A few minutes later, after he'd selected a somber green to mark his wife's departure, the door to his bedchamber creaked open.
"Where the devil have you been? It's well past . . ."
"May I be of service, Your Grace?"
Nathan looked up as the unexpected voice interrupted his rant. The butler returned his gaze, a bright flush brightening his features.
"Where the hell is . . . ?” Nathan didn’t finish as his sluggish brain connected the changes of last night with his late awakening and the butler's obvious embarrassment. His valet had left with his wife. Nathan swung away from his servant. Of course, the sneaky bastard. There was no way Nathan would give that man a letter of recommendation when he left his service. Hell, he could leave it now. He refused to pay the man who fathered his wife's bastard child.
Nathan glanced out the window, fighting the urge to reach over and throw something. It was one thing for his wife to cuckold him, another for a servant, and a personal one at that, to be a party to the mess. The servant’s would be sniggering behind his back. By his outburst, the butler would know that Nathan hadn’t a clue about his wife's treachery.
Behind him, the butler cleared his throat, reminding him he had company. Without turning to see the pity in his servant’s eyes, Nathan spoke. "
Bath
, breakfast, and Henry. In that order."
Nathan needed to cool his head before he faced his lover.
"Henry, Your Grace?"
Nathan shut his eyes. Of all the stupid slips. Henry wasn’t known by his given name, not to anyone but him. He'd have to exercise more care. He ground his teeth. "Mr. Stackpool."
"Of course." The butler hurried off, leaving Nathan alone with his ill temper. Right under his nose the whole time. How could he have been such a fool?
The door opened and closed behind his back but Nathan didn’t turn. Not even when the fast footsteps paused behind his back and a breath whispered across his neck.
"You stayed?"
Nathan turned, catching the dazzling smile on Henry's face. Nathan had never known him to appear so happy. He frowned. "Where else would I be?"
Henry linked his hands together across his belly and Nathan covered them. He couldn’t do any more. Any minute now, servants would arrive with pails of water. But he had to connect with Henry. Had to touch him, feel the heat of his strong hands. Had to know that this odd love he believed was reciprocated.
"Your wife left last night."
Henry cocked his head to one side and his smile dimmed.
"That she did. She couldn’t possibly stay.
Henry, I need to add to your duties. I’ll need you to fill in as my valet.”
Henry glanced around. “What happened to Jones?”
“He ran away with his one true love.”
Henry scoffed. "It's not possible for him to run away with himself. He must be cleverer than he looks."
Nathan smiled at Henry's absurd observation. "Smarter than I am, at any rate."
Henry clucked his tongue. “It is a pity Her Grace has already departed. She has strong opinions about the correct demeanour for the position of valet. She could have found a replacement on her travels. The lady is so particular about your clothes.”
“The duchess has requirements in a valet that exceed my desires.” Nathan brushed his hand across Henry's sleeve.
Henry eased back. “Has the duchess gone to
London
?”
“No, she ran off with her one true love, too.”
Watching Henry try to puzzle out his words erased his anger. Neither he nor his wife had loved each other enough not to turn to another. Sybil could have his valet, and Nathan would keep his steward. He walked his fingers up Henry's waistcoat and adjusted his cravat. When it was perfect, he caressed his lover’s cheek.
There was so much about this man to love. Loyalty, strength and above all else, very kissable lips. The man’s body was very distracting. Nathan leaned in and kissed Henry's plump lower lip.
Henry’s eyes widened. “He. They. Oh, good god.”
“Far more eloquently expressed than my poor attempt.”
Nathan leaned in and kissed Henry full on the lips. Hunger beat against his senses as their tongues tangled, but footsteps in the hall drew closer and they parted.
While the footmen lingered filling the bath, Nathan kept his eyes on the view outside his window’s. His prick subsided swiftly, but he didn’t want to take a risk. His heady lust for Henry had killed his anger as if it had never been. Behind his back, Henry directed the servants. When the bath was filled and breakfast laid out, his steward dismissed them.
With Henry filling in as his valet, Nathan could justify moving his lover to this floor. After a thorough cleaning, he could take up residence in the room adjoining Nathan’s dressing closet. They would have complete privacy.
Nathan heard the click of the lock and turned. He stood still as Henry stalked toward him. His desire for the other man surged back to life and with it his prick thickened. But he didn’t get the kiss he wanted.
Henry circled and then pushed at his back. "Strip and have your bath."
Thrilled to carry out the order, Nathan quickly did as he was told, lingered beside the bath in the hope of receiving a slap for tardiness. When he got nothing for his disobedience, he stepped in. Warm water coated his balls, but his erection remained.
Behind him, china clinked and then Henry came forward carrying a teacup.
He snorted. "I've never eaten breakfast in the bath before."
"Nathan, I am currently reassessing what you may not have done. But I would wager you haven’t tried lots of things."
Nathan grinned. "I tried you. I definitely liked you."
Henry turned away but came back with a chair, sitting it close to the bath. He leaned forward and took the teacup before Nathan finished. "Only liked?"
Their eyes met and held. Henry finished Nathan's tea and settled back with his knees slightly apart. Nathan almost crawled out of the bath. "Well." He washed his balls while he stalled for time. How did one confess to another man that they were loved? "Perhaps, more than that."
Henry’s usually placid face split into a blindingly happy smile. He stood, ruffled Nathan's hair and headed to the table to replace the empty teacup with a heaped plate of food. When he returned, Henry’s smile had dimmed somewhat, yet there was a peace about him that made Nathan's heart pound fast.
Desire surrounded them, curling into his belly and banished any thought of eating. Settling the offered plate to the floor, Nathan poured water over his own head and scrubbed his hair. Henry hadn’t said a word. Nothing but a smile.
"Are you clean yet?"
Certain he'd scrubbed enough, Nathan stood, toweling himself dry without a word. Was that it? Was that all the reaction he could expect to his admission?
Nathan glanced at his lover. While Nathan had been busy drying himself, Henry had rearranged the room. He sat on a straight backed chair but another was placed facing it. Puzzled, Nathan approached and dropped his towel on the opposite chair.
"Don’t speak," Henry said, his voice lowered so it wouldn’t carry. "And make sure to keep your enjoyment as quiet as you can. We don’t want to be disturbed, do we?"
Forbidden to speak, Nathan shook his head. Henry turned him so when he stopped, he faced a padded chair.
Henry’s lips brushed Nathan’s ear. "Put your hands on the seat."
Bending at the waist, he touched the chair, but Henry's hand settled on his spine and flattened his back so he was angled from the hips instead. His ass rocked back toward the other chair. He blushed as Henry's warm hands coasted along his sides, stroked over the curve of his rear and settled on his hips. Henry tugged and Nathan took a step back, but kept his hands on the chair.
Warm breath coasted over his buttocks sending delicious shocks to his prick. A chair creaked and Henry tightened his grip on Nathan’s thighs. His legs were forced apart. Without permission to speak, without the ability to moan, Nathan gritted his teeth over the effect and glanced down. Henry's feet stretched forward, knees resting inside his and holding his thighs wide.
Warmth pressed to his left cheek and Nathan took in a steadying breath as pleasure tightened his balls. Henry kissed the whole of his left cheek, and then switched to the right. By the time he'd covered the right in kisses, Nathan was desperate to moan.
Henry's fingers began to knead into the muscles of his thighs. Warm and compelling, they slid over his bare skin, dimming his hunger somewhat. Lips returned, warm and wet against his lower back. Fingers stroked up over his buttocks and then Henry's thumbs slowly opened Nathan’s ass. Warm breath brushed his hole and Nathan gripped the chair tighter. When Henry's lips pressed and then his tongue licked, Nathan went up on his toes.
Henry slung his arm over Nathan's lower back, holding him down flat on his feet. The other fingers spread his cheeks wider and then his lips returned, kissing then licking across his hole, filling Nathan with so much hunger that he closed his eyes.
Henry’s tongue lavished his ass with such devotion than Nathan rocked back into his face. Firm hands pulled his ass cheeks open wide. Henry groaned then stabbed his tongue into Nathan's hole.
Sweet merciful heaven. Nathan was going to spend. Fluid seeped in a long string from his prick as his ass was stuffed full. God, he loved everything Henry did to him. The man was full of surprises. Stubble scratched across his cheek and those talented lips worked down to torture his balls. A moan escaped Nathan.
Henry slurped back up to his ass again and this time his penetration was harder, furiously demanding entry to Nathan's body. The chair under Nathan’s fingers creaked as he held back his release. He would have succeeded had Henry not pressed his tongue deep and slipped his hand over Nathan's prick. Pleasure boiled out in waves, coating the towel covered chair with strings of fluid.
Near to sobbing, Nathan didn’t realize that Henry had moved until the blunt head of his prick started pressing inside him. Nathan gasped, struggling to accept the hard length invading. He widened his stance, relaxing into Henry's possession.
Taking Henry deep still stung at first, but his lover was a patient man, letting Nathan adjust to his size before he began to thrust. Henry ran hands over Nathan until he wriggled back, taking more and encouraging his lover to move.
Henry didn’t oblige. He curled his arms around Nathan and held them tight together. “So incredibly perfect. How did I get this lucky?”
Nathan's breath caught. Impaled by Henry's hard length, he couldn’t move to see his lover’s face. Henry pulled back, and then thrust. His powerful movements and the words stirred Nathan's desire.
With quick demanding thrusts, he had Nathan's pleasure at the brink again. He pounded hard, and Nathan braced himself against the chair to keep his balance. Ass burning, prick slapping against his belly, he ground his teeth to wait for Henry. He wanted the release to be sweet; he wanted them to spend together.
Henry changed the angle, fingers digging into Nathan's shoulders and aligning their bodies for a better fit. Coarse hair brushed his inner thighs and their balls slapped together.
Nathan grabbed blindly for the chair to retain their balance as Henry lifted him to his toes.
"You can spend now, Nate."
Pleasure spiked and flowed at Henry's words. Heat flooded Nathan's ass as Henry spent with huge thrusts, biting down on Nathan's shoulder to muffle his groan.
As the tremors lessened, Henry kept moving, working his release until fluid began to slide down Nathan's thighs. Breathing hard, Nathan reached over his shoulder to keep his lover close. He tightened his fingers in Henry's sweat-dampened hair. "I love you."