The Duke's Seduction of Lady M Read online

  An hour later she leaned back on the windowsill of the only room with a bed in it and sighed with happiness. ‘This is perfect. I don’t know how you found it, acquired it and got it even thus far furnished, but I love it. This room for instance…’ she waved one hand to encompass their surroundings, ‘…is decorated exactly as I would like.’ She grinned as Brody confined a laugh to a snort and raised one eyebrow.

  ‘Well, once it has more than a bed in it,’ she amended. ‘I’d like a chair and a table and perhaps a lamp or two? A commode and washstand. Basic things.’

  ‘The lack of bedroom and bathroom furniture notwithstanding, it suits though?’

  Mary tilted her head to one side in contemplation. He’d put his jacket on but his cravat was slung around his neck like a scarf. ‘It should do.’

  ‘I hope it suits, but I do have one concern,’ Brody said. ‘One very large disquiet.’

  He paused and stared at her. She shouldn’t rise, of course she shouldn’t, but even before she opened her mouth Mary knew she was going to.

  ‘Tell me and don’t let it fester and prey on your mind. Don’t they say a worry shared is a worry halved?’

  He grinned, all-out rake once more. ‘Are you sure? I don’t want to burden you with my worries.’

  ‘That is balderdash.’ She raised one eyebrow. ‘You do or you wouldn’t have mentioned it. Now share or change the subject and let us move on.’

  ‘Unmasked,’ he said cheerfully. ‘I wondered, perhaps we should check the bed is comfortable and perfect for our needs.’

  Mary’s heart missed a beat. Was he suggesting what she thought? ‘Elucidate.’

  ‘I wondered if we should sit on it? Stretch out and roll around. See if we think it will work for us and not against us. After all, we don’t want feathers tickling our noses, or to get back ache or… or fall out.’ He finished with a wink. ‘What say you?’

  ‘Well… now that you mention it,’ she said composedly, struggling against her inclination to clench her thighs. ‘All of those things are salient points we must consider. How do you suggest we should test against those eventualities?’

  There was silence for a moment, broken only by the sound of two robins fighting over something in the bushes below the window.

  ‘Are you sure?’ Brody asked in the quiet room. ‘It’s not too late to say no. I do not want you to feel pressurised into doing anything you’re not ready for.’

  ‘Do you want me to?’ she asked slowly.

  He shook his head. ‘Oh no. I would be devastated, but would reluctantly accept your will.’

  ‘In that case.’ Mary moved from her perch and took the five steps to the edge of the bed. She turned and gazed at Brody, who stood motionless as he leaned on the fire surrounds. ‘Perhaps you had better help me remove my jacket. In case it gets creased, you understand.’

  He moved so fast she scarcely had time to draw breath. ‘Not just your jacket. It would never do to return home with a crumpled gown.’ He slipped the buttons of her jacket from their fastenings and slowly pulled the garment from her body to put it carefully on the luckily clean floor. ‘Turn around.’

  Mary complied with alacrity, conscious of her uneven pulse and choppy breathing. His warm breath feathered over her neck as his fingers touched her spine. Cool air touched her skin as her gown parted, and she shivered.

  ‘Cold?’ Brody asked as he slid her gown towards her arms. ‘I’ll warm you. My first suggestion? Step out of your dress.’ He helped her steady herself as she did as he bade her. ‘Now, I wonder? Hmm.’ A few seconds later his fingers were at the ribbons of her chemise. ‘Pretty though this is, if it gets rumpled it will upset the lie of your gown. It best come off as well.’

  ‘Your cravat and shirt?’ Mary said breathlessly as he slowly untied the silk laces that held her chemise decorously over her breasts. ‘It would never do for a duke to be seen less than sartorial.’

  ‘Good point. However, first things first. Your comfort is paramount, you know. There.’ He let go of the ribbons and smiled crookedly. ‘I’m shaking, look.’ Brody held one hand out to her and she saw the fine tremors that ran through it. ‘That, my dear, is how much your every pleasure is uppermost in my mind.’ He took hold of the fine lawn of her chemise – how glad she was she’d turned her head at her normal daytime cotton one and chosen this delicate, flower embroidered one instead – and edged it upwards. By the time he’d gathered a handful of material and brought it as high as her breasts he had never for one second taken his gaze off her face.

  Soon she would be naked except for her stockings, as she refused to wear a petticoat, drawers or a corset on such a fine day. Now she wondered if he would think her fast? Or faster than he undoubtedly believed she was already. ‘And your breeches? It would not do for you to show yourself turned out less than immaculate’

  For which she was thankful. He’d see her naked soon enough and she felt somewhat at a disadvantage as he was still almost fully clothed. That had to be altered.

  ‘Brody, your clothes?’

  ‘Soon. You first. Lift your arms now. I promise not to peek at the delights of your body, not yet. However the sooner we can get rid of this the better. Then you can be first to sit on the bed and pass an opinion.’

  Mary gave in to the inevitable and lifted her arms. Her view was blocked as her chemise came over her head and then once more she could see him, his eyes level and looking into her face.

  ‘I didn’t peek, as much as I wanted to,’ Brody said with a lilt in his voice. ‘Although now, as you can see what I’m doing…’ He took a long step backwards, looked her up and down most thoroughly and his eyes widened.

  Mary gulped as, within seconds, the long-unexperienced, almost-forgotten sensation of sensual, sexual heat with a man rushed through her, from the tip her toes to the top of her head. Her vision clouded and she swayed. Brody grabbed her none too elegantly.

  ‘Are you all right?’ he demanded. ‘Do you feel faint? Want to lie down alone? Need water? Let me help you.’ He picked her up with one hand under her knees and dropped her carefully on the bed. Luckily it had a sheet on the mattress and a cover across the bottom. Mary wriggled until her head and shoulders rested on a pile of pillows. How she’d love to tug the cover over her, but she wasn’t going to. She was not a prude and was in a situation she’d helped to engineer. She would not pull the coy act, not now, not ever. But she would cross her legs at the ankles. Not prim and proper, and her governess would have slapped her for sitting thus clothed. Goodness knows what she would do if she saw her now. Probably die of apoplexy. Nevertheless, Mary thought unrepentantly, she was comfortable and Miss Lemmon was now the late Miss Lemmon so it mattered not.

  ‘I want to lie down but not alone, I don’t need water yet, and the only faintness is due to wondering what next and hurry up,’ Mary said frankly. She turned onto her side and returned his look. Even clothed he was a magnificent specimen of manhood. Butterflies danced in her tummy as she thought how he might look naked. ‘It’s a long time since I have wanted to participate in anything remotely arousing. Now? I can hardly wait.’

  And you are overdressed.

  ‘Who am I to keep a lady waiting?’ Brody drawled, as he flung his cravat on top of her clothes. His jacket and shirt followed within seconds and Mary was able to feast her eyes on his impressive torso. His muscles rippled under his skin as he sat on the bed and began to toe his boots off.

  Presented with his back she was able to look her fill without fear of embarrassment. His skin was tanned, as if he spent a lot of time in the sun shirtless, and two or three faint scars crisscrossed his spine. She reached out and traced them before she realised what she’d done

  He stiffened and she drew her hand back.

  ‘Sorry, I… what happened?’

  Brody twisted to look at her. With one boot on and one boot off he should have looked amusing. He didn’t. He looked virile and prompted all of her senses to hone in on him.

  ‘Nothing too sinister. I w
as trying to extract myself from a tricky situation and got caught in some spiked wire. Silly really, I should have plotted my getaway route with more thoroughness.’

  ‘When you were away?’ She wondered where.

  He shook his head ruefully. ‘Nothing so exotic. When I was a headstrong youth at Oxford and needed to exit the room of the rector’s daughter in a hurry. I dropped out of the window and realised, too late, I was over the wire which covered the cellar window. I didn’t swing out far enough.’

  ‘A lucky escape,’ Mary said with a laugh. ‘However, how did you get them on your back?’

  Brody blushed, snorted and looked abashed. ‘I went out of the window backwards when she approached me. I had thought I entered the rector’s study. Instead she ushered me into her sitting room, and demanded I marry her. As she was between me and the door, I backed away. She walked forward and I went out of the open window as fast as I could. Backwards and without any heed for what I might encounter on the way out.’ He paused and shrugged. ‘Lucky for me the room was on the ground floor. If it hadn’t been for the pesky window well, I’d’ve got away scot-free. As it was my jacket took most of the damage as I just pulled off the spikes and departed as fast as I could.’

  Mary chuckled. She could visualise the scene. ‘And yet still you graduated?’

  ‘Oh yes. It was my final week, and I assume she thought it was her last chance. As I escaped her net, she went for smaller fish and landed a Lord. Poor Dennersley, he thought he was in clover. Then he found he was in the mire. That lady is a termagant. Which is nothing to do with us. Let me get out of this other boot and my trousers and join you.’

  Oh yes please.

  ‘Or,’ Brody said with a grin. ‘We’ll have to leave before we start, and I think that would be such a shame.’

  So did she.

  ‘Then get a move on.’

  ****

  Brody revelled in the admiration he saw in Mary’s eyes as he kicked off his breeches and crawled onto the bed towards her. She’d rolled onto her back once more and her body was displayed in all its lush glory for him. Her gorgeous breasts were the perfect size for him to hold and fondle. The areolas pink, and the nipples darker, they begged to be suckled. Lower, her navel teased him and lower still, her dark hair-covered muff drew him like a lodestone as he ached to discover the bounty it hid.

  He prowled, slowly, and let his eyes linger on the view in front of him, before he stroked one of her legs, upward from her ankle to her knee, lifted it and walked his fingers over the sensitive skin at the back before he pressed a hot wet kiss to the crease.

  She squirmed and Brody chuckled. ‘A chink in your armour?’

  ‘More like a chasm.’ Mary squirmed, and shivered. ‘It is my most ticklish spot and you honed in on it.’

  ‘Then I’ll leave it alone for now and concentrate elsewhere.’ Giggling or amusement was not what he aimed for. Not then.

  Instead Brody pressed a kiss to her thigh and was rewarded with a sharp intake of breath before she sighed.

  ‘Ahhh…’ He decided that meant “more” and followed it with a suck and a nip, which would surely leave his mark for a short while.

  ‘Ohhhh,’ Her voice trailed off and she shivered. ‘My…’

  Brody chuckled. ‘Now what have we here?’ He walked his fingers higher until he was able to ruffle the short, dark curly hairs on her muff, which covered her quim and shielded her nub from view. He nuzzled the hair and blew on it softly. How to ask if she had experienced cunnilingus? He couldn’t really say “do you know the expression to dive in a muff?”

  ‘Bro…ody.’ She grabbed his head and he waited breathlessly. ‘Oh, yes.’ Instead of pulling him away if anything Mary pressed him more firmly to her. ‘More.’

  He was happy to oblige. ‘Soon.’

  ‘No, please, now.’

  ‘Soon. You need to have patience, and wait one moment. First I need to trace your other leg.’ Brody scooted down the bed and began to nip, suckle and stroke her skin from her ankle to the apex of her thighs. By the time he lifted his head Mary was writhing and moaning under him.

  Good. He knelt back on his knees and looked down at her.

  Mary’s skin was sheened with perspiration, and covered in a rosy glow. Her eyes were misty and every so often a faint ripple of something – whatever it was aroused him even further – ran under her skin. She blinked and focused on him, then stretched out her arm to circle his nipples before grazing the tip with a nail. His cock reared up as if it had been touched and drops of liquid began to coat its surface. She smiled, the smile of a seductress.

  ‘Now?’

  ‘Are you happy? All right and ready for me to make you mine?’ He hadn’t meant to be so blunt, but he had noted how her gaze kept moving from his face to his erection and back again. His prick of course revelled in the attention and stood out proudly like a baton. ‘As you see I’m more than ready, although…’ he hit his head in annoyance. ‘… I have no skins to cover my staff.’ How could he have forgotten? ‘I’ll have to withdraw, will that do?’

  Lord he hoped so. Brody watched her turn her thoughts inward. Counting the days perhaps? Not for the first time Brody gave thanks to Mercedes and her openness and honesty about all things pertaining to womanhood. It made it much easier to understand the mood swings and shilly-shallying that could sometimes occur.

  ‘It will be fine. It’s a good time of the month for me.’ Mary stared at him anxiously and he made haste to reassure her that he understood.

  ‘I know what you mean, and I will say now – please let me know when you feel under the weather or wish to do other things.’ How could he be more obvious without sounding crude? He had no need to try because she nodded.

  ‘Thank you. I also have nothing with me.’

  ‘I’ll arrange for everything we need to be here in future. I hadn’t hoped we’d have the time to do…’ he paused, kissed each pert nipple in turn and nudged her legs apart. ‘…this. Thank the lord we have.’

  Brody moved until his pego teased the entrance to her channel. Mary’s eyes widened, clouded then cleared as she put her legs around his waist and gripped him hard. Her heels dug into his spine as she urged him onwards into her.

  ‘I feel this is not going to be the longest coupling on record,’ he gasped, as he filled her and her internal muscles clenched around him, holding him fast. Brody began to move as, with a tiny sound he could only liken to a mewl followed by a long keening moan, she matched his in-and-out movements with a clench and release of her muscles. His world narrowed to him and her, to her uneven breathing and his harsh rasps of response.

  The familiar surge of blood to his cock, the sense of something unstoppable that heralded his climax, didn’t so much creep up on him as grab him and shake him to the core. There was no way he would come before his lady. He had to withdraw and do as he promised. She had to achieve satisfaction first, this time, she just had to.

  Her skin shimmered and tiny goosebumps covered her arms. Ever increasing tremors undulated over and under her skin as he upped his pace and thrusts. She thrashed her head from side to side as her breathing became choppy and her words disjointed as she panted… ‘I… didn’t… know… I ah…. Now, tis now it…. it…’

  ‘You need to let go, Mary, let go and show me how you can fall apart.’ His words came out like bullets. Brody lifted one hand and rested on the other as he slipped his free hand between her and found her hard nub.

  He rubbed it slowly, felt her muscles contract and pinched.

  ‘Argh…ye…’Mary screamed as her body arched up off the mattress to thrust harder towards him. ‘Ye…sssss’ she screamed again and Brody withdrew so fast he saw stars before he let himself follow her into the abyss and then spill on the sheet.

  How he had the presence of mind to roll over with her to the dry side of the bed he had no idea. Nevertheless he managed and settled her on top of him before he pulled the cover over them. Mary wriggled and he pinned her down with his arm.

>   ‘Stop wriggling woman, you’ll do me an injury.’

  She giggled and moved her breasts over his chest. ‘Ah, but then I’d have to kiss it better.’

  Brody pinched the nearest inch of skin he could find. Her arm. ‘Minx. I don’t think at this moment in time I could rise to the occasion and thank you in the proper manner for such ministrations. So, for the love of god, or my cock, stay still just for a few minutes. Let me get my breath back.’

  ‘Hmm mm. Let me get your… well, it out of my ribs. She wriggled again and then sighed. ‘That’s better.’ He was glad she thought so. His only half relaxed cock much preferred its previous position, where it had nudged her quim, rather than left out in the cold to one side of her body. He’d remedy that as soon as he could.

  ‘I thought you were supposed to be quiescent once you achieved you release?’

  ‘Usually limp as a three-week-old carrot,’ he agreed cheerfully. ‘However, it seems your presence perks him up as he begs to be noticed.’

  She laughed. ‘I now have such a picture in my mind. Of your appendance sitting up and begging “look at me, look at me”.’

  ‘Sadly, though he might think it’s possible, I know different. Not just yet anyway.’

  Mary patted his cheek. ‘Not today I’d imagine. I have no idea of the time, but I’d wager we need to think about moving before long.’

  ‘Five minutes.’ Brody hugged her. ‘In which you make your mind up. Is this the start of a beautiful relationship? For as long as we both agree it is what we want? Or was that short but sweet coupling to be all we have? Personally, I would like a longer, much longer, time.’

  Mary lifted her upper body from his and blew her hair out of her eyes. Even though he hadn’t tried to take it down – he’d been in too much of a hurry to do any such thing – long tendrils had come loose and now framed her face in dark shining curls and waves. ‘Do you always feel the need for a longer relationship?’