How she would get there still presented difficulties. Traveling to France was going to take more than money. She was a woman and traveling alone was still dangerous. France, now under its third form of government in a decade, wasn’t completely safe.
As she moved through her nightly chores she continued to plan. The scrolls in Bayeux would reveal how much of what she’d learned from Lady Marion North was a lie and how much was true.
The curse had been crafted by one of Sarah’s ancestors, a witch. The information Sarah had been given was vague at best. Lady North had stated that Sarah’s bloodline had been given a gift—the ability to break the curse. But was it a lie?
Methodically she made her way down to the first floor to clean up room five and her attention was captured by a tableau that made her pulse pound. It wasn’t the first time she’d been riveted by the sexual games here. A pane of glass between the room she occupied and the sexual collision in the bedroom next door allowed her to watch without being seen. The temptation was irresistible.
Two men and a woman were engaged in something raw and raucous. The woman was naked and struggling, feigning resistance Sarah was sure she didn’t feel. The men tied the woman to a raised saddle and one man lowered his trousers as the other stood behind her. The first man, his buttocks flexing and tightening, put his cock in the woman’s mouth. The other man used his bare hand to spank her, driving her onto the saddle, his hard length clearly visible through his pants. Every third strike he drove two fingers inside the woman’s pussy and she squirmed with pleasure.
Sarah watched until the man thrust his cock inside the woman and the two men filled her in a synchronized rhythm that made her sweat. Sarah’s hand crept between her legs and rubbed her clitoris through her pantaloons. It was the only relief she had in this place, where everything made her insane with lust. The woman’s screams only spurred Sarah higher as she stroked her clitoris harder.
Her release was a disappointment, a shadow of the pleasure she’d had at Perry’s hand. She snatched her hand away from her crotch and left the room as if the devil were chasing her. What if the threesome had seen her? It seemed as if there were another person beneath her skin, a more wanton woman with needs and desires that were darker and more appalling.
Perhaps if she hadn’t had her head down she might have seen the man before she blundered into him. A solid wall of flesh stopped her suddenly and two strong hands gripped her shoulders.
“Pardon, miss,” the man said with a distinct French accent. She lifted her gaze to a pair of smoky-blue eyes with a definite gleam.
“Excuse me, monsieur. I must continue my work.” She tried to step back but he held her fast. He was tall—possibly just six feet—and he had a thin, rather sharp face with angles and lines but no warmth. His gaze was focused but cold, calculating.
“And what work would a pretty little thing like you do? Do you do it on your knees?” His voice was husky, his intent unmistakable.
It wasn’t the first time she’d been approached but something about the man’s touch caused her pulse to pound with fear. He glanced at the door where she’d been and raised an eyebrow. “Were you watching my friends? Good. It will prepare you for me,” he stated as he pulled her closer.
She tried to get away. “I am the maid, monsieur. Not…a house worker. Let me go.”
The man leaned in, his breath hot on her ear. “I know what you are, ma petite. I can smell it.”
His whisper made her muscles tense and her breath catch. What did he know? She whipped away from him and escaped toward the stairs to the lower floors. She could sense his stare as she fled.
“Sarah,” Leo called, and she stopped, her breath labored and her heart racing.
“Yes?” she managed to call back.
“Lord Alfred wishes to see you. He’s in the sitting room on the first floor. He told me to tell you.” Leo gave her a concerned glance. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. I just—” She closed her eyes. “Do you know who that man is?”
Leo stared at her. “What man?”
Sarah whirled around and found the hall below empty. He’d disappeared. With a sigh she shook her head at her own fancies. He was just a guest of the house with a flair for the dramatic. “Sometimes things here are too much.”
Leo nodded. “I know.” He turned her with his hands on her shoulders. “Off you go.”
She descended the stairs to the first floor and entered the drawing room.
Perry occupied the settee.
Lord Alfred rose. “Lady Sarah—”
She backed toward the door. “No.” Why? Why didn’t he leave her to her fate? Why did he have to come here looking so handsome and perfect?
“Sarah, come in here, please,” Lord Alfred ordered, his tone stern.
She swallowed and inhaled a deep, shuddering breath. Her mind whirled. This confrontation was inevitable but she had to dismiss Perry, encourage him to leave her alone.
As she sat on the settee across from him she noted the changes in the man she loved. He was pale, as if he’d been unwell. The thought made her heart stutter and her mouth dry. His dark hair was much shorter and his hands were steadier than when she’d escaped from him months earlier. Something in his gaze captivated her even more than it had before. He seemed determined, calm.
In contrast to her inner turmoil he seemed resigned to the rejection she’d voiced. There was no surprise in his demeanor at her instant denial and her desperate desire to get away from him.
“Mr. Arundale and I have spoken,” Lord Alfred stated. “He has a proposal for you, if you are willing.”
She met Lord Alfred’s calm stare. Somehow Perry must have convinced the man he was no danger to her. What a farce. “You know I am not,” she said, and was glad to hear that her voice was steady.
Perry winced and looked away from her to the clock on the wall.
The older man’s gaze was filled with sympathy. “You are aware that Lord Robert Applegate spread vicious rumors about you. Under most circumstances the rumors could be refuted.” Lord Alfred’s tone was careful, as if he were reluctant to speak. “But the rumors have been confirmed by Lady Marion North.”
It was like a stab to her heart, the final strike. The woman had been like a mother to her when Sarah’s own had died. But Lady North had manipulated Sarah and sent Lord Robert on a rampage of revenge and murder that had caught everyone in its wake.
Now she delivered the final blow to Sarah’s pride. The lies Lord Robert had told his friends had been confirmed by one who claimed to know her. There might be doubts about Lord Robert’s integrity and motives, but Lady North seemed to have no reason to speak against Sarah.
Numb, Sarah managed to speak. “What does this have to do with Mr. Arundale?” she said, and wouldn’t look at Perry.
“Mr. Arundale has proposed that he marry you and give you the protection that the union will provide.” Lord Alfred glanced at Perry then frowned at her. “He has also agreed to accompany you to France.”
She opened her mouth to say no, to refuse, but Lord Alfred held up a hand to stop her and raised an eyebrow at Perry.
Perry cleared his throat and wouldn’t meet her gaze but looked somewhere over her shoulder. “I still have the portion of the estate left to me by my father, which my brother has purchased from me. Elizabeth never touched my money nor allowed me to use it. This will allow you to leave for France immediately.”
Hope leaped in her heart and she crushed it unmercifully. “You hope to buy me?”
Pain swept across Perry’s face but it was fleeting and replaced immediately by that unnatural calm that both frustrated and fascinated her. “I hope to repay the debt I owe you.”
She shook her head. “What debt?” she said, bewildered. “I lied to you, deceived your family. You owe me nothing.”
Finally his gaze met hers, electricity snapping between them, and the heat in the room increased. “You have scars on your back that are my burden, my responsibility. You were
beaten because of my family and your reputation tarnished because of my abhorrent behavior. I will settle our account.”
“I do not desire this,” she snapped. “If you wish to repay me in some way then leave me alone and allow me to escape this unwanted connection.”
His eyes changed from placid gray to a luminous blue that made her heart pound with fear or, perhaps, something more dangerous. The wolf was close, his nature rising in the anger her words caused. Good. Let him show some passion, some feeling. This strange, calm demeanor was unnerving.
But the moment passed and he seemed to gain control. Instead his voice was cold and businesslike. “That is not possible. I have visited your brother, Mr. Walter Ayers, here in London, and he has agreed that marriage is the only solution to your current state.”
She clenched her fists. “You bastard,” she spat at him, and rounded on Lord Alfred. “And you let him in, allowed this?”
Lord Alfred’s eyebrows rose. “I made a promise to you. After these months with me, do you doubt me now?”
Perry had convinced her only benefactor and she was helpless to resist him. For once she wished she were a beast and could transform to rip them both limb from limb. Instead she rose to her feet. “Since the decision is made, then my capitulation is moot. I leave you both to decide my fate.”
As she swept out into the hall she was not surprised to find Perry directly behind her. “Sarah, wait.”
She whirled around and glared at him. “You monster,” she said in a low, vicious tone. “To go to my brother behind my back. To plot with Lord Alfred to control my life. How could you? I could have gone back to Lady North for that.”
A muscle jumped in Perry’s jaw as he clenched his teeth. “I had not planned to propose to you in this manner but Lord Alfred convinced me that you would not accept me any other way.”
She wanted to deny it but Perry was right. Nothing he could say would make her believe that Perry wanted her for herself and not because of some bloodline demand. “You have everything you wanted then.” She stepped closer and poked a finger into his chest. “But if you Claim me, then I will murder you in your sleep.”
“Then I’d better make sure I fuck you so well you’re too exhausted to kill me,” he said, the gray of his eyes turning blue and hard. A shiver raced down her spine even as anger ignited like a hot brand in her belly.
To speak of their relationship in bed with such arrogance, to control her life without regard for her feelings, spurred her actions. She didn’t slap him but curled her hand into a fist and aimed for his jaw.
His head snapped back, satisfying her for a moment until his narrowed glare focused on her. She was his prey and about to be devoured.
She hiked up her skirts and ran for her life. Even as she careened up the stairs, she knew he’d never hurt her, but that wasn’t what created this thrill of fear. No, she was terrified he would do the things they both wanted him to do.
For an instant she thought she’d caught him off guard and would escape. Then he grabbed her, his luminous blue gaze feral and dangerous. Unlike with the man who had accosted her earlier, she felt no fear, but something far more damaging to her peace of mind. Her heart rate accelerated and she fought desperately to break his hold.
Perry dragged her into one of the rooms and she opened her mouth to scream. Leo would come and rescue her. But then one of the men would come off the worse from the encounter and neither outcome seemed attractive. She shut her mouth and glared at him. “Let me go. You’re a beast, a monster. I won’t be married to a degenerate.”
He said nothing but jerked her around in his arms and then sat down in a chair. When he yanked her down over his knee, his intent now clear, she struggled harder. He knew she would be aroused and humiliated at the same time if he did what he seemed intent on doing.
“Ever since that night, I’ve dreamed of doing this,” he said in a tight voice.
“No, Perry. Let me go,” she said desperately. “You can’t do this.”
He gripped her hair and yanked her head up to make her look at him. “Tell me to stop.”
She froze, her desire and her fear at war within her. His gaze held hers and she licked her lips. “I can’t,” she whispered.
“God help me, neither can I,” he said, his voice hoarse. He pressed her head down and she fought him again.
No amount of struggle stopped him. He tossed up her skirt and yanked down her drawers, exposing her buttocks to the cold air. Someone had left a candle burning in the room, so she could glance at his face in the shadows and see the lust and anger that tightened his features. His hand connected with her flesh in a sharp slap that echoed in her ears.
She kicked and tried to escape but he held her firm. Two. Three. Four. On the fifth strike she moaned, but not from the heated pain that spread over her arse. The warmth of his hand, the controlled blows drove her into a desperate state of need and fear. Six. Seven. Eight. Now she fought to hold still, not to squirm against his leg for relief. Nine. Ten.
“You should see what I see, Sarah. You arse is red and beautiful,” he said in a low, vibrating tone that made her insides shake.
When his fingers sought her slick channel she tried to move away, to escape his questing hand. But he was implacable and hummed his approval at the greedy way her pussy responded to his touch.
“You’ve won. Let me go, Perry,” she cried.
He was completely still for what seemed like an eternity, then he removed his touch. Finally he set her on her feet and dropped his hands. “You will marry me and I will take you to France.” His lips twisted in a bitter smile. “And I will not complete my Claim on you, in deference to your desires.” The smile dropped away to be replaced by a dark, ominous glare. “But keep your hands to yourself. I can speak for the man but the beast wants its mate. Don’t press me.”
“You would take me against my will?” she said, her eyes wide.
With an arrogant smirk that she itched to slap off his face, he placed his fingers by his nose and inhaled. “I don’t think it would be against your will, do you?”
“You monster,” she fumed.
He bowed. “So you’ve said. My suggestion is to accept that I am and act accordingly.”
Her lips trembled and she felt an absurd desire to cry. Damn him. She fled the room and knew she was doomed. He had changed. Once she had believed he needed her, foolishly thinking him in love with her. Now she was an object, a tool to assuage his social guilt.
Safe in her room, she curled up on her bed and cried. She cried for the love that could have been, which now seemed broken and shattered on the floor of that anonymous room.
Chapter Three
Passage to France was more difficult than Perry had anticipated. France’s insistence on supporting some sultan in Egypt had led to uncertainty and fear of another war. But it was easier to work with Jaimison to plan their trip to the Continent than to consider the state of his relationship with Sarah.
Their marriage was slated for the next Wednesday, with no one in attendance except Sarah’s brother, Edward Jaimison, his man of business, and Lord Alfred. Dispensation for such a quick alliance hadn’t been hard to obtain since Walter Ayers was eager to unload his sister and quell the talk of her ruined reputation.
As Perry rode his horse through the streets of London, the noise and frenetic street life barely made an impression. He had not intended to marry Sarah under these circumstances. Still, with their respective pasts, a normal courtship was impossible. The Duke of Kent, bent on revenge, had made sure Sarah’s reputation was shattered by gossip and innuendo. The truth would have been just as devastating but easier to bear than the stories of orgies and wantonness Applegate had spread.
Still she had refused Perry’s offer and had to be forced to capitulate through devious methods. But the marriage would take place and, though he’d given his word not to Claim her, he hadn’t promised not to fuck her. She was safe from the Wolf’s Claim as long as he never planted his seed in her body. The t
emptation of that was almost more than he could stand but he would resist it.
The cool breeze from the south carried the smell of fresh bread from a local bakery as he drew closer to the modest house where Sarah stayed as a maid. Perry flexed his hand. Soon she would be his and he would show her the pleasures that could be had. Her nature did not deceive him. She was a warm, giving woman who responded to his particular brand of sex. He wanted to spank her again, to elicit that passionate response that soaked his fingers and drove him half-mad.
It wouldn’t take much to tease her into a violent act, an act that would give him grounds to touch her again. He knew her, had observed her as his servant. She had a fiery temper and an inordinate amount of pride. And he had an arsenal of weapons to use that would lead to the inevitable collision of heart and soul.
The question was whether she would allow him the chance to tease her. She’d run away once. He would have to keep a close eye on her.
He had much to tell her. The vessel he’d obtained was a cargo ship bound for Cherbourg. For a modest sum of money he and Sarah, along with Jaimison, would set sail at midnight on Wednesday next. Perry would have much preferred time alone with his new but reluctant bride, but he knew Jaimison had a knack for finding information. Sarah would not rest until she found the origin of the curse and, consequently, some way to break it.
Surprisingly she met him at the door. “Perry, I need your help.”
Her face was flushed and she was twisting her fingers together in the manner she always did when she was upset or frightened. He took her elbow and escorted her into the small salon on the first floor. It was the one place she’d been willing to see him in the last few days since his proposal.
Trying to calm himself, he sat down. “What has happened? Who has upset you?” Tension vibrated through him as his pulse pounded. The beast clamored to the fore. No one would harm his woman.
She inhaled a quick, shuddering breath. When her gaze met his, he was stunned to see genuine fear in her face. “Someone tried to break into my room last night.”
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