Pleasures of the Night by Heather Boyd

Chapter 10

The Marquess of Wharton had always set a good table, but tonight Teddy’s appetites were hardly fulfilled at dinner. And not at all in the drawing room.

There was a certain lady on his mind, just out of reach by the fire. He was still troubled by the obvious disappointment on her face when she’d learned about his attendance at Madam Bradshaw’s Pleasure House the previous evening. Many gentlemen kept memberships at such establishments. Married or not. It had seemed to be a requirement for a bachelor about Town.

He hadn’t truly given going there a second thought, but clearly, he should have. He didn’t have to go the next time he was invited to tag along with friends. He usually only went when his friends were there anyway.

He needed only one woman in his life and bed.

He glanced at his friends. They lingered around Wharton and Hurlston, glasses in hand, discussing agriculture and increasing the profit from their estates. Since Teddy had little knowledge of agriculture, nor possessed a country estate of his own, he wouldn’t be expected to contribute much to the conversation.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Eugenia rise from her chair. No one else rose, and she moved through the guests until she reached a door uninterrupted.

She suddenly met his gaze and then stepped from the room, leaving the door ajar.

Teddy straightened up, finished his drink, and moved to follow her as discretely as he could. He knew where they were meeting, though it was hardly what he’d call a private enough location for any tryst. But at least he might talk to her and reassure her of his interest if he must.

He made his way out to the hall, pulling the doors to the drawing room shut behind him. Anyone who saw him go would likely assume he was making a call to the privy.

The hall was poorly lit tonight, though it had been brighter when he’d first arrived.

He crossed the hall, slipped back into the empty dining room where the scent of cigar smoke still lingered, and aimed for the far door. He crossed another empty chamber until he reached the entrance to the long gallery.

There, the portraits of Wharton’s ancestors peered back at him as he moved as quietly as he could to the end of the chamber, where Eugenia usually sat at night. To his surprise, he discovered a section of the wall was actually a paneled doorway into another small chamber, and it was open tonight.

Since there was no sign of Eugenia in the actual long gallery, he assumed her inside and waiting.

Teddy stepped into the dark chamber, listening for any sign from the lady he sought. He hoped he’d understood her invitation. “Eugenia?”

“I’m here. Pull the panel closed so no one will stumble upon us.”

He would not want that. Teddy reached back and did as asked. She was taking a great risk meeting him alone in Lord Wharton’s house like this, especially with so many not far away. But he was drawn to Eugenia and willing to take this risk to be near her as often as he could.

Her shape, shadow, was suddenly clear to him across the chamber, now that his eyes had adjusted to the darkness. They were in a small space, a private parlor perhaps. There was a fireplace and chairs. A rug on the floor and books were strewn about. One window was only partially covered by drapes, admitting a sliver of moonlight. It was decorated to suit a lady’s taste rather than a man’s. He figured this room butted against the dining room wall.

He moved toward Eugenia just as she moved toward him.

“You understood.”

“I hoped I had.” He stopped not far from her. “This isn’t wise.”

“Probably not, but I want something from you.”

He frowned in question.

“I want a kiss,” she whispered.

“More than one, most likely,” Teddy said as he reached out to cup her cheek. “I think that can be arranged.”

She moved closer, her fingers gripping his waistcoat tight. “But this time, I want a real kiss.”

He didn’t understand. “What wasn’t real about the first, second, or the rest?”

She shook him. “You know.”

“No, I don’t.”

She moved in, and her fingers slid around him, under his waistcoat. “This time, I want you to kiss me like you mean it. Like I’m the only woman in the world for you. The only one you dream of.”

“Miss Hillcrest…I think you’ve misunderstood my intentions.”

“I understand perfectly. You should understand mine, too. I don’t expect marriage. I don’t expect even a tomorrow, or for you to give up other women. I don’t want chaste kisses, no matter how nice they were the other day. And here, right now, I need you to kiss me and not hold back that part of yourself that longs to be free. If that is asking too much, I will understand, and you can go back to the party.”

Teddy looked down at her. He had not deliberately held any part of himself back from their kisses. He merely thought plundering her mouth like a savage was unnecessary. Tonight though, he could be persuaded to increase their intimacy if she wanted more. “A gentleman shouldn’t reveal how much he craves a lady.”

“But I know you do anyway. I can see it in your eyes,” she whispered. “It’s very flattering, considering my competition. I want you that way, too. I want to know you in a way that few do.”

He frowned. “You couldn’t mean that.”

“I do,” she promised. “You must feel no obligation or guilt for what we have only just begun, and what will eventually end.”

He’d been trying not to read too much into her earlier confession about her lack of innocence, but it was impossible now to pretend. She had experience in passion, and she didn’t want to keep him at arm’s length.

Teddy took a moment more to consider how to go on with her now. Sneaking off to steal kisses was one thing, but meeting with an experienced and hungry like-minded soul was quite altogether different. A whole host of opportunities presented themselves to his passion-starved body. However, all required careful planning to carry out.

But if she was willing, there were no bounds he couldn’t cross with her, provided she kept her word about not demanding a marriage in the end. And if he kept his head, he wouldn’t get a child on her. Avoiding a pregnancy was absolutely necessary.

Deep in his heart, he believed her honest. Eugenia was just like him in that way. A seeker of the pleasures of the night and without fear for the future.

All his reasons to hesitate fell away.

Teddy moved closer to her and set his hands on her shoulders. “I felt no guilt when I kissed you, only concern that I might reveal how much I want to strip off your clothes and kiss you everywhere.”

Eugenia laughed and fell against him. “I don’t believe there’ll be time for mutual nakedness tonight.”

“A pity,” Teddy mused, running his hand down her back to grip her bottom. He squeezed and kneaded her flesh, eliciting a gasp from her lips. His cock begged for freedom from his trousers already. “Will lifting your skirts be enough to satisfying you tonight?”

“Only if you lower your trousers. That’s what I want tonight. A good hard joining. Passion with no regrets.” Eugenia ran her hands up his chest, and her fingers teased into his hair at the back of his neck. A shiver raced down his spine when she sifted through the strands. “I like how tall and strong you seem.”

“I find your deficiency of height equally appealing.” Teddy let his fingers slide down the back of her thigh, just barely reaching as far as he’d like to go. He’d have to lift her to align them to make love, or set her down upon a chair. He spread his fingers over her derrière and then squeezed again. “I have to stretch to reach all your lovely curves. You’re a compact woman I want to hoist over my shoulder and toss up onto the nearest bed.”

“There’s no bed to be had tonight, I’m afraid. Not here.” Eugenia mimicked him, clutching his bum in her small hands. “But first, where’s my kiss, sir?”

“Coming, at any moment.” But it wasn’t. Teddy was going to make her wait just a little longer. And if she’d thought he’d held back before, she was in for a rude shock when he did kiss her at last.

He backed her toward a low chair across the room. The perfect height, in his opinion, for lovemaking of any short duration in this room. He would seat her there and fall to his knees and do so many wicked things to her body before they had to part.

Eugenia sat on the edge and raised her skirts to her knees before leaning back to look up at him. Even in the dark, he could see the desire in her eyes and the expectation of pleasure from only him. He let his gaze trail down her body, pausing on her heaving chest and restless legs. There were red ribbons holding up her stockings tonight. A bold color for an equally bold lover. He reached out to trace around her slender leg and let his fingertip just happen to slip higher onto her bare skin.

Eugenia sucked in a sharp breath. “Where’s my kiss?”

“I’ll get to that. I promise.”

Eugenia stirred, spreading her thighs a touch wider, though her skirts still covered her sex from his view. She pouted suddenly. “Will you always make me wait?”

He smiled because that pout was so completely out of character for what he knew of her. “This passion of ours is not something to be hurried.”

“What if someone comes?”

“Let’s hope that they don’t,” he whispered. “I want only pleasure for you tonight, not a scandal.”

Eugenia grabbed his coat by the lapels and pulled him down over her. “Enough talk.”

He pretended to resist, taking time to position his hands close beside her hips. Then Teddy leaned down to steal a kiss. Then another, and another from her soft clinging lips. It was clear she wanted more and sooner than he was prepared to give yet. He would give her what she asked for in the end, though—all of his passion, all of his need, starting from tonight.

Eugenia’s fingers rose to cup his throat, her tongue darted out to flick across his upper lip.

Teddy growled softly and sealed their lips together. She enthusiastically encouraged him to all but ravish her mouth and gave as good as she got. His need to be close had them rocking against each other within moments.

Teddy was burning up to strip her bare, but there really was no time for the sort of luxurious lovemaking he’d prefer. That would have to wait until he could bring her to his house when it was properly furnished, and he’d moved in.

He snuck his hands under her skirts and spread his fingers over her soft thighs. Eugenia let out a gasp as he moved his hands higher and higher.

“Dear God, but your skin is so warm,” he whispered as he broke the kiss and pressed his head to hers.

“Your hands are rough. I like that,” she hastened to add before licking his cheek. “I want them on me everywhere.”

He moved his fingers up between her thighs until he could just touch her curls. She was wet. He jerked her to the edge of the chair and pushed her legs apart roughly. “I’ll treat you well, I swear.”

“I know. That’s why I picked you out of all the distinguished rogues in London.”

Teddy looked down at her lap, moving her skirts from view to reveal her pale thighs. His breath churned from anticipation and not a little lust. “That’s why I’m here then. Because you chose me.”

Teddy claimed her mouth in a hungry kiss, leaning over her as he grasped her hips to bring their bodies into closer alignment.

The touch of her quim against his groin made him groan with need. He’d be inside her tonight. He knew it, but he had to keep his head.

He had a sheath in his pocket, he always carried one just in case he became swept away by lust, and he’d heard they might interfere with conception, too. He broke free of her arms to grab it and toss his coat aside in the process. He set the condom on her lap for when he needed it and went to pull her back to him.

Eugenia had lifted it up to study it in the dim light from their window. After a moment, she shrugged. Clearly, she’d not expected him to be prepared or to wear one.

Teddy returned his hands to her thighs and slid them up until he touched her curls again. Her legs parted on a sigh, and she leaned against the chair back, willing, it seemed, to have him do with her as he liked.

So long as she was satisfied by the end that was fine with him.

Humbled by her trust and openness to heated passions, he teased his way through her damp curls until he discovered her wet folds. He parted her lower lips, intending to stimulate her until she moaned.

Teddy ducked his head down and kissed the curls above her sex, before dipping lower.

Above, a shocked gasp escaped her before she had her fingers in his hair, urging him to keep exploring her body. He was happy to oblige. He loved the taste of women inflamed by lust, and Eugenia was definitely excited tonight.

He ran his tongue back and forth through her folds, teasing her, kissing her, sucking on her clitoris, until her legs were stretched impossibly wide to give him unlimited access and her feet were high in the air. He brought one of her legs to rest upon his shoulder. The other she placed there herself.

This is what he loved. Giving pleasure to a woman because she wanted it. Needed it as much as he did. No pretense, no false modesty. Just two people with a burning need to feel.

It wasn’t long before he could tell Eugenia was close to release. She was already rocking her pelvis into his face in search of that pinnacle of excitement. For all the speed of their coming together, he hadn’t expected to be left behind. He hadn’t even gotten his trousers lowered.

He lifted his head from her quim, loosened his trousers, and reached for the French letter. Eugenia helpfully tucked his shirt under his waistcoat while he rolled the length of gut onto his cock. Eugenia took hold of him then, drawing the tip down so he could tie the ribbons that would hold it firmly in place.

Clearly, she was familiar with their usage.

That made things easier, less awkward—and he firmly told himself not to think of the man who’d made love to her before him, or any who would after.

Suitably protected and aching to be inside her, he caught her face and kissed Eugenia hard with all the pent-up hunger their secret meetings and sly touches had excited in him. And as he carefully eased inside her warm depths, at last, he felt a small part of his soul roar with triumph.

He brought her face close to his, watching her react to his possession. This was the moment when lovers should be perfectly attuned.

He drew back and pumped his hips, unable to help himself. To be inside a woman was magic. That it was Eugenia was glorious. He would never wish this moment undone.

He clutched the back of the settee with one hand and her hip with the other. She had lost some of her passion, perhaps, but she’d have it back and more before they were through. He lowered his lips to her slender neck and nipped at the softness of her throat. Eugenia gasped and writhed beneath him, clearly enjoying their lovemaking.

Suddenly her hand slipped between them, clutching at his cock. After a moment, he realized he’d been in danger of sliding free of the protection he’d insisted upon wearing. He drew back to see that she’d caught hold of the ribbons and was trying to tighten them.

Teddy held still, cursing the ill-fitting thing under his breath. There was, of course, accidental displacement with condoms. But he could not continue if it was so loose that he might slip out while he was thrusting into her. He made sure he was completely protected again before he slid back inside her and held still there.

Teddy slid his fingers to Eugenia’s clitoris and stroked her, teased her, brought her to the brink once more while he held still with only the squeeze of her depths to excite him. He pulsed his hips carefully, staying deep and hoping to find a place of sensitivity he’d read about in one of his erotic books.

Her fingers wrapped again around his cock tightened, and she fumbled about to stroke him around the base.

It wasn’t enough alone, but then she kissed him and teased her tongue deep into his mouth to tangle with his, and he lost all sense of caution.

The thrill of her actions brought him closer to the brink, but he concentrated on securing her pleasure first. Thankfully, Eugenia shuddered and cried out a moment later. Her body clamped around his aching cock like a vise while he gritted his teeth and held still, not trusting his condom to do the job it was meant for.

When he could hold back no more, when her shuddering subsided, he pulled from her wet heat—condom dangling half off his cock. Eugenia slid it onto him again and then pumped his flesh fast and hard with her hand, and he came inside the sheath.

When he was spent, he fell forward onto her, settling his face between her breasts, and heaved a satisfied sigh. Eugenia was perfect for the pleasures of the night.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “You do not disappoint.”

He laughed and eased his face from the warm bower between her breasts, then dropped to kiss the tops of each one. “I hope not.”

He started righting their clothes but paused when he caught her watching his face. “What is it?”

She leaned up and cupped his cheek before brushing her lips across his. “I was thinking I’d like to see you again like this.”

He grinned and nuzzled her cheek with his lips. “We’ll find a way. Soon.”

“Good,” she whispered back before bursting to her feet, straightening her gown and blowing him a kiss as she waltzed out the door.

Gods, he wanted to chase after her and drag her back for a second bout of lovemaking for that cheeky exit. Saucy didn’t begin to describe a woman like Eugenia Hillcrest.