The Rogue’s Christmas Gift (Wicked Widows League #24)

Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

E ntering his home, Harrison glanced over to Kat for the tenth or twentieth time since they’d left Pleasure House. He wished for nothing more than to erase the pain of the last few hours, but he also knew Kat. She wouldn’t allow Delcour to best her, and he would do everything in his power to assist her, no matter what.

Seeing the usually strong and confident woman nearly succumb to tears tore at a part of Harrison that he thought was long buried. She was a mere shadow of herself, her sparkling eyes downcast, head hung low on sagging shoulders. At Pleasure House, there were no signs of weakness to be seen on her visage, but once in the carriage with no one but Richmore, Winnie, and himself, Kat had allowed herself to finally grieve what she’d lost.

This version of Kat was more vulnerable than he’d seen her in years. Even when they were younger, she’d been a force. Beautiful, strong, and independent.

Flexing his right hand, Harrison welcomed the light sting of pain from pummeling Delcour. He’d suffer all the pain in the world if it meant that Kitty could have her precious Pleasure House back.

Delcour had vehemently been after Pleasure House for years, but Harrison did not believe that he would actually convince the Chancery to vote in his favor. How the weasel had proven that he had contributed the initial investment to the business was a mystery to Harrison, but it was one he was willing to solve in order to help Kat.

The ride from Pleasure House to his home had been quiet, the four of them not saying a single word during the short ride through Mayfair.

“Perhaps, you should come to Brown Manor with us. It is unseemly for you to stay here with just the two of you,” Winnie said, taking a seat beside Kat.

Kat released a harsh laugh. “Unseemly? I’m not an innocent girl enjoying her first season in London.” She shook her head, waving her hand to Harrison. “I believe we should be more concerned about Harrison’s reputation than mine.”

Walking over to the sideboard, he poured Kat a glass of brandy. “I don’t have a reputation to protect and if I did, I wouldn’t care about it.” He walked over to her, handing her the glass. “I care that you’re safe. You can stay here as long as you need.”

“Thank you,” she said, taking the offered glass.

Her finger brushed against his, and suddenly Harrison questioned if he could have her in his home for an undetermined amount of time.

“It is very kind of Harrison to be sure, but you must consider the future now that you no longer have Pleasure House?—”

“My future is Pleasure House, Winnie.” Kitty’s words were filled with conviction. “I will not allow Pierre to ruin everything I built. People depend on me. I can’t just abandon them.”

“Do you have a plan?” Richmore asked, walking to the sideboard to pour his own drink.

“No, but I won’t give up, there must be something I can do,” Kat whispered, before she took another sip of her drink.

Harrison felt absolutely helpless watching the woman he loved endure such an injustice. It didn’t matter that she had denied his countless marriage proposals—what mattered was that she was happy.

Winnie sat forward, clasping her hands together. “The Widow’s League can help you. Remember when I was being evicted?—”

Richmore coughed, his ears turning beet red, from the mention of his previous escapades with his wife. “I did make that bit up to you, didn’t I, darling?” he turned to ask his wife.

“Perhaps,” she said in a teasing voice before she focused back on Kat. “Contact the Widow’s League. Lady Wyndam is one of the founding widows, and I know she is still in Town for the winter as my aunt has recently visited her.”

“What in God’s name is a Widow’s League?” Harrison couldn’t help but to ask.

It always surprised him that women would find a way to form connections and friendship no matter what. Of course there was a league of widows, and he couldn’t help but wonder exactly what this league did for the widows.

“It’s glorious really. They assist widows in need, especially those that are in dire circumstances.” She patted Kitty’s knee. “Although I never had the opportunity to use their services, I did correspond with Lady Wyndam, and she was most sympathetic to my plight.”

Richmore visibly flinched like she had slapped him in the face. If it wasn’t such a morbid topic for his friend and the mood was not as bleak, Harrison would’ve laughed.

It was true that Richmore was indeed evicting Winnie from her family’s home when they’d first encountered each other. Perhaps all relationships had secrets in some form or another.

“The carriages have been unloaded, my lord,” his butler said, standing in the doorway and awaiting further instructions.

“Thank you, Wilson. Please see that everything is taken to the countess’s rooms for Madame Delcour?—”

“Harrison,” Kat admonished him.

“They’re the only rooms prepared and ready unless you would like to stay in my mother’s rooms?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

Richmore cleared his throat. “I think we should be leaving so that we can prepare to go to Brown Manor in the morning while the townhouse is being repaired.”

“Write to Lady Wyndam. I’m sure the League can assist you.” Winnie leaned over, wrapping her arms around Kat.

Richmore sat his empty glass on the sideboard before approaching Harrison. “What about your mother?” he whispered so that only Harrison could hear him.

“I don’t care for her opinion nor do I need her approval. It’s my decision,” Harrison said. The rightness of his words squeezed at his chest as his gaze locked on Kat’s.

His friend nodded. “I hope you know what you’re doing.” Richmore patted Harrison’s shoulder before walking over to his wife.

“Come to Brown Manor if you need to,” Winnie told Kat one last time.

“Thank you for everything Winnie, but I need to stay in London and fight. I cannot hide in the country with you.” Kat stood with her friend.

“You mean me and the handsomest heir in London.” Winnie replied, grinning.

“I must agree that my godson is quite dashing.” Harrison smiled, wishing the boy hadn’t returned to Richmore’s townhouse for a nap.

It was strange how being appointed godfather had changed Harrison. It made him long for the day that he would become a father. Although, he was an uncle to his sister’s children, they barely knew him.

Glancing over at Kat he couldn’t stop the path his mind decided to follow. Perhaps it was the fact that they were in his home, walking their friends out like it was an everyday occurrence. The rightness of it all threatened to disarm his resolve to move on with his life without her. It was a plan that Harrison intended to follow conscientiously. However, standing beside Kat as Richmore and Winnie entered their carriage had him longing for a future with her beside him.

Once their friends were gone, they walked back to the parlor in silence. Kat sat down on the sofa, retrieving her abandoned brandy.

Harrison tried to speak several times, finding it rather difficult to speak freely now that they were alone. The hurt and pain from their last meeting still lingered inside Harrison’s heart. He refused to hope that her feelings on marriage had changed; it was evident to him that the only thing Kat cared for was Pleasure House.

He resolved to do everything in his power to assist her, but the dream of Kat ever being his wife had ended. Perhaps it was a boy’s fantasy.

“Thank you, Harrison,” Kat said quietly.

Hazel eyes met his, pressing against his weak resolve.

“You must know that there’s nothing that I won’t do for you, Kat.”

She inhaled, her plump lips opening in shock from his words. The feel of them was still affixed in his memory. It was one he would keep until his dying breath.

“My lord, Mrs. Delcour’s things have been taken into the countess’s rooms. And her maid has been settled in the servants’ quarters,” Wilson said, efficiently, interrupting Harrison’s thoughts.

“Thank you, Wilson. Please have Cook send Mrs. Delcour’s dinner to her rooms.” Harrison instructed the elderly butler.

He knew too well that being suddenly uprooted from one’s home filled a person with uncertainty.

“I’ll show you to your rooms. I’m sure you would like to rest after the day you’ve had.” He held his hand out to her, waiting patiently.

Nothing prepared Harrison for the wholeness that bloomed through him when her hand wrapped around his like a lost limb. Each breath he took was a testament to his will. Her sweet scent surrounded him, the warmth of her body next to his threatening to unman him completely.

A sennight away from her had done nothing to quiet his ardor. She was still the only woman in the world he wanted with every inch of himself.

“I know the risk you are taking by opening your home to me even after how I treated you,” she said, as they walked up the stairs still holding hands.

Selfishly, he never wanted to release her or allow her to return to Pleasure House, but she would return soon. He would help Kat in any way he could. Her happiness was all that mattered, and owning Pleasure House made her happy.

Stopping in front of the countess’s rooms, he brought her hand to his lips. “Kat, you could run me over with your carriage, make me run through Hyde Park naked, and I’d still do everything in my power to assist you.”

“I don’t deserve your friendship,” she whispered, avoiding eye contact.

Her words puzzled him, and he couldn’t stop himself from cupping her cheek. “It doesn’t matter. You’ll always have my friendship and my love.”

For years he’d tried to forget her, to ignore the desires of his own heart, but she lived inside of him. Kat had stolen his heart when he was a boy and he’d never received it back.

Harrison didn’t want it returned to him. The truth was, it was always hers.

Stepping closer to him, her fingers teased his hair. It was an act she’d often done when they were younger, stealing moments together away from the watchful eyes of their parents and her little sister.

“I don’t want to think about today anymore.” Her fingers trailed to the nape of his neck, twirling a wayward curl.

Unable to move, Harrison tried to will himself to breathe, to do anything but stand there like a useless sap. His sensitive cock hardened in his breeches, straining to be free, to be inside of her again.

Eight long excruciating years since he’d last been with her, their last time together was still emblazoned in his mind. That memory was all he’d had for years, until they’d found each other again.

“What do you need?” he rasped out, struggling to maintain his composure.

The air was suddenly charged, his heart threatening to pound out of his skin. He’d give her anything she needed, be anything for her. It didn’t matter that she wouldn’t marry him. If all she was willing to offer was a piece of herself, he’d take it like a starving man and savor every part that she was willing to give him.

“You,” she whispered before dragging him closer.

Soft lips pressed to his, her tongue teasing his, demanding entry. It took Harrison approximately two seconds to respond. Once the initial shock was over, he opened to her, gliding his tongue against hers as his arms wrapped around her.

The rightness of it all healed his aching soul, as he squeezed her to him, turning to press her against the wall.

There was a small voice in his head telling him that the hall was not an ideal place to ravish her, but he ignored it, deepening the kiss. His tongue plunged, exploring the sweetness of her taste. Harrison groaned, thrusting his fingers through her thick tresses.

Dear God.

Seven days without her lips on his was like a fucking lifetime to him. He no longer cared about the past or the future, the only thing existed to him was the present. The here and now with her in his arms.

Pressing her full breasts against his chest, Harrison let out an animalistic groan, wanting to strip her bare in the hallway. Wrenching his lips away from hers was the hardest thing he’d ever done, but he was a desperate man.

His lips trailed down her neck to the swell of her breasts, teasing the flesh with his tongue.

“Harrison,” she called his name, her fingers raking across his scalp.

Before he could free her round breasts, the door to the countess’s chambers opened, breaking them apart like they were young again, stealing kisses around corners.

“Forgive me, Madame!” The maid shrieked, looking down at the upholstered carpet. “I-I was unpacking your clothing.”

“Thank you, Jenny. That’ll be all for the evening.” Kat said, running her fingers through her hair.

Harrison adjusted his jacket, wondering about his own appearance and willing the maid away.

The maid, Jenny, rushed past heading for the servant stairs in the back of the home. He was glad it was her maid who had discovered them and not one of his servants, though he was sure tongues were already wagging in his home.

For years, there was talk of his intimate connections, or lack of. Recently all of society was acutely aware of his and Kat’s connection, but only a select few knew how deep their bond actually went.

Kat walked into the open door, turning toward him with a teasing smile on her perfect lips. “Are you coming?”

Harrison glided into the dimly lit room. The sun had finally set, the moon casting a glow throughout the chambers.

Unlike the dark décor he knew that she was used to at her precious establishment, the countess chambers were decorated like the rest of his home, in bright colors. The yellow bedding and curtains were nearly blinding. Harrison had not cared much about redecorating from his mother’s particular taste, until that very moment.

“I don’t want to take advantage of you, Kat.” He wanted her, but he wasn’t a cad. It was clear that she was hurting from the ordeal that she had suffered.

“You would never take advantage of me.” Hazel eyes peered up at him. “Close the door, Harrison,” she demanded.

He followed the command, his heart stuttering in his chest, palms sweating. Rubbing the back of his neck, Harrison tried to control his pulsating body before he faced her.

Kat stood, breathtakingly beautiful, her thick hair hanging loosely on her shoulders. When they were younger, her mother would try to force her abundant curls into a chignon that usually fell free in less than an hour.

Leaning against the door, he was helpless to her as her fingers skimmed down his chest to unbutton his waistcoat, taking control of the situation. She’d always been bold. Even as a young girl, it was she who had first held his hand. Kat was the one bold enough to initiate their first kiss. It was by the pond on his old property.

Unable to resist the siren call of her mouth, he captured her lips with his. Harrison’s hands began unlacing her gown, tugging the silk ribbon free.

His waistcoat was the first item of clothing to fall unceremoniously to the carpet, followed by her dress and then his shirt sleeves.

The cool touch of her hands on his chest jolted him as his roamed her body, undoing the clasps of her stays, freeing her glorious bosom to his greedy eyes.

Her stays joined the rest of their clothing at their feet. Hard dark nipples peeked out from the sheer material of her chemise, begging for attention.

Kat slowly took a step back, her gaze never leaving Harrison’s as she lifted the garment, unhurriedly lifting it up to reveal smooth brown skin.

Licking his lips, it took a herculean effort to not move as rounded hips and the dark, lush curls of her sex were revealed to him.

Kat pulled the chemise over her head, dropping it to the floor unceremoniously.

Harrison couldn’t stop his body from moving once he was free of her spell. Closing the distance between them, he took her in his arms, pressing his hungry lips to hers. The kiss was ravenous and wild as they explored each other. Lifting her, Kat wrapped her long legs around his waist. The weight and feel of her in his arms was glorious.

His hands explored the long expanse of her back, cupping her generous back side.

“I need you,” she demanded against his lips, her insistent fingers gliding through his hair.

“You have me,” he whispered.

Turning them, Harrison sat on the bed, his lips caressing her neck and shoulders. He wanted to worship her body like she deserved. It had been years since they’d last been together, and now the realization that she was naked and in his arms was more than he ever could’ve imagined.

A firm hand guided him to lie on the bed, as Kat began attacking the flaps of his breeches, freeing his hard cock.

In his eagerness, he’d forgotten to free himself of the impeding fabric.

Harrison groaned when her small hand wrapped around his manhood, his head falling back against the feathered mattress.

She pumped him expertly, her hand gliding up and down his turgid flesh.

Afraid that he would spend before he was even inside of her, Harrison sat up, lifting her slightly to line his manhood up with her wetness.

His free arm cupped the nape of her neck, the curls teasing his knuckles. “I’ve waited so long for this day,” he whispered, trailing the hand on her waist up her torso to cup a full breast in his hand.

His fingers teased and pulled at her erect nipple as Kat sat up on her knees, seating herself fully on his hard flesh.

“Fuck,” he cursed unable to stop himself.

His body quivered as her hands trailed over his chest and shoulders, their lips crashing together, desperate for the connection.

Kat’s luscious body moved over him, her sensual hips rotating as she searched for her own pleasure.

“Oh, God!” she called out, throwing her head back.

Her breasts bounced with the exuberance of their movements as he chased euphoria for himself. Cupping one breast, Harrison greedily took a pert nipple into his starved mouth, sucking, and teasing it. Remembering how much she enjoyed it when he bit her nipple, he scrapped his teeth against the sensitive flesh, one of his hands squeezing her small waist.

Wetness coated his manhood as her sex squeezed and pulsated around him in glorious pleasure.

Reciting the alphabet, categorizing different flowers in his mind, he tried everything to stall his impending orgasm.

“You feel so damn good around me Kat. I need you to come for me, can you do that?” he asked desperately not wanting to embarrass himself.

He knew she’d had other lovers since him, but for him it was only her, always.

“Harrison, I missed this, missed us,” she rasped out, her hand slipping between them to rub at her little nub.

Rocking his hips forward he pulled hers to him, seating himself deeper inside of her tight sheath. Taking her lips in a fierce kiss, they moved together until they were both shaking from their release. His tongue wrapped around hers, and he savored every moment as he emptied himself inside of her.

Squeezing her to him, he kissed her tenderly. Harrison wished that the moment would never end, but he wasn’t a foolish man; he was well aware that Kat would never be his.

It was a realization that he would have to accept one day soon. There was a part of him that knew he would always long for her to be his until his dying breath.