After a night of hiding in her chamber, eating with only Merritt as company and retiring to bed early so she could hide away from all that had happened in that long day, Vanessa couldn’t sleep. She stared up at the canopy of the bed above her and let out a long sigh.
“Perhaps a book would help,” she murmured to herself, and got up, pulling a wrap around her shoulders and heading into the silent hallway. The house was asleep now and she drew a long breath. She trusted Merritt, as well as Egerton and Peter Reid. And she liked Benedict a great deal. Warwick had said little to her, but he had defended her to her parents and not blamed her, himself. So she knew she was safe, at least physically, during her time here.
But the future still felt so very blurry. Dark. Frightening.
“Stop,” she murmured, and stepped from the last step into the hallway downstairs. She flexed her hands open and shut, trying to get them to stop tingling. She was focused on that when she reached the library and pushed the door open a fraction.
She came to a complete halt at what she saw inside. Merritt was there, sprawled on the settee, a book on the floor beside her. But she wasn’t alone. Peter Reid was perched between her legs, his tongue working her sex. Merritt’s head rested on Egerton’s lap and she was sucking his cock with long, smooth strokes. Egerton gripped a hand on the back of Peter’s head, guiding him in pleasuring Merritt, but also toying with his hair as he watched and moaned.
Peter lifted his head and smiled. “Do you want to taste her?”
Egerton nodded with a groan, and Peter leaned up over Merritt to kiss the marquess passionately.
Vanessa was frozen, but then she realized what she was doing, standing there, intruding on a very private moment, and becoming aroused at the sight of it. She pivoted to rush from the doorway and crashed into the very firm chest of Benedict Norfolk. He was watching past her into the room and caught her arms to steady her. Their eyes met. His were dilated with desire but he said nothing, just covered her mouth with one hand and shut the door silently with the other.
He drew her down the hall, into the next open room. There was no fire within, so it was lit only by moonlight. They stood in a beam of it together, her looking up into his face as he drew his hand away from her mouth.
“I-I wasn’t trying to spy,” she whispered.
He shook his head. “I didn’t think you were.”
“What you must think of me,” she whimpered. “After everything that happened today and now this.”
She moved to walk around him, but he caught her hand, holding her in place. “I think we both stumbled into something we weren’t meant to see. It’s not your fault.” He looked down her body and she was certain he could see her puckered nipples through her nightrail and thin dressing gown. His breath exited his lungs in a ragged sigh.
“Benedict,” she murmured.
“What do you need?” he asked.
She swallowed hard. “What—what do you mean?”
He reached up and traced her cheek with his fingers. “I’ve watched you since the first moment Arthur announced you would be his bride. I couldn’t help it, even if it was wrong. And right now what I’d like to do more than anything is give you what you need.”
She glanced toward the door. “I want…I want to feel wanted,” she whispered, uncertain why the honesty had slipped from her lips, but not wanting to take it back.
His eyes went wide. “Wanted,” he repeated.
She nodded.
“Like that?” he asked, nudging his head toward the door. He meant like Merritt had been wanted.
She shut her eyes, her mind creating errant images of being the woman at the center of such desire. “Yes,” she whispered. “But I…I couldn’t ever get one man to want me, at least not beyond a short while, let alone hope for two.”
He stepped closer and his body heat was like a cloak in the cold room. She lost her breath as his hand moved to cup her chin and he tilted her face toward his. He lowered his lips slowly, as if giving her a chance to refuse him. To step away from this.
She couldn’t. Her legs trembled as his mouth covered hers, gentle at first, then with more passion. His tongue traced her lips and she reached up to rest her hands on his shoulders. He tilted his head and then his tongue was inside, tasting and teasing. She met him thrust for thrust, moaning as sensation seemed to rush through her like water in a river.
He tugged her harder to his solid chest, wrapping his arms around her, letting her feel him from shoulder to groin. She wanted more. She wanted what she’d seen Merritt have. She wanted hands on her and mouths on her and someone to look at her like she was the center of the world. She wanted to have what the naughty books Merritt had shared claimed that one could find.
She wanted it all right now so that pleasure would wipe out the pain of the rest of the day. But he didn’t push further, even though she felt the throb of his hard cock against her leg through his clothing.
He pulled away from her and shook his head. “Don’t be so sure of that, Vanessa.” He took her hand. “Come now, it’s late and you’ve had a very long day. I’ll take you upstairs and leave you before we do something we both regret tomorrow.”
“You would regret it?” she whispered.
“If you only did it because you were upset and angry and needing to forget, yes. I think I would. I do want you to know, though, that you are very much wanted. And not just by me.”
She blinked, uncertain she knew what he meant. She released his hand. “I’ll—I’ll take myself upstairs. Thank you…thank you for today, and for this. Whatever happens next, I do appreciate it.”
