by Jane Charles
Audrey yanked away from Winters and stood on tip-toe to see over his shoulder. Mortification sank in at the sight of Lord and Lady Timothy.
Chapter 7
I suppose courtship is now out of the question. In but a few moments Alec went from wishing to call on a lady to full-blown betrothal. Yet he was not upset in the least. Strotham looked a bit put out, however. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his feet were braced apart. He’d only met Miss Rutledge today, why was he being so protective? Lady Timothy’s eyes twinkled with delight and she bit her bottom lip. Probably to keep from grinning.
Alec glanced down at Miss Rutledge, her face was pale, her eyes were wide and she trembled at his side. “I suppose I should go speak with the vicar so he can announce the banns.”
“What?” Miss Rutledge screeched.
“That would be wise.” Strotham nodded.
“We need to talk to Monique right away about a dress. I am sure Lord Winters will want to be married as soon as possible.”
“Wait,” Miss Rutledge squealed. “There is not going to be any marriage.”
Alec took her hands in his. “Of course there is.”
Her head shook before she spoke. “I can’t let you do this. A moment of, well, whatever it was, should not chain you to me.”
He tilted her chin up and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. “I am rather content with this turn of events.”
“You should not settle for contentment.” Miss Rutledge pulled away from him. “There is no need to take such drastic measures. I was ruined before I arrived so there is no need to save my reputation.”
He hated that she considered herself ruined or that anyone else did for that matter. Alec turned to Lord and Lady Strotham. “Might I have a word in private?”
“We will move away so we can’t hear, but you will not be out of sight,” Strotham warned.
Lady Timothy laughed. “Need I remind you. . .”
“Shush, wife. Besides, we were handfasted. They are not even betrothed.”
“They are now,” she argued.
“It doesn’t matter.”
Alec pulled Miss Rutledge away from the couple so he didn’t have to hear them arguing and so they could not hear what he had to say.
He turned her toward him and looked down into her lovely face. “It was my intention to call on you. To court you as a gentleman should a lady.”
She gasped. “I don’t understand.”
“Audrey,” he began and stopped. “I am giving myself permission to address you as such.”
“Go on.”
“Audrey, I was taken with you in London but you were already betrothed to Vickery.”
“Not by choice.”
Alec grinned. He knew she never wanted to marry the man. “You cannot deny the passion that was shared then, or that it is still as strong now. Had you been free, I would have called on you then. Danced with you more. Taken you for rides in the park.”
She smiled softly and her face flushed.
“Then, when your betrothal was broken and you were free, you disappeared.”
“I couldn’t go out in public any longer, especially after my father—” she broke off and waved her hand through the air.
“I looked for you and even called at your house.”
“I didn’t know. I stopped answering the door because they were either creditors, or vicious biddies who liked nothing better than to learn what they could of my downfall so they would have something to gossip about.”
“I wish you would have answered when I called.”
Her eyes searched his. “So do I.”
Alec bent forward and placed his lips against hers.
“Winters,” Strotham warned and Alec straightened. They couldn’t be married soon enough.
“It would be my honor to marry you, Audrey, if you will have me.”
Her hand came up and caressed his cheek. Alec closed his eyes for a moment, lost in her touch.
“It is unfair to you. I have nothing to bring to a marriage. You should find a lady of quality.”
“You are the only lady I want.” He grasped her arms. He needed to make her understand. “I think I was already half in love with you in London. I don’t know how deep my feelings are now, but I do know that I want nobody else for my wife. I don’t want to face my future without you by my side.
Her smile grew wide. “I would be honored to be your wife.”
“Can I hope you return some of my feelings?”
“Lord Winters—”
“Alec,” he interrupted.
“Alec, I think I started falling in love with you last spring as well.”
Alec no longer cared that Lord and Lady Strotham watched on. He clasped Audrey close and took her lips with his. He kissed her with all of the passion bottled within him. Soon, very soon, she would be his and all of his passion for her could be unleashed.
“Three weeks is all you have to wait.” Strotham clapped him on the shoulder and pulled him away from Audrey. “Is it really all that long?”
Alec studied the man. “A lifetime.”
* * *
Audrey couldn’t stop herself from grinning as she prepared for bed. In three weeks she would be married to Alec. The night was a blur after they returned from the garden and she couldn’t recall anything she ate for dinner. She loved Alec last year and loved him all the more now, and she couldn’t believe he wanted her to be his wife.
She hummed as she pulled back the covers on the bed then settled at the dressing table and began brushing out her hair. It was good of Lord and Lady Strotham to allow her to remain their guest for these next weeks while she waited to be married. She would need to think of some way to thank them.
Her eyes focused on the dark blue dress resting on the back of a chair. It was the only day dress she owned. With no employment in the future she had no idea how she could pay for that dress, or commission further dresses. Tomorrow she would send a note to her employer and request her trunk to be delivered here. I’m confused – do you mean the employment agency? And how do we know the trunk is there?
“Oh, dear.” Audrey laid the brush on the table. Mrs. Downing, the woman who arranged for her to be hired by Fairfield, was expecting payment for her services. She had to find a way to pay her, especially after the woman had been so kind and allowed Audrey to live in her home for a week.
She bit her lip and stood. She hated to ask Alec, he was already giving her a home and title. The heat from the fire warmed her skin as she paced the rug before it. Would Alec give her pin money? That was the practice, wasn’t it? Though it could take a while, Audrey was determined to pay both Monique and Mrs. Downing.
With those questions settled, Audrey turned toward the bed and climbed in. Though she should be exhausted, she wasn’t. She tried to rest this afternoon, but had been much too agitated after her encounter with Alec. He seemed to be the cause of her restless state this evening, too.
When would she see him again? He did mention he would call on her tomorrow, but that seemed too far away. Then there were wedding plans. Lady Timothy had it in her mind to plan a grand celebration. Audrey didn’t see the need, but Alec did reside here and must have a number of friends. Her family disappeared with her father. There were rumors he may have died, but no proof had come her way. The last she’d heard, a solicitor was trying to find the heir, a distant cousin who moved to America several years ago. If she were him, she would avoid being found and becoming the next Viscount Rennick. Nobody could afford the title after her father gambled everything away, leaving a crumbling entailed estate and a mountain of debts.
Audrey rolled onto her side to face the fire and bunched the pillow beneath her head. It was no longer her concern but she did feel a bit sorry for the chap.
Something scraped across the window. She sat up and turned her head. There was quite a bit of wind today and it had returned this evening. It was probably just a tree. She was about to lay back down when the window slowly opened.
; Audrey brought the back of her hand to her mouth to keep from screaming like a ninny and slowly rose from the bed. It was simply the wind. She would latch the window and go back to bed.
Quietly she padded across the thick rose rug and reached forward to push the window closed. Terror rushed through her and she froze. There was a man at her window.
Chapter 8
“Audrey, it is me,” Alec whispered. “Don’t scream.”
Audrey’s fear melted away as she approached the window. Alec stood on a ladder. “What are you doing?” she asked. He pulled himself up, threw a leg over the edge and climbed into the room. “I don’t want to wait three weeks.” Alec grasped her hands in his and gently squeezed. “I’ve waited a year already.”
Did he want to continue what was started in the garden? Was that why he climbed into her bedroom window? As much as she desired to experience his kisses and caresses at the moment, it was wrong to do so.
“Come away with me now. To Scotland.” He pulled her close. “We can be married the moment we arrive.”
Audrey stared up at him. He was here to marry her? “It is nearly midnight.”
“This is the normal time for young lovers to run north because it will be hours before they are discovered. Or so I’ve been told.”
She did want to run off with him. She wanted to be married as soon as possible too, but the thought of climbing into another coach or carriage right now and riding for another two days made her cringe.
“What is it? You don’t want to marry right away?” Worry etched his eyes as he studied her.
“I do,” she insisted. “But, I just traveled two days to get here and wished to have a night’s sleep in a bed before traveling again.”
The concern melted away from his features.
“Can we leave in the morning?” Audrey brought her hand to her mouth to cover the yawn she tried to fight.
His smile was a bit sad, perhaps disappointed. “Of course.” He pulled away and went back to the window. “I will call on you tomorrow.”
The absence of his warm body sent a chill coursing over her skin. “Wait.”
He turned to look at her.
“Stay and we will leave before daylight.”
Alec smiled and shook his head. “Audrey, as much as I would like to stay, I cannot.”
“Why?”
He glanced behind her and Audrey followed his line of vision to the rumpled bed.
“If I do, we will anticipate our vows.”
Heat flowed through her veins and she took a step forward. “Stay with me tonight and we will leave tomorrow.”
“I cannot guarantee you will rest.” He leaned forward and kissed her. “Come with me now. My carriage is comfortable and you can sleep.”
Audrey weighed her options. She didn’t want him to leave without her. She leaned out the window and looked down. She quickly pulled back as dizziness engulfed her.
His arms snaked around her waist.
“Can we use the front door?”
Alec chuckled in her ear. “Of course.”
Audrey stifled another yawn behind her hand. “Give me a moment to dress?”
Alec didn’t let go. “No.”
She turned in his arms and looked up. Had he changed his mind?
“You are exhausted. I will stay and we will leave early as you asked.”
Relief flowed through her. “Thank you.”
Alec reached behind her and closed and latched the window before he tugged her toward the bed. “Rest. I will be right here.”
Audrey climbed into bed and expected Alec to follow. Instead, he tucked the blankets around her, kissed the tip of her nose and walked to the chair beside the fire and settled into it.
“Aren’t you going to join me?”
His eyes bore into hers, passion and heat. If he climbed into bed, the passion they shared would ignite.
“I want you to join me.”
* * *
Alec studied her. Did she have any idea what she asked? She was lucky he hadn’t tossed her on the bed the moment he entered the room. Never had she been so desirable with her golden hair flowing down her back, shimmering in the firelight. Her shift was so thin he could see the outline of her body and his nether regions had come to attention. The darkness of her nipples pressed against the fabric, either cold or aroused. He hoped for arousal. If he slept in that bed, he was not strong enough to leave her untouched and innocent.
A small smile curved at her lips. Audrey knew exactly what she was asking.
Alec bent forward and removed his boots, placing them to the side of the fireplace and away from potential sparks. He looked up and made eye contact with her as he walked to the bed, then divested himself of his jacket, cravat, and shirt. By the time he reached the side of the bed all that remained were his pants. His cock pressed against the placket and throbbed for attention. Alec decided to keep them on at this juncture. He and Audrey may have shared passionate kisses in the past and perhaps his hands had strayed where a gentleman’s should not if he were not her husband. However, she had never touched him or even seen him; though he was certain she felt his rigid member pressing against her stomach on several occasions.
Audrey lifted the blanket so he could slide in beside her. The moment he was on his back and settled, Audrey curled around him, her head resting on his shoulder.
Alec lay there for some moments, stroking her hair, wondering if she had already fallen asleep. Perhaps she had. The poor thing was exhausted and he had no right to disturb her. As much as it may pain him to lie here and not make love to her, he would do just that. Sleep would be impossible for him at this moment, and probably until his body was finally sated.
Her hand slid up his chest and a finger circled his nipple. Clearly she wasn’t asleep but perhaps in a mood to explore.
Audrey tilted her head back and looked at him. Her eyes were dark with desire. Alec rolled onto his side and brought his lips to hers. Her arms snaked around his shoulders and fingers fanned through his hair. He pulled her body tightly against his as he plundered her mouth over and over, her tongue mating with his.
Alec pulled away from her for a moment, unfastened his pants and tossed them to the floor before he turned his attention back to his future wife. The shadows and covers hid his member from view.
Audrey opened her arms to him when he rolled back over. Instead of embracing her, he grabbed her shift and pulled it higher; up and over her head and flung it across the room. Audrey grasped the blanket and pulled it to her chin. He would give her this moment of modesty but he had every intention of seeing all of her before the night was through.
He took her lips with his own, gently at first. This was not a night to be ruled by passion. They would have plenty of those in the future. Tonight was about love and he wasn’t going to rush anything. He wanted to savor every moment of finally having Audrey in his arms and in bed.
Her lips parted and he traced them before delving deeper. Her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer. His body heated further and he fought the urge to roll Audrey onto her back and take her now. Instead, his hands caressed up and down her back. It was Audrey who pressed against him and that was almost his undoing.
Alec pulled back and brought his hands forward, lifting and weighing her breasts. Audrey’s nipples tightened further. As if to mimic his actions, her palms slid across his chest. Their eyes met and held while each gently caressed the other, content to simply explore at their leisure.
A gasp hissed past her lips when he gently pinched each of her nipples. Alec bit back a grin as she squirmed a bit. She wouldn’t be content to simply lay here and touch any more than he would. Alec rolled Audrey to her back and took one of her nipples into his mouth. He slowly circled it with his tongue before gently suckling and nipping it while he molded and caressed the other breast.
Audrey was not one to simply lay still and be loved. Her hips lifted and relaxed, then turned toward him. Alec stoked the passion and let it build.
He slid his hands across her smooth abdomen then down to her hips. Audrey did almost everything he did, not the least bit afraid to touch him. Thank goodness. He had heard stories from some of his friends that their wives rarely, if ever, touched them any lower than their upper arms. Right now, Audrey had his buttocks clasped in her eager hands.
They couldn’t continue with these caresses much longer or he would explode before he had the opportunity to be inside of her. He had waited a year to thoroughly love Audrey and he wasn’t going to ruin it by coming too soon.
When his fingers slid into her curls, Audrey brought her hand forward and clasped his cock. Alec groaned and momentarily forgot to pleasure Audrey as she slid her hand up and her thumb brushed over the tip.
Alec glanced up from where he had been kissing her breast; Audrey’s worried eyes met his. “Should I not touch you here?”
A half chuckle slipped past his lips. “You can touch me there anytime you wish.”
He kissed her again, matching the passion that enflamed him when he’d first gotten into her bed. He glided his fingers further, parting her folds, already damp with desire. He parted her legs and slipped between them, sliding one finger into her tight channel, and stretching her. He added a second finger and her legs opened further. Audrey’s hands dropped away from this cock and she grasped the forearm that was supporting his weight. A deep moan came from the back of her throat when his fingers pushed further in and he used his cock to rub against her nubbin.
Nails pricked his skin, but Alec didn’t mind. In fact, he enjoyed the passion Audrey didn’t bother to hide. But he couldn’t wait any longer. He positioned himself and entered her slowly.
* * *
Audrey wanted to tilt her hips and bring him in. Ever since he’d begun kissing her breasts, a need had developed deep inside her, making her throb, and consuming her with heat, but Alec was moving so slowly. She lifted and urged him forward but he continue to move in and out, slowly, going a bit further each time. Was he intentionally torturing her?