Two Notorious Dukes (12 page)

It would forever be in his memory, as she
appeared through the gates, wearing the britches and
skirt he’d acquired for her, leading her limping mount.
He called the stable boy and ran down the drive. She
was pale and dehydrated, but she insisted he check the
horse first. He lifted the front leg and could immediately
see the coarse stone stuck in the shoe. The boy
produced a stone remover and Argyll levered the chip
out and gently rubbed the centre of the hoof. He could
see the dark bruise on the soft centre. ‘It’ll be fine.’ He
said comfortingly as he felt the heat in the fetlock. ‘But
she’ll need some rest.’ Sarah handed the reins to the
boy as Argyll turned to her. ‘Now, you must be
exhausted. How long ago did you start walking?’

‘I don’t know. Maybe an hour, maybe longer.’
She said distantly. She looked exhausted, so Argyll
swept her up in his arms and strode purposefully for the
Manor. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed. He
was contemplating the vision that she was as he laid her
on her bed when he saw the door open and Robert
bustled in to prepare his horse.

‘Going riding?’ Argyll said brightly and Robert
started, with the headgear in his hands.
‘No. I’m going to Roding, as I was supposed to
yesterday.’ He snapped as he forced the leather thongs
over the horse’s face, ensuring the bit was positioned
correctly and wouldn’t rub the horse’s mouth.
‘What’s happened?’ Argyll asked gently as he left
the stall.
Robert threw his saddle on the back of his bay
stallion. ‘I told her.’ He said angrily.
‘Told her what?’ Argyll said in confusion.
‘I told her that I love her.’ He whispered,
sounding almost aghast.
‘That’s marvellous!’ Argyll said brightly and went
to clap Robert on the back.
‘No it isn’t.’ He sighed as he dragged the girth
strap under the horse’s belly and threaded the tongue
through the buckle. ‘Her first response is to go back to
London, so she can decide what she wants!’ and he
yanked on the strap so hard the horse whinnied. ‘Sorry,
old boy.’ He whispered and stroked the horse’s neck.
‘So I’m going instead, as I should have done.’
‘Are you sure you love her?’ Argyll asked.
‘Yes, I’m sure. I want to spend the rest of my life
with her,’ he stared at the saddle, ‘and I don’t just mean
as a husband, but as her lover, her friend or even just
her protector.’ He looked up and Argyll almost gasped
at the expression of heartache on Robert’s face and
he’d never seen that before. ‘I want to hold her in my
arms forever, I want to see her hold her first ball, carry
and nurse our children,’ he sobbed, ‘I want to keep her
safe.’ He abruptly finished with the saddle, went back to
the door and retrieved his saddle bag. He flipped it over
the horse’s rump and tied it in place. ‘I probably want
the impossible, so I will have to accept whatever favour
she wishes to bestow!’ he finished sadly, as he put on
his hat and heaved himself into the saddle. He looked
down at Argyll. ‘Stay as long as you like. Take care of her
for me?’
Argyll nodded. ‘You can count on it.’ He said
firmly and held out his hand. Robert shook it harshly
and then clicked his tongue to start the horse walking
and Argyll watched him trot down the long drive, his
back ramrod straight. He saw Elizabeth fly out of the
front door of the Mansion and he heard her call his
name as she ran down the drive. Robert stopped his
horse and turned towards her. He threw himself out of
the saddle, discarded his hat onto the ground and ran to
Elizabeth, scooping her up in his arms and crushing her
body to his chest.
She looked up into his face. ‘You will ride
carefully?’ she asked through the tears streaming down
her face.
‘I will ride carefully.’ He replied hoarsely,
emotion making his voice rough. ‘I love you, Elizabeth,
so don’t think for a second that I’m going to throw my
life away.’ He placed her carefully back on her feet,
stroked his finger over her wet cheeks and kissed her
softly. ‘Make sure you take care of yourself. I don’t want
to hear bad news when I get back to London in a
month’s time.’ He turned abruptly away, retrieved his
hat and gathered the reins from the grazing horse,
leaped into the saddle and again set off down the drive
without looking backwards. Elizabeth ran back to the
house and threw herself into Lady Verity’s arms, as she
stood on the steps.

Argyll turned away and hoped that sooner or
later Sarah would say yes. He didn’t quite know what he
would do if she opted for Verity to find her a richer
husband, although the only one that would fit the bill
would be Robert.

He tried to tell himself that he was acting like the
complete gentleman, now. After that disastrous kiss the
other day, where he got carried away and stroked her
thigh, he had studiously avoided any situation in which
the same temptation might arise. He knew it was
dangerous to let her ride alone, but she was an
accomplished horsewoman.
She has the best seat I’ve
ever seen.
He smirked to himself. And again his thoughts
turned to her lying on her bed yesterday and the almost
overwhelming desire he had to strip off her britches and
kiss her all over.
There’s something very sexy about a
woman dressed in men’s clothing.
He thought and then
frowned at why that should be.
Why would I think that?
Maybe it’s the fact that almost nothing is left to the
imagination!
He thought and pictured Sarah as she
came through the gate.

He picked up a grooming brush and started to
brush the horse down. As she walked, her legs appeared
and disappeared in the split in her skirt, and very tasty
they looked in the tight hide of her britches as they
curved down into her boots. The man’s jacket, cut away
at the front that she had opened in the heat of the day,
and he could see the man’s shirt she was wearing
sticking to her damp bare breasts. And when he had laid
her carefully on her bed, the jacket fell open and he
could see the hollow in her throat through the open
neck of her shirt. He’d almost run out of the room, to
stop himself from making a catastrophic mistake.

You don’t just want to fuck her!
He berated
himself.
You want her as your wife, to keep your bed
warm and succour your soul. Not just as a quick tumble
in the hayloft!

She spoke quietly from right behind him, making
him jump and flush at his impure thoughts. He span
around, startled. ‘Gosh, you made me jump Lady Sarah.’
He said formally.

‘I wish you’d call me just Sarah.’ She said and
sidled into the stall, standing peering over the horse’s
back at him. ‘It’s so formal to keep calling me Lady
Sarah! Especially as you had your hand up my skirt the
other day.’ She watched his face avidly, as he swallowed
convulsively.

‘I wish you would forget that little loss of control
on my part.’ He whispered.
She smiled brightly as she watched his cheeks
flush. ‘You seem very embarrassed for an experienced
rake!’ she accused.
‘There’s a great deal of difference in wooing an
available, experienced woman and unintentionally
fondling the thighs of an innocent girl you’ve asked to
marry you.’ he said.
‘How do you know I’m so innocent?’ she asked
inquisitively.
‘It was written all over your face.’ He said and
smiled. ‘You were flushed, affronted and angry.’ He
laughed at her expression of disgust. ‘If you were
experienced in any way, you would have reacted
completely differently.’
‘Yes, I see your point. And as an experienced
man, you would know.’
‘I would indeed. Now that kind of activity should
take place on your wedding night with the man of your
choice.’
‘Is it painful?’ she asked blatantly.
‘I really think you should talk to my mother
about that.’
‘But I’m asking you. Is it?’ she asked and he
looked at the innocence and curiosity in her heart
shaped face. Her blue eyes challenging him to be
honest.
‘I can’t say as I’ve had any complaints, but I
understand that the first time can be a little
uncomfortable.’ He said frankly as she ducked under the
horse’s neck and approached him until he was drowning
in her eyes.
‘I would really like for you to show me.’
‘I can’t do that!’ he blurted out and was sorry
when he saw her frown.
She laid her hand on his chest, where the front
of his shirt was open and scratched her nails in his chest
hair. ‘I want you to.’ She looked up with her piercing
eyes. ‘I want to feel what it’s like.’ He could see the
slope of her breasts as he looked down and it took all
his self control not to look at them.
‘Marry me and I can do it all night long on our
wedding night.’ He begged hoarsely.
She shook her head slowly. ‘Love me now, and
then I’ll give you my answer.’
His breath gusted out of his chest as he lost all
resolve. He shook his head, trying to deny that this was
happening, but still he reached out and slowly removed
the pins from her hair, inhaling sharply as it cascaded
into his hands like strands of gold fibre. ‘This is both
wrong and dangerous.’ He muttered as she stepped
closer and clasped the front of his shirt in her fists,
looking up into his face. He felt his manhood swell and
moaned softly. ‘So innocent.’ He murmured as he
lowered his head to kiss her sweet lips and this time
there was no gasp, she opened her lips deliberately and
her tongue touched his inquisitively. But her kisses were
artless and innocent, making him more aroused than
he’d ever been in his life. It throbbed in time with his
racing heart. Suddenly he threw caution to the wind and
ducked, wrapping his arm about the back of her knees
causing her to fold over his shoulder. She gasped as he
lifted her with ease and strode across the stable to the
ladder up to the hay loft. She was so light; it wasn’t
even a hindrance as he quickly ascended. He checked
that nobody else was in the loft and located a secluded
area. He saw a horse blanket nearby, so he grabbed it,
spreading it out and dumped her down in the hay. He
threw himself down, scooped her into his arms and
kissed her determinedly. He pulled his lips away and
looked down at her and murmured again. ‘So innocent.’
She stroked her fingers in his hair. ‘Then teach
me, so I won’t be so innocent, especially on our
wedding night.’
He gasped as he realised what she’d said. ‘Oh!
My love.’ He whispered and kissed her so softly,
lingering his lips over hers and stroking her lips with his
tongue. ‘If at any time you become afraid,’ he
whispered ‘just hit me on the shoulder and I’ll stop.’
Sarah lay in his arms and her heart was
hammering. It was such a wanton thing to do, but she
had to know, if she left it to the wedding night, she
would be tied to him forever with no way out, if he was
abusive in anyway. She had heard Elizabeth scream too
many times and Verity had told her about Edward and
how violent he was. But both Robert and Johnny had
reputations as rakes, which meant to her, they were
experienced and caring, otherwise the women wouldn’t
want to know.
In a rush she reached down to lift her dress and
Argyll stopped her. ‘No, my love. Let me do that when
you’re ready.’ He smiled down at her petrified face. ‘I
will be slow and deliberate and I won’t do anything to
frighten you if I can help it.’ He kissed her gently. ‘Just
relax and enjoy it. There is nothing in the world like the
first time.’
Carefully he kissed her neck, sliding his tongue
around her ear, tracing his lips down her neck, gently
kissing the hollow in her throat and he felt it vibrate as
she moaned. He continued with the kissing for a few
minutes more, before he opened her dress.
She was deliriously happy with the way his lips
felt as they kissed her throat and neck and wasn’t even
aware of him opening the back of her gown until his lips
suddenly traced down her right breast and engulfed her
nipple, making her gasp. Her breasts suddenly felt tight
and wanting as if they needed more and in the next
breath he sucked gently on her nipple making her body
quiver. She felt an enormous surge of something
between her thighs and gasped again.
He kept her attention on his mouth as he sucked
and tormented her nipples, but with his free hand, he
slowly stroked his palm up her stockinged calf, over her
knee until he felt that silky band of bare skin. He
continued up over her hip until his hand was resting on
her lower belly. He looked down at his hand as his
fingers stroked her golden triangle of pubic hair and
gasped as her legs fell apart for him. ‘Oh! Sarah!’ he
murmured and kissed her with every ounce of pent up
passion in his soul, as his hand slid down and his fingers
touched her sex. She jumped and tensed, so he pulled
his lips away, smiled down at her frightened face and
whispered. ‘Relax, I won’t hurt you.’ She took a deep
breath and smiled nodding her head.
Slowly he stroked and gently he invaded and she
started to writhe. He looked down on the astonishment
on her face and smiled gently, touched deeply by her
trust.
Never before had she felt such sensations. She
had the overwhelming urge to move her hips and then
she couldn’t stop it as she became wrapped up in the
overpowering sensations besieging her body. ‘Oh! God!
Johnny!’ burst from her lips as he teased and tormented
her tiny untouched clitoris. He started to stroke
backwards and forwards, and he gasped as her
passageway opened for him and he felt her spasm as he
slipped his finger in and then eased it out again.
‘You’re ready, now.’ He murmured and quickly
he flicked open the flap of his britches and settled
himself over her and stared down into her face. ‘Relax,
my love.’ He whispered and manoeuvred his penis into
her entrance. He kissed her again, pulled her legs
further up into a better position and slowly pushed his
manhood in to the hilt. He moaned as he felt her spasm
again at the unexpected intrusion. He waited for her to
relax, as he looked down into her face. It took some self
restraint for him not to just take her and his body
trembled with the need for release.
She was unsure at first, as he came over her
body and she felt the pressure of him, but he seemed so
sure and then he was filling her to bursting point, she
felt a slight sting and then it was past and he was asking
her to relax again.
‘Is that all there is to it?’ she asked innocently
and he laughed.
‘No my love, we’ve barely started. This is just the
first hurdle, now we can finish the course.’ He
whispered and slowly he moved, pulling himself out and
pushing in again and at first she wasn’t overly
impressed, but suddenly her body began to move of its
own volition and every time he pushed in she lifted her
hips to meet him and the sensations started to
overwhelm her as she wanted more and it was building
like a fire in her veins. She could hear her blood rushing
in her ears and feel her heart pounding in her chest and
the fire exploded in her groin, making her convulse as
she felt his essence spurt into her. She wrapped her
arms around his shoulders and held onto his rigid body
as he jerked in ecstasy with each pulse of his member as
it forced his sperm into her womb. ‘I love you, Sarah!’
finally burst from him in an exhalation of pent up
breath. ‘Oh! How I love you.’ His body relaxed as he
propped himself up on his elbows and looked down into
her face. He saw an expression of wonder.
He felt a rush of tenderness, as he acknowledged
the gift she had just bestowed upon him. He felt
humbled, that she should honour him with this gift. As
he watched her eyes, he saw the cloak of innocence fall
away in a knowing smile.
She looked up at him and saw him smile and not
only his lips smiled, but his eyes too. There was such
tenderness in his demeanour. She stroked her fingers
over his cheek. ‘Will there be more lessons, my love?’
she asked him.
He laughed and she felt his manhood shrink out
of her body. He got up on his knees as he folded up the
front of his britches. ‘Yes, my love. There will be many
lessons.’ He pulled her skirts down and held out his
hands. ‘I have a lifetime to teach you everything I know.’
‘I can’t wait. When will lesson number two be?’
she asked like a little girl and he groaned as he pulled
her onto his lap.
‘Our wedding night. And not before!’