The Theft of a Dukedom (2 page)

‘Thank you.’ She said carefully. ‘For telling me
truthfully what it was like and for being comfortable
enough to cry on my shoulder.’ She stroked his hair
gently. ‘I think you’re very brave. To have gone in the
first place was brave, to survive I suspect was luck and
to talk about it difficult. I’m honoured you would share
your experiences with me.’ She smiled cheekily at him
then. ‘So how many Spanish Senoritas did you flirt
with?’
‘That I will never tell you!’ he said firmly,
reaching for his brandy. ‘It’s time you were abed.’
‘I’m not sixteen anymore, you know.’ She said
tartly, but she nonetheless rose and walked to the door.
‘Please don’t be afraid to talk to me about it. I will listen
to whatever you need to talk about.’ She smiled
mischievously. ‘Anything!’
‘Goodnight, Amelia.’ He said firmly as she
tripped out of the door. He actually felt a little more
relaxed and got up for more Brandy.

Thomas and Victoria left the ball after another
half an hour and he accompanied her home to her
expansive property in Berkley Square. As they climbed
into the coach he asked. ‘How is the young Duke?’

‘Edward is fine.’ Victoria responded. ‘His
Governess is most impressed with his learning capacity.
It seems he is his father’s son.’

‘I’m glad. He’s going to find it very difficult if he’s
not prepared properly.’ He sighed. ‘I know I did and I
was prepared.’

‘Tommy?’ Victoria used his pet name softly, as
she turned on the seat to look at him. He turned his
head and looked into her sweet heart shaped face.
‘Why do I love you?’

He laughed delightedly. ‘I have no idea, my love.
I was hoping you’d explain it to me, because I never felt
like this with Christina.’ He lifted her hand and gently
kissed the palm. Filled with sudden mischief, he kissed
her wrist, followed by the inside of her elbow, the point
of her shoulder and as he looked at her face, she smiled
and turned her head, offering her neck for his attention.
‘If I kiss that,’ he croaked, ‘I won’t be able to stop myself
from tearing your gown off, and it’s such a short drive.’

She turned her face back towards him and he
caught his breath at the expression in her eyes. ‘You
don’t need to take off my gown for that.’ She murmured
as her fingers twitched her skirts up an inch.

A low moan rumbled up from deep in his chest.
‘Don’t tempt me, Vic. The last thing either of us need is
to be caught
enflagrante
in your coach.’

She laughed delicately, as she did everything,
the sound tinkled in the confines of the carriage like a
chime.

The carriage jerked to a stop and she let her hem
fall back to the floor. The footman opened the door and
Thomas needed to swallow and breathe deeply before
he followed her. She was the most alluring woman he’d
ever known. Just one look and his erection filled his
britches. She could do it across a crowded ballroom,
too!

‘Are you coming, Your Grace?’ she asked and
looked over her bare shoulder in such away that
Thomas found himself scrambling out of the coach like a
randy adolescent.

‘Soon!’ He murmured. He was almost
embarrassed at his haste, but not quite as she waited
for him and then tucked her hand into the crook of his
elbow in such an intimate way he felt his heart pound in
his chest. He proudly escorted her up the steps to her
ducal mansion and her butler, Davis was waiting at the
door.

‘Good evening, Your Graces.’ Davis said
sombrely as he bowed for their entrance. Victoria kept a
very formal household and Thomas was careful not to
upset the equilibrium of her life.

Edward get off to sleep quickly tonight?’
‘He did, Your Grace. The Duke had his bath as
usual and Miss Stains read to him for an hour, during
which he fell asleep.’
‘Good. I would like some brandy in the informal
drawing room and then you can all get off to bed.’
‘Of course, Your Grace.’ She smiled sweetly at
Davis and turned for the small parlour at the front of
the huge house. She opened the door herself, because
the footman wasn’t paying attention and as he closed
the door behind them, Thomas heard Davis telling the
unfortunate footman off for lack of attention.
‘So, my love. Are you going to tell me now what
happened to poor Kitty’s gown?’ she asked softly as he
walked to the fireplace. He knew there would be no
touching her until the brandy had been delivered, so he
watched her gracefully sit down on the settee and
arrange her skirts. He could picture the silk stockings
and garters and turned his face away to clear the vision.
‘Wittering was talking with his hands again and
he made one expansive gesture too many and the
contents of his glass landed on the front of Kitty’s gown.
The impudent rascal has at least offered to replace the
gown.’ Thomas watched Davis quietly walk into the
room, place a silver tray complete with decanter and
goblets, down on an occasional table and withdraw
without a word. ‘May I?’ he asked and indicated the
spirit. Victoria nodded. He walked over and splashed a
little of the amber nectar into a glass and sipped it on
his way back to the fireplace. ‘It’s unfortunate that
these accidents keep happening to Kitty.’
‘Does she do it deliberately, do you think?’
Victoria asked a slight frown on her forehead.
‘No. I’ve seen it too many times. Every single
time it’s just carelessness by the other person. I won’t
even say man, because Lady Verity Montague spilled
champagne on her gilt slippers a week ago.’ He shook
his head sadly. ‘I feel very sorry for her.’
‘She’s left her coming out rather late,’ Victoria
observed, ‘it would probably have been easier if she’d
been younger.’
‘I can’t disagree with that assessment, but Kitty
wouldn’t even hear of it while Charles was in Spain.’
‘How is Charles? He didn’t look well tonight.’
‘He tries to hide the pain, but he doesn’t always
manage.’ Thomas swirled the brandy in his glass.
‘Anyway, I didn’t want to talk about my children.’ He
threw the contents of his glass down his throat, placed
the glass on the mantle and turned to the woman on
the settee.
He walked purposefully towards her and
dropped to one knee. He took her hands in his. ‘I’ve
never done this before. But I would like to ask you to be
my wife.’ He said softly.
‘Why haven’t you done this before?’ she asked
intrigued.
‘My marriage to Christina was arranged while
she was still in her cradle. It was accepted along with
the title. I had no choice, just like you didn’t.’ He smiled
at her tentatively. ‘Please? Make me a happy man?’
‘You seem content as you are.’ She said distantly
and he knew she was weighing up the pros and cons.
‘Content, yes. But not happy.’ He sighed, ‘you
would make my life complete.’
Victoria Bertrand looked at the man she had
been enjoying for the last year. He was methodical,
cautious and careful. If he wanted to marry her, he’d
already weighed up her son and his heritage.
‘What happens to this house, if I say yes?’ she
whispered.
‘I would say that we would be very happy here.’
He said and smiled gently. ‘I would not force you to
change your abode, Edward would find it unsettling and
this will be his inheritance. My house will belong to
Charles eventually, so he’ll always be there.’
‘But like Edward, he’s going to need training.’
Victoria said calmly.
‘But he’s not a child.’ He said firmly. ‘Say yes,
please?’
‘Take me to bed and I’ll tell you my answer
before you leave.’ She whispered.
Thomas swept her bodily off the settee and
strode purposefully for the door. She turned the handle
and Thomas hurried up the grand staircase two steps at
a time. Edward was still in the nursery, so Victoria still
occupied the ducal suite and Thomas kicked the door
shut behind him.
He carefully stood her on her feet and gently
took her face in his hands. He dipped his head and
brushed her lips with his. As usual her sensuality kicked
in and suddenly she snaked her arms inside his jacket
and stroked her hands up his back, rubbing her body
against his in such a wanton fashion that he could feel
her hard nipples against his chest even through the
material of her gown. He clamped his lips over hers and
plundered her mouth as he pulled the pins from her
hair. It cascaded over his hands like a golden waterfall
and he clutched handfuls of it against her back, pulling
her even closer. He broke his kiss and traced his wet lips
over her cheek, whispering her name like a prayer. ‘Oh!
Vic!’ His fingers started to unhook the back of her gown
as she stroked her hands over his chest, pushing his
jacket over his shoulders. As he straightened his arms
for the jacket to fall off, her gown swished to the floor.
Thomas gasped as he looked upon the splendid
sight of Victoria in her silk stockings and an almost
transparent chemise. She smiled knowingly and reached
for his cravat, carefully pulling on the leader to release
the knot. ‘Do you like my new underwear?’ she asked
coyly, backing away with the smile on her lips widening.
Provocatively she pushed her silk gloves down to her
wrist and then in a deliberate show, she pulled the silk
from each finger, before whipping the glove off and
letting it flutter to the carpet.
‘Does the notion I can’t wait any longer, mean
anything to you?’ he growled as he ripped the cravat
from his neck, wrenched open the first few buttons of
his shirt and then yanked the whole thing over his head.
‘Can you at least wait until I’ve finished
undressing you?’ she asked softly as her fingers tackled
the buttons on the front of his britches. He touched one
dusky nipple with his finger tip and the fastenings were
opened as quickly as she could do it. Suddenly his
erection sprang free, standing up tall against the flat
plane of his abdomen. ‘My! You are in need, aren’t
you?’ She murmured. ‘Why don’t you get your boots
off, while I lie down?’
‘You can forget my boots!’ he said harshly, swept
her up in his arms and strode to the huge ducal bed,
almost tossing her into the middle and he climbed
hungrily after her. He knelt in front of her, pushed his
britches over his hips, put his hands on her knees and
pushed her thighs apart. He slowly stroked his palms up
her inner thighs, groaning as they passed onto her skin
from the silk of her stockings. He looked in her eyes.
‘Are you ready for this?’ he asked gruffly. She bit her lip,
to stop the huge smile that had been there a moment
ago and innocently nodded her head.
‘Yes, Your Grace. I’m ready for my lesson in
ecstasy.’ She murmured.
He stroked his palms up her groin, his thumbs
caressing her labia, followed by his tongue as it slowly
licked the cleft of her sex. She moaned lifting her hips in
supplication, as his tongue found her tiny clitoris and
her hands flew into his hair. Thomas stroked his tongue
with devastating effect from her vaginal opening to her
clitoris in lazy circles. She moaned and gasped every
time he flicked his tongue over her clitoris and each
time he penetrated her orally she lifted her hips. He
could feel the tremble of her orgasm building and her
vagina wept in desire.
This was why she loved Thomas Stafford. Not for
the titles or the wealth, but for this. To feed a wanton
desire she didn’t know she possessed. He had awoken a
ravaging beast when he’d seduced her a year ago, a
beast she hadn’t been able to fulfil or banish. She could
feel her orgasm building, and it was good. Suddenly her
body was awash with fire and she shuddered as she
burst over the pinnacle into ecstasy. All thought was
banished from her mind and replaced with a white-hot
inferno.
Thomas kept her body on the pinnacle for as
long as possible and every time she moaned, cried or
screamed, his penis throbbed even more. Eventually her
hips slumped back onto the bed, as she panted for
breath. ‘Oh! God! Tommy. I’ll marry you tomorrow if
you promise to do that every night.’ She gasped out.
Thomas shuffled his body up the bed, adjusting
his rigid member with his hand into her tight vaginal
opening. He pushed in slightly and then looked in her
sparkling eyes. ‘I think I can promise you that, without
any hardship at all.’ He murmured and crushed his lips
over hers as he thrust his manhood forcefully into her
tight, wet passage. She moaned and lifted her hips to
take him impossibly deep and she whimpered as he
pulled back, before thrusting forward again.
‘Yes, Tommy.’ She murmured and moaned
again, ‘yes, I’ll marry you.’ She finished as she opened
her legs as wide as she possibly could.
‘Oh! Vic!’ He whispered and increased the pace a
little bit and as she orgasmed for the second time he
increased the pace again, he thought he might get
another orgasm out of her before he ejaculated. She
was moaning continually, she’d already dug her nails
into his shoulders and he knew she would start
screaming in a moment. He felt his testicles cramp and
reached between them to gently stroke her clitoris.
‘Come for me, Vic?’ he begged. ‘Have mercy, come for
me, please!’ and he felt the ripple of her orgasm in her
internal muscles as she milched him. His body froze in
the rapture of his orgasm and he felt his penis flexing as
it spewed his semen against the mouth of her trembling
womb.
She wrapped her legs about his body and
squeezed the breath out of him.
My God!
She thought.

He’s just come inside me! That’s the first time he hasn’t
yanked himself out at the last second! Maybe that’s why
I’ve never felt satisfied?
She felt every last throb of her
orgasm before she relaxed and threw her arms out like
Christ on the cross.

‘Vic?’ He whispered. She lifted her long lashes
and looked up into his feral green eyes. ‘Tell me what
your thinking?’

‘I’m thinking you’ve never done that before. And
now that I’ve said yes, you can be unrestrained.’ She
was aware of the length of pulsing, hard flesh still deep
within her body.