were finely made.
His hands clenched the bedspread. He would not enact the very scenario he'd described.
"Jude," she whispered.
He ignored her plea and kissed his way along the line of the fabric. Her hands tightened in his hair and pleasure pulsed into his veins. She wanted this. She wanted him.
Jude eased one hand beneath her robe and curled it over her shoulder so that he could feather his thumb across the very top of her breast. She shivered and arched into his body.
This was a more difficult exercise in control than he'd imagined. And Marissa was showing no restraint at all.
Jude closed his eyes and counted to twenty; then, telling himself he could stop when he needed too, he finally pressed his lips to the thin fabric that covered her breast. He closed his mouth over her nipple, and Marissa gasped in a high, sweet voice.
Christ, yes. that was the sound he wanted. Those gasping, keening sighs. He suhecked her nipple and coaxed more lovely notes, then scraped his teeth over her to hear even more.
He wanted so badly to tug her gown down and see the miracle of her naked body. He wanted to strip her bare and taste every inch of her skin. Then he wanted to bury himself deep within her for hours.
But more than anything, he wanted Marissa to think she couldn't live without him, as he was beginning to think he couldn't live without her.
He kissed her other breast as well, sucking at her nipple through the fabric until she was panting with lust.
Hands shaking with the effort of restraint, Jude lifted his head and kissed her mouth once more. Then he rolled to his back with a wince and closed his eyes. "That is the difference between a boy and man," he rasped.
"What? Why did you stop?" Unwilling to lie there passively, Marissa popped up on her elbow. "You haven't left me satisfied, if that's what you think!"
"Ha! Give me some credit. Half the joy of making love is the pleasure of anticipation. I bet none of your dancing boys have ever taught you that lesson."
"But... but I do not need to be taught lessons! You are not my tutor!"
"No, I am only the man you paid no attention to until three days ago. I am no boy, Marissa, and I am no fool either."
She was silent so long that Jude finally forced his eyes open to look at her. She frowned down at him like a troubled nymph, her lips pink and swollen from a recent tryst in the forest. I do not need you to tempt me, Jude. I like you well enough."
He cocked an eyebrow. "Well enough for what?"
Her lips curved into a smile. "Well enough that I did not want you to stop."
"We've discovered that at least."
She studied him for a long moment. "May I see your chest?"
"Pardon?"
"I'd like to see your chest."
"I'm not sure you'd like it. There's hair on it, you know."
"I know that!"
"What is it that you wish to see then?"
She narrowed her eyes in irritation. "Oh, I think I understand. You've seen women's breasts before, so why would you care to see more?"
There was no arguing with that nonsense, so Jude simply reached for his cravat. He pulled the ends free and unbuttoned his shirt down to the placard. She seemed satisfied with that and slipped her hand beneath the linen to touch his bare skin.
Jude stifled a deep groan. Her hand stroked a tentative path over his chest and twisted knives into his soul.
"You are hairy," she breathed.
I will not pull her over me.
"But not frighteningly so. It feels rather nice."
And I will not slide myself atop her.
She explored up to his shoulders and down to the bottom of his rib cage. "You are so very wide compared to me."
Her palm slid over his nipple, and Jude clenched his teeth. And when her hand skipped down to the sensitive skin of his stomach, he sucked in a gulp of air.
"Sorry, does that tickle?"
"Yes." Yes, it tickled, but the jump in his heartbeat made his cock pound harder until his arousal felt more like pain.
"This is nice," Marissa murmured. "I like this."
Pain or not, he liked it too, and when Marissa laid her head on
His hands clenched the bedspread. He would not enact the very scenario he'd described.
"Jude," she whispered.
He ignored her plea and kissed his way along the line of the fabric. Her hands tightened in his hair and pleasure pulsed into his veins. She wanted this. She wanted him.
Jude eased one hand beneath her robe and curled it over her shoulder so that he could feather his thumb across the very top of her breast. She shivered and arched into his body.
This was a more difficult exercise in control than he'd imagined. And Marissa was showing no restraint at all.
Jude closed his eyes and counted to twenty; then, telling himself he could stop when he needed too, he finally pressed his lips to the thin fabric that covered her breast. He closed his mouth over her nipple, and Marissa gasped in a high, sweet voice.
Christ, yes. that was the sound he wanted. Those gasping, keening sighs. He suhecked her nipple and coaxed more lovely notes, then scraped his teeth over her to hear even more.
He wanted so badly to tug her gown down and see the miracle of her naked body. He wanted to strip her bare and taste every inch of her skin. Then he wanted to bury himself deep within her for hours.
But more than anything, he wanted Marissa to think she couldn't live without him, as he was beginning to think he couldn't live without her.
He kissed her other breast as well, sucking at her nipple through the fabric until she was panting with lust.
Hands shaking with the effort of restraint, Jude lifted his head and kissed her mouth once more. Then he rolled to his back with a wince and closed his eyes. "That is the difference between a boy and man," he rasped.
"What? Why did you stop?" Unwilling to lie there passively, Marissa popped up on her elbow. "You haven't left me satisfied, if that's what you think!"
"Ha! Give me some credit. Half the joy of making love is the pleasure of anticipation. I bet none of your dancing boys have ever taught you that lesson."
"But... but I do not need to be taught lessons! You are not my tutor!"
"No, I am only the man you paid no attention to until three days ago. I am no boy, Marissa, and I am no fool either."
She was silent so long that Jude finally forced his eyes open to look at her. She frowned down at him like a troubled nymph, her lips pink and swollen from a recent tryst in the forest. I do not need you to tempt me, Jude. I like you well enough."
He cocked an eyebrow. "Well enough for what?"
Her lips curved into a smile. "Well enough that I did not want you to stop."
"We've discovered that at least."
She studied him for a long moment. "May I see your chest?"
"Pardon?"
"I'd like to see your chest."
"I'm not sure you'd like it. There's hair on it, you know."
"I know that!"
"What is it that you wish to see then?"
She narrowed her eyes in irritation. "Oh, I think I understand. You've seen women's breasts before, so why would you care to see more?"
There was no arguing with that nonsense, so Jude simply reached for his cravat. He pulled the ends free and unbuttoned his shirt down to the placard. She seemed satisfied with that and slipped her hand beneath the linen to touch his bare skin.
Jude stifled a deep groan. Her hand stroked a tentative path over his chest and twisted knives into his soul.
"You are hairy," she breathed.
I will not pull her over me.
"But not frighteningly so. It feels rather nice."
And I will not slide myself atop her.
She explored up to his shoulders and down to the bottom of his rib cage. "You are so very wide compared to me."
Her palm slid over his nipple, and Jude clenched his teeth. And when her hand skipped down to the sensitive skin of his stomach, he sucked in a gulp of air.
"Sorry, does that tickle?"
"Yes." Yes, it tickled, but the jump in his heartbeat made his cock pound harder until his arousal felt more like pain.
"This is nice," Marissa murmured. "I like this."
Pain or not, he liked it too, and when Marissa laid her head on
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