She laughed. “I’m sorry, but it’s true. I don’t know how you did it, but you made me fall in love with you.”
“It was all that kneeling at your altar I did.”
“That certainly helped.”
He kissed her gently, then drew back again. “Your father will kill me.”
“You won’t let him.” She kissed him.
He returned the kiss, then pulled away, his expression serious. “I’ll wager the last of our money in a card game and ruin us.”
“Iwon’t let you.” She put her hands on either side of his face. “Trust me, Carlisle. I’ll take care of you.”
He grinned. “That’s what I’m supposed to say.” He moved to nuzzle her neck, and his hands took up where she’d left off with the buttons at her throat.
“We’d better hope the storm doesn’t let up too soon or we’ll shock Robins,” she said.
His lips found her earlobe, and she gasped softly. “He was never coming in here with us. He’d rather sit in the rain.”
Katie pulled back. “Carlisle, we can’t let him do that.”
He chuckled. “He’s fine. I know the shelter he went to. He might not be as dry as we are, but he’ll be warm with his cattle huddled inside. In the meantime, we’d better get you out of these damp clothes.”
He pulled her to her feet, dropping his blanket as he did so. Katie looked down at his bare chest, his tapered waist, his slim hips, and his aroused male member.
“That was quite the perusal, my lady. What’s your verdict?”
“You’ll have to turn around before I can give one.”
He made a sound of surprise but obliged her. Finally, she had a view of his broad back, and it was as splendid as she’d hoped, all muscle and sinew until it narrowed to his waist, followed by a very nicely rounded bottom.
Carlisle glanced over his shoulder at her. “Seen enough?”
“I could look at you all night,” she whispered.
“I’d rather you touched me.” He shifted to face her again and sank to his knees.
“May I touch you?” she asked.
“Don’t make me beg.”
She reached out a hand—now she was the one trembling—and slid it over his shoulders and down his back. She felt his muscles tense as she traced them all the way to the slope of his bottom. She ran her hand over that nicely rounded part of him, smiling when he groaned low in his throat. “Now the other side,” she said.
Carlisle turned. “You do realize this is torture?”
“You like it,” she said as her fingers tripped over his collarbone. “I daresay you like to be admired.”
She lifted her other hand and ran both of them down his chest until she reached his abdomen. Then she moved more slowly, her gaze meeting his. His light eyes were dark now, bluer than she’d ever seen them.
“Do I touch you there?” she asked.
“If you want.”
She moved one hand lower. “How do I… What do I…”
His hand caught hers, and he guided her to his erection. His skin was soft, like a velvet sheath over heated steel. He showed her how to slide from the head to the root and back up again.
“You like that?” she asked, though she could see quite clearly that he did.
