Page 8 of The Viscount and the Wallflower (The Unlikely Betrothal Series #4)

Chapter 8

T he next day, Lily paced the terrace of the Ockhams’ home. Lord Knox had asked to speak with her after they broke their fast, and she was almost certain he intended to offer for her.

Lily wasn’t certain what to do. Her father had been clear in his direction to her. She must return from the house party betrothed to Lord Knox. That was what he expected of her. Legally, that was what her father would require her to do, whether or not she agreed.

The challenge was that she believed Alex had claimed pieces of her heart bit by bit, and it was only a matter of time before he had it all, if he hadn’t already. His was the face that consumed her thoughts and dreams .

But she was certain that if Lord Knox offered for her, he was who her father was going to accept. Lord Knox was an earl, while Alex was a viscount. Although, hopefully, in the very distant future, Alex would be an earl one day as he was in succession to inherit his father’s title.

The way Alex touched her the previous evening with his hands and mouth was even more delightful than Rosina had led her to believe. She wasn’t certain that once with him would ever be enough. Worse, and as much as she wished to keep fighting the realization, she loved him. She was in love with Viscount Callan, and they could never be together.

Tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she continued to pace, thankful she found herself alone and away from the other guests. It seemed others at the house party would settle down in marriage with their perfect loves, but she would be subjected to a loveless marriage of convenience. Lord Knox’s kind demeanor suggested that he would make a decent husband. But once she knew the depths of what love felt like, she wanted to be selfish and longed for a marriage filled with everything she knew she deserved.

Thanks to her encouragement, Lord Camden was upstairs, righting his wrongs with Lady Juliet, and another happy betrothal would be announced. While she was delighted for them to have found each other, her own heart was in a state of utter misery.

Lord Knox would seek her out at any moment, and she dreaded his appearance before her. She couldn’t possibly say no, and that would be the end of any hope with the man she loved.

“Lily,” a rich baritone said from behind her.

She discreetly wiped her eyes and drew a deep breath before she turned to face him.

“Alex,” she whispered, unable to find any other words to say to him.

“What is the matter? Has something happened?”

She shook her head. “No. I must have something in my eye.” Better to lie than to tell him what she feared. She didn’t even know if he felt the same. Lust wasn’t the same thing as love.

He eyed her curiously, and she wasn’t certain if he believed her or not. She offered him a small smile, hoping he wouldn’t ask her again or else she might crumble.

“I hoped we might discuss last night and our collective future,” he said.

“You needn’t feel obligated…” Shouting in the distance captured her attention, both of their heads turning in the direction of the sounds.

“Help! It’s on fire,” a voice could be heard shouting from the other side of the house, towards the stables.

Alex took off running down the stairs, and she followed behind him as quickly as she could. Once she reached the grass, they ran around the side of the house and saw one side of the stables on fire. Servants were bustling about, getting horses out to safety. Lord Demming ran into the burning stables, and Lily’s heart raced faster from the perilous situation.

They were still a good distance away, but Alex didn’t stop running, with Lily fast behind. Lord Knox appeared from the back entrance of the house, also running towards the entrance. He hollered after some of the men and then ran inside. Alex continued closer to the stables, which were ablaze, running straight towards the fire, and somehow she knew he would attempt to run into the building as well.

Lily increased her speed and worked to catch up with him. As he got closer to the deadly situation, she cried out after him. “No!”

He seemingly heard her and glanced over his shoulder. Seeing that she was following him and had almost caught up, he halted and turned around to grab her arms. Fear marred his handsome face.

“You must stay back.”

She clutched the lapels of his jacket as if doing so would keep him from attempting to enter the building. “Come with me,” she pleaded, her heart thumping so hard she believed he might see the movement in her chest.

He glanced at the opening. “I must try to assist.”

“I won’t let you.” She gripped his lapels tighter.

Behind them, one corner of the building caved in, and smoke continued to overtake the area. She coughed as a few sparks caught the bottom of Lily’s dress, a small flame starting on one of the ruffles. Alex panicked and began patting at her dress, ensuring that it was put out.

More sparks sprayed on them, and Lily began coughing from the proximity to the smoke. Alex swept her into his arms and carried her away from the scene.

She clasped her arms around his neck, and behind them she saw another corner collapse, one side of the building in flames. “They are still inside,” she said to him. Once they were a safe distance away, he set her back on her feet, and they watched the entrance to the stables. She reached for his hand and held on to it, not caring if anyone should see her doing so.

Her heart raced, hoping that both men would emerge safely from the building. Seconds felt like hours as the grouping of guests watched. Finally, Lord Knox called for help at the entrance and a couple of grooms ran inside and immediately exited again, carrying Lord Demming with them. Lord Knox emerged behind them and then collapsed in the grass .

A group formed near where they took Lord Demming, with Alex moving closer. She stood at his side, and sadness washed over her at the sight of the man whose breathing was shallow.

Lord Knox ran the rest of the way to them, coughing when he reached the group. Alex attempted to keep him back, but Lord Knox pushed past him and dropped to Lord Demming’s side. Lily cried, watching the scene unfold. The air was thick with fear as everyone dreaded the thought of losing the noble and heroic Lord Demming, who had been the first to rush into the building to save the others.

Finally, Demming coughed, and everyone breathed audible sighs of relief. There had been no people or horses lost in the fire, which was a miracle in itself. The stables would have to be rebuilt, but that was a far better outcome than loss of life.

Tears still streamed down her face, overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation and what might have occurred. Her shoulders shook, and she fought to regain her composure.

Alex noticed her emotion and clasped her hand again. “Come with me.”

She nodded and let him lead her back inside. With the guests outside, they were alone in the house. It was so silent, one might have heard a pin drop. He turned her to face him, and her tears were unrelenting.

Cupping her cheek, he kissed her forehead. “Lily,” he whispered before pulling back to look at her. His expression was pained at seeing her in such a state.

Alex picked her up, cradling her in his arms, and carried her from the room. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. He carried her to the stairs, then climbed them with her secure in his arms. When he reached the top of the staircase, he whispered in her ear, “Which chamber is yours?”

She picked up her head to point down the hallway to the door that would lead to her room.

He strode to the door, carrying her inside, and closed it behind him. She heard the turn of the lock before he carried her across the room to the settee. Alex sat down, still holding her across his lap.

Releasing all the emotion and fear of the moment, she sobbed into his neck.

“Shhh,” he whispered, rubbing her back as if she were precious to him. “It’s all right. All is well.”

She was overcome by thinking about what might have happened, and as selfish as it was, what might have happened to Alex if he had run into the burning building. Even if she couldn’t go against her father’s wishes and marry Alex, she couldn’t live if something had happened to him. It was a cruel twist of fate that she might have found love, and her father insisted she wed another man.

After several more sobs, Lily calmed herself but kept her head on his shoulder as they sat in silence for a few minutes.

“The events of the day would make a great scene in a play,” he said, attempting to lighten the mood.

“Don’t jest,” she said, raising her head to meet his gaze. “I was frightened.”

“I wouldn’t have let any harm come to you.” He ran his knuckles along her cheek.

She shook her head. “I was frightened for you . You were going to run in there, and…and…” she didn’t finish and pressed her lips to his.

He parted his lips, and she slipped her tongue inside of his mouth until her tongue pressed against his. She tasted his tea from breakfast, reveling in the feel of his tongue as she recalled the wicked things he did with it the night before. The area between her thighs became damp, and she wrapped her arms tighter around his neck.

His hands moved and explored her body over her dress, settling his hand on her hip. He moved her against the bulge that pressed to her other hip. Breaking their kiss, he sucked the tender place on her neck.

“Alex,” she whispered as he licked and sucked along the tops of her breasts. “I want you. ”

He ceased what he was doing and caught her gaze. “I don’t think you know what you are saying, love.”

She shifted her feet to the floor and removed herself from his lap. Turning to face him, she straddled him, placing a knee on the cushion on each side of his thighs. “My best friend is Rosina, and she told me quite a few things. I assure you, I know what I am saying.” Before he could respond, she sat down on his lap and took his lips again. He clasped his arms around her, placing his palms flat against her back to hold her against him.

As she deepened their kiss, he began working the buttons on the back of her dress. Exploring every bit of his mouth with her tongue while he unfastened button after button until he slipped her gown down. She broke their kiss to pull her arms from the sleeves so her dress could be pushed down around her waist. She kissed his neck and jaw, loving the salty taste of his skin, while he worked to unlace her stays.

Once he loosened them enough, he lifted them from her body and tossed them aside, leaving her bare from the waist up before him.

Lowering his head, he took one of her tight buds into his mouth and sucked hard while both hands massaged and kneaded her breasts. She instinctively rocked on his lap, easing the ache between her legs by using his body to apply pressure to the place she never knew existed until he licked there.

He released a low growl and slipped one of his hands to her bottom to help her move against him. His breeches hardly hid the hard bulge between his legs that teased her through the fabric. He shifted his mouth to her other breast, sucking and flicking her nipple with his tongue.

“Alex,” she whispered again, pleading.

He pulled his head up to look at her. “Are you certain?”

She nodded but then bit into her bottom lip, the doubt washing over her. “Unless you don’t also want me.”

He looked at her as if she had gone mad. “Sweetheart, I only want you to be sure. I assure you I would pick being with you over having air in my lungs.” He reached between them and unbuttoned his falls, allowing his member to protrude between them.

Glancing down, she took in the sight of it, having never seen one in person before. It was much larger than she imagined, which made her mildly concerned knowing where it was expected to go. Lily placed her hand on it, longing to experience what it felt like. It was soft and smooth to the touch, but when she fisted her hand around it, it was like a steel rod.

Alex sucked in a breath of air when she felt along his shaft, and he licked his lips. “You feel how hard my cock is?” he whispered. “It is all for you. ”

She needed to see the rest of him and began undoing the buttons of his coat. He shrugged his arms out of his coat and then she helped him remove his waistcoat. She lowered her lips to his neck when she began unfastening each button of his shirt. After tossing his shirt aside, he was naked above the waist. Lily ran her hands along his taut chest. She ran her fingers through the light smattering of dark hair on his chest. “Your body is like that of a statue of Zeus.”

He cupped her cheeks and placed a tender kiss on her lips. “That is a line from a Stormy Wells play.”

She leaned down and kissed the top of his shoulder. “It doesn’t make it any less true.”

He rose to stand, taking her with him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he held her bottom as he carried her across the room to her bed.

Alex set her down gently and then laid her back across the coverlet. He pulled her dress down over her hips, then tossed it to the floor.

She shivered when the cool air reached her naked body, laid bare before him on the bed other than her stockings.

“You are perfect, love,” he said, running his hand down her right leg, slowly removing her stocking. He placed a light kiss on the inside of her left thigh, his warm breath driving her wild, then removed the stocking from that leg.

He pushed his breeches down and kicked off his boots and socks, then scooted her further back on the bed. Alex climbed onto the bed with her, positioning himself on his knees between her legs. She watched him with interest and heavy-lidded desire when he lifted her legs and pressed her thighs so they were against her stomach, giving him full access to her most intimate, sensitive place. Holding her legs, he lowered his head and licked the wicked area that throbbed.

She moaned with each flick of his tongue. Then he shifted his head lower so that he pushed his tongue inside of her, while she was spread open before him. He flicked his tongue and she tried to rock against him as he held her steady.

“You are so deliciously wet,” he said, raising his head. “Let’s see if we can make you more so.”

He returned his head between her legs and went even lower, running his tongue along the hole of her arse.

She gasped in shock. “Alex.” But the wicked pleasure of his tongue there made her crave for more.

Unfortunately, he picked up his head. “Did you not enjoy that?”

“I did. Very much,” she said. “I just didn’t know…didn’t know it felt good there.”

He smirked at her. “Love, there are many things I can introduce you to, particularly there. But all in good time. ”

Lowering his head, he licked his way back to the wicked area again. That time he pushed the tip of his tongue inside, stretching her in a way that she never would have thought possible.

Using his left forearm, he held both her thighs and shifted his right hand between her legs, where he slid two fingers inside of her core. He continued the attention with his tongue on her arse and worked his fingers inside of her.

He removed his tongue and lifted his head, and she was disappointed to lose the sensation there. “You are so ready for me, if you still want me,” he said, moving his fingers again. She moaned, and he lowered his head to suck and lick her nub. She had been so worked up, teetering on a precarious edge of bliss that a few more flicks of his tongue caused her to shatter and buck beneath him, cresting the peak of her climax. Moving herself against him, she fought to prolong the pleasure as long as she could.

He released her legs so that one was on each side of him. He hovered over her and leaned down to kiss her lips. Sweeping his tongue inside of her mouth, she tasted herself on his tongue when he pressed it against hers. His hard cock pressed against her, and she wanted to know how it would feel inside of her. “Please, Alex, I want you.”

He feathered kisses along her jaw and neck, groaning from his own desire. When he reached her ear, he whispered, “I will do my best to keep from hurting you.”

“I already know it hurts the first time, but I don’t care.”

He positioned himself at her opening, pressing the head of his shaft inside. The action was thrilling, and she pushed against him, wanting to take more.

“Wrap your legs around me, love.”

She did as he said, and he pressed further in, kissing her in between each inch. He did so slowly, allowing her to adjust to him. The more he filled her up, the more her love for him radiated from her body. She wanted to join as one with him, to know what it felt like to be his, even if they would only have that one time together.

He pushed the rest of his length into her core, and there was a bit of pain. She closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to ease.

“Are you all right?” he asked, the worry evident from how his brow furrowed.

She blinked several times and locked onto his gaze, wondering at the tenderness in his expression. Could it be love? It appeared to be what she believed love might look like.

“Yes, I am all right.” She pressed against him, ready for him to move .

He withdrew and then thrust himself completely inside of her again. The sensation was even better than she might have dreamt. Perhaps it was also how much she cared for the man who gave her such pleasure with his body.

The thought of never being with him again overtook her, and she wrapped her arms around him, wanting him closer to her. He shifted to hold himself up with his elbows, and she enjoyed the warmth of his torso pressed against hers, moving against her body with each thrust. He kissed her tenderly on her lips, then pulled back and stared into her eyes while he thrust into her with slow, tender movements.

She almost looked away, feeling slightly embarrassed being so exposed and vulnerable beneath him, but the intensity of the moment and her love for him kept her gaze locked on his, each thrust of his hips driving her closer to falling over the edge of something exquisite.

“Lily,” he whispered. “This must be what heaven feels like.”

With his slow, deep thrusts, he pushed her just to the peak of her orgasm and her eyes rolled back and she cried out when pleasure shot through her body in intense waves. “Alex,” she moaned, convulsing beneath him.

He thrust into her a few more hard and quick times before he pulled out and warmth pooled on her stomach as he took her lips with his again, releasing small groans as he rocked against her.

After he took a few heavy breaths and kissed her forehead, Alex rose from the bed. She watched as he retrieved a cloth from the washbasin and was instantly cold from the loss of his body against hers. Even worse, the realization that she would never be with him in such a way again.

Lily willed herself not to cry. She could do so once he departed. And she would, probably all night long.

He returned and gently wiped between her legs. “There was blood from your first time. I can take the cloth with me so your maid won’t see it and become suspicious.” He wiped her stomach and then used the cloth on himself. Lily sat up in the bed and watched the way the muscles of his back and arms flexed as he moved, and it made her want him again. Her skin heated, and she fought the urge to pull him back into the bed with her.

The tears threatened to fall again, knowing it wasn’t meant to be. Once Lord Knox proposed, she wouldn’t allow another man in her bed, no matter how much she wished for Alex to never leave her side. Her father wouldn’t allow her to refuse Lord Knox’s proposal, and she couldn’t go against her father. No one did. And even if she could, legally it wouldn’t matter .

Her situation rivaled the most tragic of Shakespearean plays. A realization she might have found ironic if it were happening to anyone else, but she better understood heartbreak in a way she hadn’t appreciated before.

Alex slipped his breeches up over his hips and buttoned them. He glanced at her, then opened his mouth as if he wished to say something and then closed it again. Drawing a deep breath, he knelt to the floor beside the bed and clasped her hand.

Oh no, he couldn’t intend to ask for her. The ironic tragedy of the situation drove the knife deeper into her heart.