Chapter Sixteen
They spent the rest of the afternoon and part of the evening in the private dining room with Hawk questioning Lizzie, asking her to recount every conversation she had with her father the year before he disappeared. They took time to eat dinner, and then were back at it.
Hawk took notes, but so far nothing she detailed gave him a clue as to what their nemesis was looking for. No one had entered their life during the time in question whom Lizzie hadn’t known for years. Forcing her to think about it, however, compelled her to admit there had been a decided change in her father’s behavior for several months before he disappeared.
Finally, he shoved his notes away and leaned back in the chair. Lizzie was rubbing her temples, and the dark circles under her eyes told him he’d probably overworked her. “I think it’s time you retired.”
“I was about to suggest the same thing.” She stood, and immediately sat back down. “Oh, my. I fear I am more tired than I realized.”
Scooping up his notes, Hawk stood and helped her up. Instead of taking her arm, he wrapped his arm around her waist and walked them both upstairs to their room. He was concerned about how heavily she leaned against him, as if every step was torture. Lizzie was an independent type of woman, probably due to her circumstances the past two years. To have her depend on him to even walk was troubling.
Once they reached the room, he led her to the bed. “I will wait downstairs while you prepare for bed.”
Lizzie looked around the room. “Where will you sleep?”
Smaller than the room they’d had the night before, a quick sweep told him there weren’t a whole lot of choices. “That chair.” He pointed to a very uncomfortable-looking chair in the corner of the room, next to the dresser.
She merely nodded, and he turned and left the room. “Will a half hour be enough time?”
“Yes.” She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a yawn. “That will be plenty of time.”
Hawk sipped on a brandy while he tried very hard not to imagine Lizzie taking off her clothes and sliding a silky nightgown over her lush body. He pictured running his hands over her curves, placing his hand on her well-rounded bottom, and pulling her against him.
Once he broke into a sweat, it was time to call a halt to his meanderings. He pulled his notes back out and studied them. Unfortunately, the visions in his mind of Lizzie climbing into bed made the exercise futile.
He downed the rest of his drink and headed upstairs. It had been forty minutes since he’d left her, and hopefully, the room would be dark, she would be covered up, asleep, and he could get some sleep himself.
In an awkward, too-small-for-him chair.
The room was indeed dark, and the outline of Lizzie’s body told him she was settled in bed. He walked over to her, and the sound of her steady breathing assured him she was fast asleep. One less temptation.
He removed his jacket, untied his cravat, removed his waistcoat, and decided that was as far as he could go. The chair was even more uncomfortable than it looked. With a deep sigh, he rearranged his body as adequately as possible and settled in for a very unpleasant night.
After awakening three times with painful cramps in his muscles, Hawk stood, stretched, and moved to the bed, swinging his arms to loosen up his joints. He stared at Lizzie comfortably settled on the mattress.
Her hair was free of its usual bindings, and she hadn’t worn a nightcap, so all that glorious hair spilled over the pillow. He took in a deep breath to calm himself. He started to walk away, then took one look at the chair and thought perhaps he could sneak in alongside her and get up before she awoke.
Convincing himself there was nothing wrong with that plan, he walked over to the other side of the bed and gently lowered his body to the mattress. He lay on his back, his arms crossed over his chest, as far away from her as he could get without tumbling to the floor. With a heavy sigh, he instantly fell asleep.
Hawk was holding onto the softest, sweetest-smelling pillow he’d ever had. It was warm, too. He took a deep breath, squeezed its softness, and settled back into slumber.
The second time he woke, light filtered into the room as the drapes had not been closed.
His arm was wrapped around Lizzie’s middle, their two bodies nestled together like spoons in a drawer. His hand had joyfully found its way to her soft, generous breast and was having a grand time fondling the lushness. Her nightgown had slid up, the warm flesh of her thighs resting against his legs, her bare bottom securely tucked against his growing erection.
He was of two minds. Continue with what he’d accidentally started, or slowly withdraw from the bed and return to the chair. To say the devil wrestled with the angels was an understatement. Good or evil. Satisfaction or denial. Pleasure or frustration. While he was trying to decide whether he wanted to take the high road, he realized Lizzie was awake.
Instead of shoving him away, her breathing had increased, and he did not imagine her lush bottom snuggling against him. Not to disappoint a lady, he ran his thumb over her nipple and was rewarded with a slight moan that had his cock fully erect and ready to play.
…
Lizzie should have been outraged that Hawk had joined her in bed, but waking up to his caresses was quite pleasant and were causing her strange—but not distasteful—sensations. His large warm hand fondling her breast produced a desire to push back against his hard body.
Whatever was wrong with her? When had she become so wanton?
Her lady parts tingled as Hawk’s moist breath touched her neck right before he placed his lips there and scattered short kisses over the area. “So soft,” he murmured against her skin.
It was now or never. She had to accept that she was aware of what he was doing, and where it would go. Either move forward, which was what her body was shouting approval for, or ease away from his warmth and comfort and leave the bed, which was what her head was nudging her to do.
Hawk would honor her decision. She trusted him. He would never continue if she told him to stop.
“Tell me to stop, Lizzie,” he murmured as he licked the sensitive area under her ear. Oh, Lord. Can he read my mind?
“What if I don’t?” She barely recognized that squeaky voice as her own.
He groaned and placed his hand on her shoulder and turned her, so she lay on her back, facing him. He rested on his elbow, leaning over her, his fingers playing with the strands of hair resting on her breasts. “I will stop right now if you’re not sure, or if you have any doubts at all.”
Lizzie hesitated. Here was her chance to stop what they’d started. That she didn’t jump at ending it made her think about her future. She had no idea what lay ahead. She might be sent to prison, killed by the person wanting her dead, or with a cleared name, return to Lord and Lady Wycliff to continue her employment. Whichever way this ended, most likely she’d spend the rest of her life as a spinster, with no memories of passion to keep her warm at night.
This might very well be her only chance to experience intimacy with a man. This type of activity could lead to her becoming with child, but the possibility after only one time was not likely. Although young ladies should not know this type of thing, she had spent enough time below stairs, listening to the maids at Wycliff Manor, to learn a few things.
It had been impressed upon her numerous times from Nurse, her governess, and chaperones that a young lady keeping herself pure for marriage was an absolute necessity if one did not want to be considered ruined and therefore, unable to make a suitable match.
Would she ever make a suitable match now? Hardly, with the scandal that would follow her for the rest of her life. Before she’d even decided, she whispered, “I don’t believe I want to stop.”
Slowly his head dipped, and he brought his lips to hers. His kiss was surprisingly gentle, then soon turned possessive and demanding. While he worked magic on her mouth, his hand hovered over her breast, producing slight shivers on her skin in anticipation of his touch.
She sighed with satisfaction when he cupped her breast and once again ran his thumb over her nipple. Tingles shot right down to her toes. Hawk nudged her lips with his tongue, and she opened her mouth, sighing with pleasure as he swept in, touching, tasting, and sucking.
Then it stopped as he pulled his mouth from hers and scattered kisses along her jawline, down her neck, ending at the neckline of her nightgown. “Let’s get this off you.”
He wanted her naked? Despite what she’d heard from the maids, she’d always thought that a man simply pushed up the woman’s nightgown to her waist, did what he needed to do, then left. Apparently, Hawk had different ideas.
She lifted her body so he could remove her nightgown, and discovered that being naked pressed up against a fully dressed man was quite exciting.
Hawk leaned back and looked at her, his eyes going slowly from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. She twisted her feet, rubbing them together. Never had she been so exposed, so vulnerable. Every imperfection on her body jumped to the forefront of her mind.
“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.” His eyes glowed with something she had never witnessed from a man before.
Lizzie enjoyed his praise, even though she didn’t believe it. With all the truly beautiful women he was rumored to have taken to bed, ’twas not likely she even compared, let alone rose above.
“Ah, I see from your face that you don’t believe me.” He took her hand and placed it on his stiff member. “Does this convince you that I desire you? That I find you beautiful?”
Not comfortable talking about herself in an intimate way, especially as exposed as she was, she pulled his head down for a kiss. At least in this she felt adequate since she’d enjoyed his kisses before, and he seemed to enjoy hers as well.
He nudged her lips, and she opened to allow him entrance, tangling with his tongue. She pressed herself against him, then whispered against his lips, “Perhaps you could remove some of your clothes? Am I to be the only one without them?”
“I will be happy to.” Hawk eased back and brushed curls from her forehead. “I was reluctant to take the time to do so.” He kissed her on her forehead and rolled off the bed.
She’d never seen a man remove his clothing before, but surely Hawk held some type of record for speed. Within seconds he was fully naked and climbing back onto the bed with her.
She licked very dry lips at the sight of his erection. His member stood tall and swollen, veins pulsing under the skin. She reached out, mesmerized by the strange object, and wrapped her hand around it. Her eyes flew to Hawk’s face as he sucked in air through his teeth.
“Is it all right if I touch it?”
“Oh, yes, sweeting, definitely all right.”
Unbidden, she leaned in and kissed the tip, spongy and warm.
“No, sweetheart, don’t do that.” He pulled her up and held her head as he plundered her mouth. Slowly, he eased her back until she was once again lying on the bed with him covering part of her with his warm body.
“I’m not sure what to do. I don’t want to do the wrong thing.”
“Ah, my love. I shall teach you all you need to know.” He stared into her eyes, his dark eyelashes lowering as he gently took her mouth in another searing kiss.