A sigh left her, and there was no mistaking the fact his touch pleased her. That didn’t mean he felt confident enough to pull her down for a kiss. She would likely reject him, and he’d be damned if he did anything she didn’t want. He was content to caress the slender column of her neck down to her chest. He paused to touch the top of her breasts. The neckline adorned them with its simple but loose hem. A single velvet ribbon sloppily guarded her cleavage. He ran a finger along the hem, feeling her velvety skin. The food and rest had restored her health and beauty and, more importantly, her inner fire. He’d helped with that, and he couldn’t be prouder.
“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he whispered as if confessing a sin.
But it wasn’t a sin unless he considered he was the son of a violent drunkard and a laundress. He wasn’t ashamed of his origin, much less of his mother, but Violante came from another world. He could understand her if she saw him as beneath her. The title and money didn’t count, especially since his good fortune came from her ruination.
She inhaled deeply, following the journey of his fingers across her skin. He lowered the neckline an inch before pausing to gauge her reaction. She watched his every move. Her spectacular eyes glowed from within.
He uncovered another inch of her until her taut nipple was bare for his hungry gaze. He paused again. She thrust her chest forth in encouragement. Despite every instinct inside him urging him to rip her nightgown off her body, he forced himself to go slowly. He stroked her nipple with his thumb, only a light brush, even though he wanted to close his mouth around it and suckhard until she cried out his name. A shuddering breath came out of her as he rubbed her nipple again, tearing a moan out of her. Her gaze never left his fingers. She stared at his thumb with fascination. He tweaked and pinched the puckered tip until it hardened further. She writhed, arching her back.
His pulse racing, he edged closer, waiting for her permission. Her reply was to pull down her nightgown another inch. Still, he forced himself to be slow and gentle, despite the desire consuming him. That desire had burned inside him for years, and now it clawed its way out of his chest.
She moaned when he tongued her nipple and sucked it into his mouth. Her thighs squeezed together, and he fought the urge to slip a hand between them to pull them apart and see how much she was enjoying his attention. He drew the tip of her breast deeper into his mouth, gently grazing her skin with his teeth. Little moans escaped her, the most beautiful sounds he’d ever heard. She dug her fingers into his hair. He scattered kisses on her breast and up her lovely neck as he kept rubbing her nipples. He fondled her breast, groaning at its softness. She was all soft, scented skin, and he longed to explore every inch of her with his lips and tongue.
Quivers went through her. They went through him too. Her breath feathered over his cheek as he kissed a tender spot under her ear. Her hand rested on his shoulder, and he wasn’t sure if she meant to stop him or encourage him. He pulled back, needing to see her eyes. They were wide open, the pupil devouring her violet irises.
He cupped her cheek. It was heated. “Are you all right?”
She nodded.
“Was I harsh?”
“No,” she whispered.
“Did you like it?” He tucked a wayward tendril behind her ear.
“Yes.”
Right. A few more words wouldn’t harm though. Had he shocked her? Hurt her? Before he could ask her more questions, she hugged him and squeezed him tightly, burying her face in the crook of his neck. It wasn’t a simple hug. She clung to him with desperation.
He hugged her, caressing her hair and back. “You’re worrying me. Please tell me that you are all right.”
“I am.” Her voice came muffled because she pressed her face against his chest. “Just hold me, please.”
He obeyed without questions.
