Lady Alexandra's Lover (12 page)

“Here,” he said, wiping off her belly with his handkerchief and then holding up her chemise, “let me help you.”

She stepped into the garment, and then he helped her with her corset, tightening it. Finally, he buttoned her dress.

“I shall go straight to my chamber.” Alexandra fidgeted with her hair. “I’m sure I must look a fright.”

A fright was hardly how she looked. She looked beautiful and satisfied, which made him smile. “You will pass,” he said. He wanted to say more, but his lips didn’t move. He turned away and absently looked over the papers on his desk.

“Evan?”

He turned toward her again. She was biting her lower lip. His cock, completely spent, jerked inside his trousers. What was it about this woman? “Yes?”

“Could you possibly reconsider? Sophie and I would so much like to attend the last balls of the season.”

Back to this again? Had she come in here planning to seduce him if he refused to accompany them to London? And he’d fallen right into her trap. Anger roared to life within him. “Absolutely not.”

“In that case, you force me to take drastic measures.”

He cocked his head, his curiosity piqued. “And what type of measures might those be?”

“I will be forced to send message to my mother and your father, telling them in no uncertain terms that you have taken advantage of your position as my guardian.”

Evan widened his eyes. What on earth was she going on about? “I beg your pardon?”

She stared straight at him, her eyes blazing. “I shall tell them that you raped me.”

D
earest Amelia
,

After much anticipation, the day finally arrived for my next art lesson with Christophe. Rather than convince Hattie to attend along with me, I chose to arrange for her to interrupt us in the act. That way I could bid her join us, and Christophe would have the reward I had promised him.

I had hoped he would bring his friend Mr. Peck with him as he had last time, but he did not. However, that was probably a blessing. If Hattie had walked in on the three of us engaged in improper behavior, it might have scared her away. With just Christophe and me, the chance was much better that she would agree to join in our merry escapades.

Christophe arrived, and we did spend the first half hour actually studying art. I had arranged for Hattie to barge in forty-five minutes after our lesson began, so I was eager to get started. When Christophe came behind me and took my hand, showing me the proper strokes, I had my chance. I backed into him and circled my hips so that I created friction against him.

“I see you have missed me, my lady,” he said, his voice smooth as whiskey.

“I have indeed, good sir.” I laid the brush down on the easel and turned toward him, my breasts skimming against his chest.

He gripped my shoulders tightly and lowered his lips to mine. We enjoyed a frantic kiss, our tongues dueling and tangling, our passion growing. I turned quickly back around.

“Undress me, Monsieur. I fear I can wait no longer to have your lips upon my nipples.”

He did not disappoint me. He unfastened my dress and loosened my corset, and soon the two offending garments lay on the floor. He got rid of my chemise and drawers with quick aptitude. And I stood before him, naked as the day I was born, my nipples hard, my pussy wet.

“Suck my sweet cream, good sir.” I spread my legs, gripped his shoulders, and pushed him down onto his knees.

He darted out his tongue and grazed my sweet bud. Tremors shot through me, and I sighed. Oh, yes, how I had longed to have my pussy sucked while I was initiating Hattie. And now, finally, my desire was fulfilled.

“Your quim is so sweet, my lady,” Christophe said against my nether curls. “I have thought of nothing but you since our last meeting.” And he continued to plunder me.

“Yes, yes.” I cupped my breasts and scraped my fingernails over my hard nipples. “Fuck me with your finger, good sir.”

He did as I bid, and soon I was creaming all over his hand, flying in ecstasy as my climax whisked me to the moon. As I floated downward, a knock on the door startled me.

I looked down at Christophe, his cheeks red.

“Whatever shall we do, my lady?”

“Nothing whatsoever,” I said, knowing Hattie was behind the door. “Come in,” I called.

The door opened, but Hattie did not enter. Instead, Lars, one of the estate’s new footmen, stood in the doorway, his eyes as big as saucers.

I had promised Christophe a reward, but that would have to wait until the next lesson apparently. Lars was a handsome tall man, barely out of his teens, with a shock of long auburn hair pulled back in a queue.

And suddenly I was no longer concerned with Hattie’s absence.

I recalled the deliciousness of both Christophe and Joshua focused on me. Lars was young—long and lean—and I quivered with anticipation.

Oh, yes, he would do quite nicely.

E
van’s fist
came down on the mahogany desk so hard the room rattled. Ally trembled, her body chilling. Oh, she had gone too far. His eyes were glazed over with fire, his nostrils flaring. Tiny beads of sweat emerged on his forehead. His dusky full lips parted slightly, his jawline tight, the muscles in his neck tense.

Ally bit her bottom lip.
Say something. Tell him you didn’t mean it. Do something, Ally, anything at all!

“You will
what?
” He glared at her.

She wanted to tell him she was sorry, that she would never do such a horrible thing, but no words emerged.

“I’m afraid I have no other choice than to put you under house arrest,” he said, his voice low and stern. “Clearly, you cannot be trusted.”

“Evan, I—”

“I do not want to hear it,” he said through gritted teeth. “To think for one minute I actually thought…”

“Thought what?”

“Never you mind. This conversation is over. And whatever this…
thing
is between us is also over. I shall begin searching for a suitable husband for you first thing in the morning.”

“What?” Ally clenched her fists. “You cannot be serious. I will not be forced into any marriage!”

“You will do as I say. I am responsible for you. And quite frankly, you are more than I can handle. I will foist you off on someone else so you’re no longer my problem.”

Raw anger pulsed within her. Ally’s skin tightened, and her heart surged.
No. No. No. Absolutely not
. She opened her mouth to speak, but again she was rendered mute. His harsh presence frightened her, and also aroused her. Oh, he was a formidable man, a man whose very existence could light fires.

“I wash my hands of this.” Evan walked from behind his desk and left his office.

Ally sank into a chair, her eyes misting with tears.
Dear
Lord, what have I done?

L
ater that night
, Ally sat in her hotel room in Bath. She had waited until both Evan and Sophie had retired for the evening, and then she had sneaked to the stables and paid one of the servants handsomely to take her into the city. She would leave on the rail at first light and be in London by the afternoon. She had packed her best gowns, and if her plan went accordingly, within a few days she would be Mrs. Nathan Landon.

She munched on the roast beef and potatoes for which she’d paid dearly to get the cook out of bed after hours. She shouldn’t have bothered. The meat was dry and the potatoes were lumpy and soggy.

She hated how she had left things with Evan. He was high and mighty and controlling, but he didn’t deserve to be accused of rape. She would never have gone through with it. But now, because of her hasty words, she was facing a forced marriage. She was of age and could legally marry whomever she wished. Still, it would behoove her to find a husband before Evan’s plans fell into place. There was a ball tomorrow eve. Mr. Landon would no doubt be in attendance, and so would Ally.

She sighed. Once lunch rolled around tomorrow and she hadn’t surfaced, Sophie would begin making inquiries. Ally had thought of that however. She’d left a note on her pillow stating that she was spending the day out walking the estate and had taken a picnic lunch with her. It wouldn’t keep Sophie at bay for long, but no one would notice she was truly gone until she didn’t come home for the evening meal, and by then it would be too late to get to London until the next day. Not a great plan, but she had been pressed for time.

She pushed the tray away. She really had no hunger.

Would Evan be able to forgive her hasty words? She bit her lip. Within a few days, she would be someone else’s problem, as he wished. And whatever had been between them would truly be over.

Her body still aching a bit from the bumps and bruises caused by the accident, Ally fell into bed.

E
van lay in bed
, thoughts of Alexandra plaguing him. Every time he thought that perhaps he had been wrong about her, that he had misjudged her, she proved him wrong. Would she really accuse him of rape? She knew damned well that it hadn’t been rape. His father would likely disown him. Not that it mattered. He wouldn’t be inheriting anything of his father’s anyway, being a second son. Still, he loved his father, and the relationship meant a lot to him. He could not allow Alexandra to sour his father against him. He would find a suitable mate for her and have her out of all of their hair by the time his father and new wife returned.

But what would Iris think? She would hardly be pleased that he had married off one of her daughters while she was abroad. What to do? Alexandra would be the death of him. Mr. Nathan Landon seemed to be interested. Of course he was interested in any beautiful woman in a skirt. No way would he agree to marry Alexandra. Women had been trying to drag him to the altar for years, ever since he’d made his fortune, and not one had succeeded yet. Of course, Alexandra was in a league of her own. How could any man resist her? She had beauty, she had intelligence, she had cunning, she had passion, and she had fire… The woman had everything—everything that Evan wanted but had never thought he wanted, if that made any sense at all. Never in one million years had he imagined he would have any interest in a woman like Alexandra.

He had courted Lady Rose Jamison for a couple of months. She had been the epitome of what he thought he wanted—socially adept, from a good family of peers, beautiful, intelligent, soft, and gentle. Alexandra might be beautiful and intelligent, but she certainly didn’t fit in any of the other categories he’d thought were so important to him.

None of it mattered now anyway. She had proven what kind of person she was.

He was done.

Done or not, though, he did need to speak to her. He had to make sure she didn’t go running to Mummy and new Daddy crying rape. He slipped on his robe and poured himself a brandy. Rather than sipping, he swallowed the amber liquid quickly, burning his throat.

He walked out of his suite and down the staircase to the second floor. The hallways were dark, and he hadn’t brought a candle with him, but he knew this place like the back of his hand. Alexandra was probably sleeping, but he didn’t care. They needed to talk. When he got to her room, he knocked gently.

No response.

He knocked harder. Still no response. “Alexandra?” He knocked again.

Still nothing.

He inched open her door a bit. “Alexandra?” he said again.

He walked through the sitting area and stood at the doorway into her bedchamber. He knocked again. Still nothing.

This had gone far enough. He opened the door and walked in. “Alexandra,” he said, “I need to speak with you.”

He lit a lamp on her bed table.

No!

She was not there. His heart beat rapidly and his breathing accelerated. He looked around the chamber. A small piece of parchment lay on her pillow. He unfolded it.

Sophie,

I rose early and decided to spend the day out-of-doors. I packed a small luncheon and plan to be gone with a good book most of the day. Please do not worry.

Ally

That little minx! Evan knew very well where she had gone—London.

No chance of sleeping for him this night. He’d have to go after her.

A half an hour later, after interrogating the servants, he found out that one of them had been paid off to get Alexandra to Bath tonight. His business would have to wait. Evan promptly dismissed the man in question and rode his stallion, Leopold, into Bath. After checking the inns and rooming houses, he located Alexandra, ironically, at the same hotel where he’d spent the previous night. Rather than abducting her and taking her back to the estate, he booked a room himself. He would deal with this in the morning.

And he would deal with it in London. Forcing her to go back to the estate would be futile. She would only run again. The woman was determined to go, so rather than trying to stop her, he would simply follow her.

A
lexandra woke early
the next morning, her backache increased from sleeping in a bed she was not used to. She rang for a hot tub, bathed quickly, dressed in her traveling clothes, ate a light breakfast, and walked to the railway station.

Freedom! Within days she would be a married woman, and her freedom would be limited. However, her purse would not be limited. Still, she would relish these last few days of liberty. She inhaled the summer breeze on the sunny July day.

Big mistake. She was no longer in the country. In the city, the aroma was vile. Clearly not everyone had indoor plumbing in Bath. She wrinkled her nose. London would likely be no better.

But London was where her future lay. She reached the railway station, purchased her ticket to London, and sat down to await her train. She gazed around at all the people. Other women her age appeared to be riding the train alone, so she didn’t feel too out of place. Despite what her stepbrother might think, young women of an age frequently traveled alone. People from all walks of life gathered at the station—young women like herself, many young businessmen, families with small children, and older couples as well. She looked back toward the ticket booth. A man stood, his back to her, purchasing a ticket. With broad shoulders and a shock of wheat-blond hair, he could have been Evan. But of course Evan had no idea where she was. She turned her head and gazed in the other direction. She had bigger fish to catch.

The train ride was rickety, and she’d purchased an inexpensive ticket, so her seat was lumpy and uncomfortable. She hadn’t packed a lunch, so by the time they reached London she was quite famished. She disembarked and found a small café near the station where she took a repast. Then she hired a coach and asked him to take her to the Brighton townhome.

When she knocked on the door, an older gentleman opened it.

“Yes, madam, may I help you?”

“Yes, you may. I am Lady Alexandra MacIntyre, the earl’s new stepdaughter. I will be staying here for a few days while I visit a good friend in town.”

“Of course, my lady. I am Forrest Clay, the caretaker. I will summon the butler at once. We have been expecting you. We were so sorry to hear about the accident that you and Lord Evan were involved in. Is he with you?”

“No, I’m afraid he could not make it this time. He had some business that could not be avoided.”

A throat cleared behind her. “Lady Alexandra is mistaken. I am here, and I will be acting as her chaperone.”

Alexandra’s neck heated. She turned to face Evan’s angry glare. “What are you doing here?” How had he found her? Drat, he would ruin everything.

“I live here, Alexandra.” His lips were pursed into a thin line.

“Very well, then.” Alexandra entered.

Another man appeared, dressed formally. “Lord Evan, it is wonderful to see you.” The man took Evan’s valise.

“May I present my stepsister, Lady Alexandra MacIntyre. Alexandra, this is our butler, Woods.”

“A pleasure, my lady.” He took her satchel as well. “Lord Evan knows where his chamber is, but let me escort you to yours.”

Alexandra followed Woods up a winding staircase and down a hallway of doors. He stopped in front of one and opened it. “Here you are, my lady. I will send Mary to attend to you.”

“Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.”

The butler took his leave, and Alexandra looked around her chamber. It was a good size, though nothing like her chamber at the estate, which included a sitting room and a bath chamber. This would do nicely, however, and she was thrilled to be here. All except for that thorn in her side—Evan. Most likely he would insist upon accompanying her to the balls.

She chuckled to herself. Just days ago, when he had insisted upon accompanying her to London, she had thought it a splendid idea. Who better to catch her in the act with Mr. Landon? Now, given their past couple of days together, she wasn’t sure he was the right person at all. Nothing to be done about that. He was here, and he would be going to the balls.

Her maid, Mary, arrived shortly and helped her out of her traveling clothes.

“Is there anything else I can do for you, my lady?”

“Not at the moment, thank you. I believe I will take a short nap. I will be attending the ball this evening, so if you could be here later to help me prepare, I would appreciate it.”

“Of course, my lady.” Mary curtsied politely and left.

No sooner had Ally fallen asleep than another knock came on the door. “Drat!” she said. Who on earth could that be now? “Come in,” she called.

Mary entered again. “I’m so sorry to disturb you, my lady, but Lord Evan has requested that you ready yourself for dinner.”

Requested, had he? “You may tell Lord Evan that I will be skipping dinner this evening and napping until it is time to get ready for the evening’s festivities.”

“I’m sorry, my lady. Lord Evan is master of the manor when neither his father nor brother is present. I cannot tell him anything of the sort.”

Ally sat up and let out a heavy sigh. “That’s absolutely fine. I shall tell him myself. If you would, please select a gown for me and help me dress.”

“Yes, my lady.”

A while later, Ally walked down the hallway to Evan’s suite and knocked loudly. He came to the door, looking as dashing as ever in his dinner clothes.

“Good evening, Alexandra.”

“I have come to tell you that I shall not be attending dinner this evening,” Alexandra said calmly.

“To the contrary”—Evan adjusted his cravat—“you
will
be attending dinner, and you
will
be ready to go within an hour and a half.”

Ally’s dander rose. “I have been traveling all day, as have you. I am still full from my repast after the trip. There is no reason for me to go to dinner with you.”

“There is every reason for you to go.”

“And what may I ask might that be?”

“Because I have said that it will be so.” He gave her a smirk.

Oh, he had a lot of nerve, this one. So determined to be controlling.

“You have no authority over me.” Her cheeks warmed. How she wished that were so. But her mother and stepfather had left Evan to look after her and Sophie. And Evan, being an honorable man, took his post seriously.