Chapter 13 #3
He kissed her again, slower this time, savoring the taste of her.
Isobel responded beautifully, her lips parting for him, her tongue tangling with his.
But when his hands began to wander, sliding up her sides, thumbing the undersides of her breasts through her dress, she made a small, impatient sound and tried to press closer.
Richard pulled back immediately, and Isobel whined at the loss.
“What did I teach you about patience?” he asked, his voice taking on that commanding edge that he knew affected her.
Isobel's eyes darkened. “To wait for your instruction.”
“And?”
“And… to trust that you will give me what I need, when you decide I am ready for it.”
“Good girl,” Richard praised, and watched with satisfaction as she shivered. “Now, I want you to stay very still while I touch you. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes, Your Grace,” Isobel breathed.
But this time was different from before. This time, when his hands found the fastenings of her dress, when he gradually exposed more of her skin to his gaze and touch, Isobel did not fidget or protest. She remained still, pliant, trusting, and waiting.
He was thoroughly impressed, rewarding her with kisses as he continued to undress her, groping at the supple flesh of her breasts and hips and buttocks.
And when he finally slipped his hand beneath her skirts, when his fingers found the heat of her, she gasped but did not move. She simply looked at him with those green eyes full of desire, silently permitting him to do as he wished.
“So wet already,” Richard murmured, circling her entrance with one finger. “Such an eager little thing. Did you think about what we did yesterday?”
“Yes,” Isobel admitted, her voice breathy. “I could not stop thinking about it.”
“What did you think about?” Richard pressed a finger inside her, watching her face intently. “Tell me.”
“Your hands,” Isobel gasped, her hands gripping his left shoulder for support. “Your mouth. The way you touched me. The way you made me feel.”
“And did you touch yourself?” Richard asked, adding a second finger and beginning a slow, steady rhythm. “Did you try to re what I did to you?”
Isobel's cheeks flamed, but she held his gaze. “No… but I wanted to.”
The admission sent a bolt of pure lust through Richard. The image of Isobel in her bed, her hands clenched at her side as she fights the urge to relieve herself of her desire, thinking of him while she resists pleasure – it was almost more than he could bear.
“Do not worry, pet. I will take care of you. I always take care of what is mine,” Richard growled, his thumb finding her pearl and circling it in time with the thrust of his fingers. “And your pleasure belongs to me. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Isobel moaned, her head falling back, her composure finally dwindling. “Yes, I understand.”
Richard hummed in approval, one of his arms wrapping around her waist tightly before he rose to his feet. Isobel squealed, surprised at how she was effortlessly lifted, breathless when he turned around and lowered her onto the spot he had been sitting in.
“Allow me to reward you, then, for being an excellent student,” Richard said gruffly, sinking to his knees and pushing her skirt up her legs in a fluid movement.
Isobel shivered under his stare, her cheeks red as he pushed her legs apart.
“W-Wait – what are you –”
She inhaled sharply as his mouth found her dripping center, moaning as his tongue stroked her entrance. Isobel’s eyes widened as she stared down at the man between her legs, his face nestled against her most secret place, his lips and tongue teasing and lapping at her like a man starved.
She tried to resist the urge to touch him – to embrace him or push him away, she could not say, but her fingers needed to find purchase on something.
Isobel met her limit fast as his tongue pushed through her folds, going deeper and deeper into her wet heat and her hand rested on his head, fingers tangling in his hair.
The fear that he would punish her again ran through her, but he did not stop – if anything, his ministrations grew more insistent and she found herself unable to hold back her noises.
Her muscles felt taunt and heavy, yet there was a lightness within her that made her feel as though she were floating.
“I-I -Richard, please –” she moaned, as her grip on his hair tightened.
“Then do it. Embrace your release,” Richard commanded with an attractive smirk, pulling away for a moment as his fingers replaced that sinful mouth of his. “And let me feel you fall apart.”
Isobel's entire body went rigid, and then she was crying out, her inner walls clenching around his fingers as pleasure crashed through her.
Richard held her through it, his grip heavy her waist to keep her steady as she writhed in the chair.
Once she had begun to settle, he stood and lifted her once more, murmuring praise against her throat as he sat down in the chair with her in his lap again.
“Beautiful,” he whispered. “So beautiful when you submit to me. Such a good girl, following my instructions perfectly.”
When Isobel finally came back to herself, she was trembling, her forehead resting against his uninjured shoulder. Richard could feel the rapid beat of her heart where their chests pressed together, could hear the small, satisfied sounds she was making.
“That was...” she started, then seemed unable to find words.
“Better?” Richard supplied, pressing a kiss to her temple.
“So much better,” Isobel confirmed. She pulled back to look at him, her eyes soft and sated. “You are a very good teacher, Your Grace.”
Richard smiled, genuinely pleased. “And you are an exceptional student. So willing to learn, so eager to please. This has been as enjoyable for me as it has been for you.”
The last statement made her blush greatly, and she pressed her head into the crook of his neck quietly. He allowed her to hide, and they remained that way for longer than they should have. But he allowed it, knowing that he was sinking deeper and deeper into whatever was growing between them.
This beautiful, bold, infuriating woman had captured something he did not even realize could be caught and used to hold onto him.
And he had no idea what he was going to do about it.