impatience.
“Bloody, sodding ballocks!” Zeus cursed, mortification sweeping through him like a tidal wave.
Whipping around, ignoring her cry to remain, he clumsily escaped toward the empty fireplace where he used the damn alluring, infernal stocking to clean himself—though very little evidence remained on his person, the majority of his seed now decorating her sitting room.
After scraping the gossamer silk along his length, unable to control the convulsive twitches of his pelvis or jerks of his cock, his unplanned explosion finally at its end, Zeus growled and wiped his hand clean as well.
Furious with himself, he returned his buckskins and drawers to their rightful place, shoving his disobedient dirk deep in their confines while pointedly ignoring her repeated, somewhat timid entreaties to face her and let her watch—not bloody likely! He was already granting her another splendid view of his white arse! Breath haggard, and with fingers that felt far too swollen and sensitive, he mangled his way up the buttons on either side of the front fall, wrenching one clear off in his haste to get them all fastened.
“Ballocks!” he cursed again, with nothing left to do…save climb over the grate and into the chimney, perhaps? Might not the moldering mortar aid in his quest and grant escape onto the roof? Where the chipped and missing tiles were likely to speed him on his way—to a timely demise. Mayhap then she’d forget his name, his shame, his—
“Mr. Tanner, I order you to present yourself before me!” Evidently she’d reined in her amazement at witnessing his climax, for she now sounded in full possession of her demanding tendencies. Nor had she forgotten his name, devil take her! “Mr. Tanner, it’s time you—”
“Nay!” Red-faced and ready to breathe fire—he’d light the one in the hearth himself if he could, singe his bloody breeches on the way up and out!—he spun on his heel but made no effort to move closer. Attempting to mask his humiliation and bluster his way past this impossible impasse, Zeus snarled, “Nay.
You
will not order me to do anything, never again. Though I begin to understand why you wanted a man not noble—so you could lead him around like a pup on a string, lord over him and—”
“’Tis not so! Not even close!” Eyes pleading with him to believe her, she insisted, “I wanted an untitled man so he would
talk
to me, converse
with
me and not simply issue orders and commands
at
me. Order my actions and command my affection where none exists.” Her voice turned ragged. “I wanted a man my eyes found appealing and my lips longed to touch, my tongue to taste.”
Upon hearing that, his ire softened, annoyance abated.
“Do they?” When all she did was stammer unintelligibly, he took a single step toward her and elucidated. “Do your eyes find me appealing?”
Another slight stutter and then, “Very much so.”
“And your lips? Your tongue?” Two more steps.
“Hunger for your taste—just not down there. Not yet.”
“’Tis admirable. Amazing, really. A woman, a lady, as forthright as she is adorable. As intriguing as she is vexing.” Was it any surprise he’d already succumbed to her bewitching spell? Three more steps brought him to his former position, making his capitulation complete.
“Intriguing? Me?”
Of all he’d said, that’s what she latched on to? “Most assuredly so. Tell me, Lady Scandal, if your affections are not to be commanded, then how are they to be won?”
“Any man named after a god who stands so nobly among my ignoble things, speaking to me with heart and heat and truth, looking as you do, Zeus J. Tanner, well, I confess, my affections are nearly yours to command.”
“Nearly?”
“There is still the matter of a letter you’ve yet to finish.”
The blasted letter? They were back to that? “You still require it to be read? After all that has gone between us?”
She’d be the death of him yet.
“I do. And to
“Bloody, sodding ballocks!” Zeus cursed, mortification sweeping through him like a tidal wave.
Whipping around, ignoring her cry to remain, he clumsily escaped toward the empty fireplace where he used the damn alluring, infernal stocking to clean himself—though very little evidence remained on his person, the majority of his seed now decorating her sitting room.
After scraping the gossamer silk along his length, unable to control the convulsive twitches of his pelvis or jerks of his cock, his unplanned explosion finally at its end, Zeus growled and wiped his hand clean as well.
Furious with himself, he returned his buckskins and drawers to their rightful place, shoving his disobedient dirk deep in their confines while pointedly ignoring her repeated, somewhat timid entreaties to face her and let her watch—not bloody likely! He was already granting her another splendid view of his white arse! Breath haggard, and with fingers that felt far too swollen and sensitive, he mangled his way up the buttons on either side of the front fall, wrenching one clear off in his haste to get them all fastened.
“Ballocks!” he cursed again, with nothing left to do…save climb over the grate and into the chimney, perhaps? Might not the moldering mortar aid in his quest and grant escape onto the roof? Where the chipped and missing tiles were likely to speed him on his way—to a timely demise. Mayhap then she’d forget his name, his shame, his—
“Mr. Tanner, I order you to present yourself before me!” Evidently she’d reined in her amazement at witnessing his climax, for she now sounded in full possession of her demanding tendencies. Nor had she forgotten his name, devil take her! “Mr. Tanner, it’s time you—”
“Nay!” Red-faced and ready to breathe fire—he’d light the one in the hearth himself if he could, singe his bloody breeches on the way up and out!—he spun on his heel but made no effort to move closer. Attempting to mask his humiliation and bluster his way past this impossible impasse, Zeus snarled, “Nay.
You
will not order me to do anything, never again. Though I begin to understand why you wanted a man not noble—so you could lead him around like a pup on a string, lord over him and—”
“’Tis not so! Not even close!” Eyes pleading with him to believe her, she insisted, “I wanted an untitled man so he would
talk
to me, converse
with
me and not simply issue orders and commands
at
me. Order my actions and command my affection where none exists.” Her voice turned ragged. “I wanted a man my eyes found appealing and my lips longed to touch, my tongue to taste.”
Upon hearing that, his ire softened, annoyance abated.
“Do they?” When all she did was stammer unintelligibly, he took a single step toward her and elucidated. “Do your eyes find me appealing?”
Another slight stutter and then, “Very much so.”
“And your lips? Your tongue?” Two more steps.
“Hunger for your taste—just not down there. Not yet.”
“’Tis admirable. Amazing, really. A woman, a lady, as forthright as she is adorable. As intriguing as she is vexing.” Was it any surprise he’d already succumbed to her bewitching spell? Three more steps brought him to his former position, making his capitulation complete.
“Intriguing? Me?”
Of all he’d said, that’s what she latched on to? “Most assuredly so. Tell me, Lady Scandal, if your affections are not to be commanded, then how are they to be won?”
“Any man named after a god who stands so nobly among my ignoble things, speaking to me with heart and heat and truth, looking as you do, Zeus J. Tanner, well, I confess, my affections are nearly yours to command.”
“Nearly?”
“There is still the matter of a letter you’ve yet to finish.”
The blasted letter? They were back to that? “You still require it to be read? After all that has gone between us?”
She’d be the death of him yet.
“I do. And to
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