Somehow, the fact that she didn’t quite know it, that she didn’t see herself as men undoubtedly did, made her all the more appealing.
Lowering his head, he pressed kisses to the column of her throat, to that sensitive spot just below her earlobe, and then, lower. Savoring each taste of her skin as if she were a rare delicacy, he sketched a sensual path over her breasts, adoring each nipple in turn, until she moaned with the pleasure of it.
“You intend to drive me mad with wanting, don’t you, Benedict?” she teased between her little breathless pants.
“This is only the beginning, darling.”
He pressed his mouth to the softness of her belly. She wriggled in delight as he continued his leisurely exploration, urging him on with her soft entreaties and velvety sighs.
And then, he ducked his head lower still, seeking and finding that most exquisitely pleasurable spot on her female body.
The moment his tongue flicked over the nub of flesh, he thought she’d come off the bed.
A gasp escaped her. Not a protest, but rather an exclamation of surprise.
“What…what are you doing?” she managed in tiny breaths.
“You’ll like it, sweetheart,” he whispered. “If you want me to stop—”
“No—I trust you,” she murmured. He glanced up to see her eyes closed, the softest of smiles on her mouth as she embraced the intensely intimate contact.
She writhed against him, each moan and hushed cry filled with the unadulterated bliss, so very new to her.
And then, she cried out, a sound of true ecstasy. As he gathered her in his arms to ride out the storm of sensation, she trembled.
Lying at her side, he cradled her softly against his chest. Still quaking softly, she nestled closer, and he drank in her soft fragrance.
“My, you are a wicked one.” Wonder and temptation infused her words. “That was…incredible.”
“You don’t say,” he said, smiling as he cupped his palm against her cheek. “I believe I told you you’d like it.”
“And that, sir, is quite the understatement.”
As she regained her breath, she turned to him, a gamine smile on her lips. Her eyes flashed with temptation.
“Well, I’d say that was an admirable start.”
“Quite so,” he agreed. “Shall we continue, darling?”
“Of course,” she murmured, tracing little circles over his chest. She knew full well how her touch affected him, and she relished the power she had over him. “As I see it, there’s one problem.”
He hitched a brow. “And what might that be?”
The fingers that had drawn those tantalizing circles skimmed down the length of his body. Over his belly, gliding over the line of hair that trailed into his trousers. The minx smiled as her fingertips moved lower, stirring his cock to a full-bodied rebellion against the restraint of his trouser fabric.
“You, my wicked viscount, are still clothed.” Her grin broadened. “I’d say that’s rather unfair, wouldn’t you?”
“You make a valid point, my dear Alexandra. I shall have to remedy that situation.”
He shed the offending garments, then stretched out beside her on the bed. If he died and went to paradise, this night with her might well be his reward.
His erection throbbed in silent demand, but he held her in his arms. His fingers threaded through her hair, fanning the silken strands over the pillow.
His heart pulsed with a longing he might never sate. He could never get enough of her. If he lived a hundred lifetimes, he’d never tire of kissing her sweet mouth, of touching the satin of her skin. Of loving her.
He adored her, more than he’d ever cherished anything in his life. There were no words that might adequately express the emotions that filled him when he held her close to his heart.
And so, he made love to her with his body. With his soul. Until they both lay sated and spent. Somehow, deep within, he knew this was truly only the beginning. Nothing—not time, not distance—would ever change that. Without even trying, she’d claimed a piece of his soul.
