by Lexi Aurora
“What if—what if something real happens?” she asked, tentatively. “Around all those people.”
“That’s what they’re expecting,” I told her. “It’ll be like a show to them.”
She bit her lip, gazing at my face. “And what will you be doing in the meantime?”
“I’ll bring up the marriage with Markwell,” I said. “He’ll be interested to talk about it with me. I gather I’m probably his next target for her.”
I noticed that her face fell slightly when I said the words, but I said nothing of it. Instead, I stood up and went to her on the sofa, kneeling down before her.
“There has to be some way to touch you,” I said softly. “It’s going to drive me mad.”
She smiled, leaned forward to brush her lips against mine. I felt a familiar heat, the burning sensation I’d gotten before. I knew she felt it, too, because she didn’t press any further, just kept her mouth close enough that I could feel her breath on my lips.
“This will end, my lord,” she said, her voice almost a whisper. “And when it does, you can touch me wherever you want.”
I felt my body stir with her words, felt my cock pressing against the front of my trousers. I had to smile, then pull back when the burning became too much. She looked almost shocked at what she had said, and the shy look on her face made my heart ache for her. I shook my head at her.
“I’d better go if we’re going to have a party,” I said. “There’s a lot to do.”
She looked up at me with heat in her eyes as I stood up, adjusting my jacket.
“I’ll send word about the details,” I told her, looking down at her face. I wanted to touch her then, kiss her one more time, but I didn’t want to risk hurting her any further. Instead, I stepped away.
“Goodbye, Fiona,” I said. She looked over her shoulder on the sofa as I walked toward the door, smiling at me.
“Goodbye, Julian,” she said, and I felt her eyes on me until I closed the door behind me.
Chapter 16: Fiona
I wore a dress that Julian sent me for the party, though I had plenty of my own that were suitable. It was a sweet gesture, one that made me light up when the deliveryman brought the package to my door. I opened it in my room and almost gasped when I saw its rich plum color, the tiny pearls that were sewn into the bodice of the fabric. It was exquisite, perfect for my skin, and I tried it on right away. It flattered me in the best way, and I was surprised that Julian had found something that had fit so well. I got ready for the party later that night, and when I put the dress back on, I felt almost like nobility myself.
When I arrived at his estate later that night, I knocked on the door and he answered it right away. When he saw me, his eyes traveled over my body, taking in the dress and the way I was wearing it. He smiled brightly at me.
“Do you like it?” he asked. “I was afraid it wouldn’t fit.”
“It’s beautiful,” I said, meeting his eye. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, then gestured for me to follow him into the house. I had gotten there before any of the other guests—when he had sent me the dress, he had sent me word of the time, and had requested that I come early in order to speak with him. By the way he was looking at me, I had the sneaking suspicion that he wanted something else from me, too. I felt something spread through my body just thinking about it, something that made me feel warm all over.
I looked around his home, taking in all of the rich, golden décor, the handsome paintings and lavish ornamental rugs. I had never seen such luxury in my life, not even when I’d attended gatherings at the houses of other nobility. I couldn’t help but stare.
“What do you think?” he asked. “Isn’t it putrid?”
I laughed. “It’s gorgeous,” I said. “What are you talking about?”
“It’s gaudy,” he said, grinning. “But it’s always been this way.”
I smiled at him, meeting his eye again, and even the beautiful room faded into the background. I bit my lip, unable to stop myself from smiling, especially when he stepped closer to me. He put his hand out and tentatively brushed the backs of his fingers over my cheek. I didn’t flinch; I wanted him to try to touch me, even if it burned. When it didn’t, he leaned forward and kissed me softly on the lips, barely a whisper of a touch. Then he kissed me again, allowing his lips to linger on mine, and when there was no burning, I responded by sucking on his bottom lip. He gave a soft sigh of relief and took my mouth in a kiss that was both tender and hungry, and I wrapped my arms around him to hold him close while our mouths moved together.
“Thank God,” he said in a soft voice, pulling back only slightly. I kissed him again for his prayer, then again because he tasted so sweet to me. His response was to back me against the door so that I was pressed against it, with him pressed against me. I felt like I couldn’t get close enough to him to satisfy me, felt like the only way to do it would be to undress for him and let him touch my bare skin. He seemed to be thinking the same way, because he buried his face in my neck, kissing the skin there and nuzzling my jaw.
“We don’t have time for this, my lord,” I said softly, pulling his face to mine to kiss him. He kissed me back, then pulled away with a grin.
“This is going to be a long night, Miss Temple,” he said. I had to agree with him. Even as we entered the large ballroom where there were dozens of servants bustling around, preparing for the party, we were distracted by one another, our eyes making contact across the room. He would always grin at me, and in turn I would have to smile and look away to avoid blushing from the inviting look in his eyes.
I watched as people began to arrive, gathering in the ballroom. I glanced at Julian when I saw Markwell and he returned my look, raising his eyebrows and crossing the room to greet the man. I saw them shake hands, Julian’s expression being intent and sharp while they spoke. I kept my eye on them until Constance caught my attention, sweeping me up into a big hug before letting me go.
“You are absolutely glowing,” she said, beaming at me. “What’s got you so happy?”
I blushed, trying not to look at Julian again. I didn’t know what was between us but I knew there was something. I knew, too, that I had to keep it a secret for now. I shrugged at Constance, returning her smile.
“Nothing in particular,” I told her, and she raised her eyebrows at me but didn’t press me. I noticed that Markwell had walked away and Julian was talking to a woman now, a beautiful, obviously high-born girl with auburn hair that cascaded down her back. Julian was smiling at her warmly, and I felt a twinge of jealousy in my chest. I turned away from them and followed Constance.
It was a few minutes later that Markwell approached me, a young girl of probably twenty at his side. She looked at me blankly, and for some reason that look made me shiver even in the warmth of the crowded room. I looked away from her, uncomfortable, and met Markwell’s eye.
“Good evening,” he said, smiling at me in a way that made me just as uncomfortable as the girl had. I wanted to get away in that moment, wanted more than anything to be distracted.
“Hello, my lord,” I said. “I don’t think we’ve officially met. I’m Fiona Temple.”
“I know who you are,” he said. “The spiritualist.”
I nodded. I looked over Markwell’s shoulder to see Julian watching us from across the room. I met his eye and I could tell that he saw the discomfort on my face, and noticed the way I was shaking. He began to cross the room to me but was stopped by a man I didn’t know. I was forced to meet Markwell’s eye again.
“Who is this?” I asked him, still not looking at the girl.
“This is my daughter, Matilda,” he said. “I—“
“Excuse me,” said Julian, coming up behind the baron and his daughter. “I need to speak to Miss Temple for a moment. The séance is about to start and we’d like to get her set up.”
Markwell gave him a cold look. “I see,” the man said. Julian stared him down and there was a long moment of silence be
fore Julian turned around and I followed him away and through the crowd. When we got around the corner and out of the ballroom, he turned around to study my face.
“Are you okay?” he asked. I nodded.
“There’s something wrong with them,” I said.
“What do you mean?” he asked, his brow furrowing in concern.
“Their energy—I don’t know—they both made my skin crawl.”
Julian frowned, then pulled me into his arms. I was surprised when he did it; anyone could have walked around the corner and seen us together. It would cause a huge scandal, one that Julian didn’t need in his first weeks as earl. I was even more surprised when he kissed me, then pressed his lips to my forehead.
“I’ll deal with Markwell,” he said. “You just get through the séance.”
I nodded at him, looking up into his eyes. I found myself tilting my face to kiss him again, this time allowing it to grow deeper without a care in the world as to who might see. Again he pressed me up against the wall, pinned me in with his hands on either side of my body while we kissed.
“Spend the night with me,” he said, speaking against my lips. “Fiona Temple, I have never wanted anything as badly as I want to touch you.”
I felt myself tremble being so close to him. I nodded, then smiled and pulled away.
“I have to get ready for the séance,” I said. He grinned at me, licking his bottom lip.
“I’ll get everybody ready,” he said. People had already started trailing out of the house, and the few that were left would get to attend the séance. Julian and I parted while he went to the ballroom and I began to set up in the front room by the fireplace, getting the table ready for the dozen or so people who would be sitting with me. I was worried about the séance, worried that something else would happen that was beyond my control. Still, there was nothing I could do but perform the best I could, even if it meant I’d be nervous all the way through.
Chapter 17: Julian
With the séance about to start, I ushered everybody into the room where Fiona had set up. I kept an eye on everybody who was still there, noting that I didn’t see Markwell. I knew he had meant to stay for the séance and wondered where he was, if he had left or not. I decided to go check—I hoped I wouldn’t miss the séance for Fiona’s sake, but I knew she would want me to investigate Markwell instead if I had the chance.
I walked through the first floor of the house, looking through every room, even the ones that were off-limits. Markwell and his daughter were nowhere to be found. I was going to give up when I thought of looking outside. I knew that the séance had probably started and that it wasn’t a good time to interrupt anyway, so I wanted to check to cover all of my bases. I went outside and walked slowly around the house, staying in the shadows so that I could keep an eye out without being seen. I saw Markwell and his daughter near the garden and crept closer, staying on the inner side of the bushes so that I would be hidden by the branches.
“You have to go through with it,” Markwell hissed at his daughter. “It’s the only way.”
The girl sobbed and her face was red, her eyes brimming with tears.
“But Father—“
“You will not question me,” Markwell said in a stern voice, and then turned around to walk back into the house. Markwell’s daughter stayed behind, staring out at the garden. I moved from behind the bushes and went to her.
“Are you okay?” I asked her. She looked up at me, her eyes wide with something that almost looked like fear. I took a step back from her.
“I’m—I’m well, my lord,” she stuttered. “Th-thank you.”
I stared at her for a moment, trying to see what Fiona had seen. All I saw was a shy young girl.
“Are you going to come in?” I asked her. She shook her head. I nodded and left her there, going inside. When I peeked into the front room where Fiona was set up, everybody had their eyes closed. Fiona was talking, but in a voice so soft I couldn’t hear what she was saying. I waited for a half hour or so for it to end and then thanked people as they walked out, bidding them goodnight as they left the house. My eyes were on Fiona no matter who I was speaking to. I was unable to take them off of her. Her skin glowed in the fire and the plum color of the dress she was wearing made her look almost angelic. She met my eye and I saw the desire there, the small smile on her face that meant she knew what was coming next.
When everybody was gone, I went to her. We crossed the room to each other and met in the middle. I swept her into my arms and kissed her fiercely, already starting to take off her dress, my hands working at the laces in the back while we kissed. When I finally got her unlaced, I pulled the dress from her body so that she was only wearing her lacy, cream-colored underclothing. She looked radiant even in that, but even more so when she began to take them off to reveal a bare body underneath, perfect in every way. Her breasts were just the right size for my hands, her hips wide compared to her small waist. She looked at me shyly, standing naked before me, and I licked my lips and pulled her against my body again, allowing my hands to roam over her backside. She kissed me with a soft moan that made my cock twitch in my pants, her mouth moving against mine as she began to undress me. We didn’t wait to go to the bedroom, but made our way to the sofa as we kissed, our naked bodies intertwined as I lowered her onto her back.
I moved on top of her, kissing her neck, making her sigh softly as I moved down over her chest. I cupped her breasts in my hands and brought my mouth to one of them, wrapping my lips delicately around her nipple and sucking on it gently. I applied more pressure with my tongue when she moaned, swirling it around the hard peak of her breast while she squirmed underneath me, her hands in my hair. I switched to the other breast, my hand sliding down her body to cup her mound in my hand. I gave a low growl when I realized how wet she was, how soaked my fingers became from just a simple touch. I began to tease her slit with my fingers, tracing her bud with the tips until she whimpered and grinded against my hand. I moved my face lower then, down between her thighs. I nuzzled the soft skin between her legs and then dipped my tongue inside of her, licking her in a slow stroke that made her shudder underneath me.
“Does that feel good, Fiona?” I asked her, licking her again. I focused on her bud this time, lashing at it with my tongue.
“Yes,” she said breathlessly. “So good.”
I smiled, continuing to taste her while she writhed underneath me. She wasn’t shy about the act as many women were, but gave her body to me willingly. It fueled my desire for her, made it almost overwhelming. I had to crawl over her body then, to kiss her and share the taste of her sex on my tongue. She wrapped her legs around my waist and I buried my face in her shoulder as I slid deep into her channel, feeling her stretch and clench around me as I filled her up. I began to rock in and out of her slowly, relishing the feeling of her wrapped around me, the warm, tight comfort that her body brought. Her eyes were on mine, heavy with desire as she moved her hips in rhythm with mine, taking me deep inside of her. Our bodies moved together naturally, even as we both sped up the pace as our passion built. My strokes were growing harder, faster, fanning her flames as she started to moan continuously. I reached down then and began to rub between her legs. It was only moments later that she came, crying out my name, bringing me with her into her pleasure.
I lay on top of her for a moment while we caught our breath, my face against her throat. I kissed her there and then lifted my face to look at her. She bit her lip, smiling, and lifted her face to kiss me.
“Witch,” I said softly, smiling back at her. She grinned and rolled out from underneath me, standing naked. I rolled over on my back to look up at her, drinking in the sight of her body.
“I don’t believe we’re finished, Miss Temple,” I said, sitting up on the sofa.
“I know,” she said. “Take me to bed, my lord.”
I did as she asked, leading her upstairs with her hand in mine and into my bedroom. We made love again before she fell asleep with her cheek p
ressed to my chest, my arms wrapped around her warm body as I dozed off.
Chapter 18: Fiona
My feet were bare on the grass, which was soft and wet with dew. I moved forward, my legs carrying me quickly through the trees. I stumbled upon branches at one point and cut my foot, but kept going despite the pain that was blossoming there. I knew I had to keep going but didn’t know why. My body moved beyond my control, it seemed, like something invisible was pushing me forward. I walked that way for what felt like hours, making my way across Julian’s property.
I heard the sound of horse hooves on the ground and looked back over my shoulder to see Julian riding toward me, his horse moving almost too fast in the crowded forest.
“Fiona,” he said when his horse pulled up next to me. I stopped in my tracks and looked up at him, dazed.
“Julian?” I said, blinking at him. It was then that I realized I was completely naked and freezing, my body shivering violently.