WARNING. VERY MATURE SCENE.

Samuel

Ruby watched him throw the whiskey back, and then put the tumbler on the table beside his chair. She had been told he was an earl, and that he frequented every bordello and gaming hell in the city. He had never chosen her. She wondered why, because she was much favoured by the men.

"What are you looking at?"

She turned her head and grinned at Diamond. They had all been named after gemstones. It was Mrs. McGilliget's idea of making them appear precious. Ruby chuckled and nudged her head toward the young man sitting in the dark corner watching everyone. He hardly ever sat with other men or made conversation with anyone. "Him."

"Ah... The Lord of Dark and Gloomy." Diamond tittered and threw her arm around Ruby's shoulders. "Don't be fooled. He's no saint, even if he looks like one."

"Why? What's he done?"

"What hasn't he done more like?" Diamond creased her brow. "Haven't you been with him?"

"No. Never." Again, Ruby wondered why.

"You should be thanking your lucky stars then. Add a fire pit to dark and gloomy and you can call him the devil." She smirked and tweaked Ruby's cheek. "Mind you. He knows what he's doing."

"Does he beat the girls? I heard Sapphire say he hurt her, but she laughed when she said it." Ruby lifted her shoulders. "I didn't ask what she meant because you know how she is. Her customer, her business."

"He's well-built and a little rough. It hurts." Diamond shook her head. "To be honest I don't think gentle is part of his vocabulary. He knows how to please a girl, but there's no making you feel like you're special. He never kisses or caresses. Just straight to it. Makes you want him, almost beg for him, in fact." Diamond ran her finger down Ruby's stunned face and laughed. "And I mean really gives it to you. That's where the hurt comes in. You ache so much that you feel like you are going to explode." Diamond tittered again. "He gets so lost in what's happening it's like he doesn't even see you. After he's done, he either kicks you out or he leaves." She gave this some thought. "I think Emerald stayed all night with him once. She said he left without a word as soon as he woke up."

"He never smiles." Ruby mused. "Only when he's drunk. You'd think someone young and good looking with all that money would be happy."

Diamond raised her eyebrows and tilted her head to one side. "Just goes to show money can't make you happy."

"It'd go a long way though, wouldn't it?" Ruby laughed loudly. This time she tweaked Diamond's cheek. She glanced towards the man in the corner. He was leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, with his hands together, staring straight at her.

*

The two girls caught Samuel's eye. Had he ever fucked them? Probably the blonde, he thought. Never the redhead. Something about redheads made his blood boil. He bit on his lip and scowled. George Somersby's image flashed through his mind. Sam thought about this some more. He didn't think he'd had a dislike for redheads until he'd met George. It still bothered him. Even after speaking with Frederick about his concerns, the idea that he and Caroline were lovers, had never left him.

Fred said he doubted it was true, and that he had never got that sense. He even went as far as telling Sam he was acting like a jealous spoilt imp because someone else was taking father's attention away from him.

This wasn't true. When he was younger his father's lack of interest in him did bother Samuel. Now he didn't care. He had money. That's all he needed. They could all go to hell as far as he was concerned. Fred, and his father's attitude and determination, to ignore his feelings on the subject had eaten away at him for months. He let out a growl. Fuck the sight of that redhead for making his ill feelings resurface. It was hard enough keeping them at bay in the daylight. He didn't need thoughts of his family ruining his nightlife too. He stood up and headed to the blackjack table. He'd lost a small fortune in the gaming hells he frequented. Enough money to buy one of them, most likely. Samuel scowled and flicked that thought aside. Time to lose some more. Lose himself to drink, gambling and whores.

*

Sam slammed his cards on the table and pushed his chair back. "I'm out!" Why the fuck did he keep doing this? Every muscle was on fire. He wanted to punch someone. Samuel pushed through the smoke-filled haze and headed to the back of the establishment where it was designed for just that purpose. He shoved the heavy studded timber door opened. The room was dark and smelt of sweat, alcohol, blood and urine. Fighters were in the ring. Time to hit somebody. Even better. To be hit.

Making his way to the back, Samuel spoke to the Book. The man nodded and jerked his head towards the rail. "Wait over there, My Lord. You've got good timing." He glanced over at the fighters. "Looks like they're almost done."

Stripping off everything except his pants, Samuel waited until they dragged the fallen man away, and then stepped into the middle of the crowd. The hay pricked his bare feet and made the ground slippery.

"Let me wrap your hands, My Lord."

Sam unclenched his fists, and then held up his hands to let the referee coil rag around them, and his palms, so when he closed them again the fabric protected his knuckles. He glanced at his opponent. Tall and weedy. A lot like himself, though this man looked bored. He was one of the professionals, paid to let the rich beat him. Sam chuckled, stepped forward and whispered in his ear, "Don't let me win. I want you to hit me."

"Me Lord?" The young man shook his head, his eyes wide in shock. "Why?"

"I want to feel alive, so do your best."

"Then you'll have it, Me Lord." The fighter bowed, and then took his stance.

*

Sam gave as much as he could. He suspected the fighter was going easy on him, and the occasional blow Sam landed, made him look a little better than useless. Every time he was hit the pain caused a wave of adrenaline to rush through his body. It was almost as good as fucking.

The fighter came at him again and caught him with a right hook. Samuel landed on his back amongst the blood and piss-soaked straw.

"I'm sorry, Me Lord." Tim held his hand out towards the man he'd just laid out. "I didn't mean to knock you down." He frowned. "But you did say to hit you."

"Yes." Sam laughed up at the stress filled face. "You hit me more than once."

"That I did, sir." Tim grinned, and then pulled the earl to his feet.

Samuel patted him on the back. "You did it well." He wiped blood from under his nose with the back of his hand. The rag turned red. "I want you to teach me to fight properly." He dabbed his nose again. "Will you, do it?"

"For sure, Me Lord. When would you like to start?"

"Tomorrow. I'll be here at two." Samuel took Tim's hand in his. "Does that time suit you?"

"Ah... yes, Me Lord."

Samuel laughed and jerked Tim towards him. "I'll pay you double if you stop saying, me lord or anything similar, and just call me Sam."

"Yes, Me... ah Sam. I can do that." Tim's face lit up. A sixpence was a lot of money to call someone by their name. He wasn't going to complain, and his mother would be able to buy soap and flour and one of the baker's puddings with the money. Tim licked his lips; he'd even be able to buy himself a quart or two of ale after each lesson.

Samuel headed back into the lounge. He hadn't felt this alive in a long while. Now he wanted to fuck. The redhead. Where was she? He looked around the room. Far corner with a fat banker. Sam whispered in Mrs. McGilliget's ear and waited by the bar. He touched his nose. No blood appeared on his fingers. He lifted his head in time to watch the girl make her way through the crowd.

Mrs. McGilliget was patting a now irate banker on the back, and calling one of the other girls over. Sam didn't care. He was getting what he wanted.

"My Lord. You asked to see me." Ruby was shocked but relived. The fat Mr. Burgomaster was revolting. The earl didn't answer her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up the stairs.

"Which room?"

"The end one, My Lord." He was walking so fast that she had trouble keeping up. Once inside he kicked off his boots and striped off his jacket. "Would you like me to do that?" Ruby put her hand on his chest.

He shoved it away. "Get undressed."

"Oh..." A surge of unease grabbed at her stomach. Diamond's words came back to her. 'Put a fire pit with the dark and gloomy and you can call him the devil.' She took off her slippers, and then dropped her lacy peignoir on a nearby chair. He stood naked watching her. Ruby swallowed when she caught sight of what he'd been blessed with. Diamond said he was well built, but this was ridiculous.

"Hurry up," he growled. "You're taking too long."

Ruby looked up. Even in the dim light she could see a bruise had started to show on his cheek. He looked at her through hair that hung over his face. Those eyes were completely black. Her stomach clenched again. Ruby wondered if she was going to weather the storm, she could see brewing within him. She slipped out of her lacy underclothes and stood before him. He hadn't touched her but the way he looked at her sent ripples throughout her body. She sucked in her breath and closed her eyes as the sensation went straight to her core. He stepped forward, turned her around and bent her over the bed.

"Stay there."

His deep voice rumbled in her ears as his finger slid between her thighs. "Ah..." Ruby gasped. It was unexpected. She lifted her head to take a breath as he withdrew that long finger and twitched it against her silky flesh.

"You're wet."

"Yes. My. Lord." She found it hard to speak and dropped her head. His finger was doing things to her that she had never felt before. Most men slobbered their drunken mouths all over her, and she'd often had to lather herself with oil so they thought she was ready for them. Never before had a male done this to her.

"Have you already had a man tonight?"

Ruby heard the growl in his voice. "No..." She groaned and lifted her face to gasp in air. "You're. My. First. Tonight. My. Lord." She couldn't help but move her hips a little. He put his other hand on the back of her head and pushed her face into the bed preventing her movement.

"Good. I'll be your last."

What did that mean? His finger snaked over her core in circles. She didn't care what he meant. Who cared, when he was making her feel this good? "Oh..." Ruby wanted to open her legs to give him easier access. She wanted to move against his hand.

He gripped her hip to keep her still. "Don't move."

She obeyed. He twisted his hand, played carnal body language with his fingers while his thumb rubbed against her swollen nub. "Oh... My... Lord... I'm..." She couldn't finish her sentence. Ruby gripped the bedcovers and clenched her teeth on the fabric. "Ah..." She sucked in air through her nose and silently groaned. As the feeling intensified, she felt her body fill with the length of him. Then he pushed her knees apart so he could give her all of him. He gripped her hips with both hands and started to move. In and out, slow steady strokes. In. And. Out. Ruby dragged in more air. She lifted her face as the pressure of his rigid phallus pushed against her.

"Touch. Your. Self."

What did he mean? Ruby had never touched herself though she knew other girls did.

"Now!" he commanded.

She reached down. Her finger stroked his slick member as he withdrew, and then again as he pushed forward. It felt good. The best she'd ever felt. Ruby did as he asked, put her pointer on her inflamed nub and caressed it in circles like he had done. She whimpered and bit on the side of her mouth. The urge to press harder overwhelmed her. As she did, her insides exploded. "Oh..." Ruby cried out. Tears filled her eyes as she moaned.

She heard him groan. The sound resonated from the back of his throat. He rammed his length deep inside of her, and then gripped her hips hard to stop their movement. Ruby felt him spill as her core throbbed against him. She could hear his laboured breathing as she herself, dragged in another lungful of air. He was joined to her like no other man ever had been. Ruby smiled. For the first time in her life, she understood the pleasure a man could give a woman.  

Well... Gambling, drinking, fighting and women. Sam's resume isn't looking too good :(

His family issues seem to have sent Samuel down the road to destruction.

Photo taken from Early Sports and Pop Culture Blog.