  She stared up at him and, for a startled moment, he thought she might say no. But then her kiss-swollen lips curled upwards and she nodded. “Yes. Definitely!”

  He let out the breath he’d been holding, then nodded sharply as the driver opened the back door. “Let’s go,” he took her hand. Exiting first, he held her hand to help her out, ensuring that she didn’t trip on the long dress. But once they were both standing on the sidewalk, he turned to his driver and said, “We’re done for the night. I’ll call you when I need you.”

  The man tipped his hat and closed the back door. “Very good, my lord.” He walked to the front of the limousine.

  Malcolm couldn’t wait any longer. With her hand still in his, he led her into the building at a fast pace, wanting to be inside of her apartment so that he could strip off over her clothes and see her. Feel her. Touch every part of her and learn what made her scream.

  Ella fumbled with the keys to her apartment. Gently, Malcolm took the keys from her trembling fingers and, pressing his chest against her back, reached around her to unlock the door. She sighed with relief when the door swung open, but Malcolm spun her around, pressing her against the wall just inside of the doorway. With his foot, he kicked the door closed while, at the same time, his hands pulled her back into his arms. “Love the dress,” he said. “But it has to go. I want you naked!”

  She whimpered and reached up to tug the knot on his bow tie. The ends pulled everything loose and she tossed the scrap of black material away. While she worked the buttons on his shirt, his fingers deftly found the hooks at the back of her neck. It was easier for him to reveal what was underneath her dress than it was for Ella to unbutton his shirt.

  As the dress whispered to the floor, he stepped back, looking at her in nothing but a pair of lace panties and heels. “You aren’t wearing a bra!” he growled, looking at her perfect breasts. They weren’t large, but they were perfect! Round and pert with raspberry colored nipples that were hard and pointing towards him, obviously eager for his touch.

  She stared up at him, but Malcolm couldn’t pull his gaze away from her beautiful breasts. His hands moved from her waist, sliding higher and higher until they cupped her breasts, feeling their weight. They were perfect in his hands, soft and supple. Slowly, his thumb moved higher and higher, circling her nipple but not quite touching it. Malcolm savored the anticipation, savored her trembling with anticipation. Her eyes were closed now and Malcolm watched her back arch, her body silently begging him to touch her nipples.

  When his thumbs finally slid over the tips, she gasped. Ella’s hands had been pressed against the wall during the moments leading up to this, but when his thumbs teased her nipples, she grabbed his wrists. For a moment, he thought she might try to pull his hands away. It wouldn’t work, he thought as the desire intensified. Instead, her hands held onto his wrists, guiding his hands, showing him what she wanted him to do. It was so hot, watching her guide his hands. He couldn’t wait for her to show him what else she liked!

  Ella couldn’t take the torture any longer! She whimpered and started to pull his hands away, but he pinched her nipples, ever so slightly, and the desire was like a lightning bolt that shot straight from her nipples to her core. “Malcolm!” she groaned. Then her hands moved from his wrists, fighting the stupid buttons on his tuxedo shirt. If she had a pair of scissors, she would have simply cut the shirt off. In the end, her fingers couldn’t work fast enough for either of them. Malcolm pushed the tuxedo jacket off his s
houlders and tossed it onto the kitchen countertop, then went to work on the obnoxiously small buttons on his tuxedo.

  Ella didn’t wait for the shirt to come off. As soon as skin was revealed, her fingers moved against his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin, the roughness of his chest hair with a tempting line going from the center of his chest straight down…only to be lost behind his slacks.

  “Take them off!” she demanded, fumbling with the button of his slacks.

  “I’ll do it,” he growled right back, moving her hands away and putting them back on his chest. “Touch me, Ella!”

  She did! And he made sexy, grunting noises as her hands slid over the broad expanse of his chest. He was amazing! Every part of him was rock hard, covered with muscles that ridged his arms, shoulders, and stomach. Malcolm was definitely no aristocrat slouch. He worked out hard and his efforts were…beautiful!

  Ella could barely breathe as she watched him toss his slacks on top of his tuxedo jacket, then pushed his boxer briefs off as well. She had no idea when he’d discarded his shoes and socks, nor did she care. When he stood up, the man was gloriously naked.

  “Bedroom!” he snapped, and picked her up.

  Ella gasped when she felt his erection pressing against her core as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “There,” she said, tilting her head towards the only door in the apartment.

  He carried her through the door to her bedroom, carefully lowered her down onto the bed, and stretched out beside her. He only pulled back enough to slide her panties off, dropping them on the floor before moving back between her legs, tossing several condoms onto the comforter beside them. Ella was vaguely aware and relieved that he had remembered protection, although she kept a box of condoms in her bedside drawer. They’d been there for a long time, and she didn’t have the brain capacity to wonder if they were expired by this point.

  Especially with Malcolm looking at her like that. She was completely naked, wearing only a pair of black pumps. “These stay,” he decided as he slid his hand from her ankle to her outer thigh, pressing her legs wider as he moved between her legs.