Astrid had a half-mile walk and four flights of stairs to consider what she was doing, but she couldn’t think of a better choice than to take Eli Rutledge to her bed, right then. They walked mostly in silence, neither willing to break the spell. When they finally reached her flat, she fumbled with the lock on her door before sliding it home and stepping inside.
When she turned to him, she knew at once he was having second thoughts. He leaned against the closed door, hands in his trouser pockets, looking around as if he hadn’t seen the flat a few days earlier. Hands on her hips, she waited for him to process whatever protest he was considering. At last he said, “Astrid, are you sure about this?”
“Yes. Are you?”
“One night.” He held up a finger for emphasis.
She nodded, managing not to roll her eyes. “One night.”
“Then back to business.” He ran a hand through his hair, as he always seemed to do when he was nervous.
“All work and no play, just the way you like it.”
He ignored her comment, seeming to steel himself, his shoulders tensing and then relaxing, as if he were preparing for some great test. “All right.”
When he turned to her again, all trace of his restraint vanished. He stepped into her, pressing her back against the closed door, his own body flush against hers as he kissed her again. Astrid felt arousal running through her as his mouth moved seamlessly from her lips to her jaw and up to her ear, nipping at the tender skin of her earlobe and whispering into her ear, “God, I want to fuck you so badly.” Hearing the prim, proper Eli Rutledge whisper “fuck” in that low voice made her legs wobbly. She’d thought she’d be leading the way, but he kissed as if he was well-versed in it, and she could feel her body yielding. His breath felt hot against her ear and neck as he slid his mouth down to her throat. She’d forgotten the thrill of a rough beard against her skin.
As Eli dipped his tongue into the hollow of her throat, Astrid leaned her head back against the door, hands reflexively clutching his shoulder blades. He nipped her collarbone, first gently, then harder, making her moan. Yes, wherever he had learned to do this, he was definitely not new at it. Eli’s hand slid from her back to the curve of her ass, then down to her thigh before he hitched one of her legs up over his hip and drew her up on tiptoes. His erection rubbed her clit through the thin fabric of her skirt, the friction enough to wring another gasp from her. Yes, more of that. She pressed against him, riding him through his trousers, wanting to prolong the sensation.
When he stepped back, she moaned at the loss of contact, but he was only drawing her farther into the room, his lips returning to hers. “Where is your bed?” he asked against her mouth.
It only took a minute to drag him into the bedroom and push him down onto the bed and straddle him, her skirt riding up her thighs. He ran his hands up beneath her skirt and stopped when he found skin, his face lighting up with a smile. “This is what you wear to our workshop? No underthings?”
“I’m a fan of convenience.”
His fingers played with the upper edge of her stockings, fingering her garters, and she shifted slightly to press down against his hardness again, looking for that delicious friction. The pressure wrung a moan from him, his fingers tightening almost painfully against her legs. So he liked that, did he? She leaned down to kiss him and rocked her hips forward, feeling his cock twitch in his pants.
Eli drew back from the kisses to look at her, really look at her, in a way that made Astrid flush all over her body. He scooted back until he was sitting up against her headboard, gaze skimming her body as she moved forward with him. When was the last time someone had looked at her that way, with pure, unbridled lust? She felt dizzy and hot all over beneath his direct gaze. “Let’s slow things down,” he murmured, voice husky, and traced a finger down the front hooks of her corset. “I want to watch you take this off.”
Eli’s eyes followed the movement of her fingers as she unhooked each hook and eye, finally letting the whole corset fall behind her. Her blouse was loose and almost sheer, and his hungry gaze roamed over her breasts visible beneath it. Before he could reach up to touch her, she began unbuttoning the coat he still wore and pushed it down off his shoulders, then moved on to his vest and starched high-collared shirt.
Astrid could feel Eli’s breathing quicken as her fingers brushed his chest, unfastening each button, his white undershirt soon the only garment between his skin and her touch. It had been a long time since she’d touched a man like this, and after she slid his shirt down off his shoulders, she ran both hands up his arms. The tight muscles moved beneath her hands, his forearms sinewy with lean strength.
Before she could capitalize on her advantageous position, Eli lifted her off him and slid out from under her. He took a moment to remove his own shoes and set them aside. Then he knelt down in front of her and began unfastening her boots. His eyes didn’t leave hers as he slid her boots off, his fingers tracing down the stockings that covered her calves. She’d never considered boot-removal sexy before, but when he placed a kiss on the inside of her knee, she had to press her lips together to stifle a moan.
Still kneeling, Eli took hold of the hem of her blouse and pulled it up and over her head. Astrid lifted her hips to allow him to slide her skirt off, the action leaving her naked except for her stockings and garter belt. Eli exhaled in a long, slow, measured way as he stared, taking her in, his gaze raking over her body. How could a man’s stare make her come undone as if he were touching her? She let him look, lying back on the bed and enjoying the naughty feeling of having him watch her. She propped her head up on one arm and draped the other arm across her stomach.
“You look…God, you look fucking incredible.” The timbre of his voice made her throb. He lay down next to her, still mostly clothed, and brought his mouth again to hers.
Eyes closed, Astrid yielded to the incredible feelings as Eli began stroking his palm across her breasts, touching each in turn, cupping them reverently. His touch felt gentle, cautious, and when he brushed his thumb across one nipple, the contact was so light she barely felt it. Before she could ask for more, though, he pinched harder, then harder still, gauging her reaction and swallowing her moan with his lips. Then he bent his head to her breast.
Fuck, he was really good at this. Astrid clutched his scalp as he bit and sucked at her nipples, sending sharp bursts of pleasure through her. His lips and teeth moved with practiced ease, worrying the sensitive flesh until she began to squirm beneath him.
She felt his smile against her skin. “Take it easy.” Opening her eyes, she watched Eli pull off his undershirt, revealing a muscular chest dusted with dark brown curls. As she reached up to lightly flick one of his nipples with her fingertip, Eli caught her hand in his. “Not yet. I’m not through with you.” Before she could reach out to him again, he moved to sit between her legs, parting them gently but firmly. At his insistent gaze, Astrid felt herself growing even wetter, the indecency of their situation making her more aroused. This man seemed completely different from the Eli who shied away from her in their workshop. How had she ever thought him to be a prude?
Astrid couldn’t help but gasp when he pressed his fingertip against her clit, already feeling the spasms of pleasure that curled her toes against the comforter. A tiny part of her brain registered their earlier conversation and was able to note the irony, since he seemed no stranger at all to the clitoris, nor to any of her other parts, either.
He began to rub her clit in small circles. “Feel good?”
How was she supposed to speak coherently if he kept doing that? “Mmm,” she managed, a murmur that turned into a moan as he dipped one finger into her, then a second.
“Seems like someone likes this.” He slowly stroked his fingers in and out, curling them up on each stroke to press inside her, and she could do nothing but ball her fists in the blankets and try not to pant. How the hell did he know how to do this? Someone had taught him, and she wanted to thank whomever it had been.
When he withdrew both fingers to slide them into his mouth, she nearly lost her mind. None of the men she’d been with ever wanted to taste her, but the intimacy of the act made her quiver. She wanted to touch him, now, to return the pleasure, but when she went to sit up, he pushed her back down.
“Not yet. I said I’m not finished here.” With a few quick flicks of the wrist, he unfastened her garter belt, and the ease with which he did so belied any of his earlier conservative behavior. Eli Rutledge, for all his apparent prudishness, had definitely done that more than a few times before. She put the thought aside as he rolled the stockings down, revealing her knees, calves and feet. He then ran his hands slowly up her legs, tracing her skin with his fingertips, his hands lingering on her inner thighs. She could feel herself quivering with anticipation when he drew his finger up through her folds again, her body trembling beneath his touch, knew from his smile that he could feel it too. Then, bending down, he kissed her stomach right above her curls, and she bit her lip in anticipation.
“Has anyone ever done this for you before?”
She should probably tell the truth; a man with his head between her legs definitely deserved that. “No man has.”
When he caught her meaning, he drew back, his eyes widening as he smiled. “I see. I imagine your standards are fairly high, then?” With just a fingertip, he brushed against her again, and she arched reflexively as her head fell back. Fuck, get on with it, already. She felt taut with anticipation.
“Just…just…” She waved her hand in a “go on” motion, and he smiled before lowering his mouth to her.
The first touch of his lips felt light, delicate, almost invisible. On the next touch, he swiped his tongue firmly over her, rubbing straight up across her clit, and she pressed her body against him with a cry as dizzying pleasure rushed over her. Oh yes. He focused right there on her tight bud, laving it slowly and firmly with his tongue, and she couldn’t stop arching up to his mouth with each stroke. It was so good, intimate and overwhelmingly hot, and she felt her entire body tingling as he switched from licking to sucking on her clit. His beard scraped against her folds, and the touch of his coarse hairs against her tender skin made all thought leave her, because that was new and wonderful.
As he slid two fingers into her again, she began babbling despite herself. “Oh God…oh God…Eli…oh fuck…fuck…fuck…” When he pressed upward, finding that fantastic spot that made her vision white out, she could no longer find words, could barely breathe as he expertly drove her higher, pushing her closer and closer to orgasm. His lips moved over her in no rush, pleasuring her with methodical and deliberate precision, enjoying driving her out of her mind. She grabbed the covers again as her whole world dissolved down to the sensations between her legs. She was close, her body beginning the steady, inexorable climb to the point of no return, dizzying pleasure shimmering out of reach but washing ever closer with each stroke of his tongue or press of his fingers.
When he sucked hard on her clit, her whole world exploded. She arched up into his mouth, body wracked with spasms, the climax more intense than she had felt in a long time, maybe in forever, and he was right there, taking her through it, holding her in the throes of ecstasy for longer than she thought possible.
At last she came back to herself, barely able to catch her breath. She opened her eyes, and he was stretched out next to her, his hand resting on her hip, still wearing his trousers. He hadn’t even undressed yet. She couldn’t think of a witty comeback or any kind of comment at all. The only thing she could do was exhale, slowly and shakily, and continue to lose herself in those dark eyes.
“How was that?” He sounded hesitant, his eyebrows raised in genuine interest as though he didn’t realize he’d just driven her out of her mind with his fingers and tongue. So he knew what he was doing, but he wasn’t confident in those abilities? Did she even know him at all?
Astrid had regained enough sense of self to flirt, to play, to make some impish or sarcastic comment, but she felt beyond those things in that moment, so she didn’t answer at all, just smiled. Without preamble, she sat up and reached for his trouser buttons, helping him out of the rest of his clothes. He let her, lifting his hips so she could undress him. When at last he was naked, she straddled his thighs and took to examining his cock.
As someone who made imitations for a living, she felt qualified to say it looked fantastic: precisely the right length, maybe a tad thicker than she was expecting, well-shaped and rock-hard. He let her study him, but his amused smile changed to a slack-jawed gasp as she took him in hand.
She rubbed her thumb over the tip and was rewarded by his head lolling back with pleasure, eyelids fluttering. With her other hand, she cupped his sac as she began stroking his shaft from root to tip, loving the way his hips moved to press into her hand. She couldn’t wait to feel that hard cock inside her. Although she loved her toys, there was no substitute for a real partner.
After only a few minutes, though, his hip thrusts seemed to grow slightly more erratic, and he reached down to stop her. He was beginning to come undone, and the feral expression on his face was enough to make her quiver inside. She rested both hands on his chest and leaned down to kiss him, his erection pressing between them. This time, his kiss was less restrained as he devoured her mouth.
Eli took her breasts in his hands again and flicked his thumbs across the nipples. “I want to be inside you,” he said against her lips.
Astrid pulled back to look down into his eyes. “Give me a minute.” She climbed off him, deliberately brushing against his erection as she passed, and turned away to her bedside table drawer.
“These are beautiful.” Behind her, he ran his fingers down her spine, tracing the spiral of stars tattooed there.
“I thought it was appropriate. My name, and all that.” She opened the drawer, and he sat up to watch what she was doing.
Leaning over her, he peered into the mass of toys in the drawer. “A bit of a collector, are you?”
Astrid smiled. “I keep the originals.” A small decorative brass box in the back of the drawer held her pessary. As she lay back to slip the pessary inside herself, Eli began to poke around in the toy drawer. She let him. Even though he was clearly no stranger to a woman’s body, felicitation devices were probably beyond his comfort zone.
When he continued to look through her toys, Astrid cleared her throat. “Are you almost finished?”
With a sheepish smile, he closed the drawer and rolled back over to her, making amends by kissing her again. She could kiss this man all day, and for the first time, felt a pang of regret that this was a one-night event. Where did that come from? Deliberately putting it out of her mind, she slid one hand down his back, guiding his body on top of hers. Without breaking their kiss, he settled himself between her open legs, rocking forward to rub against her.
Astrid gasped into his mouth. The hard grind of his shaft against her clit made her clench. She lifted her hips to him, wanting to feel that again. Eli broke the kiss to prop himself up on his elbows, holding his body above her, hesitating with his cock poised right at her entrance. Staring down into her eyes, he slid all the way inside.
They both groaned at the same time. He was just the right size, large enough that she felt stretched taut, the perfect length to bury himself completely to the hilt in her warmth. She could feel her muscles quivering around him, milking his cock, and he held himself all the way there for a moment, not moving, his breath coming short and fast as he rested his head against her neck. When he spoke, his rough voice broke. “I love the way you feel.”
His words made her spasm reflexively. After her recent orgasm, she felt so much more sensitive, and when he began to pull out of her, she could feel every inch of his hard cock moving inside her. She met him thrust for thrust, rocking her hips up, the angle pressing his body against her clit with each stroke. He didn’t rush, fucking her as though they had all night, each push deep and hard and perfect.
Eli lowered his mouth to her breast and began to suck on her nipple, dragging it between his teeth as he pinched and pulled at the other nipple. Her body felt awash in pleasure. She could feel her pussy beginning to spasm erratically, her orgasm imminent, the heavy, throbbing anticipation turning her bones to liquid.
“Oh…. Oh, yes, right there…” He was hitting all the right spots, and she couldn’t help crying out as he bit harder on her nipple. “Eli, I’m… I’m…”
When she came, her entire body convulsed so strongly that she arched up off the bed, both hands digging into his shoulders. Eli released her nipple with a gasp, her muscles clenching around him with a vise-like grip. He thrust hard, his hands tight on her hips, and exploded inside her with a groan. Through the haze, she could feel his entire body trembling as he emptied himself, flooding her with warmth. At last, he collapsed down on her, breathing heavily into her neck, his cock still buried inside her.
In the haze of afterglow, Astrid stroked Eli’s hair, relishing his weight on top of her. He seemed in no hurry to move. She ran one hand down his back, feeling the strong muscles beneath the skin, and he shivered, dropping a light kiss on her neck. “Mmmmm. That feels nice.” With that, he rolled off her. Astrid sat up, her body feeling sluggish with pleasure. This part was always a little uncertain. To delay the awkwardness, she got out of bed to clean herself up.
When she returned, Eli had pulled his trousers back on and was lounging back on the bed, arms folded behind his head, looking sated. She sat down next to him. “That was fun.”
He smiled. “You know, it was. Maybe this was just the thing for us. Getting the tension out of our system and all that.”
“Of course.” Astrid looked past him at the wall, knowing exactly how counter-productive this night had been for her in that measure. Eli Rutledge was more firmly entrenched in her “system” than ever before. She wanted to lay him back down and fuck him again, wanted to hold him in her arms for the entire night. Putting those thoughts away, she turned instead to the question that had come up in her mind. “So who was she?”
Eli turned his head to look at her, eyebrows raised. “Who was who?”
Astrid settled down on her side next to him, propping herself up on her elbow. “The woman who taught you all that. You’ve never been to the Lahey Emporium, so it’s probably not from a brothel, and nobody knows how to do those things without being taught.”
Eli looked away, all but confirming Astrid’s suspicions. “I did see professional women, back when I was younger. Before I had a reputation to protect.”
Astrid was good at reading people, her line of work lending itself to observation. “That isn’t everything, though.” When he continued to pause, she touched his arm. “You can tell me. It’s all right.”
Eli stared up at the ceiling. “I was engaged once. To a woman named Mallory.”
The tangle of emotions inside Astrid was hard to tease apart. Curiosity, interest and a bit of jealousy, yes, but maybe something else, somewhere down inside. “What happened?”
“She ended it. I guess she never really wanted to marry me. Her family had been pushing her into the whole thing. They wanted the business connections and status that would come from marrying into Rutledge Handiworks.” He shrugged, the gesture awkward since he was lying on his back. “I thought she loved me. She loved parts of me, anyway.” He snorted in a self-deprecating way. “She never wanted to set a date for the wedding. Kept putting it off, putting it off, and finally, she told me she had no intention of marrying me.”
“So she led you on?” Astrid felt indignant on Eli’s behalf. “What, did she fall in love with someone else?”
Eli continued to stare at the ceiling, arms folded behind his head, not answering. Had he not heard the question? Before she could ask again, though, he exhaled a long breath through his nose. “She said that no matter how well she taught me to fuck, I’d always be a stuck-up businessman like her father. And that’s how it ended.” He looked over at her again. “It was a long time ago.”
“It still bothers you.” Astrid could see the tightness around his eyes.
Eli tipped his head to the side, noncommittal. “She was right, though. Mallory wanted a life full of adventure and excitement, and I’m none of those things. Women like that…” His voice trailed off as he searched for the right words, looking up to her ceiling again as he finished. “They don’t want to be saddled down with watch salesmen.” His smile was self-deprecating, and he looked back into her eyes. “It’s best for me that she left. At least I hadn’t married her.”
Astrid hesitated, then leaned over and kissed him again. She wasn’t sure why she was doing it, whether she needed to comfort him or herself. He kissed her back, tenderly, without heat. Pulling back, she absentmindedly ran a tongue over her bottom lip, and he watched her. Realizing what she was doing, she turned away and sat up.
Eli seemed to read her hesitation. “Do you want me to leave now?”
Astrid looked down at her own nakedness, self-conscious all of a sudden. “That was our deal, wasn’t it?”
“Our deal was one night.” When he paused, Astrid looked over at him, and he was watching her. “I guess that’s open to interpretation.”
Her heart fluttered with renewed hope, but that didn’t have to mean anything. She just enjoyed fucking him. “I wouldn’t mind if you stayed.”
Did he look so eager because he wanted sex again? Or was there something else in those eyes? “It is pretty late.”
“That’s true.” Astrid paused, then lay back down beside him. His body was so firm and warm. Unable to resist, she slipped a hand down to his cock, which was already half-hard again.
Eli jumped. “What are you doing?”
She hesitated. “I thought if you were interested, I might want to get you out of my system again.”
When she met his eyes, he was smiling. Without answering, he pulled her on top of him and drew her mouth to his.
Josian’s first letter arrived the following morning shortly after Eli left. She had been standing in the living room, staring at the closed door with a mixture of emotions, when a loud thwump behind her jolted her out of her reverie. Pulling the canister from its delivery tube, she noted the return address scrawled across the glass with a grease pencil. She unscrewed the canister and pulled out a piece of crisp lavender stationery.
My dearest Astrid—
I do hope you’re doing well. We’re all settled here in Mortonshire, at last. I always forget how gloomy it is until we’re unpacked and the house is opened up, but now the sun is shining and I finally have a moment to write to you.
How are your plans for the World’s Fair? Do you have an idea yet? The deadline is coming up so soon. I’m trying to convince Warren to return in time for opening night, but he has a cricket tournament scheduled for that same day and I doubt we will make it. Please don’t be cross with me.
And speaking of being cross, please consider apologizing to Eli Rutledge. He has many connections in the business world, and it would not be advantageous to make him your adversary. I know you’re proud, but the consequences could be far-reaching.
It’s time for tea now, so I must go. Please write soon.
Yours, Josian
Astrid smiled at the paper before sitting down at the desk with her own plain stationery. She had to sweep aside some gears to make a place to write.
Dear Josian,
It’s so nice to hear from you, as always. I hope you enjoy your time up at Mortonshire. Don’t let Warren drag you to too many dull events, all right? It’s your vacation as well.
I’m quite busy now with preparations for the World’s Fair. I do have an idea, but I don’t want to write much about it now. Let me just say that it’s a much grander undertaking than I’ve ever anticipated.
Her pen hovered over the paper as she considered what to write regarding Eli Rutledge. Once upon a time, she would tell Josian everything. Now, though, with this stiffly formal method of communication, she felt a reluctance she wouldn’t feel in person. Finally, she began writing again, keeping the subject of Eli brief.
Don’t worry about Eli Rutledge. I’ve apologized.