Lord Wastrel Read online

  Lucinda seemed to barely hear him. She twisted around to find Felicia, who nodded, as if in reassurance.

  “Papa,” Lucinda said as Felicia left. “I want to ask you something.”

  “Anything,” he said without hesitation. “Tell me what is on your mind.”

  His eyes flicked towards Felicia, admiring the view of her walking towards the musicians. He felt a moment’s envy when she smiled up at the conductor, knowing from the man’s spellbound gaze just what it felt like to be the focus of her beautiful visage.

  He was a lucky man. Anyone who had Felicia was the luckiest man on the face of the earth. He nearly lost his ability to breathe when she turned at that moment, smiling at him. She was the embodiment of beauty, and love, and everything he had ever wanted in life.

  Before he could examine that further, the musicians struck up a waltz tune. He thought at first they were warming up, but then the conductor glanced his way, smiling.

  Hugh clucked his tongue at his daughter. “You and Felicia have been conspiring, haven’t you?”

  She nodded, confirming his suspicions. “I want you to dance with me. That is what I wanted to ask you.”

  “I will be delighted to dance with you, poppet.”

  He twirled her around in his arms, treasuring her breathless smiles, her delighted face the only thing he could see as the rest of the ballroom blurred behind her. He took several turns around the room and then stopped, not wanting to disorient her. She continued to giggle, overflowing with happiness, making her joy spill right into his heart.

  He turned until he could see Felicia, standing next to the conductor. She was beaming, as filled with joy as he was. He thought his heart only had room for one, but he had been wrong. Felicia had made space there too, and he realized how empty he had been—

  “Papa, my tummy does not feel so good.”

  Her stomach erupted, leaving its mark on the front of his waistcoat.

  ***

  Felicia tucked Lucinda into her bed, stroking her hair and watching as she fought to stay awake. “You will feel better once you have gone to sleep,” she said, even knowing the willful child was too much like her to follow the advice, good as it was.

  Lucinda nodded, obviously exhausted. Her eyelids drooped, but she instantly opened them. “I wanted to make sure you were still here.”

  Felicia leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Lucinda’s cheek. “I promised I would stay until you fell asleep.”

  “Where is Papa?”

  “He shall return in a moment. It takes a while to undress and re-dress.” She smiled before whispering, “I think it takes men longer than it does women nowadays.”

  “I did not mean to get sick.” Lucinda’s lower lip trembled. “I love Papa. I do not want him to be mad at me.”

  “Oh, he is not mad! No one could be mad because your stomach suffered an upset.”

  Felicia could see the tears welling in the little girl’s eyes, and knew there were sobs likely to follow. Desperate measures were called for. She stood up from the chair next to the bed and climbed under the covers. She tucked the little girl under her arm, holding her and rocking her slightly.

  “There. Does that feel better?”

  “Yes,” Lucinda answered, her voice soft.

  Felicia knew better than anyone how hard it was to deal with the discomforts of life without a mother’s comforting embrace. She was glad she could provide Lucinda with that, to add to the love that Hugh showered on her each day.

  She continued to rock her, humming a lullaby, a soothing tune designed to lull her into sleep despite her valiant efforts at resisting. A sudden twitch let Felicia know the little girl could fight sleep off no longer. She pressed another kiss on Lucinda’s ear.

  “I love you so much. I promise I will always take good care of you. As well as your Papa, even though he resists me so.”

  A rustling noise startled her, and she glanced toward the door. Her face heated when she saw Hugh standing there, elegant in his newly-changed evening attire. Had he heard her bold words? She halfway hoped he had heard her confession. She feared he would always view her as Flighty Felicia, never giving her the opportunity to prove she had changed her ways.

  His expression softened as he continued to gaze upon the two of them. His lips finally lifted into a slow smile, and Felicia’s heart thundered at the sight. It was as if he had at last realized they were indeed a family, as if they had been the parents of this child from the very beginning.

  He headed towards her, his pace slow yet deliberate. She felt the fluttering in her stomach, the same as when she had first realized she was in love with him, that sense of something momentous about to occur.

  She kept her eyes on him, watching him advance, and then she removed her arm from underneath Lucinda. Fortunately the girl was so exhausted she did not wake. Instead she turned over and sighed, knowing somehow all was well in her world, especially with her parents.

  When Hugh reached the side of the bed, he held his hand out. Felicia clasped it. His skin was so warm, and smooth, making her imagine what the rest of his skin would feel like when she could finally touch him completely.

  “As much as I would prefer to stay here,” Hugh whispered, “we do have guests downstairs.”

  He helped her rise from the bed, holding her close once she was on her feet. His lips hovered over hers, as if asking permission, even though her downcast eyes and parted mouth should have told him how much she needed his kiss just then. His breath brushed against her mouth, his chest lifting with each inhalation, pressing against the front of her thin silk dress.

  “You seem determined to make me forget we have guests downstairs,” she murmured.

  She felt his mouth turn up into that beautiful smile she adored. She gripped his arms, to keep from falling to the floor in a heap. Her knees did not seem to have the strength to hold her upright when he smiled at her like that.

  Instead of kissing her, he spun her around so that her back was flush against his front, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. He dotted tender kisses along the side of her neck, sending shivers through her entire body.

  “Hugh,” she whispered, not sure if she was pleading for more, or asking him to halt. He seemed to know the answer, however, for he continued pressing his heated lips against her overheated skin.

  Yet, as arousing as it was, it was also reassuring. They gazed at their sleeping daughter, while he said, with his kisses, how much he cared for her, his wife. Her breath caught, and she had to struggle to breathe, overcome with the emotion just then.

  “Shall we go?” Hugh asked softly, not taking a chance on waking Lucinda.

  Felicia turned in his arms, facing him, not quite ready to leave this delightful intimacy. “I suppose we should.”

  She expected him to drop his arms, but instead he tightened them and began walking them towards the door. Felicia giggled, burying the noise in his chest so that she was not the one guilty of waking Lucinda.

  “You are incorrigible,” she whispered. “And in need of a good pinch.”

  She lifted her right hand, her fingers in a distinctive pincher pose.

  “Ah ah ah,” he said under his breath. “Do you want to wake up our daughter right now?”

  “It would not be a concern except you insist on squealing like a sick cat whenever I pinch you.”

  “Felicia,” he said, trying to keep a straight face. “You wound me.”

  “I would like to.”

  This time he could not halt the laughter. He tipped his head back, making Felicia wish his neck was not wrapped in yards of linen, because she had an insatiable urge to nibble on him in the same way he had done to her earlier.

  When they reached the doorway, they both glanced at Lucinda, and, assured she was slumbering peacefully, they finally left, closing the door behind them.

  Hugh leaned against the wall, pulling Felicia tight against his body once more. She had no reason to ever want to leave. In truth, she wriggled closer.


  “Felicia,” he growled. “That is not such a wise choice.”

  “Indeed?” She brushed against him, treasuring the low sound deep in his throat, as well as the instant response from his body. “I like this choice very much.”

  “I do as well,” he admitted, “but since we must return to our guests, the ones you insisted we invite, I suggest we do not engage in this delightful activity just now.”

  She pretended to pout. When she glanced up through her eyelashes to gauge his reaction, the intensity of his gaze startled her.

  “Hugh, perhaps we could, well, you know, before we return—”

  He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the door. “Do not tempt me with that. The very idea of it is too much to bear at this moment.”

  She stroked his cheek, and then let her fingers trail down his shoulder, and across his chest. He opened his eyes and kept them trained on hers the entire time, and it was as if he willed her hand to continue on its quest.

  Her hand slipped down to the front of his silk breeches. She dared to let her fingers outline the hard, full length of him, smoothing her hand over the massive shape.

  “Hugh,” she said, her voice husky now, “is there any chance our guests could entertain themselves for the rest of the evening?”

  His lip curled up in the devilish way she found so arousing. “It would be the height of scandal if we did not reappear.”

  “True. But you know the ton would be disappointed if we did not act in a scandalous fashion once in a while.”

  “I believe you are right.” He gripped her wrist, preventing her from stroking him further. “They can go to the devil, for all I care right now.”

  She grinned. “And where shall we go?”

  He kept his hand on her wrist, and pushed himself away from the wall, leading her towards his bedchamber.

  “Pretty damn close to heaven.”

  Chapter 19

  Hugh stalked towards his bedchamber, unable to think of anything but getting his wife naked, and in bed, as quickly as possible. With his free hand he tugged at his cravat, making short work of it. He was impatient to have Felicia in his arms, without the inconvenience of clothing between them.

  He turned his head to glance at her. It was no surprise that she was grinning, doing her best to keep up with his swift pace. She was as anxious as he was to commence this marriage the way it should have been long ago.

  “Hugh, I must warn you,” she said, her words coming out in little puffs of air. “If you continue at this pace I might be too winded to embark on this venture—”

  The words made him halt in his tracks. She plowed into the back of him. But being Felicia, she wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her luscious breasts into his back. He merely stood there for a moment so that he could enjoy the sensation of her passionate body against his.

  But his spiking desire nearly drove him mad. He spun around, holding her by her upper arms. “Felicia, we have had too many false starts. I cannot abide another one.”

  She gazed at him with rapt attention. She nodded once, and then her tongue darted out to moisten her lips. “I was merely teasing you,” she said. “I was out of breath—”

  He began walking at a more circumspect pace. “I can guarantee you will be out of breath for a great deal of the next few hours.”

  Her response was a delightful tinkling laughter. The sound was so erotic to him. It shot through his entire body, arousing him beyond belief, making it nearly impossible to walk.

  Thankfully they had reached his bedroom door. He yanked it open, holding his hand against it so it did not slam into Felicia as she walked past.

  She strolled into the room while Hugh leaned against the closed door, allowing her a moment to change her mind, praying with every fiber of his being that she would not.

  She walked towards the massive tester bed, her fingers tracing the rich mahogany posts, glancing at him over her shoulder in an extremely inviting way. He pushed away from the door, forcing himself to slow his gait, not wanting his urgency to frighten her.

  But his wife did not frighten easily. She rounded the furthest corner of the bedpost, trailing her fingers across the silk counterpane, continuing to learn everything possible about him by the trappings of his room. He could see how much she enjoyed the sensuous materials. It aroused him, her reaction to the world around her, her curiosity, her heightened senses.

  He closed his eyes briefly, to regain control. It would be the height of irony for this to end before either of them had even disrobed.

  “I can call your maid, if you like.”

  Felicia shook her head, and in the next instant she pulled pins out of the topknot, letting her hair fall in gorgeous waves around her shoulders. Her eyes gleamed. The minx knew how he loved her hair when it was falling freely.

  “Would you like to ring for your valet?”

  “I would prefer you to be my valet.”

  “Then you can be my maid.”

  She rushed over to stand in front of him, eager to commence the seductive proceedings. It took all his strength to not tear at her clothing, ripping it aside so that nothing separated them.

  She made it difficult for him to recall how to conduct a proper seduction.

  Her fingers reached for the buttons of his waistcoat. “Perhaps we should have planned this better,” she said, smiling. “We could have waited until we were both already in our nightclothes.”

  “And where would be the enjoyment in that?” he teased.

  She concentrated on unfastening each button, doing it so slowly he wondered if it were deliberate. When she glanced up at him, her eyes twinkling, he knew for certain she was taunting him with the lack of speed.

  He grit his teeth, praying it would pass for a smile, sucking in his breath each time her fingers brushed against him. When she finally—finally!—removed the last button, he lifted her fingers, kissing her knuckles. Now it was his turn to drive her slightly mad, as she had done for him.

  He lifted her hair, moving it to drape over one shoulder. He leaned forward and kissed the bare skin of her other one. She shivered, tilting her head as if to skitter away from the sensations. He brushed a fingertip across the front of her bodice. Her nipples were hard, and she started, still becoming accustomed to the sensations he produced.

  “Your body responds so deliciously to my touch.”

  This time she shuddered, but he did not give her time to question anything. He turned her, gently, so that her back was facing him. Instinctively she tilted her head downwards, so he could reach the fastenings of her dress.

  “How can I resist?” he murmured. He had resisted his irresistible wife much too long. It was a wonder he had managed it at all.

  His lips traced the line of Felicia’s neck, then dotted little kisses along her spine. He reached for the back of her dress, intending to begin the laborious task of getting her rid of the garment. But it was as if his hands had a mind of their own, for they cupped her breasts instead, and his thumbs rubbed over her taut nipples.

  Felicia’s head dropped back against his chest. He nibbled on her exposed neck, continuing his passionate assault while she moaned and moved against his hands, doing her best to get even more of his touch.

  She arched her back, putting her curvaceous buttocks against his very hard erection. Yet she did not flinch. Instead, she uttered a sound that could only be described as delight. His heart thundered when she rubbed against him more intently.

  “Felicia, you are going to drive me mad,” he confessed.

  “It is only fair, since I am halfway insane now.”

  “Shall I call a halt then?” he teased. He dropped one hand to her stomach, pulling her even more tightly against him. His other hand lightly pinched her nipple.

  “If you call a halt,” she said, her breath erratic, “I shall be forced to—”

  “Pinch me?” He tweaked her nipple at the same time he suckled her skin where her neck dropped into her shoulder. Her skin reacted with goosebump
s, and she shuddered, her knees nearly giving way beneath her.

  Hugh could not wait any longer. He scooped her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss so filled with passion he was glad they were merely a few steps from the bed.

  “We are not very competent valets or ladies’ maids,” Felicia said.

  “No, we are most definitely not qualified for those roles. Remind me to quadruple their salaries on the morrow.”

  He laid her gently on the bed, the same way he had done thousands of times in his dreams, only this moment was even more exhilarating than his paltry imagination had been able to conjure up.

  Unfortunately Felicia was still fully clothed, and he was most of the way dressed too.

  Her eyes twinkled, for she had apparently seen the stricken look on his face when he realized their dilemma.

  “Hugh, I have numerous dresses, so there is no need to worry if something were to happen to this one.”

  “I am not some brute,” he began, but that set her off into peals of laughter, not quite what he had planned for this passionate interlude.

  “No, you are not a brute. Nor are you much of a ladies’ maid.” She got up on her knees, turning away from him. “But you will have to do your best.”

  He gulped. He wanted her completely free of clothing. He was not about to make love to her any other way. He lifted his hand to begin the process of removing every layer, and to his surprise, his fingers trembled.

  He managed to undo several of the fastenings, inwardly cursing the amount of time it took, even though it gave him a much needed opportunity to calm himself. However, he did not want Felicia’s ardor to cool down too much. He stroked her neck, depositing an occasional kiss, murmuring naughty suggestions into her ear.

  When her breasts heaved with her impassioned response, he retreated, returning to the business of undressing her. At last the dress was loose enough that it could be dragged off her shoulders. It pooled at her waist, until they both tugged at it, removing it entirely.

  “I have aged a decade waiting for that to be gone,” she muttered.

  “I am nearly in my dotage as well.”