Chapter Four

"And there he sat bare-arsed..." Robert stopped short.

Mariah blurted out, "Robert! We are at the table, for heaven's sake. Could we not speak of Charles's, err... fundament, at the table?"

"Right, bad form, sorry about that, Mother," Robert didn't look the slightest bit sorry as he winked at CeCe. "And there he sat, sans clothing, until morning when we finally gave him the key back to his room." CeCe laughed delightedly at the story right along with Robert and Spencer.

Charles had the decency to blush, but he, too, smiled at the memory. "If I recall correctly, I frightened Mrs. Simms near to death sitting naked…," his mother cleared her throat, "erm, sans clothing in the hallway in front of my bedchamber door. She could have at least let me in. She does have a master key after all."

The boys roared with laughter, slapping each other on the back, "Surely she had seen other..."

"That's quite enough!" Mariah called out just when CeCe thought things were really going to get interesting. "You boys should be ashamed of yourselves, acting this way in front of company," Mariah lectured, but CeCe could tell she wasn't angry.

"What company?" Spencer said, turning his head about as if to see another body popping out of nowhere. "It's just CeCe, and she's family. We've all seen her bare-arsed a time or two."

"Good Lord above! I was eight years old! You make it sound like I run around in the altogether on a regular basis," CeCe said, greatly amused.

"It has been a long time since you completely swore off clothing," Robert agreed. "So, if you feel the need to refresh our memories, we won't say a thing, just do whatever you need to do. You are family after all."

Roars of laughter erupted from the table.

"Sounds great to me," Spencer encouraged.

"Sorry to disappoint, dear brothers, but I am not becoming a nudist anytime soon. Fond memories are just going to have to sustain you," CeCe grinned saucily.

"I give up!" Mariah set her napkin down. "Richard, are you going to say anything about your sons' deplorable behavior?"

Richard Rotherford looked up from the ancient Egyptian manuscript he had placed on his lap, hoping that his wife didn't notice.

Everyone knew. This was nothing new to the family. Richard Rotherford was something of an academic genius, besides being fabulously wealthy and a respected member of the ton.

He looked up at his wife, "Boys, listen to your mother. CeCe, my dear, I didn't see you there. When did you arrive?"

The boys laughed as their mother shook her head in amusement. She turned to CeCe, "Sometimes, I feel like they are on another planet. I just can't seem to understand the male mind."

CeCe laughed and rose to join Mariah for a few moments while those same males enjoyed a bit of port.

Charles smiled when he heard her say, "You've done beautifully with your sons, Mariah. They are just heathens at heart, yet garbed in gentleman's clothing. I'm afraid I bring out the worst in them."

***

"I had such a nice time," CeCe embraced Mariah. "Thank you ever so much for thinking of me. This was exactly what I needed. I laughed more in the last two hours than I had in the previous two weeks."

Mariah squeezed her. "You know that you are always welcome. I'm happy to see that sparkle returned to your eyes."

CeCe said goodbye to Robert and Spencer and blew a kiss in their direction.

"I caught it!" Robert exclaimed.

"You did not!" Spencer grinned. "It hit me smack on my face."

"You both are wrong," Richard said, coming up to place a kiss on her hand. "It was obviously for me. Goodbye, my dear, Charles will see you safely home."

Charles assisted CeCe into the carriage and sat opposite her. CeCe was sitting forward and teased, "Did you not think the kiss was for you?"

Charles smiled but didn't say anything.

"What?" CeCe asked in mock horror. "Don't tell me you didn't want it."

"Maybe I didn't," he returned.

"Well, I never! You've broken my heart." She pretended to pout.

Charles burst out laughing, "Your face! Good grief, I didn't kick your puppy."

CeCe started to crack a smile, and then laughter burst out of her. "I'm getting better with my mope, aren't I?"

"Absolutely," he returned. "I almost thought you were going to squeeze out a few tears on me."

Her eyes lit up, "I've tried to cry on cue, but it's much harder than it looks!"

A rueful smile still graced his face, "You are something else, Celia Grace."

"Why, thank you, Charles Benedict Rotherford," and she took a little bow, well, at least as far as she could while sitting on a carriage seat.

"So, was the kiss to be mine?" he asked in good-natured fun.

"Most certainly," she grinned warmly, "you are, after all, my favorite."

To her surprise, a faint hint of pink graced his high cheekbones. But he smiled kindly at her and shook his head, "One of a kind."

CeCe suddenly got a crazy idea. Why not just give him a quick kiss on the cheek here in the carriage?

She darted across the carriage, catching Charles off guard. He raised his arms to catch her in case she was falling and turned his face to hers.

CeCe had been aiming for his cheek, but in the shuffle ended up kissing him somewhere near his nose.

"Whatever happened? Are you alright?" he asked, concerned, heat searing through his body. He could feel his heart pounding. Surely, she hadn't meant to kiss him, did she?

CeCe flung herself back on her seat. Her heart was racing, her hands were shaking, and her brain was not functioning properly. Thoroughly humiliated, she mumbled, "I'm so sorry, I didn't intend to pounce on you."

Charles was mystified: he knew the sassy irrelevant CeCe and the happy-go-lucky CeCe, but this current CeCe was behaving very oddly.

"Were you... trying to kiss me?" he asked tentatively.

"NO! No, no, no, no, no. I was... that is it seemed... you see…," she stammered.

"Spit it out," he begged.

"Yes, ok? The answer is ‘yes'. I was just trying to give you a kiss of your own. One you didn't have to share with your brothers. I won't do it again. I am a complete idiot. I will never touch my lips to your body again."

CeCe closed her eyes and willed her body to disappear.

Fate was not on her side.

His light touch on her eyelids had her eyes opening.

"Then I'm not to get one of my own? That hardly seems fair!" his voice was soft so as not to startle her.

All Charles knew was that if she would try one more time, he could die a happy man.

CeCe tipped her face up and noticed the kindness in his eyes and the gentleness in his tone. "Well, are you certain you still want one?"

"More than the air I breathe," he replied, searching her eyes. "Let's make this a bit easier."

Charles changed seats so he sat right beside her. Using his finger, he tilted her chin so that she was once again meeting his eyes.

"What sort of kiss is it to be?" CeCe tentatively asked.

She could see his eyes darken and heard his sharp exhale. She felt hot, and not quite uncomfortable, but extremely odd. Much like she did when she accidentally entered the library at Mangrove Manor during a recent house party, and saw the Earl and her dearest friend, Lady Maddie, together. They walked in on Maddie's breasts being bare, and her skirts up around her waist. The Earl was kneeling between her thighs. CeCe had no idea what he'd been doing, but it made her hot and bothered.

Charles had been with CeCe at the time, but he had quickly whisked her away. She really did want to know what they had been doing.

"Any kiss that you desire," his breath whispered across her skin. She could smell the rum and chocolate he'd had at dinner.

"Any kiss?" she asked, her heart rate accelerating.

His eyes scanned her face as if to memorize every feature. "Don't you know I would give you anything, Peanut? You have only to ask."

Not feeling brave enough to bring up what had happened in the library, she blurted out, "A grown-up kiss, please."

"Done," he agreed.

His head descended to meet hers, brushing softly once, twice…. and then a third time. His hands had come to cradle her face, and she gripped his wrists as if to hold him there. Not knowing if he would pull away, but not giving him the chance to.

The heat of his lips against hers was decadent.

Charles lightly brushed his tongue against her lips, "Open for me, Peanut. Let me show you."

CeCe promptly complied, and he slipped inside. She tasted like the chocolate they'd both had for dessert, but there was something else fiery and intrinsically CeCe.

Charles couldn't suppress a groan of satisfaction. He could hardly believe this was happening. It usually ended with him waking hard as a rock and sadly alone in his bedchamber.

CeCe made little mewing noises. Her hands left his wrists and explored his muscled chest. She wanted to touch his skin. She wanted him to touch hers! There was a throbbing in her most private place, and it was growing wetter by the second.

She was drowning in the taste of him, so dark and dangerous. She pressed herself harder against him.

Charles groaned when he realized they were nearing her home. Gently he slowed their passionate kiss.

"Was that what you wanted, Peanut?" he inquired harshly.

CeCe was silent for a moment, trying to get herself under control.

He panicked, thinking he had ruined everything.

And then those aquamarine eyes popped open, and she blurted out, "That was bloody brilliant!"