Her Reluctant Viscount (Rakes and Rogues) (38 page)

“I want at least two bags packed now.” A slight pause. “Or I will get them myself.”

“You are not allowed up to her room.” There was not as much conviction in the woman’s tone anymore.

“Who is going to stop me? We all know I can get where I want and your staff is not all that good.” Jo whirled around and headed up the stairs. “Send a maid, a few maids, to help and I will be out of here even sooner.”

Two people stepped in her way only to leave immediately when she shot them a look she had seen Najja use numerous times. No wonder she used it, it worked wonders. Sure enough, three maids showed up almost immediately and began packing for Clara.

Jo supervised the packing, ensuring they threw in not just the old day dresses but some of her night ones as well. While they did that, she searched for her friend’s journals and added them to one of the trunks.

Jewelry and some books also went in the bag. When she could look around and find nothing that she believed held any special worth to Clara, she directed them to move the things downstairs. As she descended, she spied Trystan down there watching her.

His blue eyes sparkled up at her and she wanted to preen. She kept her features composed however.

“This should work for the time being. I think once she is with Duchess Haversham if there is anything she realizes she forgot she can come retrieve with some of the duchess’ men.”

She caught Trystan’s fleeting grin and Clara’s father’s grimace. Looking at the footman waiting, she snapped her fingers. “Move it, I do not have all night.” They glanced to their boss and Jo ordered, “Get those things loaded. He will not help you.”

She did not miss the look Clara’s father gave to Tryst who merely lifted a shoulder at him. The man did not argue with her statement and the footmen were shortly taking the bags and trunks out to secure on the waiting carriage.

Jo rode inside alone while Tryst rode up top with their driver. Back at her place, her people removed the things in short order and took them up to Clara’s room under strict orders not to wake her.

“You threatened them with Duchess Haversham?” Tryst asked as they walked in together.

“I did not want any trouble. What about you? I saw the fearful look her father gave you. What did you say to him?”

“Not much. Just how much Colin thinks of her as a sister and how much he respects Royce. That I know how much he is in the cups for and that if he made trouble I would have no problem buying all his debt and making him indebted to me completely, during which time I would make his life hell.”

Was it wrong she got a funny little tingle at his words? Perhaps, but she did and there it was. She wished she could have seen that exchange.

“Good night, Trystan.” She headed up the stairs only to pause and look back at him. “Thank you for helping Clara.” Whirling around, she hastened up the rest of the way to her room. She had to before she did something crazy or brazen like kiss him.

Trystan leaned on the railing and watched Jo disappear from view. Thanking the footmen for delivering the things to Clara’s room, he did his typical night check and, once he was certain all was secure, he too headed up the stairs. Like usual he paused by her door only this time he did not have the discipline to continue walking by.

Instead he reached out his hand and turned the knob, allowing himself access to her private quarters. One candle was lit by the bed and he saw her as she stood over the basin, washing her face.

The light brought out the myriad of colors in her thick hair. He wanted to touch it, touch her. And more.

“Jo.”

She stiffened but did not jump or scream. Nor did she throw a dagger at him. Reaching for a towel, she blotted her face dry then looked at him.

Shite! He was in so much trouble. She wore a white shift, which quite honestly did nothing except make him want to remove it. It was not anything overtly sexy and yet he found himself so hard it was painful. Her tan skin glowed nearly golden in the light and the purity of the white shift only highlighted her figure.

“Tryst.” The towel fell to the floor as she moved toward him. “You should not be here.”

He met her partway, still not allowing himself to touch her. Her intoxicating scent surrounded him and he swallowed hard to keep from tearing the material from her body.

“I should have come sooner.”

She lowered her lids, thick lashes settling on her smooth cheeks. “You should go.”

He reached out and dragged two fingers along one shoulder to her neck where he moved behind and cupped the back of her head. Her hair slid like silk over his skin. Bringing her closer he bent until his lips almost touched hers.

“Look at me.” His order no louder than a whisper.

She exposed those amazing blue eyes to him and he knew he was lost. Brushing their lips together, he kept the contact light. He licked, nibbled, and teased her until she finally opened beneath his pursuit.

Sliding his tongue in, he groaned with the pure pleasure of being back in her. She had this taste which he craved like some did opium, which drove them to dens of the stuff. Her moan hit him the way lightning split the sky, instantly and powerful.

He slid his second hand around her waist and flexed his hips against her, showing her what she did to him. She did not back away, no, if anything she moved closer. Reluctant to break the kiss, he still did. She watched him with passionate eyes, swollen lips, and a flush to her skin.

Lifting her back into his arms, he moved them to the bed. When he sat her on it, she opened her mouth to speak and he kissed her quiet. Right now, he did not want to fight with her. This was not the time. But she was not having any of it and pushed against him until he backed up.

“I want to undress you.”

Had he not already been hard her comment would have shot him there. He bit back his groan and stood up. She followed him and reached for the first pearled button on his shirt. He clenched his hands into fists so he would not touch her as she made her way down to the very last button.

Her hands smoothed the material away and off his shoulders. He rolled them so it fell to the floor. She touched his chest for a while, exploring, trailing her fingers over old scars, and making him want nothing more than to take command of the situation. He did not know how much longer he could do this.

“So many scars,” she murmured.

He did not respond. In fact, he was not sure he could.

“Boots off,” she ordered.

He sat on her bed and removed them quickly. She began working on his breeches and soon they were kicked to the side as well, leaving him in his smalls. When she reached for the waist of them, however, he stopped her.

Her eyes slashed to his. “I am only so strong here, hellcat.”

“I want to see you. Last time it was dark and I did not see you.”

Could he get any harder? Apparently, he could. Wiping away the sweat beading on his forehead, he nodded then stripped off the final bit of clothing he had, leaving himself completely naked for her to see.

Her eyes widened and her lips made a small “o” as she ran her gaze over him. There was no fear but amazement and impressiveness. He almost took a step toward her when she did it first.

Again, his breath hitched when she placed her palms on his torso. Nope, he was not going to last long. Not like this. Not with her looking at him as if she wanted to eat him.

“I think you are wearing too many clothes, Jo.”

She tore her gaze from his rigid shaft. “I am?”

He nodded and reached out for the pale red ribbon at the neckline of her shift. Slowly, he undid it and felt a throb in his loins as the material fell away allowing him a clear view of the tops of her breasts. Her skin still maintained the tan it had from all her time spent outdoors and he wanted to press his lips to them and go from there.

It was too big on her given all the time she had been on the run and had lost some weight, so he knew it would slide right off. Worked in his favor that way. Tugging the edges over her shoulders, he watched the white material pool at her feet. Then he was completely focused on the woman before him.

She was perfect. He stepped closer and drew her flush to him, her breasts against his chest and his shaft into her stomach. Tipping her face up he allowed their lips to meet again. This time she wrapped her arms around his neck as the kiss deepened.

“Tryst,” she mumbled into his mouth.

“So beautiful.” She whimpered and bucked against him slightly. “Let us explore.” Without giving her a chance to say another word, he placed them both on the bed, nose to nose.

“I want to do this in the day when I have the sunlight to see you.” He turned a bit and replaced one of her hands on him. “Explore me, Jo.”

He thought she would touch his scars more, or his arms. Something other than what she did. The feel of her fingers closing around him brought a gasp from his mouth as pleasure rocked through him.

She stilled. “Did I hurt you?” Her fingers began to loosen from him.

He covered her hand with his. “No, you did not. Touch me, Jo.”

“Like this?”

He gave a brief example of what he wanted her to do and groaned again as she began fisting him. Christ he wanted to shove deep into her and never leave. How the hell he was going to get through this without embarrassing himself he had not any idea.

Her grip was driving him insane. Settling his hand on her hip, he stroked it as he angled his own hand and drifted his touch down over her slit.

She stiffened, her hand stilling as her eyes grew wide. Tryst held her gaze as he moved through the brown curls and dipped a finger through her lips into her wetness.

“Ohh.”

In and out, he moved his finger, doing his damndest not to think about how snug her heat was around him. He watched her eyes and loved the depth of her response, she was so expressive.

He stopped and she looked at him, frustration in her gaze. “You stop, I stop.”

She had not even realized her hand had dropped away from his length. Jo reached out without hesitation again and reclaimed him. Soon it was himself who had the hard time concentrating.

Her hand was strong and she slid up and down his shaft with the perfect blend of speed and grip. Lust pounded him and he longed to rip the situation from her and do what he would with her. Something held him back. He loved lying here, watching her as she pleasured him and got pleasured in return.

She had her lower lip caught in straight white teeth, small breathy pants escaped as her naked body trembled with the passion flowing through her. He knew, the same moved through him as well.

He added another finger to her and she bowed her back as her cream covered his fingers. The heel of his hand continued to work the little nub and she writhed beneath his touch, eyes closed. He leaned closer and took one nipple in his mouth, drawing it in deep and sucking hard.

Her hand dropped from his shaft and she dug her nails into his shoulder and upper arm as she fell to her back, no longer on her side. He flicked the taut peak with his tongue before grazing it with his teeth.

“Tryst!” she gasped.

Jo’s internal muscles gripped him hard. His own shaft throbbed and he wanted so much to sink into her, replace fingers with cock, but he held out. Wanting this to be about her, not his raging need.

He turned his attention to her other breast and plied the same attention to it. Then he began kissing his way down her belly. Her ragged breathing above him and the heady scent of her essence growing closer as he moved.

Shoulders between her thighs, he inhaled deeply and groaned. She just had no clue what she did to him. He flicked her with his tongue and used an arm to hold her down as she nearly came off the bed.

He sucked her clitoris into his mouth while continuing to move his fingers within her. Her hands moved to his head and grabbed fistfuls of his hair. Lord, she was strong. He thrust within her while stimulating her. Then he switched mouth and fingers. Stabbing his tongue deep inside her while he flicked the swollen nub she came again, he did not leave until he had gotten it all. Then and only then did he move up her body to where her eyes were slightly unfocused and hazy.