Her Reluctant Viscount (Rakes and Rogues) (35 page)

It was true, she had not been getting much sleep. “I will sleep better once she is returned to her family.” The children disappeared ahead of them. “I want her to feel better. About everything.”

“She is a remarkable girl, Jo. In addition, you have done what you can for her. She has to want some of it as well.”

“Vittoria is still afraid it is a dream. That is why I think she plays so hard when she can. Almost like it will be taken from her in the blink of an eye.”

He captured her wrist and drew her behind a large tree. His hands rested above her head, boxing her in, and he watched her with stormy eyes.

“Sometimes we do not know what we have until it is almost out of reach.”

Damn him for making her feel as he did. There was no easy way to have him this close. She fought daily to control her desire and feelings for him. To have him almost touching her was pushing her to the end of her control.

“What are you doing, Tryst? We have to get back.”

His eyes drifted down to her lips and back up again. “What I should have done that first night in the study when I joined you for dinner.”

Oh, she remembered that night very well. He had been tightly coiled with tension and never took his eyes off her the entire time.

She shifted her stance, the bark digging slightly into her back. “What is that?” She focused on his mouth. He had the perfect mouth. Bow-shaped lips, firm, and amazing to kiss.

He lowered his head and brushed his mouth along hers. Her whimper rose up from inside only to be stopped at the last moment. She kept her lips pressed tight. He did not force, instead he licked and nibbled along her lips until she parted them on a sigh of pleasure. Then and only then did he press on, sliding his tongue into her mouth.

Tryst tasted so good. It was one she knew she would never forget. He delved, stroked, and swept through. Licking the sides, roof, and then her tongue. She gave in with a groan.

Passion flooded her. The desire she continually felt for him no longer able to be ignored. Their tongues stroked along one another, twining and sliding as his hips pressed into her, his erection hard, thick, and unable for her to ignore. Her body responded, growing wet in preparation for him.

She gripped his arms as her legs weakened from desire. Tryst tilted his head even more and deepened the kiss. His hands suddenly touched her inner thigh and she stiffened. How had he gotten under her skirts? Why did she feel the urge to widen her stance and allow him anything he would ever ask for?

He used a leg to nudge hers open more. Eyes closed, she lost herself to the sensation of his touch and kiss. Still, she jumped, opening them, when he brushed the slit in her undergarment and her. His thumb spread her as he dipped two fingers in. She moaned in total ecstasy.

Pulling back, he stared at her with passion-darkened eyes. “This,” he muttered. “This is what I should have done to you. Fucked you until you knew nothing but me.” He nipped her lower lip. “Until my name is the only one you could think of. Until your entire body was rosy from my kisses, the stubble of my beard, and my hands.”

Her body clenched around his fingers and her eyes fluttered. His words painted what she dreamt of nightly. Him loving her until she could not find the strength to move.

In and out of her heated core his fingers drove, unrelenting in their pursuit of sending her to a higher plane of pleasure. He murmured scandalous words in her ear, which only served to fan her passion. Arching into his every touch, she succumbed to the pleasure he wrought.

She shattered around him, his thumb on the nub, which made her breathless and his fingers buried deep inside her wetness. He was hard, his length dug into her hip, his own desire blatant and obvious. His breathing as ragged as hers.

He kissed the outside shell of her ear and she closed her eyes, forcing herself to release his shirt. How could she? Pug and Vittoria were not that far away. Yet, all it took was a touch from him and she lost all her sense.

Mortification spread throughout her body at the realization of what she had just allowed. She lowered her gaze, ducked under his arm, and shook out her skirts as she moved away from him.

“That cannot happen again,” she stated.

He pinned her with his eyes, halting her backward movement. She bit back her whimper as he lifted his fingers to his mouth and licked them clean. Primal passion flared in his amazing blue gaze and he engulfed her, head to foot, in a look which made her want to do their one night all over again.

“I think it needs to happen more.”

A mistake. That is what he had called sleeping with her before. And it was a cold and cruel reminder. She stiffened her spine and shook her head.

“No.”

Whirling around, she swiftly made her way up to where Pug and Vittoria were on their way back to the main house. Pug gave her an odd look but he never said a word, merely continued walking.

“Where is Trystan?” Vittoria asked after the door closed behind them.

Even hearing his name sent fresh memories of what he had just done to her racing over her body. She hoped her face was not as red as it felt to her.

“I am sure he will be along shortly.”

The child nodded while she definitely caught a disapproving expression on Pug’s face. She was not sure what it was all about but it did not take a genius to understand that there was some serious tension between Pug and Trystan. Entering the dining room, she pushed Trystan from her thoughts. If he showed for lunch, she would deal then. If not, well, it gave her much more—much needed—time to shore up her defensive walls for the next round. Given his statement, she did not doubt at all that there would be more attempts of such interludes.

Trystan swore to himself and paced in the woods. His cock was so hard it bordered on painful. All he could think about was how wet and hot it had been to be deep inside her once more. He swore and rested against a tree, head bowed, arms shaking as they held him up.

Her soft moans had driven him crazy, then there was the feel of her slit around his exploring fingers. He wanted to lower his breeches and slam into her so fast and hard his name exploded from her lips. It did not happen. He never used more than his fingers and yet, he almost lost control.

Jo had no idea just the amount of passion which lingered in her. She tried so hard to keep herself contained and not embarrass her family, she could not possibly know. He did. He had seen it firsthand. And wanted to see much more of it.

He frowned as he recalled the coolness, which fell over her expression after she said it could not happen again.
Like hell it will not be happening again.
As far as he was concerned, he should have been in her bed every night. Hell, sometimes during the day as well.

His hand drifted lower and he rubbed himself through the tan material of his breeches before he shook his head and jerked his hand away. Yes, he needed relief but he had be damned if he did not get it with Jo. He fell asleep hard and woke the same way. But no one but her would do.

He thought about what Duchess Haversham had said and he knew he had to tell her they were going to be married. No way would he survive with another man as her husband. He would have to leave and go somewhere he would have no way of seeing her or even hearing her name. Russia. The interior of Africa, perhaps would work as well. It would have to be something.

Bugger it! He would not let another man marry her. They would kill her spirit and that was what made her such an amazing person. Her spirit in not just daily things but everything she did. She had this sparkle about her which infected those around her.

Well, she used to. Lately, he was hard-pressed to get a smile from her. Sure, Vittoria got some and she would give him some when the child was around but he saw past the façade.

He knew of her fear for her parents. He had had Royce send two of his men to try and track them down and keep an eye on them. Nothing he had told Jo about for he did not want her to ask him daily what, if any, the news was on that issue. He watched her when Najja came for a visit. At times she did not believe anyone watched her, he saw the longing in her eyes as she stared at the swollen belly of her friend, or Alexander.

She wanted what he had been afraid of doing his entire life, having a family. All that was about to change. He just had to tell her. Pushing away from the trunk of the tree, he strode up to Kittle Manor, with the intention of doing just that.

He found them eating and fixed himself a plate before sitting down to join them. She worked hard to keep her attention on Pug and Vittoria but he knew she was still flustered from their interaction in the woods. He hid his smile and kept his focus on the child. While they ate, a storm rolled through the area, drenching the ground with heavy rain.

While Vittoria ran to get some things to draw with, Pug stepped out for a few moments and Tryst took the opportunity of their aloneness. He walked to where Jo sat studiously staring at the top of the dark table.

“Jo?”

One finger drew idle patterns only to stop when she looked up at him. “Yes?”

Palms down on the table, he leaned toward her. “I’ve decided you and I will be married. When your parents return, I will tell your father.”

Her eyes grew big. As he expected. Her breathing a bit louder and her face a bit paler. Also as expected.

She clenched her jaw and swallowed before blinking a few times. “Did you just tell me you decided I was marrying you?”

Her voice was low and controlled. He nodded. “We are explosive together in bed, Jo. You cannot deny that. Or anywhere,” he added with a wink. “I know you love me and have for years. I saw the drawings of me in your book. It will be a good match.”

Her head bobbed. “A good match.”

“I have money. You will not want for anything.”

Vittoria and Pug both walked back in. Jo gave him a smile, which was more a quaver of lips than anything. She stood and smoothed her hands down her blue skirts. Skirts which earlier, he had ruched around her waist as he fingered her to an explosive orgasm.

“Thank you, Lord Wilkes, but I am going to decline. I will not marry you.” She turned and walked toward the door, pausing to talk to the two there then vanishing.

Her words never fully sank in until she was out of the room. Wait…she said no? She declined? That…was not at all how he expected things to go. There should have been joy, kissing, and eyes staring adoringly at him.

A frown affixed upon his face, he stomped out after her. “Jo?”

She paused in what she discussed with the housekeeper. A few final words to the woman and Jo placed her attention on him. “Yes, Lord Wilkes?”

“No? You said no?”

“If you know what I said, why are you bothering me? I have much to do before we head back to London.”

“Why?”

She paused. “Why what?”

“Did you say no?”

She met his gaze again and he growled low in his throat as he watched her fire, once again, banked behind decorum. “I would rather remain single than marry to someone who will be ‘a good match’ to me. I can get that in a pet. Now, if you will excuse me, I have matters to attend.”

Jo began to walk away and he grabbed her wrist. “Are you kidding?”

“I never joke about marriage. If, and I mean
if
I ever get married, it will be because we love each other and cannot bear to be apart from one another. Not for the reason you posed. Although, it was amazingly romantic.”

He narrowed his eyes at her sarcasm. She pulled free and slipped away leaving him there unsure what had gone wrong. Maybe it was something with how he said it. He would have to check with Colin on this because he was so damn confused.

Considering rain still fell from the sky, they took Pug back to Falcon House before heading to London, the staff having packed them while they ate. The women were in a different room, Pug had left them alone, so he was alone with Colin.

“Something is on your mind.”

Tryst looked at his oldest friend in the world; the man had changed a great deal since Najja had come into his life. In addition, he admired he had had the courage to do what he did. Make Najja his own.