The Temptation of Lady Serena by Ella Quinn

wheel.
    Serena glowed with enjoyment as she watched the spectacle. “Lord Beaumont, how wonderful. I have never seen anything as interesting as the flames going around like a wheel in the sky.”
    She glanced up at him at the same moment Robert smiled at her. His gaze held hers and he let her see his desire. A slight shiver ran through her and confusion appeared in her lovely eyes. His chest swelled. She’d reacted to him without his even touching her.
    It was time.
    “Walk with me.” Robert twined her arm in his, drawing her nearer than he should. He led her down the dimly lit paths, his thigh brushed against hers, as he told her about the gardens, pointing out one feature or another. Each time they touched, her breath caught, and he felt more confident of his plan.
    When they reached the Grecian temple, he led her up the stairs. It was dark, but not so dark he couldn’t see her face as she gazed around the folly.
    “How very beautiful this is,” Serena exclaimed.
    He lowered his voice, making it soothing and caressing. “Not as beautiful as the one viewing it.”
    Robert was attuned to her scent, her smile, her every movement. He’d wager his fortune she’d never been kissed, never touched intimately. He intended to be the first—the only—man to kiss her and learn her body. The primitive beast inside him clamored to take her now.
    He turned Serena to face him. Her wondering eyes met his, searching. She was so lovely, so innocent, and, though she might not realize it yet, she belonged to him. Robert touched her lips softly with his, teasing hers to respond. Finally, after hesitating for what seemed like an eternity, Serena’s gentle lips moved beneath his.
    Excitement raced through him.
    He was the first to kiss her and he wanted everything she could give him.
    “Robert.” Her whispered word, more of a tender sigh.
    He’d never known how sweet his name could sound, how hearing it on her lips could stun him. A previously unknown sense of protectiveness and possession came over him. No other would ever have her.
    He slowly dropped his hands from her shoulders to wrap her in his arms and draw her close. Her head didn’t even reach his collarbone.
    Serena expected the kiss, but not the tremor it caused. Strange warmth simmered within her, and her knees wobbled. Robert held her more tightly. Her breasts, touching his hard chest, tingled and ached. His lips were firm, but soft, moving against hers gently.
    When she responded, his kisses grew more insistent. He moved his tongue over the seam of her lips. Curious, Serena opened her mouth. Robert entered, his tongue caressed hers and her burning boiled over. She moaned; her heart beat so quickly she thought she’d swoon. Instead, she returned his caress. Soon their tongues were tangling. His body hardened and the evidence of his desire rode against her stomach.
    Serena desperately wished someone had talked to her about kissing, and how his hands stroking her back would make her feel so different, so willing to be with him. Bereft when he lifted his head, she wondered if she’d done something wrong. He pulled her closer and kissed her again. She opened her mouth, eagerly responding to him. How had she lived so long without knowing this wonderful, ravening feeling?
    In the past, Robert’s passion had been solely physical, his only goal to slake his and his lover’s lust. Serena’s innocent fervor spurred him to want more for her.
    He’d planned to use all his considerable experience to bind her to him, tonight. To make her crave what he could give her. No one could light the flames of desire in a woman better than he. Yet, with each heartbreakingly guileless kiss she gave, his vaunted control slipped.
    Robert’s breathing became ragged, his blood heated and he grew hard. His unexpected passion for her was so strong he struggled to harness his more primitive desires. His body urged him to press her up against the wall and take her. Mine. With real effort, he