Submitting to His Lordship (20 page)

“Are you sure you’ve the right room?” Isabella asked.

“Undoubtedly,” Devon murmured as he appraised the room, the glow of lust already lighting his face.

Halsten eyed Miss Herwood. She was not entirely new to such a spectacle, having been at his London house where he kept many of the same implements, but Devon’s room was far more grim.

“Now then, the first order of business: I think the ladies have far too much attire upon them!” Devon declared.

“The first order of business in the East Wing is always to establish the safety word,” Rockwell corrected, his patience tested already.

“Ah, yes. How about ‘cease and desist?’”

“A single word would be easier to remember, and it is customary that the word differ from any cries they may utter in the normal course of activities.”

Devon rolled his eyes. “It can be Humpty Dumpty for all I care.”

“A
single
word.”

Halsten wanted to wring the man’s neck. It was proving to be a long night already.

“Scotland,” Isabella suggested. “I am to travel there with my aunt and uncle later this year.”

“Are the ladies agreed?”

Miss Herwood nodded.

“Then let us proceed!” Devon said. He staked a claim upon his side of the room and pulled Isabella to him.

“But,” Isabella protested as Devon reached for the pins on her frock. “Is there no curtain? After all, they can
see
.”

“Precisely the point, my dear. It will heighten the experience, I assure you. And is supremely naughty.”

Halsten frowned. Devon was the last person he wanted to share a room in the East Wing with.

Miss Herwood walked carefully to the other side of the room. She looked around her. Was she seeking a means of escape or a place to hide? Seeing none, she seemed to steel herself. Devon had Isabella’s gown undone and was moving to the skirts.

“Remember you can speak the safety word at any time,” Halsten reminded Miss Herwood. “I will ensure its proper execution.”

She nodded and slipped out of her shoes. “I trust your lordship.”

He inhaled sharply. The statement meant more to him than he expected. He undid the pins of her dress. He waited, but she said nothing. Across the room, Isabella giggled as Devon tossed her garments away with flourish.

Slowly, Halsten slid the garment from Miss Herwood’s shoulders. She kept her eyes downcast. He untied her petticoat next. It fell to the floor, leaving her in her chemise, stays, stockings and garters. Against the light of the fire, he could see the silhouette of her legs and the darkness of her garter through the thin chemise. Having engaged in a
ménage-a-trois
both in India and Chateau Follet, he was no stranger to sharing a woman. But he had no desire to share Miss Herwood—with anyone, let alone Lord Devon. Looking across the room, he found Devon eyeing Miss Herwood. Halsten would have done almost anything to bring pleasure to Miss Herwood, but at the moment he wanted nothing more than for her to utter the safety word and put an end to their situation.

Isabella, in similar state of undress, glanced over to them. A small smile graced her colored lips, perhaps from espying that her own garments were visibly superior in quality or that her form had more classic feminine lines that that of Miss Herwood. Isabella’s stays supported pert alabaster breasts, and her chemise fell over youthful narrow hips. Seeing Halsten’s gaze, Devon smirked and ran both hands down Isabella’s pale, bare arms.

Halsten returned his attention to Miss Herwood. Devon could believe whatever he wished, Halsten knew he had the better woman. He waited until Devon began unlacing Isabella’s stays before doing the same. Miss Herwood trembled slightly as he pulled at the ribbons.

“Do you require the safety word?” he whispered into her ear.

She shook her head.

“Are you cold?”

“No.”

With a deep breath, he removed her stays. Any moment now she would be completely naked. Naked before that damnable Devon.

But despite his loathing of their predicament, the ability of her beautiful body to arouse Halsten persevered. His groin tightened.

Isabella cried out and giggled as Devon, aroused and impatient, stripped her shift away in awkward haste.

“A feast for the eyes, eh, Rockwell?” Devon declared.

Isabella attempted some modesty and covered her bosom with her arms, but Devon tore her arms away. Her shapely breasts, vaguely marked on the sides by the boning of the stays, stood at smart attention. Her rosy areolas constricted as her nipples hardened.

“Your turn, Rockwell.”

Miss Herwood stiffened and he wondered if perhaps his own discomfort was contagious. Perhaps she would fare better if he took a different approach and helped put her more at ease through arousal. He might be able to teach Devon, through demonstration, how better to handle a woman, how to attend to her pleasure.

Halsten slid the shift down her shoulders and planted a soft kiss on her left shoulder. He ran a hand across her collarbone, then gripped the back of her neck, and tried to massage away the tension. Her head dropped lower, and he could feel her tightness loosen a little. Gently he pulled the shift down her breasts, exposing large brown areolas, down her ribs, and past her belly till it fell down her legs to the floor.

Devon drank in the sight. “Are we not two of the luckiest chaps?”

Halsten shot him a look to indicate he had no desire to converse with the man.

Devon reached both hands around Isabella and tweaked her nipples. Isabella squealed.

Halsten held each of Miss Herwood’s breasts in his hands and planted a reverential kiss upon one, then the other. He ran his thumbs over the nipples. They peaked in response to his touch.

“These are quite a lovely sight,” he murmured. “Finer than a Titian or a Reuben.”

He lifted one breast to his mouth and tugged on the nipple with his mouth. He sensed her breathing become uneven. Her pupils had dilated, and the whites of her eyes had a shimmer.

Good. She was adjusting.

He pulled her naked body to him and took her mouth. One hand slid to cup her buttocks. She felt divine even through his clothes. From the corner of his gaze, he saw Devon do the same with Isabella. But instead of a choreographed dance of the lips and tongue, Devon mauled Isabella’s mouth, smearing her rouge and causing the flesh about her mouth to flush as if she had a rash.

Halsten pushed his fingers through Miss Herwood’s hair and manipulated her head to taste her mouth from different angles. He had wondered how aroused he could be while occupying a room with a man he detested, but he could easily be consumed by Miss Herwood, his awareness of Devon repressed by his own growing ardor.

“Let us free them of their final constraints,” Devon said.

Garters were untied and stockings joined the other garments on the floor. Devon walked around Isabella.

“Should you men not accompany us?” Isabella asked. “It is hardly fair that we are stripped to the buff and you not shed a single article of clothing.”

Devon slapped her across the face. Isabella looked shocked, and Miss Herwood, who had hitherto avoided looking toward the other side of the room, glanced over sharply. Halsten clenched a first.

“I did not give you permission to speak.”

A contrite Isabella looked down at her feet.

“Your safety word can be used at any moment,” Halsten told her, earning a glare from Devon.

“Have you reviewed with her the rules you intend to employ?” Halsten asked Devon through clenched teeth.

Devon waved a hand dismissively. “She shall learn in due time. The element of surprise will aid in their retention of the rules.”

Devon looked over at Miss Herwood, who quickly glanced away. Her reaction incited the man to walk over to her. He circled her like a vulture over a carcass. Halsten felt every muscle in his body tense. If the varlet touched her in the slightest, he would cuff the man.

“Lovely,” Devon smirked before returning to his side of the room. He pinched at Isabella’s nipples. “I think these require adornment.”

He went over to a shelf and retrieved a pair of small clamps with weights dangling by small metal chains.

“Has she worn them before?” Halsten interrupted. “If not, she should not start with the weighted clamps.”

Both the women had eyes wide.

“Are you their nanny?” Devon returned.

“Do you remember the safety word?” Halsten demanded of the women.

They both nodded.

“Are you proposing that you and Miss Sherwood beg off on our arrangement? I would presume Miss Sherwood to be of possessed of too much honor to renege. And you as well, Rockwell.”

With a silent oath, Halsten grabbed Miss Herwood from behind, pressed her to him, and reached for her clitoris. To apply the nipple clamps so soon to a novice without arousing them first was cruel. He rubbed her between the legs. It took longer as Miss Herwood was not completely at ease still with the lack of privacy, but she eventually began to pant softly and squirm against him. Devon watched with amusement. Halsten weighed the prospect of drawing pistols at dawn with the man, but his responsibility to Lucy stayed him. He could not leave her without a guardian.

“Since you have done such a fine job stimulating her, I think the lovely Miss Sherwood should be the first to try these,” Devon said, offering the pair of clamps to Halsten.

Reluctantly, he took the clamps from Devon. No state of arousal would take away the bite.

“These will hurt,” he informed. “Do you wish to continue?”

Miss Herwood nodded. He pinched the clamps opens and applied them to the nipples as lightly as he could while still holding the weights. She gasped when he released the clamps. He waited for her to utter the safety word, but she did not.

“Breathe,” he told her. “Gently.”

She followed his instruction and tried to moderate her breathing. When he saw the pain had settled, he slowly removed his hand from the weight. Her eyes widened as the weight pulled her nipples down.

“Oh God,” she mumbled.

He searched her face. Even with the safety word, the pain could be too great. She let out a few haggard breaths, then looked at him with clear eyes. He appraised her appearance and instantly felt his blood warm. The adornments were captivating upon her.

“Well done,” Devon praised.

Isabella had watched with intense curiosity and frowned at the compliment paid to Miss Herwood. Devon retrieved another pair and affixed a clamp to her nipple. She screamed and choked back a sob. Halsten noted her eyes watering. But she appeared determined to bear it at least as well as Miss Herwood. Devon applied the other clamp and stepped back to admire the result.

“Stand straight, my dear,” Devon told Isabella.

Isabella bit down on her lower lip and attempted to do as he bid.

“The clamps should not stay overlong,” Halsten recommended. “They require proper training.”

“And ought be applied often to encourage the growth of their nipples.”

Devon poked at one of the weights to make it sway.

“Ah, ah, ah,” worried Isabella.

“Imagine how they would swing if we applied a flogger at the same time!”

Ignoring Devon, Halsten cupped Miss Herwood’s chin and kissed her.

“You are lovely and strong,” he murmured against her lips.

His hand went between her legs to fondle her there, and he was relieved to feel her wetness coating his fingers.

“Take these off, please,” Isabella begged. “Please!”

“Enjoy them a while longer,” Devon replied.

“Let us proceed with another amusement,” Halsten suggested.

“Quite right,” Devon acquiesced. He removed the nipple clamps to Isabella’s immense relief. “Now on your knees, my lovely wenches!”

Chapter Fifteen

THANK HEAVEN
, DEANA THOUGHT to herself when Rockwell removed the clamps. Her poor nipples would be tender for some time. Despite the piercing pain of having the blasted things clipped to her, however, her body had still responded to the man’s touch. She was grateful to be with Lord Rockwell and not with Lord Devon.

“On your knees!” Devon reiterated.

Lady Isabella and Deana exchanged glances before complying. For the first time, Deana felt kindred to her ladyship.

Devon situated his pelvis before Lady Isabella and rubbed his crotch. “I think it time we receive a little tending to.”

He unbuttoned his trousers and pulled out his cock. Isabella gaped at the length of the curved erection.

“Open your mouth.”

“Are you wanting me to—” she began until he slapped her once more.

“You will take my cock into your mouth. I vow you will find no meat more delicious.”

She opened her mouth a little. He shoved himself into the opening. She recoiled, but he had his hand at the back of her head. She gagged and flayed.

“The trick is to relax,” Rockwell said.