Page 27 of A Gentleman's Wager
How his eyes glittered in the soft light. He tilted her chin, touched her honey blonde curls as if lost in a precious memory. Louisa offered no resistance, even when his touch shifted to trace a caress over her bottom lip. Instead, she drew in a rickety breath. “My lord?”
He wore a gleaming gold hoop earring through one ear, the glint like a star amidst the heavens of his hair. She did not notice him shifting his stance. Forgot herself when he stole his second kiss of the evening. Didn’t even attempt to push him away.
Rather, she got lost in how syrupy and warm the movement of his lips against hers made her feel inside, and how that sensation enveloped her, and created a pulse of need down low in her belly. Somehow, kissing the marquis, didn’t feel illicit in the way it had when she’d kissed Frederick outside among the shadows of the trees. It wasn’t furtive. More dream-like.
His tongue coaxed, but his passion didn’t feel half so rabid. She wasn’t consumed by the same itchiness of feeling that had scared her earlier with Frederick. Neither her emotions nor her body were gripped by vices she didn’t comprehend. Pennerley was easy to hold. Easy to cling onto. It was so very easy to allow him to lead.
-18-
Vaughan
When Vaughan had shaken upon the wager with Charles, he had done so on a whim. It added a layer of amusement to a battle that would play out regardless. Still, he had not presumed to complete half the task in one night. Miss Stanley was so innocent, it was almost too easy, but the line about the largely fictitious Emily always worked like a charm. Wakefield’s blundering sullenness hadn’t hurt either.
He released her lips and traced the curve of her earlobe with his tongue, then left a trail of feather-light kisses down her neck, containing the urge to grin triumphantly when she sighed. With practised ease, he edged the fabric off her shoulder, revealing milky soft skin lightly dusted with powder.
He kissed across the top of her breasts, cupped them. She was petite in every way, but her nipples hardened pleasingly against the centre of his palms. He could feel the hammering of her heartbeat. It was making her breathing quick and shallow.
Vaughan tongued around her nipple. In response, she gripped his clothing tighter, drawing him closer. Dammit, she was actually turning him on. “Hush now,” he soothed, knowing that one wrong move or word could break the spell, and he was invested enough now that he was thickening not to ruin the opportunity. She surprised him then, her hands moving to quest curiously inside his clothing. In turn, he sucked her nipple deep, drawing it into a steepled point. She strained upward towards him; head tilted back, eyes closed and mouth open. It wouldn’t be long before she was begging him to slide his pole deep.
With that in mind, he backed her against the rear of the sofa. It was right as her bottom hit it that he realised they had an observer. He subtly cast his gaze about and had to fight to suppress a smile when he caught sight of Wakefield’s stunned expression. Oh, this was positively glorious. The dear captain hadn’t imagined for a moment that he’d find this dear, sweet, virtuous, innocent trysting with another man, especially one he particularly hated.
God, how it tickled him to see the caterpillar scowl, and it made such a perfect opportunity to repay him for an old wound. He’d happily sacrifice sixty guineas to see Wakefield’s blood boil here and now. The wager was but flavouring after all.
Her breasts were already his, likewise her lips and throat. Vaughan clasped Louisa more tightly to his body as he delved beneath her petticoats. Before she had any real notion of what he was about, he had a hand between her thighs. She was flush with arousal and slippery with need. Her body welcomed the intrusion of his fingertips even as she stiffened against him. Her eyes opened, wild and panicked. Vaughan flicked mercilessly at her bud.
“D—don’t,” she whimpered.
The word had barely left her tongue before Wakefield bounded across the room and planted a hand upon Vaughan’s shoulder.
“The lady asked you to stop.”
“And I say unhand me this instant.” He kept his voice soft and deliberately lethal.
Predictably, Wakefield failed to take the hint.
Vaughan whipped around, freeing himself and throwing Louisa off-balance. He stifled a laugh at both their surprised expressions. Lousia sagged into his arms facing Wakefield, with her breasts exposed, rosy nipples perked up expectantly like two ripe berries and her cheeks aflame.
“Care for a taste,” he drawled silkily, giving one teat a cheeky pinch.
He barely had to dodge to avoid the punch.
Priceless.
-19-
Lucerne
“My lord!”
Lucerne heard the cry even with his ears muffled by Bella’s skirts and thighs, but made no immediate move to respond to it. Whatever disaster was occurring would no doubt unfold regardless of his presence. Besides, it would be positively ungallant of him to excuse himself at this juncture, given the mewls his actions were causing her to make. He’d been told a time or two that he was good with his tongue, and Miss Rushdale certainly seemed appreciative.
Nor was he in any hurry to break things off given the ache he was feeling in his breeches. His prick was ripe to explore all the delights of her cyprian arbour for itself, just as soon as he was done with tasting her.
“My lord!”
This time his valet’s shout was accompanied by some vigorous banging and the frantic rattling of the library doorknob. Lucerne reluctantly stilled. His man was a stoic, dependable sort, not prone to high drama, or sounding unnecessary alarms, particularly when Lucerne was obviously engaged. Whatever was afoot, most likely did require his immediate attention. He peeped up, to find Bella’s gaze flicking between him and the door. “I think I ought—”
“It’s locked, correct?”
