Page 29 of Never Dare to Masquerade with a Maiden

In the secure arms of the man she’d dreamt of most nights, Olivia’s body seemed to mold itself to Warren’s. She should instinctively be guarded, yet Warren’s steady steps lulled her into a relaxed state. Behind closed eyes, the image of Lady Guernsey’s concern for her welfare, the sparkling eyes of Lady Charlotte, and the cautious but curious reaction from Lady Anne had Olivia's entire body tense once more.

“We are nearly there,” Warren said.

He must have sensed her strain. Why of all people in the world did it have to be Warren who was in tune with her thoughts and feelings? Or should she be asking why she was acutely aware of the man and his reactions? Argh. What was the matter with her? It must have been her proximity to Warren. The man was maddening. She let out a deep sigh and slowly opened her eyes. They traversed halfway down a long hallway. When Warren stopped and lowered her slightly, she didn’t hesitate to reach out to release the latch and push the door open. The sunbeams streaming into the chamber fell upon the four-poster bed that was positioned in the middle.

“I can walk from here,” she said as they crossed the threshold.

Ignoring her completely, Warren marched over to the bed and lowered her gently as if he were putting a child to bed. As he leaned over her to arrange the linens and duvet, she shut her eyes tightly. If she continued to look up at him, she might act irrationally. Except her eyes shot wide open as his lips brushed her forehead.

“Warren…” Had she called out his name? That sultry voice couldn’t have belonged to her.

His lips covered hers, and her arms wrapped about his neck of their own volition. Drugged by his kisses, she yearned for him to repeat his caresses from the other eve. Olivia pulled him down until he lay next to her upon the most luxurious mattress she had ever laid upon. Warren’s hand skimmed her side and came to rest upon her hip. There were too many bloody layers of material between them. She ached for the warmth of his skin. Greedy for more, Olivia shifted back and tugged at the linens, trying to free herself.

Warren stilled her hands with his. “You will have to make do with kisses, my dear.”

She looked up at Warren and frowned.

His response was to chuckle and add, “That is to say… it’s not wise to… for…” He raked his hand through his hair and then blurted, “Now would not be the best time of the month for you…”

Olivia placed her forefinger over his lips. The bubble of laughter escaped as a giggle. She’d never seen the man search so intensely for words or not reply with a query. This was a side of Warren that she’d always suspected existed but had never witnessed. “I lied. I couldn’t explain the terrible ache in my stomach, so when Lady Anne provided a believable excuse, I didn’t correct her.”

His eyes closed, and Warren’s nostrils flared as he inhaled. He must have been angry because he rolled off the bed and marched directly to the door. Except rather than leaving, he slid the door bolt into place and then returned to her. “Telling lies comes with consequences.”

The simple fact Warren was speaking in sentences to her had Olivia giddy. The effect upon her was absurd yet it made her want to spend more time with him, to see if he’d expose the parts of him that he wouldn’t reveal to others. Reversing roles, she asked, “What would those be?”

With nimble fingers, fingers she acutely remembered stroking her, he circled the edge of each button of his coat as he slipped it through the hole in the material. Inexplicable moisture built between her legs, and she couldn’t help but wiggle her hips to relieve some of the tension in her muscles. Warren continued to watch her as he moved on to the buttons of his waistcoat. He finally broke his silence and shrugged out of his clothes. “I believe the ramifications of your lie should be…”

Olivia’s mouth went dry at the sight of the defined muscles that belonged to a man who spent his days in the fields and not in a seat at the House of Lords. Clearing her throat, she repeated, “Should be?”

Warren’s eyes darkened, and she didn’t need to be a genius to know what the man had in mind. She was no harlot, but she was fully aware of what occurred in bedchambers. While enticing a man into your bed was not uncommon among her lot, Olivia simply had no desire to do so previously. Her mind had been filled with one man and one man only ever since her lips had touched his all those years ago. What would Warren’s sculpted body feel like beneath her palms? She pulled back the corner of the bed linens, inviting Warren to join her. With lightning speed, he removed his boots and slipped onto the bed next to her.

On his side, he cupped her face with one hand. “Will you regret your decision?”

“That depends on you.”

“Was that a challenge?”

Why had he reverted to asking questions? Staring up at the ceiling, she answered, “No.” She rolled onto her back and immediately realized it was a mistake as Warren shifted atop of her, bracing himself upon his elbows.

His serious gaze pinned her down. “You have no idea how every word, every move you make affects me.”

The question of how was on the tip of her tongue. However, before she could utter a word, Warren’s weight pressed her further into the mattress as he leaned closer to say in her ear, “My body aches to touch you.” He shifted his hips, and his cock pressed against her thigh. “My lips want to explore every inch of you.” Proving it, he kissed the sensitive skin on her neck. “My hands itch to learn every curve of your body, and…” His hands slipped between them and cupped her breast.

Air. She needed air. As if reading her mind, Warren lowered his head and kissed her soundly until she remembered to breathe once more. Whether it was a lack of oxygen or the fact that his caresses distracted her to no end, she had no clue as to how he skillfully divested them both of their clothing until they lay naked next to one another.

She didn’t want to think about how he’d come to be so proficient at the skill. She didn’t want to know how many others there might have been before her, although she already had a fairly good idea based on rumors, and she certainly didn’t want to engage in conversation that might prompt him to ask questions that would give her pause. Remembering his words, she pressed her lips to his collarbone. She too wanted to taste every inch of the man. She attempted to shimmy lower to trail her tongue down his chest, but Warren captured her by the shoulders and rolled her onto her back.

“No. You are being punished, not I.” Warren lowered his lips to kiss her in the valley of her chest. His gaze flickered between her and her breast, before he took in her pert nipple into his mouth, his tongue circling the nub, sending waves of heat to her core.

He switched his attention from one breast to the other, treating both fairly and with a tenderness that melted Olivia’s defenses. Just as he declared, his hands were roaming over her body, learning each curve and valley. Warren held her wrists bound together above her head, and she couldn’t reciprocate any of his caresses. It was driving her to her limits. When the tips of his fingers brushed against her core, her body simultaneously went taut and her legs widened, allowing his knuckles to press against her center as he sank a finger deep inside her. It was as if every muscle at her core clenched around his digit. An emptiness followed as he slowly removed his hand, but when the tip of his cock rubbed up against her, she nearly bucked him off her.

“I promise to try and ease your discomfort.” His whisper made her blink.

She didn’t understand which discomfort he was referring to; the ache at the loss of his intimate touches, or the fullness as he pressed his cock deeper into her. He won’t fit. His member is too big for me. With slow, rocking movements, Warren sank farther into her channel. Filled with both pleasure and pain, Olivia writhed beneath him. His hand slipped from her wrists, and she wrapped her arms tightly about his neck. She threaded her fingers through his hair, and her hand clenched as he pushed past the barrier that no one had come close to breaching before.

“Did I hurt you?”

Unable to articulate her desire for him to move, or to relieve the tight sensation building within her, she shouted, “Now is not the time for questions!”