Angel in Scarlet: A Bound and Determined Novel (13 page)

She turned her face and gazed up at those dark eyes she knew so well. “I seem to be in high spirits this evening.”

“And why would that be?”

“I’ve been promised a treat, and ever since I was a little girl I’ve loved anticipation.”

“I’ve begun to realize that. I am quite good at building anticipation.”

She could only imagine. The tingle spread. Or perhaps she couldn’t imagine. It was hard to think about what Colton could be planning in such a situation. But that thought only made her quiver.

“Yes, I see you do like anticipation.”

“What are you planning?”

“And ruin the surprise?” His eyes gazed down at her neckline, where it was possible to see the peaks of her hard nipples pressing against the fabric. “I’d hate to ruin the fun you are having waiting.”

“But—”

“No buts. You will wait because I want you to wait.”

That certainly did nothing to calm her. What was it about his tone of command that set her all alight? She’d never liked being ordered about, but when Colton gave even the smallest hint that she was his to control…“I will do whatever you wish,” she whispered back.

“There you are, Angela,” her mother said, striding across the room. “I’ve been having the most wonderful conversation about you with Lord Thorton.” She glanced at Colton somewhat dismissively. “He seems to understand just what a treasure you are. He is quite hoping that he will be seated near you at dinner. Would you like me to have a word with Lady Perse?”

“We would not want to upset her table arrangements, Mother.”

“Oh, I do know that, particularly when she’s already been complaining about unexpected additions and having to even up the numbers. I do believe that she’s asked her companion, Miss Pratcher, to join us. I do hope the woman is actually entertaining. It can be frightful if one ends up seated with someone who doesn’t know how to hold a civilized conversation.” Her mother glared at Colton.

Oh dear, her mother clearly was not in a forgiving mood. Perhaps Angela should have done a better job of containing her disappointment and hurt when Colton had acted so cruelly at the end of the season. If only she had known that cruel edge emerged only when he was doing something he thought he should but did not want to.

It was not a good habit, but one she was sure could be changed over time.

Over time? That was not a thought she should be having.

“I will have to apologize to Lady Perse if I have done something so uncouth as to upset her table,” Colton said, drawing her thoughts back to him—or at least away from thought of him and the future.

“I am sure my mother didn’t mean…” Angela began.

“Well, you did place her in a most uncomfortable position,” her mother said, squaring her shoulders.

“Yes, I have always heard that having an extra unmarried man presents such a difficulty,” Colton replied, his voice even and polite, but his eyes filled with inner glee as they met hers.

An extra man? Was he referring to the fiasco with Granderson? He wouldn’t do that in public, would he? Yes, evidently he would. Well, if he could be just a bit devilish, so could she. “Yes, an extra man is an insurmountable problem for some. I’ve always much preferred even numbers.”

He turned fully to her. “And do you have much experience with such things, Miss Ripon? I would not have thought you would yet…have arranged your own tables.”

Her mother stepped forward, perhaps not understanding whatever it was that flew between them but not liking it either. “I don’t believe my daughter’s tables are any concern of yours. You made that quite clear this summer.”

“Perhaps I had not yet developed a proper appreciation of the potential she had to set a good table.”

“Oh, hush!” her mother exclaimed. “Don’t think I don’t know when something improper is being said, just because I am not of your set, Lord Colton. Now, I would thank you to go and bother some other guest.” She turned her back on him.

He stood there for a moment, then gave Angela a wink over her mother’s shoulder before turning to speak with Lady Johnson.

“Was that really called for, Mother?” Angela asked. “You have always counseled me never to be rude in public—or indeed in private.”

“I am afraid that when it comes to you, my dear, I am quite the mama lion. I will protect you from any who seek to injure you.”

And what if I don’t want protection?
“Mother, I am quite able to protect myself.”

“Nonsense. If that were true, you would not have cried for a full week when he did not propose when he ought to have. I don’t know what he thinks he is doing trying to seek you out now. I am most suspicious that he decided to attend this party.”

“I did not cry for a week, and he is a neighbor of Lady Perse—hardly suspicious.”

“Who happened to be in London until two days ago.”

“Well…”

“And don’t think I don’t know he is the one who sent that pretty little mare for you to ride. I am not quite sure that was even proper, but I had decided to overlook the matter, as he did provide Miss Pratcher as a proper chaperone. But to have him show up here—and be assured, you were seen walking back to the house on his arm. I don’t know what he is about, but I do not like it. If he had a true interest in you, he would have done the right thing at the right time.”

“You mean propose?”

“Exactly. He is after something far less honest now.” Her mother did everything but stamp her foot to mark how serious she was.

“Perhaps he just wants to be civil, Mother. He did not realize how deeply I allowed my affections to become attached. He is only being friendly.”

“ ‘Friendly’—that’s one word for it.”

“Mother.”

“I am far more experienced than you, Daughter. That man was looking at you as if he was going to reach out and pluck your breasts right out of your dress.”

“Mother,” Angela said again, with some vehemence.

“Well, he was.”

And he probably had been—perhaps he might later. A delicious heat raced through her. A moment ago she’d been regretting her choice of dress, but if Colton had been staring in such a way that her mother noticed…“Then perhaps he is regretting his actions at the end of the summer and is reconsidering.” Oh drat, she should not have said that.

“Do you think so? Has he hinted that he is actually serious?”

What to say to that? If she said no, then her mother would watch them like a hawk, to be sure that Angela was not hurt again, but if she said yes, then her mother would be expecting an announcement before the end of the week. “I am not sure. I have never understood how the man thinks, as you should well know.”

“True.” Her mother turned and stared at Colton, as he laughed politely at some comment by Lady Johnson. “Perhaps I should…No, I remain convinced that he will only bring trouble to you. Stay away from him.”

“But surely I cannot be so impolite as to avoid him while we are here. It would cause Lady Perse even more difficulties. I am sure most of the activities are for us as a group.”

“Still, I do not wish to see you alone with him when it is avoidable. If he wishes to speak, you can easily include someone else in the conversation. And you must be sure that you are always with others. It is not good for you to wander alone anyway.”

“If you are referring to this afternoon, I was always within sight of the house.”

“I am aware of that, and still you managed to get into trouble.”

“I would hardly call a walk on Lord Colton’s arm in plain sight trouble.”

“Yet you are arguing with me now. That man has always upset you, and he is doing it again now. I do not wish you to speak with him more than you must.” And then her mother’s tone softened. “It broke my heart too, to see you so miserable. Stay away from him. You do not need that pain again.”

Small tables had been set up on the terrace so that the guests could sit in the cool of the evening air and listen to the tenor that Lady Perse had hired to entertain them this night. Angela sat at one of the farthest tables and enjoyed the brief moment of solitude. She had been sandwiched between Lord Thorton and Lord Johnson for dinner, and while the one had continually hinted that her mother thought they would get along very well together, the other had discussed nothing except the new litter of puppies his prime bitch had just had and how they didn’t look quite right. He’d almost come out and said that he was quite sure that some mongrel had fathered them, before he’d caught himself and considered to whom he was talking. Both conversations had given her the start of a headache.

For now she would take the moment of quiet, although she still wanted to know what Colton had planned. She glanced across at him as he sat talking to Lady Perse. Why had she never realized that the two were more than acquaintances? They chatted and laughed like old family friends before turning to the music. It was impossible to turn her gaze away from Colton. Every move he made seemed so much bigger, more important, than anyone else’s.

He caught her staring and the corners of his mouth tilted up. He ran a single finger across the linen tablecloth, and she could feel it tracing across her collarbone. He dipped his finger into the champagne, and her nipples hardened with the sudden chill—and when he brought it to his lips…

Her knees pressed together, and it was work not to pant.

He’d been right about the anticipation. Her whole body felt ready to explode, and all he had to do was look at her.

What was he planning?

His eyes suddenly moved from her to the house and up. She followed his gaze. He was staring at the high stone balcony just off the music room. She looked back at him. He nodded to her and then up at the balcony.

Did he want her to go there?

A more vigorous nod.

Yes, he did.

She rose obediently and walked to her mother, whispering that she wanted a better view, wanted to appreciate the night-sky vista while listening to the vocals. Her mother gave her a questioning look but did not gainsay her.

With some trepidation, she walked into the house and up to the music room and then out to the balcony. The door had been left slightly ajar. Colton must have been up here earlier. The stone wall rose slightly above her waist. She leaned against it, peering out at the night. It was a spectacular view. Even if this was all Colton had planned for her, it would be worth it.

She glanced down. Colton was still speaking with Lady Perse. Her mother looked up and Angela waved.

She closed her eyes and listened to the music, letting herself relax and enjoy.

Music had never been her passion, but this moment was near perfect: the cool air, the sense of endless space, the—

Something brushed her ankle. Startled, she jumped.

“Shh, just be still.”

“But—”

“Be still.” This time, command filled his voice.

She glanced down. Colton sat beside her feet on the stone floor of the balcony, well hidden from those below.

“Keep facing the stone wall. Spread your legs slightly.”

With a swallow, she obeyed. It should not have been possible for him to be so filled with authority while sitting below her on the stones, but…“What?”

“Do not speak unless I tell you to.”

Pressing her lips tight, she inched her legs farther apart.

His fingers settled on her stockings, just above the ankle, and then…then slowly, oh so slowly, they inched their way up, pausing at the backs of her knees to trace the most delicious patterns.

Colton was touching her. He was finally touching her.

And it was so much more than she had ever dreamed.

She’d imagined it as she touched herself, thinking of Colton and her French lieutenant, but never—never…God, that was good. How could it be so much better than…A small gasp escaped as he caught the top of her stockings, brushing the tender skin of her inner thighs, pulling open the ties; then, inch by inch, he pulled them down, baring her flesh to the cool of the night air.

“Good girl, very good girl,” he whispered. “I’d like to make you take off your slippers, to stand on the cold stone, to fully appreciate how vulnerable you are, but given that someone might decide to join us, I shall let you keep them—for now.”

His words made her shiver. And then his lips were against the inside of her knee, nibbling, kissing. It was hard to stand still. She wanted to move, to reach down and stroke his hair, to hold him to her.

“Tell me what is happening below.”

“What?”

“What is Lady Johnson doing?”

“Lady Johnson? You want me to…”

“Do not question me.” The heat of his breath brushed her inner thigh and higher.

She stared down. Don’t think about…Ahh, that was tender. She’d never known that…Where was Lady Johnson? There, talking to Lady Perse. “She’s changed seats. She’s whispering something to Lady Perse. Probably something about what time breakfast is and whether she will be up before one.”

His lips moved higher. “Spread more.”

With a slight shiver, she complied.

He lifted her skirts, and the full chill of the evening air hit her, cooling her and inflaming her in one moment.

“Move farther from the wall; bend slightly, leaning over it. Yes, rest your weight on your elbows. Arch your back, just so. Very, very nice.” He moved away a bit and she felt him do something at the back of her hips. Knotting her skirts up somehow?

There was a scraping and she glanced down to see that he was now sitting against the wall of the house, staring at her behind—and not only at her behind. He was staring right between her legs. She started to close them.

“No. Move them wider. And wider still. Do you know you glisten in the moonlight? Are you wet for me, Angela? Is it thoughts of what I will do to you that has your juices marking your upper thighs?”

“I…”

“No, I do not want you to actually answer. Just keep looking down at the gathering; watch and enjoy the music—as I enjoy my view. Do not look back at me again.”

She bit down on her lip to keep from replying. She could do this, no matter how strange it felt to be gazing out over the people while Colton stared straight at her—her cunny. God, she had a man staring at her cunny and she was smiling down at the crowd.

It should have been the least erotic thing in the world, but every inch of her burned with need and desire. Why wasn’t he touching her? Was he still looking at her? Was he touching himself?

Her mind filled with the image of his long hard penis, of his hand stroking up the veined underside, of that glistening drop of seed forming at the top, of the look upon his face, the strain in the tendons of his neck. It was all she could do to not glance back and see if her dreams were being met.

“What are you thinking, my angel? Your legs are tensing and relaxing in a most delicious fashion, and you’re growing damper by the second. I would have lit more lamps in the music room if I’d known what a sight I was going to be treated to. You make me long to taste you. Would you like that, would you like for me to taste you? Oh, don’t worry about answering; your body is your answer—that little shiver, the sudden clenching of your sex. Did you know I can see that? I can see how your inner muscles tighten just by the way you move.”

She didn’t know how her legs supported her. If she wasn’t careful she’d go toppling right off the balcony. It was a good thing the wall was so high.

And then she heard him move, felt his breath upon her behind.

“You have a most glorious ass. I had not realized before. I should always have you pose this way, have it arched and ready for me. It is all I can do not to sink my teeth into it, to bite you like a ripe peach.” He placed a kiss upon the left cheek of her behind, his lips slightly parted. His tongue slipped out and ran a slow trail over her.

Her fingers clenched tight into the cold stone beneath them. She forced her eyes onto the people below her, tried to concentrate, tried to smile, although she was sure her face was shadowed and invisible.

His fingers gripped her inner thighs, tight. She would be bruised in the morning—and she simply didn’t care. Anything was worth this instant, this moment.

“I really would like to nip you, to leave my mark. I’ve always liked to see my mark on a woman’s creamy flesh.”

She didn’t want to think about other women, to think about the fact that he’d done this before. “Then do it,” she whispered between gritted teeth. “Just do it, do whatever you like. I told you I was yours to command and I meant it.”

He licked her again, his tongue hot and wet. He made little circles, nipped her lightly with his teeth and then again. When the actual bite came, she felt as if she’d been waiting for it forever. The pain was sharp and hard, and yet she welcomed it. She felt her legs open farther of their own accord. Her fingers bit into the stone.

His tongue was back, laving the wound.

He pulled away, his breath moving over her back. “So beautiful.” A finger traced the lower part of her spine through her gown then disappeared beneath her raised skirts, then skimmed down again quickly, sliding between the cheeks of her buttocks. “And wet, so very wet.” The finger circled places she had only recently learned to consider and then moved lower, sliding over her center. Her whole body clenched at the feel, her hips arching farther, seeking.

He swatted her. “Bad girl. I asked you to be still.” And then there was a hand on each buttock, pulling them apart, his fingers sinking deep into her flesh.

She moaned. She could not help it. Her whole body was on fire. She needed. Oh, she needed.

“I’d like to fuck you here and now. Do you know that? Do you know that I want to push you down hard on that stone ledge? That I want to sink into you as you scream and call my name? And you want that too, don’t you? I begin to fear that you may not be an angel at all.”

Another moan, this one far louder than she liked.

There was movement below, faces turned up at her.

She lifted a hand, gave a little wave, tried to look as if nothing…

He slipped between her legs, coming to rest with his back against the stone ledge. And then his mouth was on her, on her as she had never imagined, hitting that spot, sucking that spot, biting, nipping—and then again. She bit down on her lower lip, trying hard not to moan again, not to call further attention to herself.

A finger slipped between her lower lips, trailed through her wetness.

This time he was the one who moaned, low and deep and so very guttural. “God, you’re sweet.”

He licked again, moving along her whole length. She bit her lip harder, afraid she would draw blood.

A single finger pushed up into her. Her body stiffened at the intrusion. She’d never felt such a thing. She’d imagined what it must be like, but the reality was far different. Her thighs twitched, and for a moment the whole world stopped as she tried to grow used to the strange sensation.

He held the finger still, and then his lips closed upon that special spot and he sucked, hard and fast. The fires lit within her body again and she found herself tightening down on that finger. It began to move within her, up and down, pressing on the front wall of her passage. He stroked across a certain spot and something happened, her whole body began to move, to…

He sucked again. His finger stroked again—and she lit, burned, exploded.

The tenor sang. People giggled.

And she died and was born again—and then again.

Her whole body was as tight as a bowstring, every muscle straining.

Too much. It was too much.

And then it was over.

Her body sagged against the wall. She wished she could sink down beside him. Her muscles felt as if they would never move again. She felt his finger withdraw, and then with a small movement her skirts were free, falling to the ground.

She turned slowly, leaning, letting her head fall back so that she stared up at the stars.

A thousand tiny points of light spread across the sky. Even the faint glow shining from the house did not dampen the wonder, the glory of the moment.

Colton leaned against the wall to the house, fighting his own desire. She was magnificent. He had not expected that from her. He seemed to always be underestimating her, thinking that she would not measure up to what he needed, and always she surprised him.

Again he wondered: Could he have been mistaken when he decided she could not truly meet his needs? That possibility spun through his mind—and was rejected. They were playing right now.

They both admitted that this was a game. She might be intrigued with what they had done, but no more. They had played with the edge of excitement, but he had never pushed her over the edge into forbidden territory—well, only with Granderson, and that had not ended well. Nothing else they had done was that unusual. But what if he pushed her further, indulged his own desires a little more? She’d said she dreamed of being tied when questioned by her lieutenant—how far was his angel ready to go?

Lady Johnson let out a loud laugh below.

“I think I could float away.” Angela’s voice was soft and low, in many ways quieter than a whisper.

“I think that is a common experience after orgasm. I know that I frequently like to sleep.”

She laughed lightly, almost a titter. Her face came down to look at him. “I must admit I have heard that about men. Some of the married women speak of it with relief and some with regret. I think I would fall solidly into the regret category if you fell asleep on me.”

He had a hard time imagining falling asleep, although the fact that his cock was hard and bulging against his evening breeches may have had something to do with that. He pressed a hand tight against his flap, willing it down. He would not be able to return to the party until it did.

Her eyes followed his movement. “I could help with that.”

“And how would you propose that?” He focused on her mouth, on those still-damp lips.

She blinked. “I could certainly touch you. You could show me how.”