Done!

Done, done, DONE.

My seventh novel is now in the can, and I'll tell you, there were times I wasn't sure I was going to make it. But as with every November, somehow, it all comes together in the end...

It may not be ready to set the literary world in fire, but it's done, and it's MINE.

As always, I'm so proud of this accomplishment, more than people know.

Of course, I'd be remiss without a few thank yous...

 
Thanks to Jen, for all her encouraging emails, her dares, and her unwavering belief that I can do it.

Thanks to Dad, Michelle and Don, for always believing that I can write another novel.

And thanks to all the nameless, faceless readers who enjoy what I put on the page. You are the reason I write.

And dedicated to the memory of Mum, who always supported me, believed in me, loved me, and knew that someday, I'd be a writer. I miss you every day.

Until next year...

Chapter Thirty-Five

“Do you think anyone noticed?” Jamie asked, unwinding his cravat from his neck and tossing it carelessly onto the bedside table, smiling at his new wife, who was lying on the bed, still in her wedding dress, though her slippers lay across the room where she had kicked them the moment the door had shut behind them at the inn where they would be spending their first night as husband and wife.

“Do I think anyone noticed what?” Maddy asked, hiding a yawn behind her hand. She was exhausted from the day’s events, the celebratory (and extravagant) meal and party that had followed the ceremony, and dearly wished that someone had thought to schedule a nap in between all of the festivities so she could stay awake, not wanting this day to ever end.

Without a doubt, this was one of the happiest days of her life, Maddy thought blissfully.

Jamie threw her a wicked smile as he toed off his boots. “That you vowed to love, honor and obey, and that I also vowed to love, honor and obey.”

Maddy grinned in reply. “Yes, I notice that Fitz didn’t add ‘obey’ to his vows when it was his turn to say them.”

“And yet, I had to,” Jamie said, sitting on the side of the bed and taking Maddy’s hand in his, kissing it lightly. “I vowed to obey you.”

“In any way I choose?” Maddy asked, arching an eyebrow teasingly.

“I suppose it depends,” Jamie hedged with a grin, noting the wicked expression on her pixyish features.
“If I tell you to go and get me a cup of chocolate from the kitchen downstairs, will you obey?” she asked, resting their linked hands on her stomach and tugging Jamie onto the bed. He stretched his long frame beside her, and she snuggled into his shoulder happily, Jamie’s arms immediately wrapping possessively around her.

“No,” Jamie said evenly, though with a tender smile for her. “I don’t believe I will. Not tonight, anyway. Perhaps tomorrow. Tonight, though, I would hope you have other things on your mind than chocolate.”

“You don’t know what I was planning to do with the chocolate, my lord,” Maddy shot back, and Jamie raised his head from the pillow, giving her a small, shocked expression that made her laugh.

“In that case…” Jamie made to move off the bed, and Maddy pulled him back towards her, laughing.
“How about if I tell you I don’t want you to go shooting next week,” Maddy said, her eyes closing as she breathed in Jamie’s scent from the crook in his neck.

“I suppose I would ask why you don’t want me to go before I decide whether or not to obey,” Jamie said, his arms holding her closely, his lips pressed to her temple.

“Because I don’t want you to be apart from me, for even a minute,” Maddy said honestly. “The thought of us being apart right now is almost physically painful. Isn’t that silly?” she asked, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed by the conviction of her feelings that they always remain together, though she knew that was an unreasonable expectation.

“I don’t think it’s silly in the least,” Jamie said, dropping a kiss on to the top of her head. “Because right now, I’m not keen on the idea of being away from you either, my wife. In fact, I have to go to London in a fortnight’s time, and I’ve already arranged for a larger home in Town, a larger carriage, and for you to accompany me, so that I might introduce you to all of society as my new bride.”

Maddy stiffened slightly and Jamie noted the tenseness of her muscles and sought to soothe her. “Everyone will love you. And believe me, when they know you are my wife, they will make no mistake in ever thinking you are less than you are. You are a gentleman’s daughter. You are the wife of an earl. You are the Countess Carrington. And they will absolutely love you, as I do.”

Maddy smiled at the tenderness in his words, though she was suddenly jolted to hear her new title. She thought of herself as Jamie’s wife, not as ‘The Countess Carrington’.

She knew she would get used to her new title it in time, but right now, she was perfectly contented just to be Jamie and Maddy, the happy couple.

“As long as you are by my side, I will be happy to join you there,” Maddy said contentedly. “And as long as I can check out those exemplary dancing skills of yours while we are no doubt attending glittering parties and balls.”

“In that, I promise to obey,” Jamie said with a smile in his voice.

Maddy bit her lip, suddenly feeling wicked and not the least bit tired, now that she and her new husband were all alone and in private.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Maddy said blissfully, running her hand up and down Jamie’s strong chest through his shirt, reveling in the feel of his muscles under his fingers.

“Any other things in which I need to obey?” Jamie asked lazily, and Maddy grinned to herself, knowing just the request he should fulfill.

“Do you remember that night in Lord Fitzhugh’s rooms when you promised to be my prisoner?” Maddy asked devilishly, and heard the answering rumble of laughter in Jamie’s chest beneath her ear.

“I remember every detail of that night exceeding well, my wife. Why do you mention it?”Jamie asked, a question in his voice.

“Because I believe it’s time for me to cash in on being your ward and you being my prisoner,” Maddy said, sitting up and disentangling herself from Jamie.

“Oh?” Jamie said, raising an eyebrow, watching her carefully.

“Yes,” Maddy said, throwing her hair over her shoulder. “And you can start by undressing me.”

Jamie sat up as well, smiling broadly as he began to unbutton the back of Maddy’s wedding gown, pressing a kiss to each inch of skin as it was exposed to him. Finally, Maddy got up off the bed and shimmied out of the dress, allowing it to pool at her feet, enjoying Jamie’s shocked gaze as he studied her up and down, noting her lacy under things, which left exceedingly little to the imagination.

“You mean to tell me you’ve been wearing that underneath your wedding dress all day?” He asked hoarsely, drinking her in. “It’s probably best I didn’t know that, or I would have had to skip the party altogether just to get my hands on you.”

Maddy laughed, and then put on her serious face. “Now, undress for me,” she said, her tone commanding, and Jamie slid off the bed, his hands flying up to his shirt buttons. Maddy perched on the bed and watched as Jamie’s tanned, smooth skin came into view, his muscles bunching with each movement he made, until he stood before her, as rapturous as a Greek statue of a god.

“Sit,” Maddy said, standing up and pointing to the bed.

Jamie sat, a smile still on his face as he watched her take on the mantle of control.

She leaned over and picked up his cravat from the side table, running the silk through her fingers slowly. “I believe I have the perfect way to use this, my husband,” she said.

She leaned over, smacking away Jamie’s hands from where they had reached up to grab her hips in his struggle to pull her closer. With a bark of a laugh, he did as he was told and dropped his hands to his sides, waiting.

Maddy leaned over again and deftly tied the cravat around Jamie’s eyes, plunging him into darkness. She straightened, and then gently pushed Jamie back onto the bed, not even bothering to hide her smile now.
“Are you my obedient earl?” She whispered in his ear, her hair trailing across his chest, raising goose bumps up and down his body.

“In every way, my lady,” Jamie said, his voice eager and husky.

“Good,” Maddy said, a smile in her voice. “In that case, I’d like you to undress me.”

“My lady?” Jamie said, seeking further instruction.

“Undress me. By touch. No peeking, my husband,” Maddy said, enjoying the torment of pleasure on Jamie’s face.

“I won’t peek, my lady,” Jamie said, already sitting up and reaching for her.

“Oh, and just one more thing,” Maddy said, dancing away from him.

“And what’s that?” Jamie asked.

“I want you to do it with your teeth.”

“Your wish is my command, my lady,” Jamie said, smiling at his wife with total obedience.

50008/50000

Chapter Thirty-Four

“I’m so nervous, I could faint,” Rose said, her voice faint and thready as she paced from one end of the room to the other, careful not to snag her dress on the furniture or her shoes. “Aren’t you nervous? You don’t look nervous. Why don’t you look nervous?” Rose asked, her voice increasing in volume and octaves as she quizzed Maddy, who was sitting calmly on a nearby couch, examining her nails with detached interest.

“I don’t know,” Maddy said with a small shrug. “I’m just… not.”

“So what’s your secret, then?” Rose demanded, flopping down beside her, and then springing back up again as though she were a Jack in the box.

Maddy laid a comforting hand on her friend’s arm, stilling her panicky movements. “If you keep flitting around like that, you are going to make me nervous!” she said with a laugh. “I thought you would be excited, but not nervous.”

“I know, I thought that as well, but… here I am, nervous,” Rose said, pressing a hand to the butterflies in her stomach as though she could push them away physically. “And you aren’t,” she added, accusingly.

“I suppose I’m not nervous because I know this is exactly the way things should be,” Maddy said with a smile, thinking of Jamie, who was in another room, probably looking at his own nails with detached interest, she thought with a private chuckle. “I’ve dreamed of this for so long, and now that it’s here, I’m just… happy. Calm. Excited. Not nervous.”

“Well, I never dreamed this day would come, so apparently I’m a nervous wreck!” Rose exclaimed, striding over the mirror again and examining herself with a critical eye.

“Having you here also makes me happy, calm and excited,” Maddy said, and Rose whirled around, smiling at her best friend.

“Oh, Maddy, if you weren’t here, I would be ten times more nervous, I’m sure of it!” Rose wailed, turning back to the mirror again.

Maddy stood up and crossed the room to stand beside her friend, linking her arm around her waist and giving her a small squeeze, smiling at their twin reflections in the mirror, and then smiling more widely when Rose gave her a brave grin in return. “You look absolutely beautiful, my dearest friend,” Maddy said with affection for her best friend.

Rose kissed Maddy’s cheek. “You look a vision yourself, Maddy. Truly.”

Both women were framed in the mirror, gorgeously outfitted in white wedding gowns, their hair carefully done and their faces rosy with excitement and anticipation.

Maddy had waited a few days to tell Fitz of her impending marriage to Jamie, but when he strode into the parlor one morning and announced that Rose had agreed to become his wife, she knew the timing would never be better.

Though Fitz was initially skeptical of the match – and of Jamie’s devotion to her – he became increasingly supportive when he saw how perfectly elated Maddy was, the glow finally returning to her features, which had been missing for entirely too long.

Plus, Jamie and Fitz had had a long, long conversation that evening over a brandy, and Maddy assumed that Jamie had told Fitz of his devotion to her, and after that night, Fitz had been well on board with her marriage plans.

Once Rose and Maddy had shared their happy news with the other, it seemed only natural and fitting to join their families all together in a double wedding, put together over the ensuing weeks.

Now that the day was here, Maddy was eager to start her life as Mrs. Carrington, while Rose seemed eager not to throw up before the ceremony.

The door opened and both women whirled around, afraid it was one of the future grooms, and sighed in relief when Billings stepped in gingerly. “My ladies, the church is filled to capacity, the priest is in position and ready to begin, and the grooms are eager to see their brides. Might I suggest you make your way to the chapel?” Billings said, holding the door open wider for them both and giving them a deep bow.

Carefully picking up their bouquets, the girls linked arms again and walked towards the small chapel where they were to be married, both grinning in delight and anticipation, all butterflies suddenly gone, it would seem.

Maddy took a deep breath just before the door opened, glancing down at the beautiful diamond ring that sparkled on her finger, a surprise she was not expecting when Jamie had slid it on her finger the day after his proposal. He confessed that he had bought it in London, intending to make her his wife no matter what, though even he admitted the… passionate circumstances of his proposal were unusual, which made them both laugh at the memory of it.

As the door to the chapel finally creaked open, and her eyes immediately went to Jamie, who stood tall and handsome at the front of the church, his suit cut and fitting perfectly, his hair slicked back, his blue eyes shining with eagerness and delight as he looked around the room at their assembled friends and family.

When he saw her, though, his smile faded for just a moment and his jaw dropped slightly, which Maddy took to be a good sign. She and Rose walked up the aisle, taking their places beside Fitz and Jamie, everyone giving each other reassuring smiles.

Jamie leaned over to whisper to her, only loud enough for her to hear. “You look absolutely more beautiful than I have ever seen you, Mrs. Carrington.”

Maddy smiled at him, pleased by the compliment, but still wanting to rattle his cage a bit. “I’m not Mrs. Carrington yet. I could still bolt, you know.”

“You could,” Jamie agreed. “But you know I would chase you to the ends of the earth and throw you over my shoulder and bring you back, don’t you?” he said with a wink, making Maddy giggle slightly at the vision of her wedding dress draped over his shoulder, her bouncing along as he took her captive and hauled her back to the chapel to make her his.

“Then by all means, Lord Carrington, let us proceed,” she whispered in reply, and as the priest cleared his throat, the two happy couples turned towards the nave in preparation of reciting their vows of marriage.

48564/5000

Chapter Thirty-Three

Jamie and Maddy remained pressed together for several long minutes, kissing lovingly, murmuring affections to each other. After a few minutes, though, Maddy could feel Jamie’s desire stirring against her belly as their kisses became more ardent, more insistent, more passionate.

With a shaky laugh, she pulled herself away from his embrace, noting his heightened breathing and cheeks that were as suffused with red as her own were.

“We should return to the party before we are missed,” she said, drawing in a deep breath and forcing a smile. “It wouldn’t be proper for us to have disappeared unescorted.”

Jamie looked at her and raised a lazy eyebrow. “My god, we don’t want to be improper.”

She grinned at his sardonic tone, and pressed a hand to her temple, brushing back a lock of hair that had come undone under the pressure of his kissing her. “Jamie, we have to go back to the party,” she said, firmer now, seeing the suddenly predatory expression in his eyes. “Fitz will notice I’ve gone. And every lady in the room will notice that you’ve gone.”

“Fitz only has eyes for Rose tonight, and I only have eyes for you, and all the other women can mind their own business,” Jamie said huskily. “I came back from London early to see you, and I’ve been dreaming about being with you again since the last time we were… together,” he said with a wicked smile.

She couldn’t help but smile in return at his implication. “What do you suggest? We make love in Lord Fitzhugh’s spare room?”

Jamie raised that damned eyebrow again, and Maddy paled slightly. “Jamie, no. We can’t.”

“We can. And we will,” he added, his voice deep and full of promise.

“I’ll scream,” she said without conviction.

“I’ll stop you,” he said, sounding almost bored.

“I’ll run away,” she tried again, enjoying the game between them.

“Not if I keep you my prisoner here,” Jamie shot back and she laughed out loud, delighted by the prospect of having Jamie whisk her away, away from everything to a place where only the two of them existed – a plan that definitely had appeal to her. “Unless, of course, you are no longer interested in me, my lady.”

“Definitely not,” she said with a straight face, and he advanced a step, closing in on her. “I find you vile and unwholesome.”

“Oh?” he asked, taunting her. “Would you like me to show you just have depraved I am?”

“Absolutely not,” Maddy said, backing up a step and bumping into the wall behind her.

“I didn’t think you would,” Jamie said evenly, pouncing forward and pressing himself against her again, crushing his mouth to hers insistently even as he tried to push him away with her hands against his chest, feeling the speedy thrum of his heart beneath them. She squeaked out a half hearted protest, even as he captured the hands she was about to beat against his chest again and yanked them firmly up above her head, pinning her in place.

She struggled for breath until he finally released her mouth, only to begin assaulting the pulse in her neck, making her groan at the touch of his lips against that tender skin. Keeping her hands above her head, he switched until he was only holding them with one hand, so that his other could roam down, starting at the notch in her throat and ending as he clutched a breast, hard, through the silk of her gown.

She writhed against him, shifting her hips forward to rub her body against his erection, making him growl against her throat. “You are definitely my prisoner now,” he whispered, and she shivered at his husky tone. “And prisoners must do as their captors say.”

“I have only one thing to say, my lord,” Maddy said breathily, her eyes fluttering closed. “What goes around comes around. I may be your prisoner now, but believe me when I tell you that you will be my prisoner soon enough, and that I will return it back to you threefold.”

“Promise?” he asked, lifting his head to meet her eyes hungrily.

“Oh, absolutely,” she said with a wry grin as she opened her eyes again. “Absolutely, my lord.”

“In that case…” Jamie trailed off as he squeezed her breast again, kneading her pebbly nipple beneath the thin fabric, making her arch her back as the pad of his thumb stroked against the raised skin. He repeated the movement with the other breast, then with a growl of frustration, tugged at the neckline until it shifted down beneath her breasts, framing them for his enjoyment. The dim light made her skin look milky like moonlight, and he lowered his mouth to her arched breast, suckling at her nipple, and then biting down with his teeth, making her entire body tense with the sheer pleasure of it.

She could suddenly see the appeal of his dark secret – finding herself completely at his will, at his mercy, and being bound up and made to please him was strangely erotic, dangerous and satisfying – not to mention the sheer fear of discovery by someone else in the house. She was sure she could feel every nerve ending in her body screaming for his touch, and for release, despite the danger of their being discovered.

She hoped his torture wouldn’t last too long, and that it would last forever, she thought in the same breath.
Even as he teased her nipples, his hand slid down her side, down to her quivering thigh, where she could feel him ruching up the fabric of her gown carelessly, his fingers trailing along her bare skin in its wake.

She gasped as his fingers slid inward, tracing the line of her folds through her thin panties, even as he bit down on her nipple again, making her cry out at the fireworks of sensation it wrought through her body.

“It seems you missed me too, my lady,” Jamie murmured against her skin, and she flushed anew at his words, and then as one finger slid slowly, so slowly inside the lace of her panties, seeking her soft skin beneath.
Her knees weakened, and she could feel him renew his grip on her hands to hold her upright, even as he continued to tease her womanhood mercilessly.

“Look at me,” he ordered suddenly, and she struggled to open her eyes against the sensation of his touch against her folds. “Look at me when I bring you, Maddy. I want to watch you,” he said huskily, and she finally opened her eyes and settled her unfocused eyes on his, biting back a scream as he slid a finger inside her, teasing her open for him. His finger slicked in and out, slowly at first, then building in speed, even as his eyes remained locked on hers, full of heat.

She felt her entire body tremble, felt her entire body screaming for release, and with a final flick at her clit and another finger slid deep inside her, she came apart in his arms, shuddering around him, though she did manage to keep her eyes on his throughout.

She did collapse then, and he used his body to prop her against the wall, her hands still trapped by his strong ones.

“Jesus Christ, that’s the most erotic thing I’ve ever seen,” Jamie whispered against her hair. “Watching you like that… watching your release…”

Maddy struggled for breath, glad for the solidness of his body holding her up against the wall. “I’m glad I please you, my lord,” she said shakily.

“You do,” he replied, then gave her a small smile. “Almost.”

“Al – almost?” She asked, suddenly worried that she hadn’t pleased him enough.

He grinned devilishly, and she could feel one of his hands drop, fumbling at the closure on his breeches, releasing himself from the prison of his clothes, and she understood what his ‘almost’ meant.

Still clasping her hands in his, he pushed aside the fabric of her gown and panties with his free hand, and shifting position slightly, buried himself inside her in one thrust, both of them crying out at the feel of him sheathed deep inside her.

Shifting his hips and bending his knees to accommodate his height against her lack thereof, he began a slow rhythm, obviously enjoying torturing her with his lack of speed, all the while building his anticipation of his own release.

He slicked in and out of her, increasing his speed until she thought she would truly die from the feeling of their bodies entwined together so intimately. Then, she could sense a change in his rhythm and knew he was close to his own release, his lips crashing into hers, his tongue taking possession of her mouth.

Faster and faster he thrust into her before he tumbled over the edge of passion, taking her with him, both of them shuddering and gasping for breath as they climaxed together.

Tenderly, he pressed a kiss to her temple, and then stepped away from her slightly, reclosing his breeches and then lowering her hands in his, kissing them each gently at the wrist where he could see the impression of his fingers bruising the tender skin.

“Depraved enough, my lady?” he asked sweetly, and she smiled at him affectionately.

“Absolutely not, my lord,” she replied, even as she stood on tiptoe to press her lips to his again.

He grinned, and took another step back, admiring her flushed cheeks and satisfied smile, her clothes and hair in disarray.

His little sprite looked absolutely well loved, he thought. And he wanted to remember this vision for the rest of his days.

“I do have one question, though,” he said, finally catching his breath.

“Yes?” Maddy asked, distracted as she tried to right her clothing again.

“I realize I’m vile and unwholesome…”

“Indeed,” she replied tartly, and he swatted her bottom playfully as she turned to unwrinkle the back of her skirt.

“And I know I have a terrible temperament, an obvious lack of wit, and am a sloth,” he continued, and she grinned, remembering her teasing of him during their walk in Bath so many weeks ago when they were becoming reacquainted, as he echoed the very words she had said at the time.

“Very much so,” she said, brushing her skirts again.

He took both her hands in his, stilling her movements, and forcing her to look up at him. “Despite all those faults, and the many more of mine you’ve learned of over the last few weeks…”

She looked up at him, puzzling by this line of questioning and character assassination.

“Despite that,” he said, drawing in a shaky breath. “I was hoping you might do me the honor of becoming my wife.” He paused, watching her carefully. “Marry me, Maddy. Marry me.”

Maddy’s jaw dropped open as she absorbed this earth shattering moment.

Lord Jamie Carrington, Earl of Wyrestone, wanted her for his wife.

Despite the impact on society, despite their differences in temperament, despite his secrets… he wanted her.

Forever.

“I… I don’t know what to say,” she whispered, absolutely taken aback.

“Say yes,” he prompted. “Say yes, Madeline.”

“Jamie… are you sure about this?” Maddy asked hesitantly. “I mean, are you really sure? I know we’ve talked and talked about what a poor match we are, and yet despite that, here you are, proposing marriage.”

“I’m sure,” he said firmly, and her heart melted slightly at the conviction in his tone.

“Jamie… I just… I don’t want you trapped into an unhappy marriage because of…” she gestured weakly between them, indicating their recent passion. “Simply because of our desire for each other.”

“I could never be unhappy with you, Maddy,” Jamie said softly. “Never. Never. Never. Please… say yes. Make me happy. Right now. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life than I am of wanting you in my house, my bed, my heart – forever.”

“Oh Jamie…” she said, tears spilling down her cheeks even as she flung herself into his arms. “Yes. Yes! A million times yes!”

Jamie swung her up into his arms, twirling her in a circle before setting her gently back on the ground. “I believe that at this moment, I am the happiest man in England!” he said, a wide grin splitting his face.

And melting her heart for good.

47498/50000

Chapter Thirty-Two

Maddy lagged behind in the doorway of Lord Fitzhugh’s enormous ballroom, the site of the final event of the Season in Bath, a lavish supper to be followed by lots of dancing and merriment, and everyone who was anyone in Bath was packed into the room, drinks in hand and laughter tinkling gaily on top of the musicians’ tunes playing in the corner.

Maddy watched as Fitz walked into the room in front of her, head held high, with Rose on his arm, their bodies close together, signaling to anyone watching that they were indeed a new couple. They greeted Lord and Lady Fitzhugh, and then made their way into the room, both smiling broadly, though mostly at each other.
At least they had a happy ending, she thought darkly, an image of Jamie brushing against her consciousness.

Maddy knew she couldn’t lurk in the doorway all night, despite her desire to, so she walked in as though she didn’t have a care in the world and greeted Lord and Lady Fitzhugh with a curtsy. She immediately walked to the other side of the room, saying hello to acquaintances as she passed but not stopping, and gave Lord Blakely a small wave from across the room, where he was surrounded by several adoring ladies, which made her smile. He winked at her, and raised his glass in salutation, and she suddenly knew that things were fine between them, despite her gentle rejection of his marriage proposal.

Maddy suddenly froze in place when her worst fear was realized: Jamie had just walked in through the doorway, Lady Drake hot on his heels, her hand clenching his arm possessively.

Seeing them together caused her physical pain, and before she could think, she had darted out of the doorway she stood near and into the dimly lit hallway beyond. She nearly ran down the hallway, pushing open the door of a room not being used for the party, and sucked in gulps of air, begging for the pain in her heart to go away.

She gasped in surprise and shock when the door blew open behind her, then struggled for breath anew when she realized Jamie had followed her into the room, slamming the door shut behind him, his eyes dark and searching.

Before she could speak, he pressed her against the wall wantonly, his lips capturing hers with great force, bruising her lips and cutting off her air. She pummeled his chest with her hands, squeaking for him to stop, even as he pressed his entire length against him, pinning her to the wall at her back.

After a long, soul searing kiss, his stepped back and looked at her with a wide grin. “God, I’ve been waiting for days and days to do that. Did you want to be chased? Why did you run away like that?”

Maddy looked at him in shock, her mouth agape. After a long moment, she regained her steely resolve and straightened her shoulders. “Perhaps so I wouldn’t get in the way of your new paramour, my lord,” she said icily, and Jamie stepped back as though she had physically struck him.

“My new what?” He roared, his eyes locked on hers in confusion. “What are you talking about, woman?”

Maddy swallowed thickly. “I understand you and Lady Drake have been having quite a time together in London. I didn’t want to get in the way of your dancing and carousing, my lord.”

“What…” Jamie stood stock still, absorbing the coolness of her words, her address. “We’re suddenly back to ‘my lord’?” He asked in disbelief. “And what the bloody hell are you talking about?”

“You and Lady Drake, my lord,” she said, putting emphasis on his title. “She’s quite the perfect match for you. I’m sure you’ll be very happy together.”

“This is madness,” Jamie hissed after a long moment. “I’m not with Lady Drake, not in the least. She needed an escort back to Bath, so I left early, skipping meetings that I  really should be attending, just so I could come back and see you. I can’t breathe in London, and I can’t breathe without you.”

Maddy slumped against the wall at her back slightly, taken aback by his words. “Wh- what?”

“I came back for you,” Jamie said evenly. “You know I did.”

“I know nothing of the sort,” Maddy said tartly. “Only that you and Lady Drake have been attached at the hip since leaving Rotherham House.”

“Because she won’t leave me alone!” Jamie said, running a frustrated hand through his hair. “But I’m here for you, no one else. Didn’t you get my letter?”

“What letter?” Maddy asked, confused, and Jamie groaned in frustration.

“When I sent Fitz a letter, I also sent one for you. Telling you all the deliciously wicked things I want to do to you when we saw each other again, and to explain that Lady Drake is being a true pest and nuisance, but I didn’t want to risk damaging her reputation by slighting her in public. I’ve been putting on a false face of propriety, when all I’ve wanted for days was to avoid her and get back to you. You… you really didn’t get my letter?”

“I really didn’t,” Maddy whispered, suddenly ashamed by her previous words.

“So when I walked in with her, you thought… you thought…”

“I did,” Maddy said, nodding her head. “I thought what was between us was… was nothing more than a passing fancy. That you were with her now.”

“I only want you, Maddy,” Jamie said tenderly, reaching out to caress her cheek, and she couldn’t resist turning her face into his loving touch.

“But I’m wrong for you, Jamie,” she said softly. “You must know that. My position in society, my lack of wealth compared to yours…”

“I don’t care,” Jamie said shortly.

“Lady Drake would make a fine match for you. Truly,” Maddy said, though it pained her to do so.

“I don’t love her. I love you,” Jamie said evenly, and Maddy’s heart clenched at his words – the words she had been dying to hear again.

“She the best match for you,” Maddy whispered, though he voice suddenly lost all its previous resolve.

Jamie took a step forward, closing the distance between them, until his body was mere inches from hers, and Maddy longed to press the length of her body against the length of his, to feel his strong arms wrapping her up against him and holding her close. “She is,” she repeated wanly.

“I’ve never done what’s best for me, Maddy. The best thing I’ve ever done was serve my country, and then come home to fall in love with the best lady I know. And that’s you, Maddy, no one else. You are my heart.”
Instead of replying, she flung herself into his arms, and he staggered back with a small laugh as he caught her in his arms, pulling her firmly against him, pressing his lips to her temple. “You are my heart,” he whispered again, and whatever ice was still around her heart melted entirely. “I love you.”

“I love you,” she echoed simply, tilting her face up to meet his gaze, then to accept his kiss – the sweetest, most tender kiss she could imagine.

45429/50000

Chapter Thirty-One

Maddy took a sip of her tea, peering over the top of her china cup at her brother, who was spreading orange marmalade on a crumpet with entirely too wide a smile on his face.

“You seem quite happy this morning,” she observed, hiding her smile by taking another sip.

Fitz jumped as though he’d forgotten she was even in the room. “Oh. Yes. It is a nice morning,” he said, still smiling like a fool.

“You seem to be in a happy mood,” Maddy continued teasingly. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain best friend of mine, would it?” she asked, and Fitz finally laughed out loud.

“Oh Maddy…” Fitz said happily. “It’s like… it’s like everything is falling into place. I’ve always cared so much for Rose, and then to know she feels the same way – it’s like everything happened at just the right time. And if it hadn’t been for that note in my pocket she left, I might never have known how she felt, and would never have taken the initiative to find out, for fear of coming between you two, or having it be awkward every time we saw each other, which is often.”

Maddy felt a burst of satisfaction that her match making notes had hit their mark, and now her two favorite people were finally together and happy. “I’m truly glad for you, Fitz. I couldn’t be more pleased that you and Rose have found each other. I imagine she’s over the moon as well.”

“I can’t wait to walk into the ball tonight with her on my arm,” Fitz replied. “She makes me laugh, she makes me happy, and knowing that you already approve of her seals the deal, as it were. Now, we just have to find you a match that would make you equally happy, don’t we?”

Maddy bit her lip, considering. She hadn’t yet told her brother of Lord Blakely’s proposal the day before, or of her refusal of it. She wasn’t sure it was even worth bringing up, knowing how disappointed Fitz would be, and how disapproving he would be that she was hanging her heart on Jamie instead. Though she knew there as a chance Lord Blakely would mention his proposal to Fitz, she had a feeling that he would respect her decision and let it lie, rather than going to Fitz so that he could apply pressure to Maddy to accept.

Lord Blakely was just the sort of man who would respect a woman’s wishes and continue on as though it had never happened, another reason Maddy liked him so.

And thus, she just wasn’t going to tell Fitz of the previous day’s proposal – it was her secret.

“A letter has arrived for you, sir,” Billings said, interrupting them both as he slipped into the room quietly. He handed Fitz the heavy envelope and disappeared back through the doorway like a ghost. Fitz lay aside his crumpet and carefully slit open the letter with his knife. Maddy continued to sip silently as Fitz read, waiting to see if it was another love note from Rose – only from her own hand this time, rather than Maddy’s, she thought happily.

“It’s from Carrington,” Fitz said at length, and Maddy straightened in her chair, eager to know what he had written. Perhaps he was asking Fitz’s permission to propose to Maddy…

“He says he’s not sure if he’ll be back in Bath in time for the ball this evening,” Fitz said, reading aloud. “Apparently, he’s sick of dances and balls – Lady Amelia Drake has dragged him to about twenty since he returned to Town.”

Maddy felt her stomach drop at his recitation of Jamie’s words, a sudden vision of Lady Amelia and Jamie dancing together twisting her belly. “Lady Drake? I didn’t realize she had gone to London with Jamie.”

Fitz nodded absently. “Yes, apparently, they have been spending a lot of time together, in between Jamie’s business and meetings. He hopes to return here, but isn’t sure when. He wants to know if I want to go shooting in the south when he does return. That sounds jolly good,” Fitz said, folding the letter carefully and sliding it back in the envelope. “Oh, and he told me to give you his best regards.”

Maddy wanted to cry.

His best regards?!

Where was his declaration of love? Where was his asking Fitz for permission to marry her? And why in the name of all that was holy was he spending every spare minute in London with Lady Amelia Drake?!

“I’m glad he is well,” Maddy managed to choke out. “Will you excuse me? I believe I’m done,” Maddy said, pushing back from the table so quickly that all the china danced on the tabletop, nearly toppling over. Fitz merely nodded, unaware of her dark feelings as she flew out of the room and upstairs, willing herself not to cry before reaching the privacy of her own chambers.

She stepped into her room and closed the door quietly, then flung herself onto the bed, burying her face in her pillow, forcing herself not to cry.

No man was worth her tears now, not even Lord Jamie Carrington, Earl of Wyrestone.

She rolled over after a long minute and stared at the ceiling, mulling things over.

Everything was wrong, she decided.

Rose and Fitz, that was fine. Happy news, even.

But Jamie and Lady Drake? In London? With her stuck in Bath?

That was not fine.

She knew that entrusting her heart to Jamie was taking a chance, but she didn’t have a choice – she had vowed to follow her heart, rather than her head, and now it was turning out to be the worst decision she would make.

Christ, she’d even turned down a proposal from a perfectly nice gentleman on the apparently false belief that she and Jamie were destined to be together.

Now, she wondered if what they had shared at Rotherham House had just been a passing fancy for Jamie, a way to satisfy his sexual urges and get what he wanted – dark sexual passion, as it were – with someone he trusted from childhood.

My god, she was a fool, she thought darkly.

She was just his sexual plaything. Maybe he didn’t love her after all.

But those few hours they had spent in bed together had meant more to her than a lifetime of lukewarm lovemaking ever could. Better to have had a few hours of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special.

She just had to accept the fact that perhaps nothing would come of their coupling after all.

She had long ago decided that she would rather be a spinster for the rest of her days than to marry someone just to secure her financial peace, and now it seemed that decision had come to pass.

With a shake of her head, Maddy decided she was done. Done with match making, done with waiting for Jamie, done with hoping a man would make everything right in her world.

A spinster’s life it was, she decided.

What other choice did she have at this point?

44213/5000

Chapter Thirty

“There’s a gentleman here to see you, my lady,” Billings said from the doorway of the parlor, interrupting Maddy’s private reverie.

She put down the piece of needlework she’d been holding for the last twenty minutes and straightened in her seat, her heart jolting. Perhaps Jamie had finally returned from London, Maddy thought, her heart lurching. “Who is it, Billings?” she asked evenly.

“A Lord Blakely, my lady. Shall I show him in?” Billings asked.

Maddy swallowed her pang of disappointment and nodded. “Yes, please do.”

A few moments later, Billings ushered Lord Blakely into the parlor, and Maddy stood, bobbing a curtsy in return to Lord Blakely’s bow as Billings closed the door behind them.

“My lady, you look lovely this afternoon,” Lord Blakely said, crossing the room to kiss her hand.

“Thank you, my lord,” Maddy said with an easy smile, gesturing for him to take a seat. “You look dashing, as always,” she said, returning the favor.

Lord Blakely flicked back his coat and sat easily beside her on the chaise. “I enjoyed seeing you all at the Pump Room last night. It’s so nice to have friendly faces in the midst of all that madness.”

“The Marriage Mart madness, my lord?” Maddy asked teasingly. “I noticed quite a few of the ladies turning their attention to you last night.”

Lord Blakely sighed slightly. “Makes me feel a bit like a side of beef,” he confessed conspiratorially, and Maddy laughed.

“I would think that flattering, my lord,” Maddy said with a grin. “Better that than to be sized up as nothing but stew meat and cast aside.”

Lord Blakely laughed. “True enough,” he said, glancing around the parlor. “Is your brother not at home today?”

“No, he and Lady Rivenhall have gone for a carriage ride,” Maddy said, not even trying to hide her glee at the newest development. After their getting of ‘fresh air’ last night, Fitz and Rose had returned, both flushed and smiling, and had spent the rest of the night as only each other’s dance partners, much to Maddy’s delight. Though Maddy hadn’t had a chance to speak further to Rose, as they were leaving, Rose had squeezed her hands tightly, kissed her cheek, and whispered, “Oh Maddy, thank you. I’m so very, very happy! I wish everyone could feel how I feel right now!”

Which Maddy took to me a very good sign indeed. And then, when Fitz had come down earlier today, he had asked Maddy for help in tying his cravat, aggravated that it didn’t look exactly perfect, his hands shaking slightly as he fought with it. When Maddy had inquired who he was trying to impress, he’d smiled broadly and said nothing.

Until he had called for the carriage so that he and Miss Rivenhall might take a ride through town.

Maddy had wanted to dance in joy at that, and shooed him out of the house, not wanting him to be late for his engagement with what she hoped would very soon be her new sister-in-law.

Lord Blakely raised one eyebrow upon hearing Fitz and Rose were out together, without an escort. “Is there a connection there? I’d often wondered at Rotherham House if they were fond of each other, from the way they interacted, but both were so shy about admitting it to the other, I wasn’t sure…”

“I think they received a bit of a push from an outside source, and now things are just as they should be,” Maddy said smugly, and Lord Blakely laughed.

“An ‘outside source’, you say?” He grinned. “You wouldn’t be playing the role of match maker in this little scenario, would you?”

“I admit nothing,” Maddy said, smiling.

Lord Blakely cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. “In that case, I was hoping you might take on another match making effort.”

Maddy grinned. “My services may be available. Who are you interested in being matched with, my lord?”

Lord Blakely watched her for a long moment, and then spoke. “You, my lady.”

Maddy’s eyes widened, and she sat back in her seat uncomfortably. “I… my lord, I…”

“You must know that I’ve most enjoyed your company, and find you a lovely partner – in all things. Conversation, dancing, and I hope, our lives. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

Maddy bit her lip, suddenly torn at his sweet, charming proposal. Though Rose and Fitz had told her of Lord Blakely’s affections, she hadn’t truly believed it, and now here he was, proposing a marriage between them.

Fitz’s words echoed in her head – that Lord Blakely was a better match, that she had to do what was best for the family, and just as quickly, she heard Jamie’s voice flitting through her mind as he told her he loved her, again and again, as they made love.

“I…” Maddy cleared her throat. “My lord, you do me great honor with your proposal,” she said, stalling for time.

Lord Blakely gave her a small, shy smile. “But?”

Maddy looked down at her hands, upset with herself at having to let down this perfectly decent, perfectly handsome, perfectly nice man, but she knew with every fiber of her being that she had to follow her heart.
Never again would she do anything less.

“But…” Maddy repeated softly. “Lord Blakely, you are truly one of the best men I have ever been acquainted with. I have so enjoyed our time getting to know each other, and I know in my heart that you deserve to be happy. But equally so, I have vowed that I will be happy as well. Having said that, it wouldn’t be fair to you to accept your proposal – though it does me great honor – when my heart belongs to another. I don’t say this to hurt you, but because I think you deserve, and expect, honesty. I truly like and respect you, my lord, but my feelings… my feelings do not match yours, though it pains me to admit it. Truly, it does.”

Lord Blakely nodded slowly, absorbing her speech. “It’s Carrington, isn’t it?” he asked softly, and Maddy wanted to sob at the tenderness of his acceptance of her feelings for another.

“It is,” she whispered. “I cannot help who I…”

“One cannot help who they love,” Lord Blakely finished for her. “And judging from what I saw at the house party, he is truly enamored with you as well. But I wouldn’t be able to respect myself if I didn’t try to win you hand. You are a truly remarkable lady, and I have enjoyed every minute we have spent together.”

A tear spilled down Maddy’s cheek and she whisked it away impatiently. “I don’t deserve such honor and affection from you, and the last thing I want to do is hurt you, because I truly do like you, my lord, but our hearts simply don’t listen to our heads, do they?”

“Indeed not,” Lord Blakely said, taking her hand in his. “Please, don’t distress yourself. As I said, I had to try, but I respect anyone willing to trust their hearts rather than their heads. There’s not enough of that in society today, is there?”

She shook her head slowly. “But, Lord Blakely, I promise… I will do everything to find you a good and happy wife. I’ve already had some match making success…”

Lord Blakely laughed good naturedly. “Good enough. Find me a good wife, and perhaps I’ll forgive you for breaking my heart.”

Maddy looked up at him, aghast, then saw the teasing glint in his eye, and relaxed. “I’ll do my best, my lord, I promise. One perfect wife, coming up.”

A few minutes later, Lord Blakely stood and bowed to her respectfully and she curtsied in return, and with another sweet kiss on her hand, took his leave of her with a tender smile. Billings saw him out, and Maddy sank back down onto the chaise, her head swirling with what had just transpired.

It had been an interesting day indeed, she thought, suddenly exhausted.


Though she knew Fitz would be angry to know she had turned down a proposal from what he (and Rose as well) considered a perfect match for her, she knew she had made the right decision.

After her first disastrous marriage, she would never compromise her heart again – that she had promised herself with steely resolve.

And her heart lay with Jamie – her warn torn, teasing, tender lover who trusted her with his secrets – and his passion.

She thought again of their lovemaking, of the way he made her feel with just one look, and knew without a doubt she had made the right decision.

Now, she just had to deal with the consequences of it – something she was more than willing to do for love.

She just wished she had reassurance from Jamie in London that she had made the right decision – for both of them. She hadn’t heard from him once, and thought she trusted him implicitly, it was hard not hearing from him even once since their parting.

Picking up her needlework again, Maddy struggled to concentrate on the threads in front of her, when all she could think of were the threads binding her and Jamie together.

Hopefully forever.


43021/50000

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Rose, Maddy, Lord Blakely and Fitz are seated at a table in the Pump Room, everyone tapping their foot to the music playing around them. The Season was in full swing with only a few days left, and the room was packed with everyone in their finery, eyes darting around, searching for the next dance partner – or marriage partner.

Maddy and Lord Blakely had just returned from a spirited dance, and Maddy fought not to gulp her drink in an effort to cool off.

Lord Blakely had been very attentive to her this evening, and every time he took her arm or smiled her way, Fitz gave her a pointed look, which she strove to ignore entirely, forcing a smile instead, though her thoughts were never far from Jamie.

“I believe I’m going to go to the ladies room to freshen up,” Rose said after a pause in their conversation. “Maddy?”

“Why do women always have to go to the ladies room en masse?” Lord Blakely asked with a grin.

“Where else can we talk about the gentlemen in the room in privacy?” Maddy shot back with a smile, and Blakely laughed.

“I do hope you only say good, polite things,” Blakely shot back.

“Absolutely, my lord. We wouldn’t dream of being disparaging,” Maddy said with a laugh as she and Rose stood and fought their way across the crowded floor to the ladies room.

Maddy sat on a nearby chaise as Rose dug into her reticule, searching for her lip color, and then squeaked in surprise. “What’s this?” she asked, pulling out a small folded piece of paper that Maddy recognized immediately. She fought not to smile broadly as Rose unfolded it, read it, and then read it again, her cheeks flushing.

“What is it?” Maddy asked evenly, and Rose held it out with a shaking hand.

Maddy skimmed her own words, and then handed it back to Rose. “You seem to have a secret admirer!”
“Who is it?” Rose demanded shakily.

“Well, if I knew, it wouldn’t be secret,” Maddy said, laughing. “Who do you suppose it is?” she paused, and then continued. “Or who do you hope it is?”

Rose gave her best friend a considering look. “You know who I wish it was,” Rose said softly. “But I’m sure Fitz doesn’t… he wouldn’t… he’s given no indication of his intentions towards me.”

“Maybe he’s too shy to,” Maddy said. “Maybe he is afraid of being rejected, and this is his way to ‘test the waters’, as it were.”

“Do you really think so?” Rose asked, her voice full of hope.

Maddy shrugged. “Truly, I don’t know, but I hope so, for you.”

“I’m too scared to ask him, though,” Rose said. “What if it wasn’t from him? What if it’s someone else entirely, and I ask Fitz about it? I’d die of embarrassment if he didn’t know a thing about it.”

“But how will you know for sure his feelings unless you ask him?” Maddy said, trying to give her friend a nudge.

“I’m scared, Maddy,” Rose said quietly. “I like your brother so much, and if he rejected me… I’d be absolutely horrified.”

“I think you should try,” Maddy said. “If you don’t go after what you want, you may never know true happiness,” she added, speaking from her own, veiled experience.

“Speaking of secret admirers,” Rose said, carefully slipping the note back into her bag. “I think you’ve got a not-so-secret admirer yourself?”

Maddy kept her face impassive. “And who might that be?”

“Lord Blakely, of course,” Rose said, exasperated. “You can’t tell me you haven’t noticed his attentions to you.”

Maddy sighed softly. “He seems very friendly towards me, of course, but…”

“But nothing,” Rose interrupted. “He is falling for you. And I think you’d be a fool not to return his affections. He’s a wonderful catch, and he’s a lovely man. I think you should put aside any old feelings you have for Lord Carrington and face up to the reality that it will never be as fine a match as with Lord Blakely.”

“Fitz said much the same thing to me the other day, but, oh, Rose… I so want, I so wish… I want to marry for love, not for security. Father paired me with Henry for security, and you know what a disastrous match that was. I vowed to remain single for all of my days than to let myself be matched up again just to secure my position and financial peace,” Maddy said pleadingly. “Lord Blakely is a fine man, and I really do like him, but I don’t… I don’t love him. Not like I love Jamie,” she said softly, and Rose started at Maddy’s use of his Christian name.

“You really love Lord Carrington? Are you sure it’s not just infatuation?” Rose asked, sitting beside her friend and taking her hand. “Are you really sure?”

Maddy nodded emphatically. “I’m really sure. I love him, Rose, and he loves me.”

“He told you?”

“He told me,” Maddy said happily. “I don’t want to hurt Fitz or defy him, but I have to follow my heart. I thought you of all people would understand that.”

Rose nodded slowly. “I do. I do understand, I just want you to be cared for. I don’t want Lord Carrington to break your heart, nor do I want you to end up alone for the rest of your life.”

“I’d rather be alone than without him,” Maddy said, her voice firm. “Truly.”

Rose watched her friend for a moment, hearing the steel in her voice, the conviction of her words, and knew that once Maddy set her mind to something, nothing was going to change it.

“As long as you’re sure…”

“I’m sure,” Maddy said. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

“Well, then, for your sake, I hope Lord Carrington returns to Bath quickly and sweeps you off your feet.”
“So do I,” Maddy said longingly. “So do I.”

A moment later, the ladies gave one last look at their appearances in the glass then returned to the large room, slowly making their way back to the gentlemen waiting for them. Suddenly, Rose grabbed Maddy’s arm, stopping her in her tracks. “What’s Fitz reading?” she hissed. “He has a note that looks just like mine! I recognize the stationery – it matches mine!”

Maddy reddened, and tried to keep her face impassive. “Um… I’m not sure,” she said, watching as Fitz flushed, then looked around the room, obviously searching for someone as he slid the note back into the pocket of his evening coat hurriedly.

“Maddy…” Rose’s voice held a warning, and she spun her friend around to face her. “Maddy?”

Maddy bit her lip and looked at her friend. “I don’t know a thing.”

“You were always a terrible liar!” Rose shot back. “You wrote the note! You gave us each a note, didn’t you?”

Maddy shook her head emphatically. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You little weasel…” Rose hissed, though she was smiling slightly.

Before Rose could castigate her further, Fitz sauntered up to them, almost tripping over his shoes. “Lady Rivenhall…” he cleared his throat, his voice suddenly squeaky. “Would you care to step outside for some fresh air? I find myself suddenly suffocating in here.”

“Yes… yes of course,” Rose stammered in reply, shooting Maddy a suddenly panicked look. “Let me just retrieve my wrap,” she said, spinning on her heel and practically darting away.

Fitz looked at Maddy for a moment, obviously unsure about asking her something. “Did… did you know that… does Rose like me?”

Maddy wanted to laugh at his impatient, childlike words, but kept her face smooth. “Do you like her?”

“Of course!” Fitz said quickly. “I’ve always liked her, but I thought she just looked at me as your big brother, but I just read a note, and I know it’s from her and suddenly it’s like the sun came out, and if she likes me, and I like her, and now I know how she feels, I might have a chance to…”

Maddy put a hand on his arm to stop the avalanche of words spilling from his mouth. “Darling brother, I believe you should have no worries about Rose’s affections for you. Now, go… ‘get some air’, as it were. Go!” she said, giving him a playful push towards the door where Rose waited, shifting from foot to foot.

Fitz gave her a wide smile, and then zipped across the room, taking Rose’s arm gently and both of them disappeared into the night quickly.

At least one thing had gone right this Season, Maddy thought with great personal satisfaction.

41471/50000

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Maddy turned towards the window of the carriage, which was bumping along the road, kicking up a line of dust behind them. The day was cold and gray, matching her mood entirely too well.

She flicked her wrist up to brush a tear that was sliding down her cheek, hoping that Fitz and Rose wouldn’t notice it.

Everything had happened so fast, she thought, as the carriage carried them further and further away from Rotherham House.

The house party had drawn to a close the day before, and Fitz had made quick arrangements to have the three of them ferried back to Bath to finish out the Season there. Everyone else had gone hither and yon, back to Town or to their own estates, though at this moment, Jamie was bound for London to attend a meeting in the House of Lords – further away from Maddy than she could currently stand.

He had been preoccupied the day after their lovemaking sessions with a argument between two tenants that had flared up overnight, and though he gave Maddy many apologetic looks and murmured regrets, they were never able to be together privately again, instead having to settle for lingering looks over the luncheon table, and the occasion touch of their hands as they passed in the hallway, Cleary or another man always on Jamie’s heels.

And now, she was going back to Bath and the family home there and he to his home in London for God knew how long.

On top of that, Fitz had taken the opportunity during this seemingly endless carriage ride to extol the virtues of Lord Blakely to Maddy, giving her pointed looks as he spoke, though she paid him little attention, instead remembering the night before…

Maddy sighed as the landscape slid by.

She liked Lord Blakely – of course she did. He was charming, funny, attractive and kind. She hadn’t met anyone who didn’t like Lord Blakely. And to say he was well connected and in possession of a great fortune went without saying.

But he was no Lord Carrington – not to her.

Jamie set her blood boiling with one look.

She had always loved him.

They trusted each other more than she ever thought possible – that having been proven the night before in her bed chamber.

And he loved her, as she him.

As he had tenderly handed her into the carriage, he had pressed his lips to her hand and murmured something in French against her glove, too low for anyone else to hear.

“Je t’aime, ma cherie.”


I love you, my darling.

She ached to shout out her feelings in return, but instead gave him a small, sad smile and nodded once, acknowledging that she had heard and understood him.

He had apologized to all of them again for the abrupt end to their time together at Rotherham Haouse, and explained that he didn’t know when he would next be in Bath. And with that, the carriage had lurched away suddenly, and Maddy had watched him growing smaller and smaller until the carriage rounded the bend and he was out of sight entirely.

It was beyond frustrating, and her heart hurt at the thought of not seeing him for days… even weeks, or God knew how long.

And to have to wait that long to feel his hands on her skin, his lips against hers, his body moving against hers…

It made her want to cry in irritation and anger, stomp her foot like a little girl who wasn’t getting her way.
Now that she’d had his body, she wanted, needed, craved more.

Just… more.

She needed all of him, all the time.

Lord Blakely, on the other hand, had promised to be in Bath within the next two days, and asked if the ladies would be at the Pump Room the evening of his arrival, so that they might catch up, dance and be merry. Rose had readily agreed for both of them, and Lord Blakely had smiled, bowed, and leapt onto his horse and galloped down the lane with a jaunty wave.

A bump in the road nearly lifted Maddy from her seat and out of her reverie, and both she and Rose giggled as they tried to resettle themselves on the seat across from Fitz.

Maddy had made sure that Rose and Fitz sat directly opposite each other, though neither had truly taken the initiative to talk during the journey.

Perhaps a little match making would take her mind off Jamie, she mused, watching the landscape drift by.

###

Maddy was carefully printing a small note in the privacy of her bedroom, a match to the one she had already finished which was laying beside her quill. After their arrival that morning, she had unpacked, eaten lunch, taken a nap, and now found herself at loose ends, needing to find something to distract her from sitting and staring into space, daydreaming of Jamie.

It was time for a little matchmaking, she decided, and everyone liked to receive mail, did they not?

She had scuttled back to her room with parchment and ink, trying to decide what sort of notes to write in her self-declared role as matchmaker.

She planned to slip the notes to Rose and Fitz secretly, in the hopes they would suspect each other, meet up, and tumble into each other’s arms, falling madly in love.

That was her plan, anyway, Maddy thought with a smile.

She finished the last line, and then set down her quill, examining her work.

For the note Fitz was to receive, she had written:

Long have I admired you, and I hope this delicate flower may soon be a part of your garden.

The delicate flower being Rose, of course.

For the note Rose was to receive, she had written:

For nothing this wide universe I call, save thou, my Rose, in it thou are my all.

Truly, one couldn’t go wrong with one of Master Shakespeare’s sonnets, particularly one that mentioned a rose – true, he didn’t capitalize in his great sonnet, but Maddy didn’t think he would mind a few liberties taken on her part for the sake of finding love.

She realized both were a bit heavy handed, but if someone didn’t give these two a push, who would?
She only hoped her match making plan didn’t backfire.

What else would she have to occupy her thoughts until she saw Jamie again?

She carefully crept down the stairs, feeling rather like a spy as she looked for both Rose and Fitz, tiptoeing through the tiled hallway and staying to the shadows, quite enjoying the game. Through an open doorway, she saw Rose reading a novel in the front room, looking quite engrossed, and then saw Fitz in his study, shuffling through paperwork, his brow wrinkled in concentration.

Quietly, she folded then slid the note intended for Fitz into the pocket of his evening coat, then scuttled across the hall and slipped the note intended for Rose into her reticule. She hoped they would both find them soon enough, and the rest would be history.

If not, she would have a lot of explaining to do, but what could be wrong with her wanting two of her favorite people in the world to get together? Rose had already betrayed – non verbally, but still – to Maddy that she was smitten with Fitz, and Fitz… well, Fitz was oblivious, but he wanted to find love as much as the next person, and with a little push, Rose would be his perfect match.

She knew Rose would never make the first move, as she believed herself not to be worthy of Fitz, as a viscount, but Maddy knew Fitz wouldn’t look at it that way.

Or so she thought, considering his push to put Maddy and Lord Blakely on the path to marriage, thinking more of securing her position in society than in her long term happiness, a happiness that only Jamie could provide to her.

Never mind, Maddy thought with a grin. Happiness trumps position in society – she truly believed that.
If this worked out between Fitz and Rose, Maddy would be ever so pleased.

At least then someone would have a happy ending, she thought, climbing the stairs again, the wind out of her sails as she again pictured Jamie fading out of sight around the bend of the lane. Maybe it was time for another nap, she mused as she opened her bedroom door, suddenly exhausted in body and spirit, and knowing she would have to be presentable and sparkling at the Pump Room later that evening.

Perhaps a nap would afford her the opportunity to dream again of Jamie.


40021/50000

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“God, I’m starving,” Jamie said a short while later. Maddy had returned to the bedroom after a few minutes, her hair pulled back and her face freshly splashed with cool water. She had crawled under the sheets with Jamie, their roles suddenly reverting back to before. Her head lay pillowed on his chest, his arms wrapped around her, holding her close to him, their bodies touching from head to toe.

“I confess I am too,” Maddy said with a giggle. “I can’t imagine how we worked up such an appetite,” she teased, and felt his laugh rumble in his chest.

“No, nor can I,” Jamie agreed.

Maddy lay quietly for a moment, not daring to meet his eyes as she asked her question. “Was that what you wanted?”

She felt, rather than saw, his eager nod.

“Was it too far? Too much?”

She timidly raised her head, and saw him smiling softly down at her. “No. It was… perfect. But you didn’t have to do that, if you didn’t want to, you know.”

“I did want to.”

“Thank you,” Jamie whispered after she had tucked her head back against his chest, one of his hands cupping her head protectively. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Maddy said softly in reply. “You’re welcome, Jamie.”

He sighed happily, and within minutes, both of them drifted into a satiated sleep.

###

“Get up!” Maddy hissed, shaking Jamie’s shoulder. “Get up!”

Jamie struggled to open his eyes sleepily, seeing Maddy’s panicked expression. “What? What is it? Unless there’s a fire or impending death, there’s no reason to be awake yet.”

“It’s morning!” Maddy said, leaping out of bed. “You can’t be found in my chambers. You have to go – now!”

Jamie slid his legs over the side of the bed and stood, stretching. Maddy paused to enjoy his nude profile, and then pushed his shoulder to get moving. “It’s my house… I think I should get to choose which bedroom I sleep in,” Jamie said, leaning over to retrieve his clothes.

“Very funny,” Maddy said softly. “You can sleep in this bedroom anytime you like – after my brother kills me for finding us in here together.”

Moments later, Jamie was dressed, his boots in his hand. Maddy was flying around the room like a whirling dervish, and he caught her arm as she zipped past him, stilling her for a moment. “I’m going, but I need one thing first.”

“What?” Maddy asked, exasperated.

“A kiss.”

Maddy’s expression softened at his tender request. “Alright, but then you have to go.” She stood on tiptoe, and Jamie leaned his long frame down until their lips met sweetly, and then she gave him another playful push. “Go. I’ll see you at breakfast.”

He captured her hand and pressed another kiss into her palm softly.

“That’s two kisses,” Maddy argued with a laugh.

“I’m a rogue, what can I say?” And with a wink, Jamie opened the door, looked both ways, and scuttled back to his own rooms.

###

“What are you doing?” Fitz’s voice startled Maddy from her reverie, and she turned to see him approaching her as she sat near the bank of one of Rotherham House’s small ponds.

“Just enjoying the view,” Maddy said evenly as Fitz flopped down beside her, tilting his face towards the thin sun peeking through the clouds. “How are you?”

“Tired,” Fitz replied. “I stayed up entirely too late and lost entirely too much money playing cards with some of the gentlemen last night.”

“Not our entire fortune, I hope,” Maddy quipped, and Fitz laughed.

“No, there are a few bob left,” he said easily, leaning back on his elbows and stretching out his legs. “I think.”

“Is something troubling you?” Maddy asked after silence stretched for a moment. “You’re not normally one for silence. I swear you talk to yourself when there is no one else to talk to.”

Fitz smiled, but said nothing for a moment, watching his little sister. “I have an observation.”

“This sounds ominous,” Maddy said with a grin. “You aren’t much known for your observational skills.”

Fitz didn’t smile, and Maddy wondered what serious matter Fitz had observed. “I’ve lately observed how Carrington looks at you.”

“And how is that?” Maddy asked, a bit too quickly.

“With more than just friendly interest, let’s say,” Fitz said, sounding uncomfortable. “And I’ve also observed that maybe you look at him with more than just friendly interest too.”

Maddy cursed inwardly. She and Jamie had been so careful not to betray their feelings for each other when the rest of the house party was around, but somehow, Fitz had caught their lingering looks. She supposed if anyone would notice, Fitz – who was closer to them than anyone – would notice.

Maddy cleared her throat. “That’s ridiculous. Your observational skills are rusty, brother. Lord Carrington and I are just good friends, as you are.”

“Funny, if it’s just as we are, I’ve never noticed him looking at me as though he’d like to kiss me breathless. Or more.”

Maddy gasped at his words, and shoved his shoulder with hers. “Lord Carrington does not look at me that way!” she said, even as she heard the hollowness of the lie within it.

“Maddy, you know I love you more than life, and that I want what’s best for you. Carrington is… well, he’s a war veteran. He’s got a lot of work to do on the estate. His finances aren’t the same as…”

“The same as?” Maddy asked hotly. “I don’t think Lord Carrington is destitute, my dear brother.”

“I was going to say, the same as Lord Blakely,” Fitz continued as though she hadn’t interrupted him.

“Lord Blakely?” Maddy asked in surprise. “What’s he to do with Lord Carrington?”

“Just… just hear me out. Lord Blakely is the son of a marquess, and is powerful, rich and respected. And it’s also clear, through my keen observational skills, that he’s quite taken with you.”

Maddy blinked in surprise. “He is not.”

“Oh yes, he is. He watches your every move, and he always is so happy when you are engaged in conversation or dancing together. Beyond that, though, he’s a nice man, and a very, very rich one.”

“Since when have you thought of everyone’s finances above their character?” Maddy asked.

“Maddy,” Fitz said, seemingly embarrassed. “I’m just a viscount, and not a terribly rich one at that, as you know. Without an heir, I need to know that you and the estate will be protected just in case I don’t… procreate. Though I hope it won’t come to that, I need to honor Father’s wishes that you be taken care of for all of your life. And as such…”

Maddy interrupted him. “I’m decidedly not liking the tone of this conversation. Just say what you want to say, Fitz.”

“Lord Blakely is a fine catch, and he likes you. You must do what’s best for the family and secure him.”
“Secure him?” Maddy asked, tears of frustration springing to her eyes. “What, rope him like an errant colt? Since when have you ever dictated who I may or may not like, much less love?”

“I’m trying to be a responsible brother, and I want you to be well cared for, especially considering these last few years. Lord Blakely is a good, rich man. Carrington… I fear that Carrington will break your heart.”

“Why is that?” Maddy asked, hurt.

“Because he’s never fallen in love in all the years we’ve known him. He’s emotionally distant. He seems less likely to marry than anyone I know. Blakely, though, Blakely is a good fit. Please, just, consider what I’m asking you. I don’t need an answer now, but I had to say something, as your brother. Regardless of your esteem for Carrington, just… consider all your options. Please.”

“You know nothing of my heart,” Maddy said hotly.

“You’re right, I don’t. But I know what a good person you are, and I want the very best for you. And that’s why I had to say what I needed to say.”

The tears that had been threatening for the last few minutes spilled down her cheeks as Maddy watched Fitz’s retreat to the house.

38571/50000

Chapter Twenty-Six

“Lay down,” Maddy ordered, her voice a bit shaky. The two of them had been sitting in bed, wrapped in the sheets and just talking for the last hour – from the mundane to the unusual, both unable to stop smiling at each other and their new found intimacy. Finally, Maddy had decided to take the reins of the evening, though she was a bit nervous about it.

Jamie looked at her for a long moment, trying to decipher what Maddy was up to.

“I said, lay down,” she said, her voice stronger now.

With a barely concealed smile, Jamie lay back on the sheets, his head resting on Maddy’s pillow.

“Stretch your hands above your head and grasp the bed frame,” Maddy ordered, and Jamie complied, still smiling slightly.

Tentatively, Maddy reached out and traced the planes of his abdomen with her forefinger, making his muscles clench involuntarily. A moment later, she leaned over and used her tongue to trace the lines instead. Jamie groaned at the soft touch and dropped a hand to cup her head.

Maddy’s head shot up and she swiftly slapped him across the face – not hard, but enough to shock him, his mouth dropping open at her movement. “I touch you. You don’t get to touch me. Understand?” she asked, her voice suddenly icy. “You will only move when I tell you to.”

Jamie’s breath hitched in his throat, finally understanding her intentions.

She was going to act out his fantasy… sweet God. His cock became even harder as the implication of her command hit home with him, and he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.

“As you wish,” he complied, blinking his eyes open, reaching back up to grasp the bed again.


“And you will not talk,” Maddy instructed. “Understand?”

He opened his mouth to speak automatically, but at her sharp glance, merely nodded meekly instead.

“Good,” Maddy said, watching him a moment longer before bowing over again to dart her tongue into his navel. She shifted position, and licked up his chest, flicking her tongue over one of his nipples. He hissed at the contact, but did not speak.

Maddy hid a small smile at his reaction, suddenly reveling in the power she had over this normally commanding man. She licked the nipple again, and then licked over to the other, feeling Jamie shift under her.

She leaned up and over him, making sure his hands were still in position where she wanted them. The movement placed her swaying breasts directly near his mouth, and unable to stop himself, he reached out his tongue and flicked the one closest to him.

Maddy jumped back, her blue eyed gaze frosty. She slithered off the bed and sauntered across the room, away from him, though he very much enjoyed the view of her retreat. “Until you learn to obey, you will get nothing.” And with that, she went into the adjoining bathroom and closed the door behind her.

Jamie slammed his head back against the pillow, wanting so badly to touch himself, to touch her, to chase after her and take her.

But that wasn’t what this game was about.

It was about domination – and he wasn’t in charge.

Instead, he lay, stock still, waiting for whatever was next.

For what seemed like interminable minutes, he lay, practically panting, waiting for Maddy to return, hoping to God she would, and wouldn’t leave him in this state until the sun came up the next morning.

Too many minutes later, she finally emerged, and he sighed at the beauty of her slim body, illuminated only by a candle she carried with her. She set it on the bureau and dimmed the nearby oil lamp, leaving the room dimly lit, her body casting shadows on the wall. She walked back over to the bed and stared down at him, assessing his prone position.

“Did you move?” She asked.

He hurriedly shook his head no.

“Good,” she replied, climbing onto the bed again. She leaned over and kissed him hard, her tongue dancing into his mouth, and he almost cried out at the contact, enjoying the sudden swell of her power over him, and felt that she was enjoying it too.

Maddy’s heart was racing in her chest, but she was determined to give Jamie what we wanted, and if she was honest, to experiment with her own feelings, sensing that dominating him wouldn’t exactly be a chore.

She slithered down his body, her eyes locked on his as she took him into her mouth, watching as his back arching involuntarily, though he bit his lip to avoid saying anything. Though this was new territory for her – something she had never done before – she watched Jamie’s face, gauging how her different movements made him react, finding sensitive spots and paying special attention to them.

Jamie had a sheen of sweat covering him now, even as he forced himself not to let go of the bed frame, not to grab her head and thrust himself deeper into her sweet mouth. Instead, he closed his eyes as the sensation of her wet mouth washed over him. Maddy watched happily as he groaned and shifted, grunted and rocked his hips, desperate for more.

She could quite get used to this kind of power, she thought hazily, lifting her head and sliding back up the bed until she lay beside him again on her back.

“Touch me,” Maddy ordered, and Jamie turned his head to look at her questioningly, then at his hands above them.

“You may remove your hands. Use your fingers to touch me,” Maddy said. “You may pick one spot, and one spot only.”

Hiding a grin, Jamie slowly moved his hands away from the bed and quickly knelt between her thighs, using his hands to gently nudge them apart. Seconds later, Maddy gasped as his fingers slid up and down her folds slickly, and then drove into her core. She arched and moaned, enjoying the pleasure it wrought, let her tend to her for several minutes, then turned into the commander again.

“Stop.”

Obediently, Jamie stopped moving, freezing in place.

“Lick…” Maddy cleared her throat, wondering if this was too far. “Lick your fingers.”

She nearly blacked out as she watched Jamie slowly push his fingers into his mouth, obviously enjoying her taste on them, his eyes closed in bliss.

“And now do the same to me,” Maddy ordered, and Jamie glanced up at her then complied, slicking his fingers in and then out, then raising them to her lips. She opened her mouth and he slid his fingers in, and she tasted herself. Suckling softly, her eyes locked on his, she watched as his entire body jerked at the sensation of her pulling mouth, his manhood seeming to grow another inch.

With a teasing glint in her eye, she began to suckle his fingers as she had ministered to his cock, and she could see the control it cost him not to explode on the spot.

She could definitely get used to this power, she thought, releasing his fingers wetly from her mouth.

“Lay back down in your position,” Maddy said, pointing to the bed. Jamie scrambled to comply, his hands flying up over his head again.

Though she felt timid, Maddy put on a veneer of authority and straddled his hips, her center rubbing deliciously against the muscles of his abdomen, and both of them struggled for control. Shifting her hips and grasping his cock, she slowly, so slowly, lowered herself onto him until he was driven deep inside her.

Jamie let out an involuntary groan, fighting for control, fighting not to come too quickly. Maddy hissed as she took all of him inside her, then after a moment, rocked her hips. Jamie automatically lifted his hips to drive himself further into her, and she reached out and pinched both of his nipples – hard.

“Did I say you could move?”

He shook his head no, biting his lip.

“Then don’t. This is my ride, and I will control it until I am satisfied. And when I am fully satisfied, I may, may let you have release. But so help me, if you release early, there will be punishment. And not the kind you like.”
His eyes widened at her threat, but he nodded his compliance. After a moment, Maddy set a rhythm with her hips, and he grabbed tighter to the bed frame, fighting for control as her eyes bore into his. Faster and faster she moved, and he clutched his hands harder and harder to follow her orders, until he felt the combination of her nails raking down his chest and her body clenching at his cock buried deep inside her.

He nearly screamed at the force of holding off, and Maddy sensed how hard he was fighting to obey. “Look at me!” She barked, and his eyes struggled open to meet hers. “Look at me when you release. Now.”

And with that one barked word, he did.

Maddy wanted to collapse on his chest in exhaustion, but forced herself to stand on shaky legs and lean over the pillow where Jamie lay, his face flushed and sweaty. “Not bad, slave. But I sense that you will need much more practice, another day.”

And with that, she pressed a small kiss to his wet brow, then grabbed her robe and flounced into the bathroom as Jamie quivered on the soaked sheets beneath him.

37202/50000

Chapter Twenty-Five

 It took every ounce of reserve that Maddy had not to race down the stairs when she saw Jamie gallop up the drive of Rotherham House.

He was back, he was back! she thought gleefully, suddenly flinging open her wardrobe to change dresses and after doing so, spent several minutes fussing with her hair in the hopes her heart rate would slow down.

Finally, she pressed a hand to her stomach to calm the butterflies churning there and walked slowly and with dignity down the stairs, and hearing male voices in conversation, turned towards the study. There, Jamie, Fitz, Blakely and several other men of the party were gathered around the fireplace, and several women as well – including that dreadful Lady Drake, who was seated very close to Jamie.

Nonetheless, Maddy plastered on a smile and strode confidently into the room. “Lord Carrington, you’ve returned,” she said with a smile and a curtsy. “We’re glad to have you back.”

“I hope the party didn’t suffer in my absence,” Jamie said, rising and bowing to her, then gesturing for Maddy to take a seat.

“Your dancing skills were much missed, my lord,” she said, and they shared a secret smile as the group resettled themselves with drinks.

The men immediately began asking of the state of Jamie’s corner of England, and he regaled them all with tales of not only the occasional hardship, but triumphs as well. The land was prosperous, and the people seemed happy and well fed, and were slowing learning to trust their lord again, which Jamie much appreciated.

Maddy was gladdened to see Jamie looking so happy and relaxed – she was pleased he’d had a successful trip. It made their parting a bit easier to bear.

A bit.

She willed herself not to squirm whenever Jamie’s gaze landed on her, even for just a moment, and smiled pleasantly at everyone in the room, hoping to disguise the lust she felt boiling just beneath her skin.

She would be ever so embarrassed if everyone in the room knew her thoughts at the moment, as they were most indecent.

Finally, the party began to break up, drifting upstairs to prepare for dinner, until only Fitz, Maddy and Jamie were left in the room. They fell into easy conversation, and shortly, Rose joined them in the parlor.

Maddy watched surreptitiously as Rose seated herself near Fitz, and smiled secretly to herself. She was definitely going to have to make some progress on that front if they two of them were ever going to get together.

“I suppose I should get dressed for dinner as well,” Fitz said, glancing down at his more casual attire after the four of them had conversed for a few minutes. “Will there be dancing tonight, Carrington?”

“If everyone wishes it,” Jamie said easily. “I can send my man to retrieve the band, if so desired.”

“What do you think, Lady Rivenhall?” Fitz asked, turning to her. “Shall we dance this evening?”

“I… if you wish it, my lord,” Rose stammered.

“Unless you fear for your feet, perhaps you would do me the honor of dancing with me. You are quite one of the best dancers in the room – and you can save me from Lady Drake, who always steps on my toes.”
Both Rose and Maddy laughed, sharing a look of triumph between them. “I believe I can handle that task, my lord,” Rose said with a bit more of her usual fire.

“Excellent!” Fitz said, standing, and Rose also stood. “May I escort you upstairs? Though you have no need to change because you already look pretty, ladies feel the need to change their clothes at least two dozen times a day – why, I have no idea.”

“We like to keep the gentlemen guessing, my lord,” Rose shot back, taking his arm. “This evening, I plan to quiz you on every colour dress I wore today.”

With a playful groan, Fitz escorted her from the room, leaving Jamie and Maddy alone, seated across from each other.

They stared at each other for a long moment, neither one knowing what to say to the other.

“You had a good trip, my lord?” Maddy asked, breaking the ice after a long silence.

Jamie nodded. “I did. But it was long – too long. I thought of nothing but you for two days straight.”

Maddy laughed. “I’m sure that’s not true. I’m sure you were concerned with grain prices and livestock at least for a few minutes.”

“A very few minutes,” he replied easily. “And how were things here?”

“Dreadfully dull, my lord,” Maddy said pertly. “I found myself wanting for a partner for… dancing.”

Jamie stood up and crossed over to where Maddy was sitting, and then dropped himself onto the seat beside her. Slowly, too slowly for her taste, he leaned over and pressed his lips to Maddy’s tenderly. “I missed you as well,” he murmured after a moment. “Perhaps we could…”

“Dance later?” she asked with a devilish twinkle in her eye.

“Must it be later?”

Maddy giggled at his pouting tone. “It’s not even dinnertime, my lord, and I think everyone would miss you at the table.”

“I wish there weren’t so many bloody people in the house,” Jamie said. “I’d very much like to lock you in my rooms for a few days without anyone noting our absence.”

Maddy smiled at his growled words. “Privacy is hard to come by, my lord, but I’m sure that we can find something to accommodate you…”

“Until this evening, then, my lady…” Jamie said, kissing her again. “We have much to catch up on.”

###

Maddy sank onto the edge of her mattress and wrestled off her shoes. She’d just spent the last two hours dancing nonstop with almost every gentleman in the party, even dancing once with Jamie, though she was sure everyone would detect the sparks flying between them and only limited their dancing to one turn about the floor.

He had given her a small smile as she had excused herself to go to bed, but had made no plans to see her privately the next day, which gave her a tinge of disappointment, but she was so tired, she didn’t really dwell on it.

She stood and turned towards her bureau to place her shoes underneath and jumped in fright when the door flew open beside her, and just as quickly, shut again with a snick of the lock.

Jamie stood inside her bedchamber, a look of undisguised lust on his face as he pressed himself against the door, looking at her kneeling on the floor.

“My lord,” Maddy said, straightening in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

In answer, Jamie grasped her shoulders and pressed her against the edge of the bureau, kissing her fiercely. She gasped in surprise and then delight as his tongue plundered her mouth, cutting off any other words she might have asked. Her hands automatically twined about his neck, her fingers sinking into the soft blond hair at the nape.

“You can’t be in here, my lord,” Maddy whispered, pulling her lips away from his. “If we are discovered, it would be ruinous for us both.”

“I can’t seem to stay away,” Jamie said, dropping his mouth to press against the skin of her neck, inhaling her scent. “I have to be with you. Please, Maddy, don’t send me away.”

“If someone found us…”

“We’ll just have to be very quiet, then,” Jamie said mischievously. “Though, after your performance the other night, I’m not sure…”

Maddy squeaked in embarrassment and covered her face with her hands. “Was I… was I too loud? Was it offputting?”

“On the contrary,” Jamie said, tugging her hands down and holding them in his. “I found it arousing. So, do it again, just quietly.”

And with that, he picked her up entirely and deposited her on the bed with a growl. She struggled to disentangle herself from her dress as it scrambled around her ankles, even as he toed off his boots and loosened his cravat, his eyes watching her hungrily.

“How do you know I even want this?” Maddy asked coquettishly. “Perhaps I’m not longer attracted to you. Perhaps you don’t arouse me anymore.”

Jamie raised an eyebrow in question. “Oooh?” He asked, crouching on the bed, pushing her back against the pillows and trapping her by placing an arm on either side of her waist. “Is that a challenge? I do so love challenges…”

Maddy was about to shoot back a retort when Jamie leaned over and pressed his lips to the hammering pulse in her throat, accelerating her heartbeat. “Is this arousing?” he murmured, licking her pulse.

“Or this?” he asked, mouthing her breast through the thin silk of her gown for a moment, leaving a spot of wetness directly above her trapped nipple. “This?” He asked, tugging the material away and licking her nipple, then blowing cool air on it, making her arch involuntarily.

“This?” He repeated, laving her other pebbled nipple, biting down slightly and feeling Maddy’s nails dig into his shoulders as he continued his ministrations. Finally, he lifted his head and look down at her flushed cheeks, her eyes shut in pleasure. “Maddy?”

He slithered back up and kissed her – so softly, so gently, she thought she might cry from the emotion in it. Jamie rained kisses over her face, her nose, her temple, her cheeks, her chin until she thought she would burst from the tenderness of the gesture. “My lord?” she finally gasped.

“Yes?” Jamie asked, lifting his head.

“I believe you are wearing entirely too many clothes.”

Jamie laughed, a deep, throaty laugh. “I might say the same about you.”

“Take them off. Now,” Maddy said, her tone suddenly commanding, harsh.

Jamie felt his erection twitch at the authority in her voice, and his hands flew to his shirt buttons.

After watching him for a long moment, Maddy shyly stood up and turned and had Jamie unbutton her gown, then sliding it down to puddle at her feet. She removed the rest of her underclothes as Jamie hurriedly removed his shirt, breeches, socks and small clothes until they stood, a foot apart next to the bed.

“You are beautiful,” Jamie whispered, his eyes roving up and down her body.

“So are you,” Maddy said honestly, reaching out to touch a scar that marred one perfectly sculpted shoulder. “War wound?”

“I’m sure you’re bound to find more,” Jamie said, watching her eyes trace his body.

Maddy drank in the appearance of him hungrily. His blond hair had become mussed by his ministrations, giving him a rakish appearance, paired with the slight stubble on his cheek. His skin was tanned and smooth, his shoulders wide and his hips narrow. He had no chest hair, but the definition of his muscles on his arms, legs and torso betrayed his active and physical lifestyle.

He looked like a Greek statue, all chiseled and firm, Maddy thought, her eyes flicking over his entire body, finally settling on that path of hair that led downward from his bellybutton to his manhood. And she couldn’t wait to explore that smooth skin with her fingers, her tongue…

Swiftly, Jamie nudged her back onto the bed, covering her body with his. With deliberate care, he traced his tongue across her breasts again, pressing his face into the warm flesh there. “So soft…” he murmured, shifting his mouth lower and lower, kissing her belly, her thighs, her calves, her core. He found erotic points on her body she didn’t even know existed as he lazily traced from one part of her body to another, tormenting her with his slow and deliberate pace. “Is this arousing as well, my lady?”

Finally, she begged for him to fill her. “Jamie, please…” she rasped, almost in pain as he nuzzled her soft curls, his tongue flicking out, over and over again. “Please…”

He moved back up and his mouth crushed hers, even as he thrust into her, making her cry out at the combined sensation of him filling her and tasting herself on his lips. He muffled the sound of her cry with his mouth and shushed her, even as his hips began to move in tandem with hers. The flow of energy between them surged, and drove them both higher and higher until they were flung over the edge of ecstasy with matching cries of pleasure.

Together, they clung to each other, breaths shuddering and skin slickened with perspiration, even as Jamie remained embedded in her. Maddy nearly cried when he withdrew and lay beside her, suddenly missing the press of his warm skin against hers.

He had no idea how long they lay together, hands linked as their breaths evened out again until he pressed up on an elbow to look down at her.

Idly, she reached out and traced another scar, this one on his thigh from where a masked assailant had driven a knife into his flesh. “My poor lord…”

She leaned over and kissed the scar gently, making his heart ache at her tenderness before she straightened again. She looked at him quizzically, and he knew she was forming a question in her mind.

“What is it?” he asked softly.

“Was that… was that satisfying for you?” She asked shyly. “I know it wasn’t… what you had…”

He cut her off swiftly. “It was more satisfying than I can say,” he answered honestly. “Truly. You take my breath away, Maddy. I’ve never… I’ve never lain with a woman I felt so deeply for, and that makes all the difference, it seems.”

She smiled happily. “I’m glad to hear it. But the night is young, my lord, and I believe I’m going to hold you captive for a while longer.”

Jamie’s breath hitched at the promise of her words.

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