She nodded, but he got the feeling she wasn’t convinced.
“I really don’t want to talk about that right now, do you?”
“No.” She put her hands on the lapels of his jacket, and he leaned forward to kiss her. Her hands slid up round his neck and he pulled her closer against him, his heart thudding in his chest. He needed to take this slowly for her sake. He wanted desperately for it to be good for her. His memories of the first time with Caro haunted him. It had taken months to recover from that. Given the way things had ended, he wondered if they ever truly had.
“Just let me get rid of this damned neckcloth and jacket,” he said pulling back from kissing her. God, he was as nervous as a boy, which was ridiculous—he hadn’t been nervous two nights ago. No, he hadn’t, he thought as he ripped off his neckcloth and struggled out of his jacket, because he’d had no intention of taking her that night. It had been all about her pleasure. What had him tied in knots now was the prospect of causing her pain, or at least discomfort, all in the name of his pleasure. That madehim uncomfortable. The thought subdued his lust a bit, which was all to the good.
He needed to recapture that playfulness of the morning before they left the inn. He needed to relax and just let things flow. He had promised her pleasure, he would give her pleasure, and be damned to the rest—it would happen when she wanted it to.I have learned a few things since I was twenty-two, after all.He kicked off his shoes and removed his waistcoat and turned back to her.
She eyed him, speculatively he thought, and she surprised him with her next question. “Aren’t you going to remove your shirt?”
“Do you want me to?”
She nodded, blushing faintly. “I like your chest,” she confessed.
Pleased, he grinned and complied, ripping the fine cotton off over his head and discarding it carelessly with the rest of his clothing. He only wore his breeches now, and he had no intention of taking those off, yet.
He took her in his arms again and surveyed her with satisfaction. “Now with you, I think we will start with your hair and your shoes and stockings. I want to savor this bosom for as long as possible,” he said, dropping kisses on her forehead, cheeks, and nose before finding her mouth.
She wrapped her arms round his neck, and he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss and losing himself in the delight of her.
He broke the kiss when he felt his control starting to slip and said with quickened breath, “Annis, you are a delicious, delectable delight. And I want the husband’s privilege of seeing your hair down and loose.” He examined her coiffure, which was an intricate confection of braids and curls garnished with combs and flowers and, he guessed, a hundred pins.
He reached for a pin and then another, removing and discarding them as her curls and braids came down one by one to fall about her shoulders like a chestnut waterfall, burnished deep brown with a hint of red. He tossed aside the roses and the combs and undid the fine braids, combing them free with his fingers until all of her glorious hair was flowing round her shoulders and down her back. He plunged his fingers into it and lifted handfuls to sniff the rose smelling fragrance and feel the soft silky strands running through his fingers.
“Your hair is magnificent,” he said.
“I like yours,” she responded, removing the ribbon from his and running her fingers through his wild mop of unremarkable brown hair. Her fingertips scraped his scalp, and he closed his eyes and purred.
“That feels good,” he murmured.
After a moment or two, he opened his eyes and, lowering his head, he kissed her again.Will I ever grow tired of kissing her?He didn’t think so. Leaving her mouth reluctantly, he worked his way slowly along her jaw to her soft, chewable earlobe, and her neck, her delicious, elegant neck. Annis carried herself with a quiet dignity and part of that impression was down to her swanlike neck. He nuzzled and nibbled at it, and she arched it to give him better access, making little whimpering noises that just encouraged him.
He finally reached the base of her neck and began, very slowly, to work his way over the delicious expanse of her bosom. The gown had confined and pushed up her round, plump breasts so that they were served up to him perfectly. The hollow between them beckoned his tongue and those soft pillows begged to be kissed.
Unable to resist any longer, he brought his hands up to cup those gorgeous globes and squeeze them gently. “Annis,” he whispered, his tongue delving into the hollow between herbreasts and lifting out the ring that nestled there with his teeth. He tossed the ring aside, and it slid over her shoulder, the chain slithering against her throat, then he returned to his worship of her half-exposed breasts. He was saving the nipples, but it wouldn’t be long before he could wait no longer to see them. His thumbs grazed over them through the fabric of her bodice, teasing them to full hard peaks. She gasped and clung to him.God, yes!
He gave them one last fondle and squeeze before walking her backward toward the bed, where he eased her down to sit on the edge and knelt at her feet.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
He reached for a foot and eased off her slipper. “Removing your stockings,” he said, taking off her other slipper.
He glanced up at her watching him. Her expression seemed slightly bemused. “I can’t believe you’re on your knees for the governess,” she said.
“I’m on my knees for my viscountess,” he said, easing his hands up under her skirts to slide up the length of her legs. He found the tops of her stockings by feel and began to loosen one garter. Her thighs were warm and smooth under his fingers, and her delicious bosom was level with his eyes. He wanted desperately to rip the dress off her and expose the full glory of her breasts to his gaze, but he made himself wait.
Transferring his attention back to what his fingers were doing, he got the garter loose and began to slide the stocking down her leg. The stocking appeared from below her petticoats, and he discarded it, reaching up under her skirts to remove the second one. When he had got rid of both, he slid his hands back up her legs, enjoying the smoothness of her skin.
“Part your legs for me and lie back,” he said, husky voiced. She did, and he pushed her skirts up slowly to reveal her legs and, most importantly, the treasure at their apex. He ran hishands up her inner thighs, sliding and caressing, his thumbs swirling over her skin.So smooth!He leaned forward and set his mouth very gently against her nether curls. They were dark and slightly crinkly with flashes of flame. He drew in a breath through his nose to inhale her scent and groaned softly.
She jerked at his touch and uttered a soft gasp. “Emrys!”
“I hope you will enjoy this,” he murmured, his voice dropping to a low rumble.
Parting her with his thumbs, he set his tongue delicately to her dewy, satin flesh and tasted her.Exquisite, slightly salty, slightly sweet. Musk and rose and entirely delicious.He shifted his position to relieve the compression on his cock, trapped inside his breeches. He was likely to make a mess of himself before he was finished here.It didn’t matter.
“Emrys!” her body jerked more strongly, and he leaned in, using his arms across her thighs to hold her in place as he licked again gently. Testing what she liked, he used his tongue to lick and pet her flesh, swirling it around but not directly on her bud. In his somewhat limited experience, women preferred a less direct approach to the seat of their greatest pleasure. Judging from her reactions, Annis was no different in that regard.
