It had been far too long since he had given himself over completely to the wants and needs of his body. And he was damn well tired of resisting and denying himself. He deserved this one pleasure from her. He deserved this one kiss.
He pressed his lips against hers and closed his eyes, giving in to the sensation. Forcing her velvety lips further open, he thrust his tongue urgently into the wet warmth of her mouth, savoring the taste and feel of her. Savoring this moment of utter bliss.
Her hot tongue slowly challenged his, causing his cock to thicken and harden in response. Alexander pressed her more savagely against the length of his aching body, his needy cock, wanting to be inside of her. Wanting to experience the soft wetness of her core in the same way he was experiencing the soft wetness of her mouth against his.
There was a sudden knock at the door.
Alexander’s head snapped up in response, leaving his lips cool from her mouth’s moisture and warmth.
Charlotte stumbled back, shoving his arms away from her body. She let out a shaky breath. “I apologize for my behavior. That was uncalled for, given the nature of our business.” She eyed him. “It won’t happen again.”
She paused for another moment, as if allowing them both to absorb her words, then gathered up her skirts from around her feet and bustled around him. With shaky hands, she grabbed hold of her chair, setting it right side up, and called out, “Yes? Come in!” A bit too loudly.
He blew out a frustrated breath through his teeth, knowing that his opportunity with her had been lost. What was worse, he hadn’t even been given the glorious opportunity of fondling her breasts.
Alexander turned toward the door and adjusted his coat in an effort to cover up his still very heavy and very hard cock.
Caldwell’s blond head popped in through the opening. He eyed them somewhat anxiously. “How much longer? I’ve completely run out of things to say to Harold.”
Of course, it would be Caldwell. Who else?
Alexander strode at Caldwell, shoved his head back out into the corridor, and slammed the door. The man never did have a good sense of timing.
“You’re such a rude bastard!” Caldwell called out from the other side. “You do realize that, don’t you?”
“I’m not the one harboring deep, dark secrets!” Alexander yelled back. “Now wait your Goddamn turn!”
He spun toward Charlotte and hoped that there was still some chance of salvaging the moment. Though women always regained their senses so much quicker than men.
And what was worse, their brief kiss had not alleviated a single one of his desires for her. Actually, it had only strengthened them. For he wanted more of her. Much, much more. After all, if her mouth could taste and feel that good, he could only imagine what the rest of her would be like.
She hurriedly organized her desk, setting aside parchments to one end, straightening the inkwell, and placing the quill back into it. A portion of her long, dark hair slid over her shoulder and fell onto her quick-moving hands. She shoved it out of the way, appearing annoyed.
“Thank you for your application,” she hurried. “Should it be accepted, a letter will arrive at the address of the calling card you submitted. I do hope you find the rest of your day to be pleasant. Good day.”
Her words sounded rehearsed, to say the least.
A twinge of disappointment reverberated through him. That was all she meant to say? After what had transpired between them? Hell, usually
he
was the one that up and gave women the hie-off. Not the other way around.
And fight it as he might, he didn’t want this woman to be done with him. For yes, for the sake of all things proper he should walk away, deep inside he simply could not. Would not. He had already walked away from the woman once before, thinking it had been the right thing to do, and it had resulted in nothing but pointless torture. An agonizing mental and physical torture he had not thought possible.
“Allow me to call on you at another, more convenient time,” he eventually said in a tone that was much too soft to his own ears and liking.
She leaned against the desk, the folds of her black skirt fanning forward, closed her eyes, and sighed. “I do not bed clients, My Lord. That is not the point of this school. Furthermore, it is strictly forbidden to me.”
He leveled his gaze at her, sensing that she was resisting what he simply could not. “Then I ask that you revoke my application. Immediately.”
She glanced toward him in disbelief and pushed herself away from the desk. Setting her hands on her hips, she turned and faced him. “This may be difficult for you to comprehend, but I am not interested in bedding you. At all.”
“At all?” He stepped toward her, though he knew he really should have stepped back. “So what about our kiss? You didn’t enjoy it? At all?”
She took a step back nearer the desk. “No, it isn’t that. Our kiss was very…” She paused, her eyes visibly widening in response to what was almost an admission.
He grinned out of genuine self-satisfaction. “Very what? I’m rather curious as to what you thought of it.”
A flush overtook her porcelain cheeks. “Perhaps your curiosity would be better served if I explained the reason behind my complete lack of interest.”
Oo. That was certainly a good stab at his manhood. “By all means. I have all day.” He lowered his chin. “And all night, if you like.”
“I’m certain you do, Lord Hawksford.” She huffed out a breath as if preparing herself for a speech before the House of Commons. “As you and everyone else may already know, during the height of last year’s Season, I was widowed at the age of five and twenty in a very sad, very pathetic and shameful manner.”
He cleared his throat. “Yes. Actually, I remember reading about it. Met him on a few occasions. Though I didn’t know he was married.”
“He didn’t seem to know he was married, either.” Charlotte laced her fingers together before her and sighed. “Shortly after his death had been so widely publicized, I was astounded to discover that in his will, I was left with nothing. Not a single farthing of annuity to support myself. It appeared he had written a letter to his solicitor, a few weeks before his own death, claiming that because I refused to perform my marital duties, I was to be removed from his will. It was as if he knew he was going to be popped off.”
Alexander shook his head in disgust. To leave a woman uncared for was downright evil. “Don’t allow yourself to be gulled. You have rights. Having only recently gone through my father’s estate, I know for a fact that a spouse is entitled to at least a third of it.”
She studied him for a brief moment, as if trying to decipher what his intentions were. “I’ve already hired a lawyer to contest the will. And it has cost me everything I have. Despite all of my visits to the Lord Chancellor pleading for my situation and lack of funds, I am but a name on an excruciatingly long list.”
She shook her head and released a bitter laugh. “Do you realize that there are those who have waited an entire decade for their case to be heard? Unlike all the others, I have no family to financially support me whilst I await that decision. This school, that you and so many others choose to mock, is my only form of income. Which brings me to the point of this conversation. I have no intention of jeopardizing my future here at the school by involving myself with you. Is that understood?”
Alexander ran a heavy hand through his hair, feeling rather humbled by her confession. “Forgive me. I didn’t know the specifics.”
“Well, now you do.”
He dropped his hand back to his side and didn’t know what he was supposed to say. “Do you require further monetary assistance?”
“Yes. In return for a good swive, I am sure.”
He let out a genuine laugh. “As I’ve already mentioned before, Lady Charlotte, I don’t pay for my pleasure. Furthermore, your approach to all of this is rather simplistic. I have a much better idea. Why not allow me to call upon Madame de Maitenon and ask for permission to engage you? That way, you get everything. My assistance, retaining your position here at the school, and best of all, sex. With me.” He grinned.
She stared at him. Then had the audacity to laugh. “After Chartwell, I can assure you, I am done tending to the needs of a man. More than done, actually.” She swept a hand toward the door behind him. “If you please. I have another client, and I shan’t be so rude as to keep him waiting.”
Alexander’s grin slowly faded. This certainly didn’t bode well for him. Did it? Hell, when a beautiful woman said such horrible things, it was a man’s inherent responsibility to set it right. To see to those neglected needs in a way no other man ever had. “I assure you, Chartwell does not represent the majority of the male population. I hope that you are not judging me based upon his complete inability to please you.”
Her expression grew taut. “No, I am not judging you. I simply have my
own
personal needs to oversee without concerning myself with
yours
. I’m certain a worldly man such as yourself can understand.”
Amen
to a woman who spoke her mind.
Though he wasn’t overly fond of being grouped together with Chartwell, her strong sense of bravado was maddeningly admirable. Not to mention erotic. For a woman who knew exactly what she wanted in the day, also knew what she wanted at night. “Surely your personal needs must involve an orgasm or two,” he gruffly pointed out, taking another step toward her.
She gasped and dropped her hands back to her sides. “No. They do not.”
“I don’t believe you. Not after the way you kissed me.”
“Leave.”
She sounded fully aware that her excuses held no substance. “Before I have Harold escort you out of the school.”
He held up a hand, asking for her patience. “Obviously, neither of us is looking to complicate our lives by submitting to anything serious. Which is why I suggest we keep this simple. Allow me to talk to Madame so that I may ensure that your position here is not affected. Surely a woman of her experience wouldn’t want to keep two willing lovers apart. Once she agrees, you can name your rules, along with whatever it is you want or need, and I will counteroffer. That way, we both get what we want without any complications.”
She tartly observed him as if she were about to smack him. “My. How quickly you thought of all that. Clearly you’ve done this before.”
Guilty as charged.
Alexander strode steadily toward her, refusing to relinquish the possibility of having her in his bed. Once. That’s all he wanted. For now.
Lady Charlotte held up a hand and started backing away. “Forcing yourself upon me will change nothing.”
“I never force myself upon women. I negotiate with them.” He paused before her. “Now seeing you’ve already had a chance to express your viewpoint, I ask that you show a bit of social grace and allow me to express mine in turn.”
Her eyes widened. “You, Lord Hawksford, are relentless.”
“Does that mean you are giving me permission to proceed?”
Her eyes fluttered closed as she pressed the tips of her fingers to the left side of her temple. She eventually lifted her lids and waved a hand toward him. “By all means. Proceed.”
Alexander spread his legs slightly apart, positioning himself more comfortably before her. “Unlike other men, I do not serenade women with unfulfilled promises. But I do take great pride in ensuring that trust, enjoyment, respect, and pleasure are all involved in every tryst I indulge in. A rare trait in a man these days, wouldn’t you agree?”
She blinked up at him. As if trying to decipher if he was being serious.
Which, of course, he was. He had always believed that communication between the sexes was vital. Otherwise it led to hysteria. And tears. Something he never enjoyed witnessing. Or being the cause of. “It’s all rather simple. I stand before you a servant. A most humble servant willing to do anything to indulge in the offerings of your body.”
The blank expression on her face faded as an amused smile softened her lips. She tilted her head to one side as she peered up at him. “A servant, you say?”
He captured her gaze and held it firmly, trying his best not to reach out and force his point upon her. “
Your
servant.”
She leaned slightly back, as if his gaze intruded too much.
He lifted his hand and cupped her chin with it, allowing his thumb to trace the edge of her smooth jaw and cheek. He enjoyed the feel of her warm, velvet skin against his hand and sensed her leaning back toward him. As if wanting to engage and give in to his touch.
“A quick word, however,” he murmured, pulling his hand away and holding up his forefinger in the air both to demonstrate his point as well as to set a clear divider between them. “I cannot offer love or marriage. This would merely be an exchange of pleasure.”
She stepped back and out of his reach, reclaiming the distance between them. “You really think too highly of yourself.”
He shrugged and then grinned. “I sensed that you wouldn’t truly wish to be trapped with me for a lifetime, but I wanted to be certain.”
“Of course you did.” The devious gleam he had the pleasure of witnessing in the depths of her eyes during the initial application process magically reappeared, tossing aside his earlier fears of complications.
She turned toward the desk, snatched up his gloves, which he’d forgotten all about, and smacked them gently against the palm of her open hand, her eyes never leaving his. “How about this, Lord Hawksford. If Madame de Maitenon accepts your application into the school, I will
personally
see to it that you’re allowed to
pleasure
me. Will that suffice?”
Hardly. Picturing all those
x
’s both large and small beneath his birth name told him he had a better chance of becoming the King of England. Of course, he was never one to easily submit to defeat. He’d find a way to get himself into the school. And into her bed.
Not that he was going to tell her that.
Alexander humbly inclined his head to her. “Do try and behave yourself. It was a
pleasure
.”
“You’ve proven to be quite entertaining, Lord Hawksford.” She smiled, then graciously extended her bare ivory hand toward him. “As such, I’ll give you this one last
pleasure
at no cost to you at all. Go on. You may kiss it.”