“My goodness Artemis, you are so beautiful. I burn for you,” he rasped.
“Then take me, husband. Drink from me until your fire is extinguished.”
“Oh, I intend to. Although I don’t think this fire can be extinguished.”
Saying that, he started unbuttoning her gown, kissing every inch of skin revealed to his touch, until her corset got in the way. When the last button in the interminable row was open, he undid the laces that held her petticoats and crinolines in place, letting the mass of fabric cascade to the floor.
Clad only in her chemise, corset, pantalets and stockings, he lifted her and took her to the side of the bed. Her corset was an ugly contraption. Big, unyielding and unadorned. It had to go. With a forceful hand, he tugged at the laces, desperate to free the delectable mounds of the breasts he had fantasized about, but until now never seen bare, or held in his hands. His mouth watered and he trembled with anticipation, like a green lad with his first woman. But she held the corset against her as if it were armor.
“Can we leave this on? I mean...you can do your husbandly...er... act without taking my corset.”
“Absolutely not. Why on earth would you want to keep this thing on?”
When she refused to answer, he lifted her face with a finger under her chin. “Tell me,” he commanded.
“Wearing it makes me look better.”
“I wholeheartedly disagree. Please? Do you know how long I’ve dreamt about your breasts? I want to see them, touch them. Arouse them until you are screaming with pleasure.”
She swallowed hard, not meeting his gaze.
“Sweetheart, what is it? Are you shy? Of course you are. I’m sorry for being an insensitive lout. This is your first time. I just didn’t think you were shy because of the way you’ve always responded to my caresses.”
“I-I just never thought...well, I thought the act was done in the darkness. I never imagined we wouldseeeach other.”
That brought a smile to his face. “Oh, we will definitely see each other. I want to expose, kiss, and caress every inch of your body. But maybe I should start by revealing myself first. Would that make you feel more comfortable?”
She didn’t say yes or no, just looked at him with wide eyes and parted lips. There was desire and curiosity in those eyes. It was enough of an answer.
Stepping back, he removed his clothes one by one, peeling each layer with efficient movements, but also monitoring her response. When he discarded his shirt, exposing his torso to her view, her eyes roamed the contours of his chest and abdomen, sliding lower, to where his aching erection was desperate for attention.
Andrew toed off his shoes and undid the fly of his trousers. After a slight pause to gauge her reaction, he lowered his trousers and underpants in one fluid motion. And he stood before her in all his naked glory. His cock sprung up, ruddy and proud to lie against his stomach. Her gaze locked on that part of his anatomy, making him aroused to the point of desperation.
“Well, wife. Do I meet with your approval?” he asked, arms outstretched to the sides, allowing her to look her fill.
MEET WITH HER APPROVAL?This man, her husband, was... “Breathtaking.”
She had not realized she had uttered the word aloud until she saw his radiant smile. Sauntering towards her, completely at ease and shameless in all his glorious nakedness, he grabbed her hand and placed it in the middle of his chest. “Touch me. Explore me. I’m yours, my goddess.”
Emboldened by his encouraging words and the heat of his gaze, she allowed her hands to roam over his taut muscles. Experiencing the texture of his skin, the springiness of his hair.
He made a low noise deep in his throat, almost like a purr, but otherwise remained immobile under her ministrations, allowing her to explore at her pace. Oh, what a splendid gift it was. He was beautiful. There was power in his broad shoulders and well-defined chest that tapered into a narrow waist and slim hips that accentuated the V-shape of his torso.
Each muscle in his arms and legs was sculpted and prominent. Golden skin stretching taut over solid muscle. Her hands roamed over his belly, which seemed chiseled in stone, firm and impeccably defined. Yet warm and responsive to her touch.
There was no softness in his body. Especially not that part of him. His maleness. It stood, proud and solid, like a tower. It scared her a little. Surely that wouldn’t fit in her?
“Touch it,” he commanded, flexing the mighty rod. She grazed her fingers over the domed tip, surprised by the smoothness of the skin.
“Close your fist around it,” he urged after a few moments of hesitant exploration. She did as he asked, and he closed his own hand around hers, tightening her grip, moving her hand up and down the length of him.
The soft skin slid over rock hardness. The combination was so mesmerizing, so deliciously decadent, that her breath hitched and a dull ache started between her legs. As if her body craved his.
She was enjoying the feel of him in her hand, but then his hand stopped, and he pulled out of her grasp. “I can’t take it any longer. I will come in your hand if we keep this up.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
His smile was wicked. “Oh, it’s a wonderful thing. But not before I’ve made you experience the same ecstasy. Not before I’ve had a chance to taste you. Will you let me remove your clothes now?”
