“Thank you, my lord,” Daniel said, already ushering Arlie out the door.
Dominic sat down, his gaze fastened on the window where the gardens lay beyond. He would watch every step they took. He even opened the window, hating himself for being so intrusive, yet he was glad when he clearly heard Daniel’s voice.
“I’ve yearned to see you for days now, Miss Whitman. I’ve thought of you constantly since the ball. I had begun to think you had no interest in me.”
Dominic closed his eyes, telling himself to quit eavesdropping on the pair; but instead he leaned forward in his chair, waiting for Arlie’s response.
“I’ve been quite busy of late, but I’m glad you came. I’ve always enjoyed your company, Mr. Butler.”
Their voices faded as they moved further down the pathway. It took every ounce of his restraint not to follow them. He tried unsuccessfully to read the ledger before him and finally began pacing the floor, watching the clock, forcing himself to have patience.
Just about the time he decided to track them down, he saw them rounding the corner, heading back up the path toward the manor. Relieved, he rolled back on his heels and folded his hands behind his back when the two bound through the door in youthful laughter. Dominic clenched his teeth together taking in Arlie’s glowing cheeks and Daniel’s. He smiled at her with a combination of lust and adoration.
“Lord Rochford, I want to thank you for your hospitality today. I would very much like to court Miss Whitman—with your permission, of course.”
There. The words Dominic had been dreading for weeks now. He hadn’t realized what an impact they would have on him until that moment. Many replies raced through his mind, but he knew none made sense, and he found himself replying, “You will have to ask Miss Whitman if she wishes to be courted.”
Arlie blanched, yet she recovered quickly and turned to Daniel with a beguiling smile in place. “Well…certainly.”
Dominic thought Daniel looked far too pleased with himself.
“You do me a great honor, Miss Whitman,” he replied.
Dominic watched with a sinking heart as Daniel kissed her hands, lingering over them far longer than necessary. Walking to the door in long strides, Dominic opened it wide. “We will see you again…in a few days or so.”
“Yes, in a few days,” Daniel said, his disappointment evident at being told to stay away for at least three days. He’d probably anticipated coming back the following day. “Until we meet again, Miss Whitman.”
Arlie walked him past the open door, and then with one final chaste kiss on the cheek, he left.
Dominic walked back into his study, waited for Arlie to follow, and shut the door behind her. He stood with his back against the hard surface, staring at Arlie, who watched him with a frown. What was she thinking? Did she want the young man? Daniel was handsome, and his family was well to do. He could give her a good life.
“So, do you like him?” he asked, trying to sound unaffected when he was seething with jealousy.
She shrugged. “He’s a nice man.”
“Nice,” he repeated as he moved toward her slowly, watching the pulse in her neck race. He stopped a few feet away from her. Then he shifted his gaze to her breasts, displayed nicely in the yellow silk gown that accented her slim figure to perfection. “What do you mean when you say nice?”
She let out an exasperated breath, but remained silent.
He shouldn’t be mad at her. After all, he had invited Daniel in. But in a way, he was annoyed with her. He hated the way she laughed with Daniel. The sparkle in her eyes, the way she smiled. How easily they conversed—as though the two were life-long friends, when in essence they’d spent a few hours together.
“He’s a nice man,” she said, her voice weary. “What do you want me to say? That I hate him? Well, I don’t. He’s polite, kind…a true gentleman.”
A true gentleman—unlike himself. She didn’t have to say it, he saw the accusation in her eyes. Dominic knew he deserved it. He deserved worse. He had taken this innocent young woman and turned her into his lover. A woman who had been entrusted to him. Her father had chosen him over everyone he’d ever known to take care of her, and what had he done? Within a few months time, he’d taken her virginity, and along with it, any chance of marrying well. The best she could hope for now was to be someone’s mistress. That, or she’d have to be a damn convincing actress come her wedding night.
“What do you want me to say?” she asked, her eyes searching his face. “Tell me?”
He took the steps that separated them, his fingers moving to the soft skin of her throat. “I’m thinking how desperately I want you.” His fingers trailed along opposite collarbones, then down to the swell of her breasts. Slipping his hands beneath the silk, he brought both perfect globes out of their confines, filling his palms with their lushness. Staring into her eyes as they darkened with passion, he whispered against her lips, “I want to taste every single inch of you until you can’t stand it anymore and beg for me to take you.”
“Take me, Dominic,” she whispered against his lips.
He needed no more encouragement and took her into his arms, kissing her with all the frustration he felt—and all the desire. As she leaned into him, he lifted her skirts with his hand, smiling against her lips to find she wore nothing beneath, and was already wet for him.
“Do you want me?” he whispered, pressing his rock-hard cock against her.
“Always,” she said on a breathless whisper.
He lifted her, wrapping her long legs around his hips. Carrying her, he walked over to the desk where he gently set her down. She leaned back on the desk, her legs spread wide. Dominic unbuttoned his breeches and thrust into her, burying himself to the hilt.
Hearing Arlie’s soft sigh, he hooked her legs over his shoulders, and penetrated her harder.
He let out an unsteady breath. He wanted her now more than he ever had. She was in his blood and he knew he would never tire of her.
“Dominic,” she moaned, her orgasm clenching his cock.
He closed his eyes, letting his head fall back on his shoulders as he came with an intensity that left him shaking.
* * * * *
Arlie felt like she was living a dream. For weeks she and Dominic had been lovers. Not a single night passed that he didn’t make love to her. She wondered if the magic she felt would end one day, as all things ended.
“Penny for your thoughts.”
She glanced across the carriage at Dominic, who watched her through those beautiful eyes, framed by impossibly long lashes. Dressed in a black suit, he looked deliciously handsome, and she wished more than anything they weren’t going out. She knew it was terribly possessive of her, but their relationship was too new and she hated to share him with anyone.
“I was just thinking how happy I am.”
He grinned boyishly. “Are you?”
“You know I am,” she said, certain she would never tire of staring at him.
“Good. I want your happiness above all else,” he replied in a sensual voice that sent shivers down her spine.
The carriage pulled in front of the theater, and Arlie took a deep breath. She would have to put on the act of a lifetime. When women fell all over Dominic, she would have to pretend indifference when inside she would be boiling with jealousy.
The secret of their relationship could never get out. If it did, it would destroy Dominic, and herself as well. Though she knew she could survive the scandal, she wondered how it would affect Dominic. These were his peers, not hers. She could always leave and disappear, but he would never be able to walk away from his title or vast wealth.
Why couldn’t they just be lovers and leave it at that? Why did he believe she needed a husband? She tired of the endless men who came to the manor, and Daniel, though he was kind, grew bolder with each visit.
Each of the men who called thought her chaste and innocent. If they only knew that in the confines of the manor she behaved like a harlot, making love with Dom
inic, not caring who discovered them. She and Dominic had grown reckless, making love constantly: in the library, in the parlor, in the study, on his desk. Any given time someone could walk in on them, and the strange thing was, she didn’t care. Dominic aroused her so—nothing else mattered except him and the joy that he brought her. Perhaps she was more like her mother than she knew…
“You’re frowning and you haven’t even seen the first act,” he said with a forced smile. She knew he dreaded this outing as much as she did, but they couldn’t forever stay closeted up in the manor without drawing attention to themselves.
At the theater, she and Dominic were stopped on the way to their seats by acquaintances, most of them aggressive women who obviously wanted to get into Dominic’s bed.
Seeing Veronica on her husband’s arm didn’t help Arlie’s sullen mood, nor did the knowing look the duchess threw her way. Did Veronica suspect what had happened between she and Dominic? In her heart, Arlie wanted to think that she was the only woman in his life, but could she be so sure? Her mind raced thinking back over the last few weeks. Dominic had come home the same time every night, and always they made love. She refused to dwell on it, choosing instead to trust him.
Avoiding the woman’s stare, Arlie looked away.
“Miss Whitman. Miss Whitman!”
Arlie turned to find Daniel making his way toward her. Dressed in a burgundy suit, he looked pleased to see her, and once again she felt uncomfortable knowing she was stringing him along. She knew it helped the pretense that she sought to marry, but the lie unsettled her, especially when she truly wondered what Dominic had in mind. Perhaps when he tired of her, he would unload her on Daniel.
“Miss Whitman, how nice it is to see you,” Daniel said, his gaze moving to the décolletage of her gown, before he ripped his gaze back to her face. “I’m sorry I missed you yesterday. You left for your ride just moments before my arrival. I almost went in pursuit of you, but I have seen for myself what a superb horsewoman you are.”
“Thank you,” Arlie said with a small smile, wondering if she would burn in hell for all the sins she had committed of late. It truly horrified her how little she cared what others thought of her. Always she had done things people expected of her, and now that she was living life by her own terms, she was having the most fun—but she wondered what price she would pay in the end.
“Would you and your guardian like to sit with us?”
“No,” Dominic said, before Arlie could respond. “Miss Whitman and I already have our seats.”
“But thank you,” she offered as Dominic pulled her along with him through the crowd.
“That was rude.”
“I don’t like the way he looks at you.”
A thrill raced through her at his words. She knew he was jealous of the other man, but he seldom showed it.
They had prime seats, overlooking the stage. The air quickly took on a stifling quality, making Arlie whip open her fan.
During the intermission Daniel came by to talk with her, and though Dominic was there to act as chaperone, he talked animatedly to the group beside them.
What she wouldn’t give to tell Daniel that nothing could ever happen between them. How difficult it was when he watched her with such hope and adoration in his dark eyes. She did not deserve his affection.
Daniel returned to his seat, but throughout the second half, she could feel his gaze on her. Relief raced through her when the final curtain fell and she and Dominic made it to their carriage without delay. Dominic told her they had been invited to a party, but Dominic had declined the invitation, making up yet another excuse.
Taking a seat in the carriage, across from Dominic, she leaned back against the velvet and stared out at the passing city. For a night that had started off rather well, she felt emotionally exhausted.
“You’re quiet.”
She glanced at Dominic who was busy untying his cravat. Oh, but he was dangerously handsome—and so unattainable. She had caught the look in many women’s eyes this night as they watched him, their desire for her lover obvious. “I’m just tired.”
“Liar.”
Smiling softly, she glanced back out the window to keep from looking at him.
“Tell me what’s bothering you.” His voice was soft.
Her gaze returned to him, her humor fleeing as she weighed her words. “I hate the lies that I’m telling, especially with Daniel. He doesn’t deserve to be deceived.”
He frowned. “Would you have him know about us?”
She shrugged. “I honestly don’t care anymore. I just know I hate myself for doing this to him.”
“You underestimate Mr. Butler. Now, I don’t want to speak of him any more.”
She gasped when he grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap. With a flick of his wrist, he closed the carriage curtain. Before she knew what had happened, he was kissing her and pulling her gown down. His mouth left hers, raining kisses over her throat to the swell of her breasts. With a growl, he took her nipple, sucking it greedily.
Her fingers wove through his thick hair, holding him tight against her breast, not wanting him to stop. He lifted her skirts up around her hips and fumbled with his breeches. A moment later she gasped when his hard shaft impaled her.
She knew the manor was not far from the theater, and that time was of the essence. She moved her hips, riding him, clinging to him, arching her back, offering her breasts to him. He did not disappoint, he stroked her pebble-hard nipples with his velvety-tongue, sucking one then the other until she cried out his name.
Enjoying the sensation of being in control, Arlie rode Dominic hungrily. The first flutters of her climax began, and she quickened her pace. His hands clenched at her waist, lifting her up, to where just the head of his shaft was within her. She looked down at him. He smiled mischievously. She pulled his hands from her waist and sat down hard, grinning as his hard length filled her completely. Her orgasm temporarily put on hold, she moved slowly, rocking her hips against him, circling around, feeling his long, hard shaft stretch her.
She smiled when he groaned against her neck. “Witch,” he whispered, nipping at her ear, his teeth grazing the lobe.
She could not contain her excitement further, and picked up the pace, the urgency sending her into a frenzy. Dominic’s breathing became harsh, matching her own frantic need. Arlie cried out, and seconds later he joined her.
The carriage stopped immediately. Arlie smiled against Dominic’s lips and got off him. He buttoned his breeches and she pulled down her skirt just as the door whipped open. Arlie patted her hair before stepping out of the carriage on wobbly legs, keeping her gaze averted from Joseph, and the footman who had no doubt heard her cries of pleasure scant seconds before.
She didn’t wait for Dominic, and instead went straight to her room. The game she and Dominic played had become a dangerous one. Every day they took a new risk, making love wherever they chose, not caring if they were caught, yet knowing if they were, it would be ruin. But just like now, she gave into him so easily. All he had to do was look at her in a certain way and she was his for the taking. She could not be within five feet of him without wanting to tear his clothes from his body. He had become an addiction, and she wondered if she would ever feel differently.
She hoped not.
Pulling off her gown and her underclothes, she caught a glimpse of her naked body in the cheval mirror. She stood before it, looking at herself critically, seeing what Dominic saw when he looked at her.
She had never thought herself as beautiful, nor did she necessarily now. Her gaze shifted from her face to her body. Her breasts were not large, nor were they too small, her waist, on the other hand was little, her hips slender. No, she was not bad to look at, but could she compare to Dominic’s last mistress? Veronica was voluptuous, her breasts huge in comparison to Arlie’s, her hips more curved and womanly.
As the door opened, she started, but didn’t move. Dominic’s lifted brow told her she had been caught staring at hers
elf. But instead of being embarrassed, it aroused her.
Without a word he came up behind her, his arms wrapping around her waist. She leaned her head back against his strong shoulder, watching their reflection as his hand trailed from her cheek, down her throat, over a breast. His large hand splayed against her stomach, and then to her already wet cleft. A finger slipped inside her, then another. She had never seen anything so erotic, and she found that as he continued to tease her, she couldn’t look away, mesmerized by the sight of him pleasuring her.
“I want you again, already,” he said against her ear. “You set a fire in my blood that cannot be quenched.”
His fingers continued to stroke her, the pad of his thumb moving over the tiny pearl. Immediately the sweet twinges started deep inside her, squeezing his fingers that moved in and out of her cleft. She pressed her thighs together and he removed his hand.
She turned in his arms, helping him strip off his clothes until he stood as naked as she. Tall, dark, hard. A man like no other. And he was hers…at least for now.
He watched her through long, dark lashes, his smile wicked as he lifted her into his arms and strode toward her bed. He deposited her on the soft mattress as though she were made of the finest crystal.
Not once had he said he loved her, yet as she opened her arms to him, she knew it didn’t matter—at least not now.
“You’re such a treasure,” he said, parting her legs with his knees. “Perfect in every way.”
As he entered her, she felt complete, all her troubles slipping away. Unlike the quick mating in the carriage, they took their time. His strokes were slow, deliberate. He went up on his elbows and stared down at her. His beauty took her breath away. He kissed her lightly, his lips grazing her jaw then her ear. “You are in my blood,” he said, his voice hoarse.
She smiled, her joy knowing no bounds. His lips met hers again, soft at first, then hard, like the pounding of his lower body against her. When she neared the very brink of climax, he withdrew completely, staring down at her. She lifted her hips, desperate to feel his hard shaft within her again, to take her to ecstasy. “Dominic—please.”
Dangerous Desires Page 14