Renee stood waiting for Mr. William Winters to dismiss her. With others in the room, she didn't dare make eye contact with him. Instead she glanced coyly through her lashes, her head bowed, as required by someone of her station. He smiled and gave her a subtle wink, and she nodded, her cheeks blushing as she hurried away to his cabin to clean.
Will, as he preferred to be called, watched her as they parted ways. He had more than a passing thought about the shape of her rump, it clouded his mind. How would he ever make it through the poker match if all he could think of, was the evening ahead?
"I still think you've lost all reason," mumbled Carlton, his friend and the only person who knew the real reason he was on this voyage. The truth was, he had fallen for his maidservant, and no one in London would ever understand, should he follow his heart. And Will was all heart.
In America, he could pursue any dream he wanted. He certainly had the money, and in New York, no one would question Renee's station. He had an entire new wardrobe packed away in his own trunks for her so that she would appear every bit a woman of society, and aside from the intimate sessions they shared in secret, he had been coaching her on how to handle herself as a lady. She would be his wife as soon as they docked, and they would make a life together in the United States.
It had only seemed fitting that, when embarking on a new life to a new world, he purchase tickets for the RMS Titanic as she sailed her maiden voyage. None had seen a ship like it, and she lived up to every bit of her reputation in luxury and glamour. Renee had been so thrilled at the prospect of starting over, especially when he'd proposed marriage, that she had cried. She didn't hate being a maid, she'd told him, but she hated hiding how much she loved him.
Placing a new bowler hat on his head and nodding in approval at his reflection, Will turned to face his friend with a smile. "Dearest Carlton, I appreciate your concern, but it is yours and not mine. I've never been one to live by the rules, and when I set my mind to something, there is no changing it. Renee is everything I've ever wanted in a woman, and I fully intend to make her my wife."
Carlton scoffed. "You think you're the only bloke who's stuck her? Come on, man, she's certainly spread those bloody legs of hers for some peasant boy or other."
Anger flooded Will's vision, and before he knew what he was doing, he had Carlton pressed against a wall, his face inches away. "Now, you listen to me, good man. Don't you ever speak of her that way. When I took her, she was a virgin still, and she has been with no other man. You will not taint our love with your jealousy simply because you have allowed your family to rope you into an arranged marriage with a cold fish. Do I make myself clear?"
With a swift, adamant nod, Carlton earned his release and set about straightening his suit and tie as he followed Will toward the parlor where they would join a healthy game of poker and, more than likely, clean out the pockets of every other gamer at the table. It was Will's specialty.
Back in the cabin, Renee waited impatiently, with little to do. Will was such a neat man, making no real messes for her to clean up after. He often left clothes draped in random places, but this was his only real downfall in cleanliness, and she could easily collect those and have them laundered in only a few hours. Now, she picked up the shirt he'd discarded last night and held the collar to her nose, inhaling the scent of his aftershave that she loved so. She couldn't believe she'd made it this far, never having dreamed of a prince rescuing her from a life of servitude. And to actually be in love was incredible!
In just a few days, she would practically be an American princess. Married to a rich, handsome man who adored her, and whom she loved with all her heart. They would embark on a journey together, much the way they had come onto the ship. She would make him proud, be the perfect wife, and in time, they would have a family and a home and all the things she'd never even dared to dream.
Dropping the last shirt into the bag to be taken below deck for washing, she sighed sadly. She would be lonely tonight. After all, she wasn't to be mixing with the rest of the staff on board any longer, for fear she would get a bad reputation, and she wasn't yet ready to be presented as a societal lady, on Will's arm. That would wait until the day they pulled into port, when she was able to open that trunk full of beautiful clothing Will had commissioned for her.
Heaving a deep sigh, she hoisted the laundry bag and headed down to drop the load with the cleaners. She took her time getting back to the room, not knowing how long Will would be in his game; he was a renowned poker player at home and had won a great many amateur tournaments. For all she knew, he could be gone all night, in which case, she might as well go to her own sad quarters.
So, when she opened the door to Will's cabin and he was there, she gasped, her heart in her throat as she jumped in fright. "Will! What are you doing here? What about your game?"
He pulled her away from the door, closing it firmly behind her and locking it before drawing her against him for a deep, sensuous kiss that had her heart fluttering and her stomach churning in anticipation. When he released her, leaving her gasping for breath, he shook his head. "I couldn't even concentrate on the cards in my own hand, much less everyone else's. All I could think about was coming to you, about how close we are to our prize. Oh, Renee, I want you desperately. I need you!"
He kissed her neck and brushed his fingertips over her shoulder, pushing her white shirt aside so it tugged on her already swollen breasts. Renee panted, her body in turmoil. That he would leave behind what could potentially be such a large winning pool to spend the entire evening with her was beyond her imagination, more than she would have expected from anyone. "I need you, too," she told him, her voice strained.
Will let out a sigh of relief. He'd been afraid she wouldn't be as desperate as he was, and to know that they wanted the same things uplifted his heart. He would have lost his entire buy-in had he stayed for the game, his mind was so singularly focused on Renee and their future. He much preferred her company tonight, the warmth of her supple body beneath his, cradled against him as he slept through the last night of a life he no longer wanted to enjoy without his beautiful vixen.
Turning Renee around, he began to unbutton her shirt, loving the way she looked in the uniform but desperate for the skin beneath and anxious to dress her for disembarking in the harbor on the morrow. Her back was smooth, and it called to him until he couldn't resist leaning down to kiss just between her shoulders where the deep indentation of her spine drew him. He felt her shiver, saw the goosebumps on her skin, and felt the beginning of an erection manifest, the physical expression of the feelings and thoughts that had plagued him all day.
"Are we really going to be married?" she whispered, even as her body tensed at his gentle, careful ministrations.
He smiled as he released the apron she wore over her skirts. "My love, we are going to exit this ship as a couple, and as soon as we are registered in America, we will apply for a marriage license and be wed. Then I will take to getting you with child, as I want a house full of young ones running around. Mostly girls as beautiful as you are. I believe it's called the American Dream."
Before Renee could protest, her entire body was bared, and she was turned to face Will, who was still fully clad. But this was how it always was. He told her he must worship her body, that it was too beautiful to not spend extra time admiring. She blushed as she always did under his scrutiny, though his eyes twinkled and gazed at her with adoration. He moved from top to bottom, his hands gentle and massaging her body with long, tender strokes, then back up with strategically planted kisses as he went causing moisture to build between her thighs.
When he could kiss her lips again, he allowed her to begin working on his clothes, first shedding his coat recklessly on the ground, followed by his bowler hat and tie. By the time she reached his shirt, he became impatient, ripping it from his body so buttons flew everywhere. Renee frowned. "You're creating more work for me, if I have to repair that, you know."
"That is not true, darling," he countered as he kicked off his shoes and dropped his pants, revealing a throbbing, hard shaft that she barely resisted touching. "I've made more work for the maid we shall hire." Grabbing her suddenly by the upper arms, he lifted her and tossed her playfully on the bed, laughing as she screamed in surprise and delight.
He was on top of her instantly, and she gasped as he wrapped a firm hand around one breast, drawing its taut peak into his mouth, drawing circles around it with his tongue. She arched her back, her eyes rolling back in her head at the sensation. He was so talented, and she reaped the benefits of whatever experience he'd had in the past. As a lover, she couldn't imagine asking for more.
Will switched to the other breast, giving it equally sensual treatment, even as he gave into the urge to let one hand pry her thighs apart so his fingers could tangle in the curls on her mound, stroking her folds and parting them until he had access to the warm, sweet core of her. Renee was tight and demanding, and it only made him more excited at the idea of entering her, his fingers sliding inside with her natural lubrication to tease, twist, and tickle. He watched her face, rolling his eyes up from where he worked her nipple, to see her head turning back and forth, her plump lips forming words that didn't come out.
