Saved By A Siren: Spencers in Love Book One (4 page)

            Elise smiled softly, "Goodnight,
Spencer." and drifted on to the next door down.

            "That's your room?" Gilles asked
incredulously.

            "Of course? Where else would I sleep?"

            "Right. Because you're Lady
Cambroke..."

            "And this is the countess' chambers, is it
not?"

            "Right... But it's next door to my
room."

            Elise didn't understand his dilemma.

            "I believe it's supposed to be, as it's the
earl's chambers. Or so I'm told."

            "You and I have adjoining rooms. I believe
I saw a connecting door."

            She sighed and leaned against the panels.

            "I understand the layout. I just don't
understand why you're upset."

            "I'm not upset. It's just... Well... We
aren't..."

            This time Elise gestured in a circular motion,
urging him to make his point. "Would you like me to move to different
rooms? I can make arrangements tomorrow if that would make you more
comfortable."

            Gilles shook his head furiously.

            "No! That would be terribly inconvenient as
I'm sure you know your rooms so well." He banged his forehead against the
door. "I'll make arrangements to move tomorrow." He'd have to survive
the night knowing that she was on the other side of the wall, just a connecting
door away.

            "That's unacceptable. No other room in the
house has the appropriate amenities."

             Gilles was tempted to inform her of just which
amenities he'd miss most if he switched rooms. At the thought his cock grew
harder and he groaned.

            "Spencer? Are you well?" Elise started
towards him and he panicked.

            "I'm fine. Really. We'll discuss this in
the morning. I think I'm just tired." With that Gilles ducked into his
room and slammed the door. Once inside he collapsed against it and prayed for
strength. A light knock caused him to jump.

            "Yes?"

            "Are you sure you're alright?"

            "Goodnight, Lady Elise."

            Gilles heard her sigh. A moment later, her door
opened and closed and he heard soft murmurings as Elise talked to her maid. He
tried not to pick up bits of their conversation or track their movements as
they prepared her for bed. But his mind refused to cooperate. He heard words
like "tie" and "gown" and "robe" and
"brush" and "blanket". Gilles imagined Elise in various
stages of undress and what her nightgown might look like or her hair free
around her shoulders as it was brushed. He imagined undressing her and brushing
her hair.

            Gilles preferred to undress for bed without assistance
as he usually slept naked so his valet wasn't present. He quickly stripped out
of his clothing, placing the discarded items on a chair and collapsed face down
on the bed. He heard a murmur that resembled "Goodnight" and heard a
door open and close. Elise was alone and probably in her bed. He groaned again
and crawled towards the pillows. He laid upon one and pulled the other over his
head, somehow imagining he could keep thoughts of her out of his brain and
willed his body to relax.

            At least the fear of the dream wouldn't be the
only thing that had him tossing and turning, Gilles thought ruefully.

Chapter 4

            Elise had never been good at falling asleep.
When she was a child, she'd found the stillness of the night uncomfortable. The
world seemed too big and too open when all of it's inhabitants weren't filling
it with noise and movement. She feared she'd fall into the space of it and just
keep going. As she became older, the stillness turned into emptiness and she
felt more lonely than afraid. During the day, she used to have Martha and
Basil. When they were both gone, she'd still had Holderson, Anna and the rest
of the staff. They weren't true companions but she had the patterns of their
routines to keep her occupied and she knew their stories as well as her own.
But when the night came and everyone else slept, Elise had no footsteps to
listen for or gossip to hear. Her only company was the crickets and frogs that
sang close to the house from time to time.

Tonight she didn't mind being alone. Her thoughts were more
than enough to keep her occupied. Spencer filled the entire space, pushing out
the void. Elise swayed between giddy relief at being able to stay at Longwood
and a heightened physical awareness of her body and it's responses to his.
Aside from Basil, Holderson and the few male servants she encountered in the
house, Elise hadn't had much experience with men. Anna's description and what
her own senses provided had her feeling restless.

            What would it be like if Spencer touched her
intimately? Not just his hand on hers, on his sleeve or squeezing hers
encouragingly, out of kindness. What if he touched her out of desire? What if
she touched him? There was no point in denying that she wanted to. Elise
shivered and pulled her dressing gown tighter around her. What if he kissed
her? God, she wanted him to kiss her. She touched her lips and tried to imagine
what they must look like and how they'd feel pressed to his.

            Spencer's voice pulled her from her thoughts.
He'd called out. Elise heard him again. Rising slowly, she went to the door
connecting their rooms. Again, his hoarse plea reached her. She turned the handle
and let the door open the tiniest bit, slowly.

            "Stop!" Spencer moaned as he thrashed
against the sheets. His breathing was ragged and she could hear his heart
pounding. "Wait for me, please!" He sobbed.

            Elise felt her heart plummet. He was dreaming
and it was awful. She moved silently towards the bed, afraid she'd scare him if
she woke him suddenly.

            "Don't do this!"

            She felt her knees touch the mattress. Elise
leaned forward, letting her hands stretch towards him. Before they made
contact, she felt the heat rising from his skin. Spencer's heart seemed to beat
from within her, it was so loud. Perhaps she could sooth him without waking
him. She remembered Martha holding her when she'd come to her during
particularly frightening evenings.

            As carefully as she could, Elise rested one hip
on the mattress beside him. Then, she slid her hand towards the pillow, her
body lowering until it rested next to his. Spencer's head tossed from side to
side on the pillow and he released another scratchy sob. Elise rested her head
on the pillow next to him and ever so gently placed a hand on his shoulder. She
almost leapt from the bed when her hand connected with hot, naked skin. How
could a nightmare make one so hot? Elise let her hand skim down his back,
curious to know if he was only naked on top. Dear lord! Spencer wasn't wearing
a stitch of clothing! When she'd imagined touching him she hadn't imagined
anything this naughty. Elise chided herself. She was supposed to be comforting
him not trying to satisfy her wanton curiosity.

            Elise gently stroked upwards along his spine
until her hand brushed against his hair. Her breath caught in her throat. It
was so soft, like silk against the backs of her fingers. But not along his neck
and forehead, she noticed as she let her fingers roam all over his scalp.
Spencer had been sweating and it clung to his damp skin. She continued to
ruffle his hair as it seemed to calm him.  Now and then, she'd let her hand
travel along his neck to his back. Elise traced swirls and waves along his
skin, cataloguing the various scars her fingers encountered and taking note of
how it had cooled since she'd began. Spencer's pained groans and moans became
relaxed sighs and he hummed with pleasure from time to time.

            Content with her efforts, Elise decided it was
time to carefully get up. She tried to pull her arm from under the pillow and
rise, lifting her other hand from his skin to push off the mattress. Spencer
mumbled something that must have been in French and the arm that had rested
between them pulled Elise against him. The other arm slid from under the pillow
and beneath her, fully enclosing her in his embrace. "Mien."
Mine
.
Spencer sighed as he buried his face in her neck.

            Elise should have been shocked. She should have
protested and pushed against him but she knew it would have been false. She
breathed in Spencer's scent and wallowed in the warmth. Delighted in the feel
of his naked skin against the exposed skin of her neck and arms. The warm, damp
huff of his breath against her neck made her skin prickle with goosebumps and
Elise was surprised at how good it felt. Normally, anything against her neck
made her feel raw and exposed. This was none of that. The goosebumps were
quickly being replaced with warmth that seemed to radiate towards the core of
her being, between her legs. Not wanting to disturb Spencer or bring the moment
to an end, she settled against him and relaxed. What harm could another ten
minutes or so do?

Chapter 5

            Gilles clung desperately to sleep, afraid to let
go of the first good dream he'd had in almost a year. Somehow, in the middle of
the nightmare he'd come to expect every night, it had melted away like a
watercolor left in the rain. He'd been riding hell for leather towards the
coast one minute and the next he was settling into thick, sun warmed grass and
a sea of wild flowers. Then, an entirely different dream began to form.
Searching, hungry hands roamed Gilles' flesh, branding his chest, stomach and
back. A soft, pliant body undulated in his arms as she stroked his cock,
teasing him to madness before he could join her. In his dream, Gilles buried
his face in fragrant, golden locks and sighed her name. The smell of citrus and
lily filled his nose and tugged at his consciousness. His mind became more
alert and the solid feel of the bed beneath him replaced the dream meadow. The
siren of his dreams became quite real as his body reacted to Elise's small,
gentle hands gripping his throbbing cock.

            Stunned and afraid to bring an end to whatever
was happening, Gilles carefully lifted his head and took stock. In the weak
moonlight he could make out a tangled mass of pale locks against his neck,
chest and pillows. Elise was wearing a dressing robe and he assumed a gown
beneath it. His thigh had come to rest across her and pushed the fabric up
revealing a generous view of her legs. Gilles felt the steady rise and fall of
her chest and her breath wafting against his collar bone. If he hadn't been
painfully aroused, it might have been a soothing embrace. Elise seemed to find
it so. Unfortunately, she had her fine, clever hands firmly wrapped around him.

            "Elise." He whispered, incapable of
addressing her correctly. "Elise, darling?" He sought out her ear
with his lips. She smelled divine.

            "Darling, you need to wake up." If she
had any sense of self preservation she would do so quickly and release him.

            "Please, pet. Wake up."

            She moaned, stretched her neck in invitation and
squeezed. Gilles bit his lip and groaned. How had this happened and how was he
going to avoid embarrassing himself or losing control and taking her? He found
Elise's neck with his teeth and bit softly.

            "Wake up, sweetheart. You're going to leave
me no choice but to make love to you." Gilles murmured against her skin.
He slid his hands downward and filled them with the firm flesh of her bottom.
He swore softly, cursing his lack of judgement. That hadn't helped. His furious
erection jerked in her hands and desire almost overwhelmed him. Gilles released
her perfect derrière and sent his hands upwards until they were fisted in her
hair. Cool, silken strands wove about his fingers as he tilted Elise's head
back, bringing her face and lips closer to his. Gilles rested his lips against
hers and whispered her name again. She blinked lazily and moaned. He rubbed his
lips against hers and then his tongue traced between hers. His chin pressed
against hers as he sucked in her lower lip. Elise gasped and he took advantage,
sliding his tongue in to caress hers. Gilles felt her toes curl against the top
of his foot and he pressed deeper. He moaned in approval when her tongue
tentatively danced against his. Reflexively, he thrust within her hands.

            Elise shrieked and pulled her face away from
his.

            "Oh, my God! I don't know what
happened..." She pressed her face against his chest in embarrassment.
"I didn't meant to... I must have fallen asleep."

            "I tried to wake you but you seemed rather
unwilling to do so. I haven't had much luck getting you to let go either."
Gilles hoped he sounded as relaxed and amused as he'd intended because she was
still holding him firmly in her grasp and he was dangerously close to rolling
her onto her back. He cleared his throat. "Elise?"

            "Yes?" Her voice was small and muffled
against him.

            "You should probably release me. Unless
you'd like to take of that robe and whatever else you're wearing."

            "Well..."

            Well? Gilles tensed and waited for her to
decide. He'd expected her to let go and flee, not remain still and ponder the
matter. He was about to take matters into his own hands when Elise finally let
go. A wave of disappointment crashed through him as she pulled away and sat up.
Still, she hadn't left his bed. She brushed the hair back from her face and
licked her lips. Gilles rolled on to his back and scrubbed his face with his
hands. He was going to lose his mind if he couldn't bury himself within her
soon.

            "I was worried about sleepwalking into your
room and taking advantage of you. I never thought to lock the door from my
side." He rolled on to his side and rested on his elbow.

            "I'm so sorry. I'd only meant to help. You
were quite miserable, calling out and thrashing around." Gilles stared up
at Elise. She'd stopped the dream? Hope and need fused within him. "Once
you were calm, I tried to leave but you wouldn't let go."

            "Ah. So this is my fault." Gilles
teased as he took her hand in his and kissed her palm. Elise swallowed loudly
and swayed forward. He could have her this night. She wanted him to seduce her.

            The robe had slid from one shoulder revealing
the pale, gentle curve and a thin silk strap in a light shade of blue, green or
grey. Whoever chose her garments had a good eye and understood her. Could he
know her as well?

            "My hands are my eyes, in a way. Sometimes,
they have a tendency to wander and explore. I don't always realize what they're
doing."

            "Mmhhmm..." Gilles was currently
exploring one of her hands with his lips and tongue. Nipping his way down a
digit and then licking along the seam back towards her palm. Had women's hands
always been this sensual, or was it just hers? Elise gasped.

            "May I touch you?" She asked, her
voice trembling.

            Gilles stopped. "Darling, you can touch me
as much as you'd like but you're going to have to undress if you're going to
touch me like that."

            "Not like that. Can I touch your face? I
want to know what you look like."

            How could he say no? Gilles sat up and faced
her. Elise scooted in closer, her hip rubbed against his thigh and they were
nearly face to face. She brought her hands up and tentatively touched his
cheeks, orienting herself. Her hands rose and her fingertips brushed across his
forehead. Elise found the faint furrow and traced it. Her thumbs brushed along
his brow and down over his eyelids. Then swept gently along Gilles' lashes and
she sighed.

            "They are lovely."

            "Excuse me?" Gilles' voice was barely
there.

            Elise shook her head, dismissing the question
and continued studying him. She found the creases by his eyes and smiled.

            "You used to laugh a lot." Gilles
nodded as her fingers skimmed along his cheeks, just under his eyes, tracing
along his cheek bones towards the sides of his face. Elise followed his jaw
down to his squared chin. She ran the backs of her hands back up, letting the
light stubble scratch the softer skin. Her thumbs went back to the bridge of
his nose and followed it downwards. Her fingertips brushed over his lips,
learning the dips and contours. Gilles' heart pounded in his ears, it seemed
unnaturally loud and slow. His heart nearly stopped as a thumb pulled on his
lower lip gently and traced along the inside, rubbing along his teeth. He
remained still, afraid of doing anything that might cause Elise to stop. This
was easily the most intimate and erotic moment of his life, Gilles felt
intoxicated and she'd only touched his face. He opened his mouth slightly and
her thumb slid in, found his tongue and stroked it. He let his tongue lick the
pad of her thumb and Elise gasped. Emboldened by her response, he closed his
lips and began to suck. Gilles heard her moan and her face swayed towards him.
She was within inches of his lips when she stopped. Elise shook her head and
retreated. She withdrew her thumb and rubbed the moisture along his lips. Her
fingertips cruised down his chin and splayed as they continued down the length
of his neck until they reached his collarbone. They skimmed along it towards
his back and around to his nape then back up to his shoulders. Her hands
explored the hollows and sinews of his shoulders and Gilles stifled a groan.

            "Anna was right, they're very nice."

            "Anna?"

            Again Elise shook her head and he could tell she
was pondering something possibly naughty when she bit her lip and turned her
face away. Her hands slid along his shoulders and came together at the base of
his neck and started to drift through the thin dusting of hair across his
chest. His heart started to beat faster and Gilles covered her hands with his.

            "Your clothes, if you wish to continue.
There's much about you I'd like to learn as well." Gilles knew as soon as he'd
said it that he wasn't just referring to her body. He leaned back and assessed
the situation. Inwardly, he cursed. He didn't want a dalliance, just a few
weeks of shared pleasure. Even if he did, that in itself would create too many
complications. Gilles wanted Elise in his bed every night, for the rest of his
life. He was shocked at how much more he wanted from her beyond sex. That meant
he needed to play a much longer game, which meant that bedding her immediately
wasn't the right move. He sighed and rearranged her robe.

            Gilles sensed Elise's confusion. He took her
face in his hands and kissed her gently.

            "I think we've gone far enough tonight.
We'll talk in the morning."

            She nodded and rose.

            "Do you need me to show you back to the
door?" Gilles swung his feet to the floor.

            "No, I know the way." Elise was
already rounding the bed and heading towards the door, her fingers snapping
softly.

            Gilles frowned. He wasn't pleased with the idea
that she'd been back forth between beds enough to know her way without help.