Untaming Lady Violet by April Moran
Chapter 28
“You will not remember the event the same way that I do,” Violet said in a small voice. “If you remember it at all.”
“Go on.” Tristan noted Violet’s cheeks were now stained pink. “What happened?”
“I’ve never told anyone about that day.”
She bit her lip again, then thought better of it when his intense stare drifted to her mouth.
“I’d just turned fourteen that year, and you were home with friends you’d known at school. At first, I thought they were much like yourself. Young, handsome, so very charming. While I worshipped you from afar, the three of you made merry that week.”
“I recall that particular spring. We’d all graduated the university and were feeling rather pompous.” Tristan grinned widely. “Lord Trentham and the Earl of Granger were always up to some sort of mischief.”
“Yes, mischief.” Violet’s full pink lips tightened. “They thrived on it. Sought it out, in fact. The morning of the fox chase, you were all in high spirits as everyone readied to ride, including Lord Trentham’s sister, Miss Ellen. I’d been given one of the slowest hunters in your father’s stables. He was a steady animal and gentle, which was fortunate as I am a novice when it comes to horsemanship. Mother does not believe it is a skill I must excel at. Why ride when one can always travel by coach or carriage?”
“But you have obtained a rudimentary grasp of what is involved, correct?”
“Yes, thanks to Celia. She insisted I learn the basics. And so, I did. Not for her sake but for yours. I swallowed my fear and learned to stay atop a horse simply so that when I visited Darby Woods every spring, I could ride in the Darby Fox Chase, too.”
Tristan’s heart squeezed painfully at the thought of this lovely girl adoring him from a distance. She did not care he was unworthy of that devotion. Then or now.
His pulse quickened, however, wondering how those two friends, admittedly rather wild and impulsive in those days, fit into the events as she relayed them.
“I hung back from the rest of the group. You were all so eager to begin, and your horses were just as excited. I remember how they pawed and snorted. And I was so fixated on you—” Her smile was sad as she said this. “So worried that you enjoyed Lady Ellen’s company, that I hardly noticed Lord Trentham and Lord Granger circling back. When the fox was set free and everyone else burst into action, your friends did not follow. Instead, they moved in, their horses rearing and prancing so close they jostled mine. Lord Granger’s mount was particularly vicious. It swung its rear toward my horse and began furiously kicking.”
“I remember that mare of his,” Tristan mused. “Granger always said she was slightly mad, but none could beat her on open ground. She ran like a fiend, to the point of collapse if he allowed it.”
“When they circled me, my gelding reared, desperate to get away. I could hardly retain my seat.”
Tristan sat up straight, tense with the realization she might have been harmed.
“They laughed at me. And when I saw Ellen riding beside you, and she smiled as though pleased, I became so angry. I wanted to snatch her down from her horse by her hair, but of course, I could not do that. Lord Trentham told me you did not want me following you as I had that entire week. That you wished to be alone with his sister, and as your friend, he was helping you to that end.”
“His sister was a little flirt who would have done anything to land a husband,” Tristan stated grimly.
He recalled the lengths Ellen had gone in her attempts at wrangling him into a romantic situation. When he proved resistant to her advances, she moved on, trapping Granger in marriage instead the following year. Now a countess, the gossip mill reported Lady Granger was just as miserable as her carousing husband.
Violet frowned as if Tristan’s statement troubled her. “Lord Granger’s horse was so wild, and I was so afraid, but my poor gelding was terrified. He finally bolted when the other horse bumped him one too many times.”
“Oh, kitten,” Tristan murmured, his arms tightening around her. “Were you injured?”
“I tried hanging on. It knocked the very breath from me when I landed, and the thought of being trampled was terrifying. One never truly realizes how very large a horse’s hoof actually is until it is stomping the ground next to your ear. Before riding off, Lord Trentham said that unless I wished the incident repeated, I was not to follow you. By then, with my horse already galloping back to the stables, I had no choice. Besides, I was so bruised from the fall, I could hardly lift my arm. My lip was bloody, and there was a nasty scrape on my knee. Later, Celia asked what happened, but I told her and my parents the same story. That I was thrown because of my own inexperience. I was ashamed your friends were tasked with keeping me away as though I were a bothersome pest.”
Tristan sighed and pulled Violet closer. She resisted for a second before allowing him to press her head over the spot where his heart beat. Neither moved nor spoke until Tristan broke the silence.
“That was very cruel of them, Violet, to lie with such audacity and fail to offer assistance when you were injured. Had I been aware of their actions, I would have beaten the hell out of the pair of them. Even if I was a rakehell myself, I would not have condoned such behavior. And I never had any interest in Lady Ellen. I tolerated her because of my friendship with her brother. I have a feeling it was she who orchestrated the event. She pulled a similar stunt later that year which resulted in her marriage to George. Oh, darling, I’m sorry you were subjected to their malice.”
“I believed you directed the actions of your friends. I should have known you would not be so heartless,” Violet said in a muffled voice. Then, a tiny laugh escaped her. “There’s a distressing abundance of women willing to go to great lengths just to be part of your life.”
“Two is not an abundance, kitten.”
“Do you forget the actress who just last season claimed you were to wed once production shut down? The gossips reported you vowed to end the play’s run if she did not say yes to your proposal of marriage. Of course, very few believed her since you were also in pursuit of Grace around that time.” Violet’s head lifted so she could gaze deep into his eyes. “Do not fear I will do the same, Tristan. I may be no more than a shy wallflower, but I possess some pride. And I’ll not scheme and lie to gain a husband.”
Tristan ground his teeth in silent frustration. It did appear there were several plots to shackle him with a wife.
None of the women Violet mentioned interested him in the least. Then or now. However, if he ever decided he wanted a wife, the woman in his arms at that very moment would be his choice.
And how his father would rejoice at that bit of news.
“No, you would not lower yourself to such deceptive measures, Violet. Perhaps that is why I am obsessed with having you while I can. While it’s possible. You are the unattainable. I may have my pleasure, and give you yours, with no worry that tomorrow will see me standing at the altar. It is a defect in my character that allows me to take your innocence with little qualm.”
Violet’s soft hands brushed over his abdomen before her arms slipped around his waist. Her grip tightened almost convulsively as she embraced him.
“If there is a flaw, it is mine to claim, Tristan. I gave myself to you. Few men would reject what I offered. I am a woman who has become willingly wicked, even if there is no gain to be had and no promises for a future.” Her voice turned fierce. “But I’m not sorry. I’ll never be sorry for this.”
Tristan could think of nothing to say to that resolute statement. He simply held her, contemplating how anyone could ever overlook a girl of her caliber.
Violet Everstone was a hidden treasure. He was a fool for having been blind to her for so long. And he would become a bigger fool when it was time to let her go and he allowed it.
“Will you allow me to help you overcome your fear of horses? You may find comfort in such a simple pleasure as riding one day.” He smoothed her hair back away from her temple, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. “There is something to be said for a quiet morning ride through the forest, or across a green meadow. If you were properly introduced to it, you would enjoy it more than you think possible.”
She shivered just a little in his arms, no doubt remembering the day his friends terrorized her.
The irrational urge to find those men, to bloody their faces with his fists so they could experience the consequences of their cruelty surprised him. He’d always shown consideration and respect for the fairer sex, but this was different. This was a visceral need to punish anyone who might hurt this sweet girl.
It was a need to protect what was his.
“If you really believe it will help.” Violet’s voice was small, her breath warm against his chest. Her perfume tickled his nostrils.
His body was already responding again, ready to claim her a second time. When she shifted, the blood thumped quicker in his veins.
He couldn’t let her go just yet. The night was not over, and the thought of not tasting her one more time before this door closed on their relationship was stomach-wrenching.
Tilting her chin with his forefinger, he stared down into her dark violet eyes, memorizing all the myriad shades of blue swimming in their depths. The lighter flecks of color reminded him of diamond dust.
“There are many things that become easier after the initial undertaking. And definitely things you will find more pleasurable the second time around.” He brushed a kiss over her full lips, playfully tugging the bottom one between his teeth before releasing it.
She smiled shyly. “You are not talking about riding, are you?”
“Of course, I am. But what we are doing now is just another way you can gain some confidence.” His lips twisted upward. “Shall I show you, little kitten? Or should I allow you to slip away from me to the safety of your room?”
Violet’s breath quickened. She scooted forward until she faced him, her body nestled in the space of his legs, her chest to his, her hips caged by his thighs, her belly pressed against his rapidly growing shaft.
“We can do… that… again?”
Tristan chuckled at the hopeful tone of her question. “We can. We can do anything we wish. Anything you wish. And this time, you will take the lead. Whatever you want, even if you don’t know what it is just yet, I will do for you. I will help you discover what your body wants, and I’ll show you how you may please yourself. You have all of the control, Violet.”
Her head tilted. “I think I like that idea.”
“Then let us begin with a kiss,” Tristan replied, his voice husky at the thought of being at her mercy. “Kiss me how you like. Anywhere you like. And any question you have, I will answer as we go down this path together.”
The diamond dust in Violet’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. Trailing a finger along the firm line of his jaw, she murmured, “The stubble of your whiskers tickles when you kiss my neck and shoulders. It makes me shiver but in a good way. As if warning me something better is coming. Does it tickle when I kiss you?”
“Violet.” Tristan took a deep breath, steadying his desire while she peeked up at him beneath the thick sweep of her lashes. “Your kiss lights a fire deep in my soul.”
A glimmer of pleased satisfaction lit her features as her finger moved along to his earlobe. “And if I bit you here, as you have done to me, would it feel like something sharp twisted its way into your heart, leaving you unable to breathe?”
Leaning forward, her breath whispered over his jaw before warming his ear.
“I imagine it would.” His voice was already shaky with longing before her teeth gently nipped his earlobe.
A groan escaped his lungs. His cock hardened almost painfully, thrilled by the hint of savagery she was showing him.
Encouraged by the sound he made, Violet repeated the action, this time taking more flesh between her teeth and slightly tugging it. Then, in a flash, she let go and leisurely licked the spot.
Before he could fully react to that intriguing maneuver, her tongue was swirling around the contours of his ear, her fingers sifting through the thick waves of his hair and curling around the back of his head so he was held immobile for exploration.
Lust cascaded through Tristan. Rarely had a woman taken the time to tease him, to discover the erogenous zones of his body with the exception of his cock. Violet Everstone and her inexperienced caresses were driving him insane with need.
His fists tightened. If this went on much longer, he would not be able to stop himself from rolling her over and driving into her sweet, curvy body over and over until the world either exploded or froze in its orbit.
“When I’m with you, Tristan, when you touch me, kiss me, it feels like a thousand fireflies lighting me up from the inside. Every time, the pleasure is so overwhelming I feel like I am coming apart at the seams. As if the entire world is inside me and bursting out. Does it feel that way for you, too?”
Her mouth slowly tracked down the slope of his neck to the area where it met his shoulder. She smoothed a hand over the muscles of his chest, measuring the bulges and tracing the defined lines of his pectorals. Her lips drifted lower, brushing kisses over his flesh until she reached the flat disk of his nipple.
“I feel everything you feel, Violet,” he grunted. “Magnified until I spend my days going crazy wanting you.”
“Is it like that no matter who you make love to, or is this something special we only feel with each other?” Her inquiry was followed by the tip of her wicked, little tongue swiping at his nipple just before the bit of flesh was sucked into the heat of her mouth.
Muscles tightening, Tristan very nearly shot off the settee. Against his better judgment, one hand found its way into the wealth of her hair.
Clenching a chunk of auburn curls in his fist, he struggled against the urge to snatch her up and kiss her to within an inch of her life.
“It’s not like this with anyone else.” Tugging her head back, he forced her to meet his gaze. “It’s never been like this before. No one, no one, makes me feel like you do. And with every jealous thread of my selfish soul, I am determined that you never forget my hands on your skin. My mouth on yours. Our bodies joined together.”
With the quickness of a jungle cat, Tristan moved to a sitting position and settled Violet so she straddled his lap.
This placed her chest at eye-level. The temptation was greater than any mortal man could resist. Nuzzling the soft, fragrant skin bared by the gaping chemise, Tristan ran his tongue over the shadowy valley between her breasts, searching for her nipples through the flimsy cloth. Finding one, he drew it into his mouth and tasted her until the chemise’s fabric grew damp and transparent.
His hands skimmed the span of Violet’s waist, slowly dropping even further until the curves of her buttocks rested in his palms. Gripping her tighter brought her flush against his aching shaft, and with an excited moan, Violet’s fingers plowed through the thick waves of his hair. She pressed him to her breasts, her breathing intensifying with each passing moment as he feasted.
“Open my trousers and free me,” he muttered around a mouthful of her creamy flesh.
Violet barely fumbled while following the command. Shifting her body, she quickly navigated the buttons and helped him shed the garment with just a touch of awkwardness.
She giggled against his lips when he finally kicked them aside.
“You should consider more easily accessible clothing, Viscount.”
“If it were up to me, neither of us would wear a stitch when we are together.” He kissed the underside of her chin, his hands returning to grip the bare globes of her bottom.
“How scandalous of you. Imagine the reactions at afternoon tea if you had your way. We would certainly turn heads.”
“If I had my way, we would spend all day and night making love,” he replied with a husky laugh. “To hell with tea and anything or anyone outside this room. I have a feast of violets in my arms and no need for anything else.”
Violet bracketed his face in her hands, staring down at him for a long moment, her fingers stilling until they no longer twisted in his hair. She appeared dazed by his ardor.
“You say the sweetest, most wicked things, Tristan. Sometimes, I wonder if I should believe…”
Tristan swore beneath his breath. “Every word is the truth, Violet, even if I cannot offer more than what I give you in this moment. Now, if you are not too ill-used by my selfish addiction to you, would you like to learn how to ride?”
She kissed him softly. “We’re still not talking about horses, are we?”
“I want you too badly to jest about such matters at the moment.” Squeezing her plump buttocks until she sighed in dreamy surrender, he positioned her body until it would take only a surge of his hips to breach her. “Spread your legs wider, Violet. Lower yourself onto me. Take me deep inside you. Move as you will and don’t stop until you’ve found your pleasure by using me. I want your heartbeat branding my flesh with your name.”