Romancing the Rake: Seven Regency Romances Read online

  “No, that isn’t true,” he whispered, letting his breath tickle the skin of her neck. “I would never let anything happen to you and, as your husband and a duke, I would make sure those men behaved.”

  She shivered and he knew his touch was working. “But who will protect me from you?”

  Chase clenched his teeth as her words settled over him. It was an excellent question. He used his middle finger to trace the curve of her delicate shoulder. “You don’t need protecting from me, love. I want to tuck you by my side and keep you safe always.”

  “Very pretty words,” she murmured, her breath catching as his finger traced the inside of her arm, just grazing the flesh of her breast. “But even in this moment you are compromising my—” She stopped as he reached her bare wrist and then ran his fingers across her open palm. Her breathing was shallow as she looked down at their hands.

  “I’m not compromising. I am convincing.”

  Her lashes fluttered closed. “Convincing me of what…exactly?”

  Leaning down, he placed a light kiss just behind her ear. The candlelight flickered off her skin as his lips caressed her silky flesh. “That I can make you happy as a husband. Keep you content.” Then he kissed a trail down her neck and across her collarbone.

  “I’ve no doubt that you can teach me all sorts of delicious things.” She brought her hands up to grasp his biceps, her head tilting back as victory sang in his veins. “My concerns involve our emotional bond and possibly your fidelity.”

  He loosened the string of the night rail about her neck. “My fidelity is not a concern, Ophelia. I swear to you, you will find me in your bed every night. I wish to leave my past self behind and start a much brighter future with you.” And then he kissed the skin of her chest, now exposed.

  She dug her fingers into his arms. “That is comforting.”

  “Let me show you how good it could be.” He continued to kiss over the cloth, blazing a trail to the peak of her breast. They were as full as he’d imagined them to be and cupping one, he kissed her nipple then sucked it into his mouth.

  Her gasp and then moan said all he needed to know. But then her fingers, which had been gripping him tightly, started to push him away. “I shouldn’t. We’re not married or promised…what if—”

  “Ophelia.” He moved to the other nipple, bringing it into his mouth as she arched her back to meet his touch. He growled out his satisfaction as he showered attention on her other breast. “I’ll not take your maidenhead, but I can show you how good it can be. Will you let me?”

  She shook her head, starting to back up again. “Chase. I’m trying to decide the right path. I shouldn’t allow what you’re doing to color my thinking.”

  In answer, he ran his hand down her flat abdomen, the silky cotton of her night rail having warmed from their body heat. He slid his fingers between her legs, pressing lightly against her womanly flesh. Her sharp gasp let him know just how much she liked the touch as her knees buckled.

  Wrapping his other hand below her behind, he held her up as he started sliding back and forth along her seam. She whimpered, her fingers digging into his neck. He increased the pressure as he lifted his head to take her lips in his own. She was careening toward her finish, her legs trembling against his. Much as he wanted to feel her break apart in his arms, this was a lesson on the benefits of making a rogue your own and he’d only just begun the lesson.

  Chapter Eleven

  A hot, beautiful, agonizing passion curled from Ophelia’s apex and spread through her body like fire. This was not a beautiful fairy tale, this was real and hot and so delicious that she could barely stand it.

  “Would you like to know what else we could do?” Chase whispered in her ear, slowing his intimate caress.

  “Don’t stop,” she managed to push out between breaths, digging her nails into the flesh of his neck. If she weren’t careful, she’d leave marks.

  He chuckled, the sound rumbling through her neck down her spine only adding to the pleasure. “Don’t worry, love. What I do next will be so much better.”

  “Better?” When had her voice gotten so…needy? It rasped with a high-pitch tone that practically begged for more.

  “Better,” he answered, suddenly lifting her off her feet and carrying her across the room to the settee. It was darker here away from the candle and she could only see his outline as he laid her down on the piece of furniture, his knees between hers, her legs falling as open as her night rail would allow.

  Chase shrugged off his shirt, tossing the garment to the floor. “What are you doing?” she asked, her voice catching.

  He gave a soft laugh, sounding both amused and just a touch deviant. “I am giving your nails more flesh to scratch.”

  She gasped then, starting to sit up. “Did I hurt you?”

  Slowly, he began skimming the hem of her night clothes up her thighs. “Not to worry. I liked it. Very much.” And then he pushed the fabric higher, exposing her naked lower half to his gaze. Heat filled her cheeks, but she consoled herself that he could neither see her blush or her womanly parts in the dark.

  But he found her now-bare seam and ran the tip of his middle finger through her flesh as pleasure rioted through her. “Later. When you’re more accustomed to lovemaking, we’ll do this with a hundred candles lit all about. You look so beautiful in candlelight.”

  Her breath caught. How…romantic. “Really? You’d want to see me like this?”

  “Ophelia,” he groaned. “You have no idea how much I want to see, touch, taste every inch of you. I’m burning for you.”

  Her insides throbbed with pleasure. “When we light our hundred candles,” she said, momentarily forgetting she hadn’t agreed to marry him. “Can we cover the bed or couch or whatever it is in rose petals?”

  He groaned. “Damn right we can.”

  She licked her lips as he pushed her night rail higher still, until the fabric gathered under her arms, exposing her abdomen and breasts. “It could be in the summer, with the doors open and a soft breeze coming in the room.”

  He didn’t answer as he bent over her and took one of her now-bare nipples into his mouth. She gasped, digging her fingers into his scalp. “Oh,” she breathed as his other hand lightly parted her female flesh. “Chase.”

  He started to kiss a trail down her stomach. “I love the sound of my name on your lips. Now tell me more of your fantasy. One hundred candles, rose petals, open doors and soft breeze. Will we be near the ocean?”

  “Oh yes,” she replied, his mouth tickling her lower stomach. “The sound of the waves will create a rhythm exactly like your hand and…” Was she saying too much?”

  “I like the sound of that,” he answered. “Very much. And I hate the open water.”

  She blinked, momentarily forgetting her pleasure or the fantasy. He’d taken the long route to Ipswich by the water, he’d mentioned he was searching for answers. He was still mourning his parents.

  And then he moved lower, his tongue flicking against her tiny nub. Pleasure rocked through her. She’d been right, of course. He was too much rogue for her to handle. But she also realized she might be able to help him after all.

  “Could we set up our candles, our bed, and our rose petals outside under the stars?” The words took forever to push out of her lips, her body twisting and turning inside from his touch.

  “Yes,” he said, lifting his head for just a moment. “That is a fabulous idea.” Then he started again, increasing the pressure.

  She dug her fingers into his shoulders, crying out as he slid a finger inside her body. He felt so good, she wondered if she’d die from the pleasure. If she did, it was a wonderful way to go.

  Chase squeezed his eyes shut, trying to regain his sense of control. He’d started this seduction with a clear purpose but the longer he inhaled her, tasted her sweet strawberry nectar, touched the silky skin of her body, the less rational his thoughts became. First, she’d wrapped him in a delicious fantasy of making love under the open sky. Chri
st, the woman was a natural-born storyteller.

  And then there was the actual passion she was capable of. Even now, her fingers left delightful little marks on his shoulders. He couldn’t wait to see what sort of seductress she grew to be. Yesterday, she’d never even been kissed. Today, she was raking her nails along his skin and concocting elaborate seduction scenarios. But still, she needn’t ever worry about his fidelity. This woman was everything he’d ever wanted all wrapped in one buxom little package.

  His cock was near bursting as he slid his finger into her channel, the tight wet flesh making his vision blur. He shoved a hand into his breeches, needing almost no actual stimulation. She was enough. Her thighs quivered about his ears and the little mewling noises she made nearly tore him apart in pleasure. She sunk her fingernails even deeper into the skin of his shoulders as she panted, moaning out his name.

  He didn’t want to think of the scenes of carnality that he’d participated in or watched that had left him almost bored. But not this. He was going to soil his own damn pants at this rate.

  And then she came apart, shuddering and shaking against his mouth. Christ. The indecent duke playing with himself as this woman turned him into a panting schoolboy barely even able to contain himself. As she bucked against him, he completely lost control, his own orgasm rocking through him. He groaned, her heady scent overwhelming his senses. If he’d been uncertain before, he knew it now. He was desperately in love with this woman. Crawling a few inches forward, he lay his head on her bare stomach.

  Her fingers slid from his shoulders and into his hair, massaging his scalp in a slightly rough but very satisfying rhythm. “And when we’re done, we’ll fall asleep under the stars as the candles burn themselves out one by one.”

  He smiled. His legs were mostly hanging off the end of the settee, his shoulders crammed between her thighs, but he’d never been more comfortable in his life. “Can I stay up and watch them burn out?”

  He felt the muscles of her stomach flex as she smiled. He’d never realized that before, that a smile could be felt so far down the body. He reached up and grasped her waist wanting to feel more of her as though he were learning the mysteries of life. “That’s a delightful idea.”

  He skimmed his hand over her stomach. “Maybe that will be the time that I fill your belly with my baby. We’ll start a family under the stars.”

  Her fingers stilled for a moment before they started again, her touch lighter. “Family?”

  Was it him or did her voice sound more distant? Her fingers were still working through his hair and he closed his eyes, pushing away his worry. “We’re going to have to buy a new home. I sold the property located on the ocean. It was one of the few that wasn’t entailed.”

  She reached for his face then, cupping his cheeks in her hands and lifting his head so that their eyes met. He wondered when he might see her at her most lovely. Candlelight, daylight, threatening grown men with pistols. But right now, he was certain, this was the most enchanting she’d ever been. “We don’t have to live near the ocean. Not if you don’t like it.”

  She’d figured that out, had she? “I love your entire fantasy, so we’ll see it come to life.” He gave her a small grin. “Besides, it’s time I got over my fear.”

  Her thumb grazed the corner of his lips. “If you truly want to, I’ll help you.”

  “I do,” he said as he started to climb higher up her body. Kissing her mouth, he lifted again, looking deep into her eyes. “With you there, maybe I can overcome the haunted feeling I get every time I look at the water.”

  “We’ll go then.” Placing her arms about his neck, she pulled him back down for another kiss. “If I can do one thing for you it’s this.”

  One thing? She’d do far more than one, and he’d spend a lifetime giving everything he had to her. Didn’t she understand that yet?

  Chapter Twelve

  Ophelia frowned as he lay his head back down on her stomach. In a moment like this, she could almost believe that she didn’t need Chase’s love, just his touch. Surely her love for him could be enough.

  But then he’d mentioned a family and her heart had nearly stopped. She tried to picture carrying a man’s child without his affection. She shuddered, her eyes squeezing shut.

  She’d still help him with his fear and tonight would be one of the memories she always treasured, but her future needed the sort of love that bound two people together absolutely. Otherwise…she tried to think of the alternative. The truth was she cared for him too much to suffer his indifference again. Or to watch him ride away for his own pursuits, like he’d done yesterday.

  He lifted up on his arms, sliding his body forward and then he pressed down again giving her a gentle kiss. The touch was so tender, she nearly forgot her fear, her worries. Part of her longed to wrap her arms around his neck and agree to all his plans.

  When he lifted up again, he pulled her night rail back down over her torso. “We should get you to bed. It’s late.”

  A muscle in her cheek twitched. She’d only worry the more for being alone. Turning her face away, she covered her eyes with a hand. “Must I go back upstairs? My bed will be…” Lonely. But she didn’t add that word. If she walked away from this man the bed was going to feel lonely for a long time.

  He pressed down on top of her again. “Cold?”

  That was a perfectly good word for it and she nodded. “Yes.”

  “If we’re quiet, I can help you warm the bed before I go,” he said close to her ear as he stroked her hair from her face.

  “That would be nice.” She coiled her arms about his neck.

  Without another word, he lifted them both from the settee, carrying her from the library. Creeping through the house, they made it to her room where he set her on the cold floor. A shiver ran up her spine as she carefully opened the door. They tiptoed in and then he closed it again, sweeping her back into his arms. She’d left the covers peeled back and he quickly settled her into the bed, tucking the blankets about her body.

  A moment of disappointment filled her. She’d wanted to feel him against her again. These memories would have to last a lifetime.

  But he didn’t leave. Instead, he sat on the bed and began removing his boots.

  Her insides tugged. There was something so intimate about watching the act of him removing his shoes. She leaned up on one elbow, as the muscles in his arms flexed while he worked. “You left your shirt in the library.”

  He grinned back at her. “A hazard of nighttime trysts. I’ll collect it before I return to my room.”

  She gave a small jerk of her chin as she nibbled her lip. “I wanted to say thank you,” she started, scooting forward. Her eyes widened as she realized she’d been about to thank him for this great adventure. Perhaps she’d gotten her adventure after all.

  “For what?” he asked, finishing with his boots and sliding under the covers, fitting her body to his.

  She sighed as she snuggled into his warmth. “For this great adventure. The funny thing about reading stories is that you’re always sure they will end happily. What I didn’t realize about real adventures is that you’re less certain of how they will end.”

  He held her in his arms. “That is very true. But in this case, you needn’t worry. Our adventure has a happy ending.”

  She looked up at him, her throat tightening. “Do you really think so? I think we want different things.”

  He kissed the tip of her nose. “Do you want this? Snuggling in bed together?”

  That was easy, her heartbeat quickened. “Yes.”

  “Marriage? Family? Candlelit nights by the ocean?”

  “Yes to all of that.”

  “Then, as far as I can tell, we want the same things.” He lay his head down, pressing hers into his shoulder.

  She drew in a deep breath. Ophelia supposed all of that was true. “You’re right. Perhaps we do want the same things but the why of it is where we differ. Why do you want me?”

  He began to rhythmically stro
ke her back and she relaxed a bit. “I’ve already told you. You’re perfect for me.”

  His words did make a girl feel good, she had to admit. A heaviness was settling over her limbs, his touch and his words soothing away her fears. “That’s lovely.”

  “What is it you want?” he asked, peppering little kisses along her hairline.

  She sighed, closing her eyes. “Well, besides everything we’ve already mentioned, I wanted to find a great love. Your offer is so tempting, Chase, but I’d imagined a man who loved me with all his heart.” She opened her eyes to meet his. “I know I’m a fanciful dreamer. I understand that but I still wished for a man who thought I was his great love. Once I say yes to you, I’ve given up on that dream forever.”

  Words clogged his throat as Ophelia cuddled into his side. How could she not understand that he did love her? But then he realized he’d never said the words.

  His mind argued back that his affection was in every caress, the way he held her now. But just this morning, he’d gotten on his horse and left her. And she was so new to physical relationships…Ophelia wasn’t likely to know the difference in a man’s touch when he cared for a woman versus when he did not.

  Her limbs relaxed into his body, her arm across his chest and one leg over his thigh. His own lids were growing heavy, but he didn’t want to be found here in the morning. That wasn’t how they’d start their life together. If it was love she wanted, then he’d have to find a way to show it to her.

  His mind searched for a plan until he found himself drifting off to sleep. Slowly, he slipped from the bed, hating to leave her side. He consoled himself with the knowledge they’d share a bed soon enough as husband and wife. Forever.

  After grabbing his boots in his hand, he made his way out of her room and down the hall. Creeping down the stairs, he entered the library and grabbed his shirt, shrugging the garment over his head.