The Unlucky Viscount Read online

  “Breathe.” Alex whispered in her ear. “Breathe slowly.”

  He sucked in air and held it for a moment before exhaling against her neck. She followed him, matching her breathing to his. The discomfort eased and was slowly becoming a restless feeling. Rachel moved beneath him, and Alex shifted his hips to stoke her in the same rhythm as their breathing. It didn’t take long for the pleasure to increase, and the tension came back to her body. It grew with each pounding against the sofa.

  “I need more.” Alex groaned, grabbing her hips with both hands and thrusting into her with more speed and strength.

  Rachel could only wrap her arms around his shoulders and cling to him as they both rode out the wave of passion. She felt a volt through her nerves, causing her to shatter beneath him. He shuddered his own release and fell against her, their damp bodies sticking together.

  "I feel good." Not fine, but better than that. He made her feel good with his attention, like a cup of warm chocolate that was far too luxurious but hard to resist. "Care to check for yourself?"

  The flare of his nose told her that he knew exactly what she meant and he wanted it. He wanted to touch her, and as she thought about those hands of his on her body, she felt the heat growing inside her again.

  CHAPTER 11

  IT WAS AMAZING HOW one event could change so much in a person's life. Alex watched his wife from across the crowded lawn party. It had been over a week since the night they had played cards, and every night since he had discovered something new about her. He also helped her discover new things about herself. That meant each morning he woke up satisfied if not entirely well rested.

  Her status among the ton had improved drastically. Eloisa and Sarah had done everything in their power to make sure of it. She would never admit it, but Rachel clearly enjoyed the invitations that flooded in and the kind attention people now gave her. Alex knew that being accepted was much easier than being excluded.

  Daphne was flourishing, with even a few suitors now paying her special attention. Alex didn't want her to hurry into marriage, but he was glad that his sister had some options.

  "How is your wife enjoying the party?"

  Lord Bittleby had snuck up to his left without Alex noticing. The smell of alcohol was stronger than it should have been for the middle of the afternoon. Bittleby swayed a little as he stood there, staring at Rachel from a distance.

  "She’s enjoying it, and I would like to keep it that way." Alex said, leaving no doubt that he wanted Bittleby to keep his distance from her.

  "My mother insisted on hosting something before the season ended. She is still hoping I will find my future wife before all the ladies leave London for the year."

  "There are certainly plenty to choose from." As long as he didn’t consider Daphne among them.

  "I find that most of the eligible ladies are more interested in playing games with men's affection, rather than honestly looking for matrimony."

  "I believe it depends on the gentleman."

  Bittleby let out a little huff. It was best if he made no more enemies from the peerage. Alex was just about to walk away when he saw Thomas approaching them. Bittleby noticed that as well and the color drained from his puffy face. Alex stifled a grin.

  "Bittleby, shouldn't you be greeting the rest of your guests?" Thomas stood with his cane in one hand, his other in his trouser pocket, appearing casual even though his tone was meant to intimidate.

  "I was just making sure Lord and Lady Andrews were having a good time."

  "You don't need to concern yourself with their well-being, only with your own."

  Lord Bittleby swallowed. "I will check on the rest of the guests."

  Alex felt relief when the man was gone, until he realized that Thomas was still scowling. His friend used to be dark and brooding all the time, but since he had married, he had shown a lightness in his attitude. Now that lightness was gone. Bittleby held a special, angry place in Thomas’s opinion.

  “Don’t let him spoil the mood today. We are both here with beautiful women, so it is meant to be enjoyed.”

  "That man has been a pest since our school days. I wish I could give him a proper thrashing, but sadly that would only make things worse. If he ever does anything to you or your wife, let me know. I will help take care of him."

  "Help you take care of whom?" Eloisa asked.

  Rachel and Eloisa walked up together. Thomas gave his wife a smile that was much different from the one he had for the rest of the world. It was much more predatory and made his wife blush. Alex knew Rachel had much the same look when he smiled at her like that. As a matter of fact, she was turning a lovely shade of red as he stared at her now.

  "A nuisance, nothing more. Your husband can tell you in more detail later." Thomas gave Rachel a wink and Alex was grateful he didn't ruin her enjoyment by telling her about the incident

  "Where did you disappear to?" Rachel asked, not bothering him for the details now. “You were standing beside me, then you weren’t.”

  "I thought it might be fun for us to play a game of croquet. They have it set up over on the other side of the lawn, so I got the mallet and balls." Alex knew he was grinning like puppy with a new trick. "We could play pairs against each other."

  "I have never played that before."

  "What? It's a splendid game. I haven't played in a bit, but my cousins enjoyed it immensely as children."

  Rachel averted her eyes and bit her lip. There wouldn’t have been a place to play an outdoor game where she had grown up in the club he realized. She knew how to play every game involving a deck of cards, but something like this was not available to her. She looked at Alex, with eyes that reflected her embarrassment. He tried to reassure her by taking her hand.

  “It won’t take long to learn.”

  She nodded and her smile returned.

  "I believe we should play ladies against the gentlemen. That way I have the disadvantage of playing with Thomas." Alex said.

  "You would be surprised at how well my husband can play if he has someone to turn him in the right direction." Eloisa took Rachel by the arm and they started walking toward the field. "He listens to the sound of the balls as they run into each other and can do a pretty good job of estimating where they are. Sometimes I wonder if he is cheating at it somehow."

  "She only says that because she hates to lose. My wife can be very competitive."

  "Yours is not the only one." Alex agreed.

  Both men chuckled.

  "You don't think you are competitive as well?" Rachel raised her eyebrows and looked at Alex, waiting for his reply.

  "I don't think it is safe for me to answer that."

  Eloisa and Rachel exchanged glances, sharing an unspoken opinion about their husbands. Alex had a feeling they were plotting to teach them a lesson in this game.

  "What about a wager, then? To see who becomes more competitive." Rachel said with a sparkle in her eyes.

  Alex hesitated. They were currently tied in their wagers and this might give her the upper hand. He had to admit that the draw of the gamble was tempting to him, more so than his own sense of caution. He enjoyed the thrill of victory as much as she did and couldn't resist.

  "What would be the stakes?" Thomas asked, not showing the least bit of reluctance.

  "A public declaration of defeat. Loser must place an ad in the paper stating that the other team was far superior." Eloisa said.

  Alex could see that Thomas wasn’t amused but he found it quite funny. Eloisa knew exactly where to hit her husband where it hurt, his ego. That meant Thomas would be playing to win. Alex didn’t mind those stakes, having very little to speak of as far as reputation went.

  "I hope you play better now than you did when we were children." Thomas muttered to Alex as the players got their mallets and picked their balls.

  As they started to play, Alex did his best to teach Rachel the basic rules of the game, and Eloisa helped. Hitting the ball back and forth through the hoops with their mallets was e
asy enough to follow.

  The fun came when one player had the chance to knock out another player's ball. That's when one found out how competitive a person could get. Rachel smiled each time she was able to knock Alex's ball in the wrong direction. The gentlemen were very much at risk of losing and Thomas wasn’t happy about that at all.

  "I think you lied when you claimed you had never played this game before." Alex told Rachel as the game was coming close to the end and the teams were tied.

  “Do you think I had something like this set up in the cellar?" She laughed.

  "Then I will know better than to ask you to play any new games. You are a fast learner."

  "I thought you liked teaching me new things."

  "Only when we are alone and unclothed." He whispered in her ear.

  He felt it send a shiver throughout her body. Each time she bent over to aim her shot Alex got a delicious view of her curves in the tight walking dress she wore. His comment worked well to distract her enough that she swung and missed her ball entirely. She looked over her shoulder, and Alex gave her his best smug expression.

  "I see the gentlemen's team has decided to resort to unfair tactics." Rachel said.

  "Feel free to use the same tactics on us."

  "I'm afraid I don't have a devious enough mind. I only know how to play by the rules."

  "Shame. I would love to see your devious side."

  He had hoped that she would get the same butterflies he got when he thought about the two of them together, but it created an unwanted effect. She hit her ball with a little too much enthusiasm. As if moving in slow motion, Alex watched the ball leave the softness of the fresh grass and fly into the air. There was no time to move out of the way before the ball crashed into his shin hard enough to knock him over.

  He saw the look of fear frozen on her face as he fell. Her mouth opened, but no sound came from it. There was a soft cracking sound when the ball made contact with his leg, but he barely heard it because his senses were overwhelmed with pain. Sharp little sparks of light flooded his vision, and the air escaped from his lungs. His leg throbbed, and his balance shifted sideways, bringing him down on-to the grass.

  He could see that Thomas, Eloisa, and Rachel were all gathered over him but could also see the crowds of guests beyond that were watching. He wanted to retain a small amount of dignity, but the pain was too much, and he could feel tears welling up in his eyes.

  "We need to get him to the carriage." Thomas was speaking to the ladies. "Once we get him home, I can send for a doctor. His leg might need to be set."

  Alex struggled to sit up, wanting to see the injury for himself, but Thomas kept a hand on his shoulder to prevent it.

  "It’s bad. You don't want to see it right now." Thomas said.

  "I need-"

  "Trust me you don't."

  By now his head was beginning to get fuzzy, so Alex let it fall back into the cool grass again. His eyes were getting heavy and it was hard for him to open them but he didn't want to miss what was happening. He felt his body being lifted by at least two people, and then he was being carried. Thomas was one of the men, but he didn't know the other. As he was laid on the seat of the carriage, Alex saw Rachel's face one last time before he passed out.

  Waking up, the first thing Alex noticed was the extreme pain in his leg. He was in his own bed, but there were people moving around the room, and he could hear them talking in hushed tones. An older man appeared: he had slicked-back gray hair and an Asian appearance. He was wearing a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles and a frown on his thin face. Thomas was with him and also appeared to be in a grim mood.

  "This is Dr. Morton. I called him to attend to your leg."

  That was a simple introduction, but Alex was glad. His mind was having trouble sorting things out with the pain throbbing in his leg.

  "You suffered a break, and I had to set it. You are going to need to stay in bed until it heals." the doctor said.

  "How long?"

  "I can't tell right now, but it's going to be a fair amount of time."

  Alex narrowed his eyes at the somber-looking doctor determining his fate. He showed no sign he would be willing to budge about that.

  "Rachel?" Alex asked Thomas.

  "I asked her to wait downstairs for now. I wanted to give you time to talk to the doctor."

  The doctor nodded slowly without a change in his expression.

  "You are probably in a lot of pain. I brought you some laudanum for that. I will give you a dose now to help you relax, and his Grace can bring your wife up to visit. You really do need to get some rest, so keep it brief."

  Alex could barely lift his head from the pillow enough to swallow the liquid being offered to him by Dr. Morton. It tasted bitter but he swallowed it quickly. The men left, and Rachel entered the bedroom a few minutes later. Alex didn't know if the laudanum had helped, but the moment he saw her he felt more relaxed.

  "Alex? Are you awake?" She sounded so quiet that he wondered if she hoped he was asleep.

  "Yes, at least for a few more moments."

  He struggled to push himself up into a sitting position but it was impossible in his current state, so he just lay there while she came around the edge of the bed.

  "Oh!" She appeared startled by his condition, and he could see tears in her eyes and running down her cheeks.

  "Do I look that bad?" Alex tried to make light of the moment, giving her a weak smile.

  "I'm so sorry.”

  She crumpled beside his bed, sobbing into the bedding. Alex was unprepared for such a reaction and didn't know what to say. He just reached his hand out to stroke her hair until she looked back up at him. Her face held such remorse in it that for a moment, he felt his own heart breaking for her.

  "It was an accident." He finally spoke, hoping to soothe her guilt. "We were playing a game, and this just happened. There is nothing for you to feel sorry about."

  "I was being so competitive. I would have done anything to win."

  "Are you saying you struck me with the ball on purpose?"

  He already knew the answer was no, but he needed her to to realize it.

  "I just hit the ball as hard as I could. I didn't think about what might happen."

  "That doesn't sound intentional."

  "It was malicious."

  The emotion in her face and the deep regret reflected in the depths of her dark eyes was anything but malicious.

  "I don't blame you for this. It was just poor luck on both our parts."

  "I'm the one who wanted the wager."

  “I'm the one who accepted it." Alex tried once again to grin but he could feel it was weak. "Who won?"

  She was startled by that question, and the crying stopped. Then he could see the giggles bubbling up until they escaped her lips. That was a much better sound to his ears. She tried to cover her mouth to stop, but he wanted to hear it, so he pulled her hand away.

  "I think it was an even draw." she said, bringing his hand up to kiss the palm. “Perhaps after you heal, we can try again to settle the score."

  "I think my days of playing lawn games might be over. I have lost my taste for it."

  "Only indoor games from now on?"

  The tone of her voice made Alex think of only the bedroom games as a possibility, and he felt a flush in his cheeks. His hand was still pressed against her warm skin and he slowly pulled her in closer to touch his lips to her own. It was as sweet as he expected but brief. He would have deepened it, but his head was beginning to spin and he was growing tired. It must have been the medicine beginning to work. This was not the moment for him to be falling asleep.

  "The doctor said that you needed to rest. I should let you sleep."

  "I don't want to sleep."

  He sounded like a petulant child, but he didn't care. Alex wanted Rachel to come closer to him, not farther away.

  "It will make you feel better. I will come to check on you often."

  "I'm not tired. I'm not." His words were mumbled
, and his eyes were getting heavy as he spoke.

  "I can stay until you are. I will hold your hand until you fall asleep."

  She took his hand in both of hers, and he relished the warmth surrounding his fingers. He noticed right away how silky they were compared to his, even though he had never been a man for manual labor. The feminine scent of her was easy to detect, but he couldn't tell if it was from her sitting there or left over from their morning together in bed. He inhaled a deep breath of it and forced his eyes open to see her. He wanted to memorize every detail of her he could. As much as he tried to fight it, the feeling of being dragged under got stronger, and he knew he was about to fall asleep.

  "Do you love me yet?" he mumbled, staring at her through foggy eyes.

  "I feel bad about hurting you."

  "I'm getting closer, then."

  "Perhaps I will find this injury unattractive and lacking in masculine strength. You did cry as they loaded you into the carriage."

  "So did you."

  She didn't reply but pressed her lips tightly together.

  "Yes, I'm definitely getting closer." He added.

  CHAPTER 12

  RACHEL WAS A MESS AND she knew it. Her mind was scattered and her actions were confusing.

  Alex lay sleeping upstairs and Daphne had decided to stay with Eloisa and Thomas. She was distraught about her brother but didn't want to be in the way. Rachel would have preferred having company to distract her, but she understood why Daphne might not want to stay home. Alex might wake up and Rachel didn't want him to be alone, so she had no choice but to stay.

  Alex had been staying in the bedroom but was threatening to leave. The doctor said his leg was healing well but that he still needed to keep off of it. Rachel found it increasingly difficult to force him to stay there. She brought him his meals and often found him trying to get out of bed. She had to resort to hiding his trousers.