Page 50 of His Scandalous Viscountess
The noise of the ball, the music, the dancers, and the conversation that ebbed and flowed around them all faded into silence as his heart ceased to beat. Their gazes locked as the unspoken words hung there between them, like ripe fruit waiting to be plucked.
And then someone bumped into him, and the moment was lost as the chaos around them swept back in, like the tide crashing against the shore.
Worried he’d scare her with a declaration then and there, he opted to send them rushing headlong back down the path to pleasure. He tucked her hand in place and urged her forward. “Then come with me to experience the delights that await us in the garden.”
And with a wicked smile, he drew her away from the crowd, where he could relish her touch, her beauty, and the pleasures of her flesh in relative privacy.
With the tension dissipated, she fell back into his game, her lusty side coming out to play. They strolled along a busy path until they found a branch that led them off into one of the darker corners of the grounds. Then Wolf discovered a stone balustrade that carved a kind of overlook. With a torch nearby to offer some small bit of light, he pressed her against the stone rail.
In the dull glow of the light, her creamy flesh beckoned him to caress her softness. With a single finger, he traced the delicate curve of her collarbones from one side to the other, and she shivered under his touch. Need that had simmered all night began to boil over. His cock hardened and his desire flared. He leaned over her and pressed his lips to the swell of her breasts just above her neckline, savoring the sweetness of her skin. Hungry for more, he tugged down on her bodice until her breasts rode up, freeing a nipple. Eagerly he sucked the puckered tip, relishing her moan as she dug her fingers into his hair.
As he worried the point with his lips and teeth, he eased his hands down to slowly gather her skirts. Then her hands were working with his, as together they wrangled her unwieldy gown until he found smooth skin above the knee. He stroked her leg higher, and shockingly found nothing but more bared skin.
Releasing her nipple, he sought her gaze. “My lady, I believe you have misplaced your knickers.”
“No, I don’t believe I have misplaced them in the slightest. They are right where they belong. At home. In my drawer.”
She offered him a wicked smile, and then reached up with one hand to pull him down into a kiss. She explored his tongue and mouth as though staking a claim, one his cock eagerly accepted.
Concern for her missing clothing vanished as he gave in to the lust that flooded his veins and reached between her thighs to find her core soaked with her own need. Slipping two fingers deep inside her, he absorbed the heat that surrounded him. She was on fire, a living flame in his arms, and he was ready to be consumed.
He pumped his fingers in and out of her, adding a third, and resumed his steady pace. She moaned and ground against his hand. A tremor raced through her body, one that he felt all the way to his bones. Watching her delicate features in the dim light as pleasure chased across her face had his shaft growing longer and harder. He ached to feel her wrapped around him, but his release would wait. She deserved every ounce of bliss he could offer up in this moment.
In any moment.
“Yes, Wolf. Don’t stop.” Her hips bucked, grinding her clit against the heel of his hand as he braced her with his body.
Her climax was close. He could tell by the jerky, uncoordinated motions of her body and the stiffness in her limbs as she struggled to let go. Determined to help her along, he leaned in to her and demanded, “Come for me, Jules. Come now.”
And then he slipped a finger out of her clenching heat and stroked over her swollen clit. She lit up for him, her orgasm arriving in one great rush. Shoving her face into his chest to muffle her cries of passion, he worked her slick flesh until her body gripped his fingers in a vise that pulsed in time with the throb of his erection. As the pulsing slowed, she returned to the present under his gentle caress, even as he worked to keep her desire alive. He needed to feel her wrapped around his cock soon, or he might explode himself. Withdrawing his fingers from her core, he reached for the opening of his trousers, when he suddenly found himself flat on his arse, with a ringing in his ears he could only attribute to the sudden pounding in his head.
Shaking his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts, he regretted that decision instantly. But then Jules’ voice sliced through the muddle and spurred him to action.
“Wolf!” she cried out, fear and panic in her voice.
He looked up and saw a man garbed all in black, trying to drag her away. As she dug in her heels and battered his head with her free hand, the villain grunted and then faced her.
“Hush your blathering, missy.”
The man then took a menacing step toward her, but rather than be cowed, his fiery redhead socked the bastard right in the nose.
Just like Wolf had taught her years ago when they were children.
Sparked to action when the man released her in favor of protecting his face, Wolf jumped to his feet and pummeled his assailant. Fury surged through him as his fists crashed into the hard bones of the man’s face over and over again. But then the darkly clothed man reared up unexpectedly and slammed a fist into Wolf’s gut, causing all the air in his lungs to escape. Yet adrenaline and pure determination pushed Wolf until he cocked his arm back and swung. The blow landed square against the villain’s temple, knocking him out.
By the time he’d subdued the cretin, a small crowd had gathered. Spotting a young boy in rags hovering nearby, he waved him over. With a shilling in his pocket and the promise of a second, the boy was off to retrieve their friends. He refused to either leave Jules or the bastard who attacked her, even for a moment. Hovering over the now-cowering man, Wolf glanced over at Jules, who stood trembling at his side. Reaching out to wrap an arm about her shoulders, he was pleased to see she had found an opportunity to right her clothing before too many people had gathered.
It seemed like hours before Stone, Cooper, and the rest of their group appeared, and even longer for the Metropolitan Police to arrive. By the time the whole mess was sorted out and the uncooperative villain was taken away, there was no doubt in Wolf’s mind that Jules had accumulated another scandal to her credit. There was little doubt that her strolling in the dark gardens of The Crystal Palace—even with her fiancé—would make the rounds. Unfortunately, he doubted greatly that such a scandal would have any impact on Wallthorpe’s determination to marry her, and clearly, he wasverydetermined.
Wolf glanced at Jules, and she looked about as wilted as he felt. It was past time to take her home, so he gathered her in his arms and tipped her face up to his. “You look exhausted. Let me take you home.”
Her green eyes widened. “Home? I don’t think I want to go home right now. I have no desire to be alone.”
Wolf cursed softly, and then turned to the others. “If you all wouldn’t mind finding another way home, I’m going to take Jules with me.” He hesitated, hating to say it, but needing to. “Ros, you’d best come with us as well. I don’t think it’s safe for you to stay alone at your home tonight.”
Flint’s arm curled protectively around Ros. “You’ll take me then as well. I’ll not leave her unprotected while you are tending to Julia.”
There was little chance anyone could have missed the look of relief that crossed Ros’ face as Flint offered his presence. With a nod, the four of them headed off through the gardens to where Wolf’s carriage would be waiting. Many of the spectacle goers had long since left the ball, though some revelers remained. Wolf’s spine tingled and his every sense seemed very much on alert the entire walk to his vehicle. He imagined Flint felt much the same. Once they were settled in his carriage, the tenseness melted from his shoulders, even as his mind began to whirl with questions.
