The Earl's Secret Bargain Page 19

  “I like it when you don’t have anything on,” he whispered then drew her back into his arms and brought his lips to hers.

  She moaned and deepened the kiss, her tongue tracing his lower lip until he received her into his mouth. She was no longer shy about showing her desire for him, something he was grateful for as she lowered her hands. He lightly squeezed her arms, encouraging her to touch him intimately so he could feel those wonderful hands around his male hardness that grew thicker in anticipation.

  One hand wrapped around his erection while the other cupped his testicles, lightly massaging them. She’d quickly become an expert in learning how to stroke him, starting at the base of his shaft and bringing her hand up in a swift motion that made him groan in pleasure. Oh, she was wonderful. So very wonderful. How did he ever get fortunate enough to marry a lady who possessed so much passion beneath the surface? She continued her ministrations, and he murmured his appreciation, his hips moving slightly as she established a rhythm that could very easily make him climax.

  “Regina,” he whispered against her mouth then brushed his tongue over hers.

  Ending the kiss, he opened his eyes so he could focus on the candelabra in the room, something that effectively simmered his blood enough so he could delay the inevitable.

  She released him then knelt in front of him. Curious, he watched, both in awe and anticipation, as she took him into her mouth. Several times, she twirled her tongue around his tip, starting at its ridge and moving to the slit, an action that made him shiver in pleasure. He gulped and massaged her shoulders, whispering her name and gently rocking his hips so that he could move in and out of her mouth, careful not to go too far in.

  Soon. Soon, he’d be fully inside her body, and he’d plunge deep inside her then. For now, he was content to slide gently in and out of her, and she held him at the base of his shaft to better angle him, heightening the sensation. He let out a groan and focused once more on the candelabra, willing the urge to climax to subside. But every nerve in his body screamed for release, and he knew if he didn’t stop right now, he would lose control.

  “Regina,” he rasped and pulled out of her.

  His penis protested, but he helped her to her feet. His gaze met hers and he kissed her, his hands going to her breasts and lightly squeezing them. She responded to him, her kisses as anxious as his, signaling her mounting desire. He carried her to the edge of the bed and encouraged her to lie down in front of him. He spread her legs and took note of the wonderful view of her pink flesh, which welcomed him to enter her. He traced her moist flesh and groaned, delighted that she was so wet he could slide easily into her.

  He scooted her toward him then entered her. She let out a contented sigh, and he shifted so he was deeper in her core. He slid almost all the way out of her then back in, using the same slow and controlled movements he’d used when he’d been in her mouth. She groaned and gripped the back of his thighs, pulling him fully into her.

  “Eager for me, are you?” he whispered, excited by the way she started rocking her hips, her expression a mixture of pleasure and pain.

  He leaned forward and cupped one breast in his hand while he brought his other hand between them and fondled her sensitive nub. She moaned, louder this time, and her flesh squeezed around him. He focused on her face, wanting to watch her as she worked toward her peak, delighting in how he could make her lose control to the point where she started crying out his name, letting him know she was thinking of him during their lovemaking.

  She felt like heaven around him, her flesh pulling him deeper into her, and when she cried out in pleasure, he lost what little control he had. He gritted his teeth and shuddered above her, releasing his seed and joining her at the heights of ecstasy. He had wanted to prolong the moment, to give her another orgasm before he finally came, but everything felt much too good. And it wasn’t like this would be their only time making love. He’d make sure she received her pleasure again before the night was over. All they’d done just now was get warmed up.

  Gasping, he collapsed in her arms and embraced her. “I don’t know how it’s possible,” he rasped, “but our time together only gets better.”

  She murmured her agreement.

  After his head cleared, he spent considerable time kissing her, savoring the moment, assured that she truly wanted to be with him—and only him. “Regina?” he whispered.

  “Hmm?”

  “Thank you for making my life perfect.”

  Looking up at him, she cupped the back of his neck and brought his mouth back to hers for another kiss. And before long, they were making love again.

  ***

  “I hope you’ll make it by here again before next year,” Toby told Orlando the next morning as he stood in the entryway to say good-bye to his friend.

  “You can always visit me,” Orlando replied. “I have more than enough room for you and your wife, and,” he added as Regina came over to them, “I need to see if she won that last game of chess because she’s good at it or because she just got lucky.”

  Toby slipped his arm around her waist and grinned. “I don’t know. I have a feeling she’s smarter than you.”

  “Oh, Toby.” She shook her head, but her smile betrayed how flattered she was that he chose to compliment her.

  “I don’t care much for the game myself,” he admitted. “I suppose having you around will finally give him someone to play it with, and he prefers a challenge so don’t go easy on him.”

  “I won’t,” she promised. “It was a pleasure to get to know you better, Orlando.”

  “It’s good to see that my friend is happy,” Orlando told her then shot Toby a pointed look. “Maybe now you’ll smile when you go to London.”

  “I smiled.” He glanced at her, noting her raised eyebrows. “I smiled. Often. I was always a happy gentleman.”

  “I amend what I said,” Orlando consented. “He’s been happy ever since I came into his life. Before that, all he did was cry.”

  “We were infants.”

  “It wasn’t so long after meeting me that you spoke your first word. To my dying day, I’ll swear it was ‘Orlando’.”

  “I’m not sure anyone’s first word can be ‘Orlando’,” Regina replied.

  “It might have been more like an ‘O’, but I know what he meant.” Orlando winked.

  “Get on to your estate,” Toby said and shooed him out the open door. “Don’t keep your coachman waiting.”

  Orlando glanced at his carriage then tipped his hat to them. “Until we meet again, my lady, keep Toby out of trouble.”

  “I will,” she called out as he bounded down the steps.

  “Trouble?” Toby asked, turning back to her as the footman shut the door.

  “Well, you have been known to get into quite a bit of trouble in the past,” she replied as she headed for the drawing room.

  She glanced over her shoulder, and her expression indicated that she wanted him to follow her. And as she wished, he obeyed. When he stepped into the room, she shut the doors and turned back to him, her hands behind her back.

  His gaze went to the doors then back to her. “Why do I have the nagging suspicion this isn’t going to be in my favor?”

  “Oh, it could be in your favor,” she said as she stepped over to him, just stopping shy of her breasts touching his chest.

  He arched an eyebrow. “It sounds promising, but I sense you’re up to something.”

  “Well, it’s true. I do have something in mind.”

  “And that would be…?”

  A mischievous smile lit up her face and her green eyes twinkled. “A wager. With me.”

  “I don’t know. I’ve had enough of wagers to last me a lifetime.”

  “Aren’t you even interested in what it’s about?”

  “Not really.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled up to him. “How about now?”

  Bringing his hands to her waist, he said, “I could be convinced as long as the terms a
re favorable.”

  She stroked the back of his neck. “They are. It’s something I know you’ll enjoy.”

  “All right. What do you want to wager?”

  “I bet you that I can make it to the stream before you do.”

  Not sure he heard her right since he had expected her to suggest something of a sexual nature, he asked, “What?”

  “We don’t start for the stream until we’re both on the horses. You can run faster than me, and that’s an unfair advantage. I want this to be something I have an equal chance of winning.”

  “You want to race horses to the stream?”

  She nodded and released him. “Yes. I thought it’d be fun to go there again. We’ll take off our boots and go for a walk.”

  “Go for a walk?”

  She went over to the drawing room doors.

  “But I thought…” He glanced at the settee, the chair, the desk, the wall… All possible places they could make love. “I thought you had something more intimate in mind.”

  She opened the doors and looked at him, her eyes wide. “My lord, just what kind of lady do you take me for?” When he didn’t respond, she added, “Oh, I forgot to add the last part.”

  “What’s that?”

  She gestured for him to come over to her, and though he wasn’t sure he’d be any more eager to hear it than he was to hear this wager was a simple race to the stream, he did as she bid. Standing on her tiptoes, she whispered in his ear, “The loser has to pleasure the winner in whatever way the winner prefers.” She settled back on her feet, a wicked gleam in her eye. “Care to make a wager?”

  A smile tugged at his lips. “All right. You got yourself a wager.”

  Giggling, she hurried out the front door, and he followed.

  Epilogue

  June 1816

  Regina watched as her mother fluttered about the drawing room, sorting through an assortment of different colors. “Mother, keep in mind that the baby will either be a girl or a boy. You should pick colors that go with both.”

  “I know, but pink is so pretty.” Her mother turned to the seamstress. “I can have a pink gown made, and if it turns out to be a boy, we’ll just save it for the next baby. Surely, Regina can manage one girl in the number of children she’ll have.”

  Regina rolled her eyes but smiled as she rubbed her belly. How she looked forward to giving birth next month so this nonsense over colors would stop. “I can’t guarantee a girl or a boy. The baby will be whatever it will be.”

  “I’m partial to girls. You can go shopping with a granddaughter. You can decorate her hair and put her in the loveliest of gowns. You can even help her secure a titled gentleman when she comes of age. But a boy? What can a grandmother do with a boy?”

  “You can take him horseback riding, take him to the circus, show him a hot air balloon… You can even instruct him on what he can do to secure a lady who comes from a good background.”

  “I suppose you’re right,” her mother agreed. “But I do so love shopping and pretty dresses.”

  Regina glanced at the seamstress. “We’ll have clothing made for a boy and a girl. That way, whichever one we have, we’re prepared.”

  The baby in her womb kicked, and Regina took that as her little one’s agreement.

  The seamstress nodded and waited as her mother selected the shades of the various colors she wanted. As the seamstress gathered her materials and left, the butler came in to announce Lady Seyton’s arrival.

  Regina’s eyebrows rose. “Lady Seyton isn’t here to give lessons to my child already, is she?” she asked her mother.

  “Of course not,” her mother replied. “Just what kind of lady do you take me for? I wouldn’t begin my granddaughter’s lessons until she learns to walk.”

  Despite Regina’s groan, she couldn’t help but chuckle. For her mother’s sake, she hoped she had a girl. The poor woman would be at her wit’s end waiting for the next baby to be born.

  When Helena entered the room, Regina began to stand up from the settee, but Helena motioned for her to stay seated. “There’s no need for formalities,” Helena said. She turned to Regina’s mother. “You wished to speak with me?”

  “Yes.” Her mother encouraged Helena to sit next to Regina then sat in the chair nearby. “I’d like to know what names gentlemen find most attractive.”

  “Oh, you can’t be serious, Mother,” Regina argued.

  “She’s not here to give my granddaughter lessons,” her mother replied, looking shocked Regina would even object. “I merely want to pick a good name for her.”

  “Toby and I already have names picked out.”

  “Yes, but we need to make sure they’re good ones. A lady’s name is one of her most important assets. Why, I thought long and hard before I decided on Regina.”

  Helena chuckled. “And a fine name it is, too. It sounds like a lady who’s intelligent and beautiful.”

  “See?” her mother told Regina. “And that is exactly what you are, dear. I want my granddaughter to receive a similar blessing. Never underestimate the power of a good name.”

  “But this might be a boy.” Regina glanced at Helena. “Can you believe what I have to go through?” She spent all winter looking forward to seeing her mother again, and now all she wanted to do was head right back to Greenwood.

  “But if my granddaughter is a girl, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared, and who better than Helena to offer advice?”

  Helena placed a comforting hand on Regina’s arm. “Actually,” she directed her gaze to her mother, “I have extended my services to helping gentlemen secure a worthy lady by the end of the Season, so if you have a grandson, I can help him as well.”

  “I didn’t realize you were offering lessons to gentlemen,” Regina said, surprised.

  “I only started this a couple days ago,” Helena said.

  “What convinced you to do it?”

  “A duke came to me and said he needs a wife before the end of the month. I wasn’t going to agree, but it’s apparent he doesn’t know the first thing about ladies.” She shrugged. “I figured, why not? Whether I’m helping ladies or gentlemen, the basic rules still apply, except gentlemen need to think more with their heads when trying to find a wife.”

  “Well, this is wonderful. Then we can discuss names for girls and boys.” Her mother clapped her hands together. “I was thinking Angelica for a girl. Or perhaps Eloise. Of course, there’s always Clementina. If the child must be a boy, then I think Reginal will suit.”

  Regina gagged. “Mother, I will not name a boy Reginal. I don’t care how much you wish it.”

  Thankfully, the front door to her parents’ townhouse opened, and she heard her father and Toby talking. She would have jumped up if she could have managed the feat, but the baby’s weight made it impossible, so she settled for standing up in a more ladylike fashion. That was just as well since her mother would have been appalled if she had, indeed, jumped.

  “Good luck with teaching the duke what he needs to know to secure a wife,” Regina told Helena. Turning to her mother, she added, “Toby and I have already decided on Judith if the baby’s a girl, but you may think over other possible boy names.” She headed for Toby and her father then stopped and looked back at her mother. “I mean it, Mother. No Reginal.”

  Her mother sighed but consented to her wishes.

  “How are you feeling, Regina?” Toby asked as she came into the entryway.

  “Fine, though Mother is being her usual self,” she replied then smiled at her father.

  “You can’t blame her,” her father replied. “She’s excited about the grandchild.”

  “Excited isn’t the word. I’d say she’s obsessed.”

  He chuckled. “She means well.”

  “I know, but she’s determined the child will be a girl. For her sake, I hope she’s right. I don’t want to go through another nine months of this,” she said.

  “Hopefully, you won’t have to.” Toby kissed her. “Are you ready to go to Hyde
Park?”

  She nodded and said good-bye to her father, glad to get a reprieve from her mother. As much as she loved her, she could only take so much.

  She slipped her arm around Toby’s. “I’m glad to see you.”

  “Because I saved you from your mother?” he teased as he led her down the townhouse steps.

  “No, though you make a good point.” She chuckled. “But what I meant was, I missed you.”

  “I missed you, too. There’s no one else I’d rather share the day with than you.”

  Her gaze met his, and he smiled at her. Returning his smile, she squeezed his arm. Then, together, they headed for Hyde Park, content to enjoy the rest of their day.

  Coming Soon…

  Love Lessons With the Duke

  Book 2 in the Marriage by Deceit Series

  The Duke of Ashbourne asks Lady Seyton to help him secure a bride in one month, but soon he realizes he’s in love with her and will do anything it takes to marry her, even if it involves a scandal.

  Regencies Already Available:

  Marriage by Scandal Series:

  The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife: Lord Roderick needs an heir, and the only way he’s going to get one is by finding a suitable young lady to marry. But one wrong move on his part has just betrothed him to a lady he believes has tricked him into a scandal.

  A Most Unsuitable Earl: Lord Edon has done everything he can to avoid marriage, including building a reputation as London’s most notorious rake. His scheming mother, however, is so determined that he’ll find a good lady to marry, she’ll stop at nothing to find him one. And the lady she finally picks happens to be London’s most notorious wallflower, the ever-so-boring Lady Catherine.