Angel’s Seduction-Part Thirty-Five
*borrowed the picture from Sherrill. :)*
Angel’s Seduction copyright (c)2006 T.A. Chase
Part Thirty-Five:
Who do I belong to? I know what he wants me to say. It is a game he likes to play. Before this moment I would have said what he wanted to hear, if only to try and get a reprieve from the beating. It never worked and this time I know the true answer to his question.
“Whom do you belong to?” He screams again. The other man grabs my hair at the back of my head and jerks back hard enough to make my neck hurt.
“I belong to no one.” My words are forced between gritted teeth. My back throbs with pain as blood pours down from my wounds.
“You belong to me. You carry my name. You’re mine.” Father’s face flushes red and I see the fury building in him.
“If I belong to anyone, it would be Lord Greyson. I’m not your son. I am Greyson’s lover.” These words might push him over the edge, but they are my truth.
“Pervert. That sodomite has seduced you into believing perversion is love. What is your name?” This is another game he plays with me, having me repeat my name over and over. He is re-enforcing the idea that I belong to him since our names are the same.
I stare at him and grin through my pain. “My name is Angel.”
Rage takes hold of him and his fist rams into my face. I feel my head snap back and my nose break. My knees start to buckle. I tense. There is no way I’ll allow myself to fall to my knees in front of my father. When I kneel again, it will be without pain and only to bring pleasure or comfort. I glare defiantly at him, blood dripping from my chin.
“Hit me,” I challenge him. I wave a weak hand towards the man holding me. “Beat me.” I scrub my hand over the blood on my face and hold it out towards my father. “Spill my blood until it pools beneath me. I’ll never deny my love or my lover.”
Shock pushes through the anger in my father’s eyes. He steps away from my hand.
“I no longer fear you.” I throw back my shoulders and straighten so I’m standing taller than he is. My body screams in agony. Pain is beginning to return. “I pity you. You live in fear and face the world with anger. You’ll never know love from anyone, not even your own family. At least while I’m burning in hell for my perversions, I’ll know I’m loved.”
I take a shallow breath. That’s all my battered body will allow. I look for the whip the man dropped. I spot it and make my way slowly over to it. Bending is torture. I’m afraid I’ll fall over, but I grasp the handle. I hand it to the man. When I make sure he’s holding it, I turn and offer my back to him.
“Take a pound of flesh, Father. Try to beat the demons from me. Kill me if that’s the only way you know of to drive this disease from me. It matters little to me what you think. I love Lord Greyson, and I’ll die loving him.”
In that instance with those words still ringing through the air, I feel the last chain holding my heart captive break. Fear flees before the truth I’ve spoken. In the love I have for Greyson, I’ve found the ability to love myself. No one will ever be able to make me believe I’m a monster because I love a man. No opinion will matter to me so much that I lose myself.
The man with the whip growls and I hear the leather whistle through the air. Pain rips through my body, but I accept it. I no longer fight it, not even when my legs give out and I fall to my knees. For my brain has taken the suffering away and all I can see before me is Greyson smiling and loving me.
A knock interrupts the beating. Father walks to the door while he gestures for the man to stop. “What is it? I said I didn’t want to be disturbed.” He yanks open the door.
A nervous footman shifts from side to side. “My lord, the Duke of Northamptonshire and the Earl are here. We told them you were unavailable, but they demand your presence.”
Relief surges through me. Edward kept his promise and they came. I manage a chuckle. “I told you I’d be free again.”
“That’s what you think. Come with me.” He heads out of the room with the stranger behind him. “Keep an eye on that one and make sure he doesn’t get out,” Father orders the footman.
“Yes, my lord.” The servant bows his head, but I see his gaze dart over to me.
Disgust fills the young footman’s face after my father disappears down the hall. The servant moves towards me and I find myself tensing, expecting him to hit me.
“Bastard.”
The hate-filled words surprise me. I glance up at him and see he’s staring at the slices across my back. I want to shrug my shoulders to show I didn’t care what he thought but the pain was too much. I struggle to gain my feet.
“Don’t move, my lord.” The footman touches my shoulder. “Master Edward will be here in a second. He’ll help you.”
“Shouldn’t” is all I’m able to force out.
“I turned my back for too long, brother.” Edward enters the room. He has a shirt over his arm. He hands it to the footman. “James, hold on to this. I’ll get Robert up and we can cover him with that.”
“Angel,” I hiss, his hands bracing me as I push myself off the floor.
“Right.” He manages to work the remnants off my wrists.
“I have this.” James holds up a small key.
“Good man.” Edward grabs it and frees me from the cold iron cuffs.
“You shouldn’t help me. If he knows you did it, he’ll punish you.” I wobble, trying to pull the clean shirt on.
Edward tugs it over my head and gently lays it over the wounds on my back. I can tell the fabric is soaking up the blood.
“He won’t. We’ll help you to the stairs and then we disappear. James has already been fired, though Father doesn’t remember he did it. So it won’t matter for him.” He lets me lean on him as we make our way down the hallway to the stairs.
I study the stairway. It’s the pathway to my permanent freedom, but I don’t know if my body has the strength to move.
“Where is Angel, Williamson? I demand to see him. I won’t leave without him.” Greyson’s voice drifts up to where we stood on the landing.
My love is down there and I’m not willing to wait any longer to be with him again. I take the first step towards true freedom.
Angel’s Seduction-Part Thirty-Four
*as promised, we’re having an Angel marathon. I only have a few more scenes to post so I’ll post them over this weekend* Violence (rather graphic)
Angel’s Seduction copyright (c) T.A. Chase
Part Thirty-Four:
“Wake up.”
The order breaks through the blackness clouding my mind. I moan to myself as I roll over and push myself to a sitting position. I force my gaze to meet my father’s. It is difficult since he has often punished me for daring to look him in the eye.
His grin is filled with pride. “I told you I would have you back,” he gloated.
“Yes. It seems that you were right for once.” Surprise ripples through me. Who is speaking? The boy I was would never challenge his father like that. The child knows the consequences of defiance.
He hisses and slaps me. “Don’t talk back, boy. I’m your father and I own you.”
“You don’t own me. You’ve never owned me. All you’ve done is held me captive and abused me because of your own fears and ignorance.” I find I have the strength to climb to my feet.
When I gain my feet, I see a flash of fear shoot through my father’s eyes. It is in that moment, I realize I’m taller than my father. For so long, he has played the roll of the devil in my nightmares. In those nightmares, my father was a monster, invincible and powerful. In the light of day, I see that he is old and small. His power over me lessens even more. He may hold me chained to this room, but he no longer controls my fear.
I stare at my father and I can tell he’s beginning to understand that I’ll no longer cower before him. He’s losing some of his confidence.
“Demon.” A hand grabs my collar and pushes me to my knees.
My first reaction is to tense, but I’ve decided I’ll take whatever punishment they feel fit to give me. They’re the evil ones, not me. They are the ones who take perverse joy in causing pain. Father moves to the other side of the room. The man who forces me to the floor unchains my cuffs from the ring they’re locked in. He tears my shirt so it hangs down around my waist and gathers at my wrists.
A crack breaks the air and my back begins to ache before the first blow lands. I know what is to come. I bow my head and spread my arms out, offering myself up to their hatred. I can endure this. I’ve survived thirteen years. I can take a few more hours or days. I’ve been free. I will be free again.
As the leather bites deep into my flesh for the first time, I swallow my scream. I allow my mind to bring an image of Greyson into my mind. His brilliant blue eyes fill with the love he holds for me. Fire burns over my back as another lash cuts into my skin. By the time I’m free, I’ll have scars on my scars, but I don’t think about that right now. I focus on the feel of Greyson’s arms around me. My back straightens and I lift my head to stare at my father. Just thinking of my lover gives me the courage to accept the whipping.
I know from experience that I will go numb after a while. The body can only take so much pain before the mind shuts down. Warm liquid trickles down my back and soaks into the waistband of my trousers. Another stripe is added to my lower back. This one cuts deep and I can feel it in my spine.
A sob lodges in my throat. I won’t beg. I won’t plead. I will continue to love Greyson with all of my soul and I’ll never deny what my heart says is right. The whipping continues and my mind slowly distances itself from my body.
My father says something to me, but I can’t hear his words. I’m remembering each moment with Greyson in my soul. As each touch and kiss takes away the pain, I realize that I’ve never once spoke of my love for the duke. I never told Greyson how much I love him.
The shock rippling through me has nothing to do with the leather marking my back. It comes from my heart. Why have I never told the duke how much I love him? Why haven’t I uttered anything to let Greyson know that my world ceases to exist without him?
A slap to the face brings my attention back to my father. He screams at me, but again I can’t hear the words. Spittle hits my cheek and I understand that this is why I never said I love you to Greyson. Deep inside me, I never really believed I’d be free of my father. I knew his reach is long and the chains with which I was bound to Father were strong. Maybe by not saying the words, I thought I would keep myself from falling apart when I returned to hell.
Yet here I kneel, bleeding and tortured, but not begging. Not asking forgiveness for a love so perfect that even if the Devil sent it, I’d accept it with open arms. I promise myself as soon as I am free, I’ll tell Greyson about my love.
“Whom do you belong to?” My father slaps me again and I realize the whipping has stopped for the moment.
Angel’s Seduction-Part Thirty-Three
Angel’s Seduction copyright (c) 2006 T.A. Chase
Part Thirty-Three:
The mist is hanging over the path as I ride along it. Greyson is in another meeting at the Home Office. My lover is exhausted. He spends most of his days at Whitehall, dealing with the Prime Minister and other lords in charge of the government. When he comes home, instead of resting, we make appearances at balls and soirees. Greyson knows I don’t want to go to them, but he tells me we have to go because not showing our faces would make people think my father is right.
I’m not sure why we need to worry about what other people think. The duke tells me every day that he doesn’t care, that he lives his life the way he wants now, yet each night we go out into Society. Maybe it is simply because I’m not used to being with people. I still get nervous and at times scared, but Alice and Harry are there with us and they help me overcome my awkwardness.
My mind drifts as I ride. Greyson told me this morning before he left that Shade has disappeared. I’m worried about the man. I fear that seeing me has driven him in to a depression and he might do something irrational. I laugh at myself. If Shade has managed to stay alive and not kill himself for thirteen years, I don’t think meeting me will drive him over the edge.
My heart aches for him. It can’t be easy to go through life believing your love was the reason why a man killed himself. I don’t think Shade is ready to understand that the blame needs to be shared between the three of them.
A noise catches my attention. As I turn around to look, a sharp pain splits my head and the world goes black.
* * * *
Pain chases me from the darkness and I open my eyes to find I’m lying in the middle of a room. My head aches, so I try not to move it too much as I glance around. It looks familiar to me. I flinch as I lift my head off the floor to get a better look.
Fear floods my mind and I whimper. Somehow I’m back in my room at my father’s house. Father has made his threat come true. I start to curl in on myself, instinctively protecting my stomach. A heavy weight hampers my arms. I bring my wrist into my line of sight and groan.
Cuffs and chains. My father has captured me and I don’t think he’s going to let me go this time. The cold metal rubs against my wrists, reminding me that my nightmare has just begun. I close my eyes and think about Greyson.
I wonder how long it’s been since I was brought here. Does Greyson know that I’ve been taken? Will my father brag to my lover that he’s got me back? Will he tell no one, letting them all wonder where I’ve gone?
Another thought races through my mind. Will my father let me live? Has he kidnapped me only to kill me?
My fear increases the ache in my head and body. Lowering my head to the floor, I fight to keep a sob from bursting out. I can feel despair and hopelessness trying to take a hold of me. My bid for freedom has been in vain. I should have known that I would never escape. A perverted demon like me would never be allowed to leave Hell.
A noise brings my head up. I stare across the floor to where the door is slowly opening. I cringe, expecting to see my father standing there. I wonder when he will come. I need to be prepared for the beatings. I know he won’t stop trying to whip my perversions from me.
“Edward,” I gasp as my younger brother slips into the room.
“Shh.” He places a finger over his lips as he glances down the hall. I assume he’s making sure no one sees him entering my room.
He shuts the door with barely a noise and then makes his way to me. He’s carrying a bowl and some clothes. I watch while he kneels and starts cleaning my head.
He keeps his voice low. “You have a nasty knot here. I’ll try to get as much of the blood off as I can.”
“Why?” I’m amazed that my brother would risk everything to help me. My father’s wrath isn’t something anyone in the house would wish to invoke.
“You don’t deserve this. You never have. It doesn’t matter what you do or who you love. He has no right to treat you no better than a dog.” Edward’s anger burns in his eyes.
“At least he treats his dogs better than he does me. They aren’t chained up and beaten.” I close my eyes and groan as the cool, wet cloth touches the back of my head.
“I don’t have much time. He went to a ball, but I’m sure he will be coming back early to talk to you.” He dips the cloth in the bowl and brushes it over my face. “He keeps the keys on him or I’d let you go. Is there anything I can do for you?”
I want to beg him to get those keys, but I’m not sure how far he’s willing to go to help me. “Get a message to Uncle for me. Let him know where I am.”
Edward pulls a small flask out of his pocket. He lifts my head, touching the mouth of the flask to my lips. “A little sip of whiskey should help you. Isn’t there anyone else you want me to tell?”
I stare up at him as the alcohol burns down my throat into my stomach. “If you’re willing to take a chance, take a message to Lord Greyson, Duke of Northamptonshire.”
I want Greyson to know where I am, though I’m sure he’s figured it out by now. I have no reason to run away or disappear, not when all my dreams are coming true.
“The duke. I can do that.” A soft knock breaks the silence. He gathers all his supplies and leaps to his feet. “Father’s home. I’ll try to come and see you when he leaves again.”
“Thank you.”
I watch the door close behind my younger brother. Confusion fights with the pain. Why is he helping me now? Is this a trick devised by my father to lull me into believing escape is possible?
My strength gives out and I curl up on the floor, resting my head on the cool iron cuffs. I let the darkness take me. I don’t have the energy to worry about my fate. There is nothing I can do at the moment, except to try and recover. And hold to the belief that somehow Greyson will save me.
_____________________________________________
P.S. I’m SExing today. Stop by and say hi.
It’s Wednesday Again!
I hear he’s great at doing laundry. Even seperates the whites from the darks and folds them. 🙂
Nothing new on the writing front. Though I do have a blurb and a synopsis written for Angel’s story. Ugh! the two things I hate the most about writing. I got about 200 words written yesterday. That much closer to the end. If I finish the expanded version by tomorrow, you all might get an Angel marathon and I’ll be posting the last six or seven scenes of the blog version in a row. That way it’ll have come to an end when I’m ready to submit it.
Then you’ll have another story to look forward to. I just have to figure out what one I want to as a blog story or if I want to start a new one.
Have a great day, everyone.!
Angel’s Seduction- Part Thirty-Two
Angel’s Seduction copyright (c)2006 T.A. Chase
Part Thirty-Two:
I stare at my uncle and my hands shake from nerves. He greets us with warm affection, offering drinks and a place to sit.
“My dear boy, I must say that staying with Greyson agrees with you. I’ve never seen you look better.” He smiles at me.
“Thank you.” I struggle to find the words. I glance over at the duke.
Greyson nods to encourage me, but offers no words. He’s with me to support me. That is all. I must find out the full story on my own.
I brace myself and ask, “Are you helping me because you feel guilty about Jonathon?”
Uncle’s face pales and shock fills his eyes. I allow him time to recover. I see pain, loss, and sadness race across his face.
“I wasn’t sure you remembered him. You were so young when he died.” He stares over my shoulder, lost in memories.
“I met someone yesterday who reminded me. All I really remember is leaving your house when I was ten. You and Jonathon were arguing. Two weeks later, Father informed me my cousin was dead. It was at that moment my life turned into hell.” I jump to my feet and start to pace. “Did Father know about Jonathon and the groom? How could he know I’d want the same thing? I was only ten for the love of God.”
Greyson reaches out and takes my hand. He pulls me down to sit next to him on the couch. His touch calms me.
“He knew about my son because in my anger and grief, I turned to him. It was a mistake. See, the uncle I received the title from was a member of your brotherhood. Your father hated him and then to find out his own nephew was a sodomite caused him to snap. He feared you turning out the same way. I guess he figured by holding you captive, he could keep you from ever encountering that sort of life. He thought he could beat the demon out of you.” Uncle stares at me with remorse-filled eyes. “Can you forgive me? When I realized how much he’d isolated you, I tried to get you free, but everyone in your house feared him.”
“I forgive you. You were the only bright spot while I was growing up. I didn’t know or care if you loved me. The only thing that mattered was you didn’t hate me. There was no yelling or screaming at me. You made me feel normal and I’ll thank you forever for that.”
We’re silent for a moment. Both of us are dealing with new aspects of our relationship.
“You said you were reminded of Jonathon? How? Who would remember him?” Uncle frowns.
“I met Jonathon’s lover, the groom.” My uncle doesn’t need to know the rest.
Uncle sits forward, resting his elbows on his knees and stares at the floor. “It took me quite a few years to forgive him. In my anger, I managed to convince myself that he was the reason why my son died. I couldn’t accept my part in the tragedy. Then one morning it was as if a light came on in my head. Of all of us, the groom was the most harmed and the least to blame. He merely loved my son.”
I hear the pain in my uncle’s voice. I want to go to him and ease it, but only time can ease his memories.
“Jonathon and I were the ones to blame in the whole thing. My anger and fear of what society would think blinded me to the fact that I was denying my own son. Jonathon didn’t have the courage to face life without me supporting him. He was afraid of being poor and having to work. That fear was stronger than any love he had for the young groom.” Uncle glances up at me. “Who is he? Do you think he’d be willing to meet me so I can ask for his forgiveness?”
I shake my head. “I won’t tell you who he is, Uncle. His life is his to tell, not mine. I fear he still blames you for all of it. He isn’t ready to give you forgiveness.”
“No, I didn’t think he would be. Is he happy?” There is a need in my uncle to believe he didn’t ruin Shade’s life.
“He’s alive, that’s all I can say. I don’t know if he is happy or not, but I do know he still mourns Jonathon. Maybe someday he’ll remember the good in their relationship.” I shrug.
“My solicitor has looked over the papers you had drawn up, making Angel your heir. They’re legal and binding, so if Angel wishes, he can sign them.” Greyson enters the conversation, trying to bury the sadness for another day.
“Good. Have you decided what you’ll do, son?” Uncle leans back and relaxes.
“I have thought about it. It took a day or two to make my mind understand what you’re offering. I never expected to inherit anything. To be honest, I expected to be dead by now. My father didn’t seem to care whether I lived or died.” I rest against Greyson. “Suddenly, I find myself free of my father and being offered a title. Plus being loved by a man the likes of which I couldn’t imagine, not even in my deepest fantasies.”
“A bit overwhelming, huh?” Uncle chuckles.
“Just a bit.” I take Greyson’s hand in mine and play with his fingers. “When I survived all those brutal beatings and my own suicide attempt, I would wonder why God wouldn’t let me die. I wasn’t worth anything to anyone. It made no difference if I lived or disappeared off the face of the earth. I remember begging for my father to kill me. Put me out of my misery. End my life because Hell couldn’t be any worse than what I was living.”
The duke lifts our entwined fingers and presses a kiss on my knuckles. “I, for one, am glad that He chose to let you stay. I’m sorry for all the pain you had to suffer, love, but things are different now. No pain. No anger. Only love.”
I’m comforted by his words, even though I know there will be days when we argue. I’m tasting freedom for the first time and I have a feeling I won’t meekly accept everything he expects of me. I’ve discovered I do have a backbone after all.
Cover Exposed
Here’s the cover for Here Be Dragons. It’s scheduled to be released on Sept. 5th…which is next week. Ack! LOL. Yummy! The artist got my boys right with Hugh in the front and Kael in the back. 🙂
Oh, I got an awesome 5 Angels review for No Going Home from Teresa at Fallen Angel Reviews. She says:
“If you like to read a book with a lot of heart and a great love story, then this is the book for you. Thanks goes to T.A. Chase for writing a beautiful and fun story with enough heart to make it a keeper in anyones book collection. “
Click here to read the rest of the review. 🙂 I’m so thrilled with how well NGH has been received. I hope everyone enjoys HBD as much since it really was the first book I finished. Just didn’t get to be the first one released.
No writing got done this weekend. Too busy and we had bad storms on Saturday. I don’t like to use the computer during thunderstorms..lol. Luckily, I’m not too far from being totally finished with Angel’s story. Which has a new title by the way, but I won’t tell you what it is until it gets contracted by a publisher. See, you have something to look forward to. 😉
Have a great day, everyone.
Angel’s Seduction-Part Thirty-One
Angel’s Seduction copyright (c) 2006 T.A. Chase
Part Thirty-One:
I curl up in the window seat, staring out at a world I no longer fear being a part of. I’ve come to cherish my time here with Greyson. He has taught me strength and confidence. He’s shown me that not all the people in the world are out to hurt me.
Noises come from the duke’s study. The butler told me he’s still meeting with the man from earlier this morning. I don’t complain. There’s nothing pressing for us to do, though I find myself thinking about our bed upstairs. The door to the drawing room opens.
“Here you are,” Greyson says as he walks in.
I turn to face them and a glass shatters on the floor. The stranger stares at me as if he’s seen a ghost. I’m puzzled since the man had seen me that morning before I left for my ride. He stalks across the room and kneels in front of me.
I don’t flinch as he reaches out to touch my face. I’ve learned that not every outstretched hand is going to do violence to me. I frown at Greyson though.
“Who are you?” The stranger’s voice holds fear and disbelief.
“I’m,” I start to tell him. His voice sounds familiar.
“He’s Lord Williamson’s eldest son.” Greyson comes to stand by me. He rests a hand on my shoulder and squeezes.
“Ah, that would explain it then.” The man pulls his hand away, but remains at my feet. “I got only a glimpse of you this morning and your hat shaded your face. I couldn’t see the resemblance.”
I stare down in to the most unusual green eyes. They are as pale as the duke’s prized jade elephant. They shine up at me and a flicker of a memory comes to me.
“I know you.” This time I’m the one to reach out and touch a cheek.
“How is that possible?” The duke seems uneasy about this revelation.
“I’m surprised you do. You were so young.” A sad smile graces the man’s lips.
“Shade, answer me. How do you know Angel?” Greyson grabs Shade’s arm, forcing him to his feet.
They move to the other side of the room where two chairs are set facing a fireplace. I follow intrigued by this visit from my past. Shade stands, staring at the picture above the mantel. The expression on his face tells us he’s become lost in memories. The duke sits in one of the chairs and I sink to the floor at his feet. It’s my favorite spot unless I’m sitting on his lap.
“Shade, explain how you know each other,” Greyson demands.
Shade doesn’t respond and I wonder if his memories choke him like mine do to me.
“It was during the summer of my tenth year. I was staying with my uncle and his family. I remember a groom with the most unusual green eyes. He was nice to me. Didn’t treat me like a nuisance. I went about my days in complete ignorance. Then one morning, my tutor came to wake me up. We left my uncle’s house within an hour. I never really knew why. I remember my aunt was crying. My uncle and my cousin were fighting and yelling.” I recount those memories without thought.
“Your cousin? I thought your uncle only had one child.” Greyson frowns.
“He does now. I had an older cousin. I walked out of my uncle’s house and at the foot of the steps stood the green-eyed groom. His fists were clenched. Even as a child, I knew he was furious about something, but I sensed fear in him as well. I went home and two weeks later, my father informed me that my cousin was dead.” There hadn’t been any sadness in me. I didn’t know him very well, but it was after his death that my father began my abuse.
“His name was Jonathon and we were lovers. I still remember his laugh. I can still smell him and at times, it’s as if he’s in the room with me.” Shade turns to study me. “You look exactly like him. The night before you left, someone saw us together and told Jonathon’s father. He was furious. Threatening to kill us both for dishonoring the family name.”
Standing, I move to Shade. His pain is visible in his eyes. I can’t imagine what it would be like to hurt that way. I reach out a cautious hand. He can accept it or reject it. He takes it in his and holds tight.
“I was thrown off the estate and threatened with death if I ever tried to see Jonathon again. I did try. I couldn’t leave him to suffer alone. I tried for a week until someone told me he was dead.” He bites his lips to keep from sobbing.
“How did he die?”
I glare at the duke. How could he ask that question when Shade is so upset? Greyson shrugs.
“He killed himself. Slit his wrists and lost too much blood before anyone found him.” Shade slumps forward as if saying that takes all his strength.
I feel the scars at my wrists burn. My uncle had been unable to save his own son, but by saving his nephew, he had kept alive another embarrassment to the family name.
“I must leave.” Shade yanks his hand from mine. “This is too much.”
He nods to Greyson and leaves. Going back to the duke, I curl up on his lap. The safety I always feel engulfs me when his arms wrap around me and pulls me close to him.
“That explains a lot,” he mutters against my ear.
It explains a lot, but there is still much I want to know. I wonder if the mistakes of the past will build a solid enough foundation for my future?
Hunk Day
Hope everyone had a great weekend. I know I did. 🙂 It was wonderful, visiting with friends and just hanging out. I didn’t do any writing the entire weekend, but that’s okay because I’m close to the end of Angel’s Seduction, so I’m not feeling stressed.
Monday and Tuesday combined, I wrote 2,082 words, bringing the total of words to 51,322. Hit my goal, so anything more will just be icing..lol. Got the blurb written as well. I was pretty productive all things considered. I figure the final total might be 52k or a little more. Have one or two more love scenes to add and anything else my CP might feel needs to be added or fixed.
I hope to have it ready to submit by next week. If that works out, you’ll have a blitz of Angel because I’d like to have the blog version posted and finished by the time I submit the expanded version. It looks like the expanded version will have at least 20k more in it. 🙂
Have a great day, everyone.
Angel’s Seduction-Part Thirty
Angel’s Seduction copyright (c)2006 T.A. Chase
Part Thirty-
Greyson moves, waking me up as a knock sounds on the door. I open my eyes to see the duke climb out of bed.
“Will you be down for breakfast, your grace?” Johnson stands in the doorway.
“Bring a tray up for us,” Greyson orders the valet while moving to the dresser.
“Yes, sir.” Johnson leaves.
I admire my lover’s form. Tall and muscular, he isn’t a man who has let the late nights and rich drink of the Ton ruin his health. My prick tells me how much it agrees with my mind. Greyson turns and smiles at me.
He holds my robe out for me to slip on. “The rest of our discussion was postponed last night. I’m sorry.”
I cup his cheek, turning his gaze to mine. “Don’t apologize. Do you feel better now?”
He nods. “Yes, I do. I guess I still had some mourning left to do. I never realized how guilty I still felt about Maria. Thank you, love.”
Our lips meet in a benediction. Promises are made as we kiss. I put my hand on his chest to feel his heart beating. Another knock sounds and we move apart. Greyson puts on his own robe while I stand out of the way for the servants delivering the breakfast trays.
“Johnson.” Greyson stops the valet before the man could leave.
“Yes, your grace?”
“Make sure we’re not disturbed. Not by anyone for any reason.”
“Yes, sir.” Johnson bows and shuts the door behind him.
“We’ll be able to talk without interruption now.” He gestures towards the table.
We sit, quietly taking the edge off our hunger. My body aches from our loving earlier that morning, but I’m beginning to welcome those feelings. After a while, Greyson fills his cup with coffee and leans back in his chair.
“Shortly after I abandoned my wife in the country, I returned to Town. I fell into my old habits, but lucky for me, some powerful men were keeping an eye on me.”
I stay silent. It is his story to tell and I can’t rush him. He stands, making his way over to the window.
“One night I was approached by someone in the Home Office. They needed some information on a certain nobleman. Unfortunately none of their usual employees ran in his circles. It seemed we shared the same interests. The man asked me to befriend this lord and gather what information I could.”
Unease tries to settle in my stomach. Will Greyson tell me he turned in a man like us? I’m not sure how I feel about that.
“I was reluctant at first. I didn’t feel right about spying on a fellow member of our club.” He gives me a small smile and a wink. “The Prime Minister’s man assured me they knew all about his perversions. They didn’t care about them.”
He laughs. “Perversions such as ours are not talked about in polite society. Yet people tend to know about them and ignore what happens behind closed doors.”
“Why were they interested in this particular man if not for blackmail?”
“Rumors had surfaced about a slave trafficking ring. White slavery. White girls were disappearing and sold to foreigners as slaves. Usually for sexual uses.”
Something in Greyson’s voice makes me think this type of slavery is the thing of nightmares.
“And this man had something to do with it,” I ask, not wanting to dwell on the actual slavery.
“Yes but the Home Office wasn’t sure how he was involved. They wanted me to find out. So I did. At first I did it to get rid of my boredom. Then when I began to see what these slavers did to these girls, I became angry and determined to shut them down.”
Coming back to the table, he sits his cup down and takes my hand. I stand in response to his tug, allowing him to lead me to the couch opposite the bed. He sits and pulls me onto his lap.
“We shut that ring down and thus began my service to the Crown. I travel in circles most of their spies can’t obtain, so I hear things they don’t.”
I rest my head on his shoulder. “Are you always so busy?”
“Normally no, but events are starting that could change the world and England must be ready for them. Each day, more information comes to light and it worries me.” He sighs.
I wrap my arms around his waist and press close to him. “You have so many obligations, why would you chose to open your life to me?” I’m not looking for him to flatter me. I’m just trying to understand why.
He pushes me away so he can look down at my face. “It’s no hardship to love you, Angel. You’re the brightest spot in my life. Now that I’ve met you, held you and loved you, the rest of the world dims in comparison and I’m not concerned about it. You are the most important thing to me and I’d do anything to make you happy.”
Tears glisten in his eyes and my gaze blurs with my tears as well.
“I believe you,” I whisper against his lips. “Thank you.”
“For what?” He presses kisses across my cheeks and eyes.
“For loving me. For trusting me.”
“I have no other choice but to love you. For you’ve stolen my heart, Angel.”
The kisses we share are slow and gentle. Just as the passion is about to burn out of control, Johnson’s voice sounds from the other side of the door.
“Your grace.”
“I thought I said we didn’t want to be disturbed.” Greyson rests his forehead on mine.
“I’m sorry, sir, but the same gentleman who showed up here the other night is back. He says it’s important.” Johnson sounds apologetic.
“Damn.” Greyson smiles at me. “England calls, love. I’d prefer to stay up here with you all day, but the outside world says no.”
I chuckle and climb off his lap. “I don’t mind. I’ll go for a ride. Maybe visit Uncle. If you’re free when I return, we’ll find something to occupy us for the afternoon.”
The sudden flare of heat in Greyson’s eyes tells me he’s already thought of an activity. I find myself resenting the busy life my lover leads.
Away for the Weekend
Hey everyone, C and I are leaving this afternoon for a weekend get-away. I won’t be back until late on Monday. 🙂 We’re going to go visit some friends and play some golf. So while I’ll miss you all, it’ll be nice to get away from here for a while.
Final edits were done for Here Be Dragons and as soon as I get the okay, I’ll post the cover for it.
Only have one or two more scenes for Angel’s Seduction to write. Wednesday and Thursday, I wrote a combined total of 4,932 words. woo-hoo! taking my overall total up to 48,502. I’m close to hitting that magic goal of 50k which should be easy once I add those two scenes and one or two more sex scenes. My expanded version of AS is about 20k more than the blog version.
Over these past two days, I wrote the confrontation scenes between Angel and his father. I think they were intense, but we’ll see what y’all think of them. 🙂
Hope everyone has a great weekend.
