“Now”—he planted his feet apart and laid his hands atop his muscular thighs—“save this disobedience for something that truly taxes you and come to me.”
She paused as the last of her resistance made a weak stand.
He slowly held his hand out, palm up.
Patience’s heart pounded in her breast.
Just go to him. You want to.
In only a moment, her hand was in his and he’d drawn her between his long legs. She stared into his dark, heavily lashed eyes. This was better. It felt so good to be near him.
“What are you thinking now?” he asked.
“I’m thinking of how much nicer it is to be near you, than far from you.”
His expression softened. “Kiss me, Patience.”
Patience felt her whole body ease as she slipped one hand behind Matthew’s nape and curved the other along his jaw. Tilting her head, she pressed her parted lips eagerly against his mouth. Though he remained still and didn’t kiss her back, she knew he would soon relent. Again and again she touched her mouth to his, tasting him and nibbling the fullness of his lower lip. She saw his eyes close, and he sighed softly as his head tipped back. Her desire flaring, Patience pressed supple, open- mouthed kisses along his chin and jaw. The smell of his vetiver-scented skin intoxicated her.
Finally, with a low moan, he brought his mouth to hers, capturing her in a deep, possessive kiss. His tongue thrust and his arms pulled her tightly against him. Patience’s blood rushed to her core and filled the needy little heart that pulsed between her legs.
She curled her fingers in the short hair at his nape and leaned into him as he stroked his tongue over hers. His hand pressed against the layers of her skirts in an attempt to draw her hips closer. This—this urgent embrace—was what she had longed for upon waking.
She gasped into his mouth as she felt his hand upon her breast. Her nipples tightened behind her stays and tingled against the press of her garments.
“Touch me,” Matthew said against her lips. “Touch me and feel how much I want you.”
Reaching between them, Patience pressed her hand against the thick column of his erection. He moaned against the corner of her mouth, and her clitoris pulsed as a sudden rush of moisture wet her thighs. God, she loved the feel of him. He was so hard and so big around that she wondered at how she was able to take so much of his thickness into her mouth. Curling her fingers around him firmly, she grew wetter as he thrust repeatedly against her grasping hand.
Her breathing quickened, and, yet again, she found herself wondering what it would be like to feel him pushing between her legs. Her cunt clenched and throbbed.
His arm tightened around her and his voice came by her ear. “Does the feel of my cock make you wet and hungry?”
“Yes,” Patience gasped. She cupped her fingers around his swollen cods and arched against him.
Matthew groaned and pressed harder against her as he squeezed her breast. “Does the feel of it make you long for release?”
“Yes. Yes!” Patience squirmed as her clitoris began to pulse in earnest.
Matthew continued to thrust against her hand. His breath tickled her as he bit tenderly, yet firmly, upon her earlobe. “Do you want me to give you release now?”
Her body trembled with desire. “Yes.”
“Are you desperate for it now?”
“Yes!”
Patience bit back a cry as Matthew suddenly whirled her around and bent her back on the desk. He was between her legs and, despite the many layers of her skirts, she could feel the press of his body against her most tender need. Her hips tilted and she gripped the lapels of his jacket.
Yes!
Bent over her, his handsome features were tight. “But I say no.”
It took a moment for his words to register in Patience’s mind. She froze. “What?”
His dark eyes regarded her intently. “I said no. I’m afraid you must be punished for your disobedient little outburst.”
Patience’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You don’t mean it.”
“Of course I mean it. Did you think there would be no repercussions?” Matthew raised his brows as he drew back from her. “My sweet Patience, your disobedience will always be punished. I was lenient with you last night, but it is time you begin to learn your lessons.”
Patience bolted to a seated position as hot anger roared through her. She could see his erection, thick and strong. Her clitoris pounded. “I demand satisfaction,” she said fiercely.
Matthew straightened his jacket. “You will demand nothing. For if you do, you will get nothing.”
Patience felt her cheeks burning with fury and resentment. “Very well,” she snapped as she grabbed at her skirts. “I shall satisfy myself.”
Matthew leveled his dark gaze on her. “Lay one finger between those lovely legs, and I will put you over my knee and give you the spanking of your life.”
Patience drew back in shock, even as her clitoris palpitated. She narrowed her eyes. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Oh, I most certainly would.”
Patience held his dark stare, but she couldn’t detect the slightest note of jest or insincerity. She pushed herself off the desk and put her hands on her waist. “You’d really do it, wouldn’t you?”
“Not only
would
I do it, I
will
do it.”
Patience stood completely vexed and speechless as the distant cry of the horn called the guests to the hunt.
Matthew ran his hands through his hair and brushed a speck of lint from his sleeve. “We should be going. Do you need a moment to compose yourself?”
“Do I—?” Shaking her head, Patience cut herself off and stomped past Matthew. Yanking open the door, she threw it open and then slammed it behind her.
There.
She lifted her chin and strode down the corridor.
All composed.
With his topper under his arm, Matthew lifted his chin and straightened his cravat as he descended the stairs to the main floor. He smiled as he thought of Patience—her sweet resistance, her brief capitulation, and her ill-humored exit. Poor thing, she really was in need of some serious punishment. His blood rushed. Today, he would accommodate her. Today, he would have time with her. His heart felt full. Today, they would have time
together
.
Stepping out onto the front portico, Matthew found the wild chaos that always preceded a hunt. People and horses were everywhere. Half the guests were mounted, half not, while the stable boys rushed to supply appropriate mounts for those who had not brought their own. The horses pranced and whinnied in their excitement, while the hounds spoke loudly to the proud Master of the Foxhounds. The whipper stood by and the terrier man barked sharp orders to the sprightly fox terriers, which he kept on a short lead. Hunt servants, already mounted, milled about at the rear of the throng. Required to aid the less experienced riders by opening gates and offering ways around hedges, they were also to help riders stay on course. Nonetheless, despite the hunt servants’ best efforts, many guests would get lost. It was a circumstance that suited his plans perfectly. He spotted Patience in the throng and let a small smile turn his lips. She was mounted on the very mare he had instructed Jimmy to saddle for her. He pulled on his gloves. It was going to be a
very
good day.
Setting his topper on his head, Matthew trotted down the wide steps of the portico and headed for the front of the crowd. As he passed amongst the guests, he was well aware of the ebb and flow of murmurs that followed him. He ignored them. Earlier, as he’d passed the library, he’d seen several important personages, including Lord Wollby, scanning the newspaper. They could not have missed the business page headline:
Grand West Railway Wins The Bet And Beats The Odds
. The article had credited him personally with the acquisition of Gwenellyn, and gone on to speculate that if GWR could successfully mine its own coal and reduce rail costs in the process, more rail companies were sure to follow in GWR’s footsteps.
Certainly
, the article had observed,
this would change the face and power structure of these two monumental industries
.
It was a bloody marvelous article. One that would surely cause a shift in the tenor of the gossip surrounding him—if it hadn’t already.
Matthew tipped his hat as he passed the Countess of Mayfield and her daughter. The ladies smiled and so did he. If he could pull this off, it would revolutionize the rail business. Matthew cocked his brow. And all because the Earl of Benchley had chosen to be a son of a bitch.
Matthew found his brother with the other experienced riders who would lead the chase—Lords Brammley, Hillsborough, and Sefton were only a few.
Mark smiled. “I’d hoped you’d come. Jimmy’s got Dante saddled for you. Mount up and join us.”
“Thank you.” Matthew stroked the neck of his brother’s stallion. “But Farnsby asked me to join Asher and him.”
“Bloody hell, don’t tell me you accepted?” Roark Fitz Roy drew up alongside Mark. “Most excellent Farnsby and Asher, but if you ride with them, you’ll be relegated to the rear.”
Matthew looked at Fitz Roy. “Yes, but
they
asked me. Apparently they’re not afraid I’ll stop to trim the hedges as we ride.”
Fitz Roy paused and glanced at Mark, who was grinning. Apparently, the man wasn’t sure if he should laugh or not. And Matthew wasn’t sure either. Had he actually made a joke at his own expense?
He felt a slow smile turning his mouth.
Fitz Roy chuckled, but then he shrugged. “Would’ve asked you m’self, but ever since you became such a bloody recluse, no one knows what to do with you.”
Matthew sent Fitz Roy a mock scowl as the man moved off.
Mark leaned over his saddle. “By the way, I heard about what happened last night between Patience and the Lady Humphreys. This morning, I told ‘the Humph’ to leave. I also gave Fenton the heave-ho.” Mark frowned. “Did you know he was the author of that petition for your removal from White’s?”
Matthew nodded. “Yes, but the man’s uniformly regarded as an inconsequential ass, so it won’t serve me to engage him.”
“Are you saying I shouldn’t have asked him to leave?”
“No, tossing him out on his ‘inconsequential ass’ is actually quite perfect—and I love the irony.”
Mark chuckled. “I’ve missed you.”
Matthew glanced into his brother’s blue eyes and smiled. “It
is
good to be getting back in the saddle.”
Mark grinned. “Speaking of saddles, why don’t you have Farnsby and Asher join us at the front.”
Matthew shook his head. “I don’t want to be responsible for their deaths. Besides, I intend to get lost today.”
Mark frowned. “You intend to get lost?”
“Yes, along with a certain young woman.”
Mark’s frown deepened. “Damn it, Matt,” he said quietly. “I can’t permit this. As long as Patience is here, she is under my guardianship.”
Matthew almost smiled at the notion of his brother as the guardian of a woman’s virtue. Love and marriage really had changed things. “I didn’t have to tell you my plans.”
“But you did.”
Matthew met his brother’s stern gaze. “You can’t keep me from her, Mark—any more than I could keep you from Passion. The only person who will ever keep me from Patience is Patience herself.”
At that moment, Jimmy walked up with Dante. Matthew quickly mounted the big gray as Mark sat back in his saddle. His brother stared at him, and Matthew could see that he was mulling over his options. But unless Mark was going to lock him up and send Patience home, there was little he could do. “Where do you plan on taking her?”
“Gwyn Hall.”
“Christ, why so bloody far?”
“I don’t want any interruptions.”
Mark looked up at the cloudy sky. “If this storm gets fierce, you’ll be stuck.”
“That’s exactly what I’m hoping.” Matthew winked. “Cover for us, will you?”
Mark glowered from beneath the brim of his topper. “Why don’t you just marry her, and then I won’t have to cover for you,” he growled.
“Actually, I’ve decided to do just that.” Turning Dante around, Matthew glanced back into his brother’s widening eyes and allowed a small grin. “Say nothing. The lady is prickly on the subject.”
As Matthew rode off, Mark’s laughter rang out behind him. It made his smile deepen. He hadn’t intended to tell his brother his plans, but now he was glad he had. Besides making his courtship of Patience a lot easier, telling things to Mark always made them seem more real.
Matthew headed back in the direction of where he’d last seen Patience. He spotted her easily and, pulling up, studied her from a distance. Her lovely posture and her bright hair, even tucked into a snood, made her stand out in the crowd. She sat her side-saddle gracefully and the veil of her short-brimmed topper fluttered against her cheek in the breeze. He frowned as he noted Montrose and two other men engaging her in conversation. She couldn’t be anywhere without an entourage of male admirers. He hated that. She should be at his side, and the whole world should know that she was his.
Soon . . .
“I say, Hawkmore, there you are! You see, Asher, I told you he would come.”
Farnsby and Asher drew up in front of him, blocking his view of Patience.
Matthew nodded. “Gentlemen.”
“Asher was convinced you would give us the brush- off. But I bet him ten pounds you wouldn’t. And here you are.” Farnsby glanced at Asher. “You may pay me later.”
Asher shifted uncomfortably in his saddle.
“That’s all right, Asher.” Matthew patted Dante’s muscular shoulder. “I might have bet against me, too. I haven’t been very social lately.”
Asher smiled just as Mark’s voice rang out over the assemblage. Matthew listened to his brother welcome his guests to the hunt and lay out the general direction of the course. Then the stirrup cup was served.
As everyone drank heartily, Matthew glanced in Patience’s direction. His heart beat a little faster when he saw that she was looking at him. Oh, what a day he had in store for her.