Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

" I love you, my dearest rose. But are you certain you want this?"

She gazed into her lover's eyes, the pure blue of heaven, and knew she had found her place of belonging. She'd been running for so long, and now she was finally safe.

"Yes, I want you. Take away my fear. Show me how love is meant to be."

"Then I will love you. I will always love you…"

Xenia stirred. She kept her eyes closed, wanting to linger in the voluptuous passion of her dream, the safety of her lover's arms and his sweet promises of love.

"Christ, pet. You get wet for me even in your sleep."

Her eyes flew open. It took her a moment to register that she was in her bed, lying on her side...and Ethan was there. He lay behind her, nestling her against his hard form. She twisted to look at him, and his eyes glinted, reflecting the moonlight coming through the dormer window.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered. "I thought you were entertaining your friends."

According to Brunswick, whenever Ethan got together with his old cronies, they stayed up all night carousing. Xenia hadn't expected to see Ethan tonight.

"I missed you," he said.

His simple words sent a thrill through her. Or perhaps it was his hand, which was doing wicked things between her thighs. Her nightgown was bunched at her waist, and when he caressed the slick crease of her pussy, a moan scraped from her throat. He covered her mouth with his own, swallowing the sound, and she tasted fine whisky mingled with his own delicious flavor.

"Shh," he murmured. "We'll have to be quiet. The walls are thin, and we can't wake the others."

She couldn't believe that he'd come to her in the servants' wing. The risk of discovery added to her dreamy excitement, especially when he uttered a command in a low, guttural voice.

"Take off your nightgown, and show me what's mine."

Shivering, she sat up and did as he asked. The moonlight turned to molten silver in his eyes.

"By Jove, you're beautiful," he said.

Beneath his proprietary gaze, she felt beautiful. Beautiful and lucky because he rose from the bed and gave her a show as she reclined on her side. He stripped off the casual attire he'd worn for a night in with friends. Covetous need coursed through her as she took in his long, sleek lines and sectioned chest, the grooves and hollows of his splendid arse. Then there was the raring instrument between his legs. When he took his meaty cock in his fist, giving it a deliberate pump, she felt an answering flutter in her pussy.

He came to the edge of the bed, bringing his erection toward her face. She wetted her lips, not out of nerves but excitement. She'd seen her colleagues perform fellatio on a regular basis—heard them exchanging tips of the trade, too. For reasons she couldn't explain, this act had always titillated her, and she couldn't wait to try it with Ethan.

The wide crest of his cock glistened with his essence. When he swiped his head gently over her lips, she understood he was giving her the choice of whether she wished to proceed with this naughty deed. In response, she licked up his salty maleness and hummed with approval.

"Good girl." His nostrils flared. "Now take more of me."

He fed her his cock with slow, arousing insistence. Recalling the advice she'd picked up, she kept her teeth out of the way and tried to relax her jaw. His size made it a challenge, but she loved the feeling of his thick, bold manhood claiming her mouth. Breathing through her nose, she tried to take more of him.

"You're a natural. Christ, the way you're sucking me…"

The strain in his voice made her redouble her efforts. She wanted to please him more than she wanted her next breath. She relaxed her muscles even more, letting the proud heat of him go deeper and deeper still. He released his cock, his hand clenching in her hair as he swived her mouth. His harsh breaths and the slick sounds of his thrusting inflamed her. When he went a bit too far, the muscles of her throat clenched around him.

"Devil and damn." He pulled out, even though she didn't want him to. "Love, I'm sorry?—"

"I'm not," she whispered. "I liked that."

He groaned, bending to kiss her passionately before flipping her onto her stomach. She trembled as his lips seared the ladder of her spine, winnowing pleasure from each rung. Suddenly, he gripped her by the hip, raising her bottom high in the air. Her pulse thrummed at the lewd position, especially when he nudged her knees farther apart.

"Look at you," he murmured. "Swollen and juicy as a ripe peach. Shall I eat you, pet?"

Her cheek burned against the mattress. "Yes, please."

"Then you'll have to be a good girl and stay quiet while I feast."

At the heated slide of his tongue up her intimate crack, she whimpered and bit her lip. He took his time as if she were his favorite meal, his soft grunts of enjoyment adding to her tumultuous pleasure. When he circled her pearl with his thumb, she couldn't hold back a gasp.

"Quiet, love," he said. "Unless you want everyone to know you're a naughty minx who likes to have her pussy licked."

His admonishment scalded her insides. He'd given her an impossible task, for he was playing with her bud, showing her the nuances of bliss with his musician's touch. He tapped lightly, rubbed roughly, circled and stroked up and down. She became his willing instrument, every fiber of her being resonating with pleasure. He began licking her again, his mouth like wildfire, burning her up. Suddenly, his tongue delved between her folds, driving steadily inside her, and her muscles clenched.

"One day soon," he said with a low growl, "you're going to trust me, Xenia. When you do, you'll be getting more than my tongue. And I cannot wait to fill this beautiful, tight pussy of yours with my cock."

She had just enough time to grab a pillow, smothering her cries as she went up in flames.

Xenia woke with a start. It was still dark, and she was alone in her bed.

For an instant, she thought it'd been a feverish dream: sucking Ethan's cock and spending as he ate her pussy. She'd twisted her neck to watch as he'd risen behind her like some pagan god, pumping his huge rod in his fist, groaning as he'd sprayed his hot pleasure on her back. Even then, they hadn't been satiated. They'd made love again, face-to-face, the friction of his steely shaft against her pussy bringing them to ecstasy together. In the lovely aftermath, he'd cuddled her close and whispered the sweetest things.

Relief filled her when she heard a rustling and saw Ethan getting dressed in the darkness. She hadn't dreamed the searing intimacy. Sitting up, she was about to speak when she heard sounds…the unmistakable notes of a piano.

"What on earth?" she whispered.

"It woke me up," Ethan said tersely. "I'm going to investigate. Stay here."

He cracked open the door. After a quick glance down the hallway, he exited, his steps stealthy. She leapt out of bed, threw on her robe, and counted to ten before leaving her room. She followed the eerie tune, which raised goose pimples on her skin. As she reached the main house, the music suddenly stopped. At the same time, she saw Lady Gigi standing there in a voluminous night rail, her eyes huge in the flickering light of her lamp.

"You heard the music too, Mrs. Wood?" she said.

"Yes, my lady." Xenia resisted the urge to check her hair, hoping to God she didn't look like she'd been doing the mattress jig all night with the lord of the manor. "I, um, came to see what was going on."

"It doesn't sound like my brother playing. His touch is far more refined."

Xenia knew better than anyone how refined Ethan's touch was.

"Well, the music has stopped." She tried for a reassuring smile. "I'm sure it was one of the other guests?—"

"What the devil?"

Ethan's exclamation came from the music room. Xenia exchanged startled glances with Lady Gigi, and then they were both dashing forward. Xenia reached the music room first, and through the doorway, she saw Ethan at the far end of the room. He had his back to her as he stared at the piano. Someone must have left the windows open, for the drapes were swirling, framing him in a ghostly fashion.

Aware of his sister's presence, Xenia spoke in what she hoped was a housekeeper's tone.

"Is everything all right, my lord?"

Ethan turned to her, a storm brewing in his eyes.

"No," he said grimly. "It's not."

He moved, and her breath hitched when she got a clear view of the piano. Blood splattered the ivory keys. A sheet of music was propped on the stand, the notes obscured by bold red letters:

Leave my home…or die.