Page 69 of To Break the Rules

“Dressmakers are the least romantic people in the world, did you know that?” he muttered, on being confronted with a rather large number of tiny buttons. “A lesser man would rip the bloody thing in half.”

“Less complaining, more unbuttoning,” Aashini instructed, trying not to giggle.

“Yes, wife,” he said, obediently returning his attention to the job at hand.

At last, the dress fell, sliding down her body in a rustle of satin as she heard his breath quicken. She helped him with the petticoats and stays, amused to discover his hands fumbling in his eagerness to unwrap his prize. Finally, only her shift and stockings remained, and Aashini could not suppress the shiver that ran over her as the weight of his gaze took her in.

He looked up, noting her tremor, his dark brows pulling together. “You’re not afraid? Of me, or—”

She silenced him, putting a finger to his lips and shaking her head. “Not of anything, not anymore. Not with you.” With a devilish smile, she looked up at him from under her lashes. “And Dharani made certain I was well informed, I promise.”

To her amusement, Silas looked somewhat daunted by that. “Why does that make me uneasy?”

Aashini shrugged and tugged at his coat. “You’re still dressed,” she said, sounding rather bereft.

“But I’ve not finished,” he said, grinning and reaching for the hem of her shift. “May I?”

Her heart was hammering in her chest now, anticipation thrumming in her veins and making her feel lightheaded. “You may.”

In one swift motion the shift was gone, and she watched as Silas caught his breath, his eyes so dark the vibrant indigo blue she loved was almost drowned in the depths of his desire.

His eyes met hers and she knew he couldn’t speak, but that was better than any pretty words he might have spoken. Knowing that this meant so much to him that it had stolen his ability to speak made her heart sing.

He kissed her then, drawing her close, his hands exploring tenderly as he caressed her.

“Come here,” he said, sounding breathless as he took her hand and led her to the bed. “Lay down.”

She did as he asked, feeling a little exposed, laid out before him as his hungry gaze roved over her, but the smile on his face was so utterly dazed with happiness that it didn’t last long.

“Still too many clothes,” she reminded him, snapping him out of his reverie.

“Oh, yes,” he said, laughing a little.

She watched in amusement as he flung his clothes to the floor as fast as he could, leaving everything in a heap. Her amusement faded to avid interest once his chest was bare and only his small clothes remained. Suddenly, her throat felt dry.

The final items hit the floor and he stepped towards the bed, grinning and looking outrageously smug as Aashini stared at him with wide eyes.

“This is the point where you say, oh my.”

“Oh,” Aashini said, her eyes riveted to the dark patch of her hair and the very male part of him she simply could not look away from. “Oh m-my?”

“Yes, just like that,” he said, chuckling and climbing into bed beside her.

He pulled her into his arms, and Aashini gasped in shock at the sensation. His skin seemed to burn against hers, so much hotter and yet soft too, except where the rough hair covered him on his chest, and his legs and… there. Her hands roamed over him as he watched her, allowing her time to get used to him.

She looked up, caught for a moment in the warmth of his smile, before returning to her exploration. His chest was heavily muscled beneath her hand, and the dark hair was coarse and wiry. Aashini ran her fingertips through it before moving to touch his nipple, intrigued at how the skin grew taut as she circled it.

Silas sucked in a breath and she looked up, a little startled.

“Don’t stop,” he urged, smiling at her. “I’m all yours.”

“And there’s such a lot of you to have,” she murmured, biting her lip and looking up again as he shook, to discover he was laughing. “Well, there is,” she protested, blushing a little.

“I wasn’t complaining, love,” he chuckled. He shifted onto his side so they were face to face. “Don’t stop,” he urged again. “Touch me.”

Emboldened by the desire in his eyes, Aashini traced the path that led between his ribs and down his stomach until her hand met skin so fine that she gasped with wonder. She caressed him with slow, careful movements, until she realised he was breathing hard.

“Like this?” she asked, curious as to how to please him. He nodded, and then covered her hand with his own, showing her how he liked to be touched. Aashini copied him, delighted by the sensation of power as he groaned and closed his eyes. “You like that,” she murmured, grinning as he made a helpless sound somewhere between a laugh and a sigh.