Vexing the Viscount (18 page)

“Stop worrying. He probably had a few drinks and will retire.”

If only she could believe that. But Tia doubted he would retire without checking in on her.

“I told Nelson you were very tired. I am certain he will relay that information to Middleton. Just enjoy yourself.” Emily grabbed two glasses of wine from a footman and gave one to her.

“Only one for you,” Tia warned her.

“Of course.”

Tia sipped her wine, now on the lookout for Mr. Cranborne. No matter what Emily said, Tia couldn't relax, knowing Braden could be at the house right now. Her hand shook as she brought the glass to her mouth. The fruity essence warmed her body and on an empty stomach, quickly went to her head.

“I see Lady Bunworth down the hall. I shall ask her if she has seen Jonathon yet,” Emily said, handing Tia her half-full glass of wine.

Tia finished her wine and then drank Emily's while she waited. An older man with graying temples walked over to her.

“Aren't you a fetching thing,” he said, staring at her breasts. “Would you like to find a room and talk?”

“I am quite certain anything we need to talk about can be said right here,” she retorted coldly.

“Who do you belong to?” he asked.

“No one,” she said and walked away.

“Well, you might just be wrong about that.” Shock washed over her as her arm was held in a viselike grip. Before she could utter a sound, he forced her upstairs. He knocked on the door, before hurling it open and pushing her inside.

“What the bloody hell are you doing here?” Braden demanded.

B
raden couldn't remember the last time he felt this furious with another person. He folded his arms over his chest and stared at her. Did she have no sense at all? This was the type of party that could end up with her raped.

“What am I doing here?” Tia shouted. “What are you doing here? This doesn't look like a men's club to me.”

“Where I go is no one's business.”

“And where I go is no one's business either,” she retorted. Her brown eyes flashed as her chest rose and fell, quickly displaying her anger.

He couldn't seem to take his eyes off those full white globes. Dammit, he felt like an adolescent around her. Already his cock was thickening. And why the bloody hell not? That red silk gown was made for one thing only.

“Where you go is my business,” he finally said. He grabbed her arm and pulled her up against his chest. “As long as you are in my house, you are under my care. Do you understand?”

“Then perhaps I should leave,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

He walked her back against the door, blocking her exit with his body. Her words from earlier rang in his ears. She had all but begged him to take her against the wall. Well, she was about to have her fantasy fulfilled.

“You are going nowhere,” he whispered harshly in her ear. “You are mine.” Before she could argue, he kissed her roughly. Part of him wanted to punish her for putting herself at risk. Another part just wanted her. He pushed up her skirts with his hand and split her drawers. Already her folds were moist.

She struggled slightly beneath him, her movements only urging him on. He knew she wanted this as badly as he wanted it. He moved his hand away from her addicting heat, only to unbutton his breeches. He slid his breeches down his hips just enough to free his shaft. Her hand reached for him, but he slapped it away. Nothing was going stop him now.

He picked her up and brought her warmth down on him. She moved her legs to straddle his hips.

“Oh, God,” she said as he lowered her completely.

“You are mine,” he whispered, sliding in and out of her sweetness. “No one will ever do this to you. No one.”

“Yes,” she cried. “I don't want anyone else—only you.”

Braden was losing his mind with desire for her. Everything about her made him insane, from her freckles to her sweet warmth. He couldn't imagine spending a day without her. He bent his head to kiss her hard, reminding her that she would always be his. Oh, God, he would always be hers.

“Braden, yes,” she whispered. “Yes.”

He felt her inner muscles clenching down on him as her orgasm tore through her. She clutched his shoulders as if unable to stand the overwhelming sensations.

“Braden!”

God, he couldn't take any more. He thrust into her once more and let go to the driving passion. Spilling his seed into her, he could only whisper, “Tia, my Tia.”

Neither moved for a few moments as spent passion had exhausted them both. Braden nuzzled her neck, inhaling the sweet aroma of her lavender soap. “Do you have an idea how I felt when I saw you here being propositioned by that lech downstairs?”

“I think I have an idea now,” she whispered back.

“Never go out without me. You don't know these people as I do. Most of them are the most degenerate people you will ever meet. They don't care who they f—make love to, whether married or not, innocent or as wanton as they are. Some don't even care if you are willing or not.”

He felt a tear drop from her face to his.

“I'm sorry. I had no idea.”

“I know,” he whispered. “I don't want to see you hurt. It would kill me if something happened to you.”

“Emily told me she'd heard that Jonathon was supposed to be here tonight. You had only told me you were going to a men's club. You never told me which one. I had no way of getting a message to you.”

“It's not your fault. I lied to you.”

She pulled back until her head hit the door. “Why did you lie to me?”

With aching arms, he helped her off him. After putting himself back to together, he looked at her watery eyes. “I always intended to come here. I knew it wasn't the type of party you should attend. So I lied and told you I was going to a club.”

“Because I wouldn't be able to go to a club with you.” She pressed her lips together.

“Sweetheart, you have already had one man proposition you.”

“And another one take me against a door in a stranger's bedroom.”

“True, but at least I wasn't a stranger,” he said with a slight grin.

“I am not certain about that,” she retorted.

“Tia, I may not be the best man in London, but I'm far from the worst.” He straightened out her skirts and adjusted her bodice. “I'm afraid I've made a mess of your hair.”

“Let me see.” She pushed away from him and went to the mirror. “Bring the hairpins that fell to the floor.” She quickly put the pins back into place and looked almost respectable . . . except for that gown. No woman could look respectable in that dress.

“Oh dear!” she exclaimed as she turned around. “I left Emily downstairs alone!”

Just what he needed: Emily being assaulted by some rake. “Let's find her and get out of here.”

“What about Jonathon?”

“Just before I saw you, I was told that he had already arrived and departed.”

Her face sank. “We missed him again. How it that possible?”

“He is deliberately avoiding me. By now, he has to know I am searching for him. Yet, he still hasn't had the decency to pay a call at my home.”

She walked over and wrapped him in a warm hug. “I am sorry, Braden. I suppose I'm not helping matters when I run off without telling you.” Before he could get used to her heat, she pulled away. “But I promise that I won't do it again.”

She cupped his cheeks and kissed him gently. He accepted her comfort, savoring her warmth. He was doing exactly what he said he wouldn't . . . falling in love.

“We need to find Emily now,” she said after pulling away slightly.

“I suppose we do. Maybe her husband will find her and take her to a bedroom,” Braden said, waggling his eyebrows.

“I doubt it. Eldridge has a new mistress with him tonight.”

“Here?”

She nodded sadly. “And Emily saw him with her.”

“Bastard.”

“I couldn't agree more. I swear he saw her too and he didn't make a move to protect her from all the others here.”

Braden took her hand. “Let's go find her before something untoward happens.”

They walked hand in hand toward the steps. A door closed behind them and Braden glanced back, only to see Emily straightening her skirts as she walked. Even from this distance, he knew what she'd been up to . . . but with whom? Damn. There was only one person she would risk being with.

As they reached the last step, Braden said, “I shall look in the salon. Why don't you check the gaming room?”

“Alone?”

“I'm right here. No one will get past me.”

“All right.” She walked down the hall just as Emily reached the last stair. Braden grabbed her arm and took her aside. “What the bloody hell are you doing?”

“I was looking for Tia,” she said innocently.

“We both know who you are looking for,” he said roughly. “Is he upstairs?”

“I don't know what you mean,” she replied in a hushed tone.

“Yes, you do. Were you upstairs with Jonathon?”

“How could you think I would do such a thing to my husband?” She pulled her arm out of his grip.

“Because I know exactly the type of woman you are, Emily. My darling Emily,” he sneered.

She looked visibly shaken. “Please don't tell Tia about us. She is the only friend I have in town.”

“Where's Jonathon?”

“The last door on the left. But I don't know if he's still there.”

“No one has else has come down those stairs.”

She nodded. “I realize that, but the servant staircase is right next to that room.”

“Dammit. Find Tia and tell her I went back upstairs for a moment. And do not let her leave without me.”

“Of course. Where is she?” Emily asked as he reached the middle step.

“The gaming room.”

Braden raced up the stairs and then ran down the corridor. When he reached the last door on the left, he threw open the door so hard it bounced against the linen press. As the door sprung back, he hit it with his fist. “Dammit!”

The room was completely empty. Once again, Jonathon had managed to evade him. He returned downstairs via the servants' staircase, but as he expected, there was no sign of his brother. He found his way back to the hall, where Tia and Emily waited for him.

“Look who I found,” Tia said. “What were you looking for upstairs?”

“I thought I had dropped something in the bedchamber we . . . searched.”

“Did you find what you were looking for?” Emily asked in an innocent tone.

Braden only shook his head. “No. I was mistaken.”

He was tired of chasing him. Tired of trying to make Jonathon understand how important it was to be responsible. Feeling defeated, he sighed. “Lady Eldridge, may we share a ride with you? I came with my friends, but they are not ready to leave just yet.”

“Of course, my lord.”

By the time they returned home, it was after midnight and Tia was exhausted. The difficulties of trying to find Jonathon had worn them both out. Braden walked to her room and then stopped.

Dark circles lined his eyes. She reached up and cupped his cheek. “You need your rest.”

“Stay with me tonight,” he murmured. “I know you are tired. So am I. I just . . . I just need you with me tonight.”

Tia blinked back tears. “Let me get my night rail.”

She grabbed her night rail before following him to his bedchamber. “Can you help me?” she asked, turning her back to him.

Braden quickly helped her out of her dress and stays. “How much do you know about Lady Eldridge's relationship with Jonathon?”

She shrugged before putting on her night rail. “Emily didn't speak much about it, except to say she wasn't sure if he was the father of her baby or her husband. There was only a week between the last time she saw Jonathon and her wedding. Why?”

He climbed into bed. “She's hiding something from you, Tia.”

“What do you mean?” Tia slipped under the covers and then snuggled up against him. She inhaled the scent of his soap with a sigh.

“I didn't dare speak of this before now, but as we left the bedchamber at the party, I glanced back and noticed Emily adjusting her skirts as she left a room too.”

Shock knifed through her. “You think she and Jonathon were in a bedroom together . . . making love?” That could not be true.

“She told me he was upstairs, but not until I forced it out of her.”

Tia went still. Her only friend in London was cuckolding her husband and lying about her knowledge of Jonathon's whereabouts. Braden's arms tightened around her, enveloping her in his strength. “How could she do such a thing?”

“Lord Eldridge is far from a perfect husband. I am not defending what she did, but it cannot be easy to see your husband openly dallying with his mistress at a party. I would just like to know why she didn't tell either one of us that Jonathon was at the party. Why is he staying away from both of us?”

“I wish I knew,” she said softly.
Why would Jonathon refuse to pay a call on Braden?

“Every time you have received word or rumor of Jonathon it's been from Lady Eldridge. How is it she tends to hear of his whereabouts when no one else knows?”

Tia's mind spun. How had she not thought to question Emily about that? “I don't know. I never thought about it until now. I suppose I assumed she was hearing something from the gossips or the servants.”

“I have had two runners looking for him. One is not known to be with Bow Street and is a member of Society. Not even he has heard a rumor of Jonathon.”

“You think he has contacted her, don't you?”

“I cannot think of any other way that she could know where he is, when no one else does,” Braden replied.

Tia didn't know what to believe any longer. A sense of betrayal crept over her. “I need to find out if she knows where he is.”

He reached over and caressed her cheek. “She may just lie to you in order to keep him safe.”

“But if she knows something, I have to convince her to tell me.” There was only one way to do that. “I will tell her about his opium eating. If she truly loves him, she will want him to get help.”

He shook his head. “Or she will deny that he has a problem. Many people in love will only see the good in the other person, not their faults.”

“Then what do you suggest?” she asked, frustration lining her voice. A part of her wondered if his words were a warning about his own faults. Was she seeing only what she wanted in him?

“Perhaps we should return to the estate,” he said softly.

Tia propped herself up and looked down at him. “You can't mean that.”

“I think I do.” He looked away from her, but she still saw the pain in his eyes. “There is nothing I can do, Tia. He doesn't want my assistance.”

“Give it just a few more days. If we still haven't been able to speak with him, then we shall return to the estate.”

He looked back at her. “Then what?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do we return as man and wife? As an engaged couple on the brink of marriage? Or will you continue to be my mistress out there where everyone will know?”

She bit down on her lower lip. The idea of their future hadn't penetrated her mind. “I don't know,” she whispered.

“I could give you anything,” he said, caressing her face with his hand.