A Sordid Situation (4 page)

“Please, forgive me. I need to disappear into the kitchen for a
moment.”

Upon his exit, she examined the tableware more closely. Fine
silver, delicate china and cut crystal lay before her. She was thoroughly
impressed. Simplistic yet stylish, he had good taste. The décor throughout the
house ran within the same boundaries of style. Everything was tastefully put
together, yet understated. In the middle of the table, an arrangement of roses
mixed with some greenery and freesia called to her. Tentatively, Eugenia
reached out, thumbing a rose petal between her thumb and forefinger.

“You like flowers?”

She looked up in surprise. He was quick. “Why, yes. I was
admiring the work that must have gone into this arrangement. I have a garden
that I cater to on a regular basis. I prefer to cut my own flowers, rather than
having them brought in. It’s a wondrous way to relax and unwind.”

There are many ways to
unwind.
As the words spun through her mind, she lowered her eyes to the
table.

“I can think of more intriguing ways,” he replied, removing a
large silver platter from a trolley and placing it on the table.

She blushed.

“I hope you like good old traditional English fare.” Other dishes
and platters followed to deck the table. “Roast beef and all the trimmings.”

“It smells delightful. My compliments to the cook.”

“She’s been with me since I took the house over….”

“Another one of your seizures?” she asked.

A rift of silence cut between them.

“A business acquisition,” he corrected. “However, it took a great
deal of remodeling to bring it up to par. The staff came with the house, and I
was happy to have them. They’re a hard working, respectable bunch.”

“I do apologize. Sometimes I speak without thinking and it does
me a disservice every time.” Eugenia fiddled with the napkin on her lap.

“I understand that you must be upset. And no doubt you hold some
ill feelings towards me. But you must remember, I didn’t lead you here—your
husband did.”

He spoke the truth, the words cutting through her like a knife.
She had no one to blame but one man, and he was dead.

“Yes.” Admittance was hard.

His fingers slid over the palm of her right hand as he reached
across the table.

“You deserve so much better.” His touch tickled ever so slightly,
his warmth running up through her arm as he curled his fingers to coddle her
hand. “You’re not eating?”

“I’m not that hungry. I ate earlier. It would have aroused
suspicion with my own house staff if I didn’t.”

“Then a drink? We could adjourn to more comfortable quarters.”

She swallowed hard at his suggestion. “Yes. That’s a good idea.”

One arm slid around her waist as they made their way from the
dining room. Together they glided upstairs. She felt faint, her heart racing
again. But this wasn’t the time to founder. Once inside his bedroom, she
relaxed, that was, until she felt his fingers cascade across the back of her
neck.

“About that drink,” she said. “I’ll pass on it.”

* * * *

Perfumed, delicate and oh, so soft to the touch.
Cal
gingerly touched the
back of her neck as she stood with her back to him.

A small gasp escaped her lips, and then she pressed hard against
him, melding to his body.

Decorum, the constraints of proper society, it was all left
outside the bedroom door. Within these walls, they’d play by their own rules.

Pressing his lips to the back of her neck, her head angled to the
left. And there it was, the scent he had remembered. He drank her in.

“I’ve wanted this. I’ve thought about you and the way you touched
me, kissed me,” she murmured, tipping her head back to meet his kisses.

His hands cupped her breasts, and underneath her silken bodice,
her nipples hardened. He manipulated them with his thumb and forefinger,
pinching just enough, forcing her to squirm.

“You like that. Tell me you like that. I want you to say it.”

“I like it.”

“And you want more? You want me to do naughty things to you. You
want me to tease and pleasure you.”

“Yes…. Yes.”

“Then you shall receive, my lovely.”
 
In one sweeping gesture, she was in his arms
and gently placed on the bed.

When she looked up at him, it was she who now grinned. One hand
quickly found her mouth to cover her surprise when he started to disrobe.

“My dear, you look like you’ve never saw a naked man before.” He
chuckled, amused, ridding himself of his trousers, his erection now prominent.

“I…well…” she stammered. “It’s not that. No man has ever been so
bold.”

“Bold? Am I bold?” He laughed. “Take a long, hard look,” he spun
around, giving her a full view.
 
“And
now, it’s your turn.”

They switched places.
Cal
interlocked his fingers beneath his head, casually lying on the bed, more than
anxious to see her, his eyes tracing her every movement. This was one show he
wouldn’t miss.

* * * *

Eugenia had to fight to maintain control of her fingers. She
started to undress, reaching back to unfasten each button on her bodice.
Feeling like quite the voyeur, she slowly slipped each arm free.

“Slowly,” he murmured, and smiled devilishly.

It was cliché to think, yet it was true. Cal Hawthorne possessed
the body of a Greek god. Hercules came to mind and his descent from
Mount
Olympus
.
His taut muscles rippled with every movement beneath the glow of the dim lighting.
In every way possible, he was the exact opposite of William.

Stepping out of her skirt, she was careful not to trip. That
would have surely ruined the moment. Clad in only her under things, she already
felt naked, exposed to his ravenous gaze.

“The pantaloons, take them off,” he murmured. “The corset and
stockings can stay. I rather like them.”

She kicked the skirt aside and awaited his next command with
unabashed anticipation.

“Come, lay beside me.” He patted the area next to him. “I want to
savor every second we have together. And I wish to explore you from top to
bottom.”

Next to him, she felt more at ease and less exposed. She jumped
slightly when he made initial contact with her, one hand trailing down over her
side resting on her hip, and then continuing its journey down toward her nether
region. She was wet and throbbing with anticipation.

His fingers slid between her legs. He was a master. She was sure
of this, as he manipulated her in ways she had never before experienced. In a
small circular motion, he toyed with her and it wasn’t long before she felt as
if she’d explode in delicious ecstasy.

“Not yet. We have much more to explore.” He brought each finger
to his mouth and suckled them. “Sweet. Very nice, indeed.”

Cal
worked his way down her body, kissing and nipping her sensitive flesh. When his
head replaced his fingers between her legs, she gasped so loud, it forced him
to look up. “You’ll love this.” He winked and spread her legs wide, placing
each foot on his shoulders. “Lay back and enjoy.”

Never, oh my!
She was
on fire; she was at the breaking point. And again, that feeling of wanting to
explode radiated throughout her. She flexed her toes and let out a sigh of
pleasure. He was driving her crazy, it was purposely being done—she was sure of
this. She was now at the mercy of a demented, erotic madman.

“You have to let me…I need to…”

“And you will, but not before I’m ready.” He covered her body and
kissed her, his breath hot, his tongue passionate and demanding.

And then he was inside her, taking her, possessing her body.
Eugenia cried out, and for the first time in her life, she felt what sex was
supposed to be like between a man and a woman. The intimate connection had been
made, and together they now melded as one.

They rocked back and forth in unison. He was gentle, and she
enjoyed every moment, every thrust. His hands held her close, caressing her.
And when she took position on top of him, she delighted in the expressions on
his face as she ground down with shameless abandon.

* * * *

Vixen.

Never did he expect to unleash this within her. Yet, he liked it.
Loved it. Hell, she excited him more than any other woman he’d taken in his
entire life. And as he met her with thrusts of his own, he didn’t want the
night to end.

His eagerness increased, and he pressed into her with more vigor.
She leaned back and took down her hair, letting it cascade across his chest in
silken waves. Her hands rested against his chest, her fingernails gripping him
in passion, as she met every one of his strokes with her own demand. Another
deep thrust and he groaned, giving in to his startling release deep inside her,
the same moment she shuddered and cried, the walls of her hot sex gripping him
in orgasm.

When it was over, she collapsed, her body covering his.

“Are you ok?” he asked, after regaining his breath.

She nodded.

“That was wonderful. Thank you.”

She nodded again.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Something wasn’t right between
them. He could feel it in the stiffness of her body.

In a flash, Eugenia was out of bed, gathering her clothes. “I
should go. Do you require me for anything else?”

Cal
sat up in bed in a state of bewilderment. “Well, no…. But you can spend the
night. It’s late.”

“No, I don’t think I will. But I trust I’ve fulfilled my
obligations?”

He nodded, frowning. “Yes, of course.” She was acting strange,
and it made his heart pound.

“Then I shall take my leave.”

Chapter Four

Eugenia slipped back inside Collingwood before any of the staff
became wise to her proclivities. Safe in her own bed, she cuddled deep under
the covers and sighed.

She was silly and delusional to think that anything more could
have come from her tryst with Mr. Cal Hawthorne. It was nothing more than a
business transaction. And now she was done not only with her end of the
contract, but also with him.

In the light of the morning she hoped things would become clear,
that once again she’d be able to think reasonably. But for now, all she wanted
was the warmth and solace of her bed. Sleep would come soon, and with it she’d
block out the world and pretend that nothing had ever happened between the two
of them. Sometimes denial was a good thing.

The next day, life continued on as normal. Eugenia’s daily
routine went by uninterrupted and by now she had banished everything to the
past. It was a coping mechanism to be sure, but one that always worked.

Just after the noon hour had passed, Jordanna appeared and from
the way she fluttered into the parlor, it was obvious she was in dire straits.
In an instant, she demanded that the two of them be left alone. The maid who
had been there to serve tea looked to Eugenia and waited for some
acknowledgement from her mistress. She nodded briefly and the maid disappeared.

“What’s wrong?” Eugenia asked. “You look positively ghastly.”

“I came here as fast as the driver would allow. This morning,
Henri had some of his business associates come round to the house. As usual,
they took to the library, drinking and commending each other on masters of the
world. You know how men are when they get together.”

Eugenia nodded, knowing well the dealings of men.

“I happened to walk by and well, of course I had a listen at the
door. I heard Mr. Hawthorne’s name. They say he’s taken on a mistress.”

The blood drained from her face at the very mention of the word.
“What else was said, Jordanna? I need to know.”

“Your name. Someone saw you leaving his house in the early
morning hours. Is this true?”

She lowered her head in shame. “It’s true. I went through with
his proposal. And we sealed our deal last night.”

“My dear, when this breaks open, it will be social suicide for
you,” Jordanna cried. “This was to be our secret. Just you and I.”

“How was I to know that someone would spot me? Who but a rake
would be out lurking around at that hour?” She was mortified. Her biggest fear
had come to light. What would she do? What
could
she do? Once word spread, she’d be ruined.

“Rake or no rake, someone did see you. It’s happened and now we
have to think of a way to control the damage,” Jordanna stated, taking a deep
breath. “If the source isn’t credible, we can work on that.”

Eugenia stood and started to pace the room. This was too much.
Just when she had thought she’d found the solution to all of her problems, this
had to happen. If it wasn’t one thing, it was another.

“For now, we say nothing. I will deny everything if questioned
about it. I’m good at faking innocence. I was after all, in disguise. There are
a hundred or more women in this city who share my features. It could have been
any one of them. If you hear anything, refute it and tell them you know for a
fact, I was in that night.”

Jordanna nodded in agreement.

“We must end this conversation. I don’t want to arouse any
suspicion from the house staff and the walls have ears here. We will have tea
or something stronger.” Eugenia preferred the later at the moment.

“I’d love to, but I mustn’t. Henri doesn’t know I’ve left the
house and…” Jordanna hesitated but for a moment. “He’s forbade me to see you,
for now. He doesn’t want your influence rubbing off on me. We have guests
coming around for dinner and I’m to see to every detail personally. You’ll have
to forgive me, Eugenia. It’s him—not me.”

“Guilty before trial, and there isn’t even a jury,” Eugenia said
quietly, sitting down. “That is shocking. I understand, he’s your husband and I
am a mere acquaintance.”