A low, earthy chuckle passed her lips. “Of course. One must always take care of family, even if one cannot shout it to the world. Amelia is far too young and trusting to associate with the likes of
Danbury
. My brother-by-marriage has done much for her and himself by standing up with her. But you knew that, didn’t you?”
Terrance forced a smile, but alarm bells rang loud in his head. Aiden would not like him to become better acquainted with his sister-in-law. Mrs. Banks had no cause to know him at all. “As you say. Excuse me.”
“Wait.”
Although he didn’t want to, he stopped.
“Lewes is returning.” Then she was gone, weaving through the crowd as if the devils chased her.
Terrance turned as Aiden prowled past, a thunderous scowl on his face. Resigned to an awkward conversation, Terrance followed his lover into the next room, spotted him disappearing through yet another door, and hurried to catch up.
Luckily, that chamber was empty. The door slammed behind Terrance’s back and he was hauled hard against it. “What the devil did Josephine want with you?”
Terrance pried his neck cloth from Aiden’s grip so he could breathe. “She spoke about the good you could do Amelia Dunwoody. That is all.”
Aiden’s breath passed rough through his mouth. Terrance stared, prick thickening with the hint of danger that Aiden always exuded when his emotions were aroused. His lover licked his lips and fixed his gaze on his mouth. “Stay away from her.”
Terrance curled his arm about Aiden’s waist under his coat and rubbed circles over his lower back. “It was never my intention to seek her out. She followed me to the other side of the ballroom. I will not speak to her again.”
But Terrance’s reassurance fell flat. Aiden frowned.
After a long minute, Aiden nodded. “It’s for the best.”
Terrance tugged hard on Aiden’s hips until their pricks brushed. “Want you,” he whispered. “But not here.”
“Where then?”
Terrance’s pulse hammered at the need in Aiden’s voice. “Come home with me. I’ll meet you outside in ten minutes.”
“Make it twenty.” Aiden whispered against his jaw. “I have to get away from Josephine and Robert first. Could take longer.” His lover shifted until their lips brushed lightly.
Terrance flicked out his tongue over them in response. “Would you rather meet me at home?”
“No.” Aiden eased away. “I’m too damn ready to stand for much of a delay.”
“We can fuck standing if you want.”
Aiden kissed him hard. “Shut that wicked mouth before I shove my prick in it here and now.”
Terrance grinned. “As you wish, master.”
Aiden rolled his eyes, wrenched the door open and hurried away, leaving Terrance standing in the Earl of Henderson’s study. He glanced at the portrait of his mother gracing the wall and shuddered. Terrance crossed the room, plucked her portrait from the wall, and tucked it under his arm.
The first Lady Henderson’s portrait belonged with him, not with his bastard of a father.
Chapter Nine
Aiden looked up hurriedly as he crashed into someone tall. “Lord Henderson. Forgive me for not watching my step.”
“Of course, Your Grace. Think nothing of it.”
Henderson
glanced around them with a fast bob of his head. “See here. Did you perhaps notice a tall gentleman, dark hair, dark suit pass this way? Handsome, I think.”
That described half the men in
Henderson
’s ballroom, and was a fair description of Terrance, too. A ripple of unease gripped him at
Henderson
’s anxious tone. Aiden sized him up. He’d never heard a whisper that
Henderson
had less than regular tastes. Still, it wasn’t to his benefit to point him in Terrance’s direction. The man might have been intimately acquainted with him in the past, and Aiden wasn’t about to share his lover again. “No. There is no one else around but me.”
“Bollocks.”
Henderson
raked his fingers through his hair. “I could have sworn—”
Aiden frowned. He didn’t like hearing the disappointment in
Henderson
’s tone. “If you will excuse me, I should rejoin my party. Excellent evening,
Henderson
. Your youngest daughter will do well this season.”
“Of course.”
Henderson
was all attention at his praise. “Thank you for coming, Your Grace. My daughter will be very pleased by your compliment.”
An expectant light brightened
Henderson
’s eyes. Did he think Aiden was interested in little Amelia? That couldn’t be farther from the truth. As Terrance had hinted when he’d pressed him to dance with her, Amelia was a gentle girl. Nice enough voice, but nothing in her manner stirred him to reconsider marriage.
The only thing Amelia Dunwoody’s wide eyes had reminded him of was Terrance—an unusual occurrence for him to think of a man while dancing with a woman. It was another indication of how affected he was by having Terrance in his life again.
He hurried through the ballroom and pressed the Duke of Staines to escort Josephine and Robert home. His friend nodded as if he expected Aiden’s early departure and ignored
Redding
when he smirked at his decision.
As Aiden’s coach drew up to the stairs of Henderson House, he spied Terrance waiting in the shadows farther down the driveway, something large clutched in his hands. Aiden waved his carriage away, “I’ll not need you, after all. Return to Mercer House.” He waited until the carriage departed, then joined Terrance near the shrubbery. “
Bridgewater
? What have you there?”
“Never mind. This way, Your Grace. I have a hack waiting.”
Although curiosity burned through him at Terrance’s behavior, he held his tongue where others might overhear any detailed explanation. Why on earth was Terrance holding a painting and where had it come from? An obvious conclusion was that Terrance had stolen it from
Henderson
’s house. After all, paintings of that size in gilded frames hardly lay about on street corners for long.
Even if he had stolen it, why would he?
Aiden settled beside Terrance as he placed the picture on the opposite seat with care. Unfortunately, he’d turned the work around so Aiden had no idea of its nature. Although he’d rather talk the matter over, he set his hand to Terrance’s knee.
It had been much too long since last night.
His lover turned, nuzzled at his lips before sealing them together in an ardent kiss. Although it had taken some while to grow accustomed to the sensations, Aiden loved kissing Terrance now. He couldn’t understand how stupid he’d been to deny himself such a simple gift in their previous meetings. Maybe if he had not fought his attraction to Terrace so hard, the last three years might have turned out differently.
He teased his tongue inside Terrance’s mouth, running the tip high to swipe the roof of his mouth, along the sharp hard edges of his teeth until his prick ached so badly to be touched he moaned. He almost blurted out a request to be caressed. But he could not trust that the driver wouldn’t be listening. He’d only trust his own staff.
Terrance’s hand cupped his skull, fingertips skimming over his ear.
Aiden shuddered. “Please.”
“Shh,” Terrance whispered in return. “We’re home.”
Aiden’s stomach lurched. Although his lover hadn’t meant the words to be taken so, Aiden was home. He was with Terrance. Nothing else mattered then. He hurried out of the carriage as his mind roiled at the discovery. Wherever this man was, Aiden needed to be. He hadn’t thought of the primed pistol lying within his desk drawer since Terrance had returned to him.
There was no gaping emptiness now that Terrance was back.
He no longer wished for an escape from life.
Terrance, oblivious to Aiden’s revelation, hurried away with the painting clutched to his chest. He opened the door without waiting for Aiden and disappeared inside. Surprised by his quick desertion, Aiden hurried to catch up, moving quietly in case there was a servant lurking about. He met with no one and locked the door behind him then peered into the dark house.
The only sounds he heard were coming from Terrance’s bedchamber above his head. Aiden tiptoed up the stairs as his lover stirred the fire to life in the dark chamber. He closed the door with a soft click and crossed the room. Watching his lover kneeling by the fire, muscles bunching with tension, brought most of Aiden’s lust humming back.
And yet . . . he wanted to know what was going on with that painting. If Terrance had stolen from the Earl of Henderson, then Aiden might be questioned over the matter and potentially be implicated. If that were the case, he’d need to come up with a plausible suggestion that would turn attention away from him, and from Terrance.
Aiden craned his neck and spotted the painting, face turned toward the wall, on the far side of the bed. As he took a step toward it, Terrance stood, crossed the room, and crushed Aiden to his chest.
A rough gasp passed his lovers lips as his hands flowed over Aiden’s body, all too clearly revealing how much he was wanted tonight.
The feeling was entirely mutual, but . . . the painting? “Terrance, wait.”
“Done with waiting.” Terrance pushed Aiden’s ridiculously tight fitting coat from his shoulders and opened his waistcoat, then set about removing his cravat. “Turn around so I can strip you. I’ve got a surprise.”
“Shh,” Aiden hissed. “For God’s sake, keep your voice down.” What the hell was wrong with him to take no care that they were undiscovered?
Terrance chucked. “No need tonight. We have the house to ourselves. I sent the servants away with a handful of coins each. They were very keen to go.” He drew a line down Aiden’s cheek. “Be as loud as you want. There’s no one to overhear our enjoyment.”
“Oh!”
“Oh, indeed.” Terrance spun Aiden around, his hands stroking over his chest hard and then pinched his nipple through his shirt.
Aiden moaned as his desire roared back to life. His prick pushed at the placket of his trousers as his lover teased him without mercy, pulling and rolling on his nipples without ease. He arched his neck as Terrance nipped at the column of his throat. He’d never get enough of this. Every time they met he wanted more. It had always been that way for Aiden, even when Terrance claimed he’d been merely acting the tyrant.
Unwilling to be the sole recipient of attention, he slipped his hand behind his back and captured Terrance’s prick where it stood out within his trousers. The hard length burned his palm, even through gentleman’s clothing. He shuddered at how much he wanted to be buggered tonight. To be possessed by the man whose every move held him in thrall.
Terrance moaned and nipped Aiden’s ear, then feathered his tongue along the rim. A shudder ripped through Aiden, and then another as his lover ripped his shirt clear down the middle so he could touch Aiden’s bare skin. His firm hands pulled him nearer until Aiden’s hand could barely move over his lover’s prick. He gave up, relishing the anticipation of being possessed by such fierce need.
His waistcoat and ruined shirt were whisked away. “Raise your arm,” Terrance whispered then nipped at Aiden’s shoulder with his teeth.
He complied, raising both hands upward, holding them a few feet apart. His lover captured one and looped a rope tied to the bedpost around his wrist, then snagged the other, and tied it to the first. He stood, prick aching for release, both hands bound above his head to the same carved pole. The position was one he hadn’t been in before. He could turn if he chose to, or if Terrance chose to let him.