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EVER SINCE THE INCIDENT with the creditors, Alex had stopped in his pursuit of her. He no longer teased her with his words or lingered with his touch. If not for the heated looks she caught him giving her, she might have thought he had lost interest. Those looks, although brief, were enough to remind her of that night and make her skin grow warm. If he had given her the slightest chance to give in, she would have, but he no longer tried to seduce her. It was as if he had given up.
Three days passed without any kind of intimate contact and Rachel felt she was about to go mad. While Alex was out and Daphne was in her room, enjoying a book, Rachel decided to seek advice from the only person she could think of. That would involve sneaking back into the club, without anyone noticing. Including her father. With the use of a servant’s gown and a well-placed shawl, she managed to get to the club and slip in the back door.
“New employees aren’t allowed back here.” Charity said, only glancing at Rachel while she continued to shake dust from the heavy drapes in Gerald’s office. “If you are here as a maid you are late and if you are here as entertainment you are early.”
“Should I come back later then?” Rachel couldn’t help smiling.
Charity’s head swiveled around to look at Rachel with wide eyes. The maid moved quickly to wrap her arms around her in a hug that was both unexpected and welcomed. The hug ended abruptly and Charity had tears in her eyes.
“I didn’t think I would see you again. Your father said you would not be returning, not even to visit.”
Those words cut deep into her heart.
“He doesn’t want me here, so we must make sure he doesn’t know.” Rachel said.
“Of course. I know how to keep a secret. I’m so glad to see you.”
“You could come to work in my house and see me every day.”
Charity gave her a smile. “I’m not ready to give up my dreams of the stage. One day the boss will give me a chance, I just know he will.”
“Gerald can be very stubborn.”
“You would know.”
As the two of them laughed, Rachel realized there was more about the club she missed than just her fun and games. There were things that had made it a home, including a family here.
“I know you didn’t sneak in here just to offer me a job.” Charity pulled her toward the chairs. “What’s happened?”
"How does a wife seduce a husband?"
The question was blunt, but Rachel could think of no better way to ask it.
“I thought the lord was the one set on seducing you?" Charity asked.
"He was, but now he isn't."
One of Charity’s delicate eyebrows went up.
"Did he fail to... perform?"
Rachel blushed at the insinuation.
"No, nothing like that. He just hasn't made an attempt to bed me recently."
"Does that upset you? I didn’t think you wanted his affection."
Rachel bit her lower lip and tugged at the ribbon tied around her neck. Charity didn't know about the bet, but she knew that Rachel had been against the marriage in the beginning. There wasn’t enough time to give all the details of what had happened since she left. For now she would need to confess that her feelings had changed, at least in regards to the bedroom activities.
"I have decided to fulfill my duties as his wife."
"That's hardly romantic."
"I don't want it to be romantic. I want it to be..." Rachel couldn't find the word she was looking for to describe their moment in the park.
"I see." Charity looked at her as if she could see every thought in Rachel's mind.
"Something happened the other day, that upset him and he hasn't been his usual self."
Rachel didn't want to divulge the details of what happened. She knew that Alex would be mortified if anyone else knew.
“Men can be such sensitive creatures sometimes.” Charity nodded in understanding without asking for more details. "The tiniest bump to their ego and they lose all confidence. Is that what might have happened?"
"Yes, I believe that might be it."
"The only thing to do is to build him back up again. You will have to convince him that he is the man he thought he was before."
"I don't know what that was."
Charity laughed. "He thought he was a charmer, of you and Lady Luck. Remind him that he still is."
That sounded logical, but Rachel had no idea how to go about it.
"Again, I ask, how exactly do I seduce my own husband? I would feel ridiculous if I tried and failed."
“You don't want to be too bold. You want to make him think he's the one in control. Give the man his confidence back." Charity placed a hand on her shoulder. When Rachel looked up, she saw comfort in her eyes.
"I don't know how to do that. I've never wanted to bolster a man's ego. I'm usually playing against it."
"Perhaps we can use your skills to you advantage.” There was a mischievous gleam in Charity’s eyes. “Make a game of it. One where you both can be winners."
They arrived home later that night from another ball and Alex attempted to seclude himself in his study again. Rachel refused to let him hide from her. She followed him to the door, and when he tried to shut it in her face, she pushed her way in.
"I feel the need for some privacy." Alex pointed toward the door. "You can have the rest of the house, but this room is mine."
"Why? Do you do things in here you don't want me to know about?"
"No."
"Why do you need to be private? We are married now. No secrets between husband and wife."
"You don't know much about marriage, then."
Rachel went to the desk and began to casually look around. She shuffled through the papers across the top, and began opening the drawers. One of them held a bottle of brandy and a glass. She guessed he liked to keep it close when he was going over the past-due notices. She pulled them out, set them on the desk, and poured a glass. She kept her eyes trained on him as she drank it.
"You have been neglecting me, husband."
"I thought you would be relieved."
"You are cheating."
Those glittering green eyes narrowed on her. "You think this is about our wager?"
"You are preventing me from getting close to you. That makes it hard for you to fall in love with me."
"That's not what this is about."
"Then explain yourself."
Alex hesitated, then moved to the desk and poured himself a drink. They stood with only the single piece of furniture between them. Their gazes locked, both determined not to flinch.
"We will have to call it a draw. I don't think either of us has the inclination for romance."
"Are you saying you no longer find me attractive?"
Rachel ran her fingertips along the low neckline of her gown, giving it a slight tug. Alex choked on his brandy and his eyes focused on where her skin was revealed. He was thinking of the same moment she was, and that made her pulse flutter.
"No." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I just realized that we might not be good for each other. We started off with a bad situation, and I don't want to make it worse."
"Is this about the money? People in your station get married for the same reason all the time."
"Yes, but they do it without expecting any love." Alex's eyes darkened and his lips turned downward. "I can't have both."
Now Rachel understood what had changed. Alex was punishing himself for the guilt he felt. Her heart was breaking at the self-loathing she could see in his expression. Rachel couldn't remove the source of his guilt since his debts were a very real thing. All she could do was try to convince him that it wasn't enough to keep them apart.
"We will have an amicable marriage. Just two people who enjoy each other’s company."
She took the glass from his hand, letting her fingers brush across his. She saw his nose flare and knew he felt the same tingle she did. She put the glass down on the desk and pulled a deck of cards from the top drawer.
"Do you feel like playing a game?"
"How did you find those?"
"A little birdie told me you liked to practice your card skills when you were feeling anxious. As a way to relax."
"Damn little sisters."
Rachel circled around the desk slowly, knowing that he would be watching her carefully. She tried not to let the tremble of her nerves be seen. She wanted him to think she was completely confident, but in truth, she wasn't at all.
"Are you afraid to lose?"
She stood in front of him now, close but not close enough. His scent surrounded her, like a mixture of masculine musk and brandy. It made her want to lean in to get a deeper breath of it, but she worried she might not finish what she started if she did that. She needed to keep something dangling in front of him if this was going to work.
"I didn't lose the last time we wagered."
"Why not go again?"
She watched as he wet his lips, she licked her own so he could enjoy the view. She was letting him know that she was ready to match him move for move this time.
"Come on. Play with me." She held the cards out to him.
She watched the struggle he had with himself play out across his dark features. Those emerald eyes were focused on her with such intensity it made her skin burn. After what seemed like an eternity, he took the cards and motioned to a small table between two chairs. She took one seat and he took the other. There was plenty of space between them, but that didn't stop the way Rachel's body felt his presence.
"What are we playing?" Alex asked as his long fingers shuffled the cards.
"I was thinking something simple, high card wins."
"That's a short game. What are the stakes?"
"Clothes. We take turns drawing and the low card loses a piece of clothing."
Alex let his eyes roam across her slowly. "You have a lot less to lose than I do."
"I wouldn't be so sure."
Alex was still dressed in his evening clothes, which included quite a few layers. Rachel wore only a single evening gown on the outside, but a woman hid layers of undergarments. She knew she could play for a long time before being fully nude.
"You draw first." she said.
Alex stared at her unflinchingly as he flipped over his card. A Jack stared up at him. Rachel reached over and pulled the next card. It revealed a seven of clubs. She sighed, relieved that she got to be the first to discard clothing. As casually as she could, Rachel lifted the skirt of her gown to show him the length of her legs. Slowly, she unfastened the silk stocking on one and rolled it off. She made a show of dropping it at his feet.
"I see." He said, as he pulled another card. This time he was the low card, and he removed the undone tie from his collar and added it to her stocking on the floor.
"It's going to be a long game."
"I'm in no hurry."
Another turn of the card, and she lost her other stocking. The stakes were going to be getting higher. She got the low card again, and this time she went for the big item and slipped her dress off. It pooled at her feet, and she stood in only the undergarments she showed no one else. She let him get a good, long look before sitting back down.
"Perhaps we should call it a night." Alex cleared his throat. "It's beginning to get chilly in here."
"I feel warm enough."
"Are you sure?"
She followed his gaze to where her nipples were poking through the thin fabric of her chemise above her corset. It wasn't the temperature in the room that had caused that but the heat building inside of her.
“What are you doing?” Alex asked
“Isn't it obvious?”
“I know what you think you're doing but I don't know if you realize why.”
“I'm trying to get what I want.”
“What is it that you want?”
“You know what I want. You.”
“But why?”
“Because no other man can give me what you can.”
“What exactly is it that I give you?”
“Pleasure and satisfaction.”
Rachel expected Alex to help her to her feet, but he lifted her entirely from her chair. Surprising her further, Alex took her to the sofa of the study and not upstairs.
“I don’t think I could stand it, carrying you that far in this state of undress. I might end up taking you in the hallway.” Alex had a devilish smile. “We would scandalize the servants.”
Alex knelt in front of her as she sat on the cushions of the sofa. She couldn’t help but feel exposed. Yet, the glint in his eyes made her feel worshipped as well. That was an intoxicating feeling. He didn’t touch her clothing so she began to remove it and he leaned back to watch the show.
She reached around to loosen the stays and remove her corset, knowing how thin the chemise underneath it was. She made sure to give a good view of her bosom as she leaned over to slid it to the floor. Alex was watching with tension in his jaw; she could tell from the twitch in it. The look in his eyes was hungry and made her skin warm. Their eyes remained locked as she sat up straight and reached for the straps of her chemise.
The pounding of her heart quickened, but she forced her hands to move slowly as they slid the thin fabric down. Alex appeared calm, frozen in place, but she could see the way his throat moved up and down. He was struggling to go as slowly as she wanted him to. That kind of power was a rush.
As the fabric pooled around her waist, her breasts were thrust out with her nipples pointing in his direction. They were so tight that the feel of the air against them made her throb with sensation. For a moment, she and Alex stared at each other, breathing heavily and feeling the room getting warmer. Rachel had never been so aware of her own body, but as Alex looked at her, she felt it reacting.
It wasn’t just her breasts that felt tender, but every inch of her uncovered skin felt a spreading warmth. As he continued to watch, Rachel began running her hands across her own body. First up and down her arms, then across her chest. As his palm brushed across her taut peaks, the sensation made her gasp. That was the last thing she did before Alex lost control and leapt on her.
Alex went for her mouth first, slanting his over hers again and again. Their tongues danced and suckled each other until she no longer knew what part was her and what part was him. Both of them pulled and tugged on his clothes until his bare chest was pressed against her. She ran her fingers along the length of his muscled back, trying to pull him in and eliminate any space between them.
“Tell me to stop.” Alex groaned the words against her lips.
“Why would I do that?”
“If you don’t, I’m going to take you right here and now. I won’t have any apologies about it.”
“Then don’t make me beg for it.”
Alex wasn’t going to argue again and he moved his hands to much more important things. He left a long, wet trail down her neck to where her breasts waited for him. He was in no rush as he lavished each one with his tongue. As he wrapped his lips around one of the peaks and suckled her, Rachel let her head fall back and moaned. She felt him smiling against her skin.
His hands were not idle. He moved them between their bodies. One held her hip while the other slipped between her thighs to find the slit in her drawers. At first, his fingers brushed the delicate hairs with a gentle touch. It wasn’t enough and she rocked her hips forward, moving to reach the edge of her seat. That’s when he cupped her mound with his full hand. He slipped two of his long, slender fingers between the folds. She was warm and wet, slick against him as he stroked her. At first it felt foreign and she tried to move away, but she felt herself getting wetter from the center. She was turning to liquid in his hand as he stroked and stretched her.
Removing his hand from her entrance, Alex unfastened his trousers. She felt the long, hard length of him pressed against her inner thigh. Panic blossomed in her, but Alex was quick to soothe her with a long, deep kiss. Her hips were already tilted at the perfect angle to allow him to slide inside of her. It was tight and her maidenhead resisted for a moment, but then he was sheathed inside of her. Her body stiffened. The discomfort was unexpected.
“Breathe.” Alex whispered in her ear. “Breathe slowly.”
He sucked in air and held it for a moment before exhaling against her neck. She followed him, matching her breathing to his. The discomfort eased and was slowly becoming a restless feeling. Rachel moved beneath him, and Alex shifted his hips to stoke her in the same rhythm as their breathing. It didn’t take long for the pleasure to increase, and the tension came back to her body. It grew with each pounding against the sofa.
“I need more.” Alex groaned, grabbing her hips with both hands and thrusting into her with more speed and strength.
Rachel could only wrap her arms around his shoulders and cling to him as they both rode out the wave of passion. She felt a volt through her nerves, causing her to shatter beneath him. He shuddered his own release and fell against her, their damp bodies sticking together.
"I feel good." Not fine, but better than that. He made her feel good with his attention, like a cup of warm chocolate that was far too luxurious but hard to resist. "Care to check for yourself?"
The flare of his nose told her that he knew exactly what she meant and he wanted it. He wanted to touch her, and as she thought about those hands of his on her body, she felt the heat growing inside her again.