by Lisa Valdez
“Look at me, Patience.”
Her body hummed with sensual appreciation at the sound of his voice. She breathed in the light, powdery scent of vetiver. What was it about him? They were almost strangers.
She lifted her gaze and stared into his dark, heavily lashed eyes. What did she see there? Determination? Pride? Need? His eyes were more beautiful than she had remembered. He was more beautiful than she had remembered. Glints of gold lit his dark hair.
“What took you so long?” she asked, softly. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
His nostrils flared. “I’m here now.” His fingers pressed against her back. “Are you prepared to give me what I want?”
The deep, resonant tones of his voice stroked her like a caress.
“What is it you want?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, his gaze dropped to her low, flower-strewn decolletage. “You’re gown is lovely. As whom are you costumed?”
Patience took a shallow breath. “Persephone.”
“Ah, how appropriate. Persephone, the herald of spring—the goddess.” His low voice held her captive as he turned her to the music. “Then I am Pluto, god of the underworld—and I want you.” His dark, beautiful eyes held her enthralled. His embrace tightened and his voice held her captive. “I shall steal you away and hide you in my shadow. I shall chain you to my side and demand your submission. I shall take everything from you and, in the doing, give you everything you desire.”
Something dark and hidden reverberated in Patience’s heart. Her lips parted on a silent sigh.
His gaze dropped to her mouth. “And you shall light my dark world,” he said, quietly.
Patience remembered the women’s cruel words and her heart tightened. “How shall I light your dark world, Matthew?”
His eyes returned to hers and they were unfathomable. “I don’t know—perhaps by speaking my name as you just did.” A spark tumbled from her heart to her womb. His voice was so tender. “Perhaps I have lost my way.” He paused then drew back a little. “Does it really matter, as long as I give you what you desire?”
Moisture tingled on her thighs. “It matters to me.” When he didn’t respond she gave him a small smile. “Besides, just because we’ve shared a kiss doesn’t mean you know my desires.”
He didn’t return her smile. “It was more than a kiss—it always has been and you know it.”
Her blood rushed. “That doesn’t mean you know my desires.”
His eyes held her. “Oh, I’ve been watching you, Patience. You’re the belle of the ball. Almost every man here wants you. They practically stumble over each other to get to you. Isn’t that true?”
She felt her smile fading. “Yes.”
“And isn’t it true that your fawning admirers crowd you, almost beyond bearing, in their urgency to impress you. Isn’t it true that they drown you in continuous compliments that are meaningless to you? Isn’t it true that they suffocate you with their innocuous but unending attention?” His dark eyes seemed to reach inside her. “Isn’t that true, Patience?”
She frowned into his almost hypnotic gaze. “Yes.” The word came on a whisper. Did he hear it?
He bent closer. “And though you smile and sweep them off their feet…”
She breathed in vetiver.
“… I think none of them inspire your passions…”
His cheek touched her temple.
“… let alone your love.”
Patience trembled with desire and longing. She lowered her gaze as he drew back. Love—elusive love. How long had she searched for it? How many men had declared it? More than she could remember. Yet they had all proven false. Or weak. Or they had failed to inspire any reciprocating emotion in her. She had begun to fear she would never find love.
Then she had met him…
Matthew’s hand tightened around hers as they whirled amongst the dancers. She lifted her eyes and found his still upon her—such deep, compelling eyes.
Could he be the one? There was something undeniable between them—there always had been. She could feel it. It shivered in the shortness of her breath and trembled in the tender spot between her legs. Did he hold the key to her passions, to her heart? Did she hold the key to his?
“Everything you’ve said is true,” she admitted. “But you can’t know my desires. Even I am uncertain of them.”
“No, you’re not,” he said softly. “You’re just afraid to admit to them.”
Patience felt her frown deepening. Was he right? She pondered for a moment, but answers evaded her. She shook her head. “I don’t see what you see.”
His hand moved on her back. ‘Then give me tonight—only tonight—and I’ll show you.”
Patience’s heart pounded in her breast. How could she accept such an offer? Her cunt quivered. She wanted him so desperately. How could she refuse it?
When she didn’t answer, Matthew turned her to the edge of the dance floor and clasped her wrist. “Come with me, Patience,” he said.
She paused. “Come with you where?”
Hidden in the folds of her skirt, his fingers slipped around her hand. “Wherever I say.”
Her breath quickened and her nipples tightened. It wasn’t the answer she had expected. “But we can’t just leave.”
“Yes, we can.” Matthew’s dark eyes bored into hers. “1 have borne the abhorrent stares of this throng tonight, because of the memory of your mouth against mine, because of the feel of your body and the smell of your skin. I came here for you, Patience. Only for you. Now, come with me.”
Heat flooded her body. She wanted to go—yearned to go. It was as if there were an invisible string between them, and he was pulling it. “But how can I?” she breathed.
He bent close and his low voice was gentle. “You can because you hunger for something you don’t understand. But I am going to make it clear and simple for you, because what you need cannot be asked for; it can only be taken. And I am the one to do the taking.” He drew back. “Now, not another word.” And then he turned and pulled her through the crowd with the simple pressure of his fingers against her palm.
Patience’s blood rushed in her veins. His calm commands were surprising. But her reaction was more so. Part of her wanted to wrench free and turn her back on him. But the stronger part, or was it the weaker, felt a hot thrill and an urgency to follow.
Yet, if she did, what then? A kiss would only be the beginning. She felt an unusual and uncomfortable moment of indecision, but seemed unable to act. So, with a wildly beating heart, she followed him.
Pulling her arm through his, he led her in a leisurely fashion and they nodded to people as they passed. Smiles, raised eyebrows and speculative glances followed them. She thought of the anonymous gossips and lifted her chin. She was not ashamed to be seen with him. Indeed, there was no man she would rather be with. And why shouldn’t they be seen together? He was her brother-in-law, after all.
But the closer they came to the wide ballroom doors, the faster Patience’s heart beat. Pride and desire, uncertainty and trust, all struggled for preeminence. If she was going to refuse him, it must be now. Now—before they crossed the ballroom’s threshold.
The doors loomed before her. Her step faltered.
Matthew glanced down at her and his dark eyes flashed. “Come, Patience.”
No sweet-talking, no cajoling. He tightened his arm on hers and a heavy throb pulsed between her legs. His firm command sublimated her resistance in a way that no amount of coaxing would have. She stepped over the threshold.
They crossed the foyer and climbed the stairs leading to the third floor. Masked guests ascended and descended around them, moving to and from the upper gallery that overlooked the ballroom. Matthew nodded at two passing matrons. The elderly ladies wore no masks and Patience noted their curious stares. She averted her eyes. They looked like two ripe old tittle-tattles.
Finally, with a brief glance over his shoulder, Matthew turned her down the corridor t
hat led to the family’s private wing. Sconces mounted on the walls flickered with light. The noise of the ball receded. Taking her hand, he pulled her passed the hall that led to her room, and moved on down the corridor. She had trod this same path to visit with her sister in her dressing room. But tonight, her destination was… where?
Her breath came quickly as Matthew turned her down a second corridor leading away from familiar pathways. She had never been in this part of the house. It was empty and quiet. She could hear almost nothing of the ball and her breathing sounded loud.
She glanced at Matthew. His strong profile revealed nothing but a purposeful intent. He said nothing. And then, as they turned another corner, he pulled her in front of him and released her. Patience stared at a wall decorated with a large tapestry. Only two doors faced the short hall.
She whirled around.
Pulling off his gloves, Matthew regarded her with dark, hooded eyes. His sensual mouth was parted but unsmiling. She removed her mask as she tried to slow her breathing.
“Drop it,” he said low.
Patience let the mask fall to the floor.
Her fingers trembled as he slowly approached. She saw that his trousers were tented by a formidable erection.
A wash of desire sluiced through her. She swallowed the moisture that pooled in her mouth and tried to calm her nerves. But he simply leaned against the door jam to her left and, reaching for the handle, let the door swing open. She looked into his dark eyes and then into the dark room. Some flickering light sent dim shadows dancing upon the wall. But standing in the illuminated corridor, she could see little else.
She remembered his words below. I shall hide you in my shadow, chain you to my side, and give you everything you desire.
She stared back down the well-lit hall. This was it—her last chance to escape. But escape to what? To insignificant conversations with men who were too busy gawking at her to care what she said? Endless talk with men who were more interested in telling her their opinions than discovering hers? Trifling associations with men who only wanted to get between her legs?
She met Matthew’s gaze. Of course, he wanted to get between her legs, too. Suddenly, she thought of her sister. Dressed as Aphrodite, her sister’s high-waisted gown didn’t quite conceal her five-month pregnancy. This ball would be her last social event before her confinement.
Patience put her hand over her flat stomach. She met Matthew’s stare. His beautiful eyes seemed to dare her. But she didn’t know if the dare was to flee or to enter.
Her body railed against her procrastination. She spoke on a rush of breath. “I’m a virgin—and I intend to stay that way.”
He raised his brows. “Forever?”
“For now.”
He lowered his eyes and seemed to consider for all of two seconds before nodding. “Very well. I agree to leave you intact.”
Patience looked into his eyes. She had refused so many and trusted so few. But she saw no hint of duplicity in his deep gaze, only desire, tight and tense. She recognized it because her own body was taut with it. She wanted him. From the first moment she’d seen him she’d wanted him.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. God and St. Matthew keep her. Then, with open-eyed determination, she walked past him into the room.
The door slammed behind her. Patience turned with a start. Unaccustomed to the dim, fire-lit room, she saw nothing until Matthew emerged from the shadows.
“Welcome to my underworld, Persephone.” And then his arms were around her. She felt his power as he held her against the unyielding strength of his body. His arm was a vice around her waist and his thick erection ground against her pelvis. She barely drew a breath before his mouth swooped down upon hers. Her blood roared as his tongue thrust between her parted lips, and his hand, cradling the back of her head, left her no retreat from his demanding kiss.
But retreat was not an option. That moment had passed. So she clung to him as his tongue thrust and thrust again, stroking the roof of her mouth and skimming her teeth. She tasted a hint of brandy, while the smell of vetiver, green and powdery, filled her senses. Moisture trickled from her cunt onto her damp thighs, and she tried to gasp for breath as he drove his tongue more deeply into her open mouth. Like a river, all sensation seemed to course from his mouth into hers, then surge with unstoppable force to the pulsing well of her body.
It was just as it had been the first time—but more. It was hot, urgent and demanding, but this time there was no restraint, no pause, and no withdrawal.
Wild with passion, she sucked and tasted him as she felt the contours of his back through his jacket. Her head spun and she heard his low groan despite the pounding in her ears. She felt his hand tighten in her hair while his other moved to grip her chin. He urged her mouth wider as he drove his tongue deeper, seeming to test the depths of her. As more blood rushed to her pulsing clitoris and her air grew thin, Patience moaned beneath his heady demand.
He tore his lips from hers and, as she gasped and her knees shook, he traced his fingers across her trembling mouth. “I knew you were for me,” he murmured roughly. “I knew from the first moment I saw you.”
Patience’s heart skipped a beat and then raced as he slipped his finger between her parted lips. Instinctively, she curled her tongue and sucked in a sensual exploration. And as she gazed at him, half-lit by the fire, he slid in another and then another finger.
“That’s good,” Matthew whispered. “Show me how warm and wet your mouth can be.” His hips tilted against her.
Patience trembled with excitement and her clitoris pulsed as she sucked hungrily upon his long fingers. She remembered the times she and her sisters had spied upon their butler as he delivered his daily dose of ejaculate into the mouth of their upstairs maid. It had always fascinated and excited them. But it was she who had been most entranced. It was she who had actually spoken of daring to take the maid’s place. It was she who had started sneaking cucumbers into their room, where they had all laughingly practiced the act they so avidly watched.
Now, as Matthew explored the moist cavities of her mouth, she surged against him to feel the strength of his erection through the layers of her petticoats. And as she laved his long fingers with her tongue, her breathless excitement flared into an even more urgent need.
He lifted his long-lashed eyes to hers and they reflected a fierce desire. “You understand what I want, don’t you? In fact, you’re hungry for it, aren’t you?”
Patience moaned. His voice was a low, soft contradiction to the hard gaze he bent upon her.
“That’s good. But I wonder”—he slipped his fingers more deeply into her mouth—“how a virginal vicar’s daughter knows of such things?” He brought his mouth close to hers. “What have you been up to, my little virgin? Are you more Impatience than Patience?”
She answered him with a slow swath of her tongue along the length of his fingers as he withdrew them. His mouth, so close, covered hers in a deep, breathtaking kiss. She breathed in vetiver and the throbbing between her legs increased. Her knees grew weak and her arms trembled as she clung to him. And just when she thought she might collapse at his feet, he broke the kiss and spoke against her gasping mouth. “Now, answer me. Just how many cocks have you tasted?” The fire in his eyes belied the calm of his voice.
Her cunt tightened. The opportunity had arisen more than once, but she’d never taken it. “None,” she breathed. “None, ever.”
His features hardened angrily and his hand tightened in her hair. “Don’t lie to me. Whatever occurs between us, never lie to me.”
She met his dark gaze. The scandal about him had broken upon a bed of humiliating, shameful lies. “I never lie.” She felt her cheeks flushing. “But I’ve seen it done, many times. Our butler… and the upstairs maid…”
Matthew’s expression softened in an instant. “Ah, the servants. They’re invaluable teachers, are they not?” He kissed her again, thrusting his tongue deep before withdrawing. “Did it
excite you to watch them?” he murmured against her lips.
“Yes.” Her lips tilted as he filled her mouth with another probing kiss that was over almost as soon as it began.
“Did you dream of doing it?” he demanded. “Did you think of it while you stroked your pretty clit? Did you come as you imagined what it might be like to have a nice hard prick between your lovely lips?”
Patience moaned. The small bud of flesh between her legs felt like it was going to explode.
“Did you?”
She stared into his dark eyes. “Yes,” she admitted on a whisper. “Yes!”
His jaw tightened. He took her hand and pressed it to his erection. “You think you can get your pretty mouth around this?”
Patience gasped at the size and strength of him. He was hard and heavy, and so thick that she couldn’t close her fingers around him. Sudden moisture filled her mouth and more trickled from her quim as she explored him.
His hips flexed against her. “Do you want it?”
“Yes.” Patience pressed an urgent kiss to his lips. “Yes, please.”
He stroked the back of his fingers down her cheek while his other hand moved soothingly against her scalp. “How politely you reply,” he murmured. “But, alas, I will not oblige you.”
“What?” Patience drew back in confusion. “But I… But I want to…”
“You want?” His brows lifted. “My sweet Patience, we are not here for what you want. We are here for what I want.”
Patience blinked and tried to think past the barrage of poignant sensations that coursed through her. “But you spoke of knowing my desires…”
The softest, most beautiful smile turned his lips. “Yes, T did.” He brushed his mouth against hers. “That’s quite a puzzle isn’t it?”
Patience gazed into his handsome face and felt her nipples tingle. “I don’t understand.”
He pulled her before the warmth of the hearth. “That’s all right. You will,” he murmured gently. Something flickered in his hand. “In time, everything will become clear to you.” He moved close. “It’s so simple, really.”