Jewel's Gems (The Red Petticoat Saloon) Read online

  Sinking to all fours, she lifted her head and opened her mouth to accept the slick cock he presented to her lips. Just as they started every tryst with a spanking, they ended with her accepting his seed down her throat. The first time he’d pushed her to her knees and she’d understood what he intended, she’d been shocked and a bit revolted at the sheen of her cream coating his cock. Her protest that it had to be vulgar and most certainly taboo had earned her nothing but his chuckle and his statement that she didn’t protest when he buried his mouth between her legs. Her stomach had flipped when he smacked his lips, promising her cream tasted like the sweetest nectar on earth. Though she doubted his promise, she couldn’t doubt his statement. His lips, teeth and tongue were enough to drive her almost insane as he’d coax explosion after explosion from her and then fuck her until she came a final time. How could she deny him the same pleasure?

  As he taught her how to pleasure him orally, he’d said that his use of her mouth and throat were for her benefit as well. He’d gone on to explain that he had no wish to get her with child. Understanding that he was stating their children would not have their legitimacy questioned, she’d accepted the necessity as well as the seed he’d pour down her throat. Hearing his roar of ecstasy always made her feel proud that she’d been able to bring him to such pleasure.

  “Yes, oh God, you are incredible. I wish I could keep you before me on your knees forever.” The words were spoken in a hoarse whisper as fingers tightened in her hair.

  Juliette fought to catch a breath around the cock in her mouth. Her tongue swiped along the hard shaft, her throat being forced to accommodate the mushroom shaped head as he pushed further. She dismissed the discomfort; this was for his pleasure and he’d taught her that she could take all of what he gave her. A second hand joined his other, this one pressing against the back of her head to guide her down his impressive length as she continued to suckle him. She’d never imagined herself on all fours, her breasts swaying beneath her, her red bottom pushed well out, her cream dripping down her thighs from her explosion and yet she wanted to assure him she’d drop to her knees any time he desired.

  “That’s it, open your throat and take me deeper. Show me how much you worship me, you naughty little tart. All the way. Swallow my cock and every drop I give you.” His instructions, so lewdly stated, had her cheeks heating with shame and her loins twitching with lust.

  Feeling his cock stiffening even more, she knew he must be close to his culmination. Gasping for air as he allowed her to ease away, she relinquished all control. “Yes, God, yes!” he moaned as she took him as deeply as she could. He pressed her forward, his hands, now both fisted in her hair, keeping her in place as he drove into her mouth, his testicles slapping against her chin.

  “What the fuck! Belinda!” he growled, abruptly pulling from Juliette’s mouth, his seed spurting not down her throat but splashing against her lips and cheeks, splattering her exposed breasts.

  Belinda? Why is he calling that woman’s name? Confusion flooded her as he shouted, “What the hell are you doing here?”

  Juliette’s head whipped around to see Belinda walking towards them, a look of disgust on her face. “Perhaps you didn’t understand, Malcolm. You were to tell your little whore that you won’t be using her services any longer, not giving her a last… wait, perhaps this is best. Yes, I suppose I can be a bit magnanimous. What better way to end your affair than to give the poor girl a last taste?”

  “Malcolm… what…” Juliette stuttered, kneeling up. Dropping her eyes, she saw her breasts on prominent display, her nipples dark and swollen; slick from Malcolm’s avid suckling and her own drool from his use of her mouth. It was with even greater shame that she realized the droplets that dotted her skin were evidence of his release. “Oh, God,” she whimpered. Turning away, she shoved herself back into her dress, swiping her fingers across her cheeks to remove both the tears that were sliding down them as well as the seed that covered her cheeks and chin.

  “Forgive me,” he whispered so low she was unsure she’d heard them.

  “I-I don’t understand.”

  “I can explain…”

  Belinda shook her head and waved her hand. “Before you do, I suggest you put that repulsive thing away before…”

  Sounds of voices had Malcolm hurriedly tucking his flaccid cock into his pants, just managing to button his fall and step back before another voice boomed.

  “I know I saw her come this way. You know how young lovers are, always slipping away. Ah, here they…” A second of stunned silence preceded his next words. “What in God’s name is going on here?”

  Chapter Two

  “If what I’m seeing isn’t a horrid hallucination, it appears that God has nothing to do with it!” Lady Watson shrieked. “Randolph, do something!”

  Randolph Watson’s face was florid as he bellowed, “For God’s sake, have you no shame! Cover yourself, girl!”

  Juliette’s mind had been spinning since Malcolm had pulled from her. The order confused her as she’d already hidden her breasts and then her face flooded with shame when she remembered her skirts. Her legs wanted to buckle at the sight of her own father, Horace, standing among the others, his eyes dark, his hands fisted at his sides as she forced herself to her feet, giving a strangled sob as she yanked at her clothing, knowing that even as the heavy fabric slid to cover her backside, they had all taken in her nakedness.

  “How dare you subject my poor innocent daughter to this… this debauchery!” Lady Watson accused, her eyes flashing in anger.

  “Lady Watson, please calm yourself. I-I’m sure there is an explanation,” Lord Doulworth said.

  “The only explanation is that your son obviously forced himself upon my daughter!” Horace roared.

  “How dare you suggest my son would take advantage of a woman. It is far more likely that your daughter…”

  “Bollocks! Every person in this room saw the state of her…” Breaking off, he shook his head as if to fling the image from his mind before turning to their host. “Tell me you aren’t suggesting Juliette beat her own arse until it was in that state! Tell him, Juliette; tell us this man abused you…”

  “I-I can explain…” Juliette began, flinching a bit as she recognized she’d repeated Malcolm’s words and yet she had no idea what explanation he had attempted to give her.

  “What’s to explain?” Elizabeth, Belinda’s closest friend said, “We all know you’ve been trying to steal Malcolm from Belinda. It’s quite evident that you were willing to debase yourself to trap Malcolm into marriage. It couldn’t be any more obvious. It’s just horrid that our poor Belinda had to catch you in the very act.”

  Belinda’s moan drew the attention back to her. She shuddered dramatically as if having to hear Elizabeth state the obvious was causing her extreme trauma. “There are names for desperate, pathetic woman like you, Juliette. You use your body to tempt men. No decent woman, one who would be chosen to become a wife and mother to a man’s heir, would be on her hands and knees like an animal doing the most indecent, lewd thing with her… her mouth!”

  Juliette could feel every eye on her, the men’s brows lifting as if attempting to visualize the scene they’d been only a moment too late to witness while Lady Watson looked as if she’d seen the very devil making an appearance.

  Elizabeth continued to paint the picture. “Only whores do such revolting things.”

  “I’m not a whore… Belinda…”

  She was interrupted by Belinda giving an almost hysterical giggle. “Lizzie, perhaps the explanation is that Juliette has confused this grand house with the White Palace!”

  Juliette heard the indrawn breaths of shock, her eyes flitting to her father, her hopes he’d missed Belinda’s words about her indecent position and immoral act shattering with the look of absolute disgust on his face. “Father, please. We are in love! He’s going to ask me to be his wife…”

  “Is that true?” Horace asked, looking towards Malcolm. When the younger m
an seemed unable to form a response, Horace shook his head in disgust and turned back to his daughter. “You haven’t answered my question, Juliette,” Horace said, stepping forward and taking her arm. “Tell me he forced you!”

  Instead of answering, her gaze found Malcolm who was standing, his lips compressed, his face pale, his eyes wide. She also saw Belinda, her expression stating she hadn’t given thought to the possibility that Juliette would have a defender. Despite an almost undeniable urge to lie, understanding that she was being given an opportunity to at least lessen the damage to her reputation, Juliette simply could not tell such a falsehood against the man to whom she’d given her entire being. “I-I can’t, Father.” Swearing she could feel her heart splintering into a million pieces, she said, “He didn’t force me. It… I loved him and he loves me. Tell them, Malcolm, please!”

  Malcolm took a step towards her and her heart leapt until the moment it fell into the darkest pit as he changed direction and stepped to Belinda. “I’m sorry…”

  “That’s all we need to hear,” their host stated, turning towards his guests. “Come, I do believe dinner is ready to be served.” Ushering people from the room, he turned back, his tone going from conciliatory to a hiss. “Son, we will all be waiting to witness your offer—don’t make us wait long.”

  Belinda waited until the others were gone before speaking. “Yes, don’t make us wait. It would be a shame if my parents decided you unworthy of forgiveness or my hand in marriage. You better convince them that you’ll never again fail me. I suggest you make it a very sincere proposal, my love, or we both know what will happen,” Belinda said, giving Juliette a smirk, as she swept from the room.

  Juliette watched as the man she loved with her entire soul seemed to shrink before her eyes. My love? Proposal? What? No! He was supposed to propose to me tonight. We were supposed to finally be free. “Malcolm, what does she mean? You-you can’t…”

  “I can’t begin to tell you… I told you that I’m not…” Malcolm’s lips compressed and yet he said nothing further. She wanted to shake him until he came to his senses and yet his very demeanor, his lack of defending her had her unable to think. When he picked up the beautiful carved box and left the room without another word, she pushed her fist into her mouth to stifle the cry building inside her chest.

  “You are amazing.” The words were not spoken in a tone meant to flatter. Instead, they were growled by her father. “I knew you were a fool but I never thought you were a whore!”

  “I’m not a whore!”

  “You just admitted you participated by your free will. That, girl, makes you a whore though even those women have more to show for their loose morals than you as they receive payment for their services.”

  “Stop it!” she shouted, attempting to twist out of his hold. “He loves me and I love him!”

  “Who are you trying to convince? Me? Yourself?” he shouted, releasing her to spread his arms wide as if to remind her the room held only the two of them. “It’s obvious not another soul believes that you are anything but his whore. Hell, perhaps I should have been the one blistering your arse. Maybe if I had you wouldn’t have allowed a man to shove his cock into you without benefit of marriage.”

  “But we were going to wed!”

  “God, what a fool,” he said, shaking his head.

  “I thought he-he loved me.”

  “You didn’t think at all!” he countered. “You knew Lord Doulworth needed his son to marry money as he owes everyone for his inability to control his gaming habits.” Horace shook his head, running his palm across his face. “The little weasel is just like his father, attempting to dodge his responsibilities. Knowing he’d be stuck with a bitter shrew who will make his life miserable, he had no reason not to dally with any woman who’d have him. Hell, what man can blame him for seeking what pleasure he could—but damn it, why did you have to be so stupid as to allow him to abuse your body.”

  “He didn’t abuse me! He gave me the gift…”

  “Enough! God, do you still not see? The only ‘gift’ you’ve received is the loss of your future. You know as well as I that Lady Watson will spread the details of your sluttiness to anyone who cares to listen! Her bitch of a daughter will become a saint as she bats her eyes and blushes as people praise her for her compassion and capacity to forgive as they admire the ring on her finger. Gift you say. I suppose a huge diamond is what? A mere trinket of his affection?”

  Her head was spinning. Her father had to be wrong. Malcolm loved her, he’d needed her. They’d spoken of… Dropping to the settee she realized that they had never spoken of marriage. It had been she who had dreamed of a wedding. It had been she who had believed that his words of needing her, adoring her, wanting her meant far more than… than simply a way to persuade her that his use of her body was done in love—not lust.

  “Oh, God, what have I done?” she whispered.

  “I don’t believe God is interested in your questions,” he snapped. He paused and gripped her arm, forcing her to turn to him. “So help me, if you think you’ll be bringing his bastard into my home…”

  “No, there won’t be any child!” she shouted, pulling her arm away.

  “Are you saying he didn’t fuck you? That you are a virgin?”

  “No… I… he…”

  His bark of laughter felt like a blade had touched her heart. “Of course he fucked you. I’m sure he fucked you every way a man can fuck a woman. You do know how bastards are planted don’t you? A man…”

  “Father, please…” Humiliation consuming her, she said, “I meant that he never spilled himself inside me. There will be no child.” Fighting not to fall apart, she continued. “He said he loved me,” she said, “we made love…”

  “Enough! Are you even listening to yourself? No matter how many times you repeat that phrase, it will never be true. Men will say anything if they think it will get you on your back or, in your case, your hands and knees. Married couples make love; we both know what it’s called when done outside the sanctity of marriage. The moment you spread your legs and let him fuck you, you made your decision to ruin your life. How could you be so stupid? You never listen, you never learn.”

  Juliette did as he accused and stopped listening. She’d heard these words before and didn’t need to hear them again. Instead, she thought of how Malcolm had looked when she’d first entered the room. She’d ignored her instinct that something was wrong, not wishing to step outside the dream she’d been living. She thought of his expression as he realized they’d been discovered. He hadn’t given a single thought to how she would feel. His whispered apology was nothing more than empty words. Even when he knew he was going to break her heart by telling her the truth, he’d broken her soul at the discovery that he’d cared so little for her that he had… had fucked her, knowing he’d never be hers. He’d left her on her knees, splattered with his seed as he immediately began to apologize and wait for Belinda’s forgiveness. What sort of man did that? More importantly, what sort of woman fell for a man so shallow?

  Shame filled her as she remembered how he spanked her before he’d take her. Suddenly his reasoning for doing so changed. He had known all along that he was not offering her marriage. Spanking her for being naughty was a way for him to assuage his own guilt for taking her virginity that night a few months earlier or sinking into her at every opportunity. He’d felt just as guilty but again, allowed her to pay the price of their sin… their fornication. God, her father was right. She’d been a fool.

  “I just pray your actions don’t ruin my livelihood,” Horace said. “These men are my clients. Their fees pay for the roof over your head and the food in your belly. God knows how long I’ll have to listen to their snide comments but I won’t allow you to ruin my business as well as sully my name!”

  Juliette clenched her fists as she watched her father stride to the table, pick up one of the flutes of champagne that she had been so positive were to celebrate her engagement, and down it in a single swallo
w. Pulling his handkerchief from his pocket, he dipped it in the remaining glass, wetting it with the amber liquid.

  Thrusting the sodden linen at her, he snarled, “Clean yourself!” She had no choice but to take it and wipe her cheeks which were burning with the shame of the knowledge of what she was scrubbing away. Knowing she’d never allow him to learn of the evidence of Malcolm’s seed concealed beneath her bodice, she dropped the cloth onto the table.

  “Fix your hair!” This order was snapped as abruptly and with as much disgust as the first had been. Unpinning her disheveled hair, Juliette combed it as best she could with her fingers before twisting it into a chignon and pinning it in place. After she was done and without another word, her father took her arm. As they approached the dining room, Juliette could hear voices dropping as the other guests became aware of her presence. Stepping into the huge room, she saw tall vases of flowers placed on either side of candelabras whose shimmering candlelight reflected onto crystal goblets of various sizes, engraved silverware and gold edged china. However, instead of being seated around the elegantly set tables, the dozens of guests were standing, each holding a flute of champagne. Her eyes followed the direction of their gazes to land upon Malcolm who stood at the head of the main table next to his father. She froze in place as she realized that he was not standing alone. At his side, his arm around her waist, was Belinda.

  “I wish to announce that despite the fact that I am unworthy of her love, my beautiful Belinda has agreed to honor me with becoming my wife.” People began to cheer and he lifted the hand where he’d just placed a ring, kissing the stone before his eyes lifted and met Juliette’s. She wondered if he could see the pain and the abandonment she knew must be reflected in her eyes. She got her answer when he briefly closed his but then turned his head to look down at his fiancée. “I have promised to spend the rest of my life assuring my bride is happy and has everything she could ever desire. I thank her for forgiving me my moment of weakness.”