Who Wants a Brawling Baron: Romancing the Rake Read online

  “No,” he choked out. “No more questions like those until I know I’ve secured Cassandra’s position as your guest.”

  Charlie paused then looked over to him. A flicker of concern crossed her pretty face. “Are you in love with her?”

  Chapter Seven

  Charlie took a deep breath, her chest shaking as she drew it in. What had possessed her to ask such specific questions?

  Yes, he knew all the answers. And certainly, she had an intimacy with him she’d never shared with anyone else. But as they’d talked, heat had radiated from her core and she realized why he was the wrong person to ask. She became even more aware of him with each passing question.

  They entered into a small, sheltered nook in the rock front. An outdoor room, open to the sky but almost completely closed on four sides. Just a small entrance led into the hollowed-out center. “It’s stunning,” she gushed as she looked around. “And the sand is dry.”

  “The ocean almost never rises to fill it. It comes close, though, so you can get trapped in here until the tide goes out. Unless you don’t mind wet shoes.” Ophelia drew in a deep breath as she looked to Charlie. “I spent hours here, nearly every day after my mother died. I swear, this place healed my hurt.”

  Charlie still held Raithe’s arm and tightened her grip. “How do you ever get over that loss?”

  Ophelia’s eyes narrowed as her head cocked to the side. “Have you recovered from the loss of yours?”

  “Oh.” She paused. “Yes,” she answered, but the truth was, she wasn’t certain. What she’d done might be more akin to running away from than healing.

  Chase spread out a blanket. “The tide is low now so we’ve nothing to worry about in terms of the ocean. Who fancies kicking off our shoes and walking along the water? It’s already getting rather warm.”

  Charlie nodded, lowering herself to the blanket to remove her slippers. Then she lifted her skirts to quickly untie the ribbons at the top of her stockings.

  A groan sounded as Raithe sat next to her. “Your calves are utterly delightful.”

  She looked at him, his black eyes glittering as he ran a gaze over her body. “Really? They’re so small. Now your thighs, for example—” And then she stopped. His teeth snapped together, his jaw going tense as a muscle ticced in his cheek.

  “What about my thighs?” he whispered so low she almost didn’t hear him. Somehow, his whispered request made her begin to ache all over again.

  “They’re…powerful,” she answered, sounding breathy.

  As if to illustrate her point, he lifted a leg to pull off one of his boots. Her insides fluttered as he pulled first one and then the other.

  “Are we ready?” Ophelia asked, as Chase pulled her to standing.

  Charlie hastily rolled down her other stocking. Somehow, this almost felt more intimate than their discussion about holes and rods. “Ready.”

  Raithe stood and took her hand, pulling her effortlessly to her feet. His other hand caught her waist as he steadied her.

  They followed once again as Chase and Ophelia raced toward the water, allowing the waves to crash over their feet.

  “They look very happy.”

  Raithe still held her hand, sending a thrill through her. “They do,” she said, not sure what else to say. Her own feelings were churning.

  “I know I was that happy once but I don’t remember what it felt like anymore,” Raithe said as he stared out at the water.

  He’d been that happy? For some reason the idea made her ache. Had he been in love too?

  But she didn’t have time to ask. A cry ripped through the air, making Charlie freeze. Ophelia had dropped to the ground, holding her ankle.

  Charlie didn’t think, she started running, racing to Ophelia’s side. Chase was already looking at her foot by the time Charlie and Raithe reached her.

  “I stepped on something,” Ophelia said, assessing the blood dripping down her heel.

  “Go get on your boots,” Raithe rumbled out, dropping to the ground and shrugging off his coat. He ripped pieces from his shirt. “I’ll bandage up the foot and then you can get her back to the house for better care.”

  “Good plan.” Chase leaned over and reassured Ophelia with a quick, hard kiss. “I’ll be right back.” Then he raced off.

  Charlie held Ophelia’s hand as Raithe tore strips from his shirt and wrapped them about her injured appendage.

  “It doesn’t look too bad.”

  Raithe gave Ophelia a gentle smile that stole Charlie’s breath. He looked like a completely different man when he smiled like that. It hadn’t been for her, of course. But if it had…

  “Ready?” Chase asked as he returned, scooping Ophelia into his arms. “Thank you for your help, Balstead. I’m going to trust you to quickly return my cousin to the house.”

  Raithe gave a short jerk to his chin. “We’ll just put on our shoes and come right back.”

  Chase didn’t answer as he turned and began sprinting back toward the path with Ophelia in his arms.

  Charlie watched them go, just a touch of envy coloring her brow. She’d craved excitement, distraction all this time. But what if, instead, she allowed herself to fall in love with one of her suitors? Not only would she fill that void, but she’d also have a new family all her own. A different kind of excitement. A lasting kind.

  She looked over at the man standing next to her in the sand. She could fall for him…his dark good looks and shoulders appeared as though they might hold up the entire world, especially her.

  Raithe felt her eyes like a physical touch and he clenched his fist to keep from dragging her against his body. He’d been fighting that urge since this bloody walk started. “No good ever comes from taking off your shoes.”

  “Really? Do you do everything in shoes?” she asked, grinning over at him.

  He stilled. If she asked him if he fucked in shoes, he might have to drop her to the sand and kiss her senseless. “Such as?”

  “Do you take a bath in them?” she grinned, giving his arm a bit of a push.

  He looked over at her. “Do you deal with every difficult situation with jokes and bad behavior?”

  He watched her smile fall. “Beast,” she accused, and then she lifted her skirts and began stomping her way back to the little hideaway.

  He could see her slender ankles as she moved, her hips swaying as she went. He’d sworn to himself that he wouldn’t kiss her again. It was dangerous. But as he followed, he knew that he would. That he needed another taste of her sweet fire.

  Perhaps it was because he now understood they were alike in more ways than he’d guessed. Or maybe it was because he forgot that constant ache he’d carried around since Jennifer’s death. But he wanted another drink from her sweet nectar.

  He followed her, easily catching up to her at the entrance. She disappeared inside and he followed, watching as she huffed and tossed herself on the blanket. Then she brushed off her foot and grabbed a stocking, pointing her toe as she started to slide the silky fabric onto her foot.

  “I’ll help,” he said as he dropped into the sand on his knees just in front of her.

  “I don’t need your help.” She tossed him a dismissive glance as she pulled the clothing higher, over her slender ankle, and up that shapely calf. He swallowed, his mouth drying at the sight.

  He reached out a hand, wrapping his fingers just under her knee. She gasped. Slowly, he pulled her toward him, planting his other hand in the sand so that he might lean out and take her lips with his. “Charlie,” he murmured. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

  “Well. You did,” she said and he heard the raw note of her voice.

  He frowned, trying to decide how to proceed. His chest squeezed. He didn’t want to hurt her. Maybe he’d been emotionally closed for too long and could no longer read a woman’s reactions. “How will I continue your education if you’re not talking or looking at me?”

  “I don’t care about that any longer.” She held up a hand to stop h
im from pulling her any closer. “I don’t misbehave and I resent your accusation that I do. Well, last night was a bit of an exception. I’m just feeling…”

  “Lost,” he answered. Her hand softened even as it came in contact with his chest and he kept pulling her closer, sliding her through the sand.

  “Yes. How did you know?” Her lips were inches under his now as she tilted her chin up to look at him.

  “A hunch,” he murmured and then he dropped his mouth lower until their mouths almost touched. “And now you want to fill that ache.”

  “Yes,” she said, searching his face. “But I can’t be foolish. I will have to marry. If I can’t participate in society and I don’t have a husband I would be so very…lonely.”

  He brushed his mouth against hers. So soft. He still held her ankle as her feet settled on either side of his knees. He could just lie down on top of her, push them both back in the sand and then he’d be cradled between her legs. He kissed her again. His cock was stiff as a board and his mind muddled with desire. He wanted that so much. To lose himself in this woman. “One more kiss. Just for a minute. And then that’s it.”

  “One more,” she repeated and then said nothing else as his mouth covered hers, slanting hers open so that he might brush his tongue to hers.

  Her arms threaded about his neck, and without even realizing it, he did exactly what he imagined. They tumbled back, his manhood nestling into her soft mound. They both groaned as he shifted to place even more pressure where he was sure she needed it most.

  Her legs wrapped about his, her skirts completely tangling, as he pumped against her, the friction, even with all their clothes on, causing them both to moan again.

  She broke away. “You didn’t tell me about this part.”

  Instead of answering, he captured her mouth again. This part wasn’t his to teach. It belonged to the man who would call her “wife” and a stab of guilt punctured the haze of lust. He was stealing this away.

  But then another, more possessive emotion roared inside him. No other man would touch her. She belonged with him.

  Where the hell had that come from?

  He lifted up, looking down at her, her eyes unfocused, her mouth puffy, her arms still threaded about his neck. He couldn’t keep her. He’d made a vow. But neither did he want to let her go.

  Chapter Eight

  Charlie attempted to concentrate but it was so difficult with his large, strong body pressed to hers. His hand was behind her back and he held her stomach tight to his even as something hard rubbed her most sensitive area, sending tendrils of pleasure spiraling through her core.

  She wanted more.

  He gazed down at her, his dark eyes almost smoky with heat and she tightened her legs, wrapped about his, causing more pleasure to zip through her. Her lips parted as she drew in a shuddering breath. Her head fell back and her back arched higher.

  “Raithe,” she whispered, testing the name again. It suited him and she liked the feel of it on her tongue. “I want…” She didn’t know how to finish that thought but he seemed to understand how to answer it.

  He slid his hand lower, from the small of her back to her behind, and pushed them tighter together. A wave of pleasure coursed through her and she gripped his scalp tighter, her fingers threading into his hair as she pulled at the strands. “How did you know to do that?”

  He began kissing a trail down her neck, his lips sliding over her flesh, making her shiver. “That is but one small touch that I know to bring you pleasure, my sweet little minx. There are so many more.”

  “More?” Her eyes fluttered closed as he pushed against her again, creating a rhythm that sent wave after wave of pleasure crashing over her body, pushing her pleasure higher and higher. “I don’t know if I could take more.”

  He squeezed one of her round cheeks even as he pressed and rubbed, making her body shudder with longing. “You, Charlie, are meant for sin. Not only could you take it…” He trailed off as his lips reached the neckline of her dress, and he pushed it down, revealing a bit more of her skin. “You’d absolutely bloom under a man’s hands. By God, I want to see all of you. Kiss every inch…”

  The very idea of his skin sliding against hers, his lips kissing her everywhere... Something inside her heaved and then shattered, her body cresting over and pleasure erupting inside her.

  She gasped, clutching him, as a moan tore from her lips. He held her tight until she softened, going limp under his. “Raithe?”

  He didn’t move. Rather, he nuzzled her neck, his fingers sliding from her backside up to the top of her back. “Charlie, you make the most beautiful noises.”

  She combed her fingers through his hair. “Noises?” She gave her head a tiny shake. “That’s something you actually like?”

  He chuckled into the crook of her neck. “The education continues.” Then he lifted his head and gave her a long lingering kiss. “I liked them very much.”

  “Is it the same for a man? The finish?”

  He grinned down at her. “The same. And different.”

  She nibbled at her lip. “I am curious to know—”

  “No,” he said, lifting up. “That is an education for the man who marries you.” How had he known what she would ask? She wanted to see more of Raithe. Feel more, and honestly, hear more.

  “But this was for you?”

  He grimaced as he looked down at her, now on his knees. “No. I stole this moment because…” He drew in a deep breath. “You are too tempting and I am not a good man. But the others…they will be for him.”

  Him? What him? There was only one him that she could see right now and he looked down at her, dark and masculine in a way that made her ache all over again. “Why? Why does it have to be for another him?”

  He frowned, the lines of his face growing deeper. “Because, we’ve already come too close to ruining you. Because you wish to marry and because I will never be married again.”

  Surprise, like cold water, doused her. Again? That word hit her as she pushed up on her elbows. “I changed my mind. I need help with my stockings after all.”

  His gaze slid down her body, scorching her with the heat of it. He stopped as he stared at her breasts. “Charlie.”

  “Yes?” She gave him her most innocent smile. Because several things had occurred to her. He had secrets that she wished to hear. And the only way to wheedle them out of him was to be alone. And she wanted his hands on her skin. But another thought poked around the back of her mind. For a rake, he was unduly concerned with her reputation, with what he should and shouldn’t do. He’d said that she’d know the difference between a gentleman and a rake by his intentions, his caring.

  She was beginning to wonder if her rake wasn’t a gentleman in disguise after all.

  Putting on Charlie’s stockings was a form of exquisite torture. His teeth ground together and his cock throbbed as Raithe rolled the silky fabric up her body. Her feet were small and ridiculously pretty. He had the urge to kiss her arches, then nip his way up to her slender ankles, and over her shapely calves. He pictured pushing her skirts higher and kissing her just behind the knee, along the inside of her thighs. He squeezed his eyes shut even as his man parts throbbed again.

  “There,” he growled out. “Done.”

  She gave him an angelic smile, those pale pink lips parted to show her pearly white teeth. He wanted to kiss her again…starting with her lips and allowing his mouth to wander…everywhere.

  “And my shoes? Can you put those on too?”

  He let out a groan of dissent. He wished to topple her backward again and bury his face directly into… His hands stilled. Interesting, but he was far more curious about hearing her finish again than he was in taking his own pleasure.

  That made him slide back on his heels, leaning further away.

  She lifted a foot, still only clad in her stockings, and gave him a small push in the middle of his chest. “I take that as a no? You won’t help a lady with her shoes?”

  What was sh
e playing at? Did she know how close she was to being ravaged on a blanket in the sand? He’d make sure she enjoyed every minute of it but then what? Then, of course, he’d have to marry her.

  To his shock, the idea did not fill him with the normal amount of dread nor did thinking of Jennifer make his chest ache. “If I put on your shoes, my lady, then I’m going to kiss my way up your leg.”

  Her foot, which had been waving in front of him with a hypnotic sway, stilled. “Kiss your way up my leg?”

  He’d balanced on the balls of his feet, still squatting and he rested his elbows on his knees, leaning toward her once again as he captured her foot in his hand, and did exactly as he’d imagined, planting a kiss on the arch of her foot. “I just showed you one way a man might give a woman pleasure. Letting me kiss you there is very safe, we needn’t even remove your clothing. But the more dangerous the method becomes, the better it feels.”

  She gasped in a breath and he roared with satisfaction as her knees fell a bit further apart. “Dangerous? Pleasurable?”

  Raithe knew he skirted close to the line from which he would not return. He’d give up his vow, marry his little minx, and tuck her in his bed where he’d spend days, weeks, years of his life teaching her all about pleasure.

  He closed his eyes, attempting to conjure up a picture of his Jennifer. But her outline was hazy. He could see her blonde hair, her innocent smile. Their love had been pure and sweet, but for the first time since her death, he wondered if there was another woman who could capture his heart. What if he had more love to give?

  Jenni had been a good girl, always. Even in their nightly activities, she’d maintained a level of chasteness that had left him…wanting.

  Never would she have proposed he teach her about rakes, or ask him to roll on her stockings, or allow her knees to fall apart at the very idea of his face in her most private of parts.

  He’d gone too dark to marry another woman like Jenni. And perhaps that had always been his intent.