Page 41 of Vying for a Viscount
“You didn’t need to wait up,” Letitia said as she stepped into the entry.
“I couldn’t sleep, my lady.”
“Thank you for a lovely night,” she directed at Greyson.
Greyson bowed. “You are most welcome, and thank you.” His feet didn’t move until the door closed, and he realized he still stood on her stoop. He made haste to his carriage, practically jumping inside, and knocked on the roof before the door was shut tight. He estimated he had the morning to sleep away before he needed to be back at Club Knight for a Black Knight meeting at one. When his carriage came to a stop outside Danbury Hall, he made quick work of entering the home, running up the stairs and hurrying to his chambers, where he stripped off his clothes. He forgot to take off his boots and hopped over to the bed, his breeches down to his knees, and fell onto his back to catch his breath. Exerting oneself this late in the night or early in the morning, however you looked at it, was a bad idea.
He pushed himself up to a sitting position and tugged off his boots in three tries. His breeches fell off easily now, and he climbed beneath the covers and instantly fell into a deep sleep.
*
After Greyson droppedLetitia off at home, she prepared for bed, climbed beneath the counterpane, and fell asleep a few minutes later.
When she awoke in the morning after a dreamless sleep, she rolled onto her side and faced two windows. The sun was higher in the sky than it usually was when she woke. Then she remembered telling Jane not to wake her. According to the clock on the mantel, it was eleven. Letitia stretched her sore muscles and was surprised by the tenderness between her thighs. But she shouldn’t be, after being with Greyson. Her lips curved into a dreamy smile, and she almost giggled. She, Marchioness Rutherford, had made love with Viscount Greyson, and it was amazing—more than she could ever have envisioned. And oh, the things he did to her!
When he entered her, she felt as though they were made for one another. Their bodies meshed and became one. When Rutherford had bedded her, she’d enjoyed it, yet she’d always felt unconnected to him. They remained separate, though joined. She had found pleasure with her husband, but nothing compared to what transcended between her and Greyson. They tumbled off the precipice as one, soared through the universe, and returned as one, stronger and more in tune with each other than before. As she fell asleep in his arms, she felt treasured. And when he called hermy love, she almost melted at his feet.
Realizing she needed to get up and start her day, even though she wanted to stay in bed and dream about Greyson, she threw off the covers, padded behind the screen to attend to her morning ritual, and rang the bell for Jane as she passed it. Then she entered her dressing room, washed up and wrapped herself in a robe, left the room to find Jane opening the curtains.
“Good morning, my lady,” Jane said. “Would you care to dress before breakfast? I ordered a tray brought up to the family drawing room.”
“Yes, a simple day dress will be fine. I’m not planning on going out.”
“Yes, my lady.” Jane entered the dressing room and returned holding a green dress.
After Jane helped her into her clothes, brushed and styled her hair into a simple braid, she dismissed her. “Thank you, Jane. That will be all.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Letitia left her chambers right after Jane. But unlike Jane, who went down the stairs, she went down the hall to the family drawing room. A fire was blazing, taking the chill out of the relatively small, cozy sitting room. Her breakfast tray had already arrived. She sat on her favorite dark-pink-and-cream-flowered settee and poured tea into a cream china cup with a saucer with the initialRin gold. She sweetened it with sugar and added a splash of milk. Leaning against the back of the settee, she closed her eyes and sipped her warm tea. Just the temperature she liked. With her eyes still closed, she envisioned being naked in bed with Greyson again—something she wished to happen very soon.
Chapter Fourteen
Greyson lay onhis back, awake long before Dalton entered the room through the dressing room door and threw open the curtains, letting in the sunshine. He swung his arm up and covered his eyes, which didn’t enjoy the sudden brightness of the room.
“Good morning, my lord,” Dalton said as he went back into the dressing room and returned carrying a breakfast tray. The strong aroma of coffee made him smile as he inhaled his favorite morning scent. He placed the tray by his favorite overstuffed chair, facing the hearth, where the embers had long since died.
No need for a fire this morning, with the sun’s rays filtering in through the windows. Tossing off his covers, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up, clearing his throat. “Please have Whisky brought around at half twelve.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Greyson stood, picked up his buckskin breeches from last night, and stepped into them. He moved to his favorite comfortable chair and sank into it, picked up his coffee with a dash of sugar, took a sip, and relaxed back with a moan. “That tastes good.”
“I’m glad. Would you like me to lay out your riding clothes?”
“Please.”
“There is hot water and clean linens for washing. Is there anything else I can do for you, my lord?”
“One thing, Dalton. Send a note to Heartstone’s Hothouse and have two dozen red roses delivered to Lady Rutherford.”
“Right away, my lord.”
When the door closed behind Dalton, Greyson savored his coffee, picturing Letitia’s face as she found her pleasure. The soft moans escaping her lips, the wonder in her soft blue eyes. The vibration of her body as her legs wrapped around his hips. Magical. They’d experienced magic together.
His hand pressed against the bulge in his breeches, and he decided a change of subject was in order if he was to prepare for his upcoming meeting. Once he finished his coffee, he picked up his breakfast plate of poached eggs on toast and sausage. He devoured the food. He returned the empty plate to the tray, stood, raised his arms over his head, and stretched his tight muscles to prepare for a long day with many more to come, given his assignment to Bristol. He prayed all would go well and that no one would be hurt. He often wondered if Prinny had any idea how hard it was to keep the peace. He pitted the Black Knights against his seasoned Dragoons, yeomanry, or infantry soldiers. Not to mention the local militias, who inevitably showed up trying to keep their towns safe. Greyson didn’t understand why the Prince Regent didn’t tell all of them to stand down and let the Black Knights take control. He supposed it must be because the Black Knights didn’t exist, and he wanted to keep it that way.
And he hated leaving town now that he was courting Letitia most seriously. He felt as if he were deserting her again. Knowing there was nothing he could do about it, he washed up and dressed in his riding clothes. He tied his own cravat in a simple knot and tugged on his boots. He would be lost without Dalton, but he preferred to dress himself when he could.
