blazing eyes, and her breath escaped on a sob.
“You’ll marry me,” he said in a rough voice. If they hadn’t just kissed as if the world ended, she’d think he was angry.
She tipped her chin up and spoke defiantly. “Yes.”
Charlotte waited for him to say he was pleased, but he still looked as if he poised on the edge of a cliff. A cliff with hungry crocodiles snapping below.
“Soon?” he growled.
“Tomorrow if I could.”
“Good.”
He grabbed her old-fashioned round gown at the hips and crushed the material in his hands. “I want you naked,” he said, voice edged.
She loved his fierceness. It stemmed from need. She wanted him to need her. When she laid her hand on his heaving chest, he was as hot as a furnace. At her
touch, he bit back a groan.
Today she’d been impressed with his urbanity under trying circumstances. This lack of control now told her more than anything else could that if she
yielded to this passion, he yielded, too. They were equals in desire.
“This dress lifts right off,” she said. It was why she’d worn it. She saw his eyes flare sapphire, then a cloud of cotton blinded her as
he whisked the gown over her head.
Under the dress, she was naked. She straightened and stood before him, offering him everything she was. It was frightening to leave herself so
open—trust was never easy for her. But as she read the wonder in his expression, she recognized that this time, her allegiance wasn’t
misplaced.
“You’re so beautiful.” The awe in his voice brushed across her bare skin like a warm breeze. Emotion thickened his accent. He no longer
sounded as if he meant to devour her in two snaps of those straight white teeth.
With a gentleness that made her tremble, he drew her against him until her breasts met his bare chest. Instinctively she moved closer to all that heat and
power, making him groan again.
The universe was hot and dark, and brimming with sensual discovery. He held her face in the curve of his shoulder. With sight denied, other senses
sharpened. She stood in his arms, as their breath eased into the same rhythm. His musky scent was the air she breathed, and his heart pounded like hammer
blows against her. She was overwhelmingly conscious of his potent masculinity.
The communication was too profound for speech. Soon he’d join her in the bed she’d never shared with another person. He’d invade her
body, and she’d be a virgin no more. But this serene interval marked the beginning of their true union.
After a universe of time, he began to touch her, hands skimming across her naked skin in glancing exploration. Her heart kicked into a gallop, and she
arched closer.
He smoothed her wild mane of hair until she felt like purring. Then his hands slid greedily over shoulders and back and flanks. He dipped to shape the
curve of her hips and the swell of her buttocks. Her skin came alive under his exploration. His touch made her head swim, turned her legs weak. The wonder
left her clinging to his shoulders.
So close to him, she knew he trembled, too, with long, quaking shivers that combed through him like waves crashing toward the shore. She turned her head
and kissed his warm, male flesh. His taste flooded her senses. His busy hands stilled, and she heard his breath catch.
She shook her hair back from her face and stared up at him. This sensual man tugged so powerfully at her desire. His expression was intent, and his lips
were full and dark. His eyelids were heavy. He looked like he was lost in a drugged paradise.
“I don’t know how to please you,” she whispered.
For the first time since he’d burst into her room, tenderness softened his smile. Her blood melted to syrup as those strong hands rose to cradle her
head.
“You don’t have to do anything,
mo chridhe
. Your mere presence pleases me more than I can say.” He paused, then spoke with more
emphasis, in case she misunderstood. “
You
please me.”
The mad swoop of her heart
“You’ll marry me,” he said in a rough voice. If they hadn’t just kissed as if the world ended, she’d think he was angry.
She tipped her chin up and spoke defiantly. “Yes.”
Charlotte waited for him to say he was pleased, but he still looked as if he poised on the edge of a cliff. A cliff with hungry crocodiles snapping below.
“Soon?” he growled.
“Tomorrow if I could.”
“Good.”
He grabbed her old-fashioned round gown at the hips and crushed the material in his hands. “I want you naked,” he said, voice edged.
She loved his fierceness. It stemmed from need. She wanted him to need her. When she laid her hand on his heaving chest, he was as hot as a furnace. At her
touch, he bit back a groan.
Today she’d been impressed with his urbanity under trying circumstances. This lack of control now told her more than anything else could that if she
yielded to this passion, he yielded, too. They were equals in desire.
“This dress lifts right off,” she said. It was why she’d worn it. She saw his eyes flare sapphire, then a cloud of cotton blinded her as
he whisked the gown over her head.
Under the dress, she was naked. She straightened and stood before him, offering him everything she was. It was frightening to leave herself so
open—trust was never easy for her. But as she read the wonder in his expression, she recognized that this time, her allegiance wasn’t
misplaced.
“You’re so beautiful.” The awe in his voice brushed across her bare skin like a warm breeze. Emotion thickened his accent. He no longer
sounded as if he meant to devour her in two snaps of those straight white teeth.
With a gentleness that made her tremble, he drew her against him until her breasts met his bare chest. Instinctively she moved closer to all that heat and
power, making him groan again.
The universe was hot and dark, and brimming with sensual discovery. He held her face in the curve of his shoulder. With sight denied, other senses
sharpened. She stood in his arms, as their breath eased into the same rhythm. His musky scent was the air she breathed, and his heart pounded like hammer
blows against her. She was overwhelmingly conscious of his potent masculinity.
The communication was too profound for speech. Soon he’d join her in the bed she’d never shared with another person. He’d invade her
body, and she’d be a virgin no more. But this serene interval marked the beginning of their true union.
After a universe of time, he began to touch her, hands skimming across her naked skin in glancing exploration. Her heart kicked into a gallop, and she
arched closer.
He smoothed her wild mane of hair until she felt like purring. Then his hands slid greedily over shoulders and back and flanks. He dipped to shape the
curve of her hips and the swell of her buttocks. Her skin came alive under his exploration. His touch made her head swim, turned her legs weak. The wonder
left her clinging to his shoulders.
So close to him, she knew he trembled, too, with long, quaking shivers that combed through him like waves crashing toward the shore. She turned her head
and kissed his warm, male flesh. His taste flooded her senses. His busy hands stilled, and she heard his breath catch.
She shook her hair back from her face and stared up at him. This sensual man tugged so powerfully at her desire. His expression was intent, and his lips
were full and dark. His eyelids were heavy. He looked like he was lost in a drugged paradise.
“I don’t know how to please you,” she whispered.
For the first time since he’d burst into her room, tenderness softened his smile. Her blood melted to syrup as those strong hands rose to cradle her
head.
“You don’t have to do anything,
mo chridhe
. Your mere presence pleases me more than I can say.” He paused, then spoke with more
emphasis, in case she misunderstood. “
You
please me.”
The mad swoop of her heart
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