The Rake's Vow Read online

  All at once, he felt as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he could breathe again. “If you don’t want to stay in the group, then don’t,” he encouraged.

  “You didn’t answer my question. How will it affect you?”

  “It’ll be a good thing for me.” Then, catching the uncertainty in her expression, he reached for her hand. “It’ll be a good thing for both of us. Loretta, Lady Eloise isn’t your friend.”

  “Oh, I never thought she was. She only tolerated me in the past because of my connection with Celia, and the only reason she’s nice to me now is because of you.”

  “No. There’s more to it than that. This evening, after we had dinner and the ladies and gentlemen adjourned to their separate rooms, Lady Eloise pretended to drop a tea set on the floor right outside the den.”

  Her eyebrows furrowed. “I didn’t hear anything.”

  “The drawing room isn’t that close to the den. But that doesn’t matter. After this happened, she asked if I would grab a broom and bucket from the closet. She said she wanted to clean up the mess but couldn’t reach the bucket.”

  “She never cleans anything.”

  Noting the guarded tone in her voice, he continued, “I didn’t know that. I thought she was doing it to impress one of the French gentlemen because she was flirting with him. Anyway, that doesn’t matter. What matters is that when I went to get the things she wanted, she cornered me in the closet and-”

  She gasped. “Did you kiss her?”

  “No. No, I didn’t.”

  “Did she kiss you?” she asked.

  The anger in her tone caught him by surprise. For a moment, he thought she was upset with him. But then, he realized she was upset with Lady Eloise. It bothered her to think that another lady had tried to kiss him. And it was in that moment he knew exactly how Loretta felt about him. She loved him! She would never ask him to share Lady Eloise’s bed to advance her position in the group.

  And that made him a lot happier than he could remember being in a very long time. Excited, he took her face in his hands and kissed her.

  He wanted to kiss her longer than a few seconds, but she pulled away from him and demanded, “Exactly what happened between you two this evening?”

  He laughed.

  “I don’t see what’s so funny,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him.

  “You have no idea how relieved I am,” he replied, knowing full well she wouldn’t understand just how much of a strain he’d been under for the past hour.

  “I don’t understand what’s going on, but if I find out you did anything inappropriate, I’ll give you a reason to stop laughing.”

  “Loretta, you have nothing to worry about. I didn’t do anything with her. She wanted me to go to her bed.” When she scowled, he hurried to add, “I told her no.”

  She studied him for a long moment then relaxed. “I believe you.”

  “I hope so because I’m telling you the truth. I thought when I told you what Lady Eloise wanted, you were going to ask me to go through with it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because the only reason you married me was because you wanted to secure your position in her group.”

  She paused. “Well, yes. It was. But since then I got to know you.”

  “And I got to know you. Marrying you was the best thing that ever happened to me. It’s changed me. Tonight I realized I’m not the same person I used to be. You make me want to be honorable in all things.” He cupped her face with his hands again. “I love you, Loretta. I didn’t realize it until tonight, but it’s true. I love you and only you. I think we could have something wonderful if we make our marriage real.”

  Her expression softened, and she smiled. “I love you, too, Tad.”

  Then, because it seemed to be the right time for it, he lowered his head and kissed her, and this time, they didn’t stop kissing until they arrived home.

  ***

  Despite the events at the dinner party, Loretta thought the night was, perhaps, the best night she’d ever experienced. When she and Tad got home, he had taken her to her bedchamber and made love to her.

  Being a virgin, she hadn’t known what to expect, but he’d been slow and gentle with her, easing her into the consummation of their marriage. And it was the excitement of the transition from having a marriage of convenience to a real one that made her wake up just as the first rays of sunlight graced the sky.

  Next to her in bed, Tad was sound asleep. She might have been content to watch him since it was always a thrill to study someone with such natural masculine beauty, but the matter with Lady Eloise kept weighing on her mind. If she didn’t tend to that, it was going to bother her all through the day. The sooner she dealt with it, the sooner she could get back to concentrating on Tad. And honestly, she would much rather think of him anyway.

  Quiet, so as not to disturb him, she slipped out of the bed and put a robe on. She went to the small room off to the side of her bedchamber and parted the drapes so she had more sunlight. Then she sat at the desk and opened the drawer to retrieve a piece of parchment. The missive would be brief. She had nothing to say to Lady Eloise except that she was leaving Ladies of Grace.

  After she wrote the sentence that made her departure from the group official, she stared at the words, surprised they didn’t bother her. She used to think being out of the group would be the worst thing that could ever happen to her. Not too long ago, writing something like this would have been unthinkable. But now, she actually felt relief.

  From this moment forward, she wasn’t going to have to agonize over every little thing she did in public. She wasn’t going to have to worry about modifying gowns so she could wear them again. She could talk to anyone she wanted, and she could go wherever she wanted.

  It no longer mattered what the Ton thought of her. If people didn’t think she was worth talking to because she wasn’t in Ladies of Grace anymore, then let them ignore her. She might not be the most attractive or charismatic lady in London, but some things were more important than beauty and charm.

  Once she placed the missive in an envelope and addressed it to Lady Eloise, she left the room and placed it on her vanity to send out later.

  “What time is it?” Tad asked.

  She turned to the bed and saw him rubbing his eyes. “It’s early. I think I heard the clock chime half past five a few minutes ago.”

  “It’s five thirty?” He looked over at her as if she was insane. “What are you doing up so early? You need to be asleep.” He patted the spot next to him. “The bed is nice and comfortable. Settle down next to me. You’ll be back to sleep in no time.”

  With a chuckle, she removed her robe and placed it on the chair by her vanity then went over to him. “I’m too excited to sleep.”

  “Well, then return to my arms. They feel empty without you.”

  She did as he asked, and she wrapped her arm around his waist. But if he thought she could lie still, he was mistaken. After trying to rest against him for five minutes, she gave up and rose up on her elbow so she could look down at him. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was even.

  Maybe he could go back to sleep because this whole thing of making love wasn’t new to him. But for her, this was all new, and though she had wanted to do it more than once last night, he had advised against it, saying that she needed to give her body time to recover. I had to break through your barrier, he’d explained. She was surprised to learn this since he’d been able to do it without her noticing, but she supposed that was because he knew how to make her first time as painless as possible.

  Now that it was morning, though, she saw no reason to wait anymore. She tapped his chest. “Are you asleep?” she whispered.

  His lips curled up into a grin. “No.”

  “You look like you’re asleep.”

  Opening one eye to look at her, he asked, “Then why did you ask me if I was asleep?”

  “Because I wanted to wake you up so you’d make love to me agai
n. It’s morning. Surely, I can handle a second time now.”

  He laughed. “You know what I love most about you?” He cupped her face with his hand and brushed her cheek with his thumb. “You come right out and say exactly what’s on your mind.”

  “Most of the time people don’t get what they want unless they ask for it.”

  “Then I will give you exactly what you asked for.”

  With a smile, he brought her head down to his and kissed her. She settled into his arms and allowed him to deepen the kiss. She didn’t know if she’d ever get over the thrill of his touch or kiss. From the moment she’d met him, she’d been very much aware of her physical attraction for him, but being his wife in every sense of the word, made things that much better.

  She couldn’t tell when she’d fallen in love with him. She’d been so wrapped up in her social standing in London that she hadn’t given any thoughts to loving him. But somewhere along the way, she had, and it hadn’t been until he’d told her that Lady Eloise wanted to have an affair with him that she realized the extent of her feelings.

  She had thought love needed to start with butterflies in the stomach and the rush of excitement at the very thought of seeing someone. Now she knew differently. Sometimes it started with friendship and developed over time. Sometimes, it came softly when one wasn’t even aware of it.

  As he continued kissing her, she had the security of knowing that what they were sharing now was only going to be between the two of them. Neither would take another person to their bed. And it was this knowledge that allowed her the freedom to truly open up to him.

  His hand traced the curve of her breast, and she shivered in pleasure. Up until last night, she had no idea her breasts were so sensitive, but she had learned her nipples, when squeezed just right, were capable of producing the most pleasant sensation in the area between her legs.

  He left a trail of kisses from her cheeks to her neck and then down to her breasts. As he had the previous night, he was taking considerable time in exploring her, proof that he was in no hurry to rush this experience. No. This was something to be savored, something to be enjoyed. With a contented sigh, she rubbed his back. How wonderful it was to know they would get to share in this experience for the rest of their lives.

  He brought his mouth to her other breast and his tongue flicked across her nipple. A spark shot straight down to her core, and she instinctively parted her legs, eager for what was to come. As if he could read her mind, his hand swept down her body until it settled between her legs where he teased the opening of her flesh with his fingertips.

  She raised her hips in silent encouragement for him to enter, and he slipped two fingers into her. She groaned in surprise at how intensely pleasurable it felt to have him inside her. She didn’t think it could get better than last night, but maybe knowing what to expect had only served to heighten every delicious sensation he was giving her.

  From her breast, he proceeded to kiss her stomach and then her abdomen, slowly working his way lower and lower until his mouth settled on her sensitive nub. She gripped the sheet beneath her and bit her lower lip in anticipation for what he’d do next. And he didn’t disappoint her.

  His tongue caressed her nub in purposeful circular motions that, in conjunction with the rhythmic stroking of her core, made her forget about everything else around them. All that existed was her and Tad. She had no idea lovemaking could be so all-consuming, but at this very moment, she could think of nothing she wanted more than to give herself completely to the pleasure that was building up within her.

  She murmured his name and lifted her hips to take him further into her. He continued his ministrations, slow and steady at first. But then, after some time, they came faster, urging her closer and closer to the peak where she had no choice but to climax. And finally, when she was there, she cried out to him. His ministrations grew slower and softer, a technique that served to prolong her orgasm as wave after wave of pleasure crashed into her. It was no wonder he had the reputation he did. He was every bit the skilled lover. She doubted many gentlemen in London had the sexual prowess he did.

  Finally, when her head cleared, he got up on his knees and settled between her legs. She took a moment to look at his erection.

  “Do you want to touch it?” he asked.

  “I don’t know if I’m ready yet,” she admitted, still feeling shy about being so bold with him. “Maybe next time.”

  He leaned forward and kissed her. “Whenever you’re ready is fine. We have the rest of our lives to learn everything about each other.”

  And then he was kissing her again, and she was taken back into the thrill of the moment. She wrapped her legs around his waist and drew him closer to her. The tip of his erection pressed against her entrance, and she urged him to go inside. He teased her, though.

  He would dip into her and then slide out, and each time he went back in, he would go in a little further than before. Just when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, he finally slid all the way in, and she moaned in pleasure. Everything he was doing felt so incredibly good. It felt so good, in fact, that she became aware of an ache building deep in her core.

  “I want you to join me this time,” he whispered.

  At first, she wasn’t sure what he was talking about, but as he proceeded to make love to her, she became aware that the tension between her legs was leading her to another climax. With an appreciative groan, she lifted her hips in time with his thrusting, striving with him so they might reach the peak of pleasure together.

  He clasped her hands over her head and dove deeper into her, each thrust bringing her higher and higher. And right at the moment when he grew taut, she was at the height of bliss with him. That hadn’t happened last night. She hadn’t known such a thing was even possible. But the way he throbbed inside her as she clenched around him had to be the most exquisite sensation she’d ever experienced. Murmuring his name, she squeezed his hands to let him know how much she was enjoying it.

  After they relaxed, he spent considerable time kissing her and whispering how much he loved her. She kept her legs around his waist, loving the fact that he was still inside her. It felt wonderfully intimate to be so closely connected with him, especially after the beautiful experience they had just shared.

  At one point, he lifted his head so he could look down at her. “It’s different when a gentleman is with a lady he loves. I don’t know how to explain it except to say that everything is better with you.”

  Before she could respond, he was kissing her again. This time, however, their kissing began to become more insistent, and she soon realized his penis was growing thicker and longer inside her. She tightened her legs around his waist and rocked her hips, hoping she might prompt him into doing what she wanted.

  And as it turned out, he didn’t need much prompting this time. He rolled onto his back, careful not to break their connection as he brought her with him. Once she was on top, he cupped her breasts in his hands and lifted his hips to thrust into her. She was enjoying herself so much, she just might not leave the bed for the entire day, and she had a feeling Tad would be just fine with that. With a moan, she began rocking her hips and made love to him in earnest.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The next day, Celia sat in the small room off to the side of her bedchamber, struggling to get a handle on her swirling emotions. Before Damara and Anthony had left for the park, Damara had told her that Anthony had decided to cancel his ball. There was only one reason why that should happen, and it meant that Loretta had told either Damara or Anthony about her plan to get Corin to marry her.

  Celia read the words she had written on the parchment in front of her. She had started to write Loretta a missive to let her know how upset she was with her for betraying her like this, but the right words wouldn’t come. She placed the quill down on her desk and crumpled up the parchment then threw it into the trashcan. Maybe she should go directly to Loretta and talk to her.

  Loretta had been her fri
end for years. She was finding it difficult to believe Loretta was even behind this. Maybe if she saw Loretta in person, she’d get a better idea of what was going on. And who knew? She might be jumping to conclusions. If Loretta was innocent, she would regret it if she sent the missive.

  She took a deep breath and exhaled. No. She must not jump to conclusions. Damara had said that they were cancelling the ball because of Damara’s delicate condition. She hadn’t mentioned anything about Loretta, but Celia couldn’t get rid of the nagging suspicion that Loretta had something to do with it.

  “I’ll just have to come out and ask her about it,” Celia said.

  She put the rest of the parchment back into the drawer of her desk and put the quill back in its place. She went to her wardrobe to figure out which gown she should wear when she heard a knock at the door. Turning from her wardrobe, she opened it, surprised when she saw the footman.

  Maybe Loretta had come to see her. Maybe they would talk, and Loretta would assure her that she hadn’t spoken a word to anyone about her plan to secure Corin’s hand in marriage. Then Celia would be glad she hadn’t blamed Loretta, and Celia would know Damara had been telling her the truth.

  “Do I have a visitor?” Celia asked.

  “Yes, Miss Barlow,” he said. “Lord Durrant is here to see you.”

  Her heartbeat picked up in excitement. Corin came here to see her? Her. Not Anthony! “Tell him I’ll be down in a moment.”

  With a nod, he headed back down the hallway.

  She shut the door and let out a cheer as she ran over to the mirror. She inspected her reflection. Corin had never come over to personally see her before. He had used seeing Anthony as an excuse to see her, but this time, he was actually coming directly to see her. Perhaps the scandal wouldn’t be necessary after all. Perhaps she’d be engaged within the hour. Then she could go to Loretta and share the good news with her.

  She adjusted a few strands of her hair and pinched her cheeks. Then she smiled just to make sure nothing was between her teeth. Good. Everything was as it should be.