The Alastair Affair 4: Sylvain Read online

  “Leila,” he lied, “nothing about you can ever be boring to me.”

  Chapter Four

  The stares and whispers were the worst.

  Sylvain tried to ignore them. But even with Leila at his side, he couldn’t put them out of mind.

  She chattered away frivolously about this and that, showing Sylvain the particular places that held special memories for her.

  He listened with half an ear. He could not shake or overcome the discomfort of being watched.

  Everywhere they went, the eyes of the townsfolk were on him. They made him feel uncomfortable, unwanted, and at the very center of their attention.

  Why? Because of who he was, of course. Because of what his father had done, because of the rumors spread about the Alastair family. Because he was showing himself, amongst them, and that was occasion enough for comment.

  It should not affect him so. Who were these people? They meant nothing. They were nothing. They were all below him!

  And yet… Sylvain was unfailingly human. So even if circumstances in his life had catapulted him above them on the social ladder, he could not hide from their judgements.

  He should feel like a king. All these people owed their livelihoods to him.

  In a way.

  Centuries ago, the Alastairs ruled over the town. The village today was comprised of all of those people’s descendants. Without his family, none would be prosperous today.

  Yet he felt not like a king, but like a criminal. Worse: like a pauper.

  As he and Leila walked, the paranoia of being boxed in grew heavier and heavier.

  Sylvain was not himself. He hated the constant stares. He hated the dropped gazes as soon as he returned the looks. He hated the goddamn gossip that he was sure went on behind his back.

  Suddenly he tugged Leila into an alley.

  “We need to go back,” he told her. “I can’t take it here anymore.”

  A look of understanding flashed in her eyes. “Yes,” she said. “Okay.”

  “Leila? I’m sorry. It’s… the people here.” Sylvain rubbed the back of his neck. A growl came from deep in his throat. “God dammit, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

  “I do,” Leila said abruptly.

  Sylvain blinked. “What?”

  “I know what’s wrong with you. And I don’t blame you for it. It’s obvious, what it is.”

  “What, then?” Sylvain asked. His tone became dangerous.

  “You are your own man. But coming back to the estate, you’ve fallen under your father’s shadow.”

  Irritation pricked at Sylvain’s scalp. “That’s not true.”

  “You know it is,” she challenged. “You just refuse to admit it. I’ve held my tongue this long, but I think I have some right to say what I think.

  Now amusement flowed through Sylvain. The girl’s spunk was finally back.

  Good. He liked that.

  “Tell me what you think, then.”

  “I think you’ve spent too much time in the castle.” She stepped up to him. Her face was screwed up in utter conviction. “You cannot get away from the associations it brings. You’re not a machine, Sylvain. You need time away.”

  She stepped even closer, so her warm body pressed against his. “You need…” she took his hand. “Time with me.”

  And she brought his index finger to her lips, put it in her mouth, and sucked it off.

  A shudder of ecstasy washed through Sylvain. His cock twitched to life.

  All the strangers around him were forgotten. All their stares and whispers ceased to exist.

  The only thing that mattered was the willing young woman in front of him.

  “It’s been too long,” she said, running one hand over his chest, “Since you’ve been with me. Since…” she stood up on her tip toes and whispered in his ear, “…since you’ve fucked me.”

  The blood rushed out of Sylvain’s brain and straight into his cock.

  “Ooh,” Leila said, brushing her hand over his crotch. “Someone’s excited.”

  He caught her wrist. He looked over her shoulder, out to the streets.

  “Not here,” he said.

  She ignored him and rubbed his cock. “I want you, Sylvain. I don’t care if these people see.”

  He didn’t either, in truth… but that was right now, in the heat of the moment. He did not want his earlier schizophrenia to affect him again.

  “Your uncle’s inn,” Sylvain rasped. “It’s a few block away.”

  Leila giggled. She took his hand and tugged him that way.

  “Let’s go,” she said.

  Chapter Five

  Sylvain pushed Leila against one tiny wall. His mouth latched onto hers.

  They kissed with a furious passion.

  His cock pressed into her delicious body. She squirmed in ecstasy under the kiss.

  Sylvain grabbed her hair and tugged down to expose her neck. She gasped, doubtless at the sharp bit of pain. But then Sylvain’s mouth went to her neck, showering her with scorching kisses, and she began to moan once more.

  His hands ran all over her body. She was so tight, so small, so exquisitely young and perfect.

  He grabbed her ass. He pulled her into him so that their hips ground against each other.

  He resumed their fiery kiss.

  She tugged at his shirt. He got the message. He broke away and quickly tore it off.

  Her gaze went to his body. Her tongue darted out, and she licked her lips in an obviously unconscious gesture.

  But it endeared her to him so much more.

  Before she could react, he picked her up and kissed her again. Her legs wrapped around his waist. As she moaned and squirmed and kissed him back, Sylvain lost himself in the simple pleasure of the moment.

  Then she reached past his trousers and grabbed his cock.

  “Naughty girl,” Sylvain rasped. Leila gave him a delicious smile and started to run her fist up and down his length.

  He groaned in pleasure.

  Her eyes darted to the other side of the room. “The bed,” she told him. “Get on.”

  Sylvain wasted no time complying.

  He lay back, and she straddled him. He grabbed for her breasts but she smacked his hands away.

  “Naughty boy,” she said, with a devious smile. “I want you to watch.”

  Sylvain let his hands drop and feasted his eyes on her body.

  Slowly, she pulled her shirt off. Sylvain was struck by how fit she looked.

  “You’re gorgeous,” he breathed.

  She made a small, delighted noise.

  “Don’t get too used to it,” she said. Her hands went to her tummy. “Soon I’ll be fat and hideous.”

  “Oh, I sincerely doubt that,” Sylvain said. He grabbed her once more and tugged her down, then kissed her even through her initial protest.

  He loved the warm feeling of her body against his. The heat of it, the sense of connection, the sense of comfort…

  They were all things that had been denied him for too long.

  So he didn’t just want to fuck. He wanted to satiate in her amazing body. He was man, she was woman.

  They were made for each other.

  He rolled them over so that he was on top. Their lips locked together in another exhilarating kiss. Sylvain’s hand went behind her back. He unclasped her bra, then lifted away for just long enough to pull it off.

  Then he latched his mouth onto her breast. Leila made the most amazing sound of pleasure.

  “They’re so, so tender,” she breathed.

  “Perfect for me,” Sylvain countered, and moved his attention to the other one.

  Her hands dug into his hair. He could feel her entire body trembling. In a moment of unexpected introspection, Sylvain realized he had never taken his time with her before. He’d never paid tribute to her body and made her come for him before.

  Their previous fucks were just that. Fucks. Quick and easy. Basically effortless. He got his and she got hers… but neither of
them with any enormous degree of pleasure.

  Now, Sylvain was determined to change that.

  So he started trailing his mouth south over her body. He kissed her midline and nuzzled his face against her belly. He hugged her hips to him, then reared up and unclasped the button on her jeans.

  Leila wiggled her hips for him to take them off.

  And then she lay there, cheeks flushed, chest heaving, hair a mess around her gorgeous face, in nothing but her cream white panties.

  Sylvain was struck for a moment by the sheer beauty of this woman. How had he not seen it earlier? How is it that he had not realized what a jewel Leila truly was?

  She pressed her knees together, and Sylvain’s gaze went immediately to her pussy.

  She was already wet. He could see the moisture through the fabric of her panties.

  With a savage growl he ripped them down and attached his mouth to her clit. Such a tremendous moan of pleasure came from her that Sylvain could scarcely believe it. His tongue began working her folds, while his fingers pressed deeper into her.

  Dear God she was tight. So, so tight, and so, so receptive to him.

  She moaned and gasped and squirmed as Sylvain lost himself in giving Leila her pleasure. Her pussy was delicious. He spread it wide with his fingers and licked his way up. His effort was rewarded with a soul-shattering moan. He licked down. Another moan. He lifted his head and pulled back so he could see his fingers working on her—so he could see Leila.

  One of her arms was thrown over her eyes. The sounds she was making as his fingers worked were pure bliss.

  Her breathing quickened. Her gasps became threaded moans. She arched her back, and begged, “Yes, yes, Sylvain, please!”

  He dipped his head down again to her core.

  And then, suddenly, with very little warning, she was orgasming. Sylvain’s fingers were deep inside her; he felt the shudders originate from the spot, felt her walls clench around him as he gave her the highest pleasure.

  “Don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop!” she begged, and Sylvain latched his tongue against her clit and worked his hand with enormous speed, huge determination. He had to grant her every last possible bit of pleasure.

  When it was done… and it took quite a while for it to be done, the orgasm was so powerful… Sylvain let her catch her breath. He waited, watching her there, watching as her body fell languid and slowly fluttered back to life.

  He watched as she opened her eyes, the breaths coming slower now, and looked down at him, her beautiful pupils ridiculously dilated.

  You’re so precious, he wanted to say.

  But those words would give too much truth to his growing feelings.

  He was not ready to admit, or even acknowledge, such feelings yet.

  So, instead he asked her: “Good?”

  She smiled drunkenly at him. “Oh yes, Sylvain,” she purred. “So, so good.”

  She sidled up. She hooked one finger in the air and beckoned him closer.

  “And now, it’s time for me to return the favor.”

  **

  Sylvain and Leila spent the whole day having sex. They fucked on the bed. They fucked in the bathtub. They fucked on the floor, on the couch, in the armchair.

  By the time night fell, Sylvain could not think of a single horizontal surface in the small room that they hadn’t fucked on.

  But when Leila insisted on sleeping there, Sylvain had to shut her down.

  “I need to get back to my sister,” he said. “I can’t leave her alone for so long in the company of my father. Who knows what he would do?”

  Leila’s eyes flared. “After all that, you still think of her?” She gestured about the room in anger. “What about me, Sylvain? What about what I want.”

  “I’ve given you what you want all day.” He hadn’t meant the retort to come so harshly, but it did. “Don’t act a petulant child. You knew this was just a diversion.”

  As soon as the words left his lips, he regretted them.

  Sure enough, Leila took issue.

  “A diversion,” she demanded. “Is that what I am to you? A fucking diversion?”

  Sylvain fought down the urge to yell back. “I misspoke,” he said stiffly. His words were strained. “That is not what I meant.”

  “Oh, then enlighten me, Mr. Alastair, what exactly it is you meant!”

  Oh God, Sylvain thought. Was this the age difference, manifesting itself for the first time? He could not believe her behavior.

  That dark ball of rage began to spin faster and faster, a fiery vortex, threatening to throttle out of the tight cage Sylvain kept it in.

  “Well?” Leila demanded. “Answer me!”

  Sylvain regarded her in the most dismissive way possible. He suddenly felt repulsed.

  “This behavior is not doing you any favors,” he told her.

  She gasped in disbelief.

  “A grown woman should not resort to hysterics to get her point across,” Sylvain continued. “That is what you are, isn’t it? An adult? Not merely a child?”

  Leila’s mouth worked wordlessly. Sylvain wasn’t done.

  “If you expect or want to ever be my woman, you will learn to control your emotions,” he said coldly. “We are bound by the child growing inside you, Leila. For now, that is all.”

  She gasped. She looked about the room, then turned on him, furious.

  “What about everything you and I just fucking did?”

  “Undone,” Sylvain said harshly. He snapped his fingers. He knew it was a juvenile gesture, but it matched her behavior one-to-one. “Just like that. By this…” he sneered at her. “Showing.”

  She glared at him. “Yeah, well fuck you too!” she screamed.

  Sylvain managed to smirk. “I believe you just did.”

  “I—argh!” Leila grabbed her clothes off the floor and stormed into the bathroom. She slammed the door.

  Sylvain looked around the room.

  Better, he thought. Better when I’m alone.

  His rage was finally quenched.

  Chapter Six

  They made the trip back to the castle in utter silence.

  A few times Sylvain was sure Leila was about to speak, but after one look at him, wisely shut her mouth.

  It was full night out when they made it to the gates. Leila got out of the car without a word, and, arms crossed, disappeared into the castle depths.

  Well. There were many places she could go. Sylvain would not chase after her.

  Nor did he want to.

  At that moment, he would give almost anything to have Alicia back. Not even as a lover. Just as a friend. A confidante. Somebody he could rely on and speak his soul to.

  He grunted. Alicia was gone. There was no use wishing for things that did not exist.

  He went inside to check on his sister.

  The door to her chamber was closed. Sylvain waited a few moments on the threshold, debating. If Bianca was asleep…

  Well, he would know it by her screams.

  He waited and waited, and when he heard only silence, he decided to knock.

  “Bianca?” he asked. “It’s…”

  The door creaked forward on its hinges.

  Sylvain froze. Bianca never left it unlocked. Not if she were inside.

  And at this time of night, there was no other place for her to be.

  “Bianca?” he called again. The room was fully dark. Was she asleep, had she simply forgotten the lock?

  Sylvain could not believe it. It’d never happened before.

  He stepped inside. He dug through his pockets for his cell phone and used it as a light.

  He shone the screen about the room and searched for his sister’s shape.

  The bed was empty. All of Bianca’s things were in perfect order.

  Sylvain walked to the light switch. He flicked it up.

  Nothing happened.

  He cursed and tried again.

  Still nothing.

  Concern began to fill him. “Bianca?” he sai
d. “Are you in here?”

  There was no reply. He conducted a quick survey of the room, using the paltry light in his hand.

  She was nowhere to be seen.

  “What the hell?” he muttered. He hated uncertainty, he hated feeling out of control. For as long as he’d been back, out of jail, Bianca had spent every night in this room.

  Now she wasn’t here. Something was clearly wrong.

  It could just be coincidence. Maybe she’d gotten lost in some task, some activity in some other part of the castle…

  But in his heart, Sylvain knew that was not the case. In his brain, too. When an expected pattern of behavior broke… something was at its root.

  He turned around and hurried down the steps of the tower. He shoved his cell phone back in his pocket. “Bianca?” he called. “Bianca, where are you?”

  When he didn’t find her in the usual spots, he really began to worry. The castle was enormous. She could be literally anywhere…

  He started to race through the halls, calling her name. “Bianca? Bianca, where are you?”

  The echo of his voice was the only reply.

  He ran to the opposite tower and burst through the doors of his father’s room. The old man was snoring in his bed, out cold. A cold flickering candle cast light over everything.

  Bianca was not there, either.

  Sylvain cursed as he backed out. He looked at his watch. It was nearly 1 AM. Bianca… dammit, Bianca should be in her fucking room this time of night!

  He never realized he should have been thankful for the boundaries his sister had imposed upon herself, until now. They kept her location within strict confines.

  But now, clearly, she’d broken through. Why? How?

  Sylvain ran to the ground floor. His heart was racing. He could just feel that something was wrong.

  Footsteps. He heard footsteps from down the hall!

  He turned toward the sound. He saw Leila. She looked absolutely distraught.

  “Sylvain!” she gasped. She ran to him. She was shaking. “Something horrible has happened. I—I called the paramedics. They’re coming now.”

  Sylvain’s heart clenched. “Bianca?” he asked.

  Leila nodded. “Yes.”

  And in the span of a single second, Sylvain’s world came crashing down.