Oh, he would. Of that, she had little doubt. Not tonight. But soon—when he left her…again.
But she wanted this.
He was worth the risk to her heart.
“Quite so,” she said, smiling up at him. As she spoke, the truth poured out. “I do want you so very badly, Benedict. I want this night with you.”
He kissed her then, his caress speaking far more powerfully than words ever could. Standing, he stripped off his shirt and cast it onto a side chair. The soft rays of moonlight glinted over the hair on his chest and arms. Her breath caught in her throat. He was so very handsome. No, she corrected herself. Handsome was far too bland a word.
He was magnificent.
And she loved him.
Did he sense how she adored his crooked grin? How the intensity in his gaze when he looked at her shattered her every defense? Even after he’d broken her heart, she could not bring herself to resist him.
She would not deprive herself of the pleasure of his touch.
Eagerly, she offered up her heart again, making herself vulnerable to him in every way.
Was she a fool?
She didn’t want to think about that question. Not now. Not while he was hers, at least for this one delicious night.
…
Crisp, cool air prickled against Benedict’s skin. Thankful for the distraction, he pulled in a breath. His desire for Alexandra pulsed within him, threatening to push him past the limits of control.
He would not rush this. As much as he longed to strip her bare and bury himself in her lithe, supple body, he had to take this slowly. Alexandra deserved a tender seduction. She deserved passion, bliss, and ecstasy.
She deserved to be loved.
Loved.
The word echoed in his thoughts.
God above, how he loved her. Alexandra was the only woman he’d ever let into his heart, the only woman who’d ever known his secrets.
He’d love her until he took his last breath. He knew that with every beat of his heart.
And he would bring her pleasure until she was wild for him, as desperate as he was for her.
They would have this night in each other’s arms.
He didn’t shed his trousers. Not yet. He’d woo her gently, until she was hungry for his touch. For his kiss. For his body.
Rebelliously, his cock throbbed against the confines of the cloth, testing his good intentions. He pulled in a breath infused with her essence, stirring his erection. Gritting his teeth, he came back to the bed and prowled over her.
She gazed up at him with eyes that were luminous with sensual awareness. He wasn’t sure what he’d done to deserve her passion, but he would savor her uninhibited response to his body.
“Oh, Benedict,” she whispered. “I’ve dreamed of this…I want you so very much.”
The velvety whisper filled his heart with emotion. Not quite joy. More bittersweet. He needed her with an intensity unlike anything he’d ever felt in his life.
Supporting his weight on his elbows, he kissed her until she moaned with longing. Only then did he set about the entirely pleasurable task of undressing her.
Soon, she lay bared to his eyes, the silvery moonlight touching upon her skin. His heart thudded against his ribs as the breath rushed from his lungs. She was beautiful. Slender and long-limbed yet rounded in all the right places. Supple breasts tipped with rosy nipples tantalized him with their loveliness. Odd, how she did not consider herself beautiful. As a girl, she’d found fault with her height and her long, elegant neck. She’d even despaired over her smile. To think she believed that full, rosy mouth of hers was not appealing, when the very thought of kissing those velvet lips had kept him up on more than one night.
She was perfection.
