The Duke and The Governess (21 page)

‘What do you think I am?’ she asked in a harsh whisper. ‘You’re importuning me like some light skirt!’
She huffed again ‘A damned cheek really, considering you threw her out of your room for importuning you.’ she nodded her head in the direction of the house.

‘You know about that?’ he asked in surprise. He could see the corneas of her eyes flashing.

‘You know how quickly gossip spreads and Lady Greyston was very vocal in her displeasure last night. My maid was all agog with it this morning.’ She laughed softly. ‘So are you importuning me, Your Grace?’

‘I would never force you to do anything you didn’t want to do, Jessica and it was most shocking to find her naked in my bed last night.’ He shuddered again.
‘
I a
ctually
had a vision of ending up pox ridden like my uncle.’ He stroked his fingers over her cheek. ‘All
I’m asking
is
if you will accompany me to my rooms so we can be more discreet.’ She saw his teeth flash and knew he was smiling. ‘But if you want, we could stay out h
ere. I
’m sure we can both weather the
ensuing scandal when we’re caught?’ He made light of it, but Jessica would never allow herself to be in the position of fuelling the gossip mill. She’d heard enough from Annie to understand that all the servant’s knew what was going on.

‘We must be cautious then, because the servant’s will know. They watch like hawks.’ Jessica said, she realised remaining outdoors was not worth the risk. ‘But I don’t want to be seen creeping into your rooms.’

‘Then we need a plan of attack.’ John whispered firmly. ‘I think you should go back to the nursery wing, I’ll go back inside and be seen in there, then I’ll come to see Elizabeth and we can go to my rooms after.’

‘Very well.’ Jessica said without argument. While they’d been out in the garden she had decided to take the risk. She wanted to know what she’d missed on her wedding night. Every time the Duke kissed her she felt a pool of liquid desire form in her gut and when he licked her lips, it trickled down between her legs and set off a deep throb. She was already aching for she knew not what. But she knew that he could satisfy it.

He kissed her again and then pushed her towards the kitchen garden. She scurried through the gate and cautiously let herself in the scullery to retrace her steps up to the nursery wing. She was horrified when she got there as Lady Evelyn was looking for her.

‘Jessica, there you are.’ She
said and totally i
gnored the fact that Jessica had been outside
. ‘Come down to the drawing room. You gave us such a splendid mornings entertainment I want you to join us this evening.’ She dictated, leaving Jessica with no option but to accompany her.

~*~*~*~

John waited until she’d vanished through the gate and then he sauntered down the path, as if he was
coming from the stables. He strolled
round onto the terrace and then opened the french doors and let himself in the drawing room. Lady Greyston looked up startled. ‘Good God! Your Grace, where have you been?’ she demanded impertinently, realised her tone of voice and returned her gaze to her cards as a deep flush spread across her cheeks.

John did not like the proprietary look in her eye and ignored the question with a frown. He turned to the brandy decanter and poured a substantial
amount into a snifter
just as Lady Evelyn entered arm in arm with Jessica.

‘Ah! Your Grace. Will you pour us a Madeira please?’ Lady Evelyn asked without even asking if Jessica liked it. Lady Evelyn walked her straight to the drinks trolley and chattered consistently about the children’s races. The Duke poured the rich wine into delicate glasses and handed them over. As he handed the glass to Jessica, his fingers stroked hers.

Jessica actually felt like an intruder, because she was the governess, but Anthony put her at ease. ‘Jessie, come a
nd partner
me.’ And he frog marched her to a card ta
ble. She ended up playing whist
all night. Fi
r
st she was paired with Anthony and
they played agains
t Lord Lancaster and Viscount
Morecombe, winning all but two of the rubbers and then she played Faro against the two Dukes and the
Marquis
.  Much to Lady Evelyn’s delight, she thrashed them all and left the table with a tidy sum in her hand even after repaying Anthony, who loaned her money in the first place.

Jessica looked up as she was scooping her winnings off the table and saw John looking at her.
He
jerked his eyes at the clock and then looked away. Jessica checked the time and it was almost midnight.

‘Well, I think it’s time I turned in.’ Jessica said firmly. ‘The Children will have me up at the crack of dawn tomorrow, so I can’t stay any longer.’ She turned to Lady Evelyn. ‘Thank you for including me this evening, Lady Evelyn. It has been a long time since I enjoyed an evening so much.’ She smiled at everyone. ‘Goodnight.’ She said and turned for the door.

‘Will you be all right?’ Anthony asked softly. ‘I could escort you.’

‘That’s not necessary, Anthony.’ She patted his arm, ‘you go back to the cards. You’re winning!’ She kissed his cheek and opened the door. Plunkett was standing in the hall and nodded to her as she went to the stairs.

She walked up those stairs like a queen; head held at the perfect angle, skirts raised just enough so that she wouldn’t trip over the hem and
at
a stately pace. John caught her up as she turned for the nursery wing. She looked carefully about her as John grabbed her wrist and pulled her along the landing behind him. They ran to his rooms. John cautiously opened the door to the sitting room, but Masters didn’t appear to be there and he rushed her across the to the bedroom.

Chapter Eleven

John pulled her into the room and shut the door behind her
, turning the key with a click
. Jessica’s heart was pounding like a bass drum, thudding so hard that she expected her gown to be pulsing with it. She rested against the door, panting.

‘This is wrong!’ she whispered. ‘Anthony is only in the next room!’

‘The Earl is playing cards, and winning!’ John said softly. ‘He won’t come to bed until his luck turns.’ He placed his hands either side of her on the door. ‘We have all night.’ His smouldering gaze dropped to her lips and he inhaled sharply as her tongue stole out to wet them.
The inevitable spike of lust made him swell and throb.

‘I’m afraid.’ She whispered so quietly he barely caught the words.

‘There’s no need to be. I won’t hurt you.’ he replied and closed the distance between them. All he did was bend his elbows and dip his head until his lips touched hers. He didn’t touch her in any other way.

Control!
John berated himself.
Otherwise she will think you’re a brute!
Slowly he angled his head and delicately licked the seam of her lips, persuading her to open and just like the petals of a flower, her lips parted for him. He tasted the sweetness of the Madeira she had been drinking and felt the silky texture of her lips as he flicked his tongue over them. He managed to restrain himself before he thrust his tongue so far down her throat he choked her and waited for her to respond. He continued to make love to her mouth, just biding his time until she touched him.

His chest almost ignited as her palm settled over his heart, the heat burning through his attire. Suddenly she snaked a hand around his neck and pushed herself off from the door. He brought his hands onto her back and held her gently.

John slowly worked his lips free and whispered her name. ‘Jessica!’ and traced his lips over every facet of her face, finishing with his lips under her ear and preparing to slide down her neck.

Jessica felt his fingers loosening the back of her gown, even as his lips nestled at the juncture of neck and shoulder.

‘What do you like?’ he asked softly.

‘Like?’ Jessica mumbled, not quite understanding the question.

‘Yes, like, as in oral sex, manual sex or intercourse.’ He asked as if he was talking to a courtesan, and held his breath. He knew she was too innocent still to understand, so he waited.

She stood rigid in his embrace. ‘Is oral sex where I have to suck your cock?’ she asked in trepidation, the quiver in her voice obvious

He laughed softly. ‘Yes and no.’ He said and kissed her cheek. He looked down into her eyes and saw the innocence there. ‘I would never ask you to suck my cock.’ He said softly, ‘it’s not something a lady is supposed to know about, but it is a form of oral sex and I would be lying if I said I hadn’t had my cock sucked.’ He kissed her softly again. ‘I was thinking more in terms of me kissing your most intimate place.’ He smiled at her indrawn breath of shock. ‘It is very stimulating and very satisfying.’

She stroked her fingers down his cheek. ‘I think I am in your hands, Your Grace.’ He could still hear the tremor in her voice.

‘Call me John.’ He bade her. ‘And in my hands is a very safe place to be.’ He plucked the pins from her hair and it tumbled over his hands in a
silky,
sable waterfall.
It felt heavy as he lifted it in his hands and watched the lamplight reflect off it.

‘John.’ She whispered as if testing the name and then smiled at him. ‘Then love me.’ Jessica said, lifting her chin in a defiant manner. ‘Seeing as my mother didn’t believe I needed any advice for my wedding night, I have absolutely no idea what to expect!’

‘Then let me enlighten you.’ John mumbled against her lips as he took them in a searing kiss, making Jessica moan. He slowly pulled the shoulders of her gown down her arms. ‘Undo my cravat.’ He whispered and Jessica pulled the stick pin from it and inserted it like a needle at the bottom of the leader which she pulled on next, watching the silk bow bounce apart, the material smooth in her fingers as she untied the knot and unwound it. ‘Now, the shirt.’ She pulled his shirt from his britches and then manoeuvred her arms out of her gown. Her fingers didn’t feel like hers as they slid from button to button, burning upon his skin. ‘Now push the shirt and my jacket off in one go.’ He murmured again and looked down on her face as she stroked her hands over his pectorals, pushing the garments over his shoulders to drop onto the carpet at the same time as he released her gown to slither over her hips and puddle about her feet.

Jessica inhaled sharply at the well defined muscles in his chest and stroked her palms over him, gently scraping her nails through the coarse hair on his chest. ‘So firm.’ She murmured, ‘not soft and flabby.’ She traced a fingertip around his aureole without realising its erotic reactions and she seemed fascinated when his nipple went hard. ‘It’s gone hard!’ she said in wonder and John shook his head.

‘That’s not the only thing that’s gone hard! Can I do that to yours?’ he asked impertinently and stroked his thumbs over her nipples as he cradled both breasts. He felt her body jerk and bent his head to nibble on the hard peaks protruding through her chemise. Jessica moaned and set his passion ablaze.

‘God! Let me love you.’ he demanded and picked Jessica up, crushed her to his chest and strode to the large bed. Resting one knee on the edge for balance, John gently laid Jessica in the centre of the bed, then he stood back and his boots thumped onto the carpet as he yanked them off his feet. He didn’t want to remove his britches just then. He didn’t want to frighten her and as he felt his manhood was going to explode any second, she might be intimidated by the size. He smiled sinfully as he noticed Jessica’s hand trying to cover the apex of her thighs and he reached for and slowly removed her slippers, which he tossed over his shoulder to land on the carpet next to his boots. Next he released her garters, making her gasp as his fingers caressed her thigh as he slowly slid her stockings down to her ankles, before he whipped them off her feet and flicked them onto the floor. He climbed up beside her and gently pulled her into his arms, where he started again to kiss and caress her body, stroking almost every part of her. She almost purred like a cat being stroked, as she felt that his hands were everywhere at once and certainly his lips touched her in intimate places, like the inside of her elbow and the back of her knee, making her shiver with desire as he ignited the fires of her passion. John smoothed his palm firmly over her buttock, across her hip and over her back.

He lifted the ribbon to her chemise. ‘May I?’ he asked softly and she nodded, but still closed her eyes in embarrassment when he revealed her breasts. But John was lost. ‘Lovely!’ he murmured and traced his lips down the slope of her breast until they encountered
the puckered crest. He kissed it
, licked
it
and then he sucked it and Jessica’s body arched for him, thrusting her breast against his mouth. Jessica moaned and writhed as his hands slowly removed her chemise before exploring her lower body and she
clutched his hair in her fist
. In a roundabout way his fingers made it finally to her pubic hair and she gurgled as he stroked his fingertips through it. ‘Open for me Jessie?’ he asked softly as he looked at her raised knees that were tightly clamped together. ‘Open your thighs.’ He gasped as he watched her legs fall apart and he looked down to see the sabl
e thatch at the apex of her thighs
. Ever so slowly he trailed his fingers over her mons and down the crease of her labia. Persuasively he manipulated his fingers between the folds of skin and suddenly he felt the hot flood of her arousal. ‘Oh! God! Jessie!’ He muttered, ‘you’re so wet.’ He slid the tip of his middle finger down to her weeping vagina and then slowly back up her silky core until he found her dainty clitoris. Jessica’s hips lurched upwards off the bed as his touch galvanised her. ‘I need to taste you.’ John whispered and traced his tongue and lips over her body
until he was poised between her thighs
. ‘You’ll love this.’ He murmured and slowly licked up her labia until he could gain entrance to paradise. He placed his hands on her inner thighs to hold her legs apart as his tongue delved between the folds and she gasped as his tongue found her vaginal opening. Gently and persuasively with every lick and suck, he brought her to her first ever orgasm and was gratified to hear her almost scream in ecstasy as her body arched with every contraction of her vagina.