Jacquie D'Alessandro - [Regency Historical 04] (24 page)

The feel of him, fully clothed and hard, pressing against her naked softness, rushed a heated shiver through her. Without moving his gaze from hers, he turned his head and kissed her palm. “Are you all right?” he asked, his warm breath touching her fingers.

“I’m…” Her voice trailed off, uncertain how to describe this wickedly delicious languor. “Breathless. Speechless.”

A crooked smile pulled up one corner of his mouth. “Breathless
and
speechless. I suppose that makes you ‘breachless.’”

“Every time I’m near you,” she agreed, brushing back a thick lock of silky hair from his forehead.

“Every time I’m near you,” he concurred. Then he leaned down and kissed her, a soft, deep, lush, intimate kiss that tasted of him and her and passion. A kiss that reignited the flame he’d just doused.

When the kiss ended, she looked up into his eyes, wishing she could read his inscrutable expression. “Now I know what all the fuss is about,” she said softly. “I had no idea I could feel like…that.”

“The pleasure was all mine.”

“I assure you it was mine as well. I now know what melted wax feels like. Very
impatient
melted wax.”

“Ah. Impatient. So it would seem I got my way.”

“Yes. And now I want mine.”

“Impatient, demanding—two delightful qualities in a naked woman. As for you wanting something, I told you earlier this evening, you’ve only to ask.”

She arched beneath him, pressing her belly more firmly against the hard ridge of his arousal. “I want you impatient.”

“I assure you, it’s done.”

“More impatient. And undressed. I’d started on your cravat when you very sneakily distracted me.”

“Sneaky tactics—it is the way of us spies. However, I am more than pleased to grant your request.”

He dropped a lingering kiss to her lips, then pushed himself up and off her. He extended his hand and helped her to rise.

“I want to please you,” she said, eyeing the very obvious bulge in his breeches, “but I’m not certain what to do.”

“There is no chance of your
not
pleasing me. As for what to do, I’ll help you.” Clasping her hands, he brought them to his chest. “Take off my shirt.”

She raised her brows. “Do you promise to keep your hands to yourself and not distract me again?”

He immediately cupped her breasts. “No.”

She laughed. “Well, at least you’re honest.”

Raising his hands, he framed her face in his palms and gazed at her through suddenly serious eyes. “Yes, I am. Given the nature of my previous work, I haven’t always been. But with you—”

She reached out and pressed her fingertips to his lips to halt his words. Given her dishonesty regarding her past, her conscience balked at hearing any declarations of truthfulness from him. For one insane instant she considered telling him of her sordid past but immediately pushed the notion away. Their time together was fleeting at most. No point in shortening it even further with confessions that wouldn’t matter a short time from now.

Stepping out of his reach, she shook her head. “I want you to remain still. Do you agree?”

His green eyes glittered. “I agree to
try
.”

She cocked a brow. “If you do not, I feel it only fair to warn you that I’m a very fast runner.”

A slow smile lifted his beautiful lips. “I’m faster.”

“I doubt it.”

“I’m also dressed. The places where you could run to in your present state”—his gaze traveled lazily down then up her naked form, suffusing her entire body with heat—“are somewhat limited.”

“You won’t be dressed for long,” she said, erasing the distance between them and applying herself to his cravat.

Colin remained perfectly still, attempting to cool his burning ardor, but it was damn difficult when she stood only a foot away, her hair rumpled from his hands, her lips swollen and moist from his kisses, her skin glowing from the aftermath of her climax, and her velvety nipples erect from his mouth. The scent of her—sweet oranges mixed with feminine musk—rose between them, and he had to grit his teeth to suppress the need to lean forward to kiss her. She didn’t want him to move, and
bloody hell, he didn’t dare, not with his control teetering so close to the edge.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally finished untying his cravat, and he made a mental note to employ a much less complicated knot next time. Then she slowly slipped the long length of linen from around his neck. Instead of dropping the material to the floor, however, she shot him a mischievous look and looped it around her neck, like a boa.

His gaze riveted on that length of white material, and his imagination instantly took flight, picturing her on his bed, naked, her wrists loosely bound—

His thought cut off when she pulled his shirttails from his breeches and the soft material skimmed over his aching erection. His shaft jerked, and he gritted back a groan. After unfastening the shirt, she slowly separated the sides, exposing his chest, and he had to forcibly relax his tensely bunched shoulders so she could slide the garment down his arms. He’d expected her to simply drop the shirt onto the floor, but instead she pressed the bundle to her chest and buried her face in the material.

“It’s still warm from your body,” she whispered. She closed her eyes and drew in an audible breath, which she released in a long sigh. “It bears your scent. I never knew a man could smell so wonderful.”

He clenched his hands, confounded by the conflicting waves of tenderness and heat that flooded him at the sight of her clutching his clothing to her. Then she surprised him again by slipping on the garment.

“What do you think?” she asked, her lips curved in a playful smile as she turned in a slow circle.

His gaze tracked downward, along the thin ribbon of pale skin visible between the edges of material, lingering on the indentation of her navel before continuing lower to the alluring shadow of dark curls between her thighs. The sleeves covered her hands, and the wrinkled
ends dangled midthigh. He found the sight of her wearing his clothes, her tousled hair falling over her shoulders utterly erotic, and his already speeding pulse quickened further.

He had to clear his dry throat to locate his voice. “I think it looks better on you than it does on me.”

She flashed a smile, then rolled back the long sleeves while her gaze roamed over him. “I thought it looked very good on you, but I must say, you look even better without it.”

“Thank you…” His voice trailed off into a low groan as she settled her palms against his bare chest, then dragged her hands slowly downward.

His eyes closed, and he tipped his head back, determined to retain his control and savor her every touch. His muscles contracted with each pass of her fingers over his skin. Her touch, tentative at first, grew bolder with each caress, and a growl of pleasure rumbled in his throat.

“Do you like that?” she asked, brushing her fingertips over his nipples.

“Aaaah…I’m not sure. Do it again.”

He felt her huff of laughter against the center of his chest, just before she pressed her lips to his skin. Raising his head, he watched her kiss her way across his chest while her hands smoothed over his shoulders and down his arms. When her tongue peeked out to sweep over his nipple, a tremor ran through him, one he knew she felt by the feminine smile that curved her lips.

Bloody hell, she’d barely touched him, and he was
shaking
. How the hell would he survive the rest of this sweet torture?

She flicked her tongue over his nipple again. “I liked it when you did that do me. Do you like it?”

“Yes. If you enjoyed something, chances are very good that I’d enjoy it as well.”

“I see.” She ran a single fingertip around the skin just above the waistband of his breeches, and he sucked in a breath.

“You’re very…manly,” she said, running her palms upward, over his abdomen to his tense shoulders. “Very muscular and strong.”

“At the moment you’re testing that strength, believe me.”

“Good. How is your patience?”

“Strained.”

She smiled. “How can I strain it further?”

“Kiss me.”

Without hesitation, she slid her arms around his neck and urged his head lower. He allowed her to take the lead and groaned when she ran her tongue over his bottom lip. She rose up on her toes, pressing herself against him, and his head spun. Her warm skin touched his bare chest, her hard nipples pressing into him, her tongue invading his mouth, and he instantly forgot not to move. His hands slipped under the shirt she wore, skimming down her back to cup the soft curves of her buttocks. And in an instant she was gone.

“You promised to keep your hands to yourself,” she said from three feet away, shaking a finger at him.

“I promised to
try
. I did try. You are impossible to resist.”

“You need your hands tied to your sides.” Her eyes narrowed, then glittered with mischief. “I believe I can help.”

“I can’t imagine anything you could do that would make me less inclined to touch you.”

“I can.” With her gaze steady on his, she slowly pulled the length of his cravat from around her neck. “Put your hands behind your back.”

He raised his brows even as his erection jerked. “You’re planning to actually tie me?”

“Yes.”

“Believe me, that will not make me less inclined to touch you.”

“But it will render you less
able
to do so.”

“You think so?”

“I’m quite good at tying knots.”

“I’m quite good at untying them.”

Her eyes glittered with unmistakable challenge. “Shall we see who’s better…unless you’re afraid?”

Keeping his gaze on hers, he slowly moved his hands behind his back. “On the contrary, I’m highly intrigued. However, in the interests of good sportsmanship, I feel it only fair to warn you that once I’m free, I shall make no attempt whatsoever to not touch you. I’ll touch you however and wherever I please.”

“Fair enough. However, I believe you’ve already touched me everywhere.”

“My sweet Alexandra. I haven’t
begun
to touch you in the all the ways I intend to.”

The heated interest that flared in her eyes at his softly spoken words coiled raw want through him. She might be inexperienced, but clearly she was adventurous. And not a coward. And had spoken the truth when she’d stated she wasn’t shy. He’d planned to seduce her and instead found himself thoroughly seduced. Never had a woman captured every part of his mind and body as this one did.

She stepped behind him, and he positioned his hands. When she finished, she said, “That should hold you nicely.”

He wriggled his wrists, testing the bonds. “Seems a thorough job.” He looked at her over his shoulder. “It would appear I’m quite at your mercy.”

“I’m not certain I’ve ever heard a more provocative statement.” She settled her hands on his shoulders, then ran her palms slowly down his back. When she stepped
closer and pressed her lips to his skin, he drew in a sharp breath, gritting his teeth to keep from brushing his bound hands over her soft abdomen.

“I believe you’re trying to drive me mad,” he ground out.

“Is it working?”

“Extremely well.”

She caressed him with long, slow strokes down his back and arms while her lips pressed soft kisses along his spine. He closed his eyes, absorbing the gentle exploration, praying he’d be able to maintain his control and not spill in his damn breeches.

She made her way slowly around until she faced him again. Looking down, he watched her fingers glide down his chest. When she reached his breeches, he went perfectly still, in an agony of anticipation.

At the first light brush of her fingers over his arousal, he closed his eyes and groaned. “Again,” he said gruffly.

She obliged him, trailing her fingers slowly down his length, then cupping her palm around him. Heat surged through him. Bloody hell, he wanted her hands on him. Now. He raised his gaze and their eyes met. “Open my pants, Alexandra.”

She set to unfastening his breeches, and he clenched his jaw to remain still. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, his erection was freed. The anticipation of her touch was so intense it bordered on pain. When she reached out and brushed the backs of her fingers down his length, he sucked in a sharp breath, and his eyes slammed shut.

“Did I hurt you?” she asked.

“No. God, no. Don’t stop.”

She stroked him again, more surely this time, and after drawing a deep, shuddering breath, he opened his eyes and looked down, watching her hands glide over him, stroke him, and cup him. Heat poured through
him, and his every muscle tensed and quivered with the effort he expended not to thrust into her hand.

“You feel so hard,” she said.

He groaned. “You have no idea.”

“And so hot.”

Not surprising, as he felt as if he were about to incinerate. Her fingertip lightly encircled the swollen head of his arousal. “You cannot imagine how incredible that feels,” he said in a gravelly voice he didn’t recognize. She wrapped her fingers around him and gently squeezed, and his groin tightened. When a pearly drop emerged, and she smoothed it over the engorged head, he could remain still no longer. His hips flexed forward, and he thrust into her hand.

“Are you impatient?” she whispered.

“Beyond,” he growled. Executing a series of well-practiced movements, he quickly freed his wrists, then yanked her into his arms. She made a startled exclamation, which was cut off by his kiss. One hand moved up into her hair, cupping her head to hold her immobile while he kissed her with all the pent-up need and desire ripping through him. His other hand skimmed down and hooked under her thigh, pulling it upward to settle it high on his hip, opening her for his touch.

His palm brushed over the curve of her bottom, then his fingers caressed her feminine folds from behind, finding them already silky wet and swollen. Thank God, for he wasn’t certain how much longer he could last.

He forced himself to arouse her with a deliberate lack of haste, trying to decrease his rapid heart rate, but the way she squirmed against him, her belly brushing against his erection, her hands racing over his skin, was not helping to calm him. Knowing the battle was about to be lost, he scooped her up in his arms and strode to the bed, where he laid her on the counterpane with a gentle bounce. His shirt she wore fell open, as did her
thighs, and for several seconds he stood, mesmerized by the sight of her, naked, flushed, aroused, glistening wet. For him. The woman he’d waited years for.