His Hand-Me-Down Countess: The Lustful Lords, Book 1

by Sorcha Mowbray

  He had ordered some custom-built pieces similar to those from The Market right after their first night, and today they were to be delivered. It was only three items, but they would occupy one of the many chambers upstairs. Of course, the door would be locked, and only Peter, a footman, would be permitted into the room to clean and polish the wood. If the bed needed to be made, the footman would supervise.

  Once the delivery men unloaded the crates into the room, Cooper helped Stone unpack and set everything up. He had purchased a very fine spanking bench, a St. Andrew’s Cross, and a throne upon which he might sit and spank his wife when lesser punishment was needed, or just for fun.

  The room also contained a relic of a bed from the 1700s. It was old and built to accommodate four or five sleepers. He’d acquired it a few years back from an old inn that shut down. He’d had a new mattress stuffed and new sheets made for it. The bed offered plenty of space for him to maneuver, and should Cooper decide to join them, they could easily all fit.

  The possibilities suddenly seemed endless as his wife’s acceptance of his control settled into his bones. Tonight he planned on introducing her to their new room, a new toy, and possibly a whole new experience.

  “Cooper, I was wondering if you might be up to some of our old antics?” Stone dragged the bench into position.

  His best friend coughed and sputtered. “Is the ball and chain chafing so soon?”

  “Gad, no.” Stone couldn’t help the light burn that rode high on his cheeks. “I believe my wife might enjoy the idea of welcoming two men into her bed.”

  Cooper raised an eyebrow. “What leads you to believe such a thing? Aside from the fact I am assembling a St. Andrew’s Cross in your spare bedroom.”

  “Of all the sights she took in that night at The Market, the one thing she seemed most curious about was Linc and Wolf with the little brunette. I believe she is curious about what it might be like, and, being the accommodating husband I am, I would like her to have that experience.”

  Cooper laughed outright.

  “It’s not that funny, Cooper.”

  “Oh, but it is. Whoever gave you the idea that you were accommodating?” His friend chortled to the point of snorting.

  “Do be serious. I am asking you to help me.” Stone paused. Lowering his voice, he admitted, “I don’t think I could stand for anyone else to touch her.” He stared at the floor, unable to look up and let his friend see how difficult the entire proposition was for him.

  “Bloody hell,” Cooper muttered. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “Not at all, but I want to give her the opportunity if she wishes it.” They set the last of the furniture into place, covered the pieces—except the bed—with Holland covers, and locked the door behind them.

  “I’ve never known you to be this attached to a woman. If you believe you can handle this, I shall be your third. But you must promise me that if the situation becomes too much, you will cease things and let me leave. I’d not lose you as a friend.” His friend’s loyalty was the primary reason Stone thought he could manage this one night for his wife.

  Cooper slapped him on the shoulder in the closest thing to a hug they would ever share.

  “I promise. And thank you for this, Cooper. As I said, it will be up to my lady wife if this occurs or not.”

  “Agreed.”

  They retired to the billiards room to await Theo’s return from a visit with her sister. Dinner would be a casual affair with just the three of them. In the meantime, a few friendly wagers would entertain them.

  * * *

  Theo arrived home to find the men occupied with table games. She greeted her husband and then retreated upstairs to change for dinner. She opted for a silk-and-cotton gown covered in an alternating pattern of flowers and dots underlaid by cream-and-blue banding.

  The dress emphasized her neck but entirely covered her chest and arms. It was a demure dinner dress meant for a simple evening at home. She joined the men in the study to wait until dinner was served.

  “Good evening.” She had met Cooper only the once at her wedding, and then, of course, she had seen him the night she visited The Market. He was a handsome blond devil with big, soulful brown eyes and the physique to rival any Greek god as depicted in the National Museum.

  They both bowed. “Theo, you remember my friend Robert Cooper, Earl of Brougham. Cooper, my wife, Theodora Denton, the Countess of Stonemere.”

  “Lovely to see you again, my lady.” Cooper bowed over her hand.

  “Please, call me Theo. I know how close you are with Stone. You are all but family.” She clasped his hand in hers.

  “Then by all means, call me Cooper or Brougham.”

  Theo looked him over, squinted with one eye closed entirely, and then grinned. “Cooper, it is. You simply aren’t a Brougham.”

  They all laughed and enjoyed a drink before dinner as Cooper regaled her with childhood stories of her husband. Soon enough, the dinner chime sounded, and the two men escorted her into the dining room.

  Stone directed her to sit at the head of the table as he and Cooper each took a side. They continued to chat and laugh through dinner until Theo rose. “Well, I shall leave you two to your port.”

  “Dash it all, I think I’d much rather continue this convivial little group. We should move to the study, where we can indulge in a drink while still enjoying ourselves.” Stone rose and assisted her.

  “If you wish, Stone.” Theo couldn’t hide how pleased she was to continue their evening of frivolity. Soon they were in the study, reminiscing about their childhoods. Theo relayed a story of playing Poor Pussy with the village vicar back home. Her mother had been selected to be the kitty, and when she had reached the vicar and meowed pitifully, all while her face grew bright red, the poor man couldn’t keep a straight face. Instead, he laughed uproariously and wound up the poor pussy.

  The men laughed with her until their sides hurt. Theo thought for certain Stone’s might split open.

  “I have a wonderful idea,” her husband said suddenly. “Why don’t we play?”

  “Play what?” Theo asked, still a bit befuddled from her mirth.

  “Why, Poor Pussy, of course.” Stone schooled his features.

  “A capital idea,” Cooper chimed in.

  “Absolutely not,” Theo countermanded the men. She would not crawl about the floor in such a ridiculous manner. Not to mention, with some of the more erotic experiences she’d shared with her husband, the use of the word “pussy” had a whole new connotation for her that would make the game feel more awkward than it might have to start.

  “Oh, come now, pet. I’d like to play Poor Pussy. And you can have first go.” He winked.

  The nerve of the blasted man. She could have first go, as though he were doing her a favor. “Oh, I wouldn’t want to stand in your way, my lord.”

  “You may call me Master, pet. Cooper will not be offended by such intimacy, would you?”

  “Not at all.” Cooper sipped his brandy.

  Theo tamped down her surprise at Stone’s openness. She hesitated, long enough that were they alone, she would have earned a punishment. Her gaze darted from one calm face to another. “As you wish, Master.”

  “Excellent. Now, on your paws, Poor Pussy.” Stone’s tone brooked no resistance.

  Theo couldn’t restrain the sigh of resignation as she sank to her knees and then dropped forward onto her hands. She started with Stone, being more comfortable with him than his friend. She crawled across the floor to where he sat and dropped her bum to her heels. She curled her hands like paws and meowed.

  Straight-faced, Stone looked at her and said, “Poor Pussy, poor Pussy. I think you can beg better than that.”

  Theo wanted to curse the man for not having said it a third time. She sighed and tried again. This time, she rested her “paws” on his knee and meowed mournfully.

  “Oh, much better, but not quite close enough.” Stone winked at Cooper.

  Blast him, he would pay
for that. This time, she worked her way between his thighs and rubbed her cheek along his inner thigh while mewling piteously. His prick lengthened in his trousers as her breath fanned over his groin and her cheek rubbed him through the fabric.

  He inhaled sharply and released it slowly. “Poor Pussy, Poor Pussy, my Poor Pussy.” His face remained steady and unchanged.

  Theo frowned and realized she had to move on to Cooper since there was nobody else to turn to. She hesitated.

  “Now take yourself over to Cooper and beg him as prettily as you did me that last time,” Stone ordered.

  Her stomach flip-flopped. Granted, she found him attractive, but she had never been so intimate with a man other than Stone. She glanced at her husband, uncertain.

  He smiled his encouragement and then raised a brow at her continued hesitation.

  She sighed and crawled over to the blond Adonis. As before, she eased between his open thighs and laid her head on his leg. His cock hardened, and again she found herself rubbing her face against a fabric-covered cock—just not her husband’s. In an unexpected turn, she found her thighs grew damp with her desire despite the blush that warmed her cheeks. She closed her eyes, drew a breath, and meowed. The ragged sound that emitted from her throat couldn’t have sounded less like a cat.

  “Poor Pussy, Poor Pussy—” Cooper hesitated and glanced at her husband, who must have nodded to go on. “Poor Pussy.” And then he smiled.

  Theo worked very hard not to return the smile and won out. After a moment, she jumped up and proclaimed, “Ha! You’re the Poor Pussy.”

  Cooper grinned and dropped to the floor from his chair. “Very well, if you insist.” He turned and winked at Stone, then made his way over to where she had taken her seat. He neared her skirts, crept closer, reached out to grasp the hem exposing her trim ankles, and waited.

  Confusion and surprise held her still as she took in the image of such a handsome man practically peeking under her skirts. Theo shot her wide-eyed gaze at her husband, who responded with a calming casualness. “If you’re not interested, you need only say the word.”

  Chapter 18

  “I don’t understand. Are you suggesting…?” She looked at Cooper, who had raised the hem of her dress slowly to her knees.

  “Indeed, pet. Is it not something you are curious about? Something you wanted to experience for yourself?” Stone appeared calm and collected as he waited for her response.

  In contrast, her heart raced as though she’d run through Hyde Park under her own steam. How did he know? What had she done to reveal how deep her curiosity ran? Damn her too-observant husband. He was proving too keen by half, and she found it both delightful and terrifying. She swallowed. Unable to speak, she nodded.

  “Then let the Poor Pussy make you smile.” Stone leaned forward as though he sought a better view of what would come next.

  Her face flamed while her thighs parted as if of their own volition. Cooper lifted her skirts all the way to her waist, exposing her lack of bloomers. Strong hands gripped her hips and pulled her forward to the edge of the chair.

  “Hold your skirts up for him, pet.” The command made her all warm inside.

  Gathering the material, she crushed it in her fists as Cooper slid his tongue along her slit. She groaned as he unerringly found her bundle of nerves and swirled around it. He continued to delve deeper into her core while Stone rose and moved around her chair and behind.

  Her husband reached down and opened the back of her gown until he could reach inside her bodice and seek out her breasts. Deft fingers plucked and pinched her nipples while an unfamiliar tongue explored her folds. Cooper traced up and down her pussy, circled first her nub and then the entrance of her channel.

  When Stone bent over and latched on to a breast to suck hard, she exploded. Her cunny spasmed around Cooper’s tongue as her juices flooded him. She whimpered and arched into Stone’s mouth on her breast as Cooper carried her up to the peak of bliss and slowly back down to the reality of two men catering to her pleasure. Her head spun even as she ached for more.

  * * *

  Stone pulled back from Theo’s pebbled nipple and smiled at her dazed expression. She looked lovely and sated. Then, a movement lower down caught his eye, and his heart lurched. Ah yes, Cooper was with them. He drew a sharp breath of air and gripped the arms of the chair. He had invited him to join them, and to his satisfaction and displeasure, Theo had concurred when given the chance. How could he feel two such emotions at once? It made little sense to one who had always indulged in pleasure with the same singlemindedness with which he led a charge on the battlefield. Despite his confliction, he would follow through with this—even if it killed him.

  “I think perhaps we should adjourn upstairs.” He stepped away from his wife and Cooper. His friend took her hand and helped her rise on wobbly legs.

  Stone slid up beside her and took her other arm to help steady her. Together, they led her upstairs, but as they reached the door of the newly prepared room and stopped, Theo questioned him. “Master, why are we stopping here?”

  “I have multiple surprises for you tonight, pet.”

  She blinked. “All right, then.”

  “I can only imagine you will enjoy everything Stone has in store for you, Theo.” Cooper rubbed her hand, which sat tucked under his arm.

  “He does seem to know my deepest, darkest desires. Even those I have not voiced.” She let her gaze rove over Stone in a visual caress that warmed his heart and settled some of the tumultuousness of their adventure.

  He unlocked the door and swung it open. “Wait here.” Then he stepped inside and turned up a couple of lamps. He sat on the throne, anticipation with a bit of uneasiness thrumming through him, and bade his wife and friend enter.

  Theo’s gaze sought and found him immediately. Her eyes widened and her lips parted as she spied him lounging on the imposing wood throne. It was beautifully carved with dentil moldings, ball-and-claw feet, and other ornate details that softened the look of the black walnut. The dark wood was finished with a black stain that only deepened the color and made the scarlet cushions all the more startling.

  In a move that had the throb in his cock intensifying, Theo dropped to her knees with a whispered, “Master.”

  Behind Theo, Cooper groaned in a similar state of distress.

  Watching his wife submit to his needs so willingly was without a doubt one of the most erotic things Stone had ever seen—and the woman was fully clothed.

  “This is my throne. It is where I shall sit when I deem it necessary to mete out punishment or when I provide you direction.” Stone rose and walked over to the first covered item. He slipped the sheet off the furniture and waited for Theo’s reaction.

  She did not disappoint.

  A soft gasp escaped her as she looked at the padded bench. Her tongue slipped out to moisten her lips. “A-a spanking bench?”

  Most households had them, but typically they were not so well appointed since they were used for household discipline. “Yes. When you are in need of a proper spanking, we shall make use of the bench. As you are aware, it has a myriad of other very pleasurable uses as well.” He grinned as he pictured her strapped to the bench while he took her from behind again. “You may come and inspect it.”

  Theo rose and walked over to the bench. She ran her fingers lightly over one padded leg rest until she touched the leather strap that would buckle her leg in place. Her breathing grew shallow and rapid as her skin flushed.

  Yes, his wife very much liked the idea of the bench.

  “Cooper, if you would remove the other cover?” Stone seemed to have startled him from his own reverie with his request.

  “Of course.” Cooper yanked on the cover across the room, which caused Theo to turn from her inspection of the bench.

  She inhaled sharply through her nose as she reached out to grab Stone’s arm. “M-Master?”

  Her entire body had tensed as she spied the St. Andrew’s Cross. Stone had expected a stronger res
ponse from the torture device. Little did she know the delights that awaited her on the cross. He stepped up behind her, snaked an arm about her waist, and cradled her against his chest. “Tell me what you are thinking, pet.”

  “I-I’m scared.” The whispered words of fear poked at his dominant heart and made him want to protect her even more.

  “Pet, have I ever given you a reason to believe I would cause you harm?”

  “No, of course not,” she declared with a firm resolve that was far more than he had expected.

  “Then, what scares you?” He needed her to tell him. To acknowledge the roots of her fear so they could move past it.

  She stood mute.

  “Pet, you will tell me what is distressing you this instant.” He needed her to speak.

  “Please, Master. Do not make me say it.” She turned her eyes up to him as she leaned sideways in his arms.

  He struggled with the urge to kiss her but managed to quell the desire. It was rare for Theo to outright disobey him, and he recognized they needed to deal with the situation immediately.

  “Theo, you will explain yourself or suffer twenty spanks as punishment for disobedience.” He dredged up his most commanding tone in hopes he could help her break the bonds of trepidation. He had not intended to use anything but the bed tonight; however, he would not let her fear fester.

  “Please, no, Master.” She straightened up and let her head fall forward in defeat.

  She would rather take the spanking than tell him. He shook his head. “Cooper, come help me undress Theo.”

  His friend walked over from the cross, and they worked on removing her dress, then her petticoats and crinolines, and finally her corset and chemise.

  “Leave her stockings and garters.” Stone helped her over to the bench, and together, he and Cooper got her into position and strapped down her legs and arms. Stone glanced around the room. “Bloody brilliant. I hadn’t planned on needing to punish her tonight. I suppose my hand will do. Pet, do you know why you are being punished?” Stone took in the sight of his wife splayed along the padded bench, legs spread, and pussy open to his inspection, as well as her plump cheeks lifted into position for swatting.