Page 13 of In a Rake’s Embrace (Sins & Sensibilities #3)

CHAPTER 13

A gatha’s heart raced so fast she felt faint. Gathering her composure, she stood and quietly removed her gown and undergarments, leaving herself bare except for the silken stockings delivered that morning. Delicate lace held them in place at her thighs, emphasizing the softness of her skin. She moved to the edge of the sofa and slowly sat, her movements deliberate as she shuffled back, pressing her spine against the cushions. Taking a deep breath, she drew her legs upward, placing the flat of her heels on the cushion, the subtle tension in the air crackling as she positioned herself before him.

God, she was so exposedthatshe felt the air on the folds of her sex.

He walked over and peered down at her. A blush engulfed her, but she did not look away from him. Agatha belatedly realized that being in Bea’s and Ellen’s rooms and seeing them walking around undressed had helped her.

Thomas bent over her and kissed her mouth with a feeling of almost violent tenderness. His tongue stroked against hers, and she moaned, curling her fingers into the fabric of the sofa. He consumed her, and it was as if she tasted his lust, the dark flavor of want blending with whisky. It was a short, hard kiss, and he pulled away from her, his lips softening to a tender caress that lingered at the corner of her mouth.

How could he appear so carnally domineering and gentle at the same time?

The earl lowered to his knees. His eyes collided with hers, and he held her gaze. He placed his hands atop her knees and gently nudged them wider, baring her sex to his heated stare. Agatha blushed at the hungry look that appeared on his face. She instinctively tried to close her knees, and he placed firm pressure, widening them even more. Thomas slipped his hands to her hips, pulling her buttocks to the edge of the sofa.

Oh, God .

This was far too indecent. Her sex was open to his greedy gaze, and he stared at Agatha as if he planned to devour her. Swallowing tightly, she almost protested that perhaps she had chosen the wrong lesson.

“Such a pretty pussy,” he murmured.

His evocative words sent fire down her spine to land hotly in her belly. Her entire body blushed. He used the back of his fingers and brushed over her flesh. Her sex ached, sending tendrils of warmth up through her abdomen. Agatha did not understand how such a simple touch made her shift with restless need. His fingers slid through her curls, finding her nub.

Clitoris .

That was what Bea called it when she tried to discuss the anatomy of a lady’s body yesterday and how they found pleasure.

He lifted his hand to her mouth and pressed his thumb against her lips. “Suck it.”

Agatha’s belly tightened, and she parted her lips and sucked his thumb into her mouth, holding his gaze. He dragged it from her mouth, keeping a light pressure on her lips. Thomas carried that glistening thumb down to her sex and started to rub that sensitive nub, the pressure slowly increasing. Delightful sensations began to spiral. Over and over, he rubbed, and she dug her fingers into the sofa, feeling the wetness now slicking his thumb.

She made an incoherent sound, and heat seemed to bloom from where he touched, moving to her belly, where it tightened into a hot coil. Agatha shifted her hips to ease the friction, crying out when he pressed his thumb harder against her nub. Sharp spikes of sensation pierced her clitoris and arced up her belly to her nipples.

“Place your legs over my shoulders.”

Agatha complied, slipping her legs upward over his shoulders. He glided those fingers down, and he slid one deep inside her body.

Oh! The feeling of his finger inside her sex was more pleasant than she’d anticipated. He dipped his head and flicked his tongue over her navel. Her belly quivered. Thomas started to slowly stroke his finger inside her quim, so slow it felt like torture as he drew forth her wanton response. Hot need welled up, and she shifted restlessly, wanting more.

Another kiss on her belly, and he dragged his mouth over her skin and down her mons. Agatha moaned, the anticipation twisting through her body almost felt desperate. Thomas slipped a second finger inside her sex. She flinched at the tight, almost painful stretch, a groan slipping from her. His thumb somehow still found her nub, and Thomas began rubbing that delicious spot rough and hard.

He stroked his fingers inside her pussy, his thumb tormenting her clitoris with each glide and retreat. Heat spread through her, and sweat started to slick her skin. Agatha bit her lower lip, wanting to arch into him, wanting more, unable to shift, for she was pinned against the sofa, her legs high over his shoulders. She could not move, only accept the sensual assault against her senses.

“Thomas,” she gasped, feeling a hot thrill of pleasure building from her clitoris, rushing up to her belly and breasts.

He leaned forward, the move sinking his fingers deeperand kissing up her body to capture her nipple between his teeth. It was as if each action added a precise increase in pleasure when she thought it could surely not feel better. He sucked her nipple, rubbing the tight nub of nerves between her thighs until she could feel the wetness soaking his fingers.

Agatha’s breathing came in short pants as sharp bursts of pleasure snapped through her body. Delight rushed over her senses, washing over her in an unrelenting rush.

“Oh, God,” she gasped, tremors cascading through her.

At that moment, Thomas dragged his mouth from her breasts down her quivering bellyand flicked his tongue over her swollen, sensitive clitoris before sucking it into his mouth. For a wild moment, it was as if all the air had been snatched from Agatha’s body, and then she found her voice to cry out at the unexpected wash of ecstasy. He licked and suckedgently, then with too much passion. She was helpless against the desperate sobs of need that escaped her throat. He drove her to madness with his tongue and fingers, and there was nothing she could do but take it. This time, the release slammed into her like a boulder. Agatha wailed as it felt like her body had broken apart.

He watched her, his expression calm, yet the piercing brilliance of his gaze told her of his hunger.

“Again,” he murmured.

Her heart jerked. Surely not.

His fingers pinched her sensitive nub, and another wild cry ripped from her when he began rubbing it hard. Oh, God, she tried to draw back her hips but could not move.

“Thomas,” she gasped. “Please ... oh, please !”

“Please, what?”

Her gaze snapped to his. “I feel so sensitive. It is too much!”

“I want every last drop of your pleasure.”

It was too much. But then that aching hunger started to build again, a piercing heat low in her belly, the rising pressure and the feeling of soreness where his fingers stroked in and out, slow and gentle, then with an alternating deep rhythm. Agatha whimpered, “I feel sore. Thomas … no more.”

“Oh? Do you command me?”

The muscles of her sex burned, and a sob hitched in her throat. “No.”

“I have beenteasing your cunt with only two fingers. If I want, I can add a third … a fourth.”

Oh, God, not three or four! She already felt so stretched.

As if he knew her thoughts, a smile touched his mouth, and the cruel sensuality carved within his features made her grow impossibly wetter. Thomas pushed a third finger inside her sex, and she wailed. He lowered and licked her clitoris, and her body started to tremble.

Agatha burned, sweat trickled down her breasts, and she lifted her hips helplessly against his wicked mouth as he tugged her clitoris between his teeth and lashed it with his tongue. Her pussy grew sore until she rode the edge of pain, yet somehow the pleasure kept increasing. It felt as if a creature of pure carnality opened inside of her, for she tried to lift her hips, wanting more. Lust felt like a dark tide of hunger as it rolled through her, far more intense than anything felt before. Sensations nearly peaked in her belly, the tightness ready for release, but each time Agatha came close for that release to pour through her, Thomas changed the rhythm or the pressure. “Thomas, please!”

He lifted his head, his mouth wet. “I think a fourth finger, hmm?”

“ Thomas! No—”

He dragged his thumb over her clitoris and pressed down. Sweat slicked her skin, and desire rushed through her like molten lava. Agatha’s body convulsed from the sharp waves of sensation, and another shattering release broke her apart. Her vision blurred, and for a moment, she thought she would faint. With a dazed sense of shock, she realized her face was wet with tears.

His thumb moved from her over-stimulated clitoris. Thomas used his other hand to stroke her stomach before trailing his fingers down from her quivering belly to the inner flesh of her thighs in soothing sweeps. Agatha whimpered, not understanding why she felt so empty andneeded more. She gasped when he withdrew his fingers from her body andslid them up to the top of her slit, pinching her small pearl. Another shockwave of sensation shuddered through her body.

“Thomas,” she gasped, her clitoris so sensitive and stimulated she was almost afraid of his touch.

He used the back of his fingers to gently brush the tender opening of her sex, which ached.

“Shh, you are doing fine,” he murmured, his heated breath whispering over her mons, making her belly quiver. Then he dragged his tongue over her nub and sucked it into his mouth. Fingers wet with her release once again slipped inside her, moving slowly, while his mouth ate her pussy with decadent greed.

“ Please , Thomas!” she cried, trying and failing to calm the arousal building through her, trying to regain a minimum of control of her own body.

Agatha was only faintly aware of her fingers gripping the cushions above her head, fevered pleas for more and then no more ripping from her throat. Her thighs trembled. Desperate to stop it but wanting more, she lowered her hands to his head, threaded her fingers through his hair and yanked. The devil did not move. When she writhed, trying to escape his erotic assault on her pussy, he sucked her clitoris with a harsher pull and worked his fingers deeper.

Agatha felt the ache … that sweet, almost agonizing tension swell and grow low in her bellywhile the soreness inside her sex increased. Hot, wicked thrills of pleasure washed over her body, and she started to shake as her climax drowned her under waves of agonizing bliss. Being pushed to her absolute limits was undeniably intenseand soul-shattering.

Her body still shook, and soft sobs escaped her. Thomas brushed his mouth over her shaking thighs with a tenderness that brought a lump to her throat. He lowered her legs and stood. The intensity drained from his face as if it had never been there. Was he so unmoved by everything that had just happened? Was this merely another lesson to him? Agatha shifted, her gaze catching the tension in his posture—the rigid way he held himself—and the unmistakable hardness pressing against the front of his trousers. His cock was a solid, undeniable bulge.

Thomas took two deep, measured breathsand released them slowly. The air between them wasthick with unspoken tension.

“Will forced pleasure be a no for you ... or a yes?” His voice was low, tight with restraint.

“Yes,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. Yet a part of her denied the notion of being with another man so.

His gaze snapped to hers, sharp and dangerous, and for a moment, Agatha was certain he would drag her beneath him and take her, all control forgotten. But instead, he clenched his jaw.

“Go,” he said, his voice tight with effort. “We will resume tomorrow.”

Agatha didn’t hesitate. She rose from the sofa, quickly gathering her shift and gown. Dressing with trembling hands, she stole one last glance at him before rushing from the room, her heart pounding, her thoughts tangled in the storm of emotions he had stirred.

Agatha nearly collided with Bea in the hallway, her eyes wide as she glanced back at Thomas’s door.

“Bea!” she said, caught off guard.

Bea’s mouth quirked into a teasing smile. “It sounded like a rather … educational lesson.”

“You could hear me?” Agatha choked out, heat rushing to her cheeks.

Bea laughed. “Oh, I think half the hallway might have caught a hint! It sounded utterly delicious. A pity I never had the opportunity to experience him myself.”

Agatha blinked, a strange, twisting feeling unfurling in her chest. “You … wanted to experience Lord Radbourne?”

Bea tilted her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes, but her expression softened as she took in Agatha’s reaction. She grabbed Agatha’s arm, pulling her into her room before anyone could overhear. Once inside, she shut the door firmly behind them.

“What is it, Bea? Why did you come into my chamber?” Agatha asked, attempting to shrug off the growing discomfort. She winced as she moved toward her bed, a reminder of her lesson’s intensity.

Bea’s eyes narrowed in concern. “Did he … well, did Lord Radbourne take you? Is that why you are sore?”

Agatha groaned and sank onto the bed, burying her face in her hands. “How am I ever to conquer these wretched blushes?”

Bea laughed and climbed onto the bed beside her. “Maybe he didn’t take you, considering you’re still able to sit without flinching.”

Agatha gasped, propping herself up on one elbow. “And what does that mean?”

Bea wrinkled her nose playfully. “Hettie once mentioned that he’s, well … rather well-endowed.”

“Well-endowed? What does that even mean?”

“You know,” Bea lowered her voice conspiratorially, “his … plug-tail is thick.”

“What in God’s name is a plug-tail?”

She made a sweeping motion over her mons. “You know, the earl’s manroot. The things that go into our … quim.”

“ Manroot? ” Agatha burst into laughter. “ Plug-tail? The earl called it something else entirely, thank heavens. I’d have died if he’d used that term!”

Bea’s laughter joined hers. After a moment, her friend’s expression grew thoughtful. “You were jealous, weren’t you? When I mentioned about experiencing Lord Radbourne?”

Agatha hesitated, a lump forming in her throat. Was that the feeling that hooked inside her chest? The truth settled heavily within her. She nodded slowly. “Yes … I suppose I was. I feel rather silly. The earl is only my tutor.”

Bea regarded her warmly. “It happens. I do not think feelings are things we can control. Ellen says we can.”

Agatha’s curiosity flickered to life. “Did you ever feel that way when Ellen was with Mr. Armstrong? Were you ever jealous?”

“At first, I was utterly seething with it,” Bea admitted, her cheeks flushing as she giggled. “I even cried, which seems excessively silly in hindsight. Ellen caught me, and that’s when she confessed that Mr. Armstrong only ever plays chess with her when they meet. He’s kept up this entire charade to ensure no one suspects how truly taken he is with me.”

“Oh,” Agatha murmured. “He goes to such lengths to hide his feelings?”

“Yes,” Bea sighed, her gaze softening. “I asked him once why he bothers with the ruse, and he admitted he doesn’t want anyone—especially Madam Rebecca—to know the depth of his affection.”

Agatha hesitated, a pang of something unresolved tightening in her chest. “What if … what if he bids for me?”

Bea’s eyes widened in surprise. “I hadn’t thought of that. You are very beautiful. There is nothing I can do about it if he does. It would hurt, but I must understand that Bran … Mr. Armstrong is not mine.”

Agatha reached for Bea’s hand, squeezing it reassuringly. “If he bids and wins, I will not let you down. Once we’re alone, I would suggest a quiet chess game to let Mr. Armstrong know I’m aware of his secret. He’d understand immediately that I know, and to preserve his ruse, he’ll likely not expect anything of me.”

Bea chuckled, shaking her head. “Devious. I see Lord Radbourne’s influence on you.”

They laughed and chatted, lingering longer in each other’s company before Bea excused herself. Taking her friend’s advice to heart, Agatha rang for a heated bath. Once it was prepared, she entered the large copper tub, savoring the warmth as she soaked.

The sore feeling instantly lessened, and she relaxed, easing the tension from the day. Nearly an hour later, she curled beneath the covers of the bed, her mind drifting to the earl and the wicked pleasure he’d introduced her to. A shiver skated down her spine, though she fought the undeniable pull he seemed to have on her.

I must not allow myself to become entangled , she silently whispered, her heart aching with the unwelcome memory of jealousy that had bloomed earlier.