His sultry captor, p.1
His Sultry Captor, page 1
His Sultry Captor
Tabetha Waite
Copyright © 2024 Tabetha Waite
Cover Design by The Midnight Muse
This title is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to similarly named places or to persons living or deceased is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever, including but not limited to photocopy, digital, auditory, and/or in print, without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations for a review.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Author’s Note
About the Author
Also by Tabetha Waite
Afterword
For Emmanuelle de Maupassant. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of this fun project, even if we didn’t end up getting to work together after all. Some day!
Chapter 1
London, England
August 1814
* * *
“Are you sure you still want to do this?”
Miss Florentia Parker held the dagger in her grasp and checked the sharpness of the shining blade, before she tucked it securely within the band of her garter and lowered her skirts. She looked at her best friend, Anna Shapley, and said curtly, “Let’s go.”
Anna sighed heavily but followed Florentia up the steps of the manor house that was blazing with flickering lights.
The shorter, blonde-haired girl with the innocent, blue eyes was the same age as Florentia at two and twenty, but also a young widow. Florentia gritted her teeth, because if things had been different, two months ago she would have been happily married. She had been engaged to a successful ship merchant and held hope of their future together.
But in one night, it all changed, her dreams shattered.
It was all his fault, of course, which is why he had to pay for his crimes, and it was obvious the judgement was up to her. She’d learned only a few weeks ago that Archer Grindstone, the Earl of Thanefield, had been responsible for slipping the King’s Shilling into Jonathan’s mug of ale, causing him to be pressed into service for the Crown in the Royal Navy. He was supposed to sail out to India, and when he returned, they were planning to wed. Instead, he was sent to France, where he boarded a warship and perished at sea.
Florentia’s chest ached with the memory of that day, when she was informed that Jonathan was dead. She decided right then that she would have vengeance on the men responsible for it. To her, the Earl of Thanefield might as well have put a gun to Jonathan’s temple and pulled the trigger, because he was just as responsible for his death. He’d signed the sentence when he’d dropped that shilling into his drink.
Anna was silent as she walked obediently beside her, but Florentia could tell that she was nervous about attending her first Cyprians’ Ball at the Argyll Rooms on Regent Street. It was the first for Florentia as well, but determination pulsed through her veins hotly enough that she would have faced hell and back, if only to drag the earl to his demise.
“Do you still have the powder?” Anna asked, almost reluctantly.
Florentia lifted her reticle, where the vial of belladonna was securely nestled. “Of course. Otherwise, this would be a fruitless endeavor.”
Before they could open the front door, Anna grabbed hold of her sleeve and pulled her into a shadowed area behind a large hedge. They were ignored by other guests entering the ball, as they likely thought they were having an impromptu assignation before they joined the rest of the festivities. “This just seems… wrong, doesn’t it?” Her breathing was heavy, and she looked a bit pale. “I mean, you’re seriously considering kidnapping a peer!”
Florentia had been expecting this. But then, Anna’s husband had volunteered to join the war against Napoleon. He’d died nobly on a battlefield in service of his country. “You don’t have to join me if you feel that strongly about it, Anna. But you know that I can’t allow Jonathan’s death to go unpunished.”
It took a moment for Anna to struggle with her conscience, but then the color returned to her cheeks and she shook her head. She reached out and grabbed Florentia’s hand. “I love you, Tia. You know I would do anything for you, even face the threat of being imprisoned in the Tower, because you were there for me when no one else was.”
Florentia reached out and gave her friend an impulsive hug. “I love you too, Anna. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you either.”
Hand in hand, they walked through the front doors.
Archer had been reclining on a settee, an arm behind his head and surveying the scene around him when a dark-haired goddess walked into the parlor. Immediately, his attention was captured by her stunning beauty.
He sat up to get a better look at her, just as his view was abruptly interrupted. Blast the crowd this evening! However, he supposed it was a good thing it was a crush, because it reminded him of his true purpose for being there. Unfortunately, he was there for business, and not pleasure.
He frowned darkly, and returned to his earlier, lazy position. It wouldn’t do to look too alert. It was only by adopting the insubordinate rake that he had been able to infiltrate the press gangs for so long and try to free the men who were being bullied into service. It had been too late to save his younger brother, but he was hoping he could help others before tragedy struck.
That was the only reason he was here tonight. Most of the members liked to frequent these gatherings. Usually, he was able to distance himself from the salacious proceedings and focus on finding out information that would assist his cause. But that was before the raven-haired goddess walked into the room and he was sorely distracted.
He allowed his gaze to roam at will and saw her again, this time moving slowly throughout the room with a shorter blonde at her side. She was comely as well, but he had always had a weakness for the sultry sort.
Archer couldn’t take his eyes off the dark-haired beauty as she glanced about her surroundings. The night was still young, so the usual debauchery was not yet taking place. However, something told him that she wouldn’t mind if the entire room was naked. She seemed set on a purpose, as if looking for just the right partner to pair with for the evening.
With that thought, Archer’s cock started to stir with interest. He would be more than happy to accommodate her…
No, you wouldn’t. He reluctantly started to turn away, but then suddenly, her head turned in his direction. He froze. Even from across the room, he could tell that her eyes were hypnotic, as enchanting and mysterious as the woman herself. Her gown was a shimmering gold satin and reflected the unusual shade of her gaze. He was paralyzed now, helpless to look anywhere—but her. When she started to slide in his direction, he had the urge to glance around him, because surely this wasn’t a mutual attraction? His fortune couldn’t be that favorable.
Or could it?
She distanced herself from her companion and stopped directly in front of him. With a smile that urged his cock to further interest, she asked in a husky voice, “Are you with anyone this evening, sir?”
Archer didn’t have the wherewithal to tell her his title. He was still too stunned to believe she had chosen him. In that regard, could he really turn down the opportunity to entertain such a magnificent creature? “Only with you, madam, if you are willing.”
Her smile grew and she reached out a hand to him. “Then perhaps we should move our new acquaintance to somewhere more private?”
Archer had to resist the urge to scramble to his feet. Instead, he calmly reached out and grasped her hand then yanked her forward. Combining her surprise with her momentum, she landed neatly on top of him. Her dark hair fanned around her shoulders. He grasped a section between his thumb and forefinger, and then brought the strands to his nose. He closed his eyes as he inhaled her clean, womanly scent. She was intoxicating.
“Sir, I really must insist—”
“Don’t worry,” he interrupted smoothly. “I don’t intend to share you with anyone else this evening. I merely wanted a sample of your delights first.”
He leaned forward and nuzzled the side of her neck. God, he could kiss that smooth skin until the end of his days. But she was right. They really needed to be alone, so he could enjoy her at his leisure.
Tonight’s other liaisons would have to be temporarily postponed.
“Are you sure you know what he looks like?” Anna had whispered near Florentia’s elbow, as they made their way about the perimeter of the room. She tugged at a section of her bodice. “I swear I feel naked without any stays.”
Florentia rolled her eyes at her comment. “It’s a Cyprians’ Ball. You’re not meant to be proper. As for the earl… I saw him once, from a distance,” she hedged. She didn’t bother to explain that it had been a mere glimpse from a passing carriage. “But I have inquired about him enough that it shouldn’t be too difficult.”
Anna must have thought more should be forthcoming, because she prodded, “Well, what did you find out?”
Florentia searched her memory. “Tall with a lean build. Brown hair and similarly colored eyes.”
There was a pause. “And?”
This was the part she hadn’t wanted to offer. “He’s supposed to be rather… handsome.”
; “Oh. I see.”
Florentia looked at her sharply. “What does that mean?”
In turn, Anna’s expression was pure innocence. Florentia wasn’t fooled for a moment. “Nothing. I just wondered if perhaps…”
“Yes?”
Anna sighed. “What if he isn’t the villain that you believe him to be? You did say that the man who told you his identity was in his cups that night. Perhaps it’s not the right man at all.”
“I am confident enough that I’m prepared to commit a crime,” Florentia pointed out firmly. “I’m sure if there is a misunderstanding, being a gentleman of the peerage, he might be kind enough to offer his assistance.”
“After you tie him up and interrogate him, you mean?” Anna retorted dryly.
“Yes, even then.” Florentia had suffered enough of this conversation. The “man” in question who had told her about the earl had been Jonathan’s loyal first mate. While his eyesight might not have been the most reliable when he was drinking, he would not have intentionally led her astray.
Straightening her shoulders, Florentia decided it was time to get back to work.
Glancing about the crush once again, she paused upon seeing a gentleman reclining on a settee. He was wearing buff trousers, black Hessian boots and a white cambric shirt that was open at the throat. There was no jacket, cravat, or waistcoat in place. He was the epitome of a loathsome libertine who might enslave men.
“It’s him.”
She spoke to Anna, but her focus was riveted on her target. She wondered if it would be in poor taste to send him an ace of spades with a hole in the middle and watch him squirm, wondering who might despise him so much that they would contemplate murder. She doubted he would believe the warning came from a woman.
His gaze abruptly shifted and clashed with hers. For a moment, all she could do was stare. Although she had fantasized about him lounging on that settee with malicious intent, now her interest suddenly shifted. This man wasn’t just handsome, he was magnificent. He had a chiseled jawline, aristocratic nose, and dark eyebrows that came together in a coy slash above brown eyes that seduced where she stood. His hair was unruly and begged for her fingers to delve into the fullness.
A decided swirl of heat began in the pit of her stomach, which she quickly squashed before it could take root. She wasn’t here to have a tryst. She was here to avenge Jonathan.
She moved forward.
As they conversed, she noted that while his voice was smooth as velvet, he was as dangerous as a viper. She certainly hadn’t been prepared for the way he brought her down on top of him, nor her body’s traitorous response to his hard, muscular form. Without her usual undergarments, it was even more shocking. It had been eight long weeks without Jonathan’s arms around her. Until now, she hadn’t realized just how much she’d missed his touch, how much she’d yearned for it. As her target started to nuzzle her neck, she knew it was time to take action.
She rose slowly, ensuring that he got an enticing view of the valley between her breasts. “Come, sir. It’s time we start tonight properly.”
Archer rose, as if some unseen force were compelling him forward. He had never been led around so effortlessly by any woman, but she was like no one he’d ever beheld before.
His nostrils flared as he watched the tantalizing sway of her hips when she walked up the stairs to the rooms that were set aside for personal entertainment. His cock was fully erect now, anxious to see this evening come to its fruition.
As they passed several closed doors, moans of a sexual nature met his ears. He was nearly panting by the time they reached an open room, but not because of any exertion he’d had thus far. He followed his muse inside the room and shut the door firmly. He started to reach for her when she turned to face him, but she laid a hand on his chest to keep him at a distance.
He frowned. “What’s wrong?”
She smiled. “You wouldn’t deprive me of a toast to celebrate the occasion, would you?” She gestured to a side table where two glasses and a bottle of wine were sitting. She leaned forward slightly. “I’ll meet you on the bed.” She slid her hand across his chest, and with a flirtatious glance in those golden eyes, she moved away from him.
Archer was quite sure his body was going to explode long before he even had the chance to worship her properly, but he forced himself to play this game by her rules. However, he didn’t intend to savor his wine. When she brought the glass over to him, she sipped slightly, but he downed it all in one gulp.
He reached for her with a husky murmur, “Now, where were we?”
Instead of joining him on the bed, she sat down in a nearby chair and calmly watched him, all while continuing to sip her drink.
At first, he was confused, wondering why her ardor had suddenly cooled. But then, he became aware of his own disorientation. His senses started to dull and he couldn’t focus on any one thing in the room, even his tantalizing vixen. She was still oddly collected and—
Damn. He blinked. His head was starting to buzz, but he knew that something wasn’t right and she was the cause of it. He put a hand to his forehead. “What… did you… do to… me?” he rasped.
“Nothing that won’t be fixed in time.” She paused. “Hopefully.”
“Hopefully?” He choked out. He was starting to fade fast, but he had to know what she’d done. “Did you… poison me?”
“Not particularly. It’s only meant to put you to sleep.”
“What… is?”
She actually had the grace to shift a bit guiltily in her chair. “It was just a bit of nightshade.”
Archer coughed in disbelief. “Night—” He couldn’t even finish the sentence. His mouth was suddenly incapable of working. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about his cock finishing before he was ready, because it had died a miserable death long ago.
He steeled his jaw, determined to find out the reasons she would have to attack him when they had just met. He swallowed hard until he forced out a single word. “Why?”
As he was starting to lose consciousness, she set aside her half drank glass of wine and strode over to him. She knelt on the bed beside him, where she was at eye level. Now, instead of the sultry female, he might have thought she was a demon, because her eyes glowed with an almost unholy light. “You’ll find out my reasons soon enough.” She kissed two of her fingers and then pressed them against his mouth. He nearly groaned at the loss of those tantalizing lips, which taunted him even though he was incapacitated. “My vengeance won’t rest until you know what you’ve done.”
Archer struggled to stay awake, but the darkness claimed him.
Chapter 2
A wave of guilt washed over Florentia, until she remembered that this was the enemy. Whether or not he was an earl, or so devilishly charming that she had wanted to join him on that bed and interrogate him later, she kept her thoughts on Jonathan and did what she’d planned to do.
Walking to the door, she opened it to see Anna lingering apprehensively in the hallway. The blonde rushed inside and together they stared at the prone figure sprawled across the bed. “My God, you actually did it.”
“I told you I would,” Florentia returned dryly. She crossed her arms and glared at the earl, although now that the deed was done, she was feeling a bit unnerved by it.
“How are we supposed to get him out of here?” Anna asked. “He’s quite… large, er… tall.”
Florentia snorted. “I suppose we’ll just have to make it look as if he’s too deep in his cups to walk. Is the carriage ready?”
Anna nodded. “My coachman is waiting patiently, although I’m not sure how pleased he is about this. I didn’t dare tell him we were bringing an earl home with us.”
Another stab of guilt rushed through Florentia. Recently, she’d been forced to rely on the charity of her best friend in London. But sometimes circumstances gave one no other option. With her mouth set grimly, she said softly, “I’m sorry I ever asked you to do this. I should have done it alone.”
