This kiss wasn’t like the sweet one they had shared last night, navigated with caution. This was wrought fiery with need on both their parts, and Regina pushed her tongue against his with artless fervor. Her senses were so starved for taste and touch, she would have done anything—allowed him to do anything to her—to feed such ravenous desire. It was as if another person had inhabited her body; or perhaps, this was who she’d been all along. The part of her that had nearly been smothered to death by her vicious husband was emerging, tasting light and air and freedom for the first time … and it liked what David was doing to her very, very much.
“You see?” he mumbled between light, playful nibbles at her lower lip. “I told you there was nothing wrong with you. You’re coming alive in my hands. Open your eyes and look … watch me …”
Regina forced her heavy eyelids up just in time to see his dark olive hand cupping the pale curve of her breast. She gasped when he circled his thumb over her nipple, a shockwave rippling through her. He palmed the other, gently kneading and lifting them, eyes flashing up at her with swirls of blue fire as he parted his lips over one yearning nipple. The tip of his tongue flicked at the pink bud, making it tingle and tighten to a painful point. He did it again, the lick swift and soft, but somehow melting her limbs. She shuddered as he went on lapping at her, his tongue strokes growing stronger. He circled the edge of her aureole, then closed his mouth over it, making Regina writhe and twist beneath him as the pleasure almost became too much to bear. He sucked at her with increasing force, each pull of his lips darting sensation straight between her legs.
It made no sense. He wasn’t even touching her there, yet that bundle of nerves between her lower lips pulsed and throbbed as if he did. The sensation grew more unbearable as he moved his attentions to her other breast. There was no easing her in as he had with the first nipple. He attacked, moaning around the taut bud. His thumb and forefinger played with the other, leaving Regina feeling as if she were being pulled taut between two very different worlds—one in which his strong, nimble fingers twisted and pinched, and another in which the wet heat of his mouth drove her wild. The pulsing between her legs grew stronger, telltale flutters hinting at a release hanging just out of her reach.
“David,” she whispered hoarsely, shock rippling through her as she realized what was happening. “David?”
His only response was an incomprehensible murmur, deep and throaty and sending another flash of aching delight through her. Then, he pinched at her left nipple at the same moment his teeth clenched around the right, and she spiraled. Her thighs clenched tight and her back arched, and the little spasms grew in strength, producing a flood of heat and wetness from deep in her core. Regina tried and failed to muffle her stunned exclamations as he teased her until she broke apart, going limp and breathless beneath him. David’s gaze never left her, even as he released her nipple from his mouth, wet and red and glistening.
“Did I just … but I couldn’t have!” she managed, in startled disbelief.
He chuckled, pressing a featherlight kiss to the tip of her breast. “You did, and you will again before we are finished. I don’t have to be inside you to make you come, my dear. You have been starved for this, aching for it. It’s no wonder you respond so beautifully to my touch.”
She reached out to cup his jaw, awe widening her eyes. “More, please. I need more.”
“Yes … yes, you do.”
David’s mouth was traveling again, traversing the expanse of her belly, this time on a downward trajectory, his eyes still holding her captive. She trembled from the aftershocks of her orgasm, but used the last of her strength to prop herself up on her elbows. He wanted her to watch, and despite the niggling in the back of her mind telling Regina this was unseemly, she could not look away. She wanted to see him explore those parts of herself she had stroked in the bath, wanted to know what he was capable of.
A soft whimper of distress emitted from her as he spread her knees, going off the edge of the bed to crouch on the floor. The insides of her thighs were glistening, smeared with the evidence of her climax. She’d never been this wet, not even when he prepared her to take his cock. It was mortifying. It was hypnotizing.
“Christ,” he growled. “So wet already.”
His gaze was now rapt upon the juncture of her thighs and the thatch of red curls, his lips parting as he dipped his head.
“David … what …”
“I know what you’re thinking,” he purred. “Yes, I am going to taste you. No, it isn’t decent. No, I don’t give a damn if it is … and you will not either.”
Yet again he robbed her of words and breath when he darted his tongue at her, swirled it at her entrance and then pressed it inside.
“David!”
His lips were pressed against her, his teeth lightly rasping that yearning, pulsing bud at the heart of her. David’s grip tightened on her thighs, spreading her scandalously wide, exposing every bit of her to his lascivious gaze and wicked mouth. His tongue reached into her, invading her with velvet wetness and foreign heat. She had never felt anything more wickedly decadent … until he moved upward, licking along the delicate folds of her cunny. Then, as his tongue pressed against the swollen, throbbing nub, she experienced true ecstasy. This man wasn’t a god or an angel; he was something far more sinful yet just as otherworldly. No heavenly being could ever be capable of something so lewd, so obscene. So perfect.
“The taste of you,” he groaned between licks, depraved hunger wrapped around every word. “So delectable … glorious … God, Regina …”
Her response came on a wild and wanton cry as he flattened his tongue against her, rubbing and abrading the tender bud with a precision that had her seeing stars in the periphery of her vision. In the midst of it all was David, using his fingers to spread her and expose the part of her he’d been teasing with his tongue. And then … God, help her, he latched onto it with his lips and sucked. His cheeks hollowed and his tongue worked her with slow, tormenting circles, and Regina thought her soul might fly free of her body. He held a hand over her belly as if he knew—could sense her about to fall apart and be propelled straight up into the heavens.
David spoke to her without words, the sounds he made against her wet, tender flesh arousing as well as reassuring—letting her know she was safe to fall apart, that he would catch her when she fell. She couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer, nor could she quiet the sounds of bliss spilling from her parted lips as her womb seized and twisted, her inner channel clenching and rippling with waves of explosive pleasure. Her hands clawed for purchase, landing on his head, tangling in his hair and holding fast as her entire world splintered like shards of broken glass. Her first climax was a mere shadow, eclipsed by the magnificence of this one. It tore through her with the force of a raging storm, stiffening her limbs until they ached, and curling her toes.
The sudden plunge of two fingers inside her intensified the flagging orgasms with fresh waves of renewed exhilaration. He shot to his feet and leaned over her, his fingers thrusting in a swift, steady rhythm as his mouth fastened over hers. She squeezed and clenched around his invasion, and shared in the surprising taste of her own essence lingering on his lips and tongue. She should be ashamed, embarrassed by her wantonness. Instead she felt liberated and set free, at one with him and herself, with the feel of his fingers pressing against some elusive part of her and the slick, piquant flavor of her own juices.
David licked and sucked on her lips as if chasing the dregs of her. A twist of his fingers had Regina spiraling again, clawing at him like a madwoman as yet another climax seized her in its grip.
Regina’s world went dark and she sank, going limp and weak beneath him. She faintly registered the soft kisses David pressed against her mouth, her cheek, her ear. His murmured words came at her as if through water, comforting and compassionate—telling her how lovely she was, how much he wanted her, that she was safe with him.
“David.” Her voice cracked on the utterance of
his name, and she realized for the first time that she’d begun to weep. “David.”
Soft fingers banished the tears from her cheeks, tracked affectionately along her face, stroked her hair. “It’s all right. Whatever you feel right now … don’t hold it back. I’m here. Let yourself go.”
The need for closeness overwhelmed her in an unforeseen rush, and Regina wrapped her arms around him, burrowing her face in his neck. His scent was tangled with hers now, a harmonious duet of sandalwood and flowers, masculine musk and feminine arousal. She registered the heavy weight of his cock against her thigh, a steady pulse thrumming insistently through it.
“Don’t stop,” she whispered, nuzzling into the soft, springy hairs of his chest. “I want the rest. I need to know how it should be. I need you.”
“Yes,” he groaned, easing a hand between them to take hold of his cock. “Yes, Regina.”
She felt no trepidation at the press of him at her opening, no fear or revulsion. There was only a deep hunger for the unknown. Years of neglect and ignorance had left a deep and visceral longing that must be satisfied.
He filled her with ease, guided by the wetness and eagerness of her body. His forehead fell against hers, their panted breaths tangling together as he slowly withdrew and plunged. She was full and aching, pulsing with a renewed need that demanded more friction, more pressure, more of him.
She braced her feet on the bed and arched into him, producing a rough moan from David, who stared down at her with heavy-lidded, unfocused eyes.
“More,” she begged, not fully understanding what she was asking for, but needing it all the same.
David knew. He cupped her buttocks and held her up, his next stroke coming with more force behind it. The impact of his pelvis against hers radiated through her entire being.
“Yes?” he rasped, going still and waiting.
“Yes … yes …”
Skin slapped against skin, the heated drag of his cock against her inner walls driving her eyes up into her head. Each stroke came faster and faster, until he drove into her so swift and hard, she could barely draw breath between the battering thrusts of his hips. She reached up to take hold of the counterpane, though it offered her no purchase. Her body rocked against the mattress, a slave to his primal cadence, his wicked whims.
He had given her control, but now wrestled it back, taking her, branding her in a way she knew to be irrevocable. For the rest of her life, Regina could never forget this moment, when she no longer cared who was in control or what rules were being followed, or whether she was doing the right thing or the wrong thing. There was only this, only them, coming together in a joining of flesh and a something that went deeper than her understanding.
David trembled, his rhythm becoming less precise. “Come with me. Touch yourself … take your pleasure.”
He gritted his teeth as if in agony, and he seemed to fight the urge to chase his own gratification. He wanted her to have hers first, just as he had promised.
Without second thought, she slid a hand between them, pressing tentative fingers against hot, slick flesh. Sensation exploded at the point of contact, heightening the pleasure of him inside her.
“Just like that,” he rasped, his stare fixated on where they were joined, where she stroked herself just the way she had in the tub. “Oh, my God … yes … that’s it …”
She felt herself unraveling again and feared she wouldn’t survive it, yet nothing would stop her from pressing and circling herself. The sight of it seemed to have enraptured David, which in turn fed fuel to her own desires. He looked as if he had never seen anything more riveting than the press of her fingers between her legs.
They tangled together, flying high and crashing simultaneously, David’s hips jerking and his cock pulsing inside her. The hot flood of his seed bathed her insides, and his cries echoed from the walls, husky and hoarse. His eyes remained open and fixed on her through it all, glimmering with an amalgamation of truths she could not avoid.
She was desired. She was wanted.
She was, in the eyes of the most captivating man she had ever laid eyes on, beautiful.
And as he collapsed atop her, gathering her close with his body still connected to hers, Regina was undone.
Chapter 9
“It has occurred to me that there are still a number of ways in which you have been squandering the talents of your courtesan.”
Regina glanced at David over her shoulder, a brush held over a lock of mussed hair. David lay in repose beneath her counterpane, still nude and in no hurry to leave. If she had asked him to, he doubted he would have the strength. His legs were boneless, his eyes heavy-lidded with drowsy satisfaction. She had left the bed minutes ago, stumbling on unsteady legs behind her privacy screen—where David assumed she had cleaned herself up. Reappearing dressed in a prim nightgown buttoned to the throat, she had then seated herself at her vanity and attempted to set her hair to rights.
“Is that so?” she asked, the corner of her mouth twitching with amusement.
Stretching with a groan, he then clasped his hands behind his head and made himself more comfortable amongst her pillows. “Indeed. You see, most courtesans—myself in particular—are built for comfort as well as pleasure. If you were still in this bed with me, you might discover that for yourself. Observe the expanse of my chest, upon which you might find a most convenient pillow. Then there is the length of my arms, perfect for cradling you in a variety of soothing ways. But, alas … you leave me here devoid of purpose to brush your hair. I am wounded, my dear.”
Regina’s shoulders quivered, but her pinched lips held any laughter at bay. David could see the humor dancing in her eyes even from this distance. Combined with the soft pink glow to her cheeks, she left him thoroughly enchanted. Even covered in that matronly nightgown of hers, she heated his blood, making him forget that barely a quarter of an hour had passed since he’d been inside her.
“Forgive me,” she said, setting the hairbrush aside. “I have never had a courtesan before, as you well know.”
Neither had she been treated properly by the only man to come before him, but that did not bear saying aloud. While it irked David to know she had gone so long without knowing true passion or affection, he was gratified to be the one to teach her.
“All will be forgiven if you get back in this bed with me. No, don’t braid your hair. Leave it.”
Regina came to her feet, her expression shy and uncertain as she slowly approached the bed. David never took his eyes off her, the brilliance of fire and candlelight putting the outline of her body on full display through thin white cambric. The brilliant splash of her unbound hair captivated him, and even the peek of bare feet and dainty toes were enough to tie him in knots. It was the most ridiculous thing. He had a healthy appreciation for women and always had. That was all this was.
Yet, as he turned back the coverlet to let her climb in beside him, David couldn’t ignore the intensity of his attraction to this particular woman. It went beyond his usual, indiscriminate love of all things feminine. Perhaps it was merely the novelty of something new—something pure and bright and lovely in the midst of his life, which had become rather difficult as of late. He decided there was nothing wrong with enjoying it while it would last. After all, he’d made it his personal mission to ensure Regina had the time of her life while in his care. Why shouldn’t he also benefit? There had been so little enjoyment in anything for him in a long while.
David wrestled with keeping a straight face as she propped herself up on the pillows beside him, hands folded over her abdomen, eyes fixed on the ceiling. She held herself as rigid as a slab of steel, fingers clenched so tight he doubted he could pry them apart if he tried. The poor thing was so out of her depth.
“Hmm,” he murmured, slipping one arm beneath her shoulders and gently easing her toward him. “Not quite what I had in mind. A few minor adjustments, and … yes, that’s better.”
He arranged her to lay on her side pressed against him, her a
rm slung across his middle. Regina’s breath grew unsteady, but she didn’t pull away. She eventually relaxed, letting David hitch one of her thighs up to drape his.
“Did I mention that a courtesan’s hands have many uses which have nothing to do with intercourse? Allow me to demonstrate.”
David sank his fingers into the mass of her hair, gently kneading her scalp. Regina made a sound that reminded him of a cat’s purr, her heavy sigh tickling his bare chest.
“Oh … well, that … that’s quite good.”
He smiled. “It is my job to ensure you enjoy the full experience. How am I doing thus far?”
“Even with no basis for comparison, I have to admit to being impressed. It’s a wonder some woman hasn’t shackled you to her bed to keep you as her prisoner.”
“Well, I have been shackled, but never for more than an hour or so.”
Her head tipped back and the look she gave him was priceless in its astonishment. “Never tell me you actually enjoyed that.”
A wicked grin spread across his face. “Would you like me to bring a set of irons for my next visit so you can see for yourself? Being completely at your mercy sounds rather appealing.”
Her face pinked just before she burrowed back into his chest, seeming too embarrassed to look him in the eye. It was amazing, the transformation he had witnessed—from timid innocent, to greedy wanton and back again.
“Will you ever cease shocking me?” she murmured, one hand hovering tentatively over his chest.
David gave a little hum of approval when she finally laid her palm against him, fingers tangling in the dark tangle of curls. “Not if I can help it.”
She fell silent for a little while, becoming bolder in her explorations, tracing his contours and sinews. David closed his eyes, content to let Regina have her fill of him in whatever way pleased her. He liked the feel of her hands on him, the soft breaths tickling his skin, the little sounds of contentment she made without noticing.
Taming of the Rake (The Gentleman Courtesans Book 4) Page 15
