An Heir of Deception (38 page)

“You are playing with fire,” he warned softly as he stalked toward her.

“I want you.” It was as simple as that. And tonight she was going to get what she wanted.

Bracing his hands on the edge of the mattress, Alex levered himself above her. Charlotte dropped onto her back. She expected him to begin kissing her again, but he had other tortures in mind for her. The first kiss landed on the concave of her stomach. From there he proceeded down and farther down. The swirls of his tongue on the skin just above her center had her clutching the bed sheets in her hands and panting as if she’d covered the distance from the town square back home at a dead run.

“Alex,” she pleaded but she wasn’t precisely sure what she was pleading for. Relief. Yes, that’s what she craved; relief from the need clawing at her insides.

“Shhh, my love, I’m coming to that.” She could feel his breath at the heart of her. Then she felt the stroke of his tongue there and her body felt cleaved in two, the pleasure staggering. Her hips shot up, her body reacting as if struck by a bolt of lightning. She heard a woman cry out; the sound of someone being ravaged by pleasure.

Alex’s shoulders shook. Was he laughing? Apparently pleased with himself was he? When he began licking her, toying with the folds of her sex, Charlotte lost all sense of reality, sent adrift into her own sensual world.

The pleasure built as he licked and sucked, parting her to delve into the very heart of her. She had no control of her body, her hips jerking, twisting and then undulating in time with how he was loving her. When he lashed the hard nub at the hood of her sex with his tongue, the culmination of need and want sent her rocketing toward release, and she was soaring.

It had been a little more than two weeks since he’d had her last and the need in him was ferocious. His cock was so hard it could split rocks. Surely a man could perish if the pain of this became too much to bear.

Charlotte lay beneath him, her body slack and replete with satisfaction, her breathing labored. She looked beautiful, her breasts reddened by his attentions, her lips swollen and tender from his kisses.

She was his and she’d never leave him again. He wouldn’t allow it. He’d follow her right to the gates of hell if he must for he knew his life would be nothing without her.

Crawling from between her spread legs, Alex tamped down his voracious hunger, intent on bringing her to pleasure again. He started with her sweet mouth, the kiss drugging his senses and twisting his insides. Her tongue joined his in sensual play, her teeth nipping his bottom lip and then soothing it with the slash of her tongue.

Her hands kneaded his shoulders and then he felt her fingernails scraping down his chest until it came to his cock. She wrapped her hand eagerly around his length.

“Charlotte.” It was a cry for mercy. It was a plea to continue.

She began stroking him, her touch wicked and right.

“No more,” he groaned, grasping both her hands and pinning them above her head. “I won’t last if you do that.”

“Make love to me,” she said in a throaty voice and almost unmanned him by wrapping her legs around his hips, leaving her open to him. His for the taking. And with a helpless groan, he took. With unerring precision, he slid into her sleek heat.

Snug and wet, she clamped on to him and he was certain he’d died and gone to heaven. The need to ride her hard was overwhelming. But he wanted to make it good for her.

Teeth gritted, he pulled out and then pushed slowly back in. Oh God, the most exquisite pleasure coursed through him.

“Harder,” she moaned, her head twisting helplessly against the bed sheets. The moment he released her hands, she wrapped them about his neck to pull him closer. Her mouth found the sensitive spot behind his ear and he was lost.

He gave her precisely what she asked for, taking her hard, his hips pummeling her like the frantic beat of a drum. She arched up to meet his downward strokes, gasping, urging him on.

The end came soon after, his groan, low and hoarse, signaled his release, which was the stuff of legends, decimating his insides as the inner walls of her sex milked him.

She let out something between a gasp and a shriek, her back bowed and taut. Seconds later, she collapsed limp and sated.

“Oh God, Charlotte,” he said, burying his head in the crook of her neck. “God how I missed you.” There he’d said it, and in the process, laid his heart bare for her to see.

Her arms instantly tightened about his neck. “Oh Alex, I love you. I love you. I never once stopped loving you. Ever.”

Her body shuddered and he knew she was crying.

Alex lifted his head and stared down at her tear-stained face. “Shh, darling, don’t cry.” He kissed her gently on the lips. Her mouth opened to his instantly and soon the kiss of comfort he’d meant to give turned into something else all too soon, quickly giving way to another torrid, mutually satisfying joining.

Although they’d made love many times, this was the first morning she’d awoken beside him, his arms about her waist, her bottom pressed up against his thick member.

The closed curtains effectively kept morning at bay, shrouding the room in darkness but Charlotte could sense dawn hovered minutes away.

She thought Alex was still asleep until his hand softly stroked her stomach and began the climb to her breast. There he fondled the soft under curve before he caught her nipple between his fingers, where he teased and plucked until it pebbled in interest.

Charlotte bit down on her lip and hummed her pleasure, her bottom pressing back to rub against his growing erection.

“I didn’t think you were awake,” she said and released a low whimper.

“I was waiting for you to wake up so I could do this.” His hand abandoned her breast for the place between her thighs.

“No, we can’t,” she said, even as she parted her legs to permit him more access to where she was already growing wet with need.

Alex kissed the column of her throat, his fingers strumming a wicked tune on her moist female flesh. “Why not?”

“Most mornings, Nic-Nicholas comes in the moment he wakes. And he-he usually awakens very early.” It was hard to speak with his fingers plying her flesh, delving, coaxing a wanton response from her. Speak? She could barely think.

“Let your maid take care of him.”

No sooner had he spoken, when she heard the door to the suite open. Nicholas was there, which meant they had seconds to make themselves decent.

Moving faster than she had since she’d had to scramble to catch her son from falling down the first floor stairs when he was two years, Charlotte hurriedly thrust Alex’s hand from between her legs and yanked the counterpane to cover their naked bodies.

“Mama, I’m hungry,” Nicolas called out, not yet in the bed chamber.

Charlotte could only thank God the curtains were drawn. Alex had left the bed and was scrambling into his trousers. He barely got them on before Nicholas appeared in the doorway, silhouetted by the light in the hall.

“Mama, it’s dark. I want light.”

Alex came around from the side of the bed. “Come, son, let’s leave your mother to dress.”

“Papa,” Nicholas exclaimed, his sleepy eyes widening a little. But that was the extent of his reaction. Charlotte had been certain he’d pepper them with a dozen questions.

Instead, he silently took in the scene: his mother covered up to her neck and his father shirtless and barefooted in his mother’s bedchambers.

“Let’s go find your nanny,” Alex said, offering Nicholas his hand. With one final glance at his mother, he took his father’s hand and they left the room.

By the time Alex returned, five minutes later, Charlotte had slipped on her nightdress and was belting a silk blue dressing gown in place.

He grinned. “I was hoping to find you still undressed.”

Charlotte laughed. “And risk a repeat of Nicholas barging in again. I think not.”

Undaunted, he used the silk sash about her waist to pull her close. He was unashamedly hard and aroused. “And you don’t think it’s worth the risk?”

“I’d rather not have it be a concern when I make love to my husband,” she whispered, feeling the tug of desire between her thighs.

Alex lowered his head and kissed her softly on the curve of her neck. “Then let’s send him to your brother’s or to my parents in London,” he teased. “He surely won’t disturb us then.”

Then quite abruptly, he pulled back, his expression suddenly serious. “I almost forgot to tell you, my mother came to see me yesterday.”

It took a moment for Charlotte to regain her equilibrium. He had that kind of effect on her.

“What did she want?” To remind him that Charlotte wasn’t good enough for him?

Taking her hand in his, he led her to the armchair near the fireplace. He sat and settled her on his lap.

“She called to tell me my cousin is making noise about our marriage papers. He is talking about challenging its legality.”

At his words, one of Charlotte’s greatest fears was realized. “But you said—”

“Don’t worry,” he soothed. “I’m sure nothing will come of it.”

“But what if it does?” she said, now heartsick with worry.

“Well my mother has advised we should marry to properly legitimize the union.”

“But that won’t make Nicholas legitimate.”

“It would do so for any future children.”

Her gaze snapped to him. “Future children?” Although things had changed between them, the last time she’d asked about children, he’d stated quite emphatically he didn’t want another with her.

Dear Lord, was that what last night had been about, getting her with child to ensure the title remained in the direct line? She hadn’t given a thought to putting in the Dutch cap.

“I know what you are thinking and you couldn’t be more wrong. Last night we were careless. Just because my mother insists we rush to have another child does not mean we will. I feel more certain than she that Nicholas will inherit. Not only will I, but the duke will do everything in his power to make sure our marriage is upheld.” He was all quiet intensity. “The other option was that I permit him to have our marriage be declared null and void and take another wife and get
her
with child as soon as possible.”

Now
that
hurt. The thought of Alex married, making love, having children with someone else was like a knife in her heart.

“And how long did you ponder your choices?” she asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her tightly against his chest. “Not one second,” he assured her.

“Do-do you want us to marry—I mean without your cousin’s threat to make our son illegitimate?”

“I will feel no more married to you than I do now. In my heart, you are my wife. You always have been. I just need your assurance that I won’t be standing alone at the altar this time.”

For a moment, she thought this was his attempt at amusement, but his solemn expression and unsmiling mouth stated otherwise.

Inhaling a sharp breath, she asked, “How can you ask that of me? Now that you know the truth, I have no secrets to hide.”

“Are you certain?” he asked.

“Quite certain. Although I should tell you, James doesn’t believe his mother was responsible for the letter and I have come to agree with him.”

“Yes, he mentioned that the evening of the ball.”

So they had already discussed it.

“I was relieved you decided to tell him the truth.”

“I was going to tell you but it appears my brother beat me to it.” It was funny, now that she’d confessed all to family and friends, she felt less burdened by it and less ashamed.

“But you have my assurance, there will be a wedding this time.”

Alex stared intently at her, as if trying to read her mind, see into the heart he’d claimed long ago. He may be willing to give their marriage a real try, but she could see he still didn’t trust her—at least not fully—which meant he truly didn’t understand why she’d left. And because he could not understand, he may not be able to find it in his heart to forgive.

But her assurance appeared to satisfy him enough for he pressed her head back against his chest and kissed the top of her head without saying another word.