He gave her cheek a light caress. “Trust me to show you the way.”
Her heart was in palpitations as they entered their room.
Octavian closed the door and secured the latch.
However, Syd did not feel trapped with him. Despite his brawn and often stern demeanor, he was soft as pudding on the inside when it came to her. She did not understand why he was so kind and caring, or accepting of her prickly disposition when she so often riled him.
“Will you trust me, Syd?” he asked again, coming to her side to assist in unlacing the ties of her gown.
She raised her arm to give him easier access. “Yes, not a doubt.”
He gave her a light, lingering kiss on the neck that completely shattered her resistance. Not that she had any intention of resisting. But with one kiss, he had turned her body liquid. When he planted another lingering kiss on her neck and wrapped her in his arms, her body turned to fire. “Octavian, I…oh, dear heaven. Do all the ladies respond like this?”
“Syd, it is just you and me. No one else matters.”
“But I’ve never done anything like this before. You are the only man who has ever kissed me. For all my book learning, I am at a loss when it comes to real life experience. I suppose I spent too much time with cadavers instead of living, breathing men, just as you have often accused.”
“No talk of dead people just now, all right?” he muttered with a chuckle.
She nodded. “Yes, I see your point. Forgive me. As you can see, I am quite the fluttering peahen just now. Especially since you have removed my gown and are starting to unpin my hair.”
“Do you want me to stop?”
“No!” She sighed. “Just ignore my rambling. I am very eager to do this, but you mustn’t take thatlaststep, Octavian. Not yet.”
His hands stilled as they were gently sliding through her tumble of curls. “Exploration but no claiming the treasure?”
“For your sake, not mine. I have no doubts or concerns for myself.”
He turned her to face him and tipped her chin up to meet his gaze. “Your concerns are for me? Syd, I do not want this to be a pretend marriage. I do not want you to leave me when you turn one and twenty. I want to be with you until you are onehundredand twenty. Why are you resisting?”
She tried not to tremble, for he would feel it in the cup of his hand as he held her delicately by the chin. “You mustn’t be so quick to accept me,” she tried to explain. Why was he being so thick about this? She was a Harcourt, which meant something was going to happen to disappoint him and have him running from their marriage. “Please, Octavian. Can we not take this slowly?”
He emitted a groaning laugh and gave her chin a light tweak before releasing her. “Of course, Syd. We’ll go at your pace. I want to devour you. But, very well. I am not going to rush you.”
“Oh, I’ve squashed your ardor, haven’t I?” She cast him a worried glance.
His smile in response was affectionate. “If you are asking whether I still want to undress you and carry you to bed, the answer to that is…yes, I do. I’ll just have to work a little harder to keep myself in control.”
“And by demanding this, I am spoiling your pleasure.” She silently kicked herself for saying anything to this wonderful man. But this was what she did best, ruin things. Isn’t this what her mother had always said about her?
He took a moment to hang up his jacket on a peg by the hearth. “It’s almost dry,” he commented while feeling along the fabric. Next, he removed his shirt and came back toward her with his glorious muscles on full display. “The only way you would disappoint me is not to join me in that bed. With or without clothes. It is entirely your choice.”
She cast him a determined look. “Without.”
“And so it shall be.” He sank onto their bed, smiling and chuckling as he began to remove his boots.
She watched him. “Will you help me out of my corset and shift?”
He nodded and came to her side. He had gotten as far as undoing one of the buttons of his falls before she had asked the question. There was something quite arousing about the way that one side of the fabric dipped down toalmostreveal him.
His grin meant he knew the effect he was having on her.
By the time he stripped her out of her corset and shift, she was awash in intimate sensations, most of them hot enough to make a courtesan blush. He settled her on the bed and pressed on, now naked himself while positioning himself atop her on the soft mattress. His weight rested on his arms so as not to crush her, but she adored the feel of his body atop hers.
And deeply regretted insisting he keep to her wishes and not claim her maidenhead. But she soon found out there were other ways to claim her and Octavian appeared to have mastered them all.
He savored her breasts, licking and teasing the hardened buds. Then he moved between her legs and put his mouththere, suckling her and swirling his tongue until…oh, heavens. Powerful sensations washed over her, catching her up in a tidal wave of feelings. Unstoppable heat and pressure that kept building inside her until the pressure released and she was carried off to an unknown place.
