The stable master would not give her a mount, but instead had the footman procure a carriage for her immediate return to Rochford Manor. He cautioned her about the roads at night, warning her of highwaymen and other riffraff who haunted the country roads. But she was adamant, uncaring of her safety, and finally the footman gave in, but only after she assured him it was an emergency.
She slept the majority of the way home, her dreams filled with visions of she and Dominic in bed. Naked, he lay over her, his lips teasing a nipple. Her hands moved to his head, anchoring him there. Her hips arched, aching for his throbbing shaft. Then he lifted his head, his brilliant blue eyes hot. “I need you,” he said, and with a thrust, he entered her.
Arlie woke with a start. Recognizing the tree-lined drive of Rochford Manor, she released a shaky sigh. The dream had been so real this time. Her body throbbed with desire.
Joseph met her at the front door, his face the very picture of fatherly concern.
She hugged the aging butler, who seemed surprised by her affection, but he hugged her back. When she finally released him, Joseph smiled and told her that a maid would be up to her room shortly.
Once snuggled safely in her bed, Arlie fell fast asleep and didn’t wake until late the following day feeling renewed. So renewed, a long horseback ride was in order.
At any other time she might have opted to wear her riding habit, but today she felt rebellious and instead pulled out the breeches she had hidden under her mattress. Donning a crisp linen blouse, she tied it at the waist and headed for the dining room.
The servants who passed her in the hall smiled warmly, showing no surprise at her attire. The moment she had walked into the manor, she had felt a calm overtake her. This was her home now. She was safe from prying eyes, vicious gossip and rakehell guardians. A moment later she pushed open the door to find Dominic sitting at one end of the polished table.
Silence met her as she walked across the room. Taking her time at the sideboard, Arlie filled her plate, knowing she wouldn’t eat half of the food.
But it gave her time to get up the nerve to face him. Choosing the seat farthest away from him at the opposite end of the ridiculously long table, she finally looked up to find Dominic’s piercing blue gaze on her. Strangely, he looked upset. Almost furious.
“Good morning,” he said, sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms.
Arlie pretended indifference—difficult when he looked so handsome despite the frown that marred his perfect face. He could bend any woman to his will, herself included. But she must remain impartial at all times.
“Good morning,” she replied, flashing a deliberately too-sweet smile before she dug into her ham. The meat may as well have been dirt for all she tasted, but she forced herself to eat every bite. As she swallowed, she could feel Dominic’s gaze on her still, burning into her.
“Why did you leave without telling me?”
She looked up at him, her brow arched. “I didn’t want to disturb you.”
His eyes narrowed. “You might have left a note.”
Arlie shrugged and continued eating.
“What are your plans for the day?” Dominic asked, clearly agitated that she had defied him.
“I’m going for a ride.”
“Where?”
“I have no idea.”
She could tell he was furious by the tic in his jaw. He appeared ready to question her again when the door opened and Joseph entered, holding a silver tray piled with calling cards. Without a word he set the tray before Dominic, who picked up the first card, scanned it, and tossed it aside. On it went—one by one, he threw each card aside.
“Well,” he said, his voice edged with steel. “It appears you were quite a sensation. In fact, several callers are awaiting your presence as we speak.”
Rather than flattered by the attention, Arlie felt strangely disappointed. She wanted solitude, peace and quiet. She needed time to sort out her thoughts where Dominic was concerned. She needed to put an end, once and for all, to this infatuation that had taken over her entire being. She felt a prisoner in her own body, yearning for a man that would never be hers—suffering through erotic dreams that haunted her nights. She needed an end to the madness.
* * * * *
Dominic knew the surprise on Arlie’s face was genuine. She had clearly not expected her suitors to chase her down, and found it shocking they now sat in the parlor awaiting her presence. He could only imagine the men’s reaction to Arlie’s clothing.
Did she have any idea how stunning she was—or how sexy? The breeches she wore clung to her skin, displaying her long legs and shapely buttocks to perfection. The outfit left nothing to the imagination. And the white linen shirt she wore with no undergarment beneath enticed a man to stare, to see her nipples beneath the thin fabric. Should she walk out in the sunlight…
He cleared his throat. “You have suitors, Arlie. They are awaiting you.”
She sighed. “I am so weary of company. I don’t feel up to visiting right now. Would you tell them another time would be better?”
Would he tell them? He would be only too happy to throw the randy group out on their asses. Refraining from smiling wholeheartedly, he stood. “Of course,” he replied like the caring guardian he should be.
As he marched toward the parlor, he tried to calm himself. He had become entirely too possessive of Arlie, and it was inappropriate. She lured him, like a moth to the flame. Her innocence drew him. She was a virgin, and he would give anything to be the first to take her, to feel her soft body against his hard one. To feel her arms encircle his neck, her sweet breasts press against him, her thighs spread wide for him and him alone.
He shook his head at his thoughts. Granted, he’d never cared anything about principle when it came to women. Older, younger, rich, poor, married or widowed—he’d never cared before. Sex was sex. He couldn’t help but wonder if that is what all these men who came calling thought too.
He schooled his features as he entered the parlor where four young men sat, all bearing flowers, candies, and other trinkets, all for his ward. Jealousy ate him alive, and it didn’t help that all of them, save one, were at least five to ten years younger than himself, and far more suitable husband material than he would ever be.
They all stood as he entered, their gazes straying past his shoulder to the hallway, obviously hoping Arlie would follow.
Dominic abruptly cleared his throat, drawing their attention back to him. “I regret to inform you all that my ward is not feeling well this morning. The recent party exhausted her and she needs time to recoup.”
Masculine moans filled the air and Dominic managed to smile as apologetically as possible. “Thank you for coming, but I will ask that in the future you send word of your visit ahead of time, so I may see there is a chaperone available.”
He motioned for them to follow him. He held the front door open as each man filed past him, each stating their disappointment at not being able to offer her their best in person.
Daniel Butler, the young American he’d actually liked before the Banfield ball, stopped at his side and pressed a bouquet of roses into his hands. “Lord Rochford, could you please give these to Miss Whitman along with a message? Tell her the last few days were the best of my life. When she left early, I was devastated and immediately returned to London. Her beauty has stunned me so that I can scarcely think.”
Dominic clenched his fist. The man would have a tough time doing much of anything when Dominic finished pummeling him. Luckily, Daniel stopped his rehearsed speech and walked out the door before Dominic lost his composure. It took every ounce of will he possessed to refrain from slamming the door behind them.
Taking a deep, controlled breath, Dominic walked toward the dining room, his mind racing. He tossed the roses at a passing maid. “Throw them out,” he said, his head pounding with every step that brought him closer to the dining room…and to Arlie.
Is this what life would be like from now on—diverting a bunch of
randy men who clamored for time with his ward? Would he be subjected to constant suitors on a daily basis? If so, how could he stand it?
Perhaps it was time he move Arlie to his country estate in Whitley. Lord knew his grandmother would be delighted to have her company. But Whitley was not far enough away…there was no place on earth far enough away. Wherever she went, men would surely follow. No, she must stay where he could watch her.
Watch…and turn every ardent suitor away. He wanted Arlie to himself. In the past week he had dealt with more suitors than he cared to. He cared not if people started to speculate. He only wanted to be left alone with Arlie. The rest of the world could go hang for all he cared.
Joseph hurried toward him. “I’m sorry to disturb you, my lord, but I wish to inform you Miss Whitman has taken the gray mare from the stables. Yancy tried to convince her not to, but she insisted. I know she’s an accomplished rider…”
“Say no more,” Dominic replied, striding toward the stables. If Arlie hadn’t broken her neck already, perhaps he would do it for her.
* * * * *
Arlie rode at a furious pace, not caring that the horse was by far the fastest, not to mention largest, mount she’d ever ridden. She knew she should have been more cautious and picked a more suitable horse, but she desperately needed to escape the man who not only held her fate in her hands, but her heart.
She tried to tell herself that what she felt for Rochford was simple adoration. Yet how could it be simple adoration when her heart nearly pounded out of her chest whenever he came near, and the urge to touch him became overwhelming? She no longer lied to herself. She wanted him in her bed. She wanted to be his lover.
He was attracted to her as well, that much was obvious, but he had already said he would not marry her. She would simply be a diversion, a roll in the hay, and how long would that last? Look at Veronica. He’d said he had tired of her, yet within hours of the declaration he’d taken her to bed again.
For all Arlie desired Dominic, she had to admit the truth. Rochford would chase anything in a skirt. If she gave into her desires and made love with him, then where would she be? In the end she would be hurt, and he would move on. She couldn’t let that happen.
Letting her frustrations go, Arlie galloped on, eating up miles of land. Not until the horse became lathered did she slow, and then stop, allowing the mare a much-needed rest. As Arlie’s heartbeat slowed, she looked at the countryside and realized she was lost. Knowing it would be foolish to continue, she dismounted and led her horse into a small alcove of trees set against the green hillside.
She would rest for a bit, then return the way she had came…hopefully.
She sat with her back against an old tree, and closed her eyes, taking in the silence around her. How peaceful it was. The only sound came from the stirring of the leaves overhead as a light breeze blew.
A moment later the sound of hooves interrupted the tranquility. Someone was coming her way. She considered hiding, but stayed put, figuring she could ask the person how to get back to Rochford Manor.
But it seemed that she was not going anywhere.
“Dominic,” she whispered, her heart pounding in her ears as he raced toward her on his black steed. Dressed in black from his shirt to his boots, his very presence was so powerful, she wondered if any woman alive could resist him. He stopped just short of her. His eyes were as cold as ice.
What right did he have to be mad at her? She had merely gone for a ride by herself. She had not ridden into London, but in the countryside, so surely a chaperone had not been needed. She lifted her chin and met his stare without flinching.
“You know better than to take the gray. She’s a feisty mount.” His gaze shifted to her chest, lingering there a few seconds before slipping past her waist to her breeches.
Arlie’s heart slammed against her ribs as his gaze found hers once again. “I thought all your breeches had been burned.”
She stood and planted her hands on her hips. “As you can plainly see, I saved a pair from the fire.”
“Young women should not ride astride, nor do they wear breeches,” he said, his voice disapproving. “It’s unseemly.”
She bristled under his hard stare. How dare he tell her what was unseemly. Having sex with a married woman—that was unseemly. Telling his ward that he wanted to bed her, then saying he would never marry her—now that was very unseemly.
“What are you thinking?” He watched her intently, as though he could see into her very soul.
How did he read her so easily? It seemed he knew everything about her, while she knew nothing of him. “I never meant to upset you,” she lied, knowing that’s exactly why she had taken off alone…and on the gray.
He dismounted, and Arlie took a step back.
At Dominic’s approach, Arlie could see a muscle twitch in his jaw. Her heart pounded in time to his steps, and a moment later she gasped when he pulled her up against him. He held his mouth inches away from hers. “I hate what you do to me. I hardly recognize myself anymore.” His hot breath fanned her face.
She trembled, afraid of her desire for him. Her fear that he would abandon her once he got what he wanted.
A second later he released her and took a step away from her. He ran a hand through his hair, and it was then Arlie noticed he was trembling too. “I wanted to kill all of those men that came calling. Each one of them bringing you gifts, wanting to woo you with the hope of having you. I’ve endured day after endless day of men staring at you, touching you, only to come home to them beating down my door to see you.”
“I didn’t ask them to.” He seemed so tortured, she had the sudden urge to comfort him.
“I know you didn’t ask them to. You have no idea of the power you have over men. Look at you.” His gaze moved down her body like a slow, deliberate caress. “You’re a seductress and you don’t even know it. You stand there in breeches that hug your skin, every curve nestled against soft wool. Slender hips, tiny waist, flat stomach, and those long legs—legs that were made to wrap around a man’s waist. Your shirt is just thin enough to show the slightest hint of your rose-colored nipples. Your firm breasts strain against the material, taunting a man to feel their fullness in his hands, to taste their sweetness with his tongue until you’re begging for him to take you.”
Arlie’s pulse skittered alarmingly. She could not believe what she was hearing, and yet she was strangely excited by his seductive words.
He took the steps that separated them and stared down at her, his eye’s dark. “When a man sees you, all he can think about is fucking you.”
Arlie swallowed past the lump in her throat. He looked past her shoulder, then turned and looked the other direction. He checked to see that they were alone. Arlie’s stomach tightened, knowing what it meant.
He would take her here, and she would not stop him.
He confirmed her thoughts when a second later he brought his hand to the back of her neck, pulling her toward him and his lips crashed against hers.
Her heart pounded as he pressed his hard sex against her. Excitement raced along her spine as he coaxed her mouth open with his tongue. “Arlie, open for me,” he said against her lips.
And she did.
* * * * *
Dominic was beyond redemption. He wanted Arlie with a desperation that terrified him.
When she didn’t resist him, he couldn’t stop himself. Breaking away from her kiss, he unbuttoned her shirt with trembling hands. He had not felt this way since he was a young man. Finally when he had completed his task, he took her perfect breasts into his hands. Hearing her moan, he smiled, and lifted her, wrapping her long legs around his waist, while he took a nipple into his mouth. She moaned again, and it was all he could do not to take her then and there.
She watched him as he suckled her, first one pebble-hard nipple then the other. “Oh, Dominic,” she whispered, her fingers weaving through his hair, pulling it as she pressed her hips against him.
He would not be able to
last.
With a groan, he fell to his knees, and lay her down on the soft grass. He went on his elbow, wanting to see her sweet body, and her beautiful face while he made sweet, passionate love to her.
His heart gave a jolt seeing her eyes half-closed, dark with desire. He felt a strange thrill knowing he made her feel thus. He leaned over and rained kisses along her face, down her slender neck, over her bared breasts, and down her taut stomach. Unbuttoning her breeches, his hand wove through her soft curls and lower, along the moist cleft that he’d yearned to feel for weeks now.
* * * * *
Warning bells went off in Arlie’s head, but she could do nothing to stop them. It was too late for that. She wanted Dominic more than she’d ever wanted anything. As his fingers worked their magic, stroking her until she writhed against him, crazy with need, she wondered if she would regret what was surely to come.
His lips met hers once again, then slowly moved down her body, kissing her neck, her collarbone, the valley between her breasts, one nipple, then the other. His eyes met hers, then a second later his tongue flicked out, licking a diamond-hard nipple once again. She held him there, keeping him positioned over her breast. As he suckled, her nipples turned hard and a tingle began deep inside her stomach, and spread down between her legs. She moaned, not wanting the pleasure to end.
He was merciless in his torture as he suckled her breasts, all the while, his fingers worked their way downward, over the mound of her womanhood, and then inside her. Arlie’s heart raced, and heat filled her veins as he moved his long finger in and out of her. He slipped another inside her and her breath caught.
“It’s all right, Arlie. Let yourself feel,” he said, his fingers pulling in and out, in and out. Something within her built, to the point she felt like screaming out loud for all the world to hear. Then it happened; her insides contracted, like a dam giving way—an unbelievable sensation that wracked her entire body, leaving her spent and her body humming.
Minutes passed, and she lay with her arms spread wide, staring up at the bright blue sky. She glanced over to her right, to find Dominic watching her, a soft smile on his face, and a warmth in his eyes she had never witnessed before.
Dangerous Desires Page 10