The Viscount's Addiction (10 page)

Unbidden, the notion of riding her husband quickly supplanted thoughts of riding to a genteel visit. She moaned softly as she imagined straddling him and settling herself onto his cock, of accommodating the length and girth of him, of bracing her hands on his chest and bucking as he filled her completely.

How could she sit down with prim Mrs. Duckett with these temptations simmering in her thoughts? Jessie plunked the saddle back on the rack and hurried out of the barn. She’d sit in the glade by the pond and try to cool off. Along the path she plucked wildflowers, hoping the simple task would empty her mind. She’d only gathered a handful when she began daydreaming about Lord Blackwood again. Her cheeks warmed as she recalled how he’d looked yesterday sprawled fast asleep in the parlor chair, the half-moons of his dark lashes against his cheeks. A boyish frown, which she attributed to opium induced nightmares, creased his brow. Daringly, she’d kissed the pulse beating in the base of his throat above his collar, and the corner of his mouth had quirked into a

slight smile. She knew she was making a mistake thinking of him as a brooding hero. The man was flesh and blood and had the capacity to cause her real hurt.

At the water, she tossed the clump of wildflowers and watched them drift on the glassy green surface. Suddenly the shock of the water seemed a remedy for her heated reveries. To spare her favorite muslin dress, she jumped in clad only in her chemise. Jessie sucked in a loud breath as she surfaced. She waded out immediately, and the breeze brought up gooseflesh. Her teeth clacked together as she wrung out her undergarments. She yanked the cashmere pelisse over her icy skin and found a spot of sun on the bank. The heat comforted her and she relaxed back on the soft ground and drifted off dreaming of his hands on her skin.

Hunger woke Jessie. Shivering, she opened her eyes to a moonless night. The men would be hungry, and she hadn’t even started an evening meal. She shrugged out of her pelisse and struggled into her dress in the pitch-black. As she dressed, she tried to decide what she would wear when Lord Blackwood visited her bedchamber. She sighed. When it came to her new husband she was utterly hopeless.

In her disheveled state she decided to enter through the kitchen and take the servants’ stairs. Male laughter vibrated through the kitchen as she opened the back door. Laughter, a sound she’d heard all too infrequently in this house. In her quest to avoid Lord Blackwood she managed to end up in the same room. She had two options: retreat out the door or walk right past him. The cold night did not make the first option inviting.

“Wish you could have seen Vickers’s face when Baines caught him with his pants around his ankles ready to plant his puny prick right between Maggie’s huge arse cheeks. There’s no telling how long those two had been having their little
meetings
. Baines was steaming mad. Dismissed him on the spot,” William said, nearly collapsing into guffaws.

Jessie had not meant to eavesdrop. She cleared her throat loudly, announcing her arrival. They didn’t notice her.

“I’m still sorry I never killed the bastard. Had plenty of damn opportunities,” Ryder said with hatred in his voice.

“Lad, the way I see it, you were lucky that Vickers didn’t kill you. By God, some of those beatings you were on the receiving end of… You are one tough piece of nobility. Conveniently for me it didn’t escape the notice of the other prisoners. They believed you invincible after seeing you walk away from pounding after pounding. Don’t know if I would have survived without your protection.”

Lord Blackwood’s expression became somber. “Sorry, lad, didn’t mean to bring up those old ghosts.”

Jessie cleared her throat again. “Will you two be much longer in destroying my kitchen?” she asked as she surveyed the piles of dirty pots and pans.

“What could we do? Ryder, excuse me,
Lord Blackwood,
was about to faint dead away from hunger,” William said as he laid a big hand on Lord Blackwood’s shoulder. “I thought by now you’d have put more meat on those massive bones of yours, lad. You’re not still clouding your mind with opium, are you?”

Lord Blackwood’s gaze dropped from his friend’s face. It was a silent admission that broke Jessie’s heart.

“What did you two connoisseurs make?” Jessie chimed in, desperate to change the painful subject.

William, however, did not take her cue to let it drop. He placed his hand on Lord Blackwood’s forearm. “You needn’t hide behind that poison anymore. Look around you, lad. Newgate is gone forever. You are home. A little work and this place will be back to its glory. Hell. That beautiful wife of yours should be enough of an incentive.”

Jessie flinched, wishing he’d left that little part off his speech. The poor, unsuspecting fellow had no idea he’d hit upon another sore spot. Curiously, Lord Blackwood hadn’t exposed her to his friend yet. William didn’t seem to have a clue that Lord Blackwood’s so-called wife was nothing but a scheming, money hungry cheat.

Lord Blackwood didn’t say a word but nodded silently to his friend. He turned to look at Jessie and raised an eyebrow. “Why are you wet?”

She tucked a damp curl behind her ear. “This was from the rain.”

“What part of the county were you in? There hasn’t been a dark cloud all day.”

Jessie tore off a piece from the bread loaf and dunked it in the stew in Lord Blackwood’s bowl. “If you must know, I went swimming.” She plopped the gravy soaked bread into her mouth.

“You swam alone?” Lord Blackwood asked.

“Alone, if you don’t count the small regiment passing by who joined me.” She helped herself to more bread and gravy. William was a far better cook than she.

Lord Blackwood gave her bottom a pinch. “Your jests are not to my liking.”

As she brazenly dipped another chunk of bread into his stew he seized her wrist and brought her fingers to his mouth and sucked the food from them.

“Change out of your wet things before you catch a fever, little witch,” he said.



Jessie brushed her hair one more time then set the brush atop the dressing table. She had donned her sheerest nightrail in hopes that Lord Blackwood would come. She could not believe how disappointed she felt. Apparently opium had held more of an attraction and he lay in a trance in his chambers. That thought made her more miserable. The moment she doused the candle, the door opened. The faint light coming from a hallway sconce revealed his impressive outline.

He had come after all. Her hands were shaking now. How ridiculous, she thought. And yet she was so relieved that he had come she nearly burst into tears. She’d promised herself not to get attached, and here she was practically swooning because he’d merely walked into the room. She stood completely still in the dark as he approached.

“My lord—”

He placed a silencing finger over her lips then walked behind her. She could feel the heat of his body as he pressed against her.

He wrapped a cloth of opaque silk around her eyes. “I am taking you to a secret place where I intend to have you until dawn.” She leaned back against his hard body. “It is quite warm tonight so you will have no need of this.” He unbuttoned her nightrail and slid it off her shoulders. It pooled around her bare feet.

She stood completely defenseless in front of her husband, a virtual stranger. With one movement he lifted her into his arms.

“But someone may see,” she said nervously.

“Everyone is asleep. And what if they do? I am merely carrying my naked and blindfolded wife off into the night.”

Jessie smiled. “Well, there is certainly nothing unseemly about that—so by all means, carry on.” She motioned in the direction where she thought the stairs might be and snuggled her face into his chest. He smelled of sandalwood soap. His heavy boots resounded on the wood flooring of the dining hall. The back door creaked open. The night air made her shiver.

“Not nearly as warm as you promised.” She nestled closer to his heat.

She was feeling very content in his arms when an insane thought popped into her mind. “You aren’t going to drop me in front of a large crowd of people you invited over to humiliate me?”

“Lady Blackwood, you are a very strange woman.”

They were quiet for a minute and then he started laughing.

She could feel the deep rumble of laughter in his chest. “And what exactly are you laughing at, Lord Blackwood?”

“I was only thinking how amusing that would be. I’d place you on your feet and pull off the blindfold. We could all yell ‘surprise!’”

“I’m so pleased that I planted that little scenario in your head. I won’t be able to trust you again.”

His chuckles tapered away. “You can trust me, Jessie, of that I can assure you.” “But you don’t trust me. You think I helped trick you into this marriage.”

“Do be quiet, woman. I intend to ravish you mercilessly tonight, and you are ruining my mood.” He stumbled slightly but caught himself and readjusted her in his arms. “Somehow I pictured you being a bit lighter.”

“Oh, you! Well, bloody grand! Now you have ruined my mood.” “You had a
mood
?” he asked.

She didn’t answer.

His rich, deep voice had a sensual tone now. “You were waiting for me, weren’t you?”

She blushed and hoped the dark hid her embarrassment. He kissed her softly on the mouth as he continued to carry her.

“We’ve arrived.”

She reached up to remove the blindfold, but he stopped her. “Not yet.”

Jessie could sense flickering light all around her and the sound and scent of running water. She surmised that they were near the small stream that traversed the west end of the property. He had carried her much farther than she’d realized and her without a stitch of clothing.

He lowered her legs and her feet landed on a cold, slippery piece of fabric. She’d expected grass.

“Lie down, my little witch.”

She discovered more of the same satiny fabric. Her shoulders and head landed on soft, satiny pillows.

Jessie could hear him moving around. She was tempted to lift the blindfold. “If you remove that scarf, I shall use it to tie up your hands. Damn…”

“What’s the matter?” she asked, still wondering how he knew what she was contemplating.

“I was thinking about you with your hands tied, and suddenly the idea seems very intriguing.”

The next sound she heard was what she was quite sure was him removing his own clothing. There was another sound she could not distinguish, and then the sweet aroma of almond mingled with the scent of burning candles. Then his hands were on her. They were slick with warm oil.
Her story.
He was recreating the tale she’d concocted. She didn’t know whether to feel thrilled or embarrassed. He had rightly concluded that she had revealed one of her own fantasies. Suddenly, remembering the part of her story about being seduced by two men, she shot up abruptly into a seated position and grabbed for him. “Are we alone?” He caught her hands before she could yank off her blindfold.

“Yes, sorry to disappoint, but I don’t share.” He sounded more than a little annoyed. “A very good thing, because I don’t want to be shared.”

He pressed her down onto her back and rubbed the soothing, sweet oil over her shoulders and down her arms. When he began swirling the oil over her breasts, she arched her taut nipples toward his hands. He tugged on them and rubbed them between his fingers. Then he worked the oil all the way down her stomach and over her hips. He leaned over to kiss her on the mouth. His tongue smoothed over her slightly parted lips. She stroked her fingers through his silky black hair and sucked on his delicious tongue.

He broke off the kiss. She could sense him looming over her again. He forced her legs apart. He trickled oil up the length of each leg, and then his big hands kneaded it into her skin. Desperate to see him, she pulled off the silk cloth.

He was on his knees by her side, like a dark angel worshipping her body. Flickering candles cast the whole scene in otherworldly shadows. In moments, he became aware that she was staring at him. He did not look pleased to find she’d disobeyed him.

“I do not recall ever mentioning a blindfold in my story,” she said in her defense. “Besides, I love looking at you.”

His lips quirked into an arrogant smile at her admission. “If you will not cooperate and insist on foiling this, then it seems only right that I get to act out
my
fantasy.” He took up the blindfold. Using his teeth he rent the silk then tore the long cloth into two pieces. While she still lay upon the satin coverlet he dragged it toward a stand of trees. His erection bobbed enticingly above her. After making her sit up, he placed a couple of pillows beneath her back propping her against a tree.

He searched through his discarded clothing and returned with his cravat. He used it to lash her wrists together. Her pulse raced as he lifted one leg so that her knee hovered just above her breast. In this exposed and splayed condition, she watched as he fastened her ankle to a tree that stood some inches from the first one. He followed suit with her other leg, securing it to a third tree. Her bottom was angled skyward. She was completely at his mercy.

With a hungry gaze, he kneeled at her bottom and rubbed his oiled hands together. When his fingers touched her, they felt almost hot. He rubbed from the back of her thighs to her bottom until she was squirming. She wanted him to delve inside her. In response to her movements, he gave her open pussy a stinging little slap which only increased the craving.

Eager for relief, she moved her tied hands between her thighs and touched herself.

He stopped what he was doing, mesmerized by the way she played with herself. “Impatient wench,” he said, his voice raw. He peeled her hands away and sucked the

cream from her fingers. She held her breath as he lowered his head. His black hair felt

like silk against her inner thighs. His tongue tasted all of her, from the cleft of her buttock to her golden curls. Over and over he rubbed his tongue along her most intimate parts until she trembled with desire. Then his tongue dove inside her. Rigid and long, it licked deep into her. He kissed her there as he had her mouth, plundering her with his tongue until her quim clenched deliciously against the assault.