On the Ninth Day of Christmas my True Love gave to me...

Phoenix Johnson and Naughty Nights Press.

Lord Augustus glanced at himself in the reflection of the door as he rang the bell. Glancing around at the other large townhouses surrounded by the seasonal snow, he was finally beginning to feel at home in the affluent little town. 

He had grown up on a prosperous farm on the outskirts, only son to Lord and Lady Winston. When his parents died in a carriage accident a few years previously, he had inherited the farm and the family servants. Being only fifteen at the time he was grateful for the care that the friendly local banker, Lord Harland, had shown him. It was clear that the young man was not suited for farm ownership and so Lord Harland had advised him to sell up and move in to town.
Nigh on three years had passed, and Lord Augustus still was unsure of his place in society, though thankful for the vast fortune that the sale of his parents’ farm had brought him. Harland had guided him to invest money in several intelligent enterprises and together they had watched the town and their own personal wealth grow. Augustus was now one of the most successful men in town, but he still felt empty.
The message this morning handed to him by his butler came as a surprise. Harland had requested his presence to discuss some new business that had arisen overnight. The message sounded quite urgent so the young lord had dressed rather quickly and, much to the cook’s dismay, skipped breakfast to head straight over to the banker’s home.
Standing now on the snowy front porch of Lord Harland’s enormous townhouse, he wondered what business the older gentleman wished to discuss. Perhaps Harland had some business venture he thought the younger man ought to invest in, or a new trade asset; Augustus sighed at the prospect of such business talk with Christmas so close. What he really wanted was a wife more than a new investment.
He had his fair share of choices when it came to women, being a rich young bachelor, and handsome to boot; but none of the young ladies in town had made him feel a spark of interest. All they were interested in was a life of luxury while they giggled incessantly and batted their eyelashes at him. Such behaviour almost drove him mad.
Shifting his feet, Augustus had lifted his hand to ring the bell again when the door opened to reveal Preston, Lord Harland’s butler, who waved the younger man inside out of the cold. Augustus was grateful to be back in a warm house and was struck by a sudden curiosity; he could hear high-spirited laughter and merry carols playing in the house. Lord Harland was a friendly man indeed but he was hardly known for throwing parties for no reason. A few shrill giggles sent shivers down his spine. Glancing at Preston, he queried, “Is Lord Harland entertaining?”
“Yes Sir,” the butler replied warmly. “His nine young nieces are here from Maryland for the holidays waiting for their parents to arrive. A lovely bunch of ladies, they are.” Augustus raised his eyebrow; such a comment was high praise coming from Preston, a normally stoic, frosty man unless he knew a person well. The young lord’s spark of curiosity was a little brighter, and he was eager to meet the young women.
Preston led Augustus to the drawing room to await Lord Harland. He was thrilled that it was the same room in which the banker’s nieces were dancing. Sitting quietly to one side he watched as the ladies danced in turn, or stood to the side clapping in rhythm. He shyly smiled as they noticed him and began to giggle again. Augustus had to fight the urge to roll his eyebrows. Preston would not call a group of giggling girls lovely.
Before too long they resumed their dancing, and one lady in particular caught his eye. She seemed to be the leading the dancing and had a real spark of intelligence about her. There was nothing forced or fake about her. This was a genuine lady who would bend to no man’s will. He could see a fire of passion behind her eyes, and her beauty brought a stirring in his loins stronger than any he had felt before.
Her sudden presence before him caught him off guard. “Were you never told that staring is rude, my Lord?” she teased.
“I’m sorry, Milady, but the fire in your soul has me rather caught in a spell.” As the lady fought a smile, his stirrings grew stronger. “May I ask your name?”
“Grace Hannah, my Lord.” She stared at him expectantly for a few moments. “Now is the part where you tell me your name.”   
“Augustus. Lord Augustus Winston.” He put his hand out to take hers for a kiss and was shocked when she boldly planted a kiss on his lips, instead. Her lips were softer than he could have imagined, and he yearned to feel her body close to his. Her sigh against his mouth told him that she felt the same. With regret, he pulled back to look at her. “This goes quite against proper behaviour, Miss Grace Hannah. I’m not saying that I’m against it personally, but I wouldn’t want to ruin yours or your Uncle’s reputation.”
“Considering it’s you who we’re really here for, I don’t think it will matter one bit,” the lady replied.
“What do you mean by that?” Augustus demanded, pulling back as Grace Hannah leaned in for another kiss.
“The business Uncle Harland brought you here to discuss. Did he not tell you in the note? You’re here to choose one of us for a bride. My uncle told us that you had spent too many Christmas’s alone and that it was time you had yourself a wife. My cousins, sisters and myself are all of the proper age to be wed and so he asked us all to come a few days early so that we could meet you and you could choose. Knowing you as well as he does, he pulled me aside and asked that I approach you first, as he deemed me to be the best match for you.”
“So you’re just doing as you are told and you don’t mind?” he asked, all excitement drained.
“I shall admit I was reluctant at first. But Uncle Harland told me so much about you that I felt I had to meet you and see for myself. As soon as you walked in that door I felt drawn to you; I knew my uncle had not exaggerated. You are a kind, decent man and I can tell you don’t want a blithering idiot of a woman to call you husband.” He was grateful that she sat back and gave him time to absorb the shock. Harland was a sneaky man when he wanted to be, but it was always in the best interest of everyone involved so he could forgive the man for his deceit. Grace Hannah was his first choice and he was pleased that Harland thought so as well.
A few moments later the lady stood up and grabbed his hand. “Come on, my Lord Augustus. I want to show you something.” She drew him over to a small room off the drawing room and shut the door behind him. Pulling him in close, she embraced him in another kiss, this time stronger and more passionate. As she had her back to the door, he lifted her up and took the few steps to press her against the wood, allowing Grace to wrap her legs around his waist without over balancing them. He broke the kiss to lightly nibble on her slender neck, allowing her to speak.
                                                         
“Let me down, I wanted to show you something else in this room.” Augustus sighed but gave in. This woman made his senses and blood sing. If allowing her this indulgence meant she would be his bride, then he would let her have her way.
Once her feet were on the floor, her knees soon followed, making his heart race. He hungrily watched as she unbuttoned his trousers and lowered them to his knees. Her delicate hands fondled his erect member, and he closed his eyes in bliss. Oh yes, if allowing her this indulgence meant she would be his Christmas bride, he would most assuredly let her have her way…

Phoenix Johnson's post is on behalf of Naughty Nights Press, and their wickedly delightful giveaway is their digital Christmas anthology Doing the Naughty List Twice.