The Accidental Countess (31 page)

He bent down and scooted the fabric of her stocking down one leg and then the next. Cass trembled. He plucked them from her feet and threw them easily aside. Then he turned her around and loosened the laces of her stays one by one. It seemed to take an interminable length of time to get out of the thing. When he was done, he turned her back to face him. Then her chemise was gone in one large swoosh over her head and she stood naked before him. Watching him watch her, she plucked the pins out of her coiffure and set them on the table next to the bed. Then she shook her head and the entire rich mass of her blond mane spilled over her shoulders and back.

*   *   *

Julian sucked in his breath. He’d never seen anything like the perfection of Cassie’s body. She was thin but not too much so, her breasts were perfect round globes, her belly was flat, her hips flared out and tapered down to long beautiful legs. She looked like a goddess, just like he’d envisioned she would, only better because she was a real woman, standing in front of him, touching him and letting him touch her. He promised himself to go slowly, not scare her, make it good for her.

He picked her up in his arms and laid her on the bed. Then he followed her down and lay atop her. He shifted his hips away so as not to frighten her with the stark evidence of his arousal. Bracing his elbows on either side of her head, he dipped his mouth to kiss her.

Cassie wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed Julian back with such passion and longing he felt triumphant. He kissed her nose. “I love you.”

He kissed her closed eyelids. “I love you.”

He kissed her cheeks, her chin, her earlobe. “I love you. I love you. I love you.”

She pushed her fingers through his hair. “I love you, too, Julian.” Her words were a mere whisper against his lips.

He let his mouth slide down to her chin, her neck, the tip of her breast. His tongue lavished the sensitive peak. Cass groaned and arched her back.

“Shh, darling,” Julian whispered. “You’re gorgeous. You’re absolutely perfect, Cassie. Just like I knew you would be.”

“Julian, please,” she whispered against his mouth.

“Wait, darling. I want to make this unforgettable for you.”

His finger and thumb came up to pinch her nipple. He flicked the peak with his thumb, torturing her, while his tongue lavished the tip of her other breast. He switched, his mouth moving to the opposite breast while his thumb unerringly rubbed the opposite peak.

Cass’s head moved back and forth on the pillow, her eyes tightly closed, her jaw clenched. She’d dreamed of this moment. Dreamed of it for so long and now that it was here, truly happening, it was as if her dreams were true, all of them. His mouth continued its descent, moving down her belly, touching, licking, nipping at the sensitive planes. He trailed his rough fingertips over her rib cage. His hand made its way to the juncture between her legs. He stroked there, once, twice, right in the core of her where everything had gone soft and hot and wet and wanting. “Shh,” he breathed against her thigh as his hands moved around to cup her hips. His strong hands found their way beneath her thighs, up her knees, back to her hips where he cradled her in his hands.

Then his mouth was there, between her legs, and Cass stopped thinking. His tongue owned her, licked her, kissed her. She whimpered in the back of her throat. Her fingers reached down to tangle in his hair. She’d never imagined such a thing but she also never wanted it to end.

His tongue drew tiny hot circles against her most intimate spot, and the pressure and wet heat of it made Cass come undone. Her breath was ragged, releasing in sharp pants. Julian traced a finger around her hip until he inserted it into her wet warmth. She cried out and looked down at him through lust-misty eyes. “Julian,” she whispered.

He returned her look with a small satisfied smile. Then he turned his attention back to her and kissed her there, again, again. Until she was mad with wanting and desperate for release. He pressed his tongue against that perfect spot, nudging it, pushing it, stroking it in just such a way that pushed her over the edge. She cried his name this time, a keening wail while his large hands held her hips steady as she came.

*   *   *

Julian was panting as he lifted himself up and wrapped his arms around Cass. She’d found her release. It was important to him because he would inevitably cause her pain. He held her for a moment, her heart beating wildly, the smell and taste of her still on his hands and in his mouth.

“Cass, do you know—?”

She hid her face against his shoulder. “Yes. Lucy told me a few things.”

He grinned at that. “All right, then. I’ll do my best not to—”

She peeked up at him. “Don’t worry, Julian. I want you to make me yours in every way.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. Julian’s entire body was humming with the need to release himself inside of her.
Go slowly. Go slowly. Go slowly
.

He rolled over, pulling her beneath him. “I love you, Cassie,” he whispered against her temple as he positioned himself at the entrance to her body.

“I’ve dreamed of this for so long,” she murmured.

Julian broke then. Sweat on his brow, he pushed himself only a fraction of the way inside of her. She was so tight, so tight and wet and hot. And, oh God— He clenched his teeth. Going slowly would be the death of him.

Cass moaned then and put her palms on either side of his face. “You’re so handsome, so handsome, and noble and—”

“God, Cassie, don’t.” He groaned through clenched teeth.

“I want you,” she whispered. “I want you so much. I can’t stand it. I—”

She gasped. He pushed his way inside her to the hilt and the momentary flash of pain on her face made him stop and kiss her cheek, her forehead, her temple. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.

“Don’t stop. I’m fine,” she whispered back, a smile replacing the wince. “I’ve wanted this for so long.”

Julian closed his eyes. He braced his hands on either side of her head and pulled out and pushed back into her again, again, again. With every stroke he felt more alive. With every tilt of his hips, he felt more love. With every pulse of her heart under his, he knew it was right. This woman was his destiny, his past and his future. This is why he had lived, to come home and be loved by her. He just hadn’t known it until this moment.

He opened his eyes and nudged her with his forehead, his strokes never ceasing. He wanted to wait, to make her come again. But he couldn’t. The unequaled perfection of feeling her wrapped around him made him want to shatter into a thousand pieces.

“Julian, I love you,” she cried, just before he exploded inside her and collapsed on top of her.

He kissed her hair and pulled her fiercely against him.

*   *   *

Several minutes later, Julian rolled off Cass and pulled her tight to his chest. “I’ll never let you go, again.”

She snuggled next to his side and kissed his shoulder. “I’ll never let you go, either. What changed your mind?”

“I told you back at your parents’ house. I thought you loved another man. Hunt told me so.”

“But you told me”—she glanced down—“when I was pretending to be Patience, you told me you cared for another woman.”

He bent his head and kissed the tip of her nose. “Yes. You.”

She rose up on her elbow. “You meant you loved
me
? Cass, I mean?”

He nodded and kissed her shoulder. “Yes. It was always you, Cassie. Always. I think I knew it back when you were sixteen, but after all the years, all the letters, I was sure.”

Cass lay back on her side and wrapped her arm around his neck. “I felt so torn. I didn’t think I could ever be with you. It would have been a betrayal both of you and of Pen, two people I love.”

“I can understand how difficult it must have been for you. Is that why you didn’t send that letter?”

She took a deep breath. “Yes. I felt it would be unfair to you and unfair to Penelope. It was not until that day you came back to London that I knew Penelope didn’t want to see you. But I still wasn’t certain how you felt. It’s funny that we never spoke much of Pen in our letters.”

He nodded. “I couldn’t bear it. Besides, we had plenty to write about, didn’t we? I came back planning to tell her we couldn’t marry. But there was another reason…”

The tone of his voice frightened her. “What is it, Julian?”

He grasped her arms, stared her in the eye. “The truth is that I intended to go back to work for the War Office. I meant to go back to the Continent to find Donald and Rafe, even if it meant I never returned.”

“I don’t understand. You were going to run away?”

“Not run away, Cassie. Die.”

She gasped. “Die?”

“Yes. I felt guilty for having lived. I was meant to die in battle. I nearly did.”

“Oh, Julian. No.”

He nodded. “Yes. In fact, it was my father’s last wish for me.”

She shook her head against the pillow. “What are you talking about?”

“He told me, my last day in London, seven years ago. He told me I should die in battle. He expected it of me.”

“That’s sick. It’s awful. He was wrong.”

Julian glanced down. “Yes, well. He never thought he would need me.”

Tears rolled down Cass’s cheeks. “I’m so happy you lived, Julian, so very happy. I prayed for you every day. Constantly.”

He pulled her tight, squeezed her close. “I know, Cassie. I know. Don’t you see? You saved me. Your love, your letters, I’m here today because of you.”

“I can’t imagine life without you.” She tightened her grip on his shoulders. “Oh, Julian. I’m so frightened of what might have happened had Lucy not given you that letter.”

He squeezed her tightly. “And to think, I almost lost it.”

“Pardon?”

He gently rubbed her shoulder with his free hand. “It was hidden in the sofa for a bit. I was—ahem—jug bitten.”

She turned to look up at him. “Jug bitten?”

“Very well, drunk.”

She laughed. “You were, were you?”

“Yes, if you must know. What did you expect? I thought you were going to marry Upton.”

Her eyes widened. “I was never planning to marry Garrett. I don’t love him, and he doesn’t love me, despite what Lucy thought. He told me so.”

“He said that?”

“Alas, I am obviously not irresistible to every man.”

“It’s a good thing for Upton. I’d hate to have to beat him to a pulp.”

Cass shook her head. “Yes, well, he’s perfectly safe, then. Besides, Daphne told you I’d planned to join the convent.”

He pushed himself up on one elbow and looked at her. “Yes, and a more ludicrous notion I’ve never heard.”

Cass shrugged. “I wanted Mother to know that she cannot just sell me like an object. I wanted to take the power away from her. I wanted control of my own life.”

Julian kissed her earlobe. “Your mother will not tell you what to do ever again.”

Cass closed her eyes and sighed. “Thank heavens.”

“As for Daphne, it seems I’ve made a deal with her. She agreed to tell me your plans in exchange for my agreement to look the other way someday.”

Cass raised both brows. “Are you certain that’s wise, Julian? With Daphne, there’s no telling what she might get up to.”

His crack of laughter echoed off the walls. “Don’t I know it? And to answer your question, no, it’s not wise at all. In fact, it’s the opposite of wise. The mere notion that I agreed to it only demonstrates how out of my mind I was to find you.” He rolled over onto his back and pulled her atop him. Then he kissed her.

Several minutes later, Cass pulled away and looked down at him. “Julian, may I ask you something?”

“Anything, my love.” He pulled her close against him and buried his face in her hair.

“You said Donald was gone to the Continent … on business … Does that mean?” She glanced away. “Does that mean that he is a—”

“I’m afraid what Donald’s been doing is quite dangerous, quite dangerous, indeed. Hunt will be back tomorrow afternoon and all of the details will be revealed, I fear.”

“And you think Donald and Captain Cavendish…?” She swallowed. “You think they may be … dead?”

Julian rested his chin atop her head. “I fear it. Yes, and I damn sure hope that’s not the case, but now I realize, with your love, I can fulfill the duties of being the earl if I must. I can do anything with you by my side.”

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

When Owen Monroe appeared at Julian’s front door the next morning bright and early, Julian wasn’t entirely surprised. He’d managed to sneak Cass back to her parents’ house in the wee hours of the morning, but he expected a reckoning. He just hoped it wasn’t going to be down the end of Owen’s pistol at twenty paces. It would be a shame to shoot Cass’s brother.

Owen and Lord and Lady Moreland were just going to have to be reasonable. They didn’t want a scandal. If the servants began talking, they’d be forced to allow the match. It was in their best interest to agree to the engagement as quickly as possible and begin planning the wedding.

“Mr. Owen Monroe is here to see you, my lord,” Pengree intoned imperiously from the doorway of the breakfast room.

Julian didn’t glance up from his newspaper. “Does he appear to be armed, Pengree?”

“My lord?” The butler’s voice was inquiring.

“Does he have a pistol in his hand? Or a large bulge in the pocket of his coat?”

“My lord, I—”

Julian smiled behind the newspaper. “Never mind, Pengree. Show him in. I suppose I must take my lumps.”

Pengree left then. Julian folded down the edge of the newspaper just in time to see him retreat from the room, a confused look on his butlerly face.

He returned less than a minute later. “Mr. Owen Monroe,” he announced.

Owen brushed past the butler and strode into the room. Julian eyed him up and down. No apparent pistol. A good start, actually. Hmm. But Monroe was big, quite big. In fact, he’d forgotten just how big he was. Good thing Julian was adept with a pistol himself; if a duel was necessary he had no desire to challenge Monroe to a boxing match and hoped to hell Monroe didn’t suggest it. Perhaps he could challenge him to a duel of press-ups.