Twice the Temptation (29 page)

Charlotte’s brows furrowed as she shifted closer to her on the sofa. “It was terribly selfish of me but I was afraid I was going to lose him. Alex. You know our marriage was a farce to begin with but it wouldn’t be anything beyond that unless he was able to forgive me—trust me again. Lucas’s presence was making it all but impossible. Had it simply been my relationship with Lucas at issue, I would not have felt compelled to make such a request of him. But because Nicholas was only just becoming acquainted with Alex and his bond with Lucas was so strong, I could clearly see how much Lucas’s presence was hurting Alex. As I had already denied him the first four years of his son’s life, I couldn’t further subject my husband to that.” 

“You did what you had to to save your marriage, which wasn’t selfish at all. I would never
ever
fault you for that. I hope you know that.” Consuming her and eating Catherine alive was her own guilt. She’d never forgive herself for the large part she’d played in her brother-in-law having lost the first four years of his son’s life. She fully understood Alex’s feelings toward the man who’d—for a time—seemed to take on his role in their lives despite the fact that Lucas and Charlotte had never been lovers. 

“But he didn’t want to leave, Katie,” her sister continued. “I put him in a very difficult position. When he expressed a reluctance to leave England at the time, I told him if marriage was his intentions then I wouldn’t ask that of him.” 

“But he had no intentions of marrying me so he returned to America,” Catherine said flatly. That had been the end of the story. He’d returned home. 

“No—yes—no, that isn’t what I’m saying or why I’m confessing this to you. I made him go even though his reluctance was obvious. Had I asked him a month later, I’m positive he would have refused me—for you. As it was, you were only becoming acquainted. Too soon to commit to something as life altering as marriage, I’m sure. And you can’t fault him for wanting to know for certain, that his feelings were much deeper than physical attraction or lust.” 

No, Catherine did not fault him for that. Although, had he asked her back then, she would have said yes a thousand times. 

“He must care for you very much.” And that was the rub. Not that he cared for Charlotte but the extent of how much. 

“Yes, the same way I care for him. He wants me to be happy. He wanted me to give my marriage a chance to work. That is the only reason he left you. And he’s back because he realized how very
much
you do mean to him. Enough to return whether I approved of it or not.” 

“Is that what you told your husband?” Catherine asked. 

Charlotte snorted. “That he already knew. Today, I told him that he should be thanking Lucas for showering his son with so much love and attention when he wasn’t there to do it himself. Nicholas may not have taken to Alex so quickly if not for his experience with Lucas.” 

“What did Alex say to that?” 

A small smile ghosted her sister’s mouth. “He didn’t say anything for a long time and then he kissed me.” 

Catherine could well imagine what happened then. 

“We both want the same thing for you and that is a chance at happiness with the only man you’ve ever loved. You do love him, do you not?” 

Yes, she did love him. More than she thought possible. Catherine nodded. 

“And he loves you. Very much.” 

“I believe that he believes he does.” 

“He believes it because he
does
.” 

“Lottie, you must understand. I want to be certain. I couldn’t bear to live my life always wondering what would have happened had you not been in love with Alex.” 

Sighing, her sister regarded her. “The house party commences on Friday. You will know for certain then.” 

Good or bad, she’d have her answer. 

C
HAPTER
N
INETEEN
 

A
n hour later, Catherine and Lucas boarded his leased landau. At her sister and brother-in-law’s indulgence, he assumed the privilege of seeing her home…to her door. Which door was still in question.

The carriage hadn’t gone fifty yards before Lucas rose from his seat and took the one next to her. In addition to two adults, there was enough room on the upholstered bench seat to fit a small child. Lucas made certain no such space existed between them. She sat exquisitely trapped between him and the corner. 

“The evening went much better than I anticipated,” he said taking her bare hand in his. 

Catherine’s pulse jumped. His woodsy scent invaded her nostrils. When he was near to her like this, her misgivings fled. 

Had she been a woman like Lady Ramsey—bold and intrepid—she would run her hand up his thigh, lean over and graze a kiss across his jaw and up to his plump bottom lip. She would be the initiator, the seductress, truly a temptress and not the facsimile of one. 

“It was nice to see you and Alex getting on so well.” She tried not to sound as if his proximity didn’t render her slightly breathless, but the task was easier said than done. 

He shifted closer and she felt him down her left side. 

“No one was more surprised than I at his sudden amiability.” Did his voice sound huskier? 

“Alex is a—” 

That is as far as Catherine got before Lucas’s mouth was on hers, stealing more breath from her than she could afford, breathless as she was already. Although she’d sensed the kiss would come, had been anticipating it with a focus of a wanton, he’d still managed to surprise her with his dexterity and quickness. 

He kissed her like a man who hadn’t seen a drop of water in days and was desperate to quench his thirst. His tongue plunged in deep and within seconds had her moaning her pleasure into his mouth. Cupping her nape in his hand, he continued the delicious invasion, licking, sucking, nipping. She was selfish and greedy for she simply wanted more. She moaned and pressed into him. When she touched his thigh and her hand began its trek up warm flesh and hard muscle covered by fine wool, Lucas groaned and wrenched himself from her. He straightened and tugged at his necktie. He breathed as if it were the most laborious task known to man. 

Bereft could not begin to describe how she felt. To be so cruelly denied the pleasure of his touch, of his mouth and his talented fingers did not go down happily. Trembling, she gave her coiffure a few self-conscious pats before tugging her cloak tightly about her, mindful of how it chafed her nipples that were now achingly erect. 

“I promised myself I would kiss you but once on the ride back to your residence,” he said his voice tight and rough with what it had cost him to end the embrace. And while he spoke, he didn’t look at her, instead staring directly ahead. “As I stated before, I do not want our first time to take place in a carriage. You should be afforded an experience much better and far more comfortable than this.” 

In that moment, Catherine sorely resented his self-restraint. He had been able to keep his head, while it was clear she had lost hers for she would have permitted it. She would have laid back in a carriage whose width was too short to accommodate either their heights. She would have parted her legs and allowed him to take her amid the muffled cries of pleasure, the canter of horses, and the chirping of crickets. 

Catherine grew moist just thinking about it, her imagination a source of pleasure as well as infinite frustration. 

“I have given Reeves the day off and the housekeeper takes to her bed by nine on the days my brother and his family are away.” In other words, should he require an interpreter, all the servants would have already retired for the evening when she reached home. 

Catherine regarded his shadowed profile trying to discern his reaction. Had his expression changed? Was his heart beating as violently in anticipation as hers?   

“Are you inviting me
in
, Miss Rutherford?” he inquired, all very proper-like before finally glancing down at her. 

In indeed!
The man was a master of the double
entendres.
 

“Only if you’d like to
come in
, Mr. Beaumont.” He was also a very bad influence. 

He gave a dark, sexy rumble of a laugh. “Oh, I’d like that very much, Miss Rutherford.” 

The air in the carriage fairly sizzled with electricity yet not one word passed between them until they were standing behind the closed door—bolted shut—of her bedchamber. They had one hour, as that is when Lucas had instructed the driver to return for him. 

Intent on not wasting one moment, the kiss commenced at the door, Lucas’s mouth swooping down and making hers its willing prisoner. The kiss coaxed, seduced, and demanded everything she had to give. And she helplessly gave and gave, luxuriating in the avariciousness of it, the wicked thrust of his tongue against hers. The way he sucked hers into his mouth had her panting for more. 

Somehow they managed to cross the room to her bed, mouths fused together and hands clutching, squeezing and caressing. She was only able to find her bearings when Lucas lowered her onto the mattress. She held onto him tightly, her breasts flush against the muscled wall of his chest. Flat on her back, she needed him to anchor her to earth though it was he who caused her to attain the dizzying heights that had her mind spinning helplessly. 

When his hand slid up to possessively cup her breast, pleasure knifed a direct path from her nipple to her core, making her embarrassingly wet. Her inner muscles involuntarily clenched in response to the throbbing at the apex of her thighs. But that only further exacerbated the problem. 

Apparently dissatisfied with touching her over her clothes, Lucas shifted her onto her side and tackled the buttons at the back of her dress. After he’d dispensed with that, he undid the laces of her corset with greater swiftness and adroitness than her lady’s maid. The dress and the corset he pushed down to her waist and the chemise was stripped from her completely. 

All too soon—yet not soon enough—Catherine was flat on her back again. His hungry gaze roamed over her naked breasts before he lowered his head and traced the pert nipple with the tip of his tongue. He batted and circled it before pulling the rosy nub into his mouth. She let out a choked cry and drove her hands through his hair to clutch him to her. 

His cheeks hollowed as he suckled her breast, and each draw caused a corresponding pull at her center. When he had her babbling incoherently, he switched his ardent attention to the other breast. 

This one he ruthlessly teased with broad strokes using the flat of his tongue. His ministrations did nothing to appease her growing appetite or alleviate the ache that had now taken over her entire person. All he succeeded in doing was escalating them. It was many minutes later before he lifted his head from her breast, leaving the nipple tight and wet. Too desperate for sexual gratification, she hadn’t the capacity to think. 

She whimpered in desire and frustration as she tried to get closer to him, rolling her hips and widening her thighs. Lucas appeared to know exactly what she needed, for in the next instant his hardness was snug against her, in the notch between her legs. But he was still clothed, having only discarded his overcoat, and jacket. 

“God damn,” he groaned, his breath hot on her ear as his hands drew her heavy skirt and petticoats up. Cool air washed over her as his hand trailed up her calf, her knee, her thigh. He quickly rid her of her undergarments, her silk stockings, and garters. 

With her dress bunched up about her waist and her lower body bared to his lustful gaze, he used his legs to push hers farther apart. His eyes were trained on the tuft of hair covering her sex. His nostrils flared and his gaze flickered to hers. He stared directly into her eyes as he dragged two fingers down the seam, plying her flesh where she was slick and hot. 

Catherine emitted a sharp gasp of pleasure as her hips arched off the bed. If asked to describe the feeling, she could not. All she knew was that she had little control over her body’s response and even less over her emotions. 

“Lucas.” His name came out a plaintive moan. 

His fingers sank knuckle-deep into her and her next breath caught in her throat. 

“So tight,” he grunted, crooking his finger. 

Need clamored inside her, expanding so it was impossible to contain. She reached for the closures on his trousers. Before she could make contact, Lucas removed his fingers from her, grabbed her hands, and pressed it back down onto the bed. 

“Another time,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I fear this time I won’t last terribly long.” He hurriedly dealt with the buttons himself and pushed his trousers and undergarment down over his narrow hips. His erection sprang free. 

Catherine could only stare as excessive amounts of saliva pooled in her mouth. Larger than Mr. Samuel’s, to be sure, both in length and girth. Her breath now came in pants, her anticipation acute. She didn’t realize her hips were undulating until Lucas clasped them, steadying them in his hands. 

He lowered himself down onto her until the head of his member was pressed against her entrance. Then he was inside her. Catherine let out a whimper; Lucas made a sound that was a mixture of a grunt and groan. His face twisted in agony. With another thrust, he was in all the way and she felt full, utterly possessed.