The Rake's Midnight Lady (6 page)

When his mouth captured her own, the world stood still for her, subsumed by desire so incandescent she had no thought of resistance when he pulled her hard against him, arms binding them together in a feverish embrace. He was hardly gentle with her but Abbey was oblivious, meeting his urgency with her own, yielding her lips eagerly so that he could taste her, drink her in and he took possession of her completely.

When he finally freed her mouth, it was only to tip her head back so that he could press small kisses down her neck, the tip of his tongue leaving a moist trail behind. Skillful fingers began to slide free the hooks and buttons of her dress and when he slipped it off her shoulders she did not protest, the touch of cool air against her bare skin intensely erotic. She would have helped him shed her undergarments but he needed none, deliberately removing each garment until she was entirely naked, shivering beneath the heat of his gaze and chill room, so that her nipples tightened and need clenched deep within her. For a long moment he did no more than look at her, drinking her in, before uttering a soft groan. ‘So beautiful…’

Abbey reached out a trembling hand to touch his coat. ‘Take it off.’

The words surprised a laugh out of him but he obliged, stripping of his coat and shirt, dragging his boots off before shedding his breaches. She watched him, mesmerized. When his manhood sprang free, proudly erect, she sucked in a breath, shocked at how the sight of it made her burn with wanton need. He was far more glorious naked than he was clothed, she realized, his broad chest tapering down to a narrow waist and hips, long legs strong and well muscled. And he had called her beautiful!

Innocent as she was, she wanted him with every fiber of her being and she gave soft gasp of delight when he began to touch her. Hanwood cupped a breast, bending his head to slide his tongue across her nipple before sucking it fully into his mouth, teasing the sensitive nub relentlessly while his other hand skimmed down her back, long fingers spreading to clasp the round cheek of her buttock.

Abbey arched her back, pressing against him, glorying in the hard jut of his penis where it pushed against the flat plain of her belly. His mouth was creating a vortex of pleasure as he sucked one breast and then the other, triggering a build up of need so intense that when his hand slipped between her legs, knowing fingers touching the most intimate centre of her being, her entire body clenched and an intense cascade of pleasure exploded deep within her.

Weak kneed, Abbey sagged against him. Hanwood bent to gather her into his arms, moving across to the fire where he laid her on the thick rug. She looked dazed, eyes heavy, lips slightly parted as small ripples of pleasure continued to shake her. What she had just experienced had been incredible but she knew she wanted more and the sight of him poised above her sent fresh eddies of need coursing through her. He stroked her thighs; hands warm on her soft skin, pushing her legs apart gently. ‘I would like to spend hours teaching your body to desire me as I desire yours,’ he said, voice uneven, ‘but I find my need for you outstrips my patience. You have conquered me, sweet Abigail. Finesse will have to wait until the next time.’

She smiled, reaching out for him. ‘Please…’

He was gentle with her, as gentle as he could be but the size of him made her gasp as he slid between her legs. There was a moment of pressure, a moment of pain and then he was inside her, moving deep within her slick wetness and discomfort swiftly disappeared as desire took over. He pushed deep as he bent to kiss her, mouth urgent and she cried out against his lips as the slow swell began again, rising up within her to a crescendo that carried them together, driving them both towards an explosive climax. When it came the world shattered, fragmenting around them and they were lost to everything but each other. She tried to hold on, tried to keep her head above water but it was too overwhelming and an ocean of pleasure closed over her.

She surrendered to it willingly, sinking down into sweet oblivion and her lover went with her.

‘I am ruined,’ she said dreamily. ‘No respectable person will ever allow me into their house again.’

Hanwood, returning with a blanket to warm them, arched an eyebrow. ‘You do not sound particularly alarmed by the prospect.’

Abbey, awash with the aftermath of their lovemaking, sighed. ‘I daresay I shall be quite cast down later but right now…’

Hanwood paused for a moment to admire the slender body that lay naked on the hearthrug beneath him. Firelight dappled her crimson and gold, highlighting the delicate swell of her breasts, the lush curve of her hips and his own body stirred into awareness once again. He gave a small grimace, spreading the blanket across his delicious temptress so that the sight of her didn’t undermine him completely. He had every intention of exploring her sweet delights once more but now it was time to talk. Sliding beside her, he pulled her close, possessive now he had won what it seemed his heart had desired all along. ‘You are quite without shame.’

‘I know,’ she admitted remorsefully. ‘I daresay I shall have to return to Derbyshire immediately. My poor aunt! It is more for her that I regret my behavior. I dread to think what people will say of me.’

‘Nothing,’ he predicted. It was, he decided, intoxicating to lay here like this. He could not remember ever wanting to lie with any other woman in such a way before.

Abbey gave a small snort of disbelief. ‘Please sir! I was seen riding out with a man unattended. No,
more
than a man! I was seen riding out with the infamous rake, the Earl of Huntingdon. I daresay it will be all over London by the time we return.’

‘Probably. But it is nothing that need concern you.’

She turned incredulous hazel eyes upon him. ‘I think you underrate the situation! The sight of me at your side will be the talk of the town.’ Not because of who she was. Abbey was well aware that she was a nonentity in the complex tree that made up polite society. But Hanwood occupied an airy place in the topmost branches. Every move he made was scrutinized. She would become notorious because of
him
.

‘Perhaps. But as my wife you will be untouchable. If we have scandalized society then so be it. I shall place you beneath the protection of my aunt, the Duchess of Waverley until we are married. By special license, if you have no objection. The Duchess is beyond reproach and so respectable nobody will dare to suggest any impropriety. By the time we have returned from our honeymoon they will have found something else to talk about.’

There was a small, stunned pause. Whatever Abbey had been expecting of him, it was not this. ‘I had no expectation of marriage when we… when I…’

‘I know.’ Hanwood smiled down at her. ‘I was deeply shocked by your willingness to oblige me in my seduction.’

‘Exactly! I allowed myself to be seduced. There is really no need for you to marry me.’

‘Are you refusing me?’ Hanwood inquired. ‘Because I’m quite prepared to keep kidnapping you if I must. A church or Gretna Green, it’s all one to me as long as the end result is the same. Incidentally, as a respectably married woman I would rather you did
not
make a habit of breaking into other men’s houses.’

‘You must know why I did that! Which reminds me… there’s still the matter of Cecile and Edward’s marriage. Hanwood, she truly loves him -’

‘I doubt either of them are sensible enough to know what love means, let alone marriage. But no matter. I gave up any real interest in the matter the night I met you.’

Abbey gasped. ‘
What
? But you wanted the letters I took!’

 
‘I did not.’ He replied immediately, ‘The only thing that interested me was you. Stubborn, willful, entirely uncooperative; I’d never met anyone so enchanting in my life.’

Abbey looked up at him searchingly. ‘My Lord, you are a rake. Are you
sure
you would be willing to settle for one woman?’

He gave a soft laugh. ‘Truth be told, I’ve been unsatisfied with my life for some time. I felt there was something missing.’ His arms tightened around her, holding her even closer. ‘Somehow I came to understand that that something was you. Redeem me, sweet Abigail. You know you must, as a charitable act if nothing else. I intend to marry you because the alternative is unthinkable. Ever since I met you, you have been a burr beneath my skin, an irrepressible itch that I cannot leave be. When a man’s every waking thought is occupied with the means he will employ to spend time alone with a woman, it is time to admit defeat.’ He trailed a finger across her stomach, smiling a little when Abbey’s breath caught. She swallowed and tried hard to refocus her thoughts, although she suspected that rational thought would soon be beyond her if he continued to touch her like that. ‘Society conspired to keep us apart but we’re done with that now. You will marry me Abigail, because I will leave you no choice in the matter.’ He bent his head to kiss the corner of her mouth, ‘More than that, you will marry me because I cannot live without you.’

‘You have used me unmercifully, my Lord…’ His hand had moved from her stomach to her breasts, fingertips circling a nipple, teasing it into life. The heat had begun again, igniting between her legs to spread like warm honey, desire reawakening.

“Indeed. And I suspect that I will use you again, most unmercifully, before the night is out.’ His fingers were dancing across her skin, creating chaos with his touch. ‘And at every possible opportunity thereafter. From the moment I laid eyes on you, the only thing I wanted was a young lady who has as much wit as she has beauty. Dearest Abbey, you are at once delightfully green and deliciously elusive and you hold my heart firmly in your hands. You will forever be my midnight beauty.’

And Abbey, lost to all reason, was swept up again, all thought of irreproachable duchesses and marriage disappearing as Hanwood applied himself to their mutual pleasure with single minded dedication.

The world, Abbey decided hazily, could wait until he was done.

About Kate Harper

I love historical fiction, especially the Regency era, which was filled to bursting with delicious men and the women who fancied them. I’m all for romance, be it historical or contemporary and I’d love for you to sample my other tales. If you enjoyed The Rake’s Midnight Lady, please join me at
www.Kate-Harper.com
for more of the same.