Dangerous

by Monica Burns

  The moment she touched him, she went rigid. Abrupt and swift, the surreal existence of her visions enveloped her. This time the world she entered was more arousing than anything she could have ever imagined. Erotic and vividly real, the image of her writhing eagerly beneath the stranger stole her breath away.

  The moment exploded around her with intoxicating pleasure. Warm and spicy, his male scent flooded her senses as their bodies melded, and he thrust deep into her with a dark roar. Flexible steel shoulders shifted beneath her hands as she clung to him, her body moving with his as he filled her completely, withdrew, then buried himself inside her again. The intensity of the moment sent her mind reeling from the pleasure buffeting every part of her. His heat permeated her body as her pores rushed to absorb the very essence of him. Tantalized and devoured by his possession, her blood ran hot with need.

  The suddenness with which she was thrown out of the surreal experience sent a jolt through her body. Muscles weak with reaction to the wicked imagery, she struggled to remain standing. She stared up at him, all too aware the vision she’d just seen would happen, and nothing she did could prevent it. The simplicity of the knowledge didn’t startle her, but the anticipation skimming through her veins did. She wanted his heat burning through her, singeing her until the pleasure she’d just witnessed consumed her.

  He studied her with an indescribable emotion glinting in the cerulean depths of his eyes. Slowly, he pulled her toward him, his gaze never leaving her face. A strong hand captured her chin and tilted her head back. Heart pounding with excitement, she waited for his mouth to warm hers.

  The moment their lips touched, she melted into him, her eyes fluttering shut. Senses reeling from the pleasure of his touch, she gasped as his tongue laced seductively over her lips. In an instant, his tongue danced with hers in a tantalizing example of the intimacy her gift had shown her. The sharp bite of Cognac tickled the inside of her mouth as she molded herself to his hard, muscular body.

  The chill that had encased her earlier was gone. In its place was a fire that stole her ability to think. Everything disappeared in a mist of passion and desire as his mouth teased and tempted her into a wild and abandoned response. Pressed into him so intimately, her body cried out with the need to be possessed by him. She’d never wanted anything so much in her entire life.

  In the next moment, strong hands gripped her waist as he put space between them. All too aware of her accelerated pulse and the frantic breaths escaping her lips, she was startled to hear the harsh sound of his heavy breathing as well. His reaction made her believe he was just as affected as she was by their embrace. She watched in silence as he swallowed hard.

  “My grandmother didn’t send you. Who did? Standish?” The terse note in his voice made her frown.

  “I don’t understand.” She shook her head in puzzlement. “No one sent me.”

  “Do you really expect me to believe you found me here simply by accident?” he scoffed.

  “I do.” Setting her chin at a defiant tilt, she sent him a haughty look.

  “What woman in her right mind would venture away from the main ballroom dressed the way you are, unless she had every intention of being alone with a man?”

  She stiffened at the chastising note in his voice, and heat warmed her cheeks. He was right. Her behavior announced her blatant disregard for propriety. Still, he didn’t need to scold her like a child. She lifted her chin to a defiant angle.

  “Do not flatter yourself, sir. I wanted to find a safe haven for just a short time. I am not in the habit of locking myself in a room with a total stranger.”

  “And yet you did just that,” he responded softly.

  Good heavens, but the man’s voice had the ability to reduce her to the state of a tongue-tied debutante. And was that regret she saw in his dark eyes? Regret mixed with desire. Her throat tightened as she saw his gaze slide over her again. Heat returned to her cheeks, and she quickly looked away to prevent him from seeing how much his open admiration excited her. It was difficult to think straight when he looked at her like that.

  “It was…it was not intentional, sir.”

  “Lucien,” he murmured as he bent his head toward her. “You may call me Lucien.”

  “Lucien.” She tested the name on her tongue.

  She liked the way it sounded. Her eyes locked with his, and her heart skipped a beat at the open desire darkening his features. As his forefinger trailed its way down the side of her cheek, she tried to breathe normally. Impossible. Something about this man sent what little cautionary judgment she possessed dancing off into the wind.

  Desire slid through her to coil in every part of her body. It warmed her and sent her blood pounding through her veins. The fierceness of the emotion took her by surprise. In an attempt to collect her wits, she drew in a deep breath. She realized her mistake the moment his spicy male scent flooded her senses.

  She didn’t move as he bent his head and brushed his mouth over hers. Was it the brandy on his lips or his kiss that warmed her blood? God, if she didn’t leave the room right this minute, she might actually lose her head and do something rash and impulsive. She sighed as his mouth grazed her cheek then moved downward to nibble at her neck.

  “I think I should go,” she breathed.

  “Would Isis deny a mere mortal the pleasure of her touch?” he whispered as he trailed his fingertips down her throat and across her bare shoulder.

  He leaned into her again to capture her mouth in a hard kiss. Coherent thought deserted her as she melted into him. She knew doing so was a mistake, but she loved the way his hard body pressed into hers. He nipped at her lower lip, playfully tugging at it until she parted her lips to welcome his sensuous exploration of her mouth.

  The bite of the brandy she’d tasted on his lips moments ago swept across her tongue and heightened the dangerous male essence of him. She needed to stop this madness. She was playing with fire. Deep inside a small voice encouraged her to linger. Just a few more minutes. Playing with fire didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy the warmth of it for a few more moments.

  His hand glided over her hip, and a tremor lashed through her. Oh God, she was enjoying this far too much. With a gentle tug, he pulled her tight against him. Through the thin silk of her gown she could feel his thick erection. The tip of it pressed against the apex of her thighs, and her heart thudded against her chest as she acknowledged how much she wanted him. Desire rushed through her as she burrowed deeper into his body. She wanted to feel more of him. It was wrong to want this, but something beyond reason held her in its grip. When his hands slid the knotted material off her shoulders, she didn’t even think to protest, she simply gave herself up to the pleasure of his touch.

  “Beautiful,” he whispered as his tongue flicked out to circle her nipple. “Ra himself wouldn’t be able to resist such a tempting sight.”

  The only response she could muster was a soft moan. Her blood grew thick in her veins as a lethargic heat spiraled through her. Once more, he circled her nipple with his tongue then blew across the dampness of her skin. The sensation made her cry out with pleasure.

  Need in its rawest form slid through her, blinding her to anything but the pleasure of his touch. She arched her body backward as he closed his lips around a nipple and suckled her. Immediately, her legs grew wobbly.

  Dear Lord, this was the most gloriously wicked thing she’d ever done. Wicked, sinful and decadent. She didn’t want it to end. Her muscles were taut and achy, and she whimpered with the need to satisfy the primal longing holding her hostage. His mouth left her breast and slid up to her shoulder. As the remaining silk strap of her bodice fell down into the crook of her elbow, his thumbs rubbed over the pointed tips of her breasts.

  Her mouth went dry as she realized she had reached the point of no return. She knew her behavior was appalling, but her vision made her wonder if this moment wasn’t meant to be. Moreover, did she
have the strength to deny herself something so exquisitely pleasurable? As his mouth covered hers once more, she reveled in the unadulterated pleasure his touch gave her. She’d never known how decadent and delicious Cognac could taste on a man’s tongue. She wanted more.

  She stroke his cheek, and beneath her fingertips, she felt the ridge of the long scar across his cheek. His hand caught hers, and he turned his head to press his lips into her palm. Passion blazed in his eyes as his gaze met hers.

  “Give yourself to me, Isis.” Desire made his voice raspy. “Let me show you what heaven can feel like.”

  The words sent her heart slamming into her chest as he proceeded to pull her finger into his mouth. Dear God, the man’s touch was a heady summons to indulge in sin. And it was a wickedly tempting offer that promised a delirious passion. She knew leaving the room was the sane thing to do, and yet every part of her protested the idea of sanity.

  “This is madness,” she whispered as she looked away from him, struggling with her decision.

  “If that’s so, then I welcome it. That, and the pleasure I know we’ll find in each other’s arms.”

  His words reminded her of the image she’d seen—their bodies entwined together as they indulged in a sinful passion. The vision made her willing to cast all caution aside. In a supplicant gesture she pulled his head down and offered him her mouth.

  Instantly, his lips seared hers with a demand she couldn’t refuse even if she’d wanted to. Weak-kneed, she braced herself against his chest with her palms, the soft material against her hands a direct contrast to the hard muscles beneath his clothing. A sudden rush of liquid heat made her slick with desire, and she released a soft gasp. The speed with which her body was ready for him astonished her. Graham had never made her feel this way. Hot, needy and aching for release.

  The hardness of his arousal pressed into her, and with another catlike stroke, she rubbed her hips against him. Her action ripped a deep groan from his throat, and the sound sent her pulse skidding along at a phenomenal rate. Dear Lord, she’d lost her mind to be acting in such a wanton manner.

  Whether it was her vision driving her down this wild and wicked path or something else, she didn’t know. Perhaps she was going mad, but she could not imagine a more delicious man to descend into madness with. She wanted to touch him—needed to feel the hot essence of him. Fingertips tingling, she unbuttoned his shirt while her tongue mated with his in a passionate kiss.

  Seconds later, her palms pressed into his hard flesh. She breathed in the raw masculinity of him. It had been more than three years since she’d been this intimate with a man. Beneath her hands, his heat penetrated the pores of her skin until she wanted more. It wasn’t enough just to have her hands skimming over the hard, sculptured muscles of his chest. She wanted nothing between them. She wanted to experience her vision. She wanted him inside her.

  As if he could read her mind, he slowly dragged his mouth away from hers and lifted his head.

  With the palm of his hand against her throat, he gently ran his hand downward until his fingers skimmed over a voluptuous breast. He swallowed hard at the desire glowing in her eyes. Their hazel color had changed to a sultry green, and the expression of hunger on her face was enough to drive him to drink.

  He hadn’t come here to bed a widow fresh out of mourning, but this one had made him forget any intentions he had, good or bad. Her soft flesh filled his hand as he cupped one luscious mound, with his thumb circling a hard peak. Damn, but she was a tempting morsel.

  Desire pushed any thought of sanity out of his head, and he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the long divan that faced the fireplace. As he laid her on the backless furniture, the seductive pout of her soft mouth pulled the air from his lungs. Christ Jesus, he’d never seen a more alluring creature. But he wanted to see her without her mask.

  He reached out to remove the gold-feathered disguise, but she caught his hand and raised it to her lips. The warmth of her delicate mouth sent need crashing through him the moment she started sucking on his finger. He growled from the pleasure of it. If she could suck his cock as skillfully as she did his finger, he’d find himself well sated. The image pulled another dark growl from him. Her gaze immediately dropped to his taut erection, and she sent him a provocative look as she released her grasp on his hand.

  “Undress for me,” she demanded in a throaty whisper.

  He smiled slowly at the faint flush cresting over her cheeks. It appeared Isis wasn’t used to making demands when it came to her pleasure. But she had with him, and her boldness pleased him. As he removed his clothing, he watched her do the same until the only thing she wore was her gold-feathered mask. Following her example, he didn’t remove the black silk from his face.

  As he studied her in the firelight, his gaze swept over voluptuous breasts down to a softly rounded stomach and then to the dark triangle at the apex of her thighs. Exquisite. He liked how she was curved in all the right places. Exploring every inch of her would be a pleasurable task.

  One hand stretched out to him, she silently invited him to come to her. He accepted without hesitation and lowered himself onto the divan. Unable to keep from devouring her with his gaze, he ran his hand across the roundness of her belly. The tactile sensation was one of downy softness. The aroma of jasmine and lemongrass tantalized his senses. The exotic combination tugged at his groin as he pressed his mouth against her stomach, delighting in the fragrant softness of her. His hand caressed a long, shapely leg before his fingers brushed across the top of her lusty thigh. The quick breath she drew in was filled with a taut need.

  “Please,” she murmured.

  “I have every intention of pleasing you, yâ sabāha.”

  The desire shimmering in her sultry gaze made his mouth go dry. His gaze not leaving her face, his fingers slipped through her nest of curls. He sucked in a quick breath of surprise as he encountered the slick heat of her passion. She was drenched in cream. Hot and wet, she arched her body upward against his hand with a soft mewl of pleasure. He rubbed the fleshy nub between her slick folds, and she writhed beneath the touch.

  “Oh God, please.”

  Her soft plea tore at him. Damn, she was about to come apart in his arms, and he’d not had a chance to fully explore the delights of her body. But she wasn’t the only one wanting immediate satisfaction. His cock jumped as he watched her pink tongue dart out to lick her lips.

  Quickly he shifted his body to hover over her. With his erection pressing at the edge of her honeyed core, he reached for her mask. Once again she prevented him from removing the gold-feathered covering.

  “No,” she murmured. “Tonight belongs to Isis and her mortal lover, Lucien. No one else.”

  With a nod, he pressed his hips downward and buried himself in her slick heat. The pleasure of it forced a deep groan out of him. God, when was the last time he’d had such a delicious cunny wrapped this tightly around his cock? He couldn’t remember. He couldn’t remember any woman except her. In the back of his head he heard the warning, but he ignored it. Sheathed inside her tight passage, he lowered his head to suckle on the stiff peak of her breast.

  A soft moan broke over his head as his teeth lightly abraded her nipple. The small cry of delight escaping her pleased him. It pleased him more than he cared to admit. Slowly he shifted his hips and eased himself out of her snug sheath. At her murmur of protest, he slid back inside her. Expanding her until he filled her completely with his hard length.

  Christ, but she felt good wrapped around him like a snug vise. As she shifted beneath him, he released a dark growl of pleasure. She responded by flexing her muscles around him again. If possible, his cock expanded and hardened against her tightness. God, he’d not enjoyed this kind of pleasure in a long time. Pulling out of her slightly, he kissed away her protest before plunging back into her. His mouth swallowed her cry of delight, and triumph raced through him as he increased the
speed with which he plundered her heated core.

  As she met his thrusts with equal fervor, he forgot everything but her. Isis was his for the taking, and their mating filled him with a primal need unlike anything he’d experienced before. He rocked his hips hard and fast against her as he stared down at the lushly curved body beneath him. Everything else receded from him except for his awareness of her. The soft cries of her desire as she bucked against him. The exotic floral scent mingling with the musk of her passion. The sweet taste of champagne on her tongue. There wasn’t anything about her that he didn’t want more of.

  Her slick, creamy core tightened around his cock, and he groaned as his ballocks drew up taut at the base of his erection. The faster he drove into her, the more passionate her response. Fingertips digging into his hard shoulder muscles, she clung to him, answering his demand for complete surrender. Seconds later her body shattered around him, her muscles clenching him in hard, rhythmic spasms of intense pleasure. He wanted to prolong the moment, enjoy the sensation, but he couldn’t. With a deep, primeval growl, he exploded inside her before slowly sinking down into her soft, full curves.

  Chapter Two

  The after effects of their joining shivered through her, and her muscles trembled around him. He released a low sound of pleasure against the side of her neck as his firm lips nibbled at her. Satiated and exhausted, Constance murmured a soft protest as he rose from the divan. With a swift kiss to her lips, he smiled.

  “The night is still young, Isis. I’m simply going to fetch an afghan I saw earlier.”

  She watched him cross the darkened room. The masculine grace and power of his movements renewed the desire he’d so deliciously satisfied moments ago. The way he moved emphasized his commanding presence and explained the intense attraction she felt. He reminded her of the statues of Ramesses she had seen when Graham had taken her to Egypt several months after their wedding. She closed her eyes as shame suddenly rolled over her.