Betrothal Betrayal

This stranger turned savior was proving he knew me surprisingly well. He was right, I couldn't live with myself knowing I had made my parent miserable. I would think of something.

Liam left and I heard rattling and clanging from the kitchen. He returned with a plate of ragged eggs and lightly burned toast, but I was grateful for his effort. I told him my idea for explaining my absence to my parents.

"I will tell them that I felt the need to speak to Gerald last night and went to his house. There I found him with another woman, and I broke the engagement. Walking home in tears my friend Sadie happened by on her way home from a ball, and she took me home with her. My parents knew she was going to miss the wedding because she had to travel with her parents to a wedding of a nephew, so I will tell them I have left to travel with them to keep my mind from my own pain."

Liam considered this, then said, "It is not perfect, but it satisfies the basic requisites for your plan to work. At some point you will have to tell them you are not returning, but this will give you a few weeks to work on the next step. Write the note and I will take it to the market to find a boy who can deliver it to your parent's home."

"Thank you, Liam," I said quietly, then as my eyes teared up, "Thank you for trying to warn me, for saving me, and for helping me now. You didn't have to do any of it, yet you have, and I will never be able to repay you." I leaned over and wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders, kissing him softly on the cheek.

Liam looked surprised, and maybe a little confused, but as we sat there, my hands still on his shoulders, I again got that feeling he was going to lean in and kiss me. He even started to move toward me, but suddenly he stood and strode to the sideboard where he picked up a pen and ink stand and a piece of paper, placing them in front of me on the table.

He picked up my plate and cup and headed from the room without a word. I wasn't sure if I had embarrassed him, or if he was just realizing what he had saddled himself with, but either way, he didn't seem to want to talk to me about it, so I wrote my note, assuring my parents I was safe and well, and signed it, leaving it on the table and going back up to my room.

I heard the front door close when Liam left, and I heard him return about an hour later, but he didn't come looking for me until noon.

The knock sounded softly at my door.

"Come in."

Liam entered carrying a tray. He set it on the table in front of me then waited until I motioned for him to take the other chair before sitting down himself.

"I brought some cold meats and cheese for a lunch. I really have no ability to care for myself, nor anyone else, but I refuse to let you starve," he said as he reached for a slice of bread and some meat on the tray.

"You've been most kind and generous, Liam. I am a respectable cook, if you would like me to, I would be happy to prepare dinner, and any other meals as well, for as long as I am your guest."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "That would be wonderful," he said, "I bought some vegetables and a chicken, but haven't a clue what to do with them to make them edible. Perhaps you could teach me a few things, so I'm not so useless," he said with a grin.

"I would be glad to," I answered. This man just kept surprising me.

I winced when I leaned forward to reach the tray, and Liam jumped to help me. "It's all right. I'm just a little sore," I explained.

The stormy look returned to Liam's face, and I remembered how frightening he could be. "It's not all right! What he did to you was cruel and unforgivable. I have a mind to rip his warped little head from his shoulders for what he's done."

The change had come over him so suddenly I was unprepared for it. I reached a tentative hand out and laid it on his arm. He jerked up to look at me and his eyes softened.

"Don't do anything that might get you into trouble. Gerald will get what is coming to him," I implored. I was actually quite surprised at my own calm assurance, and smiled at Liam.

"I wish I could be as sure of that as you are. He has been like this as long as I have known him, and so far he has received no censure of any kind. Things just keep going his way. At least until I punched him and stole you away," he smiled at me with more warmth than I had ever seen in his eyes.

Was that how he saw it? Had he stolen me away? I had thought of it only as a rescue, something he did on the spur of the moment to prevent further harm. Stealing me away seemed to indicate forethought and intention.

Suddenly something else Liam had said gained my attention. "He was like this when you became friends? Does that mean you were like that as well?" The thought sent a cold chill up my spine.

Liam looked concerned, and seemed to be trying to find the right words. "I was not like he is. I will admit I liked women and drink a bit more than I should have, but I never indulged in Fitz' strange eccentricities. I never thought much of his sadism in college, where it was mild and easily appeased in the seedier parts of the city. But when I came here for the wedding and realized he had not given up those propensities, I was disgusted. When I figured out you didn't even know about them, I tried to warn you. Unfortunately I think my warning was the cause of this unfortunate situation."

He looked sad, even forlorn.

"I don't know how you go about telling a woman that her fiancé is a filthy dog. It is not your fault that I didn't believe you, and certainly not your responsibility that I went to him in the middle of the night, leading to the current state of affairs. You have been most admirable in your behavior, and I will never be able to thank you enough," I concluded, squeezing his arm and smiling at him warmly.

He continued to stare into my eyes, as if he was searching for something. His lips twitched up into a shy smile and he placed his hand over mine where it lay on his arm. He gave it a gentle squeeze before letting go and leaning back in his chair, relaxed once again.

We talked about ourselves for a while. I found out that Liam's family was more like mine, his grandfather being the businessman that changed the fortunes of his family. His father took over the business about ten years ago, and someday Liam would run it as well. He also had three sisters and a younger brother. Their home was over a hundred miles away, which is why he hadn't seen Gerald since they left college.

We talked and laughed for hours, then I showed him how to cook fried chicken and mashed potatoes. He made a terrible mess of the kitchen and himself, but it was more fun than I think I ever had with Gerald.

I was removing the vegetables from the hearth when I lost my balance and nearly pitched forward directly into the fire. Luckily Liam caught me around the waist and pulled me back, landing us both in a heap on the floor. I was sitting in his lap apologizing for knocking the wind out of him when he stopped laughing and just stared at me.

"What? Have I singed all the hair off the front of my head?" I asked, touching my hair and eyebrows just to be sure.

"No, your hair is perfect. In fact, everything about you is perfect," he said softly, looping an escaped strand of hair behind my ear. He cupped my face and leaned in tentatively, waiting for me to stop him I think, but eventually his lips grazed mine and I felt a jolt through my entire body that I couldn't explain.

When I didn't pull away, he pressed a little more firmly, taking my bottom lip between both of his and moving his head just slightly. When his tongue touched my lip, lightly tracing it, I opened my mouth willingly and tentatively touched my tongue to his. The jolt was even stronger this time, and a small moan escaped my throat.

Liam pulled back, still cupping my head in his hand. He looked all over my face before focusing on my eyes, "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

I felt the flush travel across my cheeks, and he smiled as I blushed. "Beautiful!" he whispered, leaning in and capturing my lips again. His hand slid behind my head as his other hand came to rest at my waist. We were still seated on the floor, me in his lap, and my hands wrapped around him of their own accord.

His kisses sent my heart soaring. I was breathless when he released my mouth and placed one soft kiss on my jaw. He held me a few moments as we both caught our breath before releasing me and clearing his throat.

"Perhaps we should consider retiring to the dining room before our dinner gets cold, rather than sitting here on the stone floor." He smiled sweetly and I accepted his hand to help me rise. He followed me up and grabbed the vegetables before I had another chance to fall into the fire.

We took our plates to the dining room and he lit the candles on the table before pulling out my chair and then sitting down himself. He smiled at me again, his face split in an almost childish grin, but he couldn't seem to stop. I continued to blush and that only seemed to make him grin more.

We talked a bit about our childhoods, and dinner passed quietly. When we were finished I stood to take our plates to the kitchen but Liam stopped me. "They will still be there tomorrow. Join me in the study, will you?"

I took his hand and followed him down the hall to the study where he seated me on the sofa in front of the cold fireplace while he lit several candles and poured us both some wine.

He sat beside me after handing me my glass, taking my free hand in his and drawing it to his lips. He kissed it then held it just below his mouth.

"I hope you don't feel pressured, Cam. I do not expect repayment for anything I have done for you. If you are at all uncomfortable with any of my actions, please tell me. You have been through so much. The last thing I want to do is make you feel uncomfortable, or in any way taken advantage of."

In answer, I pulled his hand to my mouth and kissed first his fingers, then turned his hand over and kissed the center of his palm. When I looked up at his face, he was holding his bottom lip with his teeth, an almost pained expression on his face.

"I'm sorry," I began, but before I could say more, he had pulled my glass from my hand and lifted me into his lap.

He held me facing sideways, and nuzzled into my neck. He breathed deeply and ran the tip of his nose from my shoulder to my ear, stopping there and not moving.

"I think I love you, Cam," he murmured. "I think I loved you the moment I met you. It was killing me to see Fitz with you, knowing what I did about him, and feeling what I did for you. I will never be able to express my regret for what he did to you, but if you'll let me, I'll take care of you for the rest of your life, the way you should be taken care of."

I didn't know what to say. Yesterday I was engaged to another man, and last night that man raped me. I definitely felt something for Liam, but I was too confused to know what that was. Luckily Liam seemed to sense the turmoil in me and rescued me yet again.

"You don't have to answer me now. The offer stands, and you can give me an answer any time. I won't push you or ask anything from you you don't give willingly. I just wanted you to know how I felt. I couldn't be here with you and not tell you."

Liam hadn't moved. He held me lightly on his lap, his face turned into my neck, only the tip of his nose touching me. Part of me wanted to turn and kiss him like I had in the kitchen, but part of me was scared and all too aware of the soreness I still carried between my legs. I felt a sob boiling up from my chest, and rather than cry on his shoulder yet again, I bolted from the study and to my room.

I lay on the bed I had been given and cried for all that I had lost, all that Gerald had taken from me. I wiped my eyes with a handkerchief that smelled of Liam. I held the cloth to my nose and breathed the reassuring scent of him as I counted the blessings he had brought to my life in such a short time. I was safe and fed, clothed and now loved. Could I really be sad when he offered himself to me so completely? He knew I was no longer a virgin, yet he didn't seem to care. That alone set him apart from the vast majority of men.

************

I must have fallen asleep, because I heard the click of my door closing and opened my eyes to daylight streaming in the window. My pitcher again held warm water and I washed the dried tears from my face and vowed I would never cry over what Gerald had done to me again. I refused to give him any more power over my life.

I changed into a peacock blue dress, it being the brightest color amongst the gowns from which I had to choose. What I would really like was a bath, but that is a production that requires several servants and the hauling of many gallons of water. Not likely something I would be able to make happen here.

Imagine my surprise when I entered the kitchen to find a large tub in front of the fire and a naked man lounging happily in the steaming water.

I let out a little shriek as I turned my back and covered my eyes. Liam just laughed.

"You could have locked the door or something," I admonished, trying to feel my way to the door without opening my eyes.

"I didn't think you would be up this early. Yesterday you slept till almost nine. It's barely seven thirty," he answered, still chuckling at me. "I thought I would be finished and have fresh water heated for you before you got up. Since you're here now, you could join me."

I could tell he was teasing, but I stopped dead at the suggestion. He must have thought I was offended because he quickly said, "Of course I'm just teasing. If you wouldn't mind waiting, I'll only be a few minutes, then we can make breakfast while we heat water for you."

I knew I should just walk out, wait until he was finished and so on, but something had changed in me last night. Gerald had tried to force me to be what he wanted, while Liam only wanted whatever I wanted. On a whim I opened my eyes and turned back toward Liam and the big tub.

His eyes opened wide as I took a step toward him. I hesitated and he smiled. I took another step and his smile became a grin and he reached a hand out to me. I closed the last few feet and took his proffered hand.

I stood over the tub trying not to look into the water while I simultaneously tried not to look like I was trying not to look. I noticed the soap and a brush and picked them up. I moved to the end of the tub at Liam's back and wet the brush, rubbing the soap across it before rubbing it across his back.

I know how much I like to have my back washed by my maids, so I began to rub his back in circles with the soft brush. He moaned and leaned forward, offering me his whole back to scrub. I smiled.

When I had given his entire back a thorough scrubbing, I put down the brush and used my hands to tentatively swipe over his slippery skin. He stiffened, then relaxed, and I continued to rub his muscles in little circles with my thumbs.

Quite suddenly, Liam turned and grabbed both of my arms. He caught my eyes and held me there suspended over the water. "I think you need to decide if you are getting in, or if you are leaving."

He abruptly let go of my hands, but held my eyes. I wasn't sure if I was going to take his challenge or not.

He rested back against the tub and closed his eyes. I hesitated only a moment before heading toward the door, but before I got there, I found myself beginning to unbutton my bodice. I stopped and quickly shed my gown, but decided to leave the chemise on. Trying not to make a sound I returned to the tub.

Liam opened one eye as I dipped a foot into the water. He smirked a little at me in my chemise, but didn't say a thing, only scooting over to give me a place to step. He took my hand to steady me as I lifted my second leg over the side, and used it to pull me gently down into the warm water and onto his lap.

He still didn't say a word as he picked up the brush and soap and lifted my chemise to soap my back as I had done his. When he put the brush down, I wasn't sure what to expect, but he lowered the chemise and proceeded to use the soap and a soft cloth to wash all of me that was not covered in wet fabric. He even had me tilt my head back to wash my hair for me, using a small pitcher of water beside the tub for a final rinse.

He was as gentle and careful as any maid had ever been, and while I sat there against his naked body, he never made a move to touch me anywhere the fabric covered, after finishing my back, that is. When he had rinsed my hair and there was nothing left for him to wash, he asked, "Would you like for me to leave so you can finish your bath?"

"Are YOU finished" I asked.

"I'm clean enough. You didn't answer my question, though."

I had been considering this the entire time he washed me. In answer, I lifted the chemise, not an easy task when it was wet and sticking to me, but with a little help I was able to remove it and drop it on the floor outside the tub.

Liam looked quickly at my breasts, but then returned his gaze to my face. I blushed scarlet nonetheless. He again picked up the soap and with the softest strokes I had ever felt, he washed my chest, abdomen and upper thighs. When his finger brushed my tight curls, I gasped and he pulled away, handing me the soap and cloth without a word. I looked at the items and handed them back to him.

Hesitating a moment as he assessed my eyes before he dropped the hand holding the cloth to my lap. With a nudge he moved my thighs apart and stroked the cloth down my mound and over my lower lips. He came forward and made a second pass, this time parting my lips and stroking my sex. My sudden intake of breath had him motionless as he tried to ascertain if he had hurt me. When I smiled and let my head fall back against his shoulder, he lifted me slightly on one of his thighs and stroked down my sex a second time.

He hung the cloth over the side of the tub and turned my shoulders so I faced him. He drew me forward and kissed me slowly and deeply. My body tingled and I found my arms wrapping around him and tightening, pulling our chests together. When my breasts pressed into his chest, he let out a low groan and his hands roamed my back restlessly.

Minutes passed and the kisses only became better. I felt his erection hard against my thigh, but it didn't scare me like Gerald's had. I swore at that moment to never make another comparison to Gerald as long as I lived.

Liam's kisses drew me in and invited me to play. They sought to find places that would make me moan, or give me goosebumps. He was never demanding, always offering.

Liam pulled away and cleared his throat. "I think the water has gotten rather cold. Maybe we should consider making breakfast soon." He smiled sheepishly as his stomach growled to add weight to the idea.

I realized I had no chemise now. Luckily Liam had planned to offer me a bath after his, so he had several towels already warming beside the fire. I stood, very aware of my nakedness displayed so close to Liam's face. After the intimacy of the bath, one would think I wouldn't care, but I still felt insecure with my curves when the style of the day encouraged stick-thinness. Liam tried not to stare, and got to his knees as soon as he could and reached for a towel for each of us.

I couldn't help but steal a glance at his body as he rose from the water. He was quite impressive, all taut muscle and bronzed skin. His cock still stood proudly in front of him, though he was quick to wrap his waist in a towel. I couldn't help but smile at his shyness after all.

It was strange to have been naked with a man, yet have him not try to take advantage. I caught myself before I finished thinking how another man I knew would never be so valiant. I wrapped myself in a towel and grabbed my dress as I rushed out of the kitchen and back up to my room.