Page 7 of The Viscount and the Wallflower (The Unlikely Betrothal Series #4)

Chapter 7

A lex had searched for Lily after his encounter with Camden, but when he didn’t see her anywhere, he assumed she must have returned to her chamber. He did the same so he could put the drawing in a safe place instead of tucked inside the breast pocket of his coat.

Once he had returned to join the rest of the party for dinner, he watched Lily in the company of Knox. The man didn’t leave her side the entire time, listening as she spoke to him. Alex tried to determine what topics they might speak about, but he couldn’t hear them or make out what she was saying. If only he could determine if she was interested in the man. He wouldn’t have thought so by the way she had encouraged Alex’s kiss, but she could have only been caught up in the moment .

At dinner, he was seated away from them, so he didn’t get a chance to engage her then either. He glanced at her, hoping she might glance in his direction, but she spent most of the meal in animated conversation, seemingly enjoying herself.

He tamped down his jealousy and irritation. After dinner was over and the gentlemen rejoined the ladies in the salon, their hostess suggested a game of charades. Alex fought not to roll his eyes. As a playwright, he enjoyed charades and the practice of expressing ideas through acting and dramatics, but if he didn’t speak with Lily, he might explode. He wasn’t sure what she thought after their kiss, or more importantly, if she intended to wed Knox.

Alex tried to focus his attention on the game, but he kept glancing out of the corner of his eye where Lily sat on a settee with Knox at her side. The man didn’t appear besotted with her, or even overly interested, but he stayed by her side all evening. Perhaps he should ask the man what his intentions were and then determine what he would do to win her once he knew if Knox would remain a competition for him.

After the game had ended, they rose and Knox bowed to her, taking his leave to exit the salon. Alex didn’t waste a moment and appeared at her side.

“Follow me,” he said to Lily. He hadn’t planned out where he would lead her or what he might even say, but he had to take the only opportunity he had to get her alone.

She followed Alex across the salon, and they exited out to the terrace. He closed the door behind them and glanced back to see if anyone noticed their departure. The guests seemed to be occupied with their conversations, and a few had departed to their chambers.

“Alex?” She looked at him curiously, then bit into her bottom lip.

Unable to control himself, he grabbed her arms and pulled her to him, then took her lips with his. She sighed into their kiss and leaned into him. She opened to him right away and when his tongue swept inside, his cock sprang to life. As much as it could beneath the confines of his skin-tight buckskin breeches. He pressed his body against hers, pulling her enticing front against his throbbing bulge.

Lily suddenly broke their kiss. “We can’t do this.”

He attempted to hide the pain of her rejection. “Of course, please forgive me. I overstepped. I expect nothing from you.”

She glanced towards the door to the house and then turned her head back to face him. Lily took his hand in hers and electricity shot through each of his limbs. “It’s just that anyone could see us. We aren’t in private.”

He observed the area, searching for a way he might kiss her again. He needed her kiss and the taste of her more than he had ever dreamt of needing another woman.

“Come with me,” he whispered, pulling her hand to guide her to follow him. He noted the humor in the double meaning of his words and grinned to himself. He’d have to remember to write that down.

She willingly followed him as he led them both down the stairs of the terrace. They rounded the side of the house, and he pulled her across the lawn to a gazebo he had seen earlier that day when he followed her with Camden.

Once they were underneath the gazebo, he pulled her into his arms with all the need that built within him pining after her all day and pressed his lips to hers again. The intensity grew when she cupped her hand on his cheek and returned his kiss. His skin heated where she touched, reveling in the feel of her bare hand against his skin. If he reacted as such to her hand upon his cheek, he wasn’t certain he would survive her touch in more sensitive places.

Every part of his body was aware of her, and the sweet sounds she made when she lost herself in their kisses. She pressed her body tighter against his, undulating herself against him.

He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. “I want to touch you, love.”

“Then touch me,” she returned, her voice low and sultry.

“Did you like when I touched your breasts?”

She nodded against his forehead.

Needing no further invitation, he slipped his hand beneath her neckline and cupped her right breast. He feathered kisses along her neck as he palmed her round globe, feeling the bud of her nipple tighten beneath his hand.

When his lips were close to her ear, he whispered, “Have you ever touched yourself?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, rubbing her cheek against his.

“Between your legs, love,” he said, sucking the lobe of her ear into his mouth, teasing it. “Have you ever slipped your hand there?”

She shook her head. “No. I know a man inserts himself there, but why would I touch myself in that place?”

He swallowed hard at her words, imagining what it would feel like to bury himself within her untouched heat .

“Do you trust me to give you your first taste of pleasure?” he asked, the hope evident in his tone. “You will remain a virgin in doing so.” He wanted to be the one to introduce her to such things. To be the one who brought her to the brink of madness from her first climax. To be the one who wrote the pages of this chapter in her life.

“Yes, Alex,” she said. “I feel like I need something. I ache there.”

He pulled back so he could stare into her eyes. “Will you allow me to soothe that ache?”

“Please.”

Alex kissed her again, walking her towards the backless bench that was behind her. He swooped her into his arms, not breaking their kiss, and then laid her longways across the bench. He positioned her legs so her feet rested on the ground on each side and her bottom almost hung off the end.

Gently lifting her skirts, Alex laid them to rest on her waist. Standing at the end of the bench, between her legs, he leaned his arm down and ran his fingers over her folds, and she gasped.

Watching her move and try to push herself against his hand, he thought she was the most beautiful, enticing woman he had ever seen. He circled the sensitive flesh above her folds with his fingers.

She arched her back. “ Alex,” she moaned.

“Alex, more? Or Alex, stop?” he asked, hoping more than anything that she would allow him to continue.

“Alex, more,” she pleaded.

He trailed his fingers lower, exploring her core until he reached her wet cunt, slipping a finger inside of her. His cock warred against the buttons of his breeches at how tight she was. “You are so wet.”

He moved his finger inside of her, and she rocked with his movements. Alex needed to taste her. He wanted to give her the most exquisite first orgasm that would radiate through her entire body. One that would make it difficult to walk from how her legs shook and tensed, from the way he licked, sucked, and loved her. Kneeling between her legs, he lowered his head to flick his tongue against her most sensitive place.

She released a loud moan, and her hands shot to his hair. He loved the feeling of her fingers gripping his head and he increased the intensity of the attention he gave with this mouth. He removed his finger and dipped his head lower so that his tongue slipped inside of her, and she moved against him in such a way that he knew she enjoyed and wanted everything he was doing.

Alex placed his free hand on her stomach to hold her in place against the bench, then used his other hand to slip two fingers inside of her, stretching her tight opening .

He worked his fingers inside of her while licking and sucking her sensitive flesh. Her moans and mumbles were unintelligible the closer she came to the peak of her climax. Alex glanced up at her and she writhed as much as she could beneath the hold he had on her.

“Are you ready for me to make you come?”

“I’m not certain I know what that means,” she said, panting between each of her words.

“You are about to find out, love. Just let go and allow it to wash over you.”

He returned his mouth to the opening of her slit and lathed it with his tongue, two fingers still moving within her. It only took a few more moments before she cried out and shattered from his touch, bucking beneath him. She moaned and cried out his name and some other words he didn’t understand. He slowed his attention so she could ride the waves of pleasure for as long as possible until she stilled and released a sated sigh.

Alex withdrew his fingers and used both hands to spread her open further, exposing her wet cut to him, then ran his tongue from the bottom to the top, tasting the proof of her climax.

“Alex,” she whispered.

As much as his cock hated him for it, he lowered her skirts and helped her to sit up on the bench so that he could sit beside her. “You taste so good.” He placed several kisses along her neck.

She tilted her head to the side, giving him better access. “Isn’t there something I can do for you? So you feel the same.”

Alex’s cock jumped at her words. “As much as I would enjoy doing more, we must return. We have been gone too long already.” He could admit that he wanted her for himself and believed he would ask for her hand, but he didn’t wish to risk them being caught together and removing her choice of a husband from her. His affection for her was far too great for that. She deserved to choose her future, and he wished to be chosen. More than anything, he wanted her to choose him.

Alex rose and pulled her to her feet to join him. He kissed her, hoping his kiss conveyed everything he felt. Hoping she somehow knew what his heart wished to speak to her.

“Can we speak tomorrow?” he asked after he broke the kiss.

“Of course.” She placed another quick kiss on his lips.

He tucked a loose curl behind her ear. “Let’s get you back inside.”

With any luck, Lady Lily would soon agree to become his viscountess.