Another Chance

Chapter 1-2

Aubrey St. Clair, Viscount Rothton, grabbed a flute of champagne off the tray of a passing servant. He’d already been at the blasted ball for an hour and he grew more restless by the moment. He’d managed to avoid the majority of the mothers trying to cajole him into partnering their daughters on the dance floor. Still, he had been forced to endure one or two.

Where was he?

Aubrey took a large sip of the bubbly drink and surveyed the new arrivals. Lady Whittington assured him Graystone had accepted the invitation. But it was nearing midnight and there was no sign of him. Had he wasted his time? Surely Graystone hadn’t come and gone before he even arrived. No, the Graystone he knew was always a night owl.

Maybe he just wouldn’t recognize him. Even before the death of his countess, Graystone didn’t spend a lot of time in London and Aubrey…well…he tried to stay away from events Graystone did attend. He hadn’t been face-to-face with him in years.

But no, Aubrey would know Daniel when he arrived. He’d spent too many years dreaming of him.

Just before their last year at Oxford they’d gone to a Hell and had too much to drink. Aubrey didn’t know what possessed him…Wait, that was a lie. He’d had a bit of a crush on Daniel since meeting him. A handsome man with light brown hair streaked with golden highlights when the sun shone and sky blue eyes, Daniel stoked Aubrey’s fantasies even before that drunken carriage ride.

One minute they’d been laughing about their tremendous bad luck at the Hell and the next, Aubrey had pressed his lips against Daniel’s. Expecting his friend to push him away in disgust, he’d been thrilled when Daniel had kissed him back, opening Aubrey’s mouth with his tongue and exploring. They’d continued to kiss, Daniel nipping at Aubrey’s lips, pushing him down on the seat.

“Want you,” Daniel had whispered against Aubrey’s lips.

Aubrey’s c**k had strained against his breeches, so hard he’d expected it to rip through.

“Oh God, yes,” had been his answering groan. Aubrey didn’t know what he’d expected next but Daniel sliding off the seat to kneel in front of him and unfastening his breeches hadn’t been it. His breath had caught.

His c**k had sprung free and Daniel had grasped it in his hand. He’d leaned his head back on the cushion. Daniel had cupped his balls and run a fingertip over the head of his c**k.

“Pretty,” Daniel had murmured, darting his tongue out to touch where his finger had trailed.

Aubrey’d gritted his teeth. He’d wanted to scream but wasn’t sure if the coachman could hear them. Probably could.

Daniel had pulled the head of Aubrey’s c**k into his mouth. He’d almost come immediately and only managed not to by the grace of God. Running his fingers through Daniel’s soft hair, he’d pushed in farther. He’d done it slowly, not wanting to gag Daniel but it’d nearly killed him.

“Daniel, yes,” he’d moaned. He’d opened his eyes and stared down, watching Daniel work his c**k in and out of his mouth. He had to be dreaming.

Aubrey hadn’t been able to stop himself any longer. He’d pushed his c**k farther down into Daniel’s throat. To his delight, Daniel had taken him without protest. What a sight it had been to see his friend’s cheeks hollowed as he sucked. He’d started f*****g Daniel’s mouth faster, thrusting in and out over and over. Beads of sweat had pearled on his forehead and his head had thrashed back and forth on the seat cushion. His balls had tightened painfully.

“I’m going to come,” Aubrey had shouted. He’d expected Daniel to release his c**k so he could come all over the seats but instead Daniel had sucked harder and more desperately.

“Ah, f**k!” He’d poured down his friend’s throat. Panting heavily, he’d leaned back, letting reality return. He was in a hired coach with his breeches undone, excess c*m dripping down from Daniel’s mouth and they would pull up to their destination any moment.

Aubrey had done up his breeches and reached down to help Daniel return to his seat. He opened his mouth to tell Daniel he would take care of him next when the hackney stopped.

Daniel had paid the driver when they got out but hadn’t said a word to Aubrey. Aubrey wasn’t sure what that meant.

When they got indoors they’d found a man waiting for Daniel. His father had died and Daniel was now the new Earl of Graystone. He was needed at home. Daniel had hurried off to get his things for departure. Leaving everything unsaid between them.

Only a little over a year later, Daniel had met and married Isabel. She had been the daughter of a well-respected peer and therefore they made the perfect match in the eyes of the ton.

During that time Aubrey’s own father died and he had little time to think about the loss of Daniel to Isabel. Not that he’d ever expected anything more from Daniel. Hell, he hadn’t known he’d get that much.

Where was he?

Aubrey decided, as he gulped down the last of his champagne, that he was the biggest fool. Graystone wasn’t coming.

“There you are, Rothton. Enjoying the ball?” Lady Whittington herself sidled up to him wearing a deeply cut burgundy gown. She sank her fingers into his arm. He smelled her perfume of roses and sweet pea. Her blonde hair had been pinned up and flowers adorned it. She looked ravishing.

“Not really,” Aubrey admitted. He handed his empty glass to a passing servant. “You’ve quite the crush though. Definitely a success, Maribel.”

“But someone is missing,” she replied. “He did say he would attend, Aubrey.”

He shrugged, trying to pretend it didn’t matter. It didn’t really. It didn’t change anything.

Maribel smiled. “I know how to distract you from your melancholy.”

“Do you?”

“I can sneak away for a short period. Down that hall,” she paused to flick a glance at a nearby hallway, “is a seldom-used library. I doubt my husband even remembers it’s there. Let’s go.”

Aubrey allowed her to take his arm and lead him down the hall. It would be a distraction. He liked women, had his share of them over the years. Had even briefly thought of becoming engaged. He’d never married though. Quite doubted he would.

Maribel opened the library door and pulled him in, shutting it behind them. She turned the lock.

They undressed each other in silence. It was a familiar routine.

If Aubrey had ever met a woman he would have married, Maribel was she. Of course, she was already married to Whittington even when they began their affair years before. So what if her two children bore a rather curious resemblance to Aubrey rather than Whittington?

She came to him, her arms encircling his neck, pressing her bared breasts against his chest.

“I want you to love me, Aubrey,” she whispered.

“I will…I do.” He kissed her hard, forcing her mouth open to receive his probing tongue. His arms enclosed her and he lifted her up so she could wrap her legs around him. Pushing her against the nearest wall, he entered her, sliding easily into her moist heat.

“Aubrey,” she breathed, clenching herself around his throbbing hard c**k.

He pumped fast and urgently, roughly into her, the way she liked it, the way he loved it. She nipped his jaw, then kissed the spots that stung from her teeth.

“Yes, yes,” Maribel screamed. She’d always been a noisy lover, much more than him.

“Hush,” he said with a husky laugh. It became more like a groan as her hips urged him to go faster, harder. He could not deny her and he quickened his thrusts until he was slamming her into the wall, making the nearby bookshelves shake with the pounding impact.

“God!” She bit his shoulder, sinking her teeth in deep as her orgasm rocked through her. He felt every quiver. He joined her then, spilling into her soft willing heat.

Aubrey continued to hold her up against the wall as they let their breathing return to normal. They shared a few soft kisses and finally he lowered her to the floor. The flowers so carefully dressed in her hair were ridiculously askew.

He laughed. He couldn’t help it, she was so adorably rumpled. It was terribly obvious she had just had s*x.

Maribel pushed his shoulder and, rolling her eyes, reached for her clothing. She looked over her shoulder at him as she pulled on her underthings. “You’re leaving now, aren’t you?”

It didn’t take him long to think about it. He’d only come for Graystone. No reason to stay now.

“Probably,” he said evasively. He didn’t want to hurt her. She’d been planning the ball for months. He should have come even without the promise of Graystone.

Aubrey redressed and looked about the library, making sure nothing they discarded got accidentally left behind. He made an attempt at his cravat and finally gave up, waving the trailing ends at Maribel.

She sighed and took the offending garment and tied it expertly for him. He buttoned up the back of her gown and placed a chaste kiss on her neck.

“Christopher will be away for a few days in a fortnight from now,” she said, turning to face him. He reached up and smoothed out some of the flowers in her blonde tresses. “It will be the perfect opportunity to see the children, if you’d like.”

A pain stabbed at his heart. His children. They’d never know it. Aubrey wouldn’t tell them and certainly Maribel and Christopher wouldn’t. A life without those he loved seemed to be all he would face.

Lord, he’d dropped into the depths of melancholia. He was…well…pathetic.

“I’d like that,” he managed to say. He didn’t know, really, if he would. He wanted to see them, loved the limited visits he was able to have but part of him thought it best to distance himself from them.