Hadrian looked over at the beautiful woman in the seating area of the ballroom, he couldn't believe that she had actually come tonight. He knew all of the rumours about her extra-curricular activities, but he also knew them to be all not true. He noticed her to be struggling a bit so he strode over towards her, "Anna? Are you alright?" he asked.
"It's this damn corset it's far too tight I can hardly breathe in it," gasped Anna as she struggled to breathe normally.
"Only another thirty minutes then we can get out of here, thanks for being here it means a lot to me," he said brushing a friendly kiss behind her ear.
Shudders of pleasure washed through her as he strode towards the waiting gentlemen, admiring the tightness of his arse against his pants. She wished he would actually notice her as more then just a friend, she sighed as she watched him converse with his sponsors.
"Lord Hadrian, great to see you here tonight, when will you be opening the new foundation?" asked a lord.
"Next week Lord Stewart, there are still many things to put in place though," he said as he looked back to Anna. He knew this was a big ask she hated everything to do with English society, having been married to one much older to her had done it in for her.
But he refused to go there with his thoughts and continued the idle conversation with his benefactors.
She knew that Hadrian had a lot invested in this project as she looked around the vast ballroom, this whole show was only for image. English society had a rather nasty distaste for difference and anything that wasn't perfect.
She most certainly was not, who would want a thirty year old. She was all but a spinster now, she was only here for Hadrian he had been her best friend for years ever since the passing of her so called husband.
The time dragged slowly by as the torture device that 'proper' ladies wore was strangling her, she almost tore it off in desperation. But before it got that far she noticed Hadrian striding towards her, she had loved him for years even though he would never regard her as anything more then a friend.
She almost drooled watching his hard arms flex against the restraining fabric of his shirt. "Thank you so much Anna, your support means a lot to me," as he grabbed her arm.
"I can finally get out of this contraption then," she gasped as he led her outside to his carriage.
"I know I'd be taking a liberty but would you mind spending the night with me?" he asked.
A hot flush rushed through her thinking of his proposal, she was for all intents and purposes a proper lady but not that society would see her that way any longer after her so called marriage.
She stuttered slightly before saying "But, why? What about your reputation?"
"Nobody will talk, if they do they'll find themselves on hard times, and I enjoy your company we could chat for awhile before we retire," he said as he lead her up to his carriage and sat her down on the inside
"Home Gerard," he called out. The horses at the front whinnied as they began pulling the carriage.
He placed his hand on her knee and said "I don't mind if you want to loosen that corset."
"Well I wouldn't mind either if you loosened that shirt of yours it looks really tight," she said and then suddenly gasped she couldn't believe how forward she was being.
He chuckled at her and said "Well if it's ok with you," he said and unbuttoned the top three revealing an expanse of bronzed skin with black hair curling out the top of his shirt.
She licked her lips and envisioned what his bare chest would look like. It sent a rush of heat straight down her body to her toes making her shudder.
"Do you want help with that corset?" he asked.
She blushed and said, "Of course Hadrian," as she leaned forward, he reached down the neck of her gown and pulled at the laces of her corset as it opened.
She gasped and then sighed as the massive crushing pressure on her chest was released. "That feels so much better, how much longer until we get to your house?" she asked trying to feign indifferent to his warm touch as his hands retreated from her gown.
"Not long," he said with a slight strain as she looked down towards his crotch and blushed seeing the rather large bulge in there.
Hadrian blushed as she checked him out, he had no idea why she was suddenly being so forward with him. He had lusted after her for years but this was a surprise she had always seem indifferent to any physical attraction.
The squeak of the wheels as the carriage stopped brought him out of this thoughts. "We're here Anna," he said as he pushed open the carriage door and jumped out and walked to the other side opening the door and held his hand out to her.
