Chapter 21

When they returned to Kressley House after the opera, Maddy’s desire was still burning, and she knew it wouldn’t take much to stoke it to full life. She was surprised when Colin led her into the room adjoining his, one she had not yet used, other than the brief period of time when he had kept her locked in it before taking her to Coventry Park. She frowned in confusion. “What are you doing?”

“I thought you might like to rest alone.” He looked troubled.

She frowned. “I do not understand. Do you not want me tonight?” She was awash with confusion and disappointment, uncertain why his desire would turn so suddenly. Had it something to do with Stefan having touched her? His hands had briefly been on her, and she couldn’t imagine Colin would hold that against her, but what if it had cooled his ardor for her? The thought brought alarm rather than relief.

He scowled. “Of course, I want you. I want you all the time, but I thought you might need to recover from the evening. I am trying to do the gentlemanly thing.”

Her lips parted in a soft gasp, and she nodded slowly. “I see. In that case, would you mind unbuttoning my dress for me? I do hate to bother Glynnis this late in the evening.” If he thought it was strange that she didn’t wish to disturb her abigail, since that was part of Glynnis’s job, he didn’t say anything.

He looked like it pained him as he came closer, but she couldn’t see much as she turned to present her back. There were myriad buttons with which he dealt. Normally, he would’ve had them undone in seconds, since his fingers were so nimble, but he was obviously fumbling with them this time.

She took that as a good sign, and when he had undone the last button, she pushed the dress down casually, determined not to reveal her shyness at trying to seduce him. “Do you know how to undo the stays, Colin? It can be quite troublesome.” As she asked, she reached behind her while she turned to face him, certain it was exposing her cleavage to best advantage as she pretended to show him where the stays were. “I cannot undo the fastenings myself, so do you know how?”

His eyes were wide, and his voice sounded thick when he said, “I am sure I can manage.”

She hid a smile as she turned away, noticing the way his hand trembled from the corner of her eye. He was not unaffected, and she was glad for that, for her attempts at seduction were those of a novice at best. She had been thinking about these images since Bella had shared the information with her, and it had left her in a constant state of arousal, though admittedly, Stefan had managed to dampen that for the few moments they had interacted.

She pushed him from her mind, determined to banish any thought of him. If she thought too much, she would be worried about Colin tomorrow morning, and she wanted to have faith in him. He was strong and competent, and Stefan was weak. If Stefan fought fairly, she had no doubt her husband would prevail. However, she was certain Stefan would not fight fairly, and that fed her worry.

With a small sigh, she turned to him as he finished undoing the strings, and she let the stays fall down her body before stepping out of it. Now she remained in just her shift and stockings, and she licked her lips in what she hoped was an engaging fashion. “I do not believe I want to be alone. Would you mind holding me for a while, Colin?”

He gulped audibly as he nodded. “If that is what you want, love.”

She nodded. “Allow me to assist you, so you are not dreadfully uncomfortable when we lie down.” As she spoke, she began unbuttoning his jacket, soon pushing it off him and draping it on the trunk at the foot of the bed. Next, her fingers negotiated the buttons of his waistcoat, and she stripped it as well.

He was gritting his teeth, and his jaw was clenched. He was clearly having a difficult time controlling himself, but he appeared slightly confused. No doubt, he wasn’t certain what she was doing. He was probably taking her at face value, assuming she simply wanted some comfort and was trying to help him as he had helped her.

Likely, he was trying to control his passion to honor her request for solace. She confessed to herself it was quite fun to tease him in this fashion, especially since she knew he would not be unsatisfied when the evening ended.

After stripping his cravat, which took longer than she had expected due to the elaborate knot tied so artfully by his valet, she pulled his shift out of his trousers and helped him remove it. Then she left him to remove his boots, turning away from him as she bent over to unfasten her garters and stockings, sliding them slowly down her legs. She was hopeful he was getting a good view of her bottom in the shift, and she wished it were tighter.

When she stood up and turned to him, he wore only his trousers, and a quick glance southward determined she was having the desired effect. He seemed hard and throbbing, but he was still making every effort to control himself, and she gave him an innocent smile. “Would you think less of me if I removed my shift, Colin? It is not comfortable to sleep in.”

His eyes widened, and he swallowed again. “Of…Of course not, Maddy. You must be comfortable.”

She smiled at him in gratitude. “Thank you. Of course, I issue the same courtesy to you. If you would be more comfortable without your clothing, I have no objection.”

He seemed torn for a moment, and he sounded strangled when he said, “Perhaps I should leave on my pants.”

She tilted her head slightly, feigning a look of consideration. “Of course, I leave it up to you, for you know your comfort level, but they do seem somewhat tight to sleep in.”

He shifted on his bare feet and cleared his throat. “You have a valid point.” His hands were shaking as he undid the buttons of the fall, soon sliding out of the trousers, which he left on the floor.

Horribly aware of her nudity, and slightly discomforted by it, though she was looking forward to breaking his control, she tried to walk sedately to the bed and slid in. He walked over to the other side and joined her. It was a fine mattress, reasonably comfortable, but it wasn’t as nice as the one she had gotten accustomed to using with him at Coventry Park, or in the bedchamber next door here at Kressley House.

He seemed to be maintaining proper distance between them, so she made a point of rolling into his arms. “Do you mind holding me?”

“Of course not.” Neither of them had blown out the oil lamp, so she could see his strained expression and the way his Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed as she cuddled closer, her front pressed to his. She closed her eyes, striving to give the appearance she was trying to fall asleep. “I had a very good conversation with Bella the other day. I do not believe I have had a chance to tell you about it.”

“I am relieved. I am not certain how she and Nicholas know each other, but he did assure me she was quite frantic with worry for you. It sounded as though she were prepared to scour the countryside for you herself. It is good that you have such a loyal friend.”

She nodded. “I believe so too.” In what she hoped seemed like an accidental gesture, she pressed her palm to his lower stomach, just inches away from his cock. His stomach muscles trembled underneath her hand, and she smiled at the betrayal of his reaction. “She is a sensible woman, and she gave me some practical advice.”

“Indeed.” He cleared his throat. “I shall forever maintain gratitude for her assistance to you. I shudder to think what could’ve happened to a naïve young woman of gentle breeding on a typical London evening.”

Maddy trembled slightly as she considered the possibilities. Before having a relationship with Colin, she hadn’t fully understood what would be physically involved, but she’d been able to torture herself more than once imagining some despicable man had found her instead of Isabella.

Now, she could even more starkly envision the images, giving them context, and she didn’t wish to taint something she found so pleasurable with distasteful thoughts, so she focused on her campaign of seduction. “She told me a few interesting tidbits as well.”

“Did she?” He drew in a harsh breath as her hand moved lower, and Maddy wasn’t certain he could believe she was doing so accidentally.

“Yes. She is not a skilled courtesan, but she has had two patrons and learned quite a bit.”

“About what?” he asked with a harsh exhale as her hand slipped over his cock, engulfing as much of it as she could take in her palm.