“Very astute. The only ones I ever feel vulnerable around are my father and sister. It makes holidays unpleasant. But the house is big enough, I don’t need to see him much, and my sister is almost never around.”
It was a relief beyond measure, not having her sister asking for handouts to buy drugs. How she’d felt like a fool the first time she found out what her sister did with the money. But her sister always looked so sickly that Victoria couldn’t find the heart to say no, until the time her sister did more than ask politely.
“You’re shivering. Are you cold?”
“In my heart. My sister makes me both angry and sad. Since we are nearly at my family’s railcar, please, don’t say anything in front of my father.”
“I won’t. I want to get back to our previous activities.”
His grin sent shivers of happiness through her as well as lust, replacing some of the cold in her heart. Every minute around him broke down the wall of reserve she’d put up. The best part was, she didn’t mind. For the first time in years, someone attracted her in both mind and body. She looked up and caught him staring. The heat flared between them, hot and strong.
“I would enjoy that,” she replied huskily as they arrived at their destination.
Chapter Eight
“Victoria, sit here,” the Earl commanded. “This is Chancellor Troy, and he has been helping me with a few discreet matters.”
Bill hoped his knee-jerk surprise didn’t show on his face. Chancellor Troy had an impeccable reputation. For him to be the Earl’s solicitor came as a surprise as Bill was sure that there existed dirty laundry somewhere in the Earl’s life. Then again, the Earl had been careful to surround himself with legitimate business partners. Now that the king had informed him of the Earl’s extracurricular activities, he wondered how the Earl kept it hidden. Not a whisper, not a word, nothing to indicate he entertained anything but the utmost respect for the crown.
He made a mental note to have his private investigator check out the Earl’s travel plans, those of his other daughter, whom Bill still needed a full name for, and any solicitors associated with the family.
“Bill, I see you accompanied my daughter,” the Earl continued, giving Bill a hard look.
“I have made it my personal duty to protect your daughter on and off this train,” he replied with ice in his tone.
Even from you.
For a second, the Earl looked nonplussed then replied jovially, “Good, good,” and turned to Victoria. “The Chancellor wants to hear what happened at the station directly from the horse’s mouth.”
Bill sat down and clenched his fists under the table. Passive aggressive assholes always produced this reaction in him. Under the guise of a euphemism, he’d implied his daughter to be homely and long in the tooth, another expression used for old maids.
He’d come to know her well enough to see the hurt flash in her eyes before the cool façade fell in place. “We were discussing security measures with the station master and were looking at the monitors when we saw the shooter move into the security office. Mr. Thompson and I then went to investigate, with Bill staying behind in the office. Someone shot at me. Bill came out, and I saw you, Father.”
The Chancellor never took his eyes off her except to make a quick note. Then the Chancellor turned to him and asked, “Does that fit with your recollection, sir.”
Bill nearly cringed at being called sir. The tone came across way too deferential for a business manager, and the way the lawyer looked at him made him feel like squirming as if his schoolteacher had caught him passing notes.
“Yes,” he replied, his voice curt. The last time an assignment became so complicated, he’d been deep undercover in the midst of a violent rebel group. Here, he felt as if he were being trapped in a maze.
“Did you feel, from anything you saw on the monitors, that the target encompassed primarily Victoria?”
“I’m sure I couldn’t say.” Bill pulled out a cigar and lit it. The rich tobacco soothed his nerves at the sharp scrutiny from Chancellor Troy. The cigars were straight off his family’s plantation. They were expensive, but well within the budget of his current job.
“Don’t talk of this to anyone outside of DI Whimsey, myself, and each other. Although, you need to use caution even when speaking amongst yourselves so as not to be overheard. It should not be an issue while on your private traincoach.”
“Why would we say anything to anyone?” Victoria spoke up.
“The press is having a heyday out there. Speculation is running rampant at who might want to kill the continent’s most eligible bachelorette.”
Victoria’s face paled. Bill stood up. “Excuse me, gentlemen. I believe Victoria needs to go back to her private quarters and rest. Rest assured, we have no intentions of blabbing about all this. Mum’s the word,” he said flippantly and pulled Victoria to her feet. “Come, my dear. You look famished and must get some rest.”
“Such a flatterer, sir,” she said.
He bit back a smile. “Of course. Now, off we go. Goodnight, gentlemen.”
As if they’d spoken beforehand, neither said a word until they were ensconced in her private chambers. They said each others’ names at the same time then shared a quiet laugh.
“You go first,” he said.
“What in the name of the King was that?”
“That, my dear lady, was an interrogation. Subtle, smart, and little torturous, but an interrogation, nonetheless. I wonder if your father knows with whom he’s dealing.”
“What?”
“That man is more than he seems.”
“Then he’s in good company, Bill. Hey, is that your real name?” She stepped closer and trailed her hand around his bow tie. His heart stuttered then started to gallop.
“One of them.” He grinned at the sexy pout on her lips and clasped her other hand is his. “It goes with an obscure title that many have forgotten belongs to my family with the more illustrious ones.”
Those eyes of hers stared at him: deep, dark, mysterious. Though he’d studied her face a thousand times from the pictures in the files, none prepared him for the reality of her. She kept so much hidden from the world. A self-defense mechanism he recognized so well. Why give the rest of the world something to gossip about? Her father did enough of that for her.
As he thought this, she tilted her head and pressed her lips to his. The heartbeat that had slowed to a mere canter, bolted into a full out gallop. He took her hand and drew it behind him. With his other hand, he cupped her face. He deepened the kiss, and she opened her mouth when his tongue sought entrance.
His dick throbbed when her hips pushed against it, and she drew herself even closer. With an effort worthy of a knighthood at least, he pulled away and cupped her face with both hands.
“Are you sure?” he asked and then became embarrassed hearing his own raspy voice.
“Yes.”
“But your father...”
“My father can go to hell. I could have died today. I’m not waiting. Even if he found out, he could not force me to marry you before my birthday. The time to plan the wedding alone would be problematic, and gone are the days of running off to Gretna Green because of an indiscretion.”
Amused, he wondered if she realized she’d slipped into her Scottish brogue a trifle as she spoke. “Am I merely an indiscretion, then?” he asked.
“You are so much more than that.”
His heart, galloping to the finish line a moment before, stopped dead at the love and lust in her voice. “I...” He swallowed the words and kissed her instead. He’d ask her to marry him later. Now, he needed his mouth for other more enjoyable things.
***
Victoria closed her eyes as his mouth dropped to hers and became demanding.
About time. I thought he’d talk me to death before he kissed me again.
She pressed herself into him, moving her hands behind his neck and clinging to his hard body.
More.
All she could think of was
more.
How long since she last felt safe? Loved? His actions showed her so much more than the words of men who came before. How many men of her acquaintance would have ran to her after being shot with the killer still on the loose? He took a hold of one side of her pants, and undid the snaps that ran down the side in one quick yank. He repeated the process on the other side and threw her pants to the side, leaving her in her overskirt, garters, and boots from the waist down. His hands grabbed her ass and pulled him against her, pushing the back bustle up so the heat of his palms soaked through her senses as he kneaded her against him.
His erection pushed against her groin, and her skin prickled. This time, she pulled away, took his hand, and led him to her bed. She sat and he pushed her to lie on the bed by kissing her all the way down. His hands began to loosen her many constraints. As he loosened each restraint, he freed a new part of herself. By the time he took her outer corset off, she wanted to cry in relief. With a swift movement, she pulled her gun out of her leg holster and put it in her night spot.
“I nearly forgot you were armed,” he gasped out. “Good thing you liked my kisses.”
She giggled. “I have other things to do. This will be quite unneeded, I assure you.”
He kissed his way down her neck, and the brief moment of laughter disappeared as heat flooded her. With a new feeling of desperation, she yanked on the ties of his breeches and tried to get them undone without getting in the way of his kissing and unbuttoning her shirt. When he freed her breast and bit the nipple, a whirlpool of lust devoured her and she gave up trying to fight the clothes. With a surrendering sigh, she left his pants and gave in to the pleasure. He soon had her blouse completely unfastened and spread apart and began to lavish each breast with attention. The nipples peaked into buds of desire, echoing her inner pools of lust. While looking into his eyes, she brought her hands up and began rubbing them on her skin and her free breast. His hand, which had begun undoing her overskirt, faltered, and he whimpered with need.
With a wicked half smile, she flicked her nipple. His hands became frantic on her, as if she’d opened a door of frenzy in him. Her overskirt flew and her pants were down around her knees. He dropped down to work on her shoes and cursed.
She sat up and pushed his hands away. “I’ll get these. Take your clothes off.”
His eyes were unfocused, and it took him a long minute for her words to sink in. When they did, he moved quickly to divest himself of his clothes. By the time she’d finished the last blasted buckle and zipper and flung her boots off, he stood in naked glory before her.
Pre-cum glistened on the tip, and she reached out a hand, touched the bead and brought it to her mouth. His cock jumped, and he made a little noise in the back of his throat. She reached out her hand again, but this time, she fisted him, slowly, from the base to the tip and back. “Can I put my mouth on you?” she asked.
He stepped closer, put a hand on the back of her head, and guided her to his erection. She opened her mouth wide and allowed him in. Her hand got in the way, so she let go and grabbed his ass. As she neared his base, he pulled her hair back and pushed her head forward so her mouth took him in again. How she liked the flavor of him, having him push the tempo and hearing the groan in the back of his throat, as if holding back. But she would like it more if he lost control.
As she took him in next, she cupped his balls with one hand and left the other on his ass—such a sweet ass. The increased tempo of his hand and hips told her he liked it, so she fondled the sac between her thumb and fingers, back and forth, gently, though the tempo increased. Her stomach clenched as her own lust pulsed through her and she moaned against him as she sucked, and his gasp rained down on her, pouring glitters of desire over her skin.
For the first time, she enjoyed giving a man a blow job, and her whole body agreed. This man smelled clean, tasted a little tangy, and the size of him made her pussy wet just looking at it.
He must have had enough of the teasing, for he suddenly swept her up and thrust her back on the bed. One hand held her head as he kissed her hard, and the other found her clit and sensitive opening. His thumb circled while his fingers pushed into her juices, and she cried out against his lips.
Tingles started in her hands and her clit, as if her body received too much sensation and needed to distribute it. His fingers kept sliding in and out, and the tension in her expanded over the whole of her body. She raised her hips, wanting to draw him in deeper, to tease and torment him into giving her the release she craved. To no avail. His hand kept the steady pace, working the clit and building up her lust. A tight coil began inside of her, winding tighter and tighter.
So much sensation, yet not enough. If he stopped now, she might literally die; she was sure of it. No one could go this high without completion and live. Then her juices flowed on his hand and hot electrical sensations blazed through her. She screamed, and his mouth covered hers in a deep kiss. After her body rocked like a train at full speed, it slowed back down, and her muscles relaxed, causing a sense of languid weightlessness to fill her.
A deep laughter rumbled from deep in his chest. “Not yet, princess. You can’t check out on me. I have more to give you.”
Involuntarily, her breath sucked in and her inner muscles clenched as if searching for the proof of his words. “More? I may die.”
“Then we shall do so together.”
Victoria only received a moment to appreciate his romantic wit before the tip of his dick pushed against her still wet entrance. His arms were on either side of her, and she grabbed on to them as she watched him make love to her.
Slowly, as if testing the waters, he pressed against her opening and began to penetrate. Her body actually quaked in response, and she didn’t know what to expect next. He looked up from where he’d been watching their joined bodies and caught her staring at him.
He gazed into her eyes, something dark and unidentifiable to her in his gaze. “I don’t do this lightly, love. From this moment on, you are mine. I shall have no other and neither shall you. Tell me, say it.”
His dick pushed in a little more and her body screamed
yes
in response. “Only if you are mine as well,” she whispered fiercely. “I will not be played for a fool, physically or emotionally.” Her words were accompanied by a slight lift of her hips. She needed him inside, now.