Page 125 of Regency Whispers: Scandalous Matches

‘This needs to come off,’ he said, gripping the thin material of her nightgown. Without protest Alice slipped an arm from her dressing gown and then wriggled out of it completely. Now there was only her nightgown separating their bodies. She shifted on his lap, brushing against his hardness as she lifted herself up and he caught hold of the hem of the garment. Before either of them could come to their senses, he lifted the nightdress over her head and threw it on the floor beside the bed.

For a moment they both stilled, Alice with a look of apprehension in her eyes that reminded him that she might be a married woman in the eyes of society, but that she was still very much an innocent.

Slowly he lifted a hand and trailed a finger from the notch between her collarbones down between her breasts.

‘You are beautiful, Alice,’ he said.

Her instinct was to cover herself with her arms, wrapping them round her body, and he cursed himself for his part in making her feel unattractive or unwanted. Nothing could be further from the truth. Right now he could not understand how he had allowed himself to be apart from her for so long.

Gently he pressed her arms back to her sides and trailed his fingers over her chest again, loving the way her breath caught in her throat as his hand brushed against her breast.

‘You’re teasing me,’ she said, a note of accusation in her voice.

‘I am building the anticipation,’ he said, smiling.

‘Another way of saying teasing.’

‘Would you prefer it if I just dove straight in?’ he said, leaning forward and taking her nipple into his mouth, making her gasp with pleasure and shock.

Alice let out an incomprehensible moan, and he felt her body stiffen underneath him before slowly she relaxed, letting her head drop to his shoulder.

He pulled away, kissing her again and resuming his slow, gentle caress of her body.

‘You have the softest skin I have ever felt,’ he murmured, circling from the top of her chest around her breasts and back again. He repeated the movement again and again until he could feel the anticipation. Carefully he flipped her over so she was lying on her back on the bed, and he held himself above her, lowering his lips to meet her body. He took his time, trailing kisses across her breasts and over her abdomen as she writhed underneath him, the heat building between them.

He stroked her thighs as he kissed her, slowly coaxing her to relax.

‘What are you doing to me?’ Alice whispered as he moved even lower, feeling her tense and push forwards involuntarily as he kissed her thighs.

He didn’t answer her; instead, he trailed kisses up her thighs and then without any further warning kissed her in her most private place. Alice let out a shocked yelp, her hands scrabbling at his head.

‘What are you doing, Simon?’

‘I would have thought that obvious.’

‘I did not know...’

‘That you could be kissed there? No, I suppose you would not. Can I show you how good it can feel?’

With only a moment’s hesitation she nodded, and Simon lowered his head, loving the way her hips came up to meet him. She was responsive to his every touch, and it wasn’t long before he saw she was gripping the bed-sheets either side of her with her hands as if clinging on for her life.

Alice’s breathing quickened and then she clamped her legs together, letting out a deep moan.

Simon raised himself up and pushed his trousers down, holding himself above Alice before he pressed against her. Slowly he entered her, feeling her body rise to meet his, and then he was fully buried inside her.

He held in place for a moment, his eyes meeting Alice’s, and then he withdrew, knowing he had to go slow for her, but it took every ounce of his self-control. Gradually he increased the speed of his thrusts, lowering his lips to brush against hers and loving the way her fingers raked down his back. Beneath him he felt her tense and tighten and then let out a moan of pleasure as she climaxed, the look of ecstasy on her face and the tightness that engulfed him enough to push him over the edge. Quickly he withdrew and finished on the sheets, even in the moment of passion in control enough to know he could not risk her getting pregnant.

He moved off Alice, coming in behind her and pulling her into an embrace. He couldn’t see her face, but her body did not feel fully relaxed, and he wondered if she was already regretting their moment of intimacy.

Eventually she turned to face him, her eyes searching his for something he worried she would not find. Without a word she turned back, tucking her body close to his, and pulling his arm around her. She laced her fingers through his, and he held her tight.

Chapter Sixteen

Alice had been surprised that she’d slept again, a deep slumber that had not been disturbed by Simon rising at some point, and she was disappointed to find herself alone when she woke. She wondered if their intimacy had been enough to drive him away completely, out of London, perhaps even out of the country, she and glanced over at the little writing desk in the corner to see if she could spot a hastily scrawled note.

There was no note, and a few minutes later the door to the bedroom opened and Simon walked in carrying a tray of coffee and a couple of newspapers under one arm.

‘You’re awake,’ he said with a smile.