Where one goes, so does the other. Althea is here. His body hummed at the thought. The mere idea of her did what Franklin’s fine arse could not. His cock sat up and begged.
A sycophant approached, but Evan listened to his fawning with one ear. Hopefully, Ford’s samples would create a viewing opportunity Evan could use to his advantage, to help convince Althea to change her mind. He trusted that she wasn’t after his money. Why could she not find faith that he would protect her reputation?
Because neither your reputation nor hers is wholly within your control.
Damned internal voice nagging at him. He no longer cared. If he was not worth the risk, he’d rather know now. Otherwise, how would she react when the stakes were higher and his mental faculties were fading, preventing him from fighting back?
Anger and frustration reclaimed him. He’d show her what she would miss without him, here in this place that held her favorite vice. Then he’d walk away and await her decision.
He climbed the stairs, peering in the first room—a man getting his cock sucked. Eh. Second room—two women kissing with their tits pulled over their dress and rubbing. Pretty, but eh. Third room—he sucked in a breath. Not because of what he saw in the room, but because he smelled her. Althea.
Turning his head slowly, he saw her a half step in front of him, clutching the doorframe. In shock? Lust? No matter. He was sure he could make it lust in moments.
He slowly slid back a step, edging right to stand behind her. As he did, she sucked a breath in and hummed under her breath. Another couple to the left of the doorway gasped as well. Evan looked. Ah, just as he’d expected. The couple was using one of Ford’s leather harnesses. Come to think of it, he’d never thought to try one of those with Althea. Mayhap he would…if she chose him.
Refocusing on his goal, he inched closer to Althea, his gaze flickering between her and the occupants of the room. As the activities unfolded, he judged her body’s responses.
The man, an earl Evan had a passing acquaintance with, had three leather straps of varying length joined in the middle of their length, so they could lay flat side by side. He was buckling the first length around one of the woman’s calves.
The woman was on her back on the bed, and her dress was up around her hips. She faced away from the door so her face was not visible, but she was not the man’s wife. The hair was dark blonde, and Evan knew the countess’s locks were closer to Althea’s brunette.
His lips twisted at the reminder of how easy it was for men to withstand gossip than women. He did not want to consider that now.
The man pushed her dress out of the way, and Althea drew in a breath, shifting her weight. He bent his partner’s knee to bring her calf parallel to her upper leg. The other two leather straps hung free from the one on her calf. He buckled the middle strap around the thigh. She could no longer straighten her leg.
Althea squirmed again, and Evan inched even closer.
The third strap was much shorter. The man held his hand out to the prone woman, and she placed her hand in his. Before she could blink, he had buckled that shorter strap around her wrist along her thigh, and her left side was immobilized. He ran a thick finger under each of the leather circles, to ensure they were not too tight, then quickly performed the same steps with her other side.
Althea’s skirts rustled as she shuddered, and Evan’s blood surged. The woman’s most private folds lay spread open for the man to do what he wished, with no way for her to close her legs or stop him. It was a powerful vision, mayhap not something Althea would want to try but titillating to watch and imagine.
Evan’s breeches, led by his cock, brushed the folds of Althea’s dress. He watched the man lean over and scoop his partner’s breasts out of her wide-necked bodice. Leaning in, Evan took a moment to watch Althea’s chest heave against her dangerously low décolletage, to spy her nipples poking through the thin layers of fabric, and to inhale her scent once more.
His lips almost touched her ear as he whispered, “Do you like that, Althea? Shall I pull you back to lean against me and plump your breasts that last inch so that I can pinch their hard little points?”
She gulped but did not jump. He suspected she’d sensed him as he had her.
He gripped one hip to tug her against him. His cock sighed in relief to feel her bottom cheeks shove backwards. It pulsed eagerly and attempted to get to her through the fabric. Holding her against him to satisfy his ambitious cock, he trailed the finger of his other hand along that ever-so-deep vee of skin above her neckline.
They both watched the bed as the earl’s hand disappeared between the woman’s legs. Evan snuck his hand from her hip between them, forcing his cock back to make room so that he could press a finger between her thighs to mimic what they watched. As her hips twitched, he tugged her dress down in front and covered her freed globe with his waiting hand.
She squirmed, but was still quiet, surprising him. Mayhap she was loathe to talk or even face him. That was fine. He did not want her to think about the others in the hallway. But neither did he want to risk her reputation too much.
“Shh, follow me.” He pulled her dress back up and ran his hand down to hers, dragging her with him. He paced to the end of the hall and found an empty room. Ducking in, tugging her after him, he locked the door.
He wanted her physically. But if she started talking, he swore he’d gag her. Well, after he received her agreement, of course. His golden rule. He wanted to show her what the physical was like without the face-to-face intimacy and caring they’d had previously. What an orgasm without a relationship felt like. He wanted to be a little mean.
“Now, then, Althea.” Fueled by lust and frustration at the need to interrupt their rising passion to get to privacy, his words sounded gravelly. “I seem to remember you wanted orgasms.” He waived a hand at the lock. “Privateorgasms from me, despite wanting to watch others. Let’s make this one good, as it will be your last. I find I cannot be with someone who is ashamed of me.”
****
Half-dazed with excitement, Althea took a moment to register Evan’s harsh words.My last? He thinks I am ashamed? Am I?
He spun her halfway around behind a large leather-bound settee and stepped behind her. Spying movement, she flinched, only to realize he’d turned them to face a mirror. Watching their reflections, she could see as well as feel her surprise.
They were both tousled and flushed, but while her gaze was slightly unfocused, his was sharp, intent. He grabbed her hips and shoved against her. His eyes flickered closed for a moment, his mouth slackening with pleasure, before he shook himself and stared hard at her in the mirror.
“You enjoy watching. And you told me that every time we were intimate, it was more erotic than anything you’d heard or read. Shall we see if we can reach a new height? How will you react to watchingus.”
