“You think so?” With his free hand he pinned her down at the collarbone, stemming the rise and fall of her torso, and then he glanced at her hips, still moving rhythmically in response to his touch.
“You are a beast,” she blurted, then instantly regretted it.
“Perhaps I am, but I am not blind. I can see you are enjoying it, no matter what you say.” With that he set about stroking her with even more deliberation. Abandoning the cloth, he extended one finger inside her and then rubbed at her swollen nub with his thumb.
“Oh, oh, oh, I cannot allow it....” Her words trailed off.
The rhythmic movement of his thumb while his hard finger was inside her was a dangerous combination, one made to drive a woman mad. Maisie’s body tightened at the intrusion, her hips rocking as he stroked his thumb back and forth. It was a fleeting, almost feathery touch, and it made her throb with want. His actions tormented her, yet drew her close to a rapid release.
She reached out blindly, catching at his arm while she lifted her hips to meet his hand. Pleasure washed through her in a dense, hot wave, and for a moment the clutch and spill of her release made her feel faint. Panting for breath, she felt her body grow limp. It was astonishing, and she relished the way the heat seemed to reach every part of her. Minutes later, she found she was still clutching his arm. Reluctantly, she loosened her grip.
“Apparently you can allow it,” he teased.
There was humor in his expression and it reached her, warming her. Breathlessly, she accused, “You have the advantage of knowing how to touch a woman.”
His expression grew more serious. “I did not believe you were a novice, for which I apologize. I’m sorry, too, for my rough handling of you, my demands.”
“Did not believe?” She repeated his words, confused, barely able to speak because the sensations he had aroused in her were so oddly invigorating. Her body tingled, and the source of her magic, deep within, felt freshly stoked.
“That you truly were a virgin.”
She was not offended, for her virginity had become an immense burden to her, but she did not understand his confusion. She had stated her condition quite honestly to him. “Why didn’t you believe me?”
“Virgins do not appear so wise nor so wily, nor do they brazenly offer themselves to complete strangers.”
Maisie considered his words. What he said was most likely true, for most young women. She was not like them, but if she had been she supposed she would have thought differently on the matter. She did not have many friends amongst her own age group, having been brought up in a very particular and controlled world, but she knew that a girl’s maidenhood was what gained her a good marriage. “I had no other choice.”
The captain wrapped his hand around one of her thighs. “I’m sorry for that.”
“Don’t be. My virginity was a burden to me.” The words were out before she considered how strange they would sound to him.
He cocked his head, looking at her as if she were not in full possession of her faculties.
It seemed necessary to offer an explanation. “It was of value to someone who...who wanted to use me in ways I could not endure.”
She could say no more.
He reached out and cupped her face. “You have enjoyed this?”
She knew what he was asking, and nodded. He wanted to be sure he was not using her in ways she could not endure. He seemed to be a decent man. No doubt he would think her a fallen woman, probably had done since the moment she approached him. It had not discouraged him, though. In fact his kindness toward her now that he knew the truth of it touched her deeply. Maisie had known the protection of a man, a guardian, but she had never been in a position such as this, where a man who knew nothing about her treated her as a lusty, desirable woman, then cared for her in the aftermath.
Was this how it was between a man and woman?
She did not want to consider such things. It had been important that a stranger take her virginity because she didn’t want to be bound to someone who knew of her ways and knew how the carnal act would enrich her. Neither could she risk becoming attached to a man. She was vulnerable to that, being accustomed to a sheltered existence. She had taken her first steps along the path to independence and she would need to gird herself and be strong if she was to continue all the way to the Highlands. This man was merely someone she had done a trade with, nothing more.
“I would not enjoy it, if you did not,” he whispered. Then he smiled and lowered his head to her groin, where he placed a kiss upon the cleansed flesh of her mound.
Maisie leaped at the touch, then almost fainted away.
As if that kiss was not startling enough, he then proceeded to lick and tease her sensitive folds with his tongue. She cried out, not only from surprise, but from the dizzying pleasure that his actions caused. He ran his tongue over her intimate places, licked, stroked and sucked on her exposed folds with slow deliberation, and then pushed his tongue inside, lapping at her entrance.
Maisie writhed on the bed, driven to distraction by his attentions. She felt wildly empowered, yet exposed and trapped, all at once. The way his tongue explored her had her nub swollen and pounding again. She felt hot and weak, and as if her whole body was being drawn into the spot he currently lavished with openmouthed kisses.
Never had she felt more alive than she did this night, in his bed.
“You are delicious,” he said as he lifted his head to look at her.
Eyeing him with curiosity, she had to ask. “Why did you do that?”
“Because I wanted to.” His mouth quirked. “You enjoyed it, did you not?”
It wasn’t as if she could deny it. She nodded.
Glancing down, she saw that his cock was fully ready for her, long and hard and bowed up from his hips, the crown touching the hard, flat surface of his belly as he arched over her. Inside, her body rippled and clenched, reacting to the sight of his male virility.
“Instinct is a great thing, and when it leads to mutual pleasure I see no reason to deny such urges.”
Recognition pumped through Maisie. Whether he knew it or not he’d tapped into her true essence, because it was one of the fundamental beliefs of her kind. Passion was deeply connected to nature, and those who welcomed and explored it would be gifted with its bounty. The lingering embarrassment she felt was only because it was all new to her, but deep down she knew it was right and true.
Passion bound them to nature, and to each other.
Her breathing hitched.
She must not be bound to any man. That was why it had to be a stranger. The captain was a passionate man, a worthy man. Luck had been on her side. Meanwhile, at her center, her body ached for him again, the tenderized flesh freshly slick with wanting. Meshing her fingers in his thick hair, she did not attempt to resist calling him closer, inviting him to take her again. “Please,” she whispered. “Let us be as one again.”
He smiled roguishly. “Now that your maidenhood is gone, you find that you enjoy the bed tousle?”
Her hips rocked of their own accord, and she gripped his hip with one hand, eager to be undone while he was inside her again. “Sire, you know I cannot deny that. You are surely jesting.”
“A lusty wench you are.” He gave a low chuckle. “Lady or no, you cannot deny your nature.”
It was impossible to reply, because his comment said more about her than he realized. How strange it was, Maisie reflected. But it was more than empowerment. She had expected that, the enrichment of her magic. She felt it swelling within, powerful and ready. What she did not expect was the desire, the delicious desire for ravagement and completion.
“I cannot deny it, but you would not want me to, for you are also ready, are you not?” She nodded down at his engorged cock.
“Brazen, too,” he responded, then wrapped his fist around his erection, moving it up and down while she watched.
The action made her wild, the longing she felt doubling instantly. Moaning aloud, she lifted one knee, re
sting her foot flat to the bed, exposing herself.
“Oh, yes.” He ran the fingers of his free hand over her bared folds.
“Captain...” she pleaded.
His fingers stilled. “You must call me Roderick, or I will not answer.”
“Roderick,” she breathed. “Please.”
He smiled. Moments later he obliged her.
Moving over her, he arranged himself between her open legs, then kissed her mouth passionately. Lifting her easily with his hands beneath her bottom, he eased inside and filled her again.
His cock slid against her sensitive flesh more readily this time. For a moment there was soreness and pain, then she was flooded with pleasure. Clinging to him, she had never felt more grateful. He was a good lover, and Maisie knew she’d made a lucky bargain.
When he pushed deeper still, his hard length stretching and kneading her at her deepest point, she met his gaze. He stared down at her, admiration shining in his eyes, while he stayed still for the longest moment—right there at the place where she seemed to feel most sensitive to his manhood.
Emotion welled in her. She fought it back, focusing on the act, the carnal act and the joy and enrichment it would bring.
This man is someone I have done a trade with, nothing more.
Then she flung her arms around him, and urged him on.
CHAPTER EIGHT
It was not long after dawn when Cyrus Lafayette’s carriage arrived in Mayfair and he requested an audience with Edward Russell, the first Earl of Orlford, a former member of the cabinet and first admiral of the British navy fleet. Cyrus and the earl were well acquainted, and Cyrus went to his London residence meaning to use that acquaintance to his advantage.
Because of the early call, he waited for almost an hour before he was granted an audience. Frustration drummed at his temples.
“I trust this is important, Lafayette,” the earl said as he received Cyrus in his chambers. He was hastily dressed and scowling.
“I am most grateful for your time and attention.” Cyrus bowed his head, but was unable to keep the bitterness from his tone. It was almost impossible to act appropriately, given the night he had passed, the information he had gained and the fact he’d been kept waiting. Margaret was in the hands of a lawless merchant seaman. If Cyrus didn’t act quickly, she might be injured or exposed as a witch. Her precious powers might be spoiled, or worse still, aligned with someone other than Cyrus himself. “It is a matter of great urgency, and of a personal nature.”
Russell gestured languidly with his hand, urging Cyrus to continue while he flapped out the full skirt of his coat and took his seat.
“There was an incident in Billingsgate last night. Your men were there together with representatives of His Majesty’s revenue collectors. They were in pursuit of a merchant ship that sailed on the tide.”
Russell neither confirmed nor denied the matter, which was as Cyrus would have expected. The news might appear in reports the earl looked over, but it would be a menial matter for one such as him. Cyrus hurried on. “Eyewitness accounts of the ship’s departure reported that a young woman was taken on board the ship. I have reason to suspect that young woman is my ward.”
Russell raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Margaret?”
“Yes. I trust you understand my concern and my reason for raising you from your bed at this ungodly hour.”
“She has been kidnapped?”
Cyrus had anticipated the earl’s response. “I can only assume that is the case. She has no acquaintance with disreputable people such as they must be, and neither have any of her personal belongings been taken.” That was a lie. The most precious fetish items of her craft were absent from her chamber. He had discovered that himself before dawn. The knowledge had torn him asunder, for it indicated she had been prepared to go. Why? Why had she gone? Had someone forced her? If it was a foolish whim, it was out of character for her, but it could happen. His deepest concern was that she would be too afraid to protect herself by means of magic. It was his fault. He had drummed it into her often enough. Trapped aboard a ship with a bunch of superstitious, ill-educated shipmen, she would surely know it was not a wise place to unleash her magic. “She was due to meet me at the theater last night and never arrived. I can only assume she was waylaid.”
“Have you received a demand?”
“Not as yet, but I am not willing to wait until I do.” Cyrus took a deep breath. “I’m taking a great liberty here, but I wondered if I might request your assistance.”
“In what way?”
“I know from my investigations that your men already have good cause to pursue this ship. If you were to sign an order for a British navy ship to hunt down the vessel, and I were allowed to go aboard, I might gain an advantage, and in doing so rescue my ward before she comes to any harm at their hands.”
Russell reached out and rolled his blotter back and forth on his desk while he considered the request. “It is more than we would normally undertake in the matter of revenue and governing law.”
“I would be most grateful, and my allegiance will be yours in your future endeavors, should you need it.” The promise of backing in government matters was always tempting, and Cyrus felt sure that the earl would claim his return several times over in the future. But Cyrus was willing to do anything in his pursuit of Margaret. He had to have his precious commodity returned to him. He hadn’t groomed her all these years for her to slip away from him just as he was ready to reap the fullest rewards from her.
Russell cast a diminishing look in his direction. “I am the head of the admiralty. Whyever would I need your assistance?”
Cyrus twitched. It was what he might have expected, however. Russell wouldn’t want to be seen to acquiesce too easily. “It is often useful to sway men by means of the written word. I am adept at offering subtle, persuasive opinion in my discourse. Should you wish to gain power, my support in the written word would be one way to achieve it.” He paused, adding weight to his final comment. “On any matter, from this day on, the nature of my discourse would be yours to command.”
Russell considered him at length, then rose to his feet. “I will summon one of my best captains. He will know how easily we can purloin one of the ships ready to set sail on His Majesty’s business, and rearrange its voyage about this new task. While we await his arrival, we will breakfast.” Russell flicked his fingers and nodded at the servant who waited by the door.
The man disappeared immediately.
“Quails eggs today, if memory serves. Does that suit you?”
Cyrus felt his patience falter. He wanted to see orders given, people leaping to action on command. That was not the way with this man, so he nodded as graciously as he could.
Russell led him to the dining room, where the table was being laid out for breakfast.
Cyrus could neither eat nor drink, and when the naval officer arrived and he, too, was encouraged to sit and dine with them, Cyrus’s frustration only grew. Captain Giles Plimpton seemed a capable man, but Cyrus wished his case was being approached with more haste. Every moment that passed was squandered because it took Margaret farther from his grasp.
As the earl ate heartily, Cyrus summarized the situation for Captain Plimpton and ventured further suggestions about how the matter might be handled. “I’ve had several men investigating my ward’s disappearance overnight. We’ve already established that the ship in question was bound for Scotland.”
“Ah, yes,” the captain responded, heaping his plate. “I recall news of a recent sighting, the ship known as the Libertas, yes?”
“The very one.” Cyrus was relieved the officer was aware of the ship.
“The captain and crew are well-known to us.” Plimpton nodded sagely. “A heinous, sully bunch they are. They slink in and out of harbor under cover of darkness and without even a nod to the harbormaster or the customs man. It would be a pleasure to go after them to collect the ship’s dues. Alas, it is not a navy priority to chase a lone ship to Sc
otland for unpaid taxes alone.” He offered Cyrus a quick smile at that juncture.
Cyrus took it as a good sign. Kidnap together with tax evasion made pursuance more tenable. The mention of Scotland, however, made him restless and eager to press on. Margaret was a clever young woman and she often asked about visiting her kin in her homeland. That would not be wise at all, for Cyrus might lose her to them. But he had assured her he would arrange a visit, one day. If that was her motivation, Cyrus rued the fact he had made even a vague promise to take her back there. He’d been concerned that she might stray if she were shown her birthplace. Now it seemed as if she might have strayed, anyway. With hindsight, he knew he should have stomped out any desire to do so by reminding her how many had been ousted by the witch hunters north of the border. Had this happened because of some wild notion about finding her kin? If it was, she had put herself in great danger because of it. A shipful of rowdy, uncivilized seafaring men... Cyrus could barely stand to think of his precious toy in such hands. She was his instrument of power, his divining rod, and he intended to get her back.
The earl pointed at Cyrus’s plate. “The first rule of the sea, Master Lafayette, is to eat heartily whenever you can, for you do not know how long you will be out at sea, and rations aboard ship are far from savory.”
So that was their excuse for filling their bellies while urgent matters were dallied over. The comment did, at least, seem to indicate his request to go aboard the navy ship had been approved. “I beg you to understand my dilemma, sire,” he said, with false humility, gesturing humbly at his untouched plate. “I’m afraid I cannot eat. Nor can I rest, not until I know my ward is safe and unharmed.”
Either his demeanor or his comment urged the earl to action. Russell rested back in his ornate headrest in his chair. “Yes, I can see why you would be so concerned, and your plan to go after them yourself is admirable, of course.” He gestured magnanimously. “I will issue orders forthwith. It will serve as a good lesson to those who ignore the rules and duties of British waters. We will ensure the safe return of your ward and we’ll make an example of this corrupt merchant ship. It will benefit us both.”
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