Page 24 of A Pearl Possessed

Climbing onto his chest whilst carefully avoiding his cock, she began dribbling juice from the orange onto his nipples. He flinched hard in spite of his restraints and moaned aloud when she bent to suckle the juice into her mouth. He strained at his bonds until the muscles in his forearms and shoulders bulged with the effort.

Adrienne didn't think she could tolerate much more ire emanating from the man tied to her bed and had to admit she'd never witnessed this much raw power in Obadiah. She wondered if she'd overplayed her hand and hoped to God he didn't get loose. Only then did she realize she'd have to cut his bonds.

The Rutherfords would have scattered, not wanting to be the objects of his wrath either. She'd also given Young Rutherfordthe night off so that she could torture Obadiah slowly and with intent.

Maybe she'd cut loose his left wrist first...and then run for her life.

9 September,1826

Old London Bridge

Col couldn't believe how much easier their "treasure hunt" task had become in the fog with the simple addition of a glowing lantern. After a quick walk back to the southern-most pedestrian alcove on the bridge, they located a folded piece of paper stuck in a crack in the stone.

"He wants two thousand pounds to give us a few more weeks time...and he wants us to leave it in a Whitechapel church cemetery?" Derek's voice grew in volume with each question.

"Yes, and...Zeus's balls...keep your stinkin' voice down." Col shook his head sadly. "You don't flinch at whatever it costs to keep five women happy, but a mere two thousand pounds to keep 'em alive? You're wailing like a stuck pig in the slaughterhouse."

"We're going to need that hack cabbie again."

"Why?"

"The only way I'm going to come up with two thousand pounds at this time of the night is to head over toThe Aphroditeat the East India docks."

Col gave a deep sigh of disgust. "This night has had so many twists and turns, I'm not only tired but dizzy."

"What else do you have to do that's more important than this?"

"Warm the bed of the woman I love who has not complained in the entire time I've known her as much as you've whined to me tonight." He turned and trudged back toward the main bridge thoroughfare.

12

EARLY HOURS, 10 SEPTEMBER, 1826

EARL'S MANSION, GROSVENOR SQUARE

Derek sat in bed, reading some estate ledgers, which never failed to put him to sleep. However, in the wake of all that he'd been through that day, not to mention the loss of two thousand pounds to the blackmailer, he was still wide awake.

Thank God he'd had Col with him for the trip to the graveyard. They'd been directed to leave the money in a crypt where the door had been left open. That had been the hardest part. What if some other criminal had been dogging their steps and stole the blackmail money? What if he had to come up with another two thousand? What if the loss infuriated the blackmailer and he doubled the amount? What if...? God, would sleep never come that night? At the rate he was going, sleep might never come again.

He threw the ledger to the floor, turned off the room's gas light, and lay flat again, closing his eyes and hoping for the best. Not ten minutes later, he swung his legs back onto the floor and padded barefoot to the settee at the foot of his bed. If a cushion could speak, the one resting on the settee at the foot of his bed was shouting now. The lonely puffed parlor accoutrementbeckoned to him in the dark, and the minute he picked up the silly, bright floral reminder of Cassandra Collins, her scent flew up and nearly bowled him over.

For long minutes back beneath the counterpane he told himself merely breathing in her scent might be all he needed to calm himself enough to sleep. But at the first deep inhale, his cock leapt from sleep-ready soft to rigid high alert. Derek groaned and reached into the drawer in the chest at the side of his bed. He was going to need a lot of oil before morning.

As he lay squirming uncomfortably and embarrassed by the depraved sexual depths to which he seemed to have plummeted, he reflected that he paid a veritable king's ransom to maintain not one, but five mistresses less than a quarter mile from where he now lay in a foment of throbbing need and shame. He could of course visit any one of the women and be reasonably sure of a warm welcome, except perhaps from Adrienne. He was almost relieved that she was obviously in the throes of renewed passion with Captain El's burly bodyguard, Obadiah. That meant one down and four to go. God, what a tangle.

He poured a bit of the oil onto his hands and took his demanding cock in hand. He didn't even have to spend time building a fantasy to bring himself to spend in pleasure. The moment he took a long stroke ending with his thumb circling over the tip, the vision of Cassandra splayed in his bed, open to him, filled his line of vision behind closed eyes. His imagination then seized the reins, relieving him of any further guilt or responsibility.

Her lush mouth opened in a wide smile to welcome him when he pushed his cock up between her full breasts. When her clever hands squeezed the sides of her breasts, trapping his naughty prick, he groaned aloud and was thankful he'd given Bharat the night off to visit his family in Limehouse. His rapidrelease soiled not only the sheets but the poor cushion he thought he'd placed far enough away to be out of the line of fire.

After that quick interlude, he oiled his hands again anticipating the fullness already returning. He was almost grateful the poor woman was not actually there in the dark with him. His cock could be greedy when the object of his fantasies was the dark-haired, hazel-eyed Mrs. Collins.

Since the cushion was already soiled, he decided the delightfully scented fill-in for his tempting housekeeper might as well serve as a poor substitute for what he was sure was her warm, wet cunny. He'd laved on plenty of oil onto his cock so that he could prolong the pleasure, the same way he imagined he would once she was truly in his bed, in the flesh, with her long, lithe legs wrapped tightly around his waist whilst his cock plunged into her depths until she fell apart in his arms.

He hated to think of what she'd been through before she came under Captain El's protection. But he was determined to claim her as his own and make sure she never spent another moment in fear of another employer. She was going to be his to love, and protect...no matter what he had to do.

10 September,1826

Ormonde Mansion Servant Quarters, Grosvenor Square