Authors: Kate Pearce
telling of the story and with whom I didn’t need to feel embarrassed.
“He couldn’t get hard and naturally he decided it was my fault.” I took a deep
breath. “One night he slapped me across the face and said I had cursed him.” I laughed
with no humor in it. “Of course, because he had gotten angry he managed to get hard
enough to force himself inside me. Unfortunately that made everything worse.”
I sensed that Gervase had gone still. I could no longer look at him as I rushed to
complete my sordid tale. I focused on his bare shoulder where a puckered scar spoke of
an old sword wound.
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“As he became ill and grew older, it became more difficult for him to perform so he
hit me harder.” I shivered and Gervase gripped my hand. “He broke two of my ribs
once and then he started to…” I covered my mouth with my hands.
Gervase rolled me onto my front and ran his fingers along the faded scars that
crisscrossed my back.
“I thought you had been beaten, but I wasn’t sure who had done it to you. For all I
know, it might have been my father.” His hand stilled on my back and the warmth from
his palm seeped through my shivering skin. “You said that your husband was failing in
health, so who beat you?”
My throat dried and I tried to shift away, hoping that he would disappear or that
some miracle would stop me from having to answer him. I was rotated onto my back
with surprising speed. I still tried to avoid looking at him. He caught my chin in
ungentle fingers.
“Eden, who beat you?”
I couldn’t look away, even when his hard face blurred and dissolved behind my
tears. “His bastard son.” I tried to wipe away some of the tears that fell down my face.
“I was always afraid that my husband would let his son bed me too, but he was too
proud to resort to that, for which I am thankful.”
My tears ceased and I could see Gervase clearly again. My breath caught in my
throat at his deadly expression.
“What is his name?”
“Gervase…” I stroked his arm, his muscles were rigid with tension. “He is dead. It
doesn’t matter now. I was just trying to explain that I might not be able to have
children.”
“Not your husband.” Gervase said through his teeth. “I want the bastard who
dared to lay hands on you. I’ll kill him.” Gervase pulled me into his arms and held me
so close I could scarcely breathe. I struggled until he allowed me to lift my face to his. I
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kissed his mouth. The tension that radiated through him gradually disappeared. He
kissed me back.
Gervase sighed. “You did not deserve this. I wish that I could take back the past
miserable years and make them right for you. I feel so damn guilty.”
I kissed him again and whispered, “You were not to know your father would
discover us together or that Mr. Carstairs would prove to be a difficult husband. But we
are here now until you must return to do your duty. Let us enjoy what we have.”
He held me away from him for a moment and searched my face. His mouth settled
into a determined line. “Only if you promise that if you do carry my child and I am still
away that you will tell Gideon and he will aid you.”
“I promise.” It was a promise easily made and unlikely, to my abiding sorrow, to be
called upon.
“Good girl.” Gervase drew me beneath him and spread my legs. “Now, I have
something to keep you busy until dinner time.” He flexed his hips and filled me slowly,
watching me the whole time. I drew my knees up to accommodate him and he
whispered as he began to move with sensuous ease. “This time I will keep you safe,
love, never doubt it.”
For the first time in my life I tried to bury my fears and believe that the man who
fitted against me with such perfect ease and who understood me better than anyone
would keep his promise.
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Eden’s Pleasure
Chapter Five
“Are you ready, Eden?”
I drew in a deep breath and placed one gloved hand on each of the twins’ arms. The
ballroom below me seemed overfull and overloud to my provincial eyes. Only the
comfort of knowing I looked my best in a soft mauve silk gown cut in the latest fashion
convinced me to keep going. And, of course, the beauty of my two escorts, one in dark
blue silk and the other in his best scarlet and gold dress uniform.
Gideon squeezed my hand as our plump hostess came to greet us and to exclaim
over my appearance. As Gideon replied with easy grace, Gervase bent to whisper in my
ear.
“I’ll wager that we’ll have all the hopeful bachelors and widowers swarming
around us when they hear that you are available again. You know how popular a
desperate young widow can be.”
With surprising firmness, the twins cleared a path for me through to the edge of the
dance floor. A stately country dance was in progress. To my surprise, I even recognized
some old acquaintances. Gideon elbowed his way through the crowd to obtain some
refreshments and the band struck up a waltz. Gervase bowed low over my hand.
“May I have the pleasure of this dance, Mrs. Carstairs?”
I gave him my best curtsey and slipped gracefully into his arms. My long white
gloves showed to advantage against his scarlet sleeve and my body was so well aligned
with his that we fell into step with great ease. For a while, I was content just to drift to
the music and enjoy the sensation of being held in his arms. I glanced up to find him
smiling at me.
“What is it?”
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Kate Pearce
Gervase didn’t answer as he negotiated us around a tricky corner and a couple who
appeared to be dancing to a different orchestra.
“Gervase?”
He smiled then, showing his white even teeth. I felt a familiar lick of heat pool in
my stomach.
“I was remembering learning to waltz together at Harcourt Hall when your hair
was still in pigtails.”
I smiled back at him as he executed another faultless turn. “I remember it too, I had
the bruises to prove it. Gideon had the lighter touch and you trampled my feet
unmercifully.” I looked down at my unmarked lavender kid slippers. “I am glad to see
you have improved.”
“You can thank the army for that,” Gervase replied. “The Duke of Wellington
insists that his staff officers can dance properly.”
His remark drew my eye to the number of men in uniform in the ballroom and my
feet faltered for an instant. Gervase shifted his hand and rubbed his thumb against the
bare skin above my glove as though he sensed my unease.
“I was thinking of something else. How long it will be before I can be inside you
again.”
I glanced around but nobody seemed to be interested in our low-voiced
conversation. I smiled back at Gervase and licked my lips.
“How strange that we think so alike, Major Harcourt. I was just wondering why it
feels so peculiar to have clothes on and not to have you buried deep inside me.”
Gervase sucked in a breath and under the pretext of a missed step let his lower
body grind against mine. He was already aroused and frowned down at me as I
continued to smile.
“Don’t play games with me, Eden—unless you want to find yourself flat on your
back in the next five minutes.”
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Eden’s Pleasure
“And how would you manage that in such a public place?” I inquired sweetly. “Do
you think we are invisible?”
The music ended and I sank to my knees in a graceful curtsey until my mouth was
level with his groin. I blew a hot steam of breath out through pursed lips as I began to
rise again. Gervase hissed a curse.
“Is that a challenge?” he murmured as he gripped my arm and towed me off the
dance floor in the direction of Gideon who stood conversing with a lady with striking
auburn hair. I came to an abrupt halt and bumped my hip against Gervase’s groin.
The lady slipped away before I could ask Gideon to introduce her to me, her
posture stiff with annoyance. Gervase demanded Gideon’s attention.
“Dance with Eden, Gideon, and try to stop her seducing anyone, will you?” He
glared at me, a distinct sensual provocation in his eyes. “She seems a little overexcited
tonight.”
With a curt bow, he stalked off towards a cluster of red coats near the gaming room.
I took Gideon’s proffered arm and curtsied to him as the musicians played the opening
chords of a country dance. It took me a while to forget Gervase’s challenge and to notice
that Gideon was unusually quiet. His attention seemed fixed on the woman with the
glorious auburn hair who danced past us with another scarlet-coated army officer.
“Gideon, who was the lady you were speaking to when Gervase interrupted you?”
“No one of import, at least to you,” Gideon replied shortly, without a hint of his
usual charm. “If she approaches you, be wary. She seems to think you are my mistress.”
“Ah, she is a friend of Georgiana’s then?” He nodded as the woman passed us
again, her eyes flicking to Gideon’s in a distinctly inviting look, which he failed to
return.
I sensed that I would get no further with Gideon and wisely chose another topic,
which made the dance pass in a far livelier fashion until he escorted me to a chair on the
edge of the dance floor.
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To my surprise, Gervase proved correct. I was soon surrounded by a bevy of eager
would-be suitors and a few old friends who wished to become reacquainted. The
evening passed quickly until Gervase appeared at my elbow when supper was
announced. In his usual forceful manner he rushed me through the line, collected our
plates and two glasses of champagne and hustled me out onto the deserted balcony.
With typical arrogance, he shut the glass doors behind him to discourage any other
guests from following us out.
I sipped at my champagne and marveled at the freedom I had as a widow
compared with an unmarried girl. I could never have been left alone with a man like
this before, especially a dangerous, dashing man like Gervase.
I glanced at Gervase as he lit a cigar and leaned over the parapet to view the
gardens below. His hair shone guinea gold in the moonlight and his six-foot-two frame
showed to advantage in his formal dress. I wandered over to stand beside him. The
urge to touch him too strong to resist.
Fairy lights had been strung along the pathways and several couples were taking
the air. A light hum of chatter rose to our level like the babbling of a brook. After a
quick look around I realized that we were screened from the majority of the house by
the angle of the building and that we were completely alone.
I edged in front of Gervase and sank to my knees, my silken skirts billowing around
me like a flower. He stared down at me as I released the buttons on his breeches and
caressed his rapidly growing cock. I cupped his balls with one hand, took the rest of
him into my mouth and sucked deeply.
“Christ, Eden.”
His breathing became ragged and his hips began to thrust forward in time with the
movements of my mouth. “There are people down in the garden below us.”
I didn’t bother to reply. I was too busy enjoying the sensation of his cock in my
mouth and the many many ways I could use my tongue, teeth and lips to torment him.
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Eden’s Pleasure
His fingers crept into my hair and he shuddered like a man possessed as he came down
my throat in huge pumping waves.
I reached into his coat pocket and retrieved his handkerchief. I wiped my mouth
and rose gracefully to my feet just as I heard the chattering voices of an approaching
couple.
“Eden…” Gervase’s voice was strained and full of promised revenge. I avoided his
outstretched hand as I curtsied and then headed back towards the ballroom in
desperate need of something less salty to drink.
Gideon handed me into the carriage with a flourish and Gervase followed me in.
Gideon shut the door from the outside, leaving me alone with his brother. Gervase gave
me a devilish smile as the carriage moved away from the well-lit mansion.
“So?” Gervase asked, “Did you enjoy yourself?”
I sighed and smiled blissfully back at him. “Yes, it was almost the perfect evening.”
I glanced up at him under my lashes. “Particularly my supper.”
Gervase raised one eyebrow and beckoned me to sit beside him. “You enjoyed
tormenting me, then?”
I didn’t bother to reply, I just kissed him on the mouth. His fingers slid inside my
cloak and unlaced my gown.
“Take this dress off, and your petticoats. We are going to have a little adventure.”
Full of anticipation, I complied as Gervase fished a half mask out of his pocket and
bade me put it on. For the rest of the journey he arranged me on his lap so that I
straddled his cock but despite my urging he refused to undo his breeches. When the
carriage stopped we were in a discreet street of fairly new houses towards Hyde Park.
My long cloak covered my lack of clothing. Gervase took my arm and knocked on a
discreet door set in the basement of the white stucco house. We were admitted and
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Gervase paused to remove his cloak, gloves and hat. While he conversed with the
footman, I took the opportunity to gaze around the dimly lit passageway.