After only twenty minutes of fretting, the carriage slowed and pulled up in front of a quaint two-story blond-brick townhouse. The front door was painted sage and had an oval section of stained glass in the upper half. Clay flowerpots lined the windows on either side of the door. The pots were empty, though, a testament to the coming winter season.
Amelia stepped out of the carriage, mustering her courage with a deep breath. The street on which Sera lived was quiet. Few people strolled by, but the appearance of those who did seemed to indicate this was a working-class neighborhood.
Before she could change her mind, Amelia tapped the knocker against the wood door. A rotund woman, an apron wrapped around her and a small mobcap covering her hair, opened the door.
“Good day, miss.”
“I have an appointment with Miss Riley. She’s expecting me at four, but I’m afraid the carriage ride was quicker than anticipated.”
“Bella,” rang Sera’s voice from inside. “Escort Miss Grant into the parlor.”
The housekeeper stood to the side so Amelia could enter. Amelia removed her gloves and shawl, which Bella took before leading her into a cozy room just off the front entrance. Sera stood on seeing Amelia and approached to take her hand in greeting. Sera didn’t release Amelia’s hand until she had led her over to a seating arrangement of red floral-chintz chairs.
The room was small but perfectly suited for two women catching up on news and gossip. There were four chairs that invited a guest to sink into them, with an ottoman sitting squarely between then. The walls were papered in a gold leaf and ivory-colored design all the way up to the wood-beamed ceiling.
“I apologize for arriving so early, but I had no idea where your address was in relation to Mr. Riley’s residence. I thought I would be in the carriage a good deal longer.”
“Nonsense. Your timing is impeccable. Bella just brought in the tea service.”
Amelia breathed a sigh of relief on the casualness with which Sera handled the change of plans.
Sera placed two teacups on the trolley and filled them. “What do you take, Miss Grant?”
“I drink it black.”
Sera handed Amelia the teacup and saucer.
Amelia inhaled the black tea and felt suddenly recharged. “Mr. Riley suggested I help with the school, once the purchase of Caldon Manor is settled. As my note this morning indicated, I am willing to assist in any capacity.” Amelia sat in the chair closest to the fireplace, absorbing the warmth, feeling a bit silly for blurting out her plans.
Sera looked at her for a full minute, assessing her in the same uncanny way her brother did. “For some reason, I think you might have come for more than that reason alone.”
Amelia tucked a stray curl behind her ear as she met Sera’s gaze. “It’s been a long time since I could confide in anyone, Miss Riley.” She hadn’t really had anyone she could trust, other than Nick and her father, for more years that she cared to admit. “Truthfully, I took a chance coming to London. I do not know anyone here, and have no extended family to speak of. I haven’t had tea with another woman since I was a young girl.”
“If I might say so, coming to London on your own is an incredibly brave thing to do. I insist on being your first friend and companion.”
“Thank you, Miss Riley,” Amelia said, ducking her head as the warm infusion of a flush bloomed in her cheeks.
“And I insist that you address me by my Christian name.”
A smile lifted Amelia’s lips. “And vice versa.”
“Absolutely, Amelia.”
“If you don’t mind my curiosity, I wonder about the origins of your name, as it is uncommon in spelling.”
“It’s short for Seraphina. My mother called me her little angel for the longest time. I asked her why she would call me that when I caused trouble, and she told me that I was the brightest thing to come into her life and that my name was a sacred order of angels for only the most special people.”
“Whenever you and your brother mention your mother, it’s with the highest regard and with the most beautiful of stories.”
“She was a wonderful woman and an adoring mother. Now, tell me what brought you to my house today.”
“In all honesty, I couldn’t stop thinking about the school and its importance to the children who will use it. I want to be more involved, but I worry that the difficulties of the deal with Lord Murray will make that impossible. Mr. Riley and Lord Murray seem to see things differently.”
“My brother has always made calculated risks during his purchases. I don’t think he has ever lost out on a deal about which he was so passionate. And if there is one thing that I can promise, it is that Nick is passionate about this deal.”
“He is; I won’t argue you that. However, he immensely dislikes Lord Murray.”
Sera laughed uproariously. “Amelia, I hope you don’t mind my pointing this out, but your experience seems insular, considering the length of time you’ve been employed by my brother. I should make it clear that he abhors more people than he admires.”
Amelia frowned at this revelation. Everyone she’d met, aside from Lord Murray and Shauley, seemed to be a friend of Nick’s.
“Now you’re thinking of anyone else he hates,” Sera suggested. “That’s easy—anyone from whom he buys property. As I said, his risks and business interactions are deliberate.”
“What is his purpose, then?”
“Retribution. For my mother, for the life we lived when my mother died.”
“What does Lord Murray have to do with Mr. Riley’s past?”
“Not Lord Murray.” Sera took a sip of her tea, watching Amelia curiously. Amelia felt as if she had asked too many questions. “He wants to crush Shauley, and the best way to do that is to make him look bad, to strip away the reputation he has built for himself.”
Amelia recalled the tense moment when Nick had sent her away upon discovering Shauley standing in his study. Now it all made sense. “I thought there was unusual tension between Mr. Shauley and Mr. Riley. You know Mr. Shauley, too, don’t you?”
“I do. Our mothers were in the same profession. A laneway separated our homes.”
“In St. Giles? Nick . . . ” She’d been so caught up in the conversation that she’d forgotten to keep up the front of merely playing the role of secretary. Clearing her throat, she hoped Sera hadn’t noted the slip of tongue. “Mr. Riley mentioned growing up in St. Giles.”
A smile played on Sera’s lips, and Amelia wondered if she was thinking of the familiar way Amelia had addressed Nick. She must mind her tongue.
“If we are to be friends, Amelia, I would at least like the truth from you.”
Sera’s question caught her off guard, and she sputtered out her tea. “I’m sorry.” She set the teacup down, not sure what to say. Not sure what kind of question Sera planned on asking and worrying her charade was up.
“You and my brother? I don’t think I would have ever guessed, except he hired you without my having ever heard of you—and your familiarity. You realize what this means, don’t you?”
“Please . . . ” Amelia didn’t know how to change the direction of their conversation. And she doubted she could lie her way out of this. She’d been foolish to come here at all.
“Oh, you need say no more, Amelia. I will keep your secret.”
“Your brother and I haven’t exactly come to an understanding, aside from the fact that I am his secretary and he my employer. Please don’t make any more of my comments than that. The nature of your brother’s ventures means that I work closely with him and sometimes at all hours of the day. I see why you would make an assumption.”
“So he hasn’t been honest with you.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.” Amelia put her shoulders back, wishing more than anything she could slink away like a scolded dog. There was no one to blame but herself for allowing her secrets to be so easily read.
“I’ve scared you. I promised I wouldn’t say anything. I won’t even bring up the
topic with Nick.”
“I did wish to discuss the school.”
“My brother will get that land from Lord Murray. I know him; I have seen the games of chance he plays, but mark my words—my brother always wins.”
“And when he does?”
Sera frowned into her teacup. “I haven’t seen the manor house yet. My brother assures me it will have to be practically rebuilt from the bottom up, but he knows a good architect and advised me that I can meet with him just as soon as the deal is firm.”
“When do you suppose you will teach from Caldon Manor?”
“It won’t be for another two years. But I need to do a lot in the meantime.”
“Is it something with which I can help? I genuinely want to be a part of this project.”
“I’d be very happy to have you assist me. I know Landon plans to take over the leases, along one of the main strips. I think six or seven properties come with the house; they are only halfway through their lease terms, which I believe is ninety-nine years. Landon is good for finding tenants who want to make something of where they live and work.”
“What do Lord Burley’s buildings have to do with the manor?”
A wicked grin curved Sera’s lips. “An incentive for families with a lot of children to move.”
Now Amelia understood. If they couldn’t convince parents to let their children attend school outside London center, they needed to entice them to move and build a new life, if they were willing.
Nearly three hours had passed before they realized how much of the afternoon they had used in talking about plans for the school and for their future. Amelia hadn’t realized that Sera planned to move into the house that was going to be built for her and situated near Caldon Manor. It was admirable that Nick was giving his sister her lifelong dream.
Amelia learned nothing else about Nick, which was just as well, as she hated to shine another light on just how close she and Nick truly were.
When it came time to part, Sera walked her out to her carriage. Rain had already washed through the city, and everything was damp in the early evening hour. Sera took her hand. “I haven’t had this much fun spending time with another in ages. I would love to make this a Friday habit, if we could.”
“You honor me. I don’t know if I will be able to get away every Friday, but we will make arrangements to see each other soon.”
Amelia climbed up into the carriage. Before she could shut the door, Sera stuck her head in. “I see why my brother has taken a liking to you. You are a wonderful person with a big heart. And I have to say that Nick has needed someone like you for far too long.”
Sera shut the door before Amelia could respond, and she was left with her thoughts, turning over the revelations during her conversation with Sera.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Nick slipped into Amelia’s bedroom well after midnight. The thud of his shoes, no matter how quiet he was trying to be, always woke her. She cracked open her eyes, tiredness still holding her immobile, as Nick pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor.
The familiar crisscross of scars on his back illuminated by the moon was a constant reminder that he held himself back. She promised herself it wouldn’t be long before she ferreted out his secrets. Tomorrow, she told herself, and she wouldn’t back down until she was satisfied with his answers.
As he came into bed, she rolled over and tucked her back along his chest. His hand wrapped around her stomach and dipped lower.
“Didn’t mean to wake you,” he whispered in her ear.
“That’s all right.” She tilted her bottom back, allowing the hard ridge of his penis to lodge between her thighs.
Nick’s hand slid lower, grazing the coarse hair covering her mons and sinking his fingers between the folds of her sex.
“You’re wet.” He kissed her shoulder, lingering there.
She turned her head and pressed a kiss against his mouth. “I think I was dreaming about you.”
“Now I wish I’d come to bed earlier.” He rolled her onto her back as he came over her, wedging himself between her open legs.
Curling his arm under her thigh, he entered her in one swift motion, eliciting a moan from her. Even though she was trapped beneath his welcome weight, her back arched to position her pelvis in just the right spot that allowed him to sink deeper inside.
He worked into her with long, even strokes. One of her legs curled over his shoulder. His free hand molded to her breast as his fingers played with her nipple, tweaking it, making it longer and firmer.
With his mouth against hers, he caught her moans as they grew in volume. He practically stole the breath from her lungs as their tongues swirled together.
Amelia tangled her hands in his hair, wanting to keep him close. He made a grunting noise with each thrust of their bodies. She cried at the loss of his mouth when he went up on his knees to give himself better leverage. One of his hands wrapped around the frame of her bed; the other grasped tight to her hip as he pounded into her sheath with a vigor that revealed just how desperate he was to claim her.
She gave herself over to him willingly, openly.
“Looking at you like this, I can barely keep control,” he said. “Look at the way your breasts bounce, begging me to take hold of them.”
He lowered his head and swiftly sucked one nipple into his mouth. She felt dazed when he released her with a pop.
“Pinch your nipples for me.”
This was something he hadn’t asked her to do before, but she wanted to please him, and she didn’t want him to stop the breakneck pace of their pelvises moving together. She rolled her fingers around the firm peak, pulling it enough that the already distended tip grew longer. The sensation was pleasurable, but she needed more.
Nick’s hand eventually pushed hers away to cup her and suck the tip of her breast into his mouth. Her whole body convulsed, and her sheath clenched with every pull of his mouth. Her hand curled around his arm, feeling the strength and his muscles flexing with every lunge into her body.
Amelia threw her head back as Nick’s mouth trailed higher, biting and licking at the frantic pulse beating at her neck. Her orgasm crept up in her body, slowly at first, her sheath clasping him.
Her body convulsed and trembled. And while her orgasm had started off as a trickle, it now flooded through her at the pace of an exploding geyser. She screamed out his name as sensation upon sensation lashed deliciously against every nerve ending in her body. Her body strained against his, unable to move; the only thing she felt was the pulsating clench of her sheath, trying to milk Nick.
“Fuck, you’re so tight right now,” Nick muttered against her mouth before pushing his tongue against hers and sealing their mouths in an all-consuming kiss, as he pounded into her until he finally let go. He jerked hard against her, filling her with his seed, as their hearts pounded heavily where their chests were crushed together.
While their breathing evened out, Nick remained buried inside her, still hard, still in need.
My insatiable lover.
He looked down at her, his hand tracing a line along her face. “What I’d give to keep you in bed until we’re too wrung out to even walk.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “While that sounds perfect, we do have appointments we cannot miss tomorrow.” She wiggled against him, feeling the flex of his member. “You’re always like this, after. Is that normal?”
“Only when I’m with you. I swear, Amelia, I could fuck you all night and still have a raging cockstand at the end of it. I think about throwing you down on my desk all day long. I think about taking you in the library, pressed against the windows. There is no end to my need. It’s constant. And when I slide into bed at night and find you naked . . . ” He shuddered, his cock saying what he wasn’t as it grew impossibly harder inside her.
“Then don’t stop,” she said, cradling her legs around his hips.
One of his hands pushed beneath her bottom and titled her pelvis in such a way that he only ha
d to rotate his hips to move inside her.
The way her body responded to him . . .
Whenever he was inside her, it was hard to care about anything except for this. Amelia grasped his shoulders, keeping herself where she needed to be as he stroked in and out of her body again. Their renewed lovemaking rekindled her desire, igniting a blazing fire of need that struck right through her heart until she was lost in the sensation of their bodies, finding release once again.
“I might just keep you up all night like this,” he said.
“I think that plan is the best one I’ve heard all day.” She nibbled on his chin and kissed his throat, allowing the short hair on his beard to abrade her tongue and prick at her skin.
Their lovemaking was slow and indulgent. And as Nick promised, he kept her up all night long.
They didn’t talk, other than Nick saying all manner of dirty things that made her blush even to think about them. They just felt, touched, tasted. Tomorrow, Amelia vowed, they would talk. And she wasn’t letting him leave her room until they had a few of their issues sorted out—namely, what their future held if he wanted to continue in an illicit matter.
Nick untangled himself from Amelia, hating that he had to leave her at all. But his dreams were escalating, and he couldn’t do anything to stop them from stealing his body and mind once he was asleep. Not sleeping seemed like the best solution, though even that was starting to catch up with him.
Every night, he waited until Amelia was asleep before he retreated either to the study or to his room. If she was hurt by his absence, she didn’t make it known. In fact, she seemed more and more understanding about his difficulty in talking about his past. She hadn’t pushed him for answers, but he knew it was only a matter of time before her questions got the better of her. Before those questions started to affect their . . . relationship.
He watched Amelia sleep a while longer before pulling on his trousers and slipping his shirt over his head. With one last look at her, he left her room and headed for his. After dressing in something more decent than the rumpled suit from yesterday, he went down to the study.
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