him movement for movement. He needed to thrust inside her and bury his manhood to the hilt.
Her every whimper echoed in his head. He tried to ease up and allow her passion to rise, but it was no good. His breath roared like a steam engine, his skin tingled, and his blood thrummed through him and engorged him. He needed her now.
Bunching her skirts, he pulled the material up while pushing his knee between her legs.
She pushed against his chest. With a groan of impatience he ended the kiss.
“Iris,” she gasped.
A cold wash eased his urgency. His head snapped toward the door to be sure it was still shut and Iris wasn’t peeking through a crack. But the door was latched.
“What about Iris?” he growled.
Her face pinched, Velvet struggled to push down her skirts. His world tilted.
“Velvet?” Uncertainty cut through the haze of passion.
“I came to get Eve. Iris can’t sleep without her.” Velvet’s chin dipped and she averted her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to . . .” Her hand wavered and her voice shook.
Her chest rose and fell, brushing against his at the peak of inhalation.
“I wanted to wait until morning, but Iris is nearly hysterical, and I told her she could have Eve back when— Oh God.” Her mouth twisted and she covered it with her shaking hand. “I have to get back to her. With Eve.”
He pivoted, strode across the room and grabbed the doll. It was as if Lilith managed to intrude. Although to be fair, Lilith had nothing to do with the doll. Lilith had everything to do with Iris.
Holding out Eve, he returned to Velvet. She averted her head and held up her hand like a blinder.
He pushed the doll into her chest and stepped back to belt his dressing gown closed.
Velvet seemed fragile. In the pale orange glow of the coals, her face was blanched of all color. Her knees buckled. He caught her elbow, providing support. Her trembles ran up his arm. Had he been too rough? Was she feeling ill?
He cursed under his breath. She had responded, he’d felt her growing ardor. She’d returned his kisses, damn it.
Velvet curled the doll to her chest.
She didn’t make a move toward the door.
He wanted to pull her into his arms and cradle her, but he doubted he could stifle his passion long enough to just comfort her. That he even wanted to was shocking.
Clicking the door open, he guided her toward the opening. He couldn’t resist leaning in and pressing his lips to her neck. “Come back.”
She took a quick step away. “Is that . . .” She swiveled to face him, her eyes wide. She swallowed hard and whispered, “Is that an order?”
Had she remembered she should be afraid of him? “I hired you to be Iris’s governess, not my mistress.”
Her lips tightened. “Will you dismiss me?”
Folding his arms across his chest, he leaned against the doorjamb. “Not for a refusal to lay with me.”
She looked right and then left, then down, as if she could find no good place to look. Scowling, he watched her discomfort. Had she thought she had no choice?
“Velvet.”
Her gaze snapped to his.
“Was I wrong to think you wanted me too?” he asked.
She took a tiny step back, but color crept up her neck and stained her face. She took another step back. “I can’t . . . I don’t . . .” She rolled her eyes as if impatient with her inability to answer. Continuing backward in tiny increments, her face twisted. She bumped into the far wall. Her mouth rounded and her eyes widened. “It would be wrong.”
The doll was pulled tight to her chest, and if he weren’t thrumming with tension, he’d have been amused. Velvet played the innocent much better than his wife ever had, but then maybe she’d had more practice.
For a long moment they stared at each other. The dark didn’t hide her heaving breaths.
“You better go, before I decide your hesitation is only your unwillingness to say what you want out loud.”
Her jaw dropped. “I don’t . . .”
He arched an
Her every whimper echoed in his head. He tried to ease up and allow her passion to rise, but it was no good. His breath roared like a steam engine, his skin tingled, and his blood thrummed through him and engorged him. He needed her now.
Bunching her skirts, he pulled the material up while pushing his knee between her legs.
She pushed against his chest. With a groan of impatience he ended the kiss.
“Iris,” she gasped.
A cold wash eased his urgency. His head snapped toward the door to be sure it was still shut and Iris wasn’t peeking through a crack. But the door was latched.
“What about Iris?” he growled.
Her face pinched, Velvet struggled to push down her skirts. His world tilted.
“Velvet?” Uncertainty cut through the haze of passion.
“I came to get Eve. Iris can’t sleep without her.” Velvet’s chin dipped and she averted her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to . . .” Her hand wavered and her voice shook.
Her chest rose and fell, brushing against his at the peak of inhalation.
“I wanted to wait until morning, but Iris is nearly hysterical, and I told her she could have Eve back when— Oh God.” Her mouth twisted and she covered it with her shaking hand. “I have to get back to her. With Eve.”
He pivoted, strode across the room and grabbed the doll. It was as if Lilith managed to intrude. Although to be fair, Lilith had nothing to do with the doll. Lilith had everything to do with Iris.
Holding out Eve, he returned to Velvet. She averted her head and held up her hand like a blinder.
He pushed the doll into her chest and stepped back to belt his dressing gown closed.
Velvet seemed fragile. In the pale orange glow of the coals, her face was blanched of all color. Her knees buckled. He caught her elbow, providing support. Her trembles ran up his arm. Had he been too rough? Was she feeling ill?
He cursed under his breath. She had responded, he’d felt her growing ardor. She’d returned his kisses, damn it.
Velvet curled the doll to her chest.
She didn’t make a move toward the door.
He wanted to pull her into his arms and cradle her, but he doubted he could stifle his passion long enough to just comfort her. That he even wanted to was shocking.
Clicking the door open, he guided her toward the opening. He couldn’t resist leaning in and pressing his lips to her neck. “Come back.”
She took a quick step away. “Is that . . .” She swiveled to face him, her eyes wide. She swallowed hard and whispered, “Is that an order?”
Had she remembered she should be afraid of him? “I hired you to be Iris’s governess, not my mistress.”
Her lips tightened. “Will you dismiss me?”
Folding his arms across his chest, he leaned against the doorjamb. “Not for a refusal to lay with me.”
She looked right and then left, then down, as if she could find no good place to look. Scowling, he watched her discomfort. Had she thought she had no choice?
“Velvet.”
Her gaze snapped to his.
“Was I wrong to think you wanted me too?” he asked.
She took a tiny step back, but color crept up her neck and stained her face. She took another step back. “I can’t . . . I don’t . . .” She rolled her eyes as if impatient with her inability to answer. Continuing backward in tiny increments, her face twisted. She bumped into the far wall. Her mouth rounded and her eyes widened. “It would be wrong.”
The doll was pulled tight to her chest, and if he weren’t thrumming with tension, he’d have been amused. Velvet played the innocent much better than his wife ever had, but then maybe she’d had more practice.
For a long moment they stared at each other. The dark didn’t hide her heaving breaths.
“You better go, before I decide your hesitation is only your unwillingness to say what you want out loud.”
Her jaw dropped. “I don’t . . .”
He arched an
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