Chapter Nine

            Drake sat up suddenly in bed, covered in sweat and gasping. He groaned and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. At this rate he was never going to get a decent rest. He groaned as he subconsciously ran his tongue along his lips. No amount of brandy could completely banish her lingering taste. He cursed again as he flopped back down on his pillows and ran a hand over his face.

            Why had he done it? What in high hell had possessed him to kiss that blasted female!? He could still feel her d****t. He just had to close his eyes and instantly his body reacted to the image before him. He could feel all of her curves melding against him as he pulled her closer and claimed her mouth. Even if it hadn’t been a deep kiss, the quick taste of her left him yearning for more. If her sigh hadn’t snapped him out of his daze, who knows where things would have led.

            An image of them hidden in shadows with her pressed against the stone wall flashed into his mind and he cursed aloud as his member twitched at the thought. He growled as his mind tortured him with images of her. He never should have touched her! Now anytime he closed his damn eyes she was there taunting him. He had already woken from two seductive dreams and had no doubt that a third awaited him.

            Damn her! If Lillian hadn’t thrown herself at that devil he never would have reacted as he had. This was all her fault, it had to be. He had never lost control before now and he would regain his composer d****t! Another image came unbidden into his thoughts, one that made his loins tighten further and a groan escape his lips. Lillian’s small frame held against him firmly as he ravished her mouth, tasting more of her than he had tonight. He imagined her gentle hands running up his chest to wrap around his neck, pushing herself further against him.

            He growled again and forced the image away, rolling out of bed and shuffling to his liquor cabinet. By hellfire, he get some sleep without being plagued by that woman’s body! He drank straight from the bottle, hoping to banish the taste of her that refused to leave him. He fell into a deep sleep thanks to the alcohol, but it only increased his minds ability to overpower him. He moaned in his sleep as he dreamt of soft hands and softer skin.

            ‘Damn you Lillian. What are you doing to me?’

*****************************************

            Allister lounged on the window seat, smirking at his aggravated cousin. Lillian was pacing around the carpet of her room, silently fretting about her feelings. She had told Allister last night everything and he had held her gently while she cried out her frustrations. But in the end he had patted her head and told her not to worry, that this was all a good thing. She had doubted it last night and she doubted it even more now.

            “Relax little lamb. This is exactly what I thought would happen. Once more, your genius cousin has come through for you.” He said with a flourished bow. She glared over at him and picked up a pillow to throw at his head, which he caught laughing. She stomped her foot and held out her hands to him.

            “How can you say that Ali? He kissed me and then ran in repulsion.” The words made a knot form in her stomach and her mood to sour more. Allister laughed at this and stood up to move behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and made a tsking noise with a wide grin on his face.

            “Ah my darling Lily. I highly doubt it was in repulsion, but in fear that chased your duke away.” He teased and she hung her head.

            “That does not make me feel any better Ali.” She muttered and he laughed while hugging her tighter before turning her by her shoulders to smile down at her. He held her chin in his hand and forced her to meet his eyes.

            “Little lamb, I told you to trust me. Your dark duke did not run because he hated kissing you, but because he enjoyed it far too much.”

            Her eyes widened at this and she allowed herself to fill with hope again. She frowned as she let the possibility go through her mind and it wasn’t an impossible idea. Still she didn’t want to let herself be hurt again, so she remained skeptical. She shook her head as she frowned up at Allister again.

            “Allister I don’t-” He placed his finger against her lips to silence her argument and grinned down at her. But she also noticed a strange look deep in his crystal eyes. He ran his finger along her lips for a second before removing it.

            “Trust me Lily. Any man would be a fool to run from you…” He said it so softly and without any trace of teasing that it made her blush. This was not the Allister she knew and it surprised her that he could be so serious at random times. He truly had grown during their time apart. She gave him a small smile at his words and he returned it before stepping away from her, the air of mischief returning like a cloak.

            “Now that you have the duke’s attention little lamb, we have to find a way to make him act again. However, we can’t be sure that we’ll see him again. Furthermore, he does not seem like the type of man who would fall for the same trick twice. So it is safe to tell him the truth about me and you.” Allister explained and she sighed as she took a seat. All of this was becoming far too complicated and she was unsure if she should continue with this ruse.

            “Ali. Maybe we shouldn’t…”

            “Now, now little lamb. Do not lose faith in me just yet.” He grinned over at her and she cast her eyes downwards again, worrying her lip and wringing her hands. He saw the way she shrank in on herself and instantly moved to kneel before her. He placed his hands over hers to stop their shaking. Then, when she finally lifted her eyes to meet his he said,

            “There she is. Lily, you shouldn’t be too worried. Let me deal with the sneaky stuff as that is my specialty and you are far too innocent anyways. You’ve proven that he does indeed want you, now we just have to make him admit it.”

            “And how do you plan on doing that?” She asked in exasperation and he only grinned wider and patter her cheek gently.

            “You shall see little lamb.

*********************************

 

            Drake sat in his study catching up on some of his work. He had neglected some of the finances and problems with his estate while in London. He had recently become….distracted...Nope. He slammed the door on that thought, refusing to let that woman creep her way into his thoughts. She had already kept him up all night, wasn’t that bad enough? Clearly not since anytime he stopped focusing on the parchment before him, there she was. A crystal clear image similar to the ones that had haunted him last night.

            He cursed and threw down the reports he had been reading over and leaned back in his seat. He placed a hand over his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. Why couldn’t he just put her to the side like every other damn woman he had stolen a kiss from? He was an experienced man nearly in his thirties and yet that kiss last night left him feeling like young fob all over again. For some strange reason that eluded him, Lillian would release the hold she had. He growled and looked down at the pile in front of him.

            “No. I will forget that female and pretend like nothing has changed. She has plenty of suitors to keep her company in my absence.” That was the wrong thing to say. Instantly he imagined her in the arms of someone like Mr. Winters. Pressing her delectable little body against them, her arms wrapped around the man’s neck as she kissed him with fervor. He spat out a string of curses and quickly stood from his seat to pace his study.

            This jealousy was becoming a nuisance and he didn’t like how it was controlling his behavior. He didn’t want to believe that he would turn violent, but with Lillian he couldn’t be sure. It seems that all of his common sense fled when he was near her. He had to find a way to get her out of his head. A knock resounded at his door and he called for them to enter. It was his butler James, carrying a silver tray with a message.

            “This just arrived for you by carrier your grace.” James said and Drake nodded as he took the missive and ripped it open. The words scrawled on the age made him groan again in agitation. His mother was growing impatient with him and was planning a country party at his estate. He rolled his eyes and snorted as he added the missive to the stack on his desk. He grabbed a decanter and poured himself a drink. God that woman was impossible to deal with when she got matchmaking in her head.

            No doubt she had already sent the invitations and would expect him back before their guests arrived. He groaned as he took a drink and glared at the message. He had only been gone for a week and yet this she-devil expected him to have found a wife already. He sat down in the seat and picked up the missive again to see when exactly he would have to leave London. There was a small stab at the thought that he would also be leaving Lillian. He snorted and swallowed the rest of his brandy, hissing at the burn. He was trying to get that girl out of his head, distance seemed like the most logical thing for it.

            His eyes scanned his mother’s words until then fell on one sentence that stuck with him for several minutes until he set it down and covered his eyes.

            ‘I will be inviting several of your neighbors to this event with their darling daughters. But of course Drake you may also send invitations to guests you wish to invite. As you do not keep me informed anymore, I have no way of knowing if you have actually managed to meet any lovely young ladies.’

            He could hear his mother’s voice in the words and let out a breath as he looked down at the words. Drake stood and began to pace around his study once more, his eyes always straying back to the parchment. He moved to his desk and sat down slowly before pulling a blank piece of parchment and set it before him.

            ‘Don’t do it Drake. This is a horrible idea and you know it, be reasonable. This is a dangerous trek you are traveling. Distance remember…’

            “Ah hell.” He growled as he reached for his quill.

Reviews

[Melodycraft]

Ok, first...another chapter? I don't think I can write 4 emails as fast as you crank out a chapter! I'm gonna get spoiled.
So I don't really think myself qualified to " review". But I am happy to type up the swirling thoughts reading this generates.....here it is in case it helps or informs...

Ok...ha ha, too funny that this was all a bet, and now Lily is totally in his head. That awkward moment when you see someone that you have been having dreams about...looking forward to it.

Allister...hmmm....we'll just have to wait and see what all is going on there...

Um Drakes mom sounds kinda like a frustrating ball buster....where he is concerned, but I'm curious to see how you might flesh her out in the future... Mother martyr type in an annoying or hilarious way, is she oblivious or super perceptive? Hard shell with soft interior? Soft exterior but calculating? If she meets Lily will she be charmed or find her lowly...does she speak her mind bluntly or read the room and act in a way to direct outcomes as she wants.

What was Lilys relationship with her mother? How is that gonna inform her reaction to Drakes....

Well Mr.Independent...Mr.Keep Your Distance...let's see how that self control hold up :).

[AtomicPuffin]

LOL I'm sorry that I'm writing so fast, but I have a lot more time to write now that I'm not working overnights. I hope you continue to enjoy this story and review though cause I love and appreciate your reviews so much ^^

[AtomicPuffin]

also please forgive the spelling mistakes in here! my 'p' button is messed up and I have to practically smack it to get it to work, so when i'm typing fast I forget.

[Melodycraft]

Pfffft....spelling. As long as I can make out what it means to read it, I'm good. I'll trade speed of chapter delivery for spelling errors any day. A fair trade I say!