Fears, doubts, mistakes—nothing mattered. In his arms, she was safe.
In his arms,she belonged…and that was a powerful, heady discovery for a woman who’d feared ever finding her place in the world.
Neither of them held back. Breeding, inexperience, social standing—none of that mattered. Outside, the rain came downharder. Lyssa didn’t care. The only reality that existed for her was the feel of this man’s body against hers.
She met him kiss for kiss, arched to be even closer to him. He leaned her back upon the plaid. His knee rode up her leg and instinctively, she moved toward him, eager for what she didn’t yet understand.
His response was to devour her with his mouth. And deep within Lyssa, the sweet ache of need built. She wanted more, neededmore.
Their lips never parting, they began pulling at clothing, searching with blind fingers for fastenings and secret openings. The first moment his hands covered her bare breasts, Lyssa gasped, her heightened senses electrified by his touch. When he leaned down to cover one hard nipple with his mouth, she cried out his name in shock, a cry that ended in a moan of pure pleasure.
Her legs parted with a will of their own. She buried her fingers in his hair, never wanting him to stop—and yet hungry for something deeper, more fulfilling.
Ian knew what she wanted. He sucked hard as if marking her, and her breath caught in her throat, the pull of his tongue traveling down to her very core.
She’d long ago kicked off her skirt. Her petticoats and chemise were around her waist. His jacket with the torn sleeves had been practically ripped off him and she hadn’t helped the damage any in her enthusiasm to undress him. His shirt was up under his arms. He still wore his boots and leather breeches, but she’d undone the buttons—and it was there, the male partof him, the one wags swore had more power over men’s heads than their hearts and brains did. It was bold and insistent. Lyssa could feel him against her thigh. She ran her hand down over his hip above his breeches, but shied from going closer toit.
However, if her mind was skittish, the rest of her body didn’t seem afraid at all, and let him settle himself between her legs.
Ian closed his lips over her other breast, and she could feel the stroke of his tongue there, at the most intimate part of her. The head ofitcaressed her and Lyssa thought she would go through the ceiling from the sensation.
She pulled at his shirt and ran her palms down his naked back. Hot, wet, anxious…
He slid down, positioning himself.
Oh, dear God.
Ian looked up. His lips were swollen and his glazed eyes had turned the color of dark pewter.
Who was this man? The Ian she knew always had control. This man was raw, open…vulnerable.
“Lyssa.” He whispered her name like a benediction and thrust deep inside her with one smooth movement.
For a second, she couldn’t think, couldn’t breath.
He was inside her.
And he feltsogood.Soright.
There was no pain. A small discomfort but nothing to compare to the satisfaction of being joined with him. Of being one.Oh, Sweet Lord!
She tilted her head back, reveling in the feel of him. Accepting him. There was a low growl of triumph in the back of his throat, and he took what she offered. Kissing her neck, his whiskers tickling her skin, he moved deeper still.
Here was the meaning of life. Her reason for being.
Her body was no longer her own, but his. Her senses were filled with him, with the texture of his skin, with the warm male scent of him, with the feel of every muscle, every sinew.
And Ian knew it.
His hands cupped her buttocks and he thrust deep, pulled back and went deeper still, claiming every fiber of her. Nor did Lyssa suppress her joyful response. Their joining took on a life of its own. She hugged him close, and met him move for move.
Together they strived toward what she did not quite understand—yet. But he knew and drove on, knowing exactly what she wanted.
Her heart beat in her ears. His skin was hot and slick against hers. He pressed deeper still, the heat of him pushing her toward some pinnacle, sharp, precise—
Her world exploded.
One heartbeat she was whole and sane, and in the next, she felt she’d shattered, her senses a million stars.
