Chapter Five

He pivoted around; his lips pressed into a thin line. "You are the last person in the world I would trust to assist me."

"You don’t mean it, not after what just passed between―"

He pinned her with a lethal glare. "Nothing passed between us, other than an act of sex between a man and a woman.

‘Roane, please..."

He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Have you any idea how many nights I dreamed of this moment?" A sarcastic snort escaped him. "However, in my dream, love and kindness existed between us."

"It’s there, I feel it still," she said, fighting back tears.

Without pretense, he jerked her toward him and lowered his mouth to an erect nipple. The moment his lips made contact with her flesh, bliss enveloped her. She stifled a moan, and clung to his shoulders for fear of toppling over.

A limp rag in his arms would best describe her. From the moment they entered the library, she had fallen back into his seductive web. She had loved him all along, never Pitt, but he would never understand or listen to her now. Eroded by some demon she knew nothing about, she could do nothing to sway him. He saw her as the enemy, a traitor, who fell into another’s arms the moment he left.

He wouldn’t believe her, wouldn’t listen to her sad tale of how she almost died over losing him. She acquiesced to Pitt’s proposal, but only because everyone, including her parents, had convinced her she must get on with her life. "Roane is gone," her mother had said. "He wouldn’t want you to throw your life away too."

If nothing else made sense in this utterly mad world, her mother’s words rang true. ‘Roane would want you to carry on, build a life without him.’ She had agreed to marry Pitt because she no longer cared who she married. When Roane died, they buried her heart with him.

His mouth moved to the other nipple and a rush of moisture oozed from her sex. Indescribable sensations pitched her into a raging sea of ecstasy. In over her head, she was going down for the third time. She no longer cared what he did to her as long as he claimed her. She ached with need, would do anything to have him possess her.

Everyone present tonight had seen him yank her through the ballroom. Her reputation lay in tatters now, and rather than launch into hysterics, she felt giddy, head over heels in love with Roane Bradfield.

"Tell me you want me, Kendrick. Ask me to fuck you."

Her head swam. She did want him, more than anything but how could she say such uncouth words, beg him like a wanton?

Anger rolled off him in waves. "Say it, or I swear I’ll walk out of this room, leave you to face the gossipmongers alone."

"I want you, Roane."

"Not good enough," he murmured against her taut nipple. "Ask me to fuck you. I dreamed of it, thought of hearing those words from your lips day and night."

"Please, fuck me, Roane."

Digging his fingers into her shoulders, he spun her around and pushed her down until half her body draped the front of the settee. Everything from the waist down was clearly visible to him. No one had ever seen her naked excerpt perhaps her nanny. She couldn’t squelch the shivers plaguing her body. The silence in the room added to the licentious thoughts storming through her mind. She heard only his harsh breathing, imagined him admiring every inch of her naked flesh. The image seared in her brain sent her flesh quivering anew.

Dear God, why didn’t he say something, touch her? How long did he intend to keep her spread out like a rag doll for his visible enjoyment? No sooner had the question left her mind when a loud scuffle near the hearth echoed in the room. Kendrick gasped and died a thousand deaths as the seconds ticked by. Had someone been in the room from the beginning? Had they heard and seen everything that had passed between her and Roane? She wanted to die; hoped God would strike her dead here and now.

Immense relief flooded her when an orange tabby jumped from the floor to a windowsill.

Behind her, Roane also released a long sigh. "Christ, Calypso! You were the one who left the door ajar for us."

Calypso? Why did the cat’s name ring familiar? She had heard it somewhere, but where? Oh, she couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. Events were happening so fast, nothing made sense. Something about the feline unnerved her. With every cell in her body on fire, she cast thoughts about the cat aside.

Without pause, he pulled her legs apart. Again the seconds ticked by in slow motion. Every muscle in her body tensed and she imagined her cheeks flaming two shades above crimson. What did Roane intend to do now? If the cat’s sudden appearance hadn’t killed her, the suspense soon would.

Kendrick felt a strong hand press down on the hollow of her back, and next, another hand spread the cheeks of her bottom. Oh, mercy, he meant to take her from behind. She had seen it countless times among her father’s steeds and fillies, but didn’t imagine a man would take a woman in this manner.

She recalled the size and length of his manhood and a ripple of fear stiffened her spine. He would never fit; it wasn’t possible. And yet, Roane had never harmed her. No matter how angry he appeared right now, she refused to believe he would hurt her.

Wicked chills overtook the fear scudding along her vertebrae. His intent to take her like a stallion became evident when she felt his hot, hard shaft nudge her anus. He clasped the side of her hips with both hands and eased in an inch. Kendrick attempted to wriggle out from under him, but he held her firm.

"Take a deep breath, beauty. Let me in. I promise you’ll like this."

Beauty. He had called her by his pet name again. A fierce hunger ran through her body, spreading like molten lava to every limb. She should fight him with everything she had, but she couldn’t. So strong was her yearning for him to claim her this way nothing else mattered. She canted back, wanting more, faintly aware of a keening moan from her mouth as Roane drove into her. It hurt and yet a pleasure she never dreamed of devoured her. She had never imagined such a feeling—both sensations melding until she didn’t know pain from bliss.

He moved with precise rhythm, pushing in and almost withdrawing, reminding her of a strong, powerful beast in total control of his prey. How she wanted to see his face; imagined it taut with passion, head back, jaw clenched. Kendrick bit her lip against the raging storm consuming her. Some unnamed fire lay just beyond her grasp, so intense yet fragile she didn’t know how to catch it. And didn’t want to lose it.

Fingers found the nub of her sex, the friction sending her spiraling out of control. "Did your precious Pitt take you like this?" His fingers continued their exploration while he rammed into her from behind. "Did he, Kendrick, tell me?"

Incapable of speech, she shook her head.

He drove two fingers inside her sex and she jerked as a bolt of rapture shook her head to toe. "Tell me again you intend to marry Fleming. I want to hear you say it as you did before."

Mindless with need, she didn’t know how to answer. What did he want from her? An apology, a confession she had made a horrendous mistake in thinking Pitt could reduce her to marmalade as Roane could? She wanted to weep for all the injustice, the irony; wail her heart out because she had hurt Roane much more than she thought possible.

She cried out when he withdrew his manhood. He wouldn’t dare leave her wanting so, would he? This couldn’t be over. So close. She had been so close. A rush of air left her lips when she glanced over her shoulder and saw him pull a handkerchief from his pocket. Dear Lord, was he wiping his manhood? She wanted to strangle him. How dare he take her with such brutality and... and leave her dying for more.

"Pitt never touched me," she cried, acutely aware of the tears flowing from her eyes. Not tears of pain, but of anger, confusion and pity for the man who held her heart. "I know you won’t believe me but it’s always been you Roane."

He flipped her over and settled her on the rim of the settee as if she weighed no more than a dust mite. Grasping her hips again, he pulled her toward him. She felt his cock push against the wet, eager folds of her tunnel. "Oh, please, let me prove to you he never touched me, never…."

Ignoring her plea, he lifted her chin with a finger. "You liked the way I just took you, didn’t you?"

God, he would make her beg. So be it. She wanted him that much, would do anything to end this torment. "Yes, I liked it."

"I took you there because I knew Fleming would never dare breach that barrier, isn’t that right, beauty?"

"He didn’t, wouldn’t," she said on an anguished sob. "He never took me there. Never took me at all."

"If you lie to me, I’ll walk away from you." His eyes burned with misery, and yet the underlying threat in his tone shook her to the core. "Forever. Do you understand, Kendrick?"

She licked the tears from her lips. "Please, Roane, by all that is holy. I’m not lying to you." She didn’t care anymore about anything except Roane taking her down a road of no retreat. Yes, she would admit it. If he took her now, no one would expect her to marry Pitt. She didn’t care who knew, cared not one whit about her reputation right now. The words slipped from her lips before she could recall them. "Fuck me, please. I want you, Roane, only you."

She whimpered when he yanked her toward him and slipped inside her. The sensation was incredible. Inch by slow inch he entered her and soon met a barrier. Her body tensed, waiting for him to plunge through.

His hands left her hips and cupped her face, his eyes wide. "You’re virginal still?"

"Yes," she said, her tears falling freely now. "For you." Her body quivered, whether from joy or anticipation she didn’t know. Maybe both.

He braced both arms on the settee. "I’m sorry, so sorry. This will hurt at first. Tell me to stop right now and I will."

"I shall run you through with the poker iron if you stop Roane Bradfield."

He searched her face and shook his head. "I was so sure you and Pitt―"

"Are you going to talk me to death or fuck me?"

"Fuck you." He chuckled and eased in deeper.

Kendrick cried out when a stab of pain shot through her.

Remaining perfectly still, he soothed the hair at the side of her head. "Sorry, beauty, I’m so sorry."

She drew several deep breaths through her mouth and within moments, the pain subsided. Feeling rather smug that the tides had finally turned to him groveling at her feet rather than vice versa, she whispered, "No, you are not sorry, Roane. You intended all along to discover the truth. Isn’t that true?"

He placed his forehead against hers. "Yes, and I don’t know what I would have done if-if you and Pitt―"

"Love me, please, just love me. It’s been so long since I held you in my arms."

"Can you take more?"

"She wanted more, desperately, but even if she didn’t, how could she deny him? His eyes held so much torment and anguish she could barely look into the glistening depths. He must know she would crawl to the moon and back for him. After what had transpired today, how could he not?

"I want you, all of you."

He surged forward and buried his cock completely. The pain had receded, replaced by that elusive ecstasy she had almost attained before. The hunger returned, a craving so acute, she thrashed and undulated against him. This time she would grasp that golden ring and hold on tight. Roane rocked into her gently, nothing like before.

His hands found her hips again and he moved in and out, the magical rhythm hurtling her into euphoria. Cascades of shimmering lights obscured her vision. A desperate, high-pitched hum echoed in the room. Hers? God, what had he done to her; where had he sent her? To paradise, that’s where. Even her toes curled. Mewling like a cat, she arched her hips into him, hoping to remain in this wondrous state forever. Wave after wave of rapture poured over her. She wondered if she might die from it.

Above her, Roane pushed in deeper and his back went rigid. He growled and ground his hips against hers. Warm spurts filled her womb and she delighted in the sensation. She wanted nothing more than to bear his child, a testament to this fierce love between them.