The Campbell Trilogy (22 page)

Something flickered in his eyes, and he lowered his head to hers, covering her mouth with his in a tender kiss that spoke far louder than words. With his lips he touched her soul, claiming a part of her that had never been exposed.

He dragged his mouth over hers, teasing her with the quick flick of his tongue—slow and languid, as if he had all the time in the world. He kissed her jaw, sliding his mouth to the sensitive recesses of her neck and blowing across the damp skin until she shivered with desire. The scrape of his chin blazed a fiery path along her sensitive flesh.

He drove her mad with longing, drawing out the kiss until her nails dug into his shoulders from gripping him so tightly.

He was still leaning over her—their bodies not yet touching. She strained with need, wanting to feel the weight of
his chest on top of her, her breasts crushed against the hard-muscled wall that she’d just admired with her hands.

He kissed her mouth again, this time harder. She opened against him, forcing him to deepen the kiss when she met his tongue with her own.

She moaned, unable to contain the burst of pleasure as their kiss grew wilder. Hotter.

He tasted like sin, dark and spicy with a hint of wine. Sweet intoxication. She could kiss him like this forever, where there was nothing between them but the hunger of their mouths and tongues.

But something was happening to her body. The restlessness that she remembered from before. Every inch of her skin was aflame, her nipples ached, the sensitive place between her legs pulsed.

When he finally covered her breast with his hand, she jumped. He plied the nipple with his fingers until she arched against him, silently begging.

He undid the ties at her neck, then opened her nightraile to reveal her breasts. She was beyond embarrassment, her desire masking everything but the pleasure and anticipation coursing through her body. Scooping the pale flesh in his hand, he lifted the pink tip to his mouth and sucked.

A needle of pleasure shot through her. His warm, wet mouth on her sensitive flesh sent wicked sensations shuddering through her. The passion he’d carefully wrought within her came perilously close to bursting.

His low growl of pleasure as he squeezed her breasts with his hands and sucked her with his incredible mouth sent heat washing over her. Her hips started to lift as the urgency between her legs grew unbearable.

Her obvious need seemed to shatter his control. His mouth grew more insistent as he sucked, his tongue circling and his teeth nipping lightly on the turgid peak until her entire body arched against him.

Finally, when she didn’t think she could stand it anymore,
he lifted his head from her breast and moved over her. He lowered his chest to hers, letting her feel some of his weight. The warm air hit her skin as he lifted her nightraile and slid his hands between her legs.

All of a sudden, she froze.

His weight suddenly felt suffocating as her mind filled with haunting images. His gentle touch suddenly felt rough and threatening. Bile rose in the back of her throat. The smoke. The soldier attempting to pry her legs apart.

She pushed against him, tears stinging her eyes, the beauty of the moment shattered by memories of the past. “Stop!” she cried. “Please stop! I can’t do this.”

Desire twisted around Jamie like a steel vise. He drew a long, ragged breath, every inch of his body primed for passion. Never had he so wanted to thrust inside a woman and relieve the agonizing pressure in his loins. His cock throbbed, pulsing with need. Every primal instinct clamored to take. Her kiss. Her moans. The sweet movements of her body. Her responsiveness had brought him to the breaking point. He held himself taut, fighting for control, until sweat gathered on his forehead.

He knew what he had to do, even if it killed him. Slowly, he lifted himself off her. “You have nothing to fear from me, Caitrina. I would never hurt you.”

She looked ready to burst into tears. “It’s just that I keep remembering …”

Jamie cursed his brother’s guardsman. If the blackguard weren’t dead already, he would be now.

“You don’t understand.” She looked at him wildly, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I think he … violated me.”

He wiped a hot tear away with his thumb. She’d remembered more than he’d realized, but not all of it. “He didn’t rape you, Caitrina.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because I prevented him from doing so.”

Her eyes grew wide. “You did?”

He nodded. “You were unconscious, and I wasn’t sure how much you remembered. I would have said something earlier if I’d known what you thought.” His face grew
grim. “But be assured the scourge paid the price for what he attempted.”

He could see that she’d understood—the soldier was dead.

“Thank you,” she said softly, lifting her eyes to his.

Though he knew she was relieved to discover she hadn’t been raped, he also knew that her fears would not be so quickly forgotten. But he also knew that making love would bring them closer. How could he show her …

All at once, he knew.

He took her hand, drawing it up to his mouth to place a soft kiss on her palm. “You show me what you want.” He saw her uncertainty.

“What do you mean?”

“I swear that I will not touch you unless you ask it of me.”
Heaven help me.
“If you want to stop, just say so.” She would be in control.

She looked at him uncertainly. “You would do this for me?”

“Aye.” He lifted her hand to his mouth. “I told you, I want to bring you pleasure.”

She blushed. “You were, until …”

He thought for a moment. Until he’d moved over her and slid his hands between her legs. The first could be solved easily enough; the second, well, if he did his part, she would be begging for his touch.

He lay down in bed beside her and rolled her on top of him, excruciatingly aware of every inch of her incredible body plastered to him. Her long, slim legs were entwined with his, the curve of her hip nestled against his manhood, her lush, round breasts crushed against his chest, and the delicate pink tips poked him erotically. The sensation of this delectable woman poured over him was so extraordinary, and so unlike anything he’d ever experienced before, that Jamie wondered if he’d been hasty in his vow not to touch her.

He said a quick prayer for strength and tried not to think about it—which was easier said than done with her molded against him.

When he looked into her eyes, he could see her surprise—but not, he was relieved to see, fear.

“Um … are you sure it can be done …” She bit her lip. “Is this natural?”

God, yes.
He tried not to groan, thinking just how natural this position could be. He didn’t want to think of his hands around her waist, her breasts bouncing against his hands as she moved up and down on his throbbing—

Hell.

Clearing the lustful images from his head, he answered, “There is more than one way to make love, Caitrina. And I promise to show you all of them.”

The shy blush that rose to her cheeks was one of the most sensual things he’d ever seen, for he could see the eager curiosity in her eyes.

He held his hands firmly at his side, resisting the urge to slide them along the smooth curve of her back and cup the lush swell of her buttocks.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what to do,” she said, clearly embarrassed.

“Whatever you will,” he replied. “I’m yours to command.”

She considered for a moment, and the naughty smile that played upon her lips sent a chill of foreboding straight through him. The feeling, so foreign, could only be described as alarm. He, a man who’d made hardened warriors turn and run on the battlefield, was scared of a wee lass.

What in Hades had he done?

She looked at his mouth, unconsciously sliding her tongue along her lower lip. Heat rushed over him. “You mean if I kiss you …” She lowered her mouth to his until only a hairbreadth separated them. The succulent honey of
her breath made his mouth water. “You will not kiss me back?”

His body went rigid as she placed a tender kiss on his mouth. He had to grip the bedcoverings to fight the hard swell that rose inside him, demanding a response. He wanted to kiss her hard, to have his tongue deep in her mouth as he devoured her senseless.

“Not if you don’t want me to,” he said tightly.

He felt her relax, her body eased against him, melting. It was pure torture.

She kissed him again, sliding her tongue between the crease of his mouth. His chest pounded, his cock jerking hard against her.
Where in the hell had she learned to do that?

If it was instinct, as he suspected, he was in trouble—deep trouble.

But he didn’t have time to contemplate the future because she kissed him again. Pressing her soft lips to his and sliding her tongue in his mouth in a slow, tender sigh.

Her soft hand held his cheek as she stroked him with her tongue as he’d so foolishly taught her. It was all he could do not to flip her over on her back and kiss her as deeply as she was begging for.

“Kiss me,” she murmured.

He groaned with relief, circling his tongue against hers, sparring, delving, tasting her every bit as deeply as she had him. She was so sweet and hot, he couldn’t get enough.

Blood was pounding through his body. His erection was so hard, he knew she must feel him. As if reading his thoughts, she moved her hips over him, wedging him firmly between her legs.

He couldn’t breathe.

Unaware of what she was doing to him, she broke the kiss and trailed her lips along his jaw and neck, singeing a path of fire on his skin. Her hands fanned over his chest and arms, exploring every ridge and bulge of muscle with
almost childish delight, as if she were a bairn opening a gift at Yule.

His heart pounded, his cock pounded, every instinct clamored to touch her, but he held still under her innocent scrutiny.

He counted to ten in his head, doing anything to keep his mind from what she was doing to his body.

What had possessed him to do this? She lifted her chest off him a little to slide her hand between them, her hand skimming his stomach as her tongue slid along his neck. Every muscle in his body tensed. Her fingers trailed across the rigid bands of his stomach, and the feathery touch so achingly close was almost more than he could bear. He had to grit his teeth to prevent another groan.

Her hand dipped lower, to the waist of his breeches, and her palm accidentally brushed over the throbbing head of his erection. His buttocks clenched as he fought the urge to thrust.

He must have made a sound because she lifted her mouth from his neck. He could see the uncertainty in her gaze. “Did I hurt you?”

He shook his head and said tightly, “Only because I want you so much.”

She slid her eyes down to him, seeing how he strained against the leather of his breeches. If possible, it only made him harder. “Would it help if I touched you?”

“Yes,” he lied, even though he knew it would only make it infinitely worse. But what she offered him was so tantalizing, he could not speak the truth. Her tiny hand wrapped around him …

He shook off the thought and steeled himself for her touch.

“What do I do?”

“Undo the ties.” She did as he directed. He knew he shouldn’t, but he had to watch her. Her eyes widened, seeing him in the flesh—all of him. He wondered if she would
change her mind, but after a long pause she raised her eyes to his in question. “Circle me with your hand,” he said softly.

“I’ll try.”

He closed his eyes and groaned.
Oh God, that felt good.
Her hand was soft and cool, and he was so hot. He jerked a little in her hand as a drop of fluid escaped from his tip. Her grip around him was tentative, but sweet … achingly sweet.

Because he didn’t think he could speak, he covered her hand with his and showed her how to stroke him.

Flames roared in his ears as he gave himself over to the fire she wrought in his blood. Pleasure unlike anything he’d ever known rushed over him.

She stroked him faster, harder, until the pressure built to erupting, his body clenched, and he knew he was about to come.

He grabbed her wrist. “Stop,” he said through gritted teeth. “You’ll unman me.”

His heart pounded as he fought for control. She looked at him questioningly. “I’ve been too long without a woman,” he explained, though he knew it had nothing to do with that—he had always been a man of prodigious control even when it came to sex—but everything to do with
this
woman.

His explanation seemed to please her. She leaned down and kissed him again. “How long?” she murmured against his mouth.

He thought about it a minute and decided to tell her the truth. “Since I first saw you.”

Caitrina didn’t know why, but his declaration pleased her enormously. She wasn’t exactly sure what his need to stop had to do with other women, but it didn’t matter. He’d lain with no one else since he’d met her. It must mean something. Perhaps he did care for her.

She could tell from the strain in his body that what she’d done had pleased him. And pleasing him, she realized, had also pleased her.