Cinders and Ashes (23 page)

She
wasn’t certain how he would respond to what she was about to do,
but was emboldened by the stark reality that tonight might be the
very last night she had with him. She intended to make the most of
it.

Quietly
removing the ties from the bed curtains, Amelia moved to the arm
resting over Sebastian’s head. He didn’t stir when she moved the
arm resting on the sheet over his head. Quickly she tied his wrists
to the wooden posts at each corner of the bed with the silken ties,
sitting back with a sly grin of mischief when she was
done.

Slowly
easing the sheet off his hips, she casually dropped onto the floor,
quickly following it with her nightgown. Taking a deep breath, she
slid onto the bed beside him, running her hands gently upwards,
over the taut muscles of his stomach towards the tight buds of his
nipples. She paused when Sebastian shifted a little, and waited
until his soft snores resumed.

She had
a few more minutes before he woke up, so resumed her delectation of
his body. Slowly sliding her hands through the broad expanse of
muscle and hair on his chest, she eyed the soft length of him
nestled in the thick patch of hair at the apex of his thighs in
consideration for several moments.

The
temptation was too strong to resist. Sliding a finger from base to
tip, Amelia watched as the soft flesh began to twitch beneath her
finger. She repeated the motion again and again, smiling with
naughty delight as his manhood grew proudly upright. A quick glance
upwards to confirm he was still asleep. It was all she needed to
see, and she carefully replaced the gentle stroking of her finger,
with her tongue and teeth.

After
several moments of her tender ministrations, Sebastian groaned and
shifted restlessly against the bonds holding his wrists
firm.

Emboldened by the effect she had on him, and the knowledge he
couldn’t grab her and take over, Amelia feasted.

“
Oh God, Amelia,” Sebastian grumbled. He was having the most
erotic dream he had ever had in his life. Amelia was taking him
deep into her -. Whoa!

His eyes
snapped open and he stared nonplussed at the canopy of the bed for
several moments, before raising his head to stare at his erection
now disappearing into Amelia’s mouth.

“
What the hell are you doing?” He groaned at the delicious
sensations she was creating, only to curse fluidly when he tried to
tug her head upwards for a kiss.

“
Let me go, Amelia,” he demanded, trying to ignore the
tightening of his balls.

“
No,” Amelia murmured. “I know you like it.” Her voice was a
siren’s husky promise.

“
Let me pleasure you,” Sebastian gasped, shivering in
anticipation. Eyeing the lush mound of her breasts against his
thigh, he softened his voice to a husky whisper.

“
No.”

“
Keep doing that and you will get more than you bargained
for,” he gasped several minutes later, when the pleasure became
more than he could control. “I swear to God, Amelia, you have to
stop.”

“
Alright.”

Sebastian frowned suspiciously at her easy acquiescence. The
aching in his erection was fierce. He dragged in a hissing breath
as the cool night air swept over his hot and heavy manhood and he
cursed, suddenly regretting telling her to stop.

“
Ride me,” he gasped, trying to loosen the bonds enough to
grab her.

“
No,” Amelia murmured with a smug smile of supreme feminine
arrogance.

“
Amelia.” Sebastian’s tone held a warning that did little
other than make her smile even more.

“
There is nothing you can do,” she murmured silkily, not quite
sure herself where this wanton siren had come from, but willing to
see what happened anyway. If he lost his temper with her, then she
would just leave him tied up and let the staff set him free in the
morning. She fought the urge to smile at the thought of his
reaction to that scenario.

“
Now look what’s happened,” she sighed, looking down at his
softening erection before sliding back down to suckle him
again.

Sebastian groaned. “Are you drunk?”

He
peered down at her, transfixed by the sight of his huge shaft
sliding between her luscious lips. “If you keep doing that, I won’t
be responsible if I spill in your mouth,” he bit out. He wondered
how far she would go. Would she knowingly bring him to completion
with her mouth?

As the
pressure in his balls began to build again, he tugged at the bonds
ineffectually. Instinctively his hips began to jerk in response to
the heat of her mouth as the pleasure grew. He swore fluidly when
her mouth left him, and once again cool air took the heat off his
erection.

“
Now, now,” Amelia chided softly. “Not so fast.” She blew
softly on his length and waited until it began to
soften.

“
You do that again, and I swear, as God is my witness, you
won’t sit down while I am away by the time I am through with you,”
Sebastian bit out, fighting the urge to yell his head off.
Frustration gnawed at him, not only at the promised release she
kept denying him, but at the bonds that refused to
loosen.

“
Untie me, darling, I promise you can ride me,” Sebastian
pleaded as she took him into her hand.

“
No,” Amelia murmured, sliding her hands upwards across the
corded muscles of his stomach to slide through his chest hair and
flick his nipples. She was rewarded by his responding groan, and
repeated the motion as she straddled him.

Sebastian whispered encouragements to her as she slid over
him, eyeing the pebbled nipples inches from his face with
lascivious delight. He was almost there, when she leant backwards
and away from him.

He
glared balefully at her. His attention captured by the sight of her
lush thighs resting on either side of his hips, his hard erection
poised at her entrance. The sight of her lowering onto him combined
the sensation of her tight sheath encasing him, made him groan
aloud and swear fiercely, and encourage her onwards. He tried to
thrust his hips upwards only to find her weight holding him down,
preventing him from withdrawing.

“
Amelia.” His brow and chest were bathed in a fine sheen of
sweat. He should be blazingly angry at her for tying him up. But he
was too enraptured by the sight of her new feminine confidence. He
just couldn’t find it within him to do anything but enjoy her
curiosity.

She
remained silent as she slid down over him, relishing the feel of
his rigid length sliding deep within her. Once impaled on him, she
slid her hands slowly across his chest, kissing her way to the
turgid nipples buried within the thick patch of hair, and licking
them. She was fully aware of his intent stare as he watched her,
and loved having him under her control.

“
You want me,” Amelia murmured, gasping as she slid upwards
until he was almost out of her, before sliding back down. A hot
pool of tension began to coil low in her belly and she knew release
would be soon. She strived to hold off her own completion. She
wanted, needed, to see how far she could push him.

“
You know damned well I do. Untie me, and I will show you,”
Sebastian growled, as she encased him in her feminine heat once
more.

“
Do you want me to stay?” Amelia murmured, flicking her tongue
over his turgid nipples before sitting up.

She
ached to have him suckle her in return. She wanted his hands on
her. But knew if he was untied, he would take over. This was about
her control, not his.

“
You can stay in my bed anytime you want to, you know that,”
Sebastian muttered, not sure where she was headed. He had never had
a conversation with a woman while making love before. It was a bit
unnerving, and galling, to think she wasn’t so caught up with the
sex that she felt the need to have a chat.

“
I mean here, in Tingdale, with you,” Amelia moaned softly, as
she slowly slid her own hands down over her breasts, cupping and
measuring their weight before squeezing them gently. She felt a
thrill of feminine delight, as Sebastian’s tongue swept over his
lips hungrily. He stared at her clever fingers gliding over the
lush mounds of her breasts raptly, aware she could see the pure
longing on his face.

“
Yes, I want you to stay,” Sebastian murmured, willing to
follow her lead for now. He was fairly certain if he tugged hard
enough, he could snap the bonds holding his wrists. But he didn’t
want her to relinquish command just yet. He wanted to see if she
would actually finish what she started. He was also curious to
discover where she was headed with the questions.

Amelia
leant forward to sweep her lips across his; nibbling his jaw until
the softness of her lips tickled his ear. Sebastian shuddered. “If
you break my trust, Sebastian, I will leave, and I promise you will
never see or hear from me again,” she whispered, before nibbling
down his neck and continuing downwards.

“
Amelia,” Sebastian warned, swearing roundly as she eased off
him and took him into her mouth again. “Damn it,” he swore, tugging
hard at the ties holding his wrists. The delicious sensation of
Amelia’s clever fingers rolling his balls, combined with the heat
of her mouth on his rigid shaft took over, and he was lost to
everything but the delicious sensations she created.

“
You’ve got to let me go, Amelia, I can’t last much longer,”
he gasped moments later, as he felt the pressure build to
uncontrollable heights.

He tried
to tug free of the bonds as he warned her to let him go, but wasn’t
unsurprised when she ignored him. Unable to do anything other than
follow where she led, with a shout he gave himself over to the most
dazzling release that was so intense, the world momentarily
faded.

Stunned,
he lay staring up at the canopy for several moments while his
heartbeat slowed and his body cooled. He was still gasping from the
force of his release when Amelia bent over him and began to kiss
him softly.

He knew
then that whatever happened between them, she would never disappear
from his life, whatever she claimed. If she did leave, he would
move heaven and earth to find her. There would be nowhere she could
hide. She was his.

“
Take me again,” Sebastian demanded softly, knowing it would
be a while before he was ready to find release again, but fully
aware she hadn’t found her own satisfaction. He watched as she took
his half flaccid member into her mouth again, and felt the
delicious sensations stir his shaft back into life with a
groan.

Dawn was
creeping over the horizon when Sebastian dragged his weary carcass
out of the luxuriously warm bed, and away from her feminine lure.
Blinking sleep out of his eyes, he glanced back at the wanton
goddess who had captured his soul during the night.

She had
stunned and delighted him with her willingness to try new things.
He eyed the bonds on the end of the bed ruefully, and rubbed his
wrists with a smile. He should be angry with her for tying him up,
but the sight of her taking him into her mouth was worth a few rub
marks on his wrists. Well worth it.

Quickly
dressing, he quietly lit the fire and turned for one last look at
his future wife. With her hair sprawled out across the pillow, she
looked wild. A sated and exhausted goddess.

Immediately, the veiled warning she had given him about
returning with Eastleigh in tow rose to the forefront of his mind.
Despite her threats, he had to inform Eastleigh of her whereabouts.
After all, he couldn’t ask for the woman’s hand in marriage while
claiming he didn’t know where she was.

He
didn’t know all of the facts about what had happened, but would
take steps to ensure the man posed no threat to Amelia. If Dominic
was right, and Eastleigh had been searching for her, there really
was no reason why the man shouldn’t know his daughter was indeed
safe and well.

With one
last lingering look at her, Sebastian turned and left.

A few
days after Sebastian’s departure, Amelia arrived downstairs to
breakfast to find a letter resting on her plate. Cautiously, she
eyed the unfamiliar script before tugging open the wax seal. She
couldn’t prevent the tears that flowed at what she read.

“
Ma’am, is everything alright?” Hodgkiss asked softly, shaken
to see the delightful new lady of the house so distressed.
Eschewing all protocol, he gently patted the young girl’s hand in a
fatherly way while motioning for a footman to get help.

Since
the master had brought her through the door looking all bedraggled
and desperate, she had proven to be the most undemanding house
guest. She had been kind and considerate towards all of the staff,
taking the time to ask about their health and families. It was
disturbing to see her so distressed, especially with the master not
in residence.

“
Amelia, what is it? Have you heard from Sebastian?” Isobel
gasped, rushing to the table with a worried frown.

“
It’s Sir Hubert,” she whispered softly, dropping her head
into her hands and weeping openly. “He’s dead.”

Several
moments later, Amelia glanced at Hodgkiss and Izzy with a watery
smile. Wiping tears from her cheeks with the handkerchief Hodgkiss
offered her, she folded the small square cloth around her fingers
over and over, as she talked. “It’s just a shock, that is all. He
was a kind man who gave me a chance. I am not certain where I would
be now, if it wasn’t for his help.”