The Wicked Game (A Wicked Game Novel) Read online

  Right now he stood in front of the mirror gazing up and down at his reflection. He didn’t recognize himself. He didn’t know who the man was that was looking back at him. In his wildest dreams he had never thought that this would happen to him; that he would be here, dressed in the best clothes, an Earl.

  And where was Angela? Where was his wife? He expected that she must be getting ready for this social event. What he had not expected was for her to look as beautiful as she did now.

  Andrew had always looked at his wife as the most beautiful person in the world. To him she was. To many others he was sure that she was too. But he had never even imagined that she could look as ravishing as she did in this very moment. When Angela finally came around the corner and into his sight, the very breath was stripped from his body. In this moment he forgot all about the pain he had felt in the past few days. He forgot all about the heartaches he had faced. He forgot that his wife did not love him. Right now all that mattered was this warm feeling that was rising inside of his body. He lost all sense of everything as this fiery emotion swelled within him and pushed all other things out. At this moment, this emotion was all that was keeping him alive and sane.

  He could feel his cheeks begin to heat up and diverted his eyes, but a moment was all he could stand before he looked back again. Her gown clung to her body as if it had been made exactly for her. He could see every pleasurable curve and wonderful bit of roundness of her body. He was so proud that she was his wife. Right now he didn’t care if she loved him or not. When you got right down to it none of it mattered. She was his wife, HIS, and no other man could ever claim the same. No man could ever gaze at her as he did and have every right in the world to do so.

  And so dressed in the finest clothes they had ever seen, let alone been privileged to wear, the Wilson-Dillard family entered the expansive ballroom as nobility.

  Andrew gently took hold of Angela’s arm and slipped it through his own, before proudly leading her into the ballroom.

  ***

  The past few days had been so surreal but this moment right now, as she was about to enter the ballroom with her husband, was the most surreal moment she had ever faced in her life. Growing up Angela had always expected to live a life in the spotlight. She had been groomed and trained to understand the life of a noble woman. That was, after all, the life she had been born into. She was the daughter of a Baron, the only daughter of a Baron, destined to marry and become something more, but she had never expected her life to turn out like this.

  When she married Andrew she had gladly said good bye to any life of nobility and social status she might have had. He was a servant for God’s sake! How could she have ever expected something like this? But it didn’t matter what she expected or even wanted. Andrew was her husband, he would always be her husband, and their lives were forever entwined. So this was the reason why, right now, Angela was reentering society.

  It was making her sick to her stomach. She was nervous and scared. This life should have been second nature to her but she had never wanted it even when it was hers. She had long ago resigned herself to the fact that she would never be in this situation again, but she was in it right now. Ironically, her life now was exactly what she had been raised for. She was the wife of an Earl, a Countess, and even more prepared for the role than he was.

  Her stomach heaved and she barely kept down its contents. Was it the nervousness? No perhaps not. She smiled secretly to herself. While alone in her room she had taken a few swigs of Mary’s remedy, strong alcohol. It had gotten her in trouble before, she knew that well enough, but she couldn’t deny that it worked. She couldn’t deny that it calmed her mind and made the entire situation more manageable.

  Angela took a deep breath and looked into her husband’s eyes. Despite the time they had spent together she still could not penetrate them. What was really taking place behind those baby blues? She clenched her jaw. She could guess. With all that had happened to him the past three days she was surprised that he was still sane. No, now that she thought about it she was not surprised. Andrew was a strong man, the strongest she had ever met, and truth be told she felt butterflies when she thought of his power.

  So with her body light and tingly, she took one last deep breath and let her husband take her hand. Together they walked arm and arm into their new life.

  ***

  To any other man this moment of noble acknowledgement would have been the epitome of his life. But to Andrew this was not so. He had never imagined rising in social status as most men dream to do. He grew up as a bond servant and no matter what he might have dreamed; he knew that he would never be anything more than that. However, here he was, and all eyes were on him… and his wife.

  At the beginning of the ball he had been proud and excited that so many eyes were on her. Of course by now everyone knew who she was, and so whether she had been beautiful or not, and no one could deny that she was, every person in the room was focused on her. Men of nobility were clamoring to talk with her and dance with her, and initially Andrew was pleased to oblige.

  What a feeling of elation that filled his body at his wife’s popularity! Just to think that she was so popular, that so many men wanted her to be theirs, sent him into fits of pleasure. For she was his and his alone!

  But as the night went on his feelings changed dramatically. Angela actually seemed pleased to be spending so much time with these other men. She was laughing and giggling as if she was absolutely flattered with what was going on. She hadn’t graced him with her company in more than an hour.

  Knots began to tighten within his belly. When a server passed him by, he reached out for a glass of vibrant red wine and swallowed it in one gulp. He had the empty vessel back on the tray and a full glass in his hand before the server had even left his sight. Andrew took another drink of the wine and let the silky fluid flow down his throat. A warm feeling began to pool in his belly and the gratifying effects swiftly spread through his entire being. His senses numbed and his feelings intensified.

  Andrew stole another fleeting glance at Angela and rage flashed through him. She was actually enjoying herself with these men! She was pleased and happy! They were strangers to her and yet she was satisfied with their presence.

  If she could be so happy in the presence of persons she had never met before, why could she not be happy with him? Why could she not love him?

  With one determined sigh Andrew threw back his head and drank the last drops of his second glass of wine. He then wiped his lips, threw down the glass, and stormed off through the crowd towards Angela.

  ***

  Despite being out of the spotlight for so long, Angela easily slipped into the role of a noble woman. As any good wife of a prominent man would do Angela made herself accessible, but never available, to the other men of nobility. It didn’t hurt matters that so many men recognized her family connections. Within less than one hour the entire party was flocking to her, begging for just a few moments in her presence. This situation was strange to Angela. Though she had faced it before, she was now facing it because of her husband. This situation had absolutely nothing to do with her. No one wanted to marry her. No one saw something she was not. The only reason anyone talked to her was because they wanted to get to her husband.

  It made her feel absolutely free and perfect. She no longer had to worry what anyone thought of her because no one really actually cared. How strange it was to find liberation in such a situation! She laughed out loud, skillfully acting as if it had something to do with her current companion. She didn’t have to cover her tracks but it sure was fun to play this game. She had played it before with Mary, more times than she could count, but back then it had held a risk; one mistake and she would be bound to a stranger forever…

  But now there was no chance of this happening. She was a married woman now and free to have innocent fun without the setbacks. Any action that would have raised an eyebrow before would now be passed off as the actions of a good wife, trying to gain favo
r for her husband in the social world.

  And so with this new realization fresh in her mind, Angela excitedly took full advantage of this now harmless game. She was already relaxed because of Mary’s remedy but as the night went on she had a difficult time turning down the expensive and tasty wines that were offered up at every turn. Before Angela knew it she was well gone, giggling and flirting wickedly with every man who approached her. As time passed she noticed a few raised eyebrows coming from the older women in the room. She dismissed them. Who cared what they thought as long as her own husband knew the truth?

  Her husband. Andrew. Yes. She had been in such a mental whirl for the past few hours that she had lost track of him. Why had he not approached her? Was he angry? Or jealous? No. He couldn’t be. Though Andrew hadn’t grown up in this world he must have some idea of what was expected of his wife in a social setting. And besides, he must know what she really thought of him.

  And that was precisely the problem.

  He knew exactly what she really thought of him because she had explicitly told him just a few days before.

  “I don’t love you.” The words swam through her unstable mind and she rested her head in her hands.

  “Countess. Are you feeling well?”

  Angela looked up. She had all but forgotten everything she had been doing.

  “Yes good sir. I just need some air.”

  “Shall I escort you?” He held out his arm in invitation.

  She smiled wryly. She still had it. “I thank you for your offer but I would like a moment alone.”

  The man nodded his head towards her and quickly turned away. Angela took a deep breath and headed towards the door to the balcony. What had she done? Strangely her level of intoxication was actually making her think more clearly. In this moment she could only think of one thing at a time and she was thinking about it slowly. Andrew. What had she done to him? She didn’t want to hurt him. That had never been her intention. But when he had said those three words to her she had responded almost on instinct. Why hadn’t she just said that she loved him as well? She didn’t really love him but he didn’t have to know that. No, of course he did. It didn’t matter what she said, he was smart. One day he would have known. One day he would have felt her fear and her resistance to let him into her life. She squared her shoulders as she stepped into the warm night air. Yes, one day he would have figured it out. Better he knew the truth now than to find out later she had lied to him. A deception of that sort may never be repaired. At least now she had a chance.

  But the one thing she still couldn’t figure out was why she cared so much. She respected him for saving her; more ways than one, more than one time. But was that enough to make her care as much as she did? She supposed that her feelings could stem from the fact that she felt partly responsible for what had happened. If she had not gotten drunk in public, if she had not thrown herself at him, then they might not be in this situation… he might not be in this situation.

  What other explanation was there for her intense emotions of care than love? But no! She did not love him! She could not! She had waited too long for her own freedom. She had waited to long for control of her life. To love Andrew would put her life in his hands. She would turn over her destiny and freedom. As much as Andrew might think he loved her, he was still a man. Now he was nobility. Whether he specifically believed in it or not, he was expected by society to have control and power over his wife. She refused to love him and make herself vulnerable. Though she still might face some strain due to Andrew’s status she absolutely would not give him full access and control.

  So with this all in mind, she still didn’t understand exactly why she cared as much as she did.

  Angela took a few strong breathes to calm her body. Then she smoothed her elegant dress and turned to head back into the ballroom. But she didn’t make it very far.

  Andrew was right there, blocking her path.

  ***

  So there he was. Her head was now swimming more intensely with drink than it had even just one minute before. She was having trouble interpreting his exact emotions but she had a feeling that he hadn’t come to find her for a casual chat. He had his own glass of wine in his hand and she was certain from his actions that it wasn’t his first. Nonetheless she attempted to smooth over the mood, whatever it was.

  “Andrew, dear husband, this party is a great success.”

  He took one slow step into her and she realized that she would not be able to adjust the situation with words alone.

  “Yes, a great success… for a temptress!”

  This took Angela off guard. She had assumed that he was mad about something but she had no idea that he was angry with her.

  “Excuse me?” The words spat from her mouth, slightly slurred but as forceful as could be. “How dare you!”

  “Ha!” The sound shot from his mouth and Angela could smell the sweet wine on his breath. “How dare I? How dare you! You have made a spectacle of yourself in front of me. Showed yourself as a loose woman to all of society! And on the night of my acknowledgement!”

  Angela let out a noise of disgust. “Are you completely daft? I know you did not grow up a noble but the role of a wife should be common knowledge!”

  Andrew was clearly taken aback by this remark but he remained angered none the less. His voice was now an intense whisper. “And what the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  Angela stepped in closer and her lips were now almost touching his. She shivered slightly and thought she felt him shiver as well. “Well I never! When has a wife ever had to explain her role to her husband?” When he still did not show acknowledgement Angela continued. “I’m supposed to make you look good. Desirable. If I want you and other men want me, then there is something special about you!”

  Andrew closed his eyes and then opened then again swiftly with purpose. “Oh. You want me now do you? I would have never known that from what you said just a few days ago…”

  “I never said I didn’t want you!”

  “Of course you did!”

  Angela paused for she knew exactly what he meant. She clenched her jaw before continuing.

  “I never said I didn’t want you!”

  “I don’t believe you!”

  “Then I shall prove it!” She paused before continuing and then thrust her hands into his hair. “Are you threatening me?”

  “If you are not telling the truth, I shall go back into the ballroom and announce you as a harlot. I will shame you forever and as a noble man I have the ability to do so.”

  Angela knew that he was right. As an Earl he had the social standing to brand her in any way that he wanted. She knew deep down that he would never actually do that but just the knowledge that he had that power sent her head and heart into a whirlwind.

  “Have no fear. I will prove it to you.” She smiled coyly but when Andrew’s expression did not change she threw up her arms in frustration.

  “Oh you know exactly what I mean. Don’t play a fool!”

  And then Andrew smiled mischievously, at least as well as he could in his current state, and it became clear to Angela that he knew exactly what he was doing. “If you keep playing the fool I will out you still.”

  “But husband, I’m having so much fun.”

  And with that Andrew grabbed his wife’s arm without regard for how he looked doing it. He led her across the entire ballroom as the eyes of the masses glared at them. But what did they care? They were married and had every right.

  ***

  By the time they had reached the magnificent suite of the Earl of Dillard, Andrew and Angela were having a difficult time keeping their hands off of each other. Drunk with wine and a shared feeling of existentialism, the couple threw their arms around each other and fell into the expansive bed.

  In this moment neither was exactly sure what was going on. This was the first time they had so much as touched since that day in the alley and now here they were, entwined with each other in the marital bed of an Earl
.

  At this moment Andrew did not care what Angela had confessed to him. No one else in the world knew this and as far as he was concerned she was his alone in this world. No man had any right to claim her. Just thinking about how she had acted earlier at the party drew up feelings of intensity in him. He grasped her tighter and bit her lips with undying force. He felt her flinch but in a way that meant she was satisfied. This only served to make him want her more.

  Angela on the other hand was more drunk than her husband was. The extra drinks she had taken before the party had put her in much more of a vulnerable state. She forgot all about what she had told him and instead just responded to the actions and movements of her husband. Every touch left her feeling as if she was standing next to an intense fire. Her skin burned and tingled as if actually aflame itself. She felt her skin freeze and burn as waves of fire and ice moved simultaneously through her spine. Really it was just her want, and yes she admitted it, her need for her husband.

  She now joined him in the ferocity of passion and was kissing him, caressing him, as if there was no other feeling to have in this world. Angela could feel her skin flushing and when she looked at her lover she could tell that the same thing was happening to him. She moved both of her hands to his back and with all the force she could muster she drew her hands and nails into his skin. She felt him arch and then heard him moan in pleasure. Her own body began to quicken with the excitement of his reaction.

  And then Andrew could not wait any longer. More often than not he waited before he indulged in his own pleasure but this time he could not. This time the pleasure in his body could not be held at bay any longer. With one determined thrust he entered into her soft flesh and felt her tense in bliss. They were both the worse for wear with drink but somehow their physical senses were intensified. He then began to move his body rhythmically, in an ancient cadence known innately to all people.

  He felt Angela instinctively join in the rhythm. Both of them were now immersed in a pleasure unknown to those who had never experienced it. Andrew began to push harder and Angela followed his pattern. Her breathing had intensified by now and he could tell that she was close to her end. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her body and the movements in order to bring about his own conclusion as well.