Wicked Deception (Wicked Magic Book 1)

by Raisa Greywood

  "Good. I'm famished."

  Sarah helped her take off the shirt, blushing furiously when she saw that Elizabeth was bare underneath. She hurriedly tugged the dress over Elizabeth's head and snugged the laces in the back. She grimaced at the snug fit, but it was a proper dress, suitable for breakfast. That was all she cared about.

  "Just something simple with my hair, please. I plan to wash it later."

  She sat down at the dressing table, allowing Sarah to twist her hair into a French knot.

  They ate breakfast in the morning room. Elizabeth demanded bacon despite Richard's scowls. She wasn't able to eat it, but the smell didn't bother her. Well, it didn't bother her enough to make her ill. She still found it revolting, but it was a large step forward to be able to sit comfortably in the same room with the odoriferous foodstuff.

  Instead, she devoured her eggs and dug gratefully into toast covered with the delicious cheese sauce from the previous night's supper. Richard looked longingly at her plate.

  Pointing out the window to draw her attention, he said, "It's quite a lovely day outside." He jerked his fork away from her plate, scowling as he rubbed the back of his hand. "Ouch!"

  One of the footmen choked on a laugh, covering his mouth with the back of his hand as his eyes danced. Richard scowled at him then faced Elizabeth. "What was that for?"

  She waved her fork, the instrument of his pain, in his direction. "No stealing my food. I already gave you all the bacon."

  "But—"

  She laughed and took pity on him, sliding half of her remaining toast to his plate. "It is a lovely day. I thought perhaps I'd go for a walk this morning."

  "Are you sure you're strong enough?"

  "I've been a layabout quite long enough. I have better things to do than be stuck in bed on such a fine day." She chuckled at his disgruntled expression. "Is Michael still here?"

  "Yes, he's packing, but should be down shortly." He took a bite of his food, watching her speculatively. "Why did you wish to talk to him?"

  "I wanted to ask him how he knew about my brother."

  "If you'd care to retire to a place where we can speak freely, I'll tell you, my lady."

  She turned in surprise, finding Michael already dressed for travel. He strode toward the table and sat down next to her, pouring himself a cup of tea. Richard nodded his head toward the footmen and they disappeared, closing the door as they left.

  "Would you care for some breakfast, my lord?"

  "No, thank you, Lady Shepton. I don't tend to eat so early, and I must be going soon."

  "I'll be sorry to see you leave." It was the polite thing to say, yet she knew it was true. Michael was rather elusive and she sensed he had problems of his own, but he'd been a friend when she'd needed one.

  "An—" He coughed uncomfortably and started again. "The person to whom we refer sought me out as a protector just before she found Richard. She wanted the normal things, jewelry and the like, but also wanted me to marry a young woman she'd sought for me and produce an heir as quickly as possible."

  Richard coughed and took Elizabeth's hand. "She pointed me toward you, my dear. Denforth must be made of sterner stuff than I am."

  She chewed that thought over for a moment. It explained a great deal about her hasty marriage. Knowing what she did of the hag’s spells, Richard wouldn’t have been able to refuse. She entertained a brief moment of sadness for it, though. What would their courtship have been like if he’d sought her hand in the normal fashion? Likely, he wouldn’t have looked twice at her. She had nothing to offer.

  "Not really, Shepton. If she had offered me the opportunity for the unconventional relationship you shared, I would have married the chit without argument." He glanced at Elizabeth and flushed. "I beg your pardon, my lady."

  She waved her hand, brushing aside the apology. "Why didn't you want to?" she asked. "It seems the normal course of events for the nobility."

  "I have other demands on my time, and the girl was much too young for an old scoundrel like me." He paused, and a wistful smile crossed his face. "She was beautiful as a sunrise, though. If only she were a few years older, I might have accepted her."

  "Very well. What happened?"

  "She presented her demand and was quite shrill when I refused." He rubbed his head. "I'm still not sure how I managed to say no. She's very determined when she wants something." His shoulders hitched and he nodded toward Richard. "In any case, she found another protector and left me."

  "I see. And what made you think I might have had a sibling?"

  "Forgive my blunt speech, but I've taken a few mistresses in my time. Without fail, they only care for what a man can give them. If they think of the man's wife at all, it is only with annoyance if one exists."

  Swallowing the last of his tea, he continued. "It seemed out of character for such a renowned courtesan to demand such a thing, so I started asking questions. Without fail, every married man who has been involved with her has had one child pass away in infancy."

  Her hand flew to her throat. "How many?" she asked, her voice weak and thin.

  "Four that I could find, counting your father."

  Five and six, counting her babes. Nobody said that, yet she could see the thoughts on the two men's faces. "How did you get rid of her?"

  Michael stood and bowed over her hand. "Some things are more important than dipping into the incomparable cunt of even that most skilled courtesan. I found such a thing."

  He kissed her cheek and whispered, "So has your husband. Send for me when she comes back if you are able." Without another word, he spun around and left them alone.

  She blinked in surprise at his abrupt exit, but smiled. He hadn't even apologized for using such a vulgar term in her presence, but she supposed he hadn't needed to. Once a man has had his finger inside that area, apologies for vulgarity seemed unnecessary.

  "He should not have used that word in your presence," Richard growled.

  "Oh, leave off. Do you not remember our wedding night?" She was immediately sorry for the words when he lowered his head, his cheeks flushing red.

  She reached over and patted his hand. "That was badly done of me, my lord. I'm sorry. The point is that I'm not offended. Perhaps I should be, but it is simply a word. One can take offense at a joining of letters society has deemed a vulgarity, or one may ignore it. As Michael said, I have better things to do with my time."

  Tapping her chin thoughtfully, she added, "Perhaps I shall research that and find out how and when it became an impolite word. It might come from the Latin cunnus, but that doesn't sound correct. Etymology is fascinating, don't you think?"

  Richard shook his head. "Bluestocking. What are your plans for today?"

  "A walk first, then perhaps you'd like to go for a ride with me."

  "If you wish." His lips thinned and he tapped her nose. “But no fences, and you will cease riding altogether soon.”

  When she nodded in agreement, he led her outside, the crisp morning air making her shiver in delight. It was such a lovely day. They'd had no rain recently and all the spring bulbs were up in force, yellow jonquils nodding their heads in the sun, pink and white tulips joining in the happy dance.

  The trees bore a faint blush of green, evidence of the new buds only just opening for their season of growth. She frowned at the two lilac trees set at each side of the garden entrance. She had always smelled of lilac.

  "I want those lilac trees gone. Today, if possible. We can put something else in their place."

  He led her to a stone bench and helped her sit. "Wait for me and I'll inform the gardener." He dashed away without waiting for an answer, or even asking her why she'd wanted the lilacs removed. She supposed he already knew.

  He returned quickly and helped her to her feet. He clasped his hands behind his back, matching his strides to hers as they walked. "I thought we'd go sit in the lake folly for a time and talk. I have so much I need to say." He coughed and glanced at her from under lowered lashes. "I suppose I would like
to find a quiet, private place where I can abase myself and beg for your forgiveness without an audience."

  Her breath caught in her throat and he gave her a crooked grin. "Though if you'd prefer witnesses, I will do that if it pleases you."

  "My lord, I—"

  "Will you not call me Richard? It's always my lord if you don't want to offend, yet you say my name only when I irritate you." He stopped walking and held out his hand, his icy eyes darkened with pain. She laid her gloved palm atop his and they continued walking in silence until they reached the folly. He drew a blanket from a storage box and wrapped it around her, tucking the ends under her thighs as he helped her sit.

  "I've already forgiven you."

  He let out a gust of air as he settled himself at her feet, laying his head on her knees as he clutched her hand to his chest. "I don't have anything to give you to make up for what I've done. My entire fortune wouldn't be enough."

  "I—"

  "Let me finish, please." He lifted his head so he could look into her face. "I want to blame her, yet it was my fault you were exposed to her. If I hadn't been so selfish—"

  "Stop, Richard. I'm glad to have your apology and I accept it."

  He lowered his head, touching his lips to the back of her hand. "I don't deserve you," he whispered, his voice thick and broken.

  "I want to live a harmonious life with you. I want to bear your children and have a happy family." She touched his chin, tipping his head up until he looked at her.

  "But there will be no more mistresses and no more lies between us. I do not share what is mine."

  He nodded his head vigorously and she held up her free hand. She started to speak but closed her mouth, looking out over the small lake fronting the folly, unsure whether she dared to tell him her thoughts. She would begin as she meant to go on. With honesty and trust.

  "I might have grown to enjoy the games you and she played." She pursed her lips then smiled. "I liked some of it, at first."

  His eyes went wide with horror. "You want her to come back?"

  She laughed, but it was a bitter sound. "No, I do not want that, but I know she will return. I don't want to be beaten or abused, or raped, or forced to have pleasure when all I want to do is scream." Her hand clamped down on his, and he tightened his jaw.

  "I don't want that. I want the man who made me pleasure myself in the bath while he watched. I want the man who held me as I cried. I want…" She shook her head, unable to say the words.

  He got up from his place at her feet and, sitting next to her, drew her into his lap. "Dear God, I will never truly deserve you."

  His breath caught the curls at her nape and she shivered. "We will work it out together."

  He pulled her closer, the warmth of his chest seeping into her bones. She relaxed into him with a sigh until he spoke again.

  "I watched you."

  "I beg your pardon?"

  "I watched you with the slaves at the masquerade, and it was all I could do to stay away and let them give you pleasure."

  "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—" She'd suspected that he'd watched. At the time, it hadn't seemed to matter, yet now she could feel her face grow hot with embarrassment. "I shouldn't have let them do those things."

  "Never apologize for that. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He touched her chin and she turned to face him. "Is that what you want from me?"

  Begin as you mean to go on. She had to remind herself of that. Her lips parted and she said, "Yes."

  He pulled her to her feet and kept her hand, tugging her along as he rushed from the folly and down the path leading to the house. "Richard, wait!" She panted for air as she tried to keep up. Without a word, he swung her into his arms and continued his rapid pace.

  "Where are we going?"

  "I'm taking you to back to our bed, Lady Shepton. I think I should like to spank your bottom for being so enticing that I cannot wait a single second to have you again."

  She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. Nipping his ear with her small, white teeth, she whispered, "Promises, promises."

  He groaned, the sound a mixture of pleasure and amusement as broke into a jog. "Hush, naughty wife. I've half a mind to paddle you in the folly where anyone might see." Stopping hard enough to jostle her, he looked into her face, his eyes stricken. "I won’t ever do that to you again."

  She touched her forehead to his and wrapped her arms more tightly around him. "I know. Keep walking."

  The door slammed open as he hurtled himself through the portal and up the stairs, not stopping to close it. Surprised giggles followed them from servants who had the misfortune of being in his way. Their chamber door crashed shut behind them, and he locked it before turning to face her with a feral smile.

  "Start unlacing that dress before I tear it from you."

  Her lips parted in delighted surprise and she froze for a moment. His low growl got her moving again, and she tore the laces free with more alacrity than grace, allowing the dress to pool at her feet.

  His hands stroked down her breastbone, and he dropped to his knees to cup her rounded belly in his large palms. He kissed her bump, murmuring reverently to the babes nestled inside her. His words were too soft to hear, yet she left him to his communion with his children, charmed that he already seemed to love them.

  With one last kiss to her belly, he stood. "Walk slowly toward the bed and lie on your back."

  Her lips twitched into a smirk as she backed toward the bed, never turning her eyes away as he tore at his clothes, tossing his trousers and shirt into a corner. He was so beautiful; like a painting or one of Michelangelo's anatomical studies, perfectly rendered and profoundly, deliciously male.

  Michelangelo had it wrong, though. David's cock was an afterthought as if once the sculptor had finished the body, he had no interest in the part that made David male. Richard's stood proudly erect and bobbed against his taut belly.

  The great sculptor had obviously never seen an aroused male. She couldn't fathom how he'd have produced such an insipid sculpture if he hadn't witnessed the sweet droplets leaking from the tip of his cock, or how he could possibly ignore the tracery of veins snaking down the hard flesh.

  The corner of Richard's mouth quirked up into a crooked grin. "Do you like what you see, Lady Shepton?" His thumb swirled the wetness around the head of his cock and he stroked himself with a clenched fist. Glancing pointedly at the bed, he whispered, "I believe I told you to lie down, pet."

  As her mouth grew dry at the scandalous actions of her husband, her cunt flooded with moisture and her legs collapsed. She dropped heavily to the bed. Heavens! She'd never seen anything as frankly arousing as her husband stroking his cock.

  And that word, once so fraught with pain and humiliation, became a loving endearment shared between a master and his willing concubine. The jeweled collar no longer bound her; it was her will that did it. She fell backward, allowing the cradle of pillows and bedding to catch her as she lifted her knee to stroke her dripping flesh.

  Her fingers sought out the ring at the apex of her sex, rubbing the metal over her swollen nubbin. He hissed in a breath as he watched her dancing fingers.

  "I thought you would remove them."

  "I will if it pleases you." Her softly whispered words made him growl once more, the animalistic sound vibrating her bones.

  "I hadn't dared hope." His fist tightened on his cock, the knuckles of his hand gleaming white as the skin stretched over them. "If they please you, I would be most honored and grateful if you agree to keep them for as long as possible."

  "Until it's time for me to give birth," she promised. "Or at all if the midwife won't be too shocked to find them."

  He whimpered. One does not expect a sound like that to emanate from such a virile male, yet that's what he did as he fell upon her, tossing her calves over his shoulders as he buried his face between her legs. His hot breath made her tremble, and she cried out as his mobile tongue swiped her from bottom hole all the way to
that bit of metal decorating her flesh.

  He bit and sucked at her, driving her insane with want as his bristly cheeks rasped against her inner thighs. Dear heavens! He was insatiable! Her vision blurred and she held back the coming storm of her pleasure as he curled two fingers inside her clenching channel. She knew better than to release before she was…

  Her eyes flew open. Her pleasure was her own. She could take it without fear of punishment. Yet she couldn't deny that holding her release back would make it all the more intense, and she remembered how he loved when she begged.

  "Richard, I need to—"

  "Have patience, darling. I want to drive you to madness with pleasure." He nipped at her inner thigh and went back to work, turning his hand so that he could reach her back passage with his thumb.

  Her vision went black and she screamed brokenly when he breached her bottom hole and she barely heard his words.

  "Come for me now, pet."

  She screamed again, her voice echoing in the chamber. Pounding footsteps sounded in the hall but she barely heard when the knob rattled because Richard sucked her nubbin into his mouth once again, sucking and nipping until she went deaf as well as blind.

  Another orgasm washed over her, and then a third, until tears leaked from her tightly closed eyes, and she gasped for breath that wasn't there. He chuckled and crawled up her body, sharing the taste of her as he took her mouth in a gentle kiss.

  Her breathing eased, and she reached down to stroke his hard cock. "That was most astonishing, my lord."

  Groaning softly, he pulled her hand away from his cock and kissed her forehead. "I want you to take a nap, pet. It's time for you to rest."

  "But—" She reached once more for his hardened flesh, and he gripped both hands in one of his, holding them over her head.

  "Shall I tie those naughty hands? You are on the mend from a horrible injury that scared the life from me. Rest, and perhaps tomorrow we can continue."

  "I'm perfectly fine. I want you inside me." She pushed him over and straddled his waist then grabbed his cock and positioned it at her entrance.