Page 67 of Dare to be Wicked

“It’s hot under there,” he said, flashing her a wicked smile. “And I want to see what I’m doing.”

“But the door isn’t locked,” she said, breathing very hard.

“I’ll go,” he said, moving to lock it, but she grabbed hold of his hair. “No, don’t go. It’s exciting.”

“Wicked, wicked girl,” he murmured, his blood thrumming through his veins, though he knew as well as she did that it was unlikely anyone would come by his studio today, not with so many other things to occupy them with the wedding to arrange. “God, I love you, Lottie.”

She laughed, a pleased, happy sound that made his heart feel light but that stopped abruptly as he bent his head again and pressed a kiss to the soft curls. Her hands were still fisted in his hair and they tightened reflexively. Cassius smiled and touched a finger to the springy golden thatch between her legs, tickling her gently as his finger ghosted up and down the crease of her sex.

“Cass,” she pleaded, shifting beneath his touch.

There was impatience in her voice, not that he was surprised. She ever did want to run headlong towards every adventure, straight into anything new and exciting, never looking before she leapt.

“Relax, love. There’s nothing you need to do, just enjoy my touch.” He gave her a devilish glance and deliberately provoked then by saying, “You are supposed to obey your husband, after all.”

She returned a look of outrage but, before she could ring a peal over him, lowered his mouth to that secret place and licked.

Whatever indignant words were brewing on her tongue melted into an incoherent mewling sound that only grew louder and wilder as he teased his tongue along the delicate folds, and she trembled and gasped beneath him. His ruthless mouth continued to wring the desperate sounds from her as his tongue sought the little peak of flesh that made her buck and exclaim with pleasure and shock.

“Do keep still, sweetheart,” he chastised her gently. “You’re a dreadful fidget.”

“Oh!” she huffed. “You’re the dreadful one. How can I possibly keep still with you teasing me so? Just you wait, Cassius. Once I know how I shall…I shall….”

He did not get to hear whatever it was she had in mind, though he was certainly more than keen to find out. Today was his turn to pleasure his beloved, though, and tease her a little too. The increasingly loud wails of pleasure that he drew from her made him very relieved that they were spending their wedding night in a hotel before going onto their new home. The idea of being under the same roof as her father was enough to give any man pause. Holbrook might be vast, but there was no house big enough to be sanguine about deflowering the Duke of Bedwin’s daughter when he was in the same building.

Thoughts of his wedding night were only too tempting to entertain, but he wasn’t about to anticipate their vows any more than he already was. It was only because Lottie was an unholy temptation, and they had waited so much longer than they first expected, that his sanity was unravelling. He ached for more, but he would not have her first time be in the summerhouse. Though, if gossip was to be believed, there was something of a family tradition there, he thought with a wry smile.

She made a soft sound, tugging at his hair. Cassius chuckled and slid one finger inside her tight heat. His own body grew taut, his breathing increasingly rapid as she shuddered and moaned. He caressed her gently.

“Shall I stop?” he enquired lazily.

“If you do, I shan’t be responsible for the consequences,” she warned him, breathless, gasping as he returned his mouth to the tender bud of her sex and suckled whilst he continued to stroke her intimately.

She shattered beneath him, a breathless cry of pleasure that rolled through him with the force of a lightning strike, bringing him so close to the edge that it was all he could do not to embarrass himself.

“Oh,” she said, her voice hazy and indistinct once the tremors had ceased. “Oh, that… that was…. Goodness, how long until we get married? I want to do that again.”

Cassius let out a helpless laugh and buried his face in her petticoats.

“Rosemary,” he said, forcing the word out as the dizzying scent of her, jasmine and that tantalising green perfume made him feel drunk and happy and a little dazed that she was truly going to be his.

“Oh, you wretch. Did you know it all along?” she demanded, and then put her head back with a laugh. “I’m glad you didn’t tell me.”

They both stilled as the muted sound of voices reached them. Someone was coming.

“Christ,” Cassius said, leaping to his feet as Lottie did her best to settle her copious petticoats and her badly rumpled skirt back into order.

“Oh, your hair,” she wailed, gesturing to it as Cassius tried to smooth it down again, but to no avail.

They were both flushed and a little disarranged, and he could only hope whoever it was would keep on walking.

“Yes, well, I’m sure they’ll be very pleased to come along with us,” said an overly loud voice that Cassius recognised.

“Mama!” Lottie squeaked in horror.

“That’s torn it,” he said, lunging for the back of her gown which had not fallen properly and showed a deal of petticoat. He just got it straight as the door opened and the Duke and Duchess of Bedwin walked in. Lottie’s father stilled in the doorway, his cool green gaze going from his rumpled daughter to Cassius. Despite being a grown man, one who’d seen the world and survived it, Cassius was in that moment reduced to a grubby schoolboy. He felt heat creep up the back of his neck as the duke’s face darkened.

“Lottie, darling,” the duchess said, sweeping to her daughter before the man could speak, and surreptitiously making an adjustment to Lottie’s bodice whilst she was shielded from her father’s gaze. “We need you at the house, my dear. Tedious, I know, but there are some decisions only you can make and… and….”