Dark Deceptions: A Regency and Medieval Collection of Dark Romances(74)

Their hostess, Lady Ashton, stood amongst the crowd. She fanned herself rapidly, eying the scandal unfolding on her balcony. “Oh, my. Oh, my.”

Observers continued to appear, including Nick, who quickly took in the scene, and ended it with his ducal authority. “I suggest we all return to our lovely hostess’s ballroom. The entertainment within is a good deal more amusing than this dull meeting,” Nick said.

Those present shuffled off the balcony with clear reluctance in their slow steps.

With the throng of voyeurs gone, only the two married couples remained.

Grace reached a hand out to her husband. “Edward,” she whispered.

As if awakening from a long slumber, Helling gave his head a quick shake and stalked away.

A ragged cry escaped Grace as she ran after him.

Georgina stared down at the tips of her slippers.

“Georgina,” Adam said.

She looked up and Adam inclined his head in greeting.

His wife didn’t say anything, just continued to stand there with shocked hurt in her soulful, brown eyes. His insides twisted.

Why do I care so much? Why, after all you have put me through, does the sight of your trembling lip make me want to drop to my knees and plead forgiveness for even an imagined offense?

Her voice broke. “Are you deliberately trying to humiliate me?”

He ground his teeth. Is that what she cared about? How this appeared to Society? It doused his sympathy and quashed his regret. “Is this about you? Is it all about you?”

She shook her head. “N-no.” A lone tear slid down her cheek.

“No?” He advanced angrily, swiping a hand at the air. “I wasn’t betraying you with Grace.” Joy lit her eyes, brighter than the moon that peeked from behind the clouds. “Does that make you happy? That you have me wound around your sweet, little finger?”

The happiness in her eyes faded, giving way to the shadow of doubt. “No,” she rasped.

“Were you spying on me?” he barked.

Georgina shook her head and curls tumbled out of her artful arrangement of chocolate brown locks. Two long strands of silken hair nestled in the crevice of her full, white bosom.

His breath caught. In spite of it all, he wanted to lay her bare and make love to her until he drove reality from their life, until nothing but sated desire remained.

Suddenly he needed her. Right or wrong. He needed her like a starving man craved food.

Adam started forward. He stopped in front of Georgina. A mere hair’s breadth separated them, but it may as well have been the Nile for all the space between them.

He pulled her into his arms and their lips met in an explosion of angry desire. He yanked her skirts up with one hand then shoved down her undergarments. He worked the flap open on his breeches and his shaft sprang free. Georgina moaned and reached down between them to caress his shaft. She took it in her long fingers and stroked him up and down. With a groan, he arched into her skilled hands.

He parted her thighs and—there against Lord Ashton’s stone wall, with the tinkling echo of the orchestra playing in the far distance—claimed her, plunging deep inside her welcoming heat.

Her head fell backwards as she bucked against him. Adam thrust, once, twice, their flesh slapping hard in a relentless meeting of skin. “It’s not enough,” he rasped.

He spun her around and bending her low against the balustrade nestled his manhood at the base of her buttocks. She whimpered, rocking her hips against him, searching.

“I want you.” He bit her shoulder.

She cried out.

“I want all of you, Georgina. Even as I want to hate you. I cannot.” He slipped inside inch by agonizing inch. “Tell me you want me.”

“I do,” she whimpered and with a hard thrust he pushed deep. “I’ve always wanted you.”

His eyes slid closed as her words washed over him. She could not ever love him as he loved her. Even with her deception and lies and the truth of her birth…he loved her. And he hated himself for it. She accepted every single inch of him. She squeezed him with clever inner thigh muscles, milking his shaft.

Adam flexed his hips.

Georgina gasped, buckling against him. But he wouldn’t let her fall. He gripped the sides of her hips and kept her upright, continuing to grind against her.

She pushed back as if trying to get closer to him, and it felt like blissful revenge that she should ache for him, that she was as tortured as he would be until he drew his last breath on this cruel earth. He would f*ck her and leave. But for now he’d take what was his. He pumped his hips again. Hard. Punishing her with merciless strokes. She didn’t complain. She moaned loud enough to attract the notice of any person happening to pass by. He didn’t care.

“I love you,” Georgina moaned, arching against him.

He continued to plow into her, ignoring her breathy declaration.

Her head fell forward as she bowed to his masterful conquering. “I want you. Even if you do not you want me,” she breathed.

Adam nipped her lobe hard. He clenched his jaw to call back the words of love on his own lips. He could not bare himself to her. Not again.

She angled her head over her shoulder, looking at him through passion-glazed eyes. “How can someone who hates me make me feel like all I want in the world is right here?”

Ah, Georgina. I hate that you’ve lied to me. I don’t know how we can go on with all the mistruths between us. But I can never hate you.