Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

" I s it as pleasurable when a man-?" she stopped, blushing furiously.

His lips twitched. She was so adorable, what was she asking? "When a man-?" he prompted.

"Puts his," she waved a hand, "you know-"

"Cock," he supplied helpfully.

"That sounds like a rude word,"

"It is, not suitable for young ladies to use at all, so I don't want to hear it on your lips."

She smiled cheekily. "When a man puts his cock- "

"Naughty girl!" he chastised with mock sternness, which made her giggle. "Inside what?"

"You know!" she said again.

He raised his eyebrows, all innocence. Baiting her was irresistible "No. Could be any number of things. Men have a habit of putting their cocks in all manner of places, many of them disgusting."

"Really?"

He couldn't quite tell if she was calling his bluff or genuinely intrigued. In either case he wasn't going to enlighten he r. "Inside a woman's quim?"

"What is that?" she asked startled.

He smiled. "The heavenly place between your legs sweetheart. That's a rude word too but not as crude as some others I could use. And no, I'm not going to tell you what they are."

She sighed but he wasn't fooled. She was playing the same game he was. "Very well. So, is it as pleasurable as that, when a man puts his cock in a woman's quim?"

"For the woman?"

She nodded.

"That depends."

"On what?"

"Lots of things."

"Such as?"

"Well let me see," he said counting things off on his fingers. "Firstly, whether she wants him too. Secondly, whether he has made her ready to receive him. Thirdly whether he continues to ensure her pleasure while he's in there. Fourthly whether he lasts long enough to bring her to release before he does."

"Oh," she paused, chewing her lip, prompting him to swallow a groan. This conversation was entirely inappropriate but probably no more inappropriate than what they had already done. He was in so deep now it would be difficult to back out.

"Will you-?"

"No," he said firmly.

"You don't know what I was going to ask!" she sat up, arms akimbo.

"I can guess! No, I am not going to put my cock in your quim. I said: so far a nd no further, and that is what I meant."

"Oh," she said again, subsiding against his arm. "Why?"

"Because I am not going to take your virginity, that is your future husband's privilege," the notion put a sword through his heart strong enough to make him gasp. "And because," he went on doggedly, "I'll not risk you falling pregnant. It only takes once and without precautions..."

"You mean that man could have got me pregnant?"

"Yes. And he could have given you a disease. I didn't ask this last night, but now we are being so blunt with each other, did he touch your quim with his cock at all, or lick you?"

She shuddered visibly. "No, he spoke of doing so but he hadn't got around to it yet."

He pulled her close and kissed her hair. "I am so glad I got there in time."

"I am too," she said, her voice muffled by his chest. He hugged her close, and they stayed that way for a few minutes. Finally, she stirred and sat up.

"What if I'm not going to be married?"

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Of course, you will. You're a little young yet, but in a year or two-"

"No!" She shook her head. "I don't plan to marry at all."

"Why ever not? If the notion of Mr Neeps has put you off, I assure you there are better options out there." He swallowed, his stomach souring at the thought. "Not every man is a lecherous pervert like Neeps or Mountford-" Not that he'd behaved any better himself.

"It's not that! I have a - a particular reason, and it is no use teasing me to tell you what it is, for I won't. But you must believe me when I say that it is a sufficient and very good one."

He frowned and opened his mouth to argue and was silenced by hers covering his lips.

He should push her away, he really should.

When he could next speak, which was sometime later and somewhat breathlessly, he said, "If you're trying to seduce me-"

"I am, is it working?" she said cheekily.

"No! For the reasons I already told you."

"But if I'm not to be married it doesn't matter about my husband for I won't have one, and you said something about precautions-"

"No!" He moved forward in the chair, getting his feet under him and stood up with her in his arms. She was so light, so deliciously fragile, and he was a beast. Setting her on her feet, he gripped her upper arms and spoke gently but firmly. "I won't ruin you. If Mr Lovell discovers I've touched you, I'll not only lose my job, I'll lose my manhood."

She gasped, her eyes wide.

"I'm not joking. He'll cut my balls off. He might even do it himself. Mr Lovell is not the sort of man you cross."

"And my sister is mixed up with a man like that?" She chewed her lip again. "What exactly is the nature of their relationship?"

Seb closed his eyes. "I can't tell you."

"She's–she's not his mistress?" She covered her mouth with her hands. "Genev ra?" She dropped her hands. "She is, isn't she?"

Seb let his breath go with a sigh and nodded. "But you must not let on that you know, I'm sure she wouldn't want you to, and if that is the case, he won't take kindly to me telling you!"

"I won't breathe a word I promise! I won't let him know you touched me either. Why would I?"

He let her go and paced away to the fireplace as the full implications of what they had done began to filter through his sex-soaked brain. "Even if you don't, he'll probably guess. I tell you he is a smart man, he reads people very well."

He leaned on the mantelpiece and stared at the glowing coals. "You'd best marry me. At least that way-"

"No! I told you, I'm not going to marry anyone." Her voice dropped. "Even you."

He turned, his chest aching. "Look I know I'm not a great catch. In fact, if you were my daughter, I'd not let you throw yourself away on the likes of me, but-"

"No!" She turned away but not before he caught the tears on her cheeks and the sob in her voice.

"Oh God, Bethany don't cry!" He went to her and pulled back against him, wrapping his arms round her, burying his face in her hair. "Don't cry sweetheart. I can't bear it." His voice thickened with emotion, and he held her tight.

She turned within his arms and said brokenly, "I'm so sorry! I wish I could, but I can't, don't ask me why! Please!"

"Alright I won't," he soothed petting her back. What reason could she have for this reaction? Admittedly as a proposal's went it wasn't a romantic one.

He sighed, his heart doing a flip-flop that made him feel slightly sick. Holding her against him, the realisation that he never wanted to let her go, sank slowly into his thick skull.

She was too young for him, or rather he was too old for her. He was also unsuitable on so many levels, but he would do anything to make her happy. Anything. Except hurt her. And the things she wanted him to do, would hurt her. She was just too young to realise it.

He eased back and said, "we never did finish our meal. Shouldn't we -?"

She sniffed and nodded. Resuming her seat, she picked up her plate. He did the same, trying to ignore the damp patch on the front of his breeches. She didn't seem to have noticed, or she was too polite to show it.

She ate with a subdued manner, keeping her eyes lowered. He used his fork to cut into the slice of pork pie and picked up the sketchbook, flipping through it. He found one of Mrs Tate with her hair down, flowing in glorious waves round her shoulders. It was easy to see what Mr Lovell saw in the widow, she had a kind of ripe beauty, voluptuous and bold, that would appeal to his taste. The elder sister was probably the plainest of the three, but even she would be considered a well looking woman. The eldest and youngest were built on more slender lines than Mrs Tate. Bethany reminded him of a fairy, slight and fair.

"This is very good," he said holding up the portrait of Mrs Tate, "I recognise her. "

"You know my sister?"

He nodded. No need to tell her that he had been under instructions to keep an eye on Mrs Tate, for the past several weeks. Since her brief liaison with Mr Lovell appeared to have come to an end, reporting on the lady's movements had been one of his daily duties.

Their meal finished, he announced that he had to go out for an hour or two on some business. He ducked behind the screen to change his breeches.

"I could come with you," she said.

"No," he said buttoning up his falls and sitting down to pull on his boots. "I have some business to perform for Mr Lovell and in any case it is not safe for you to be seen out and about, your stepfather is probably still looking for you."

"Oh. Poor mama, she must be worried sick!" Her voice carried some guilt.

He emerged from behind the screen straightening his cuffs. He hadn't bothered to retie his cravat, replacing it with a belcher handkerchief instead.

"I believe Mr Lovell has advised her you are safe, but not the particulars of your location."

"I am a wretched daughter not to have thought of her distress earlier. What is wrong with me?"

"You have had other things to distract you," he temporised. "You will be perfectly safe here, and I won't be long, I do most emphatically urge you to stay put and not venture out. It would be unfortunate for your reputation for anyone to get wind of you being here."

"Yes, I know." She sighed. "Very well I shall be good. You have been put to a g reat deal of bother on my behalf already."

"Good girl," he kissed her forehead and then because she raised herself on tip toe and planted a kiss on his mouth, he kissed her properly. He shouldn't, but it was beyond him to push her away.

After accomplishing his errands, he went to a bath house for a proper bathe and shave. By the time he emerged, the sun was low enough to cast long shadows, although sunset was several hours off yet. It had been a warm day.

Letting himself into the apartment, he immediately detected some changes. The first obvious one was the scent of flowers, attributable to a bunch of them upon the mantelpiece in a jar doing duty as a vase. The second was the smell of beeswax and the shiny surfaces of everything. Miss Whittaker had been busy in his absence it seemed. The hearth had been tidied too and the soil in the kitten's tray changed, by the distinct lack of eau de cat pee.

Furthermore, Bethany had washed her hair, for it fell about her shoulders in damp tangles, and she was engaged at this moment in combing it out. Seated on the floor in a pool of kittens and bathed in the orange glow of the fading sun, she looked enchanting. With a stab to the chest, he wondered what it would be like to come home to her every night?

She looked round at his entrance and smiled. It lit up her face, and he swallowed the ache in his throat that threatened to choke him. Tomorrow, he would surrender her to the care of her sister and probably never have occasi on to see her again, unless it was accidentally in the line of duty.

"You've been cleaning!"

"Why not? It needed doing. I don't mind doing chores you know. I'm not the helpless invalid everyone thinks I am!" this with enough heat to make him look at her startled.

"Who thinks you're an invalid?"

"Oh, don't regard it." she said hastily, flushing. "I misspoke. Stepfather thinks women are helpless ninnies. You should hear Genevra on the topic. He makes her wild!"

"Well thank you, I didn't expect-"

"I know," she rose and came towards him. "But I have so much to thank you for, a little housekeeping seems a small token in return." She slid her arms round his neck and standing on tip toe she kissed him–again. And again, he should have pushed her away and didn't. Instead, his arms slid round her and pulled her delicious body against his. She smelt of rose water. He lost himself in the sweet heat of her mouth.

"We only have tonight, do we not?" she murmured when she was free to speak again.

He nodded, swallowing. He knew where this was going, and he had to stop it . But his body was one big ache of desire.

"I know you said you wouldn't-"

"And I won't!" he said hoarsely, clinging to that stake in the ground.

"But" she went on as if he hadn't spoken. "What if we just did what we did before? Only this time I give you pleasure? "

He felt his whole-body flush with heat at the suggestion. "No-"

"I want to thank you, properly, you saved me. If not my life, then from degradation, pain, possible disease... You saved me Sebastian, and tonight is the only chance I'll have to repay a little of that debt."

"There is no debt! I was doing my job, and even so, I'd do it all again and more to save you one moments suffering." He stroked a stray lock of hair from her face. "Your smile is enough reward for me," he said softly, kissing her forehead. God, he was lost.

"Please Sebastian, let me pleasure you," she whispered, her hand sliding down his front to stroke the hard heat behind his falls. He groaned, his eyes closing. "Teach me how to pleasure you," she murmured kissing him with feather-light touches of her lips to his jaw, chin, cheeks and lips.

He seized her face and kissed her hard and deep.

She knew she'd won when he broke that devastating kiss and his eyes, black and molten, sent a bolt of heat through her body. His expression...he looked as if he would eat her alive. A thrill ran down her spine and liquid heat settled between her legs.

"Alright," he said, his voice deep and gravelly. "But we do this my way. I'll teach you, but I'll not put you at risk, and you'll not ask me to, understood."

She swallowed and nodded. He scooped her up and deposited her gently on the bed.