The Wedding Runaway (42 page)

She turned and looked down at the floor. Her hesitation charmed him
,
and he reached out to lift her chin.

"
The dress
,
Victor. I cannot keep it
."
She met and held his gaze.

His hand trembled. He feared she meant to remove the dress in front of him. As he stared at her
,
he realized she did understand the implications.
"
But—
"

She pressed her bare fingertips against his lips.
"
I have thought about this and...
"
She looked away
,
"
and this is what I want.
"

Sanity was pouring out of his pores as his heart pounded and he wanted...he wanted....
"
Lydia
,
if we go into your bedroom
,
I want everything
,
no holds barred.
"

She stepped closer and held his lapels
.
"
And I want you.
"

Desire knifed through Victor
,
almost making him double over. Oh, God
,
he wanted to make love to her with an intensity
,
such as he had never wanted anything so badly in his life. It had been so long
,
so desperately long. He could warn her of consequences all he wanted
,
but he could not fight her ruin when she welcomed it. A calmness and feeling of right settled over him. In this moment
,
making love to her could only be right.

Chapter Eighteen

Lydia pulled the jeweled hairpins from her hair
,
not willing to risk their loss. Not that much could be done with her short tresses
,
but Sophie had loaned her the pins to add cachet.

Victor pulled loose his cravat and then removed his jacket and waistcoat.

She did not know how this making love was done
,
although standing apart undressing seemed coldly distant. She reached up to unhook the collar of her dress. The absence of her shift underneath made her feel exposed.

"
Let me do that
,
pet
,"
he said while toeing off his shoes.

She swallowed and dropped her hands. They fell uselessly at her sides. She sat on the edge of her dressing table stool
,
waiting for him to finish undressing. He drew his shirt over his head and then his undershirt.

She studied the floor and then realized belatedly that she could remove her shoes and stockings.

The black legs of his unmentionables came into her limited view and she did not know whether to be thankful or regretful he had not removed them. He knelt down and reached up under her skirt to the garters of her pink silk stockings and loosened one. He ever so slowly rolled her stocking down her leg.

She held onto the stool
,
not knowing what to do with herself. His dark head was practically in her lap
,
and the bare skin of his shoulders and back in front of her. She should touch him
,
yet she was unsure.

He lifted her newly bared foot and pressed a kiss to the sole. Her toes curled in response. He lowered her foot and reached for her other garter. Would he undress her completely with such revered gentleness?

She touched his shoulder
,
the scarred one. His skin was warm and smooth. He stood, bringing her up with him.

Her eyes dropped to the smooth male contours of his chest and belly. His muscles showed through the skin and she was amazed at their differences
,
and there was that dark line of hair that dipped down his stomach
,
below his waistband. He pulled her against him. The skin of her chest prickled where it came into the bare skin of his chest.

"
Are you sure
,
Lydia?
"
he asked.
"
It is not too late to stop.
"

"
I
'
m sure. Why cannot a woman choose to take a lover if a man can?
"
What she had meant to sound brave came out squeaky and alarmed.

Victor
'
s grip tightened around her.
"
You know why. I daresay you will hate me eventually
,
but I cannot fight this when I want you so much.
"

His words calmed her. Hardly a balm to her ego
,
but she understood.
"
I cannot imagine hating you
,"
she whispered.

"
But
,
there is only this moment.
"

"
This is all I want. Right here
,
right now. I expect no more of you.
"

He cradled her head with his hand.
"
Then do not be frightened. I will go slowly.
"

"
And you must teach me how to do the things you like.
"

"
No. I fear my pleasure will too easily be had. All I want is that you will like things well enough that you shall not regret this disastrous choice.
"

She would never regret it. She loved him
,
and she wanted to show him. And in just a couple of days
,
James would force her to leave when he learned that Victor had no intention of marrying her.

Lydia did not know if Trevor had the truth of it or that Victor could not bear the thought of giving his heart again
,
but she knew that he needed this as much or more than she did.

He held her for the longest time
,
until she could hardly stand the wait for his kiss. Then his lips found hers and the mating dance began.

He kissed her until she was dizzy from lack of air
,
and she swayed against him
,
but he held her steady. He was her rock
,
while she flowed around him like the sea
,
her white skirts frothing around their legs like foam on a turbulent ocean.

He ran his hands along her back
,
over her hips with exquisite slowness and left ripples in their wake. Her skin heated and tingled. She breathed in deeply of him
,
exploring the lines of his back
,
the dips and hollows of muscle and bone. Every thing about him was perfection
,
from his lean muscles to his gentle caresses.

His lips left her mouth and trailed down her neck. He brought his hands slowly up her sides
,
while he bent pressing butterfly kisses along the edge of her neckline. His light guidance into the realms of passion made her feel treasured and just a bit impatient. Yet it warmed her soul that he would offer so much effort that she would not be frightened or rushed
,
because she could sense his patience was for her
,
not for himself.

"
Ah
,
Lyddie
,
I have been dying to do this since I first saw you this evening
,"
he murmured just before he pushed down the décolletage she had been so worried about slipping.

She drew in a sharp breath as he laved her nipple, then drew it into his mouth. Jolt after jolt of raw sensation rippled through her, straight down through her womb to the damp entrance between her buckling legs. He held her
,
supporting her weight as he treated her other breast to the same attention.

He ended it too soon
,
pulling her against his bare chest
,
then straightening to full height. She shuddered as her tight wet nipples rubbed against his skin
,
and she arched to press closer.

Sensation after sensation racked her body and she wanted this moment never to end
,
but she wanted to be closer to him. Yet
,
his progression was maddeningly slow. He brought his hands up to cradle her face as he kissed her again, as if they would start at the beginning.

She made a sound of protest and his lips curled against hers. He drew back and stroked her cheek with his fingertips. She stared into his dark eyes and grew mesmerized by the smoky desire reflected there.

"
Ready for more
,
pet?
"

She nodded shakily. Oh it was not the beginning at all
,
but the start of a new level. Coolness at her back made her realize he was unhooking the fasteners down her back.
"
I don
'
t have on a shift.
"

"
So I see
,"
he said.
"
How divine
,
no shift
,
nor stays
,
and soon not much else.
"

A burst of panic made her clutch at his shoulders.
"
Should we not move to the bed?
"

"
Not yet
,
sweetheart.
"
He brushed a kiss across her nose and turned her back to him.

The underpinnings of the dress had a complicated set of tapes that held the bodice tight and had kept everything in place. Lydia squeezed her eyes shut, thinking how long it had taken her and Jenny and Sophie to get them laced and fastened correctly.

He unhooked the diamond-studded collar and pulled it down in front, brushing the back of his hands against her skin
,
across her breasts. Sparkles danced down her front as if the diamonds had given her their luster through his hands.

She shuddered. He pressed his lips against her neck and moved lower. Each tape that came undone was followed by his lips
,
lighting her skin with passion
'
s fire
,
until she was panting. He slid the sleeves down her arms and the dress dropped to her hips
,
then slithered to the floor.

His hands at her waist found the ties to her pantalets and had them undone
,
and the last of her clothing dropped to the pile at her feet.

Her eyes flew open and she realized he watched her in the mirror above her dressing table. The urge to cover her nakedness brought her elbows in.

"
Do not cover yourself. You are lovely.
"
He gently eased her elbow out and up.
"
I could look upon your beauty forever.
"

Just the hint of deep breathlessness and rough burr to his voice made her believe he spoke sincerely.

"
I do not imagine I should look so forever.
"
Heat flooded her cheeks and her flush spread down her chest. She fought her fears and embarrassments
,
wanting to give him whatever he wanted. If he wanted to look upon her naked
,
then she would stand here naked.

"
But this is how I would see you
,
unless you managed to grow more beautiful.
"
He held her hands back and trailed his hand down her inner arm
,
over her breast
,
across her ribs
,
and down to the nest of tan curls.
"
Truly
,
you could have been a model for one of the Greek statues of Aphrodite
,
but no sculptor could do you complete justice.
"

She was caught between how telling his words were and that he touched her where she had never been touched. Then he pressed his fingers against her. A wave of pleasure broke over her.

How could he know to touch her like that?

With his shoulder he tipped her back. His palm against her spine supported her weight and he kissed her as he rotated his fingers against the hidden bud of delight. Oh
,
she was coming undone.

She moaned into his mouth.

He tipped her farther back and then lifted her. She was breathless and her body was thrumming with need that she could not name. Yet
,
she understood he would start at the beginning
,
repeating each kiss and caress and then finally when she was thrumming with anticipation
,
too eager to be fearful
,
he would add a new facet to this magical encounter.

He set her in the center of her turned-down bed and bent over to kiss her. She mourned the absence of his touch
,
but then the mattress shifted as his weight joined hers. She ran her hand down his back and she met no barrier at his waist. She slid her hand down over his firm flank. She wished she could ply this magical seduction on him
,
but she did not have his skill or fortitude. She only hoped that her touches gave him one tenth the delight he gave her.

He moaned and dipped his head. She pressed kisses to his shoulder and neck and wiggled lower to taste his skin. She explored the ripples on his stomach and ran her index finger down the dark arrow of hair into the thatch of springy curls surrounding his male member.

He held himself still
,
poised over her as she touched the erect shaft. She wrapped her fingers around him and he groaned low in his throat. Oh
,
that she could please him. She wanted to make him feel pleasure and her acceptance and welcome.

"
Lyddie
,
I cannot take this for long. I want to do so much more for you.
"

She trailed her kisses down
,
twisting to reach until she touched her lips to the velvety pink skin of his shaft.

Victor made an impatient groan as his member jerked in her grasp. Lydia stared as his hardened shaft throbbed.

He shifted
,
grabbing her under the arms and pulling her back up to the pillow. He nudged her thighs with his knee
,
and she opened her legs to him. He pulled her hands out of the way and settled his body against hers.