Secluded with the Rogue

Chapter 8

Eight

D rew woke up the next morning entirely conflicted. He was still greatly frustrated, despite stroking his cock to memories of Charlie pressed against him in the music room. The little hellion had played horrid music all morning—enough to test a saint's patience—but he'd been so bloody aroused when she'd stood once again in those fucking trousers, all her luscious curves on display.

He'd lost his mind and kissed her again. She hadn’t helped, melting into him, pressing herself against him.

With nothing but those trousers on, he had felt every delicious curve. It had made him crazy with desire. Thank God Polly walked in when she did, or he might have taken Charlie right there on the music room floor. Or perhaps bent over the sofa…

Regardless of the need that still simmered in his veins, Drew wanted retribution: for another sleepless night and the hours of pain yesterday, both from her music and from their kiss. She would find he could give as good as he got. Dressing swiftly, he headed to breakfast early to ensure he could follow through on his plan.

Drew arrived to find an empty morning room. A few minutes passed before Polly appeared with breakfast. As she laid out the fare on the sideboard, she seemed to want to say something to him, but was attempting to bite her tongue—which was saying something for his forthright housekeeper.

“Say whatever it is you wish to say.” He could only suppose it was going to be about his kiss with Charlie from yesterday.

She huffed before turning. “Fine. I would not normally say anything but Drew, you know better than to toy with that woman. She is not one of your dockside women who romps about freely. She is a lady .”

He snorted. “Well, she has a title, at any rate. But I am well aware of who and what she is. What happened in the music room yesterday won't happen again.” It can’t.

She eyed him, clearly not fully believing him. “Fine. Then I'll say no more.”

Drew couldn't help but smile at the mother hen of a woman. “Thank you, Polly.”

She gave a soft harrumph and left the room.

Drew rose and helped himself to a heaping plate of food then proceeded to salt the remaining eggs and porridge liberally. He felt no guilt; he knew Polly would feed his guest later, after his point was made. He sat down and tucked himself into his plate and had taken a few bites when Charlie appeared.

She sailed into the room wearing the navy blue gown she'd had on when she first arrived on his doorstep. It was simple, obviously clean—and thank the heavens, it was not trousers. “Good morning, Drew.”

“Good morning.” He decided to try to be amiable as he waited for her to step into his trap.

Charlene took a stuttering step at his pleasant greeting, but kept moving to the sideboard. She proceeded to help herself to the eggs, porridge, and a few slices of bacon. After she sat down she offered him a winsome smile. “I hope you slept well.”

“I slept well, thank you. And yourself?”

She was making such an effort to be pleasant it caused guilt to niggle at Drew’s conscience—but she needed to understand that her antics would not go unpunished. That while he was not cruel, he was not weak.

She took the first bite of her eggs and choked. Then she chewed and swallowed as her face scrunched up in the most adorable way. “I- I slept fine.”

“Is everything all right?” Drew asked mildly as he took another forkful of his eggs and swallowed. She watched him closely. He chewed and swallowed.

Charlene’s eyes narrowed and took another tentative bite of her eggs. As the salt hit her palette, she made the same face as before and quickly swallowed. She pulled her porridge closer and turned her attention there, casting a glance his way. “Everything is fine, thank you.”

“Good. Do you have any idea what you might wish to do today?” Drew asked as she scooped up a spoon-full of porridge.

“What I wish to do?” Charlene took the bite and nearly spit the food back out.

Drew coughed into his napkin to hide his amusement before clearing his throat and nodding. “Yes, I wanted to know what you planned to do today.”

She pushed the porridge away and eyed the bacon warily, looking at him as she pressed her lips together. “I was planning to find a book to read as I curl up by the fire after I checked on John again.”

“Well, my library is at your disposal.” He ate a rasher of bacon as she watched him covetously.

Taking a piece off her plate, Charlene took a small nibble. When it tasted as it should, she hungrily chewed through the rasher and another.

A knock sounded at the door of the morning room.

“Come in, Polly,” he called out in a droll tone. That she had knocked before entering when she never usually did such a thing was further—silent—chastisement for yesterday's kiss.

“Good morning,” Polly chirped happily as she crossed the room to the sideboard. Only then did she see Charlie's full plate and bowl. Her forehead creased between her brows. “Is everything all right?”

Charlie smiled up at the woman. “I'm afraid my eyes were bigger than my stomach this morning.”

Drew was pleased that she didn't berate Polly for the over salted food. Many a lady of the Ton would have done just that.

“Are you sure? I can head to the kitchen to make you something else,” Polly offered as she started collecting plates and clearing the table.

“No, thank you. I'm fine.” Charlie snatched the last rasher of bacon from her plate before the food disappeared.

Drew finished his own breakfast and then rose and grabbed another rasher of bacon from the sideboard. “Send Billy in to eat whenever he's ready.” He handed the bacon to Charlie as he walked out.

He strolled from the room and headed to his study.

Twenty minutes later, Polly stormed into the room. “Andrew James Wentworth, what did you do to the food this morning?”

He dropped his head as the shame he’d been feeling already, surged to the fore. “I may have tried to teach someone a lesson.”

“I tasted that poor girl's food. It was inedible! She must think I'm the worst cook in the county!” Polly’s cheeks were pink and her eyes narrowed as her gaze drilled into him. “And she is no doubt starving!”

“If you'll bring in a tray of sandwiches, I'm sure I shall see her this morning. She mentioned wanting to find a book to read.”

Polly grunted. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

He sighed softly, heat warming his cheeks. “I am. I plan to apologize to her.”

“Good. I'll bring in the sandwiches shortly. But best you remember with this unusual snow fall, there is not an endless supply of food in this house.” Polly nodded, then left the room.

Drew had not moved from his seat two hours later when a soft knock sounded at the door. “Come in.”

Charlie stepped just inside the door. “My apologies for interrupting you, but I had thought to find that book I mentioned at breakfast.”

“Oh course, my bookshelves are your bookshelves.” He inclined his head.

Charlie wandered into the room, slowly perusing the shelves.

Drew cleared his throat. “Charlie?—”

She spun to face him. “Do not call me that.”

“Very well.” He paused and closed his eyes, calling on his shallow well of patience. He owed her this. “Charlene, I owe you an apology.”

She tilted her head. “For?”

He chuckled. “For ruining your breakfast. Polly was very cross with me when she realized I had over-salted your food.”

“I knew it!” She thrust her hands on her hips.

He grinned at her. “Thank you for not taking Polly to task for my prank.”

“Of course not! I knew who was responsible. Breakfast yesterday was wonderful.” Charlene seemed surprised by his comment.

“Well, thank you, nonetheless. And as I said, I am sorry for ruining your food. In fact, I had Polly bring some sandwiches in case you appeared and were hungry.” He motioned toward the tray of sandwiches.

“Oh, that is not necessary,” she demurred, but her stomach rumbled loudly.

“Eat. You're clearly hungry.” Drew rose, picked up the tray of food, and carried it over to her.

Glaring silently up at him, Charlene took half a sandwich and started eating it. Within a few bites, the food was entirely gone.

Drew set the tray down and caught her gaze. “You have my sincerest apologies.”

“I must admit, it was quite funny in hindsight.” Charlene quirked her lush lips in a small smile.

“Your face when you took the first bite of eggs was priceless,” he chuckled.

She joined in, the pair of them dissolving into deep belly shaking laughter. It took a moment for Drew to get himself under control and straighten up, and she mirrored him.

Drew looked at her in the late morning light, her cheeks flushed with mirth, and desire ripped through him like a rogue wave. He reached for her, hauling her into his arms. Without speech, for words were not needed, their lips crashed together along with their bodies—almost as if they were drawn there by some unseen force.

God, he loved the feel of her soft curves melding against his harder planes as their tongues tangled. His cock ached with his need to be inside her, but he reminded himself that even this kiss was too far.

He’d just promised Polly this would cease.

Charlene pulled back a bit and moaned softly, “More. I need your hands on me again.”

Drew cursed under his breath as any will he had to fight this pull between them fled.

Sitting down on the sofa in front of the fireplace, he pulled her into his lap, kissing her again, long and deep, as he let his hands roam over her body. He cupped her breast and lamented the fabric between his hand and her flesh,. though he shouldn’t be touching her. Guilt swirled with desire as he continued to lick and taste her mouth, seeking more soft whimpers and low moans. When he found the hem of her skirts, he delved underneath and to his utter delight found a limb clad in woolen hose. As he continued to ravage her mouth, Drew slid his hand up her leg until he found the silk of her thigh. Charlene shuddered as he stroked her leg, continuing to push higher…

She had no drawers on.

Drew broke the kiss and stared at her. “Where are your underthings?” The words grated out of him as lust threatened to choke him.

“I wore trousers under the dress when I fled. I-I did not have any with me.” Charlene’s cheeks flushed impossibly redder.

Drew groaned as he recaptured her lips. His seeking fingers reached the nest of curls at the juncture of her thighs and slipped between the soaked lips of her pussy. His cock throbbed as he felt how wet she was. He teased a finger along her slit, stroking over her demanding clit with a slow, deliberate touch. Her hips bucked as she whimpered into his mouth.

Finally, some sense of propriety penetrated Drew’s desire induced haze. “We…we should stop this.” He sucked in a breath as his finger teased at her soaked entrance. “You should slap me and leave.”

“Why?” Charlene asked, biting her lower lip. “Why…why would I end something that feels so good?”

“Fuck, you test my limits, woman.” Drew slid his finger deep inside her and listened to her moan of pleasure. “What we are doing is wrong. I am not your husband, not even your betrothed.”

Unable to stop himself, he plunged his finger in and out of her as he teased his thumb over her clit.

Charlene cried out in surprised pleasure. “Please,” she whined softly. “Don't stop. Never stop.” Her hips were bucking, driving his fingers inside her once more.

He added a second one and thrust inside of her as he wanted to do with his aching cock.

“Drew…” She moaned his name, drawing out the last syllables on a whimper.

It was all he could do not to come in his trousers then and there; between hearing his name on her lips and feeling her arse rubbing over his erection?—

“Good God, you are beautiful,” he murmured, low and rough as she writhed on his fingers.

The door of the study swung open.

“Bloody hell, Drew!” The explosion of another man's voice shattered the moment.

“Get out,” Drew gritted out the words as Charlie all but fell out of his lap in her attempt to disentangle herself. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Billy flee the room as she staggered to her feet and attempted to put her skirts back in place.

“Oh, God!” Charlie breathed and then ran from the study once again, her face flaming red as she pressed her hands to her cheeks.

Drew let his head drop back against the sofa. “Bloody fucking hell!”

Before he could think, before he could register a single moment of clarity, he brought his fingers coated in her juices to his lips and sucked them clean.

He had to know what she tasted like.

It was all he would ever have of her, but the need to know won out over any manners.

Polly called him a rogue all the time. Now he was beginning to think she might be right. He seemed to fall on Charlie like a slavering beast every time he was alone with her.

Drew glanced out the window behind his desk. The snow still fell in a thick veil of white that offered no hint of respite. If he didn't escape this house soon, he would do something irrevocably foolish; he knew it as surely as he knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself.

The woman was a siren who called to him.

Perhaps he should look to avoid her for the next few days. No more breakfasts together. No private chats. He needed to steer very clear of the overly desirable Lady Charlene.