AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He knelt on the bed and swooped down so that his warm pliable skin touched hers. Covered her.
His fingers skimmed her shoulders, reached her breasts. Slowly and deliberately he traced the outline of her nipples before lowering his mouth to them. Taking each breast in turn, he suckled. Her back strained upwards as her sensitised skin flared with each new touch.
His fingers travelled down her belly inexorably to the apex of her thighs where they paused, hovered. With one finger he parted her folds and touched her.
He hooked both of her legs on his shoulders and his hot breath fanned her inner core, cooling her but making her ache at the same time. Then his mouth touched her, circled. Slid. Glided over her.
She gripped his shoulders as wave after wave crested inside her. She knew she should be shocked to have his mouth on her in that intimate way, but it felt right. Her world exploded into shards.
He slowly moved upwards and then his warm body covered her. She lay within the circle of his arms as the world righted itself. Then she pushed him so he went over on his back and she loomed above him.
‘My turn,’ she whispered.
Without waiting for an answer she slid her mouth over him, taking time to explore his nipples and the muscles of his chest. To her delight, she felt his body buck under her, strain to get closer to her. She ran her hand down the length of him, following his line of hair and then, reaching his thighs, she cupped him, holding his arousal in her hand. He groaned in the back of his throat.
Taking her time, she positioned herself over him and, lowering herself to meet his upward thrust, impaled her body.
With a single movement he entered and her body opened to meet him. For one glorious instant she stayed there, with him in her. Joined. Complete. Merged. This time her body instantly matched his rhythm. Together they moved, faster and faster. Soaring until the shattering came.
* * *
Satiated. Satisfied. Thoroughly spent. Robert looked down at Henri’s sleeping face. Her dark lashes made smudges on her porcelain face and he took a moment to enjoy the pleasure of watching her sleep. He ran a finger down the side of her face, and knew he wanted more than this. Already, he wanted her again and he knew he would go on wanting her while he had breath in his body.
It hit him then that he loved her, really and truly loved her. He wanted her in his life for the rest of time. He wanted to share every particle of his life with her. The thought shocked him and exhilarated him in the same breath. He hadn’t meant for it to happen and until it did, he’d been sceptical that it could happen. Logic dictated. He paused, his body shaking. Forget logic, this was Henri, and Henri required an entirely different way of thinking.
He tightened his arms about Henri, intending to tell her how much he loved her. Someone had to be the first to say the words. ‘Henri?’
Henri blinked her eyes and looked up at him. Her arms came about his neck and held him close. Her emotions overwhelmed her and she tried to puzzle out why being in his arms made her feel so complete. Then she remembered what he’d said about marriage and how he’d want marriage. She wouldn’t make that mistake again. She had to remember the limits and not to expect more.
‘I’m so glad we are merely friends,’ she said with a long sigh, partly to reassure him and partly to remind her heart of the boundaries they’d agreed. ‘After all, neither of us wants marriage. We aren’t looking beyond tomorrow. You do agree, Robert, don’t you?’
Robert swallowed his words. Silently he thanked God that they had not slipped out. One false word and he’d lose her. He should have remembered his father’s experience and how emotions could cloud things. Robert knew then that he was not prepared to let her go. He wanted her by his side, but he just didn’t know how to keep her there yet. ‘What else would we be?’
She laid her cheek against his. He kept his arm about her, holding her close, fearful that she would guess he wanted much more than mere friendship. Words he tried to convince himself meant very little. It was actions that counted and right now Henri was in his arms with her body snuggled next to him.
‘I was afraid earlier that you would say something. My mother told me that in time I would want to replace Edmund, but I never have. I still don’t. And knowing that you don’t want marriage either makes it easier.’ She looked up at him with large shimmering eyes, eyes that he couldn’t read.
He wished he had never said those words. Marriage to Henri was an entirely different prospect than marriage to an abstract woman. But now was far from the right time. Caution. He opted for a light tone. ‘Did you love him very much?’
She brought her knees up to her chest and went very still for a long time. ‘He was very good. Edmund was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen but…he never did anything until I asked him to.’
