Misleading a Duke Read online

  Her pulse might pound out of her body. “And I am that something?”

  Taking her by the shoulders, he stooped until his eyes were level with hers. “You are everything, Faith. I should have been less the fool and made that clear to you long ago. You saved my life this past winter, but you also saved my heart. I never believed I could feel so much for another person. Every moment I was away from you was absolute torture far worse than what I endured beneath Jean-Claude’s whip.”

  Faith didn’t know what to say. It was all she could do to keep her mouth from hanging open at his declaration of not only love, but need.

  Nick struggled to his knees. “Tell me that you’ll marry me. Not because I’m a duke and not because it’s what your parents want. Say you’ll be my wife because it will make us both silly with happiness. But, my love, only say these things if they are absolutely true. I want no more falsehoods between us. Never again will I withhold anything from you.”

  Placing her hands on his shoulders, Faith lowered herself to her knees before him. “I will marry you, not for money or title. As far as I’m concerned, none of those things exist. I would marry you if we had to scrape and save every halfpenny. All I ever wanted was to have a husband who will love me above all else and never do me harm.”

  Nick palmed her cheek. “You must know, I would never touch you in anger, Faith. Please tell me you don’t doubt that.”

  Resting her hand over his, she leaned into the touch. “I know. Even when I wasn’t sure you were the right man for me, with all your secrets between us, I never thought you a monster. I was safe with you at Parvus, even if you were not.”

  He closed his eyes. “I shall never forgive myself for the danger I put you in. How can one ever make amends for such a thing?”

  Joy filled her heart. “Marry me before my mother can turn our wedding into a spectacle for all of London to gawk at and gossip about.”

  Faith rose to her feet, scooping up Nick’s cane as she went. She handed the gold and black handle to him and helped him to stand.

  Offering his left elbow, ultimate joy reflected in his eyes. “I thought all women wanted a big wedding with all the fuss.”

  They walked the path that wound toward the center of the maze. “You should know by now that I am not like other women. I am a Wallflower and we are of a different kind.”

  He lifted her fingers to his mouth and kissed them. “I shall thank God for that each and every day of my life.”

  “I hope you will say that when I abandon you each Tuesday to have tea with them, or when I go off on some mad errand because one of them needs me.” Worry crept into her voice despite her intent to keep the statement light.

  The fountain bubbled as water fell from the mouths of horses. Nick sat on the bench that faced it and pulled Faith onto his lap.

  “Your leg!” She tried to pull away even though it was the last thing she wanted.

  Keeping her in place, he said, “It’s a small wound that causes me little trouble and will heal in a month or so. Now, stop fussing and sit still. I have something to say.”

  It was no trouble to stay on his lap and wrap her arms round his neck. She toyed with the hair curling at his collar and gazed at the expression of devotion blooming in those eyes. “Say your piece, Nick.”

  He pulled her bottom tight against him and wrapped his arms around her hips. “I understand Marsden attends these teas. Perhaps I might garner an invitation as well, though I’m sure there are some instances where you ladies will want to be alone, as you were in school. I shall relinquish you to them, but only for short periods of time. I have come to admire this bond you share with those three.”

  “You and Mr. Arafa are good friends.” Faith was blessed with her Wallflower friendships and only wished to make Nick see his good fortune as well.

  “Geb is a good friend to me.” He nodded and snuggled his head near her breast.

  Breath coming faster, Faith kissed his cheek. “Should we return to the house for tea?”

  “No.”

  “Do you want to tell me how you injured your leg?” Faith asked.

  “Not at the moment.”

  She stilled. “Are you keeping secrets again, Nick?”

  Kissing the pulse behind her hear, he whispered, “No, I just want to kiss you senseless, and this is a better location for that than the parlor amongst our friends.”

  Every inch of Faith thrilled with anticipation. She tipped her head to the side to give him better access to her neck. “Well…in that case, you may continue.”

  A low chuckle rumbled in his chest as he licked and nibbled on her ear. His breath sent shudders of delight directly to the top of her thighs.

  Clenching her legs tight, she hoped to relieve some of the tension building between her legs. A sigh escaped her mouth and Nick covered her lips with his. His tongue slipped inside as he made love to her mouth. Lips, teeth, and tongue clashed violently before softening.

  With one hand still on her hip, he held her nape with the other, pulling her close and deepening the kiss until she was breathless and wanton.

  His shaft pressed, needy, against her bottom, and she wiggled against him.

  “I want you, Faith.” He dragged his lips down her neck and his declaration dripped with urgency.

  “Oh, God. I need you, Nick.” Her body thrummed with desire for more, for all of Nick.

  His mouth stopped an inch from the top of her scooped neckline. He traced a line with his tongue along the edge.

  Faith gripped him tighter as desire flooded her every sense and an ache pulsed low in her belly.

  “Shall we make love or shall I return you to your friends immediately? I’m afraid those are the only two choices I can give you in my current condition.” He laughed, but the strained sound had no humor.

  “We cannot very well make love here.” She took in the open gardens with their full view of the back of the house. “Anyone could walk out and see us right now.”

  Slowly, Nick’s head came up and his gaze met hers. “Does that mean you would prefer making love to returning to the house, Faith?”

  Between her legs the sensitive bud pulsed and waited for her answer. “I would prefer to have you deep inside me, but not here by the fountain.”

  His groan rumbled deep inside him and vibrated through her, heightening her want for him. Nick lifted her to her feet and steadied her when she wobbled. He took several breaths while staring at the pebbled ground before rising and taking her hand. “Come on.”

  Slowly and with the help of his cane, Nick pulled her through the garden and around a line of evergreens. The pebbled path ended, but a dirt path continued toward a paddock. Poppy had once told Faith that Geb used the paddock past the gardens to hold his fine horses after the barn had been damaged by a storm. They entered another grove of trees and a creek bubbled nearby. A small stone house appeared from out of the thick woods. Nick pulled the latch and let them in.

  “Where are we?” Faith asked.

  Nick struck a tinder and lit a few candles. “This was the caretaker’s cottage, but he married and lives in town now. It is not in use, but I’m happy to see it’s still kept clean.”

  Just as Nick said, the quaint two-room home had barely a sheen of dust to indicate it was no longer in use. A chair before the fireplace with fire irons, and a foot stool, made up the parlor, with a tiny kitchen in the corner near the door.

  Standing in the only other door, Nick reached out his hand for her to join him. His eyes rang with questions, desire, and love.

  Heart in her throat, she joined him. The bedroom was small, with only a single bed and wardrobe. She sank into Nick’s arms and wrapped hers around his strong back. “I never dreamed it would be like this.”

  “I do seem to find less than ideal circumstances for our lovemaking, dearest. I shall do better in the future, but I understand if you wi
sh to return to the house.” Nick sighed against the top of her head.

  Unable to hold it in, she giggled. “I don’t care about that. I’m just happy to be near you. Don’t you know I want you just as much as you seem to desire me?”

  He kissed her crown. “What did you expect to be different then?”

  Always believing she would find a romance that would sway her to marry had not prepared Faith. “Love.”

  “Oh? What did you expect?” She could feel his smile lift against her skull.

  Faith turned her head up and looked at him and ran her hand down his ribs inside his coat. “I don’t know, but not this all-encompassing need to be near you, with you, to hear your voice and see you smile. It’s much more than I had ever thought possible.”

  He shrugged out of the coat and placed it on the bedpost before lifting Faith into his arms with her legs wrapped around his waist. His cane clattered to the floor. “Tell me to stop.”

  She gasped as his shaft pressed against her center. “Oh my.”

  “Tell me I ask too much of you.” He eased her onto the bed and lowered himself on top of her, trailing kisses down her neck to the swell of her breast.

  Faith’s skirt bunched between them and she wiggled to push it aside. “Don’t stop, Nick, but be quick before the others come looking for us.”

  A wicked grin tugged at his lips as he pulled down the front of her bodice and freed one nipple, which he took between his teeth and worried.

  A quick gasp pushed from her lips as the touch of pain forced pleasure between her legs. His tongue lapped and he sucked on the taut pebble until she thought she might jump out of her skin.

  Nick leered at her, that same naughty expression plastered on his handsome face as he sank lower, to where her skirts bunched. Wicked grin in place, he tossed her skirts over his head and wrapped his hands under her thighs.

  Faith screamed with laughter and wiggled away.

  Holding fast, his mouth pressed to her center.

  Laughter gone, Faith’s body floated above the bed as she arched into his lovemaking. His tongue swirled around her sensitive nub and dipped inside her. Each movement shot thrill after thrill to her core and the muscles low in her belly tightened to a pleasure akin to pain.

  She wrapped her legs around his back and wished they were both naked. Then he slid one finger inside her wet sheath and suckled her. In the entire world there was only emotion and pleasure. The rest floated away in a mist of unimportance. His mouth, arms, legs, fingers, the way his hair tickled the inside of her thigh, was all that existed. Her body left her mind behind in a cacophony of pleasure and she tumbled over the edge with abandon.

  Nick lapped at her overly sensitive bud ever so gently, kissing his way from one thigh to the other, dipping inside her on the journey. She shuddered with every touch, wanting more, but so sensitive to even the slightest pressure.

  If Faith died in this moment, she would be perfectly and exquisitely happy and satisfied.

  Chapter 22

  Nick longed for all of her and had toyed with a fleeting thought of plunging inside her and being quick about it. Faith was right that eventually the others would come looking for them, but not right away. Aurora would not be a strict chaperone.

  As they had time, he lapped up her heady juices like the most addictive drug and reveled in her pleasure. The tiny cottage was a distance from the house and no one would hear her cries, and he loved the sound of each tiny gasp and rapturous scream. He would never get enough Faith, and planned a lifetime of lovemaking in far better settings. On that score he had failed her thus far, but he would do much better in the near future.

  Rain tapped on the roof and ground outside.

  Her desire to marry, with a special license, had created desire he’d not expected. She loved him. It stood his cock at full attention when he’d only planned to steal a kiss or two in the garden. Knowing that her need was as great as his own filled him with pure joy and excruciating desire.

  As her pleasure subsided, he crawled out from under her skirts. His leg ached and he stumbled before righting himself and covering her body with his. Her eyes were closed and a smile tugged at her lips. She was so lovely.

  “You look pleased, my love,” Nick said.

  Her eyes popped open. Those golden eyes filled with mischief. “I will not be fully pleased until you have the same look on your face.”

  Wrapping his arms around her back, he rolled so that she straddled him. “I would never want to disappoint you.”

  When he reached to release the fall of his breeches, she rocked against his hand and moaned. Her eyes were again closed and she perched atop him with her neck arched back. She might have been a queen, but she was his. Nothing was as beautiful as seeing her pleasure. His antics under her skirt had robbed him of seeing the last orgasm; he would not miss the next. He pressed his thumb to her wet slit and rubbed that sensitive bud.

  Faith rocked back and forth like a goddess in the saddle. Nick adjusted her hips so that his shaft perched at her center but left the choice to her. Without hesitation, she reached between her legs and guided him inside her with one smooth, earth-shattering move.

  Her mouth opened on a delighted cry.

  Thunder sounded in the distance.

  Holding her legs down to keep her in place, Nick groaned with his own pleasure at being sheathed inside her.

  She rocked forward, taking him deeper, and he gripped her hips and helped her set a pace to please them both.

  As her pace quickened, Nick gritted his teeth, holding back his own release until Faith tumbled over the abyss and then he went with her. He drew her down to lie atop him and held her while still inside her heavenly body. “You are magnificent, Faith.”

  “Mmm…”

  “Are you all right?” He ran his hands up and down her back, wishing they were both naked.

  “I’m perfectly content.” She sighed against his neck.

  “That makes what I have to say even more difficult.”

  Lightning lit the small room, which had grown dim with the storm.

  Propping her chin on her hand where it rested on his chest, she smiled at him. “What is it?”

  “We have to get tidied up and go back to the house.” Nick wished it weren’t so, but thunder rolled louder, almost a stern reminder.

  “I suppose we must, and it’s raining too.” She moaned.

  Easing out of her produced the most delicious sound from her. He considered getting right back into the bed and saying damn to polite society.

  Another crack of lightning was quickly followed by thunder.

  “There’s a well outside. I’ll fetch some water for washing.”

  Faith rolled to her side, her shapely legs exposed, and studied him. “You will get the special license?”

  Kneeling to retrieve his cane, Nick hovered over her on his ascent and kissed her nose. “I will gladly obtain whatever documents make you my wife the fastest.”

  A stunning blush pinked her cheeks. “Even though we have behaved like husband and wife already?”

  He secured his fall. “Sneaking away to a shed like servants is hardly good enough for you, Faith.”

  The most musical laugh tumbled from her full lips. “Oh, but it’s so much fun. I hope even after we marry, we will still steal away from time to time for a tryst.”

  Halfway to the door, he turned back to watch the way her breast rose and fell with every breath. She’d not righted her dress and one nipple was still exposed while her arms were over her head. He could gaze at her all day and never tire of the sight. “Every damned chance we get, my love.”

  * * * *

  Once they were cleaned up and Faith’s hair coiled back into her chignon as well as possible, they returned to the house. Some of her wild curls had escaped, and they were slightly wet from the rain, but no one said a word when th
ey returned to their friends.

  Geb had called in Kosey to play the pianoforte, and the ladies listened to the skilled musician.

  Aurora gave her one long look with a raised brow.

  Cheeks heated, Faith just shrugged and sat listening to Mozart.

  As soon as the piece was over, Aurora said, “Kosey, you and Mercy should play a duet. She is as accomplished as you.”

  Kosey glowed with delight. “I would enjoy that exceedingly. Lady Mercedes, would you care to join me?”

  Smiling, Mercy said, “I’m only a miss, not a lady, but I’d be happy to play a duet with such a fine musician.”

  In another setting, a servant playing a duet with a lady would have been scandalous, but nothing was out of the ordinary in Geb Arafa’s home. Mercy sat alongside Kosey, and the two played a duet by Johann Sebastian Bach.

  Faith had to brush the tears from her eyes, it was so beautiful. Faith loved being at Aaru. She was happy and comfortable in Geb’s home. A wild thought flew into her head. “Mr. Arafa, perhaps I am overstepping, but I wonder if I might ask a favor.”

  “You may ask whatever you like. I cannot promise a favorable answer, dear Lady Faith, until I have heard the question.” Geb leaned back in his overstuffed English chair.

  “Nick and I have decided to marry immediately. He will try to obtain a special license and inform my parents of our plan…”

  She didn’t get to continue as she was swept into a group hug between Mercy and Aurora. “You should have stopped the music and told us immediately,” Aurora scolded.

  “I’m delighted for you,” Mercy said. Her grin stretched from ear to ear.

  Geb slapped the arm of his chair. “I am delighted as well. What is the favor?”

  Nick watched her, his head cocked to one side and a question floating in his eyes.

  “Do you think we might marry here in your gardens? I adore your home.”

  “Not to mention the state of fitfulness she would be sending her mother into.” Mercy laughed loudly.

  Aurora hid her amusement behind a gloved hand. “It would send both your parents into fits, Faith.”