Regency Romance: Duchess In Distress (Historical Billionaire Military Romance) (19th Century Victorian Romance)

by Sarah Thorn

  He exhaled as she graced his shoulder with a reassuring pat.

  “Listen to me,” she commanded him, staring straight into his eyes as she continued, “If your essays are as half as good as your ballads, then you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Do you understand me? Nothing. Now go to class and knock ‘em dead—to use a really weak and lame analogy that never should pass the lips of an English teacher. Shame on me!”

  She fell silent as her student leaned forward to erase all distance between them; touching her lips with a soft sweet kiss.

  Although gentle and respectful, Ian’s kiss resounded with a white hot intensity that she felt all the way through to her soul—as well as to other select parts of her body that she’d almost forgotten existed.

  “Wow, this dude is good,” she mused in silence, taking a deep breath before adding aloud, “So what, may I ask, was that for?”

  Ian smiled; a shy, gentle smile that seemed uncharacteristic for the slick rocker.

  “For being awesome and amazing, and for saving my derriere this semester.”

  Cara grinned.

  “And it is, I must say, an awfully cute derriere,” she observed, adding as she covered her mouth with her hand, “Oh dear Lord, I cannot believe I just made that crass and unprofessional statement. That was nothing short of foolish. I am so sorry!”

  She relaxed as Ian once again closed all distance between them; sweeping her up in a warm tight embrace and holding her closer to him.

  “Now you listen to me,” he whispered, echoing her earlier sentiment. “I condone and actively encourage you, my tutor, to be as crass, unprofessional, or even outright inappropriate as possible with me. Capiche?”

  For a moment the couple said nothing more; just clung tightly to one another as Cara savored the feel of his strong muscled arms wound tight around her body.

  Their public surroundings dissolved around them as she lost herself in all things Ian; savoring the feel of his hard muscled chest pressed against hers, the light waft of his citrus tinged scent and the soft brush of his long golden hair as it swayed across her shoulders.

  Now, she reasoned, she’d finally kissed and touched the object of her deepest, sweetest fantasy.

  And now that she’d had her first taste and touch of her beloved rock’n’roller, she wondered if she could ever stop.

  Abruptly breaking free of his encompassing embrace, Cara cleared her throat loudly as she retreated to her desk; absently shuffling her way through some papers as she told him in a distracted tone, “Well be sure and tell me how things go in class today. Best of luck, Ian.”

  Arching his feathered eyebrows with a wolfish white-toothed grin, Ian turned with a smooth flourish in the direction of the door.

  “Will do Teach,” he assented, adding in a soft purr, “And here’s hoping that good ol’ Ian gets very, very lucky—in more ways than one.”

  Chapter four

  These words resounded in Cara’s mind the next morning, as she stood once again in her office cubicle; pacing the floor of her modest office as she clenched her hands tight before her.

  “His class met mid-day yesterday. Why hasn’t he called me? E-mailed me? Texted me? Alerted me of his essay grade via carrier pigeon? You know, whatever chosen mode of communication works best for the dude,” she reasoned, adding as she lifted her chin to prideful effect, “Of course, I would expend the same amount of care and concern for all of my clients. That’s right. Every. Darned. One. Of. Them. It is my job, after all, to care about the overall welfare and singular academic success of my students.”

  She cringed as that annoying little voice in her head—the one she liked to call Cara’s Conscious, and that was the politest term she could conjure—resounded suddenly from her psyche, saying the words she did not want or need to hear.

  “It is indeed your job to care about your students,” said the voice, which she thought always sounded a heck of a lot like Dame Maggie Smith for some reason. “It is not your job to slobber profusely all over them—then to dream of them that night, and for the 105th night in a row.”

  “Oh, do you have to go and keep count?” Cara scoffed aloud, adding as she rolled her eyes heavenward, “Why don’t you just shuddup!”

  “Cara, are you kosher?”

  Jumping at the sound of another voice that had an annoying habit of running her life, Cara now turned to face Gary Lennox, lead teacher at the Primswell University student tutoring center.

  “Yeah,” she assured him with a wan forced smile. “I’m kosher.”

  “Good,” he replied, tone equally forced and totally unconvinced. “One of your students is here, and he looks to be incredibly joyful about his latest composition grade—a grade, or so he has told me, that you helped him earn.”

  Clasping her hands before her, Cara let loose with a loud, joyful whoop as she processed this news.

  “Ian!” she exclaimed, adding as Gary met this exclamation with a sharply arched eyebrow, “Um, I am so pleased that one of my brightest, most challenging students has succeeded on such a grand scale.”

  Gary looked at her for a long moment, then nodded.

  “Indeed,” he muttered, stepping aside to make way for a golden fireball who bounded with swift strides into her office.

  “Ian!” Cara exclaimed, holding her hand out to him, “So I understand you have some good news for…”

  Taking her hand in his, Ian pulled her to him and swept her up in two muscled arms; holding her body closer than close as he seized her lips in a passionate kiss.

  Swallowing her startled breath, Ian massaged her lips in soft, smooth strokes as she sighed her contentment.

  Leaning into his kiss, Cara wrapped her arms around his bulging shoulders as their tongues entangled between them.

  Their public surroundings dissolved around them as Ian’s sturdy hands ran like warm water down the surface of his back; soothing and massaging her tension wrought muscles as he continued to kiss her senseless.

  Angling his head over hers to intensify their kiss, Ian pulled her closer still as she entwined her fingers in the lengths of his silky blond hair, pressing herself against him as she savored the feel of his sleek, muscular shoulders.

  Just barely above the pounding of her heart, Cara heard the opening of a door in the front office of the learning center. The noise, although faint, served to shatter their intimate romantic mood, causing her to break their kiss and step sharp away from him.

  For just a moment the couple stared deep into one another’s eyes, their hands still clenched as so many words remained unspoken between them.

  Finally and with a deep sustaining breath, Cara parted her lips and released on a whisper, “So I take it you got an A on the paper? I mean, I’m just hazarding a wild guess here. Excuse me if I am mistaken.”

  Pitching his head back in a leonine motion, Ian let loose with a melodic guffaw as he considered these words.

  “You always make me laugh,” he praised her, adding with a sheepish grin, “And while I would love to tell you that I did indeed score an A on my classic lit composition, the truth is that I was only able to manage a measly B plus.”

  He jumped as his tutor met these words with a loud, resounding howl.

  “A measly B plus? Ian, that’s amazing!” Cara insisted, adding as she graced him with a proud smile, “You’ve come so far in such a short time, and I couldn’t be prouder of you.”

  Ian shook his head.

  “We’ve come so far in such a short time,” he corrected her, adding as he squeezed her fingers between his, “Just imagine how much further we could go together, Cara. Just imagine the possibilities.”

  He said these last words in a soft, suggestive tone that sent tingles down her spine.

  “Well I kind of guessed as much,” she purred in return, adding as she inclined her head in his direction, “I mean, if a B plus paper earns me that kind of kiss, imagine what you’d do if you got an A,” she paused here, adding with just a hint of sensual challenge, “So you
tell me, Ian,. What’s our next step?”

  Ian shrugged.

  “Well for starters,” he began, tone smooth if just a bit shy. “I’d really like you to come to Night Grooves tonight, to see my 8 o’clock show.”

  Cara thought for a moment, then shook her head.

  “I don’t know Ian,” she told him, shuffling her feet beneath her. “The last time I came to see you, things didn’t go so swimmingly for me—as you may remember.”

  Ian chuckled.

  “This time, would be different,” he insisted, adding as he pointed an affirming finger in her direction, “This time you would sit at the best table in the house, front row center. I’ll join you there after the show, and we’ll—I don’t know—have dinner or something.”

  Cara grinned.

  “Well if I didn’t know better, Mr. McGovern,” she began, tone sly and coquettish. “I’d say that you were asking me out on a date.”

  She took in her breath as he surged inward to sear her lips with a soft sweet kiss.

  “You do know better,” he teased her, adding as he arched his eyebrows playful in her direction, “And, in case there’s any doubt, I am indeed asking you out on a date.”

  Chapter five

  That evening Cara returned once again to the darkened halls of Night Grooves; though this time both she and the scene before her seemed greatly transformed.

  Wearing a sleek form fitting red velvet dress trimmed with lace at the collar and cuffs, she’d run a brush through the lengths of her long dark hair and arranged its strands in a graceful sweep atop her head; also applying just a touch of red lipstick, plus a small smidgen of eyeliner and blush.

  “Eyeliner and blush,” she pondered, adding as she rolled her eyes heavenward, “Criminy, what is this man doing to me?”

  Her sense of wonder only intensified moments later, as she approached the front of the club; quickly finding the table that Ian had reserved just for her.

  “Or at least, I so assume that the table boasting the obnoxiously large sign that reads, ‘Table for Cara. All others, stay the blazes away!’ is indeed intended for me,” she observed, eyes widening as she realized that the table also came adorned with a dew glistened bouquet of scarlet red roses; one whose tag also came emblazoned with her moniker.

  “Ian,” she breathed, taking a seat at the table and inhaling the scent of her rich floral gift.

  Turning her attention to the stage before her, Cara felt a tingle of excitement as she saw a familiar face on stage.

  Familiar—and strangely ethereal.

  Once again seizing the spotlight as he stepped center stage, Ian McGovern took a deep bow to acknowledge the cheers of the crowd assembled to see his show that evening.

  Yet he reserved his trademark white toothed smile for the lady at the front table; one who returned his beam as she settled back to enjoy his performance.

  Only she didn’t stay settled for long. With Ian’s encouragement, she stood up and danced, losing herself in the sweet rhythm of his song as she swayed her body back and forth.

  Raising her arms high above her head, Cara felt both graceful and free as she danced to the tune of Ian’s signature songs; her hips swinging and her skirt twirling as she finally felt free to embrace her passion for her favorite hard rock music.

  And, for that matter, for the man who performed this music.

  She thrilled particularly at one point when Ian—dressed tonight in a long sleek leather coat and matching skin-tight pants, his long golden hair flowing free and unbound down his back—announced that his next song would be an original composition; one dedicated to the lady who had taught him the art of composition.

  “Cara,” he announced her name to everyone, adding as he made a broad gesture in her direction, “This is for you.”

  Standing stock still at the center of the floor, Cara reveled in the opening notes of a beautiful rock ballad; one that seemed more like a tribute to a lover than an ode to a trusted teacher.

  Closing her eyes tight, she focused on the loving and deeply felt lyrics conveyed in the chorus of this lovely tune; words that spoke of a deep and unexpected bond between people who hailed from two different worlds--a friendship and partnership that just might blossom into something far more meaningful.

  The significant meaning underlying these lyrics shone brilliantly through the deep melodic voice and scintillating guitar riffs of the man who performed them. And when he raised his metallic scarlet red axe to launch into a rocking guitar solo, his long silky hair flipping like a banner above his sculpted head, she found herself moving as if in a dream to the front of the stage.

  From this vantage point, she could bask in the vision of his peerless beauty, made all the more resplendent by the bright glow of stage lights and by the tempting rhythms of the romantic dirge that flowed forth from his scarlet instrument.

  Suddenly the music ended; yet somehow she knew deep in her heart that the night had just begun.

  “OK Folks, well that’s the show for tonight. I hope you enjoyed it,” he paused here, adding as he reached his hand out to a smiling, waiting Cara, “Wherever the rest of your night takes you, I hope that my music will supply you with the soundtrack for one hell of an enchanting evening. And just know that my lady friend here and I will be joining you in this sure to be invigorating experience.”

  Within moments, Cara found herself ensconced in a low lit backstage area that seemed like something out of a dream.

  Adorned with fabrics of pure lavender velvet that lent a dreamy theatrical touch to the room’s décor, the backstage dressing room of Night Grooves served to accent and complete the mysterious aura that defined the club as a whole; as well as the man who now presided over this room like a king overseeing his court.

  “That was a great show,” she praised Ian, making her best efforts to steady her tone as she added, “I have to say it, Ian. All things considered, I am one proud teacher tonight.”

  She took in her breath as her host graced her with a stare that bespoke his blatant intensity; one he emphasized with the smooth flip of his long leonine hair.

  “Tonight Cara, you are not my teacher,” he released in a catlike purr. “You are a beautiful young woman in a sinful red dress who has come to see a show performed by her favorite rock star….”

  “Well I don’t know if I’d identify you as my favorite rock star,” Cara interrupted, charming him with a cheeky grin. “Oh don’t get me wrong, you rank right up there. But you do face some rather stiff competition from Jon Bon Jovi and certain select members of Black Veil Brides….”

  Ian grinned.

  “Hey, I’m a man who happens to love a little stiff competition,” he assured her, adding as he arched his feathered eyebrows playful in her direction, “So I guess that, to outshine the competition, I’m just going to have to seduce you.”

  Cora shrugged.

  “Well come to think of it,” she mused, “That just might put you over the edge.”

  She watched enrapt as her shameless lover unbuttoned and peeled away his long slick leather coat; revealing as he did a massive bronzed chest that he invited her to touch and explore.

  With wondering hands an excited Cara scanned the surface of his rock hard pecs and chiseled washboard abs; savoring the feel of his golden flesh as their lips touched in a gentle, persuasive kiss.

  Sweeping her most literally off her feet, her ardent lover set her down on the edge of a velvety lavender couch. Falling to his knees before her, he released her feet from her confining shoes and ran his long wet tongue up their sensitive pads; suckling her toes as he whispered to her of the night to come.

  “Tonight, love, I want to make all of your rock star fantasies come true,” he whispered, adding as he licked his way up her legs. “Tonight I plan to rock your world.”

  With these words he surged beneath the skirt of her red velvet dress; inclining his head upward to ensnare the border of her white cotton panties tight between his ivory white teeth.

  Draggi
ng the panties down her legs and leaving them in a cloudy mass beside her feet, her rock star lover soon returned to the source of her greatest pleasure; licking open her feminine folds before gracing her with the ultimate intimate kiss.

  Sealing his whisper soft lips to the surface of her throbbing clit, Ian kissed and laved her as she gasped her excitement; a wave of pure erotic sensation coursing her from head to toe.

  Moving his head from side to side to intensify the sensation, Ian also rubbed the skin of her buxom hips with warm, attentive hands; the strands of his silky flaxen hair tickling her sensitive thighs as he continued to devour her.

  Thrusting her full hips forward to invite him farther inward, Cara reached her hands downward to stroke the lengths of this luxurious mane; reveling in the feeling of pure erotic pleasure as it threatened to consume her whole.

  Finally and with a long last lick, her lover hurdled her across the bounds of an incredible orgasm; one that made her heart pound and her pussy gush as she cried forth with pleasure.

  Wild shards of ecstasy still bathed her being moments later, as her lover joined her atop the cushions of his velvety resting place; sweeping her up in two strong arms as they collapsed together in its infinite softness.

  Peeling the fabric of her black velvet dress from the surface of her sturdy shoulders, Ian soon exposed his lover’s body before his admiring eyes; praising in full her Rubenesque body as he worshipped her with his full soft lips; suckling her breasts and licking her nipples until they arose to rock hard nipples beneath his tender ministrations.

  “God how you excite me,” she whispered, her fingertips again running the length of his magnificent torso as continued to kiss and suckle her tender breasts. “I can’t believe that I’m here with you—that this is happening.”