DangerbyDalliance (8 page)

Instead she was complete.

But for how long?

Sarah clenched her teeth against the pain slicing through
her.

Life offered no guarantees. Hadn’t she seen this often
enough? She was only here in this moment because she was angry enough with her
father to take unacceptable risks. She had no experience with men, but they had
done this…this sharing before. The way they touched her was too slick
otherwise, too practiced.

Whenever she and Bea had scoured Bea’s father’s books, the
images of two men and one woman had intrigued her the most, had drawn her to
read and reread the passages surrounding the images. Far more so than any of
the more traditional pictures.

Unfortunately the books had been obscure translations, which
made them rather hard to understand. She had only the vaguest idea about the
mechanics of such an arrangement.

But she wanted to learn more.

Being with Archer and Warren fulfilled her deepest
fantasies, but Sarah didn’t know why Archer and Warren had picked her, and this
uncertainty terrified her.

Until she understood she would disguise the feelings rising
inside her.

She would not leave herself vulnerable.

With a small sigh she stepped out of their embrace and
straightened her shoulders. “That was rather pleasurable. I want more of the
same, but under no circumstances can our dalliance become public.”

Archer clung to his jaw to keep it from dropping. Warren’s
frown matched his. “Excuse me?”

Sarah pulled on the robe and tied the belt before looking
back at them. “I thought I was being perfectly clear. I enjoyed our encounter
and I would be agreeable to continuing our dalliance, but only if we can make
certain my reputation, and therefore my father’s reputation, remains unharmed.”

It was like a knife stab to the heart. Where moments before
had stood the soft siren, now an automaton had taken her place.

He crossed his arms over his chest. “So let me see if I got
this straight. You are willing to be both,” he waved between Warren and
himself, “our mistress, but only if we can protect your privacy.”

She nodded.

Archer rubbed his aching forehead. “Why would you agree to a
liaison with two men?”

Her eyebrows shot up and she looked between them. “If I am
going to do something that risks my father’s and my livelihood I might as well
go all the way.”

For a moment his heart dropped. She wanted none of their
promises, none of their honor and words of support.

Sarah appeared to only want sex.

He studied her and realized she was not as confident as she
made out to be.

She bit her lower lip and didn’t meet their gazes. The flush
of fulfillment had been replaced by cheeks pink with embarrassment and she’d
wrapped her arms around herself in a defensive posture.

Archer didn’t understand why she pushed them away after what
had just happened and he wanted to shake her.

Warren grabbed his shoulder and pressed down hard. Archer
didn’t call her on her demand.

“We would be more than delighted, Sarah, and we will do
everything in our considerable power to protect you any way we can.” Warren
smiled.

Archer clasped his hands behind his head and turned away.
They weren’t looking for a mistress. They wanted a wife. But he remained silent.

Warren must have seen the same thing and he had a plan.
Archer couldn’t see what it was, but he trusted his lover.

He smiled and bowed to her. “We’d happily further this
encounter and delve deeper into the pleasure and passion we can share.”

Her eyes widened and she swallowed, but a nod and a
deepening of the pink on her cheeks were her only other response.

Sarah turned away. “Very well. I will see you tomorrow
afternoon.” She disappeared behind the folding screen. “I don’t want to develop
a pattern.” Her head peeked around the edge of the barricade. “Are your
servants loyal and discreet?”

Warren assured her she could trust their household staff.

Disappointment ate at Archer’s insides like acid.

Sarah stepped out from behind the screen fully dressed. If
one didn’t look too closely at her hair, which no longer had the perfect and
strict look it had when she arrived, and the shimmer of fulfillment on her face
no one would imagine anything had happened.

Warren took her hand and kissed it. “Thank you for a wonderful
sitting. I very much look forward to continuing tomorrow. I believe I will only
need a few more sketching sessions before I move to canvas.”

Her smile softened and delight warmed her expression. “I am
glad I am able to give you what you need.”

Warren chuckled. “You most certainly do.”

Her cheeks heated again. Warren kissed her.

Archer rolled his shoulders. The sense of being the odd one
out, the fifth wheel settled over him. Making intimate connections wasn’t easy
for him and he resented how effortlessly Warren appeared to have linked with
Sarah.

He narrowed his gaze. He would not allow this doubt to take
root.

He strode over to the couple and took her hand off Warren’s
shoulder. His lover’s eyes flashed, but Archer didn’t care. He whirled Sarah
into his arms, ignoring her gasp, and kissed her with all the raging emotions
inside him.

She froze. He was just about to withdraw and apologize when
she grasped his head and pulled him closer. He thrust his tongue inside her
mouth the way he wanted to push his rock-hard cock into her depths.

Instead of shrinking back, Sarah welcomed him, tangled her
tongue around his and explored his mouth with passion and delight.

Archer sank into the kiss.

Breathing was optional. Her touch was like a lightning
strike. Her voluptuous form so close to him drove him mad. Only when she
slumped against his chest, breathing hard, did he pull himself back together
again. Behind her Warren grinned like an idiot.

Archer rolled his eyes and tucked her closer to his chest.

She clung to him until her breathing evened out and lifted
her head. “I—” She cleared her voice. The sensuality in it raised the tension
inside him even higher. “I will see you tomorrow.”

“You most certainly will.” He gave her one last gentle kiss
before releasing her. It didn’t hurt that he had to steady her the first couple
of steps until she found her footing again.

Warren tucked her arm through his and guided her to the
entrance hall. Archer followed them a couple of steps behind. He watched as she
took her gloves and coat from Jennings and sent him and Warren a brief smile.
“Until tomorrow.”

She turned around and accompanied Jennings to the side
entrance, where their unmarked steam coach waited.

It rankled him that she couldn’t come and go as she liked,
that they had to hide her presence to protect her.

Warren grasped his hand and dragged him up the stairs to his
bedroom.

“What do you think happened?” Warren pushed him gently until
he sat in one of the leather armchairs in the seating area at the foot of the
massive bed.

Archer shrugged. “I am not sure. At first I believed her
façade, but I don’t think she only wants sex from us.” He snorted. “At least I
hope so. I already feel her here.” He tapped his heart.

Warren sank into the chair beside him. He closed his eyes and
dropped his head back. “We are making progress. Maybe we came too close and she
is pushing us back to protect herself.”

Archer studied his lover and smiled. “The Dorvee Emotional
Reasoning Machine.”

Warren threw him a disgruntled look.

Archer chuckled and took his friend’s hand. “You may be
right. This means we have to give her assurances that we want more, that we are
in it for the long haul. Show her this isn’t just a phase.”

Warren nodded. He pulled Archer’s hand to his lips and
sucked a finger into his mouth.

Archer groaned.

His lover released him and kissed Archer’s palm. “She is the
most beautiful and responsive woman I have ever met.”

Archer agreed and exhaled. Giving Sarah assurance would mean
opening himself to his emotions and the rejection that could come with those
feelings.

It wouldn’t be easy, but their future was worth the risk.

Warren stretched out his hand and stroked Archer’s
still-hard cock. His hips jerked. “What was that for?”

Warren shook his head and yanked him close for a deep, hard
kiss. “What do you think? Stop worrying about the worst that can happen and
work on that foundation. Today she allowed both of us to bring her to
fulfillment.” He cupped Archer’s cheeks. “Both of us, you idiot. She wouldn’t
let you close if she didn’t trust you or feel for you on some level.”

The slice that the loneliness he’d experienced moments ago
had cut into him scabbed over. Archer nodded. “You are right.”

“Of course I am. And I am also right when I say you need to
let go.” Warren cupped his lover’s cheek. “If there is pain to come, we will
deal with it. But not trying guarantees pain.”

Archer caressed Warren’s temple. “When did you get so wise?”

Warren chuckled. “I was born this way.”

Archer shook his head and pulled him close. “I love you. I
cannot imagine my life without you in it.” The string of worry eased for the
time being. He hoped their plan would work.

Nothing else bore imagining.

* * * * *

The next day Sarah sat at the lunch table, the words of the
paper swirling before her eyes. She still couldn’t believe what she had done
the day before. How could she risk her father’s livelihood—
her
livelihood—for the fleeting pleasure of Archer’s and Warren’s touch?

She sipped her tea, far weaker than she liked as this was
the third brewing, and studied her father at the other end of the table. Once
again his shirt was wrinkled and some of the buttons closed crookedly. His hair
stood on end on the back of his head.

He looked like a young boy eager to race off to his next
adventure. The same blazing rage she’d experienced yesterday roared through
her. She balled a fist below the table. Why did she always have to be the
responsible one? Why was it
her
role to solve the problems he caused in
his chase for the next great invention?

Because she had made it her role.

She dropped her gaze to her cheese and crackers.

He had barely touched his lunch, the soup growing cold and
the water biscuits stale. Not to mention the cheese was drying out. Fine, if he
couldn’t appreciate his food today, he’d just have to have it again tomorrow.

She wouldn’t let anything go to waste. They couldn’t afford
it.

She rubbed her aching forehead.

Truth be told, he probably wouldn’t even notice. The rage
dissipated again as quickly as it had come to the surface. Her shoulders
slumped.

After her mother’s death all she thought of was to make
things easier for him. She’d taken on all the chores and worked hard to fix any
problems that came up. It had made her feel close to her mum and in no time at
all it had become the norm for her father. It still made her feel needed and it
was the one thing she excelled at. And by never confronting him with the
consequences of his actions, she’d basically enabled his behavior.

Now she could either continue as she had or tell her father
she posed as a nude model for a friend of the man her father hoped to impress
with his invention.

She pinched the bridge of her nose. That was not a
conversation she wanted to have. Sarah lifted her teacup only to put it back
down. After everything that had happened over the last three days she deserved
a strong cup of tea with a dash of milk.

She rose. “I’ll make more tea.”

Her father barely looked up from his technological article.
“Not for me, thank you. I’m heading out to the Hall in a few minutes.”

Her heart stopped beating. “The Hall?”

The Hall was the meeting ground for the members of the Royal
Institutes of Sciences and Engineering. A rotating panel from every brand of
science sat in judgment of the proposals brought before them.

Usually not particularly kind judgment.

He looked up and grinned. “Yes, I want to share some of my
thoughts on the Rigdon’s Banknote Verification Device with the panel.”

She swallowed. “Do you think that’s a good idea? Shouldn’t
you keep all the details to yourself until Mr. Latimer has time to review it?”
Usually when he came back from the Hall his need to prove himself to the panel
drove him to even more erratic behavior than usual. In their current situation
they could not afford another misstep. “Aren’t you teaching the Franklin boy
today? I’m sure he’d love for you to share your automated catapult.”

Her father frowned for a second, but then his expression
cleared. “You are absolutely right. And with the help of the trebuchet I can
explain tension, torsion and gravity.” He jumped up and waved at her. “I’ll
just have to ensure the counterbalance is calibrated correctly. Thank you, my
dear.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek and rushed off.

Sarah sank back into her chair, the teapot still in hand.
Her racing heartbeat slowly calmed.
Close call.

Her father’s footsteps echoed through the house. Doors
slammed.

She should get up and ensure he tidied his shirt and check
his coat, but lead sank into her legs at the thought of getting up.

Not today.

She dragged the platter with the cheese and biscuits close and
ate. When the clock rang and drew her back to the here and now, Sarah realized
she’d eaten everything. Frustrated at her lack of control and feeling slightly
ill, she pushed her chair back and stomped to the kitchen.

This mindless eating hadn’t happened in a while. She’d
thought she’d left it behind.

Sarah boiled fresh water and took the dried chamomile out of
the cupboard for a soothing cup of tea.

But even the hot beverage couldn’t chase away the chill deep
inside her. She hunched over in an attempt to feel warm and strong again.