Simply Carnal Read Online Free Page B

rather than the ostentation of the aristocracy or the failings of an emperor.”
    “Ah, and you believe that fashion will soon be followed here in England?”
    “I believe so.”
    He nodded. “Then I will gladly remove myself from dealing with the buffet and leave it in your capable hands. Talk to Ambrose.”
    He turned away from the table and walked swiftly back toward the entrance hall that separated the two main areas of the first floor. She hurried to catch up, her slippers making no sound on the soft carpet.
    “Are you sure you wish to entrust me with this?”
    She sounded a little out of breath. Belatedly, Christian remembered that she was still far from well and felt an unaccustomed and disquieting twinge of guilt.
    “Indeed, it is not a task I relish and you seem quite capable of taking it over.”
    She stared at him, her head angled to one side. In the sunlight streaming through the hall window, he noticed her tightly braided hair was black rather than dark brown.
    “I have never met a man who makes decisions so quickly.”
    “Your husband was a ditherer?”
    “My husband was a dictator. He never asked for my opinion about anything. He just expected to be obeyed.”
    “And how did he enforce your obedience?”
    She bit her lip. “How do you think?”
    “He beat you?”
    She shrugged. “Usually his valet beat me. My husband was several years older than I was when we married.”
    “How much older?”
    She raised her eyebrows at his abrupt tone and probably at his curiosity. “About forty years.”
    “Christ.” Christian almost forgot to breathe as he stared into her calm gray eyes. “And exactly how old were you when you married?”
    She lowered her eyes and he found himself staring at her long eyelashes. In her perfection, she really was ridiculously like a doll. “Sixteen.”
    He touched her shoulder, and she went still under his hands. “Who permitted that to happen?”
    “I believe my father was in his debt. I was his last remaining asset.”
    There was no emotion in her words, only a lightness of tone that failed to deceive Christian. He of all people knew how to lie about his past, how to present it as an amusing farce rather than as a painful, sordid reality. She moved away and turned to look back at him over her shoulder.
    “Are we going to visit these more private rooms?”
    “Indeed we are.” He shook off his disconcerting thoughts, caught her up, and pointed to the small, framed card on the first door. “Each room has a sexual theme. The themes change on a regular basis depending on the popularity of the room. There are several scenarios that rarely change, but we do try to revisit those and make sure they are fresh and original.”
    “Such as?”
    “The Roman era.” He tapped the handwritten card on the second door. “Tonight, for example, there will be an all-male Roman banquet with an all-female serving staff and entertainment.”
    “If you insist that you do not employ whores, who plays the female slaves?”
    He smiled at her pointed question. “Female guests directed by our staff, who assign the roles and make sure that everything is moving along smoothly.”
    “And is that a role you would wish me to play?”
    “I haven’t decided yet.”
    He opened the door and ushered her inside. There was no banquet progressing at this point in the day, but there were some couples lying around and idly making love. Christian halted behind two men, one of whom was naked and on his knees pleasuring the other. A slender gold chain encircled his neck, the end held by the other man who pulled gently on it in time to the man’s sucking.
    In front of him, Mrs. Smith had gone still. He leaned down to whisper in her ear and inhaled the lavender-scented soap his mother bought for the whole household.
    “Have you ever seen two men fornicate, Mrs. Smith?”
    She turned her head until her lips brushed his cheek, and he found himself suddenly erect and aching. “Yes.”
    He directed her