Double Trouble

Chapter 2

Duke Rockgate eyed his daughter curiously as she described the previous evening over breakfast. “Lord Jared? That old lecher had the gall to offer his protection? That’s disgusting,” he snorted, looking a tad ill at the thought.

Sarah nodded and voiced her agreement, “Indeed. I warned him off and fled the ballroom of course. When I returned he had the decency to remove himself from my line of sight.” Her father snorted and muttered something about “bastard” and “pretentious old fart” before telling her to continue. Briefly, she hesitated and then spoke up, “I met two Dukes last night…oddly enough. God knows there aren’t many left.”

Her father perked up eagerly, “Who? Who are they?” A Duke would be a grand achievement for his daughter. To join two Dukedoms would be a stroke of genius. Both families were bound to benefit.

She swallowed a blush, “The Dukes of Derbyshire and Northgate.”

Her father choked on the toast he’d been chewing. He finally uttered a strangled cry, “What?! Who in the hell introduced you to them? Surely not your aunt?” Sarah’s aunt had been accompanying her to most balls for the past eight years and had never once introduced her to someone as inappropriate as those two…even if they were filthy rich and handsome.

Sarah shook her head, “No, I basically ran into Duke Drake and they introduced themselves.” She swallowed hard, “Father…I won’t say that I wasn’t attracted to them, because I was. I haven’t felt so free around another gentleman since…well ever. They were so polite and charming that it was impossible not to enjoy their company. I would gladly accept either of them I think.”

She halfway expected him to explode over that comment, but he didn’t. Instead he reached across the table and took her hand. “Look Sarah, those two gentlemen are notorious with the women of our circle. I don’t want you to find that out the hard way. They leave broken hearts wherever they go…” He hesitated and then murmured, “But if you can snag one of them and bring this estate an heir…you have my blessing.”

She knew that an heir was the main reason for her urgent need to marry or the Dukedom would die along with her father. Their family had always been small and there simply weren’t any close male relatives to take up the title when the time came. She smiled, “Then I suppose I need to get to work and capture one of them…though it’ll be hard to choose I think. They’re both so handsome and entertaining.” Her father simply shook his head and turned his attention back to his breakfast.

***
“Drake?” Quinn asked from his high-backed lather chair by the fire.

“Hm?” Drake responded distractedly from the work on his desk. He’d been working hard all morning, trying to get caught up on all of the work that had piled up during his absence in the country.

“That young woman, Sarah…what did you think of her?” Quinn asked curiously sinking low in his chair, trying to find a comfortable spot and wishing Drake would get new chairs. They looked fantastic in the room, but they were damned uncomfortable to sit in for more than about five minutes.

Drake glanced up and smiled before looking back at the ledger he was scribbling in, “She’s attractive…no doubt about that…and I would imagine as fiery as rumor paints her. Did you see how quickly she got angry when I teased her? Her sense of humor was quite amusing and rather quick I might add.” He paused in his scribbling and smiled softly. “So much passion right at the surface….”

Quinn grinned, “Lovely wasn’t it? I’ll bet she’s amazing between the sheets…do you know?” He certainly hadn’t heard of anyone conquering the fiery little gentlewoman.

Drake looked up thoughtfully, “No I don’t…I think she’s untouched.” He sighed, “Pity really. I suppose that makes her off limits to us, doesn’t it?”

Quinn sighed mournfully, but Drake could see the humor behind the gesture. “Indeed, she is far too pure for the likes of us.” He sat quietly for a moment and then laughed, “Though according to one of Lady Gabriella’s serving men, last night, she’s not all that pure.” Drake looked over at him in question and Quinn quirked a smile at his long time friend. “The young man was laughing so hard he could barely tell the story… our little Sarah surprised the hell out of him. He said Sarah was propositioned by Lord Jared.” He made a face and Drake snorted his disgust. “Instead of a polite ‘no’ she told him to ‘shove his disease ridden cock up his ass and to never speak to her again’.” Quinn laughed in glee and Drake couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle. Quinn sighed and smiled, “Where does a girl like that learn about such things?”

Drake shrugged, “Probably from the whispers in the retiring rooms. Who knows what gentlewomen discuss when they’re alone with their own kind? Despite her glorious dismissal of Lord Jared, I think she is still quite pure. I’d doubt she even really understood the significance of her statement. I can’t image that she knows anything about the acts men inflict on each other.” He sighed and rested his chin in one hand, “It makes me want to do things to her…things she’s never even dreamed of.”

Quinn grinned and leaned forward, “Then you’ll have a little competition Drake. She sets my blood on fire like a woman hasn’t done in years. Gods she’s lovely. She’s so lush and tall and dark…not at all like the pure little darlings match making mamas shove our way. I’ll bet under all of that propriety there’s a sexy, passionate temptress.”

He grinned over at Drake, pleased with the thought of having the young woman. Drake returned the grin with a dark, sexy smile that made Quinn shudder a little. The promise in that smile usually made all who received it weak in the knees. Drake could smoothly exude sexual prowess like an aura… even Quinn wasn’t immune to its affect. He was by no means inexperienced in the bedroom…but Drake had a natural, inborn talent. He flushed slightly and tugged at his pants, feeling the familiar stirrings of an erection, “Don’t give me that look you bastard. Last time you looked at me like that I nearly ended up in bed with you and the Earl of Littleton. It isn’t that he’s not a handsome man…I just don’t think Lady Littleton would have approved of our little threesome. I’d imagine that she would have been rather put out, actually.”

Drake laughed silkily, the smooth sound washing deliciously over Quinn, “You were quite intoxicated at the time. It would have been too easy to have you that night. As for Lady Littleton, she was shocked, but also pleasantly surprised. She watched the whole time…rather intriguing to put on a show like that actually.” He leaned forward and smiled, “And you…I have no doubt you will always resist me…until you decided that not fighting it is so much more rewarding. Besides you are my best friend. I’d never seduce you, into my bed at least, on a whim.”

Quinn rolled his eyes as he pressed at the unsettling bulge in his pants, willing it to go away. “You’re still giving me that look. What do you want?”

Drake rose, smoothly, and crossed the room, stopping in front of his childhood friend, eyes skimming over the throbbing length running uncomfortably down the younger man’s thigh. He calmly leaned down over Quinn, firmly bracing his hands on the arms of the chair, his warm, brandy scented breath, gently tickling Quinn’s soft lips, “I want to have her…and I want to have you. She wants both of us…you saw it…let’s make her ours…forever.”

Quinn lightly shuddered and slowly closed his eyes, Drake was hard to resist while occupying the same room, but with his breath tickling Quinn’s lips and warm heat surrounding him…. He shuddered again and slowly dragged in a steadying breath, “Of course we want her and she’ll likely return the sentiment, but do you plan to marry her and make her an honest woman or should I?”

Drake slyly grinned and slowly pulled away from Quinn. He abruptly turned and paced to the open window overlooking the back gardens. “I will marry her. My country estate borders hers and I desperately need an heir, where you have three younger brothers to do that for you. The question is will you be in on this too?”

Opening his eyes, Quinn shuddered and rubbed his throbbing erection, knowing in this state it would take only a few moments to reach release. Drake had had this physical effect on him for years, not that it had actually ever come to anything remotely serious. He knew Drake had shared the beds of both men and women and enjoyed them both…Quinn had yet to move up to that level of decadence. “How will this work? How will we not completely ruin her?”

Drake moved smoothly back to the stiff, leather chair where Quinn was slumped low, idly stroking, what was likely, a very uncomfortable erection. He leaned over the high-backed chair and with deft fingers easily flicked open the clasps of his friend’s breaches. Quinn started and then groaned as Drake gently coaxed the straining length from the taut confines of Quinn’s breeches. He gently ran a finger from the thick base, up the long rock hard shaft, to the plump red head and then began to stroke it with a sound confidence no man should have while touching another. “Simple, you reside here during the Season anyway and throughout the rest of the year, we can move between the three country estates. All of them are touching after all.”

Quinn ineffectualy tried to absorb the explanation while trying to come to terms with another man handling his cock so adeptly. “Fuck,” he murmured weakly. “Why are you doing this?”

Drake laughed softly and nibbled at Quinn’s flushed ear, “Because it feels good, doesn’t it?” Quinn could only mange to choke and groan as his release came and his warm, wet seed filled Drake’s hand. He fell back gasping, slightly embarrassed, despite his typically jaded tastes. “Better?” Drake murmured huskily, lust lacing each word. Quinn slowly nodded and blushed a little, pulling Drake’s hand away and shoving his wilting length back into his pants. “Bastard. How do you do that…no man has ever done that to me. I can’t believe you just did that.”

Drake pulled a crisp handkerchief out of his inner coat pocket and smiled lightly, “I know you better than anyone else. I know your moods, desires, and thoughts. I also have your trust and friendship. I suppose the lifestyle we lead makes this a rather natural transition.” Drake grinned lightly and winked, “Besides I’m good at it and you think I’m attractive. If this plan goes through correctly, you will share my bed as well. So get used to this Quinn.”

Quinn rolled his eyes. “Never did I think I would ever do these things with a man. My father is probably rolling over in his grave right now.” He sighed slowly, feeling the glorious lassitude of release sink in as Drake leaned back on his desk smiling lightly. “Though, I suppose I’ll end up with more than a quick hand job from you if you really want to go through with this plan. I assume that we’ll both be sharing a bed with Sarah at the same time? Do you think she’ll agree? It is a rather unorthodox proposal after all.”

Drake shrugged, feeling his own primal arousal flare lightly at the thought of both Quinn and Sarah in his bed. He already knew that he’d fallen in love with Quinn years ago, but he also knew he could likely come to love the fiery little Lady Sarah. She was exactly the kind of female he’d always wanted for wife. It wasn’t by accident that they’d bumped into her the night before. He’d been following her for weeks, deciding if she was the right one, finding out what she was like when she thought no one was really watching. “She’ll agree,” he said firmly. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind.