Page 34 of The Baron’s Halo

“No, sweetheart.” He smiled at her, and the strange feeling down below flared up again. “But it does mean you experienced extreme pleasure when I was tasting your breasts.” He peered intently at her. “You said you liked it, didn’t you? It didn’t hurt or frighten you?”

“No, not at all.” Staring into his eyes, she could feel her core begin to spiral again. “I…I did like it.”

“I did too.” He rose from the bed and with one fluid movement, pulled his jacket off, revealing glimpses of a well-muscled chest through his unbuttoned shirt. “Would you like me to do it again?”

Startled by the sight of her practically naked husband, Isabelle had to tear her gaze away from the fascinating play of his muscles as he bent to remove his shoes, in order to take in his question.

“You want to do it again?” She’d started getting very warm under the covers.

“We can do anything we want, love. As long as you wish it.” His nimble fingers were now making short work of the buttons of his fly fall. When his trousers dropped to the floor, Isabelle gasped to discover one part of him, while still invisible to her eyes, was making itself known by tenting his shirt.

Pulse quickening, Isabelle couldn’t tear her gaze from him as he stalked toward the bed.

“May I join you, my lady?”

Breath coming quicker, Isabelle nodded. The tension building within her wasn’t frighting but thrilling.

Her husband lifted the covers and crawled in beside her. Turning on his side to face her, he propped his head on one hand. With the other, he ran his finger down her cheek. “You must promise me that if you are frightened or uncomfortable with anything we do, you will tell me to stop.”

“I’m not frightened.” She needed to assure him of that. “But I promise.” And she would, however having experienced that incredible feeling of release, she was eager for him to show her more. Trying to play the coquette, she gazed pointedly at his chest. “Are you going to play fair, my lord?” She then peeped under the covers at her own nakedness. “You have the advantage as I see it.”

“You are bold, lady.” Laughing, he sat up in the bed. “But I will comply and put us on even footing.” He pulled his shirt up and over his head, then flung the garment into the center of the room where it floated down to land in the middle of the carpet. Twisting toward her, he held his arms outstretched to either side. “Look your fill, madam.”

Eagerly, Isabelle did just that, drinking in the sleek, well-muscled arms, broad shoulders and chest, the latter with a furry mat of dark hair all over it. She ran a finger down to his stomach, the fine hairs parting before her. Something about Sandy’s carefree demeanor made her bold—not bold enough, however, to continue her trek beneath the covers that hid the rest of his body.

“Now, fair is fair.” He stared hungrily at her. “May I look once more at your beauty—unadorned?”

Heat tinged her cheeks. He’d obviously seen her unclothed when he had been the one to unclothe her. And he had displayed himself for her pleasure. Apparently married women were supposed to be bolder when with their husbands. Quickly, before she could talk herself out of it, Isabelle sat up, throwing off the covers as she did so.

The room’s cooler air made her flesh prickle, her nipples drawing into themselves like two hard, dark points in a pale sea. Deliberately, she turned toward Sandy, to find him staring hard at her breasts. When he licked his lips, she could almost feel his tongue on her skin, and her core throbbed.

Slowly, Sandy leaned forward until his lips fastened on her neck.

Isabelle sucked in a breath, then moaned aloud as he laved her skin with his tongue. Little by little, he strayed downward, taking his time, making her anticipate each kiss. As he descended, so did she, leaning back until her head sank onto the pillow, his mouth poised above her nipple.

Holding her breath, she stared at him as he licked the tip, then blew gently across it. The slight chill hardened her flesh again and sent a surge of heat down to her core. She grasped the headboard and braced herself.

“Does that feel good?” Sandy’s head moved to the other breast, the hot air of his breath setting her on fire.

“Yes, Sandy, yes—oh!” He’d taken her whole nipple into his mouth. She writhed with the sheer pleasure of it. Never had anything felt so good before. “Oh, Sandy, oh yes.” He sucked harder and she thought she’d go mad from the rapture of the moment.

Then he skimmed his hand over her stomach, down over her belly, toward that place…

Isabelle froze, her pleasure evaporating like water in the sunlight. She lay stiff, unmoving, waiting in dread for him to continue down…there.

He snatched his hand back and sat up. “You were supposed to tell me to stop, Isabelle.”

She opened her eyes—though she didn’t remember closing them—to stare into Sandy’s concerned face hovering over her. “I will.”

“But you didn’t.”

She had wanted to say something, but it wasn’t fair to her husband. He’d been so patient with her last night. He shouldn’t have to wait forever. “You can go on with…what you were doing. I’ll be fine.”

“No, you will not.” He stared so hard at her, she tried to shrink back into the pillow. “I can tell if a woman is enjoying herself in bed, just as you were when I was fondling your breasts. But when I started to do other things, you stopped having any pleasure in it at all.” Sandy shook his head. “That will not do at all, Isabelle. You have born enough. I will not add to that burden.”

He was such a good man. She couldn’t allow him to continue to sacrifice his own needs for her. “I must submit to it sometime, Sandy. It’s not fair to you.” Struggling to sit up, she managed to pull herself to where she could lean her back against the massive carved headboard. “I know you wish to do…more.”

“I wish to make love to my wife, yes.” He cupped her cheek, his touch soothing and gentle. “Very much so, my love. However, I will get no pleasure from an act that frightens you or from which you will receive no pleasure.”