Chapter 16 #2
Juliet covered her eyes with her palm and backed toward the door. “I’m sorry. My maid told me my bath was ready.”
“Please stay,” Eric said in that husky voice that made her core vibrate and her knees grow weak. “Just lock the door.”
There was no way she could stay. This wasn’t like the library at night, where she could pretend that she’d accidentally run into him. He was naked, it was daytime, and she was expected in the dining parlor. Of course, there was also no way she could defy his powerful command.
“Juliet,” he said.
She dropped her hand and opened her eyes. Water splashed as Eric rearranged his large body so that he faced her.
“Lock it, Juliet.”
Although he’d issued a directive, there was a gentleness in his voice that let her know that whatever happened next was entirely her choice. But the scandalous truth was, she wanted to be locked away with him.
Without further ado, she fiddled with the hardware until she was certain the door was secure. Her nerves aflutter, she faced Eric and dropped her gaze to stare at the floor.
“I took an early morning walk, and now I am quite cold,” she said.
“We can’t have that. We shall have to warm you up.” Again, with that gravelly voice.
Tingles took over her belly, and she had a sudden urge to study his continence. She raised her gaze to look into eyes that were clouded over as if he was intoxicated. Tipsy on lust, perhaps? Lord knows, she was.
He extended his hand, palm up. “Would you care to join me?”
It would take an army to keep her out of that tub.
The steaming water and his growly voice were calling to her like a siren seducing sailors.
She forced her quivering legs to step forward until she stood before him, gawking.
In her defense, the chiseled-to-perfection bits of him that she could see were enough to stun any woman into a stupor.
His broad, muscular shoulders led to the sculpted chest that had stolen her breath when he’d shown up in the library with parts of his skin showing.
As she’d predicted, his dark chest hair was neatly trimmed.
Perhaps his meticulous grooming allowed him to show off his physique for wagering audiences.
Goodness, she’d give all of her remaining pin money to watch him strut around the ring shirtless.
“’Tis warm in here.” He inclined his chin to the bath water, then lifted his arm, beckoning her with curling fingers.
Good God, his forearms! The cords of toned muscle from his wrist to his elbow rippled with his subtle movement. A line of veins popped ever so slightly, indicating the stellar discipline of an athlete who spent every day engaged in sport.
“You will have to take off your clothing,” he said. “Unless you don’t care if it gets wet.”
Wet clothing sounded miserable. A warm bath while pressing her naked body against a beautiful male specimen sounded beyond heavenly.
Her hands quivered as she shrugged out of the robe. As nervous as she was, she somehow managed to lift her chemise over her head gracefully. Like punctuation at the end of an emotional expression, the fabric fluttered to land beside her feet.
For the first time in her life, Juliet stood entirely naked in front of a man.
Part of her wanted to pluck her discarded clothing from the floor and hide her body behind the garments.
However, there was also a small part of her that wanted him to take in every inch of her until he was overcome with uncontrollable, raw need.
That would put them on equal footing since she ached for him to fill the empty spaces in both her heart and her body.
The new, brazen side of her won. She arched her back, thrust her bosom out, and smiled coquettishly.
“Thunderation, Juliet.” His gaze raked up then down her body as he swallowed. “You are a vision.”
He stood. Water droplets cascaded down his chest and abdomen to catch in the coarse hair surrounding his manhood.
She might have gasped. She definitely blinked. But she’d never seen a man’s genitals that weren’t on a statue or in artwork. His penis was large, standing at attention, and pointing at her.
He held out his palm. She placed her hand in his, and he assisted her into the tub.
The warm water instantly hugged her calves. Turning her until her back was tight against his torso, he wrapped his arms around her. Together they slid into the welcoming warmth.
With her buttocks on the bottom of the tub and his long legs on either side of her, she leaned back and relaxed against him as if he were a giant pillow.
Neither of them moved or said anything. Of this, she was glad, because it allowed her to absorb every decadent sensation.
His breath tickling her cheek. His strong arms cocooning her in a protective grasp.
The gentle scratch of his chest hair against her skin.
His flat abdominals pressed against her back as his stiff erection poked her in the buttocks.
“Mmm.” She sighed.
His cheek brushed hers as he nibbled on her ear. “Juliet, I have a confession.”
Please let it be romantic, worshipping words that had something to do with infatuation, roses, or stars.
“Oh?” she asked.
“I’m not very experienced with women.”
Thankfully, he couldn’t see her smile because she didn’t want him to misconstrue its intent.
It wasn’t that she found his confession trite.
The exact opposite was true. In the short time she’d known him, his actions indicated that he was a man who thought more about integrity and honor than his base needs.
Nevertheless, he had to have some experience in the art of seduction. He knew how to make her hum and melt, after all. She suspected he was more of a long-term relationship gentleman than a tup-her-and-leave-her scoundrel.
“Society looks down on men who don’t have a lot of experience,” he said.
Juliet peered over her shoulder, studying his earnest expression. “Truthfully, it increases my already positive regard for you.”
He smiled at her—a wide, beautiful grin.
She leaned back, snuggling against his firm chest. “I want to be in love with the man I give my maidenhood to.” And yet, here she was, sneaking off to kiss and fondle a man in her sister’s home. She was a hypocrite.
Unless you are falling in love with Eric Stone. Was it possible? This soon?
Perhaps, but then why was she still fantasizing about someone else?
Soap in hand, he rubbed lather into her upper shoulders and down her arms. “There is a woman I slept with a couple of times,” he said, his voice as gentle as his ministrations. “I liked her very much, but I did not love her. And that is the extent of my carnal knowledge.”
She probably shouldn’t feel relieved at his admission, and yet, she didn’t want to share Eric with other women.
“Because you are an honorable gentleman,” she said.
He gently nudged her forward, then used the soap to draw circles on her back.
“How heavenly,” she murmured as her muscles turned to mush.
“Are you warming up?” he asked.
“Oh, yes.” She was, in fact, on fire. Since they were sharing deep secrets with each other, she felt the need to confess more of her feelings. “By the by, you have a lovely smile.”
“What?” he asked.
“I favor your smile. ’Tis so genuine.” Unlike the insincere men of her class.
Although she couldn’t see his face, she could feel him thinking. Was it possible he had no idea how handsome he was?
“Thank you for saying so.”
His exhale lifted the hairs escaping from her twist.
“I have another confession,” he said.
So far, their intimate conversation was going quite well, and she wished it to continue. “I am ready for it.” Hopefully.
“I took the book back to my room.” His words were so soft, she wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly.
She slid her buttocks forward and swiveled to face him. Caring for his injuries, she brushed a finger over each of the bruises on his face.
His lids drifted closed and he hummed. “I studied a couple of pictures and read the text this morning.” He opened his eyes and raised his brow as if awaiting her response.
Her first instinct was to ask, “What was in these pictures?” If she did, would he balk or would he describe every single detail?
While gathering her thoughts about how to make her request, she took the soap from him and slid it over his chest and shoulders. His breathy moans tickled her cheeks. Reverently, she continued to massage the soap into his skin as she captured his sensual utterances in her mouth.
As he took her into his arms, the water splashed, and the slippery soap slid from her grasp. Coarse chest hair tickled and titillated her nipples as his tongue slid into her mouth to swirl and tap. Matching his needy kisses, she sucked on his tongue and dug her fingernails into his back.
Her vigorously pumping blood whooshed in her ears, drowning out her thoughts. She would have to break from their kisses if she meant to formulate a coherent request. Reluctantly withdrawing her lips from his, she again swiveled, then comfortably nestled her back against his torso.
“Tell me about the pictures you looked at,” she boldly said over her shoulder.
He rested his chin in the crook of her neck and gently rubbed his nose over the sensitive spot. “It would be my pleasure.”
Why had she fretted so? It was so easy to be forthright with him.
Tipping her head back so that he absorbed all her body weight, she waited as excited imaginary bees buzzed in her chest.
“My favorite is of a beautiful woman lying naked. Her head is thrown back in ecstasy, and her nipples are pebbled.” His hand slid over one of Juliet’s nipples, and he rolled it between his fingers.
She moaned a deep, throaty sound that seemed to echo in the chamber.
“Her thighs are open.” His whispered words sent a shiver down the back of her neck. “And the hair covering her mound is dark and decadent.” He dipped his hand into the water and scraped his fingers through her protective curls.
Her thighs parted as if they had a mind of their own.
“Would you like to know more, Sunshine?” he asked.
“Oh, yes,” she murmured.
He nuzzled her ear. “The man has his mouth on her cunny.”
He must be talking about the fascinating picture that had been displayed when the book bonked his forehead, then landed at his feet.
“Why would a man put his mouth there?” she asked.
Although the image had burned itself in her memory, and she found it quite appealing, she didn’t understand precisely what was going on.
Oh, she could imagine wicked things that made her ache with need.
But the awkward conversation about marital duties with her mother had never mentioned such indelicate things.
“Because a woman’s cunny is said to be delicious,” he hissed as he parted her folds. Slicked with both the bathwater and her arousal, his finger easily slid inside her.
“Oh,” she panted.
His lips cupped her ear. “Like salted honey.”
“Oh, my.”
“A woman’s cunny is also beautiful.” He worked a second finger inside her. “Like rose petals opening to the sun.”
Red-hot desire consumed her.
“What I wouldn’t give to lay you down and feast on your quim, Juliet.” He brushed his finger over her sensitive nub half a dozen times. “Lick your pearl. Drink your desire. Bury my nose inside you and inhale your secret scent.”
She writhed, and a wave of water splashed over the side of the tub. Heavens above, she also wanted this. So much so that she was tempted to throw all caution to the wind and skip the gathering in the dining parlor.
“When you are ready, Sunshine,” he said.
But she was ready now. She opened her mouth to say Please but swallowed her plea. Esther was waiting across the hall, and their breakfast was most likely on the sideboard, growing cold.
She didn’t want their intimacy to end, and yet… “Tonight?” Her question came out as a needy invocation. “Our family is probably wondering where we are?”
He exhaled. “I suppose so.” He kissed her shoulder blade, then gently nudged her forward and stood. Water dripped from his Godlike body as he stepped out of the tub.
Perhaps she shouldn’t have stopped him because as he sauntered to a pile of dry towels, the firm muscles in his buttocks taunted her. If he could devour the lower parts of her body, surely, she could bite the sculpted crescents that formed his buttocks.
Criminy! What kind of depravity was biting a man’s arse?
He faced her, and as if putting on a show, he massaged the towel into his sinewy muscles. Biting his lip, he wrapped the towel around his enticing, erect penis and dried between his thighs.
Her comely companion was indeed taunting her. The adorable rat. Two could play that game.
She stood and attempted to meet his gaze, but he was staring at her breasts, then her cunny. Feeling quite vindicated, she ran a hand down her waist and over her hip as if she were a seductress.
He moaned. “Tonight can’t come fast enough.”
Her thoughts exactly.
He retrieved another towel and carried it to her. Extending his hand, he assisted her out of the tub. His eyes hooded, he gently dried the droplets from her skin with indulgent rubs that made her tremble.
On second thought, she couldn’t let this glorious experience end. “Maybe if we are quick about it,” she suggested.
He growled. “There will be nothing quick about what I intend to do to you.”
Before she had time to crush his lips beneath hers, take him to the ground, and have her way with him, there was a knock on the door.
His eyes widened.
Juliet huffed out an exasperated, lip-vibrating exhale. “Dratted Esther.” Then, she hurriedly snatched her chemise from the floor and tugged it over her head.