Whirlwind Affair

and wet, and if he didn't touch her soon-

Robert's fingers skimmed over her swollen folds, and the last remaining ounce of control he'd managed to cling to, vanished. She arched against his hand, a long moan of satisfaction rumbling in her throat. Rising to kneel between her splayed thighs, he pushed her gown to her waist, reveling in the erotic sight of his fingers playing with her glistening flesh, of her hips undulating as passion consumed her, her nipples still wet and erect from his mouth. He eased first one, then two fingers inside her, clenching his teeth when her silky heat surrounded him. The scent of her arousal, mixed with the delicate fragrance of honeysuckle, inundated his senses, and his erection jerked inside his confining breeches. With his other hand, he quickly freed himself.

He wanted to wait, wanted to prolong their pleasure, touch her, taste her, but as it had last night, his mastery over his own body deserted him. He needed to be inside her. Now.

He slipped his fingers from her, and would have smiled at her cry of protest if he'd been able. Surging over her, he slid into her tight, wet heat in a single stroke. Any thoughts he might have entertained of going slowly evaporated when she raced her hands down his back to his buttocks, urging him deeper into her body. Bracing his weight on his forearms, he thrust into her with hard, fast strokes. Sweat broke out along his brow, and he looked down at her. Her head was thrown back, exposing the delicate curve of her throat. Her eyes were shut, her lips parted, her breath a series of ragged pants that matched his own.

'Ohhhh,' she breathed, and he watched her orgasm claim her, felt her body tense, her inner walls clutching him, pushing him over the edge with her. With an animal-like growl, he threw his head back and thrust into her, spilling his seed deep in her body. He pulsed inside her for an endless, mindless moment, then collapsed, burying his face in the fragrant curve of her neck, pressing his lips against her jumping pulse.

It took several moments for sanity to return, for him to garner enough strength to raise his head. Their gazes met and his heart performed a slow roll at the warm, satisfied glow in her eyes.

There were a dozen things he wanted to say to her, tell her, but he hesitated, partly because he was not sure she was ready to hear them, and also because he wasn't yet capable of speech. So he said the one word he could manage to push past his lips.

'Allie.'

She blinked twice, then a slow smile eased across her face, reminding him of the sun coming out from behind the clouds. Here was his girl from the sketch. She whispered one word in reply.

'Robert.'

He felt himself grinning in return, unable to hide his happiness. She was his. And nothing, no one, would keep them apart.

********

In her bedchamber, Allie had just finished repairing herself after her sensual interlude with Robert, when a knock sounded on the door.

'Come in.'

A middle-aged maid bearing a bright smile and a ceramic pitcher entered.

'Beggin' yer pardon, Mrs. Brown. My name's Mary. I were just wantin' to bring some fresh water and see to tidyin' up. I can come back later.'

'Hello, Mary. Please come in.' She was about to add that she herself was about to leave the bedchamber, when something stopped her. With her bright cheeks and wide grin, Mary struck her as a friendly sort. Perhaps the friendly sort of woman who might be led to answer some questions…

Her conscience tapped her firmly on the shoulder. Not even an hour ago you were furious with Robert for being dishonest. Trying to glean information from this woman is hardly honest.

She slapped back her inner voice, rationalizing that there was a distinct difference between dishonesty and curiosity about the man she'd taken as her lover. And she was merely…curious. Besides, the maid might not know anything.

She engaged Mary in small talk regarding the rainy weather and the new baby, as the woman bustled around the room wielding her feather duster with energetic efficiency. Then Allie led the conversation around to Elizabeth and the duke.

'Fine people. Not hoity-toity as the Quality often can be,' Mary said, her mobcap swaying as she fluffed the bed pillows. ' 'Course, the whole family is the first water. I've been here at Bradford Hall for twenty years, you know.'

'So you've known the duke and his siblings since they were children.'

'Indeed. Smart as whips, every one of them.' A chuckle passed her lips. 'But the youngest, Lord Robert, now he were a caution, that one. Always gettin' into some sort of mischief. But a more lovable boy ye'd be hard-pressed to find.'

Allie's heart pounded at the conversational opening Mary had unwittingly handed her. Forcing aside the guilt once again nudging her, she said, 'Yes, he's very charming.' She lowered her voice and added in a halting voice, 'Of course, it's too bad… about what happened…'

Molly looked confused for several seconds, then her eyes widened. 'So ye know about the fire?' She made a tsking sound and frowned. 'Can't believe folks still talk about it, it happened so long ago.'

Fire? 'A terrible tragedy,' Allie murmured.

A disgruntled harrumph sounded from Mary. 'Don't care what anyone else says, 'twas a youthful indiscretion gone bad, if you ask me. That boy wouldn't hurt no one on purpose, not ever. And he made all the reparations, just like he promised. 'Course, no one hardly mentions it anymore as it's been four years. And the family don't discuss it at all.'

'Perfectly understandable,' Allie managed to say, her head spinning with Mary's unwitting revelations. Was Robert guilty of some sort of criminal act?

'All's tidy here, Mrs. Brown. I'll leave you now.'

'Thank you, Mary.'

The maid quit the room and Allie pressed her fingers to her temples, where a headache was rapidly forming. Thankfully she was standing close to the wing chair near the fireplace and required only a few jerky steps to sink onto the cushion. Surely she should not feel as if someone had cut her legs off at the knees. Yet she did.

Mary had mentioned a fire. And reparations. What were the details surrounding this incident? And how was Robert involved-for clearly he had been in some way. Something tickled her memory, and she suddenly recalled Robert's odd reaction when Lady Gaddlestone had mentioned a fire during their tea at The Blue Iris. What had he done? A shiver of dread gripped her, and she wrapped her arms around her middle to ward off the sudden chill. Clearly there was more to the man she'd asked to be her lover than she had anticipated. Should she follow Elizabeth's advice and ask him? Did she really want to know the answers? And if she did ask him, would he tell her the truth? Or, like David, would he lie, or evade her questions?

Get a hold on yourself, Allie. It's not as if you're going to marry him. Did his past really matter? The man was her lover. Nothing more. It was not necessary to know every facet of his life.

She drew a deep, calming breath. As long as she kept her heart uninvolved, his past and secrets did not matter. She would allow him to engage her body and nothing else.

*********

Geoffrey Hadmore sat in his usual leather chair in White's. He'd just lifted his brandy snifter to his lips when a commotion near the betting book captured his attention.

'The official announcement arrived from Bradford just this morning,' proclaimed Lord Astley. 'The duchess was delivered of a girl yesterday.' A smug smile curved over Astley's face. 'Lots of money going to be changing hands on that one.'

Geoffrey sipped his brandy and turned a deaf ear to the crowd gathering around the betting book. So the duchess had her baby. Excellent. Everyone's attention at Bradford Hall would be focused on the newest edition, allowing Redfern more freedom to accomplish his task. And allowing Geoffrey himself more freedom to accomplish