Cowboys and Highlanders (71 page)

Phoebe jumped to her feet and shoved the letters back into the drawer. She hesitated. Where were the men headed? The study had a hallway door. She raced for the adjoining door. Whoever it was, if they entered one of these rooms, she could step into the empty room and close the connecting door before they entered. The voices came closer and she realized they had paused outside the study.

Phoebe eased the adjoining door open a crack as the study door opened and her uncle's voice sounded loud and clear, "You're too generous, Your Grace."

She peered through the slit at her uncle, the duke, and his son.

"He's a fine animal," the duke replied. "You're making a good investment." He motioned to the couch near the fireplace. "Kiernan, would you fetch us a drink?" The duke looked at her uncle. "Do you like scotch?"

"I do, Your Grace. Thank you."

"Marcus will do," the duke said, "Or MacGregor, if you prefer."

Her uncle looked startled, but said, "Of course, Marcus."

They sat on the couch and a moment later Kiernan handed them drinks then sat on the wing backed chair opposite them. "How is Phoebe adjusting to the idea of marriage?" he asked.

"It will take some time," he replied.

Kiernan laughed. "So I gather."

Her uncle surprised her by saying, "You have done the right thing, Lord Ashlund, and I am grateful."

Kiernan's expression sobered. "I couldn't have done otherwise."

"But you could have," her uncle said. "Many men in your position would have."

Kiernan cast his father a sideways glance, "True."

"My solicitor will have the contract drawn up. The dowry—"

"I promised Phoebe her inheritance is hers," Kiernan cut in. "Please see to it that the contract is clear in this matter."

Her uncle gave a nod. "You are generous."

As for a dowry," Kiernan began—Phoebe's heart thudded—"I will have to give that some thought."

"Kiernan," the duke said.

"You can't take all the fun out of this, Father."

"Careful, lad, I can."

"Maybe," he replied, humor in his voice. "But I don’t need her money. I am the groom, however, and I do deserve something."

His father mirrored her thoughts when he replied, "I have no doubts the lady will give you exactly what you deserve," then added, "Please bring me the newspaper from the desk in my study."

Phoebe clapped a hand over her mouth, barely stifling a gasp as Kiernan rose. She whirled and raced across the room. At the door, she yanked it open and stepped outside, carefully clicking it shut behind her. She started for the servants' stairs, but a woman's laughter in the stairway stopped her. By heavens, someone was coming up the stairs.

Phoebe pivoted and ran down the hallway to the main stairs before realizing her mistake. Anyone who might be in the foyer below would see her descend the staircase. She continued past the stairs to the room one door down from the duke's and slipped inside. A small fired burned in the hearth and Phoebe immediately realized her horrible mistake. She had entered Kiernan MacGregor's room.

Fifteen minutes later, Phoebe cracked the door to see one of the maids busying herself with a flower arrangement on a table a little way down the hallway. The girl disappeared into the room beside the table and Phoebe glimpsed the edge of a bed in the room. The second maid entered the room. For the next few minutes, Phoebe waited for the girls to leave or close the door, but they moved from within the room to the hallways so that she dared not step from her hiding place. Thankfully, she hadn't heard the men leave the duke's study, which meant Kiernan and her uncle hadn't yet missed her.

A door opened and she heard the duke's voice. Her uncle answered, but his words were cut off when the door closed. Alarm jumpstarted Phoebe's pulse. That had to be Kiernan who left the meeting. Once he returned to the ballroom, he would quickly discover her absence. She forced a slow breath and watched for him. The pad of boots on carpet approached the stairs opposite his bedroom. She waited see him descend the stairs, but he didn't come into view. An instant later, Phoebe realized he was headed for his bedroom.

She took a faltering step back from the door and turned, wildly searching for a hiding place. The armoire was too small. Damn him for not sharing the vanity of so many men of his position who kept more clothes than they could possibly wear in a lifetime. There was no changing closet in this room. The balcony might offer a hiding place—the footsteps were near. Too late. Phoebe lunged for the bed.

When the door opened and the marquess stopped dead, his eyes on her, Phoebe didn't break the connection. His gaze slid down her face to her breasts, which were bared beyond even the sensibilities of the demimonde. She had yanked one gown strap off her shoulder and the comb from her hair, then flung herself onto the mattress. Phoebe lay, one hand thrown over her head, her hair in disarray across the quilt. She couldn't stop the slow release of the breath she held or the slow intake of breath to refill her lungs. In the light of the low fire, his gaze sharpened the instant before he closed the door softly behind him and clicked the lock into place. She stifled a gasp, but was sure he couldn't miss the rise and fall of her breasts caused by the thud of her heart against her chest.

Kiernan leaned his shoulders against the door, crossed his arms over his chest, and lifted a lazy brow. "I'm wondering how you got past the girls out there."

"
That
is what you have to say at a moment like this?"

"Forgive me, my dear, but you've been so concerned about your reputation that I'm a little surprised you would take such a chance."

"No worries, my lord, when I sneaked into your room they weren't on this floor."

"Indeed?"

The bemused note in his voice was unexpected. Phoebe started to push into a sitting position. "If you are worried—"

"I'm not the least bit worried," he cut in, and she stilled.

She was sure he wasn't, damn him. Phoebe relaxed back onto the bed, her arm draped across her midsection. His eyes flicked onto the action, then came back to her face.

"Is something wrong, my lord?" she asked. "Are you upset I'm here? You did tell me to try out the goods."
By heavens, those had been the duchess' words, not his.

"That is certainly one way of putting it," he replied.

Kiernan pushed off the door and her heart beat faster as he drew closer.  He reached the bed, stopped, and stared down at her. Heat rose to her cheeks and she fought the urge to squirm under his scrutiny. Thankfully—or perhaps not so thankfully—he lowered himself to sit on the mattress beside her. Phoebe had expected something more direct, like yanking up her skirts, unbuttoning his pants, then lying on top of her and—she released a shaky breath.

"Are you all right, my dear?"

"Fine, my lord. You?"

"Better than I can remember."

She wanted to throttle him.

"I like this dress."

"The duchess' choice," Phoebe replied.

A corner of his mouth twitched. He lifted a thick lock of her hair and rubbed the tress between his fingers, then dropped it and slipped a warm finger beneath the strap still on her shoulder. Phoebe flinched and his eyes shifted onto her face. She lay still as a mouse and thought perhaps he was going to call a halt to the seduction—heaven help her, she had no idea where that would leave her. Instead, he slid the strap down her shoulder so that both breasts were exposed nearly to her nipples. She couldn't say where this left her, either.

He trailed the finger down her shoulder past her collar bone and over the rise of one breast. She shivered. His finger moved closer to the edge of her bodice. He dipped down into the valley between her breasts and up the other. Warmth centered in her stomach and worked its way downward in a radiating wave. His finger slid inside her bodice and the wave peaked when he caressed a nipple. The juncture between her legs tightened and a dizzying current brought with it an unfamiliar energy.

What was wrong with her? This was dangerous territory and was most certainly not what she'd had in mind when she'd jumped on his bed. What had she had in mind? To seduce him—or pretend to seduce him—not the other way around. But how did she go about seducing him? The thought was cut off when he kissed her. As she remembered, his mouth was soft and warm, but now there was an insistence that caused her limbs to go weak. His tongue flicked at her lips and she opened without hesitation. He plunged inside, soft, sweet, and so warm that Phoebe wondered how such a large man could be so gentle.

Think, she commanded her failing wits. If she wasn't careful, he would have an inescapable reason to force her to marry him. A memory flashed of happening upon Heddy and one of her paramours in an erotic embrace while closeted away in a private room at a party. Phoebe twirled her tongue around Kiernan's while reaching with one hand to cup his groin. He stilled and heat raced through her at the unexpected feel of the long, hard length beneath her fingers. She hadn't looked, hadn't realized that he was fully erect. Fully erect? That part of him seemed ready to break free of his trousers. How was that possible in the few minutes since he'd sat down?

He broke the kiss and lifted his face a bare inch from hers. Her throat went dry, but there was no turning back now. She massaged him.

"
Phoebe
."

The rasp in his voice startled her, but she immediately understood the advantage and gently raked her nails along his rigid length.

"By God, Phoebe, if you keep that up—"

She raked her nails harder, and he covered her hand with his, flattening her palm over him. The steel rod pulsed. Yes, she had the advantage. This, according to Heddy, would bring a man to quick climax—and without any resistance on his part.

His gaze shifted from her face and he grasped both straps and eased them down to uncover her breasts. Cool air washed over her flesh, tightening her nipples. He drew a sharp breath and bent toward her. In the haze of confusion she was aware of the tickle of his hair on her cheek, then the flick of his tongue against—by heavens—her nipple. His hand still covered hers over the hard part of him, urging her to knead him.  She complied and couldn't resist the desire to attempt to wrap her fingers around his shaft.

He shoved her hand aside and embarrassment washed over her. He had detected her inexperience. But Phoebe realized he was unfastening his trousers and, when he grasped her hand and brought it back to him, her fingers closed around his bare flesh. For an instant, she wondered if she would faint, but he sucked her nipple into his mouth and the pleasure caused her fingers to convulse around his rod. He groaned and she squeezed tighter.

He released her nipple and pressed his lips to her ear. "Hold me tight, love, as tight as you want. Then move like this."

To her shock, he guided her hand up and down in a slow pistoning motion. Down until his flesh pulled so tight she feared she would hurt him, then up until his penis nearly slipped from her grasp.

"Tighter, Phoebe," he urged.

"I-I don't want to hurt you, my lord."

He gave a husky chuckle that made her feel warm all over.

"You can't hurt me," he said. "In fact, you may abuse me all you like."

She squeezed tighter and continued the up and down motion. He slowly thrust into her hand as his teeth closed over her ear lobe. An unexpected picture rose of him thrusting inside her. She heard a whimper, then realized the sound emanated from her. His hand cupped the juncture between her legs.

"
Sir
."

"Turnabout is fair play, Phoebe. I would be no gentleman if I let you pleasure me while I did not return the favor. Now you keep on as you are and we'll both benefit, I promise."

Panic flooded her. Heddy had said men went insane when a woman touched them in this manner. Kiernan gently massaged her mound. Faster, she realized, she had to stroke him faster. That would bring him to a frenzy, and once he'd reached his pleasure they would be finished. She increased her speed on his erection.

"Slow down," he ordered.

Moisture on the tip of his shaft slicked her fingers. He ceased his attentions on her sex and she breathed a sigh of relief only to find he'd yanked her skirt to her thigh.

"Doesn't this please you?" she asked, and squeezed his erection on the up motion.

"It pleases me
too
much," he growled.

Then how was he able to think of touching her?

He slipped a hand beneath her skirt, and his warm fingers on the sensitive flesh of her inner thigh caused her to jump. The feather light tickle across the curls covering her sex startled her and her rhythm faltered. Good Lord, she had to take back the advantage. She grabbed him with her other hand, covering his member from tip to root.

"You vixen," he murmured.

In the next instant he had her skirt up around her waist.

"My lord," she cried.

"Hush," he commanded. "The maids have the hearing of gods."

He pushed her legs apart and shock immobilized her when his head descended and his mouth closed over the most intimate part of her where her drawers were open at the crotch. She squirmed in surprise, then drew a sharp breath at the pleasure that rippled through her. He wasn't—he couldn't be—he was. He was sucking and, dear God in heaven, she couldn't think. Pleasure shot through her. The sucking stopped, then his tongue thrust inside her.