If she kept to her plan. But how could she after experiencing him?
“There must be another way for you. Please, don’t leave me alone in this, not this time.”
Never taking his gaze from hers, he reached for her hand, brought it up, and placed an openmouthed kiss against her palm, coating it in dew. She watched his throat muscles work as he swallowed hard. Slowly, slowly, he lowered her hand and pressed it against his hard, throbbing cock, groaning roughly when she wrapped her fingers around him.
Keeping his hand covering hers, he guided her in stroking the hot, glorious length of him. Down, up. At the top, he steered her thumb over the silky dome, spreading the moisture gathered there before directing her back to the long caresses.
Because their gazes were locked, because neither looked away, it seemed more sensual, more intimate... simply more.
She gloried in watching the shifting of his features, the tightening of his jaw, the manner in which his eyes would briefly squeeze shut as though he’d experienced almost unbearable pleasure, the intensity with which his eyes smoldered when they were again open. Releasing her hand, he began kneading her breast.
“God, I love your breasts.”
She was discovering she loved his cock. She felt naughty calling it such, but no other word she could think of would suffice. Every so often, when she skimmed her thumb over the head of it, gathering the dampness there, he would groan so deeply she’d feel the shuddering in his chest. It made her feel powerful to know she had such an impact on him. The melancholy drifted away. This was what she wanted: to feel equal.
“Harder, faster,” he rasped.
She obeyed, tightening her hold, pumping more quickly.
Satisfaction swept through her as his breaths began to stutter because hers had when she’d neared the height of sensations, so he had to be close. He growled a harsh curse—or perhaps it was a benediction—as he buried his face in the curve of her neck and closed his mouth over her shoulder. His body jerked, trembled. His hot seed poured against her hip, over her hand.
Gently, he stilled her actions, and she wrapped her arms around him, held him tight, not certain she ever wanted to let him go.
Fortunately, a wash basin and pitcher were in the chamber, so Beast was able to clean up the mess he’d made over her and himself. He was now stretched out on the bed with her nestled against his left side—where she could no doubt hear the thudding of his heart—his arm around her, while he held the hand she’d placed on his stomach, the hand that had caused him to spill his seed with such force that he’d nearly lost consciousness. Periodically, he brought it to his lips and planted a kiss on her knuckles, her palm, her fingertips, her wrist.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d experiencedsuch satisfaction after sex. It was an odd thing, especially considering the manner in which he’d gained his release. He hadn’t been buried deep inside her. He hadn’t felt her muscles throbbing around his cock when she found her own release. He regretted that, wanted to know the tightness of her, wanted no part of her to go untouched. But he wouldn’t ruin her for a moment’s satisfaction that might cause her a lifetime of remorse.
“As far as mistakes go,” she said quietly, “I do believe it’s one of the better ones I’ve made.”
Chuckling low, he kissed the top of her head, loving the way her hair fanned out over the pillow, across his chest.
“I used to feel sorry for prostitutes but if they experience that—”
“I doubt they seldom do. Talk to Jewel. She’ll tell you honestly.”
“Do mistresses, do you think?”
“Depends on the selfishness of her lover, I should imagine.” He skimmed his fingers up and down her arm. He didn’t want to think about her taking a lover and yet the possibility of it hung heavy over his heart.
She began rubbing her instep over his calf, up, down, around. “I lied. My fire didn’t go out.”
“I know. I saw the firelight dancing over the wall.” Against his chest, he felt her smile form, and somehow it seemed as intimate as everything else they’d done.
“Do you think your sister was encouraging us to do this by putting us in chambers with a door between?”
“Gillie isn’t usually duplicitous, but there’s an entire other wing she could have put me in.” He shook his head. “I don’t know. It doesn’t matter.”
“This wasn’t a lesson, was it?”
He brought her hand up, whispered, “No,” against her knuckles. Kissed them.
“Where do we go from here?”
“I don’t know.” It was humbling to realize he was not as strong-willed as he’d always thought himself to be, at least not where she was concerned. “Not a single night has passed that I haven’t wanted to follow you into your bedchamber.”
“Not a single night has passed that I haven’t wanted you to.”
He groaned low. “Thea—”
