His Bargained for Bride (Regency Matchmakers Book 4) Read online

  Even more disturbing, though, was Amy’s response.

  I shall be there before the leaves turn.

  It was like a knife to the gut. I stared at the page.

  “Drake,” Uncle Jarvis said, waving his hand at me, “what is it? You have gone pale as a ghost. Is something amiss?”

  Uncle Jarvis’ alarmed tone stirred me from my reverie. “No need for concern,” I said. “This is a letter for Amy and her reply. She must have left them here this morning. I shall pass them along to her.”

  “Let me see,” Uncle Jarvis said, reaching for the sheets of paper. “What did the letter say that caused the color to drain from your face?”

  “Now, Uncle, you are not wearing your spectacles, so how can you say that my face had gone pale? If I had any reaction it was embarrassment at reading Amy’s private correspondence.”

  “Pish!” He pushed up from his seat and continued to reach for the papers in my hand.

  “What on earth are the two of you doing?”

  We both turned at the sound of Amy’s voice. She stood in the doorway, a happy smile on her face. As soon as she saw the pages in my hand, however, her smile vanished.

  Chapter 11

  Amy

  What a wonderful surprise it had been to have Lady Tempest and Lady Calliope drop in to whisk me off to visit Seraphina. I had an absolutely glorious morning catching up with those ladies and when they dropped me off at Jade River Hall on their return to London, I entered the house full of happiness and eager to see my husband.

  I heard his voice coming from Uncle Jarvis’ room so I entered to see the two of them at the writing desk where I had been working just a couple of hours earlier. Drake stood with a few pieces of paper in his hand and Uncle Jarvis sat in the desk chair reaching for the pages Drake had in his hand.

  It might have been a game, until I saw the dark look on Drake’s face. Then I glanced more closely at the papers in his hand and recognized my sister’s handwriting... and my own.

  Oh no. No, no, no. Please, no.

  It was not as though there was anything in either letter which was untrue or which Drake did not already know, but remembering how I had left the letters on the desk and now seeing Uncle Jarvis sitting there, I realized how easily he might have read one or both missives and learned the truth of my arrangement, my business arrangement, with Drake.

  All the same shame and guilt which had caused me to wish to pull out of the plan before our forced marriage came rushing over me, but at double the rate as before. Now that I had gotten to know Uncle Jarvis, the idea of wounding his pride in any way or allowing him to know our deception was like a cold bath being poured over my head.

  Based on Drake’s demeanor he had realized the same thing.

  Oh Lord. What if I was too late? What if Uncle Jarvis had read the letters himself? My hands began to shake and I clasped them together at my waist, bracing for Uncle Jarvis to let on that he knew the truth.

  To my vast relief, he did not appear to be any the wiser. “Amy, dear, you left some letters here this morning. Drake,” he glanced at his nephew, “you can give Amy her letters now.”

  I stretched my hand out, palm up, for him to deposit the documents there. However, he folded them and put them in his coat pocket. “For safekeeping,” he said, “I should hate for them to fall into the wrong hands.”

  His words and expression made it clear to me, and the tingling flesh of my backside, that Drake knew the contents of both letters. In the few moments since I had entered the room, I had held out feeble hope that perhaps he had not read them, but that hope vanished.

  In my defense, there was nothing untrue in the letters, but my carelessness in leaving them where they could have been found by anyone, particularly Uncle Jarvis, could have been disastrous. The dear man would be devastated to realize we had been running a con on him all this time.

  But was it all a con? Were not the private moments Drake and I shared real?

  I had not the time to allow my mind to dwell on that thought. More urgent matters required my attention. Or more accurately, my husband was demanding my attention.

  “Amy, I am glad you are returned,” Uncle Jarvis said, “do you have time to read to me? I fear I dozed off just when the story became exciting.”

  Before I could reply, Drake took over, grasping my arm and steering me toward the door. “Amy and I have some matters to discuss in private, Uncle Jarvis. You may be on your own for entertainment for the rest of the day.”

  Uncle Jarvis chuckled and gave us a knowing look. “Ah, young love. Please do not allow the ramblings of an old man to disturb your time together. Enjoy yourselves.”

  “Of course,” Drake said, ominously as we exited his uncle’s bedchamber.

  We moved in silence down the hallway, Drake continued to grip my arm, to his bedchamber.

  He closed and locked the door behind us. Usually that action filled me with delicious anticipation of a night, or afternoon, spent in carnal pursuits. Today, however, dread washed over me.

  I had made a horrible mistake. Just imagining the look on Uncle Jarvis’ face if he ever learned of our deception filled me with revulsion. I would never want to cause distress to that lovely man and I nearly had done so through my carelessness. What had gotten into me to be so thoughtless?

  Drake let go of my arm and stepped away, though the heat of his grip on me lingered.

  My fingers knotted together at my waist. “Pl-please, Drake. I am so extremely sorry. I—”

  “Silence.” His ominous voice stilled my lips. A pit of dread formed in my stomach.

  He moved around the room opening various drawers and removing items which I could not see. I had no idea what he was about, but I dared not do anything other than wait in silence as he had instructed.

  Once he had laid a couple of items on the bed, he poured himself a drink, then turned to address me.

  “Do you have any idea the effect it would have had on Uncle Jarvis if he had read those letters you left on his desk?” His voice was low. Controlled. It felt even more frightening than if he had shouted at me.

  “Y-yes,” I whispered. “I do and I am profoundly sorry. Truly I am.”

  “Thank you, I appreciate your acknowledgment of wrongdoing. I also appreciate your care and attention to Uncle Jarvis. The improvement in his health since your arrival is truly remarkable.” His voice was not so harsh as it had been a moment before.

  A flicker of hope sprung forth. Perhaps a stern lecture would be sufficient, though I knew Drake’s propensity for corporal punishment. Knew it personally, though until now it had only been a matter of a few swats here and there which I had, for the most part, found pleasurable.

  However, his dark tone when we entered the room had been unlike anything I had experienced with him before.

  “But, having said all that, I must point out that all of the improvement would be for nothing if he had even the slightest sense that things were not exactly as we have presented them to him.”

  I hung my head. “I know. He would be humiliated to learn we had deceived him.” A slow tear trickled down my cheek imagining hurting dear Uncle Jarvis. “Please, forgive me. I know he is your uncle, but I also care for him a great deal. I am heartily ashamed of myself.”

  “I believe some punishment is in order. It will remind you of your responsibilities here at Jade River Hall.”

  “Y-yes,” I found myself agreeing with him. “I need a reminder and I wish to prove to you that I am not a careless twit.”

  His face softened and he cupped my cheek, tipping my head back and gazing into my eyes. “I know you are not a careless twit. But we must both be ever vigilant. And I appreciate all you have done for Uncle Jarvis. All you do for me.” He lowered his head and kissed me tenderly, our lips moving together sensually. When it ended, he turned me gently and began loosening my dress. “Let us get on with things.”

  Soon I was naked standing next to the bed where I got a good view of the items which Drake had gathered u
p a few moments earlier. Among them were a leather strap and a wooden paddle. Oh dear.

  My bottom clenched and nervous butterflies swarmed in my stomach.

  Drake heaped the pillows in the center of the mattress and then assisted me to lay over the mound, my bare bottom perched at the exact angle for punishment. I wrapped my arms around the pillows and stared at the paddle and strap which were right in front of me.

  I watched as Drake removed his coat and then rolled the sleeves of his shirt up, exposing the muscles of his forearms. Though I was due for a stern punishment, the sight of his bare skin distracted me and I wished circumstances were different and that instead of punishment I was going to be on the receiving end of pleasure.

  I glanced up at Drake, my eyes pleading, hoping he would decide on a reprieve. He must have read my thoughts for he shook his head from side to side. “No, Amaryllis, you will be punished. But, if you are a good girl, I might have some surprises for you when it is all done.” He kissed the top of my head and then took hold of the wooden paddle, tapping it against his palm while I watched, imagining the smooth round surface impacting my tender backside.

  “We will start with the paddle, then finish up with the strap. And, as promised, if you take your punishment like a good girl, I might have a treat for you when it is all over.”

  I glanced down at his trousers and noted the firm outline of his manhood and hoped the treat he had in mind was of the carnal and not the confectionary type.

  “I will be a good girl. I promise.”

  Drake moved into position behind me and I closed my eyes. “Do not reach back, Amy, or I will be forced to bind your hands,” he warned and I dug my nails deeper into the pillows.

  He started out slowly, with a few gentle pats back and forth between the globes of my bottom, the paddle’s impact little more than a slight slap. I took a deep breath and relaxed, loosening the muscles of my bottom. “Good girl,” Drake said and then commenced punishing me in earnest. The first hard impact caught me by surprise and I squealed.

  Apparently those gentle pats had been meant to lull me into a false sense of security and once that happened, the paddle lit into my backend in a rapid series of sharp swats.

  Within a few moments, my entire bottom felt like it was on fire and I bounced against the mound of pillows with each searing impact.

  “Ow! Drake!”

  “Remember what I said about taking your punishment like a good girl. Just a few more with the paddle.”

  Tears filled my eyes and rolled down my cheeks as I squeezed my eyelids closed and prepared myself for the final swats with the paddle. I dared not even consider what the horrible strap was going to feel like. One implement at a time, I told myself.

  Drake smoothed his hand over my rear end and then down between my thighs. Despite the fiery pain in my bottom, I opened my thighs wider, hoping for his touch on my nether lips.

  I got my wish, though not in the way I hoped. Using two long fingers, he spanked the sensitive folds of my womanhood. It stung but also released some of the tension I had been holding there and a wave of pleasure moved through my nether region. “Oh, Drake,” I said, the sensations coursing through me giving me a dreamy feeling of near climax.

  While I continued in the haze of desire, he gave me several rapid fire swats with the paddle, erasing my lethargy.

  Before I could register his intentions, he picked up the strap and resumed his position near my arse. “Get ready, Amy. Ten with the strap and they are going to be fast.”

  Thwap. The first swat landed and I squirmed across the mound of pillows. Drake grabbed my ankle and pulled me back into position, holding me in place while he continued. Thwap, thwap, thwap. He alternated cheeks and moved from top to bottom in a rhythmic pattern. I might have been lulled by the steady slaps had they not hurt like blazes. I tried to scooch away from the hateful strap, but his hand around my ankle prevented me from getting far.

  “Just three more, Amy.”

  By that time I was sobbing into the pile of pillows, my head buried and my wails of pain barely muffled, despite the thickness of the pillows.

  Finally it was over. Drake soothed my scorched flesh with a cool salve, then lay upon the bed and pulled me over to lay atop him. My bottom ached and so did my heart as I cried into my husband’s shoulder.

  “Hush now,” he whispered while stroking my hair. He murmured soothing words while he caressed my body until my sobbing subsided.

  “I am so s-sorry,” I finally managed to say. “I will never be so c-careless again.”

  “I am sure you will not,” he replied.

  “Wh-what about my s-surprise?” I asked after I had dried my tears.

  “Hmm,” he said. “Do you think you deserve one?”

  “Well, yes. I know I protested a little bit but it hurt.” I kissed his neck. “Please?”

  “Well, if you insist,” he said, giving my still stinging bottom a slight squeeze, sending a shot of pain and desire straight to my clitty. The familiar rush of desire flooded my body and I shamelessly ground my quim against Drake’s firm crotch.

  “Uh-uh,” he tsked, shifting me off of him and sliding out of the bed.

  I whimpered and gave him an imploring look. He wagged his finger at me. “Patience, Amy.”

  As if to try my patience to the limit, he stepped out of my reach and began to strip off his clothing. Mesmerized, I watched as his stunning body was revealed to me, inch by inch. When he finally lowered his trousers, his cock stood hard and erect and I could not take my eyes off of it. I licked my lips, imagining it between my lips. Pressing all the way to the back of my throat while I laved and sucked until he let loose his essence down my throat.

  He approached the bed and I opened my mouth eagerly, but he denied me and I moaned with disappointment. His palm landed on my backside. “No complaining.”

  Grabbing my hips, he once again positioned me over the mound of pillows. My head was down and all I could see was the quilt. What sort of surprise did he have in mind?

  I gasped as he applied more of the salve to my heated backside, working the ointment into my aching flesh. I was unaccustomed to having someone care for my needs in this way, a protest rested on my tongue but died before I could give voice to it.

  Drake applied a heaping portion of the salve to the crease of my buttocks, sliding it along that private crevice until he reached my most private hole. His fingers lingered there and worked the lubrication into my pucker.

  “D-Drake!” I gasped, shocked and shamed at the intrusion. I should have pulled away, but yet again, I was unable to protest. When his finger breached the opening a decadent sensation flooded my body. Working his finger all the way into my tightest opening, I felt completely mastered by Drake and I lay over the pillows feeling utterly used and deliciously dirty. As I became accustomed to the fullness in my rear opening, I writhed across the pillows, urges and yearnings making me moan and cry out.

  “You are so tight back here, Amy.” He leaned across my back and whispered in my ear, “Someday soon, I am going to put my cock in your bunghole and fuck you there.”

  Just hearing him say it, sent me over the edge and I screamed out as my climax overtook me.

  “Surprise,” my husband said.

  Chapter 12

  Had an entire month passed already since my arrival at Jade River Hall and the village of Briar Glen? The calendar said it was so, even if I found it difficult to comprehend. When I had been cajoled into agreeing to host the Briar Glen Improvement Society at Jade River Hall, I had done so with the full expectation that I would be en route to America by then. I knew it would be awkward and possibly hard to explain to the other members but when Seraphina had asked me to be the hostess, I could hardly explain my short-term plans then. In addition, I had also promised Uncle Jarvis that I would make the offer to host the ladies.

  And now, it seemed I had become rather entrenched in Briar Glen society. That did not even take into account the rapidly growing attachment I had for
Uncle Jarvis and my husband, Drake. Once the issue of the letters had been resolved, we had reached a new level of comfort and life had been quite pleasant.

  Uncle Jarvis had improved greatly during my first fortnight of residence and since then he had rather leveled off and though he had not improved, he had not declined dramatically either. Dr. Spencer continued to marvel at the difference in Uncle Jarvis since my marriage to Drake.

  I marveled at the difference in Drake. There had been changes in myself as well. I felt my life had a purpose and meaning. My friendship with Seraphina had blossomed and I found myself looking forward to the birth of her child, though it remained months into the future.

  Perhaps the biggest surprise had been the pleasure I found in my marriage, and not only in the marriage bed, though that continued to be a thrill in so many ways. I had come to care for Drake in other ways as well. I had taken over much of the management of the household and household staff and found I had a skill for the job. Even Drake commented on how much more efficiently things seemed to be operating and the household expenses had gone down noticeably as well.

  The coffers of Jade River Hall were well endowed, so it was not as though economy was a necessity, but I liked the idea of doing my part to assist in the operation of the manor. It was my home, however temporarily.

  Temporary. That word stabbed at my gut. I knew with each passing day, it would become more and more difficult for me to carry out my plan to leave Drake and my new life behind.

  It was not just my plan, but it was what we had agreed to.

  Every now and then, through a touch or look or even a rare tender word, my hopes that Drake cared for me more than as a partner in deceit would be raised. But he never went so far as to ask me to stay or to change our arrangement. After the incident with the letters we had not spoken of my eventual departure.

  But, I had no reason to think it was not his expectation as well.

  Another letter had arrived from my sister wondering yet again at the delay in my arrival and also outlining her financial straits.