Chapter 30
MARGARET LAY IN BED concentrating on her breathing. If only she had fallen asleep before Sebastian arrived, but she hadn’t, and now it was taking her every conscious effort to keep her breathing sounding natural, to keep from holding her breath as was her habit when she was around him.
She had heard him move about the room but hadn’t yet heard him close himself in his small sleeping area. She’d cracked her eyes open just once, to see that he’d brought a light into the room. She wasn’t going to risk trying it again to find out what was taking him so long to retire.
She knew precisely when he came to stand beside her bed. She even guessed why. It was her fault. All day she’d been wondering what making love with him would be like, and somehow he’d figured out what she was thinking.
The bed dipped. Oh, God, he’d sat down on it! Should she turn in that direction? Would that be natural? Maybe she should snore. No, she didn’t know how to fake a snore. If she tried, he’d probably laugh and know she wasn’t asleep.
He was staring at her. She felt it and would be blushing soon if he didn’t stop it. Was the light bright enough for him to notice? If she blushed now, she’d never forgive herself. Breathe, blast it!
Her nerves were going to shatter soon. She was going to get up and start screeching at him for putting her in such a state of high anticipation.
“If you’re sleeping, you won’t hear this, will you, Maggie?”
His voice actually had a calming effect on her.
It was very quiet, so she knew he wasn’t trying to wake her.
She relaxed somewhat. He was going to tell her what was on his mind and she wouldn’t have to respond.
That was fine. As long as he didn’t say something that made her laugh, she could get through this and then he’d go away.
“You won’t feel this, either, or you might think you’re dreaming. Would you like a nice dream, Maggie?”
Her anticipation shot sky-high again, and her breathing stopped altogether. He’d slipped his arm under her covers. The cotton of her nightgown wasn’t thin, but it wasn’t thick enough to prevent her feeling the heat of his hand on her hip. Now would be the time to wake up and stop him.
“You prevaricate when there’s no need to. You liked me kissing you. There’s so much more to it, pleasure of the kind you can’t begin to imagine.”
Her dratted curiosity was back! Why did he have to say that?
And his hand hadn’t stayed put. Her knees had already been bent toward him in her curled sleeping position.
Now his hand moved down along her upper thigh to them, found that her nightgown was raised to that point, and dipped under her gown—then straight back up the middle between her thighs.
Margaret was sure she was going to pass out if his fingers didn’t stop moving in the direction they’d taken. They didn’t. They reached the junction between her legs and slowly slid inside there.
Her eyes flew open and were caught by the golden glow in his.
He didn’t stop what he was doing now that he knew she was awake.
And she couldn’t get out the words to insist that he stop, didn’t really want to say them because she was too mesmerized by the pleasure he’d mentioned, which she was definitely feeling some of, a lot of ...
He whipped the covers off her, slipped his other hand behind her neck, and drew her across his lap and up his chest to kiss her.
The heat and passion in that kiss shot delicious sensations throughout her body.
She heard a groan of pleasure. Was it his?
Hers? She was crushed against him, but again, she wasn’t sure who was responsible, since she was now holding him as tightly as he was holding her.
And the heated pleasure, good God, it seemed to be coming from everywhere, from his mouth, from the feel of his body, from his fingers and what they were doing, pressed so deeply inside her.
The taste and scent of him was like a heady wine that had instantly intoxicated her.
She was quite giddy, flushed with heat, and utterly mesmerized by each new sensation he provoked.
And with his kisses he continued to dominate her, sucking the will from her, his tongue meshed with hers so erotically.
She couldn’t guess how long he held her like that, spreading the pleasure along her senses, drawing her into the sensual storm he’d created. But suddenly he rolled them over, lifting her gown. He pulled on the loose knot at her throat and whisked the gown off her completely.
Her hair cascaded around her in wild disarray, but he gently pushed it back, clearing a path on her neck for his mouth.
Scorching heat there, near her ear. He took a moment to tug on the lobe with his teeth.
Shivers spread across her shoulders and followed the trail of his mouth down to her breasts.
His hand plumped up one globe, feeding it to his mouth.
She gasped more than once as his tongue laved across her nipple, playing with it, then his teeth scraped across the tip, giving her a jolt of sensation deep in her loins.
He was caressing her even as his mouth spread the fire. And she was aware of every touch because his fingers were so hot, or seemed to be. So was his body, pressed to her side. Immediately she felt chilled when she lost that heat.
She opened her eyes to find him standing beside the bed looking down at her as he methodically removed his shirt.
There was such warmth in his eyes as they moved over her body that she didn’t doubt he liked what he was seeing, and that kept her from blushing.
Nor did he take his gaze from her when one button gave him trouble.
He merely ripped it off, tossed it aside, and then tossed the shirt as well.
His chest was so wide. Her eyes were probably as admiring as his had been as she took her fill of the view he was giving her.
She really did like seeing his bare skin. And she’d get to touch it now...
She began to blush when he started unfastening his pants.
She held his eyes at that point, afraid to glance lower, but she was caught by the intensity of his gaze.
He’d taken a risk, moving away from her, giving her a chance to regain her wits if she’d temporarily lost them and point a finger at the door.
She had lost them, but then, she’d also decided to leave this night to fate, and fate seemed to be leaning in his direction.
And then the chance was gone. He rejoined her on the bed, let her feel the length of him pressed to her side as he kissed her again, deeply, with sublime expertise.
It was a highly erotic moment for her, feeling so much male skin all at once.
She curled toward him of her own volition, wrapping her arms around his neck, felt his hand curve over her side, around her hip, then pull one of her legs over his, giving her even more access to him.
There was a hard protuberance pressed against her belly, then with a brief adjustment, it slid along the crevice between her legs.
Hot, hard, slick from her own excitement, he grasped her buttocks and glided her slowly along that length, back and forth, building a sweet tension that made her anxious and thrilled her at the same time.
All the while his kiss got hotter, more possessive, more demanding of a response, and hers was growing wilder with each beat of her heart.
Suddenly he moved on top of her, rolling his hips over so he didn’t lose his position. Her arms and legs seemed to move of their own accord, twining about him. And there was a new pressure, very subtle at first, very enticing...
“Say yes, Maggie,” he whispered against her lips.
“No,” she gasped.
“Very well, as long as we both know you meant yes.”
She did, she just couldn’t bring herself to say it. And the pressure was increasing. So was the tension. If something didn’t happen soon, she felt she would explode.
“But I’ll get that yes out of you later.”
The promise made her shiver, it was said so deeply. He wouldn’t. She just couldn’t see herself being that complacent about lovemaking. But it didn’t matter. As he’d guessed, he had her full agreement already.
And then it happened, what she assumed she’d been waiting for, a tearing that surprised her into opening her eyes briefly.
It hadn’t hurt, but it hadn’t been all that pleasant, either.
Yet no sooner did that thought flit across her mind than he sank deeply into her, and she knew that was what she’d been waiting for.
Heat rushed through her, recharged, coalesced, then erupted.
“Good God, yes!” she gasped without thought as wave after wave of the most exquisite pleasure pulsed in her loins.
She heard his chuckle, entirely too triumphant, but she supposed that was all right, because he kissed her again as well, quite possessively. And thrust against her a few more times, prolonging her pleasure and gaining his own.
He said no more, but his lips rained tender kisses across her face before he moved to her side again.
And he still wasn’t done with her. He pulled her half onto his chest, his arm around her, his hand caressing her ever so gently.
It was a divine place to be just then. Sated, lusciously content, she fell asleep almost instantly.