Rogues, Rakes & Jewels

Thus, Ryker waited in the breakfast room, hopefully believing Jewelene would join him and they could be alone. Two cups of coffee later, and no Jewelene. He threw down his napkin on the table and with his mind well made up marched out of the sunny chamber, hurried up the stairs, and went directly to her bedroom.

He knocked on the door softly. “Jewels … sweetheart …”

The door was flung open, and a finger wagged in front of his chest as she lifted her angry and beautiful face to his. “Don’t sweetheart me, you—you cad!”

Aha, he thought, so she is still angry. He decided the best thing to do was to ignore it, so he moved towards her. She stepped away, and he walked her backwards into her room, closing the door with a flip of his booted foot. “Am I? Do you really believe that … a cad?” He clucked his tongue and reached for her. “Shall I show you how a cad is expected to behave?”

She stepped further away. “Stop …” she told him.

He moved in on her. “Stop? Are you sure …” He took her waist in both his hands and drew her to him.

Incensed, she pushed at his chest, but words at that moment failed her. He grabbed at the opportunity by wrapping his arms around her and holding her fast. “Do not scream at me, sweet love. Don’t make a fuss—listen for a change if you can. Just keep quiet—do, and allow me to explain.”

“I will not keep quiet, and how dare you tell me—”

“Hush, little Babette …” he said wickedly, effectively silencing her. She went rigid in his embrace as her lovely green eyes opened wide.

“You … you know?” she said in disbelief. “How long have you known?”

“Silly, lovely goose … my own true love. I have always known. Could I look into those bright green eyes of yours and not know the woman I love …?”

“Love? You love me?” she whispered.

“I adore you …” he said softly. “Shall I show you?” He was already leaning her into the bed he had maneuvered her against.

“You love me …?” she repeated as though holding onto the thought for dear life.

As an answer he bent and kissed her. His tongue sweetly entwined and stroked her own as his hands worked her velvet wrap and exposed her naked body beneath. “Ah, Jewels … you are perfection … everything that I have ever wanted. You occupy all my thoughts, and I swear to you, I will spend the rest of my life attempting to make you happy if you will agree to be my wife.”

“But then why? Why did you pretend to …”

“By all that is holy, try and see it through my eyes. I am forever being courted for my title and my wealth. I have never until you found a woman who didn’t give a fig for those things … and I thought we would be here no more than a day or two … and wanted to shield myself from yet another grasping … but, you weren’t that … and suddenly I couldn’t walk away, and by then the game had gone on too long …”

“Oh Rye … it sounds like something I would have done had I been in your position. I do understand, I do …”

And hearing those words, he crushed her to him, and once more his lips commanded her own as his hands went to her butt and pulled her hard up against him.

She pressed against him and groaned with sudden, all-encompassing desire as his hand found her nipple and gently, erotically flicked it with his finger.

She worked the buttons of his breeches and released his hard, throbbing cock. She groaned before she whispered, “We will be caught …”

“No one about … all gone to town …” he said huskily and picked her up to put her on the bed.

“Then … yes, I am a compromised woman, so I suppose I must marry you …” She giggled and began to compromise herself some more.

Sixteen

“THIS IS NOT where we made that wrong turn last time, and well you know it!” Jimmy snapped.

“Don’t know anything of the sort. Wouldn’t have wondered about it if I did know, now would I? Don’t stand to reason,” Arthur answered reasonably.

Ignoring his friend’s logic, Jimmy looked around, “I wonder where Jewels has gone off to … thought she would have rejoined us by now?”

“Had to go into the woods … personal, she said …” Arthur cleared his throat. “Maybe we should just stop here and wait …?”

“Ah … here she is now.” Jimmy breathed a sigh of relief. “I don’t mind telling you, Arthur, taking Lightning to Derby has me sorely fretting …”

“Don’t see why—Jonas is leading him gently, what with the marquis and his cousin riding behind us and well armed, well, I would say we are covered.” Arthur frowned. “Although, how odd it all turned out.”