Chapter 21 #3
Was jealousy, her wanting to claim him for herself, enough of a reason to do this, if once he’d had her he would not desire anyone else? Venus would be free to be with her Lester, and she would have Ethan to herself.
His fingers made light work of the pretty ribbons criss-crossing her bodice that she’d left purposely loose, thus exposing the inner curves of her breasts. They were now totally exposed.
His mouth travelled from her lips to her chin. She groaned and threw her head back, exposing the full length of her neck, long, white, like a swan. His tongue snaked down finally to lick and suck at the hollow at the base of her throat.
Baring her breasts, stroking between her legs, his kisses barely giving her time to breathe; all this made her feel as though a dormant fire in her stomach had suddenly flared into life.
She would show him the woman he should love, but in doing so was also exposing her inner self.
Their lips parted. His hands stilled, though his thumbs continued to stroke her nipples, swollen after receiving hard kisses from his lips and firm caresses from his hands.
‘Are you sure?’ he asked her, his blue eyes seeming now to be purple, looking deeply into hers.
Her breasts heaved beneath his adoring scrutiny, his fingers foraging between them, his lips cool through the tickling presence of his growing stubble.
Having a care to stop him ripping at her clothing, she let the muslin garment drop to the floor. Evening sunlight shining through a sapling outside the window dappled her body.
Without saying another word, she lay down on the bottom bunk.
The questioning look had vanished from his eyes, though she sensed he was still wondering and assessing the kind of woman he’d taken on.
How many naked women had he seen in his life and how many of them among the slaves he owned?
Thrusting such thoughts from her mind, she smiled through her tangled hair, lips parted, breathless with need. ‘I’ve never…’ she began hesitantly, her face partially hidden by the shadow of the upper bunk. ‘I’ve never done this before. You do realise that?’
He smiled. ‘A virgin bride. As befitting a betrothed woman. Any other man would think you a little forward, madam.’ The comment was accompanied by a smile. ‘But I do not. I have regard for a woman who knows what she wants.’
He lay down beside her, his hands insinuating themselves between her thighs, following that expanse of silky-smooth flesh until there was no going back.
She felt his hand there, in her private place, and felt she was flying. The most ecstatic tingling pleasure erupted from that small spot on which he laid his finger. She was lost. There was no prospect now of her changing her mind.
Once he had entered her, the cabin was filled with the sound of their broken breathing, moans, sighs, the silky touch of flesh against flesh.
Ethan was intrigued, lost in passion, but also concerned.
Was there some reason for her giving in now, and most important of all, was she like this with all men?
She’d said she was a virgin. Was it true?
It was not a question one could easily ask a lady, though at times it seemed that Lochranza was far from being that – and more so, she didn’t seem to care who knew it!
He’d known other women like her, though they were few and far between.
Some of them had been ladies of pleasure, courtesans, mistresses of highly placed gentlemen.
The majority had been clever as well as beautiful – just like Lochranza.
He’d heard of women in the enclosed world of far-off Japan, beautiful women who were also accomplished in the arts, including the art of entertaining gentlemen, offering their minds as well as their bodies.
Few women could fit in such a world, that where a woman was as powerful as a man. Lochranza could.
Never mind, he told himself as he entered her.
This is now. Once we are married, our passion diminished by time, she will be no different from any other lady of breeding – though on reflection he wasn’t sure he wanted that.
The plain fact was that Lady Lochranza Kildare was so different, so alive, vivacious and keen to be anything but refined.
‘I want you always,’ he breathed into her ear, only seconds from his final thrust. ‘Me and only me!’
Every vein in his neck stood out as he threw his head back, eyes closed, mouth wide open. He made sounds as though something was crumbling and cracking at the back of his throat.
Lochranza took one last look at his face before she made the great discovery that if one closed one’s eyes at the moment of climax, the sensation was intensified.
It was phenomenal! Superb! Nothing like she’d imagined!
Lurid description after lurid description cascaded into her mind like a cool waterfall, like a warm sea washing over her body, like reaching the top of the highest mountain before flying from its peak on golden wings.
Every nerve end tingled. Every sense drank and drained the glass that was the ultimate thirst quenching between a man and a woman.