Untouched Until Marriage

by Chantelle Shaw

  ‘I…’ Libby was transfixed by the sultry heat in his eyes that made her skin prickle and her nipples tingle.

  Raul did not love her, and had never given her any reason to hope that he ever would. But he wanted them to remain married, and that was better than nothing, she told herself. He was going to be a wonderful father for Gino, and for any children they might have. She gave a tiny shiver of excitement at the thought that she might already have conceived his baby. A marriage of convenience might not be perfect, but she was a realist and accepted that few things in life were. After all, she had never expected to have a husband and children after she had vowed to devote herself to Gino. Raul was an unexpected bonus, and as long as she kept the fact that she loved him to herself, their marriage stood every chance of being a success.

  ‘You don’t seem very sure,’ he murmured, his deep, gravelly voice whispering across Libby’s skin so that she gave another shiver. ‘I think it’s time I showed you how pleasurable sex can be.’

  Libby swallowed, her heart thudding so hard beneath her ribs that she snatched a shallow breath. He mistook the sudden tension that gripped her, and ran his fingertips lightly up and down her spine, as if he were soothing a nervous colt.

  ‘Don’t be afraid, cara. I will be gentle this time.’

  And as if to prove his words the first brush of his lips across hers was as soft as gossamer, a delicate tasting that was sweetly beguiling and instantly left her aching for more.

  When he kissed her again she opened her mouth and kissed him back. He framed her face with his hands, grazing his lips over hers until she gave a frustrated moan and curled her arms around his neck in a clumsy attempt to make him kiss her with all the wild, pent-up passion she sensed he was trying to control.

  Libby’s eagerness was irresistible, but Raul also found it strangely touching now that he knew how inexperienced she was. When she dipped her tongue tentatively into his mouth he groaned, his restraint pushed to its limits, and without lifting his lips from hers he tumbled them both backwards, so that they were lying on the bed.

  He could not rationalise what was happening to him, he acknowledged as he drew her jumper over her head, startled to find that his hands were shaking. He had been furious when he’d realised that it had not been necessary for him to marry her, but since then he had been coming up with reasons why she should remain his wife.

  He was not prepared to let her go—at least not yet. Maybe not for a very long time…The fact that she had not been Pietro’s mistress made him happier than it had any right to, because of course it was only desire that pumped through his veins, nothing more. He had fallen in lust the moment he had laid eyes on her, and now that she was his wife he could enjoy the single most important benefit of being married as far as he was concerned: regular sex with a woman who could decimate his self-control with a single look from her blue-green eyes.

  He stared down at her pale, slender body. Her breasts were surprisingly full and rounded, her pink nipples already puckering, inviting him to close his mouth around them. She was watching him warily, and he knew he must control his impatience and indulge in leisurely foreplay until she was fully aroused and ready for him to possess her. He kissed her again—a long, slow tasting that left them both breathing hard—and then deftly removed her jeans.

  He stood up to strip off his trousers, and saw the doubtful glance she cast at the solid length of his erection. ‘Trust me, cara, it will be good for you this time,’ he assured her, and he stretched out on the bed and claimed her mouth with hungry passion. Her unrestrained response stirred his soul, and his hand shook again as he cupped her breast and gently stroked his thumb pad over its dusky crest.

  Heat unfurled in the pit of Libby’s stomach when Raul lowered his head to her breast and flicked his tongue back and forth across her nipple until it felt tight and swollen. The sensation was exquisite, and she arched her back, a sigh of pleasure escaping her when he transferred his mouth to her other breast and meted out the same delicious torture. The restless longing he had evoked the first time he had made love to her returned, and was even fiercer in its intensity. The slight soreness between her legs had faded, and she ached for him to touch her there, but he continued to caress her breasts, now sucking hard on one nipple while he rolled its twin between his fingers until the pleasure was unbearable.

  Only when she made a guttural plea did he trail his hand lightly over her stomach and thighs, and she caught her breath when at last he threaded his fingers through the cluster of tight curls and slowly, oh, so slowly parted her, stretching her with infinite care so that he could slide one digit fully into her. She lifted her hips as he withdrew his finger a little way and then pushed deeper, in and out, with pumping little movements that caused a curious fluttering sensation deep in her pelvis.

  Something was happening to her that she had no control over—a wondrous coiling sensation that grew tighter and tighter as his hand moved rhythmically, caressing her with delicate little strokes so that molten heat flooded between her legs. Frantically she curled her fingers into the sheet and closed her eyes, so that she could focus on the tiny spasms that were now rippling across her belly. Her breathing quickened and became sharp little gasps as he took her higher and higher to some unknown place that she was desperate to reach, and she gave a sob of protest when he suddenly withdrew his finger, leaving her bereft and empty.

  ‘Please…’ She could barely articulate the word, her limbs trembling, needing him to touch her again and take her to the end of the journey he had started. She felt him move, and her lashes flew open to see him position himself over her. The feel of the solid length of his erection pushing against her thigh made her heart pound.

  ‘Try to relax, cara,’ he said deeply, his voice shaking with his desire to sink his throbbing shaft into her, but recognising the importance to take it slow so that he did not hurt her. ‘You are ready for me,’ he assured her, but still he hesitated and rubbed his finger against the moist, swollen lips of her vagina.

  Libby gasped when he found the tiny, ultra-sensitive nub of her clitoris, and she jerked suddenly, her eyes widening with stunned disbelief as the coiling inside her snapped. The spasms grew stronger, making her muscles convulse in wave after wave of indescribable pleasure, but she soon realised that this was just the beginning, for Raul was easing forward, and she instinctively bent her knees to allow him to penetrate her with one slow, careful thrust, sliding deeper, inch by inch, until he filled her to the hilt.

  ‘Oh!’ The feel of him inside her was so incredible that she could not restrain a soft moan, but he stilled instantly and rested his sweat-beaded brow against hers, his eyes dark with regret.

  ‘Does it hurt? I’ll stop…’

  ‘No!’ She clutched his shoulders as he withdrew a little, and urged him down so that he sank deeper once more. ‘Don’t stop.’

  The first waves of pleasure were receding, but when he drew back again and then thrust forward, gentle at first, but then faster and harder, she sensed a new wave building, sweeping her inexorably higher and higher, so that she groaned and twisted her head on the pillows. Raul gripped her hips and held her while he continued to drive into her, each stroke more powerful and intense than the last. She was so nearly there. He paused, and she sobbed his name until he relented and stroked again, and then the world exploded in a series of exquisite spasms that racked her body so that she raked her nails down his back, utterly blown away by her first orgasm.

  She knew from the harsh sound of his breathing that he was nearing his own nirvana, and her generous heart yearned for him to experience the same bliss that he had gifted her. Instinctively she lifted her legs higher and wrapped them around his hips, so that he could thrust deeper still. Now the feeling of him pumping inside her was even more intense, and impossible to withstand—for either of them. Raul threw his head back, his face a rigid mask as he teetered on the brink for as long as he could hold on to his self-control before it shattered spectacularly and he crashed o

ver the edge, taking Libby with him and revelling in her cries of pleasure as she climaxed for a second time.

  He had sensed that Libby was an intensely sensual and passionate woman, and now he had proof, Raul mused as he lay lax on top of her, utterly sated and so amazingly relaxed that he felt boneless and strangely complete—as if he had been waiting for this moment, with this woman, all his life. She had spoiled him for other women, and he almost resented the hold she had over him. The idea of having sex with anyone else was repugnant—and as for her ever giving her body to another man! Fire burned in his gut and a murderous black rage swept through him. He would tear the man apart with his bare hands. Libby was his woman, his wife, and he would never let her go.

  Inferno! Where had that thought come from? he wondered impatiently. He had done the whole intense relationship thing once, and sworn that he would rather eat poison than repeat the miserable experience. Libby meant nothing to him. He viewed their marriage as a partnership based on their mutual desire to bring Gino up as part of a family—with astounding sex thrown in.

  With that settled, Raul gently disengaged his body from Libby and saw that she had fallen asleep. She did not stir, simply snuggled up to him like a sleepy kitten, instinctively searching for warmth, her glorious hair spilling over the pillows and her long gold lashes fanning her velvet soft cheeks.

  A partnership, he reminded himself firmly. Yes, she was very beautiful—even when she insisted on wearing all the colours of the rainbow at the same time. But he had learned that the best recipe for a successful marriage was one that did not include messy emotions, and he would not be moved by the flame-haired siren who was sleeping peacefully, with her head resting on his chest and her cheek pressed against his heart.

  The sound of Gino’s gurgling laughter roused Libby from a deep sleep. She stirred and stretched luxuriantly, wakefulness alerting her to the feeling of slight tenderness between her thighs. But that was only to be expected after Raul had made love to her so passionately in the early hours of the morning. She turned her head, and her heart flipped when he strolled in off the balcony, holding Gino in his arms.

  Every time she looked at him she was struck anew by how gorgeous he was, and this morning, wearing a pair of close-fitting faded jeans and a black polo shirt, he stole her breath. He was laughing as Gino vigorously explored his ear with a chubby finger, and his tender expression as he smiled at the baby filled Libby with despair. How could she not love him? she thought helplessly. He was impossibly handsome, sinfully sexy, and heartbreakingly gentle with the little boy he intended to adopt as his son.

  She quickly sat up, struggling to bring her emotions under control, and two pairs of dark eyes fringed with ridiculously long black lashes immediately turned to her.

  ‘Buongiorno, cara.’ Raul’s grin revealed a set of very white teeth which looked even more blinding in contrast to his olive gold skin. A lock of hair had fallen onto his brow, and she remembered how she had threaded her fingers through its silky blackness and held his head to her breasts during their early-morning sex session.

  She blushed at the sultry gleam in his eyes which told her that he was remembering it too. An elusive message passed between them that was gone before she could grasp it or understand it. But his gaze remained locked with hers, and her heart ached as it had done when he had made love to her a second time, with such surprising tenderness that afterwards tears had trickled from the corners of her eyes and he had gently kissed them away.

  ‘Gino’s had his breakfast and a bath, and I’ve taken him for a stroll around the garden,’ Raul informed her. ‘I think he’ll be ready for a nap pretty soon.’

  ‘It’s nearly midday,’ Libby murmured after a horrified glance at the clock. ‘You should have woken me.’

  ‘Silvana was happy to take charge of him. I think she expected you to be tired after your wedding night.’

  ‘Oh, God!’ Libby covered her scarlet cheeks with her hands. ‘What must she think?’

  ‘That you were worn out after a very energetic night with your new husband,’ Raul said in a tone of extreme satisfaction. He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned forward to brush his mouth over hers in a lingering kiss that did not last nearly long enough. ‘I’m sure she will understand that you may need to lie in and recuperate most mornings from now on.’

  His grin was impossible to resist. Libby’s lips twitched. ‘You can take that insufferably smug smile off your face, Signor Carducci.’

  ‘Make me, Signora Carducci,’ he challenged softly.

  He was prevented from kissing her again by Gino, who had grown bored with not being the centre of attention and now butted his head against Raul’s shoulder. ‘I’ll take him to the nursery while you get up,’ he said, getting to his feet and swinging Gino high in the air, much to the baby’s delight. ‘Silvana will mind him for a few hours. I thought you might like to come sailing with me.’

  Libby threw him a startled glance. In the days leading up to their marriage he had spent many hours with her and Gino, but she had been under no illusion: the focus of his attention had been the baby. Her heart skipped at the idea that he wanted to be alone with her. She would fly to the moon with him if he asked, but she must not seem too eager or he might guess that her feelings for him were much more than lust and platonic friendship.

  ‘Don’t you have to work?’ she queried.

  True to his word, he had worked from his study rather than drive in to the Carducci Cosmetics offices in Rome each day, and on several occasions he had asked her to read through various documents and sign them. This had caused a certain amount of tension when she had questioned some of his proposals. Admittedly she hadn’t really understood the finer details, but she could add up figures and was concerned by the level of risk in some of his ventures. To her surprise he hadn’t argued with her, but simply filed the documents away, saying that perhaps she was right and he should be more cautious.

  She hoped that her involvement in running CC would not create friction between them, she brooded. But all thoughts of the company, and indeed anything else, were wiped from her mind when his mouth curved into a sensual smile.

  ‘Certainly not. This is our honeymoon, cara, and I think we should use the opportunity to get to know each other better. What do you think?’

  I think I may have died and gone to heaven, Libby thought shakily. But somehow she managed a casual shrug. ‘Sailing sounds good to me.’

  It was beautiful out on the lake. The sun shone brilliantly in a cloudless sky, and a little breeze tugged the sails of Raul’s boat and sent it skimming across the water. Libby sat with her arm propped on the boat rail and stared down at the crystal clear water.

  ‘This is wonderful,’ she murmured happily.

  Raul was doing something with the sail. He had explained the technicalities of sailing to her, but she preferred to simply enjoy the scenery. The lake was a dense blue that reflected the sky, the green foliage of trees ringed the shore, and in the distance were the graceful turrets of the famous Odescalchi Castle.

  ‘Have you never sailed before?’ he asked her.

  ‘I’ve never been on any sort of boat before—apart from a pedalo once. There’s not much opportunity to mingle with the yachting fraternity at a South London comprehensive,’ she said dryly. ‘When did you learn to sail?’

  ‘When I was a boy—Pietro taught me. I love the sense of freedom out here on the lake. It’s where I come whenever I’m feeling tense.’

  Libby digested this information and gave a faint frown. ‘Does that mean you’re feeling tense now?’

  ‘Only certain areas of my anatomy, cara.’ His eyes gleamed wickedly when Libby blushed, but she could not prevent herself from staring at the distinct bulge beneath his tight-fitting jeans.

  ‘Oh!’

  Raul was still grinning when he brought the boat up to a little wooden jetty which ran out from a secluded beach at the edge of the lake. An attractive summerhouse sat close to the water’s edge, and tall pine trees provided shade and privacy.

  ‘This land is all part of the Villa Giulietta’s estate,’ he explained to Libby. ‘You can only reach the summerhouse by boat, and no one ever comes here but me.’

  ‘A secret copse—how lovely,’ she murmured, sternly telling herself that she must not read too much into the fact that he had brought her to his private hideaway. ‘The trees shield the house so well that I doubt anyone sailing past would even know it’s here.’

  Her heart missed a beat when Raul came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist.

  ‘Mmm…And as we are safe from prying eyes, there is no reason why I shouldn’t do this,’ he said softly, pushing her hair aside and trailing his lips up her neck before he nibbled her earlobe.

  Tiny darts of pleasure shivered through Libby, and she made no effort to resist him when he tugged the straps of her sundress over her shoulders so that her breasts spilled into his hands. The feel of his warm palms cradling her naked flesh was intoxicating, and she gasped when he rolled her nipples between his fingers until they swelled into stiff peaks. Molten heat flooded between her legs, her desire for him instant and overwhelming. But even so she could not help feeling stupidly shy when he pushed her dress down over her hips so that it pooled at her feet and she was left standing before him in just skimpy white lace knickers.

  ‘Raul…?’

  ‘No one can see us,’ he assured her thickly. ‘I need you now, cara.’

  His eyes blazed into hers as he pulled her pants down and slipped his hand between her thighs, and there was tenderness in his smile when he discovered the slick wetness of her arousal. He lifted her and carried her over to a patch of soft grass in the cool shade of the trees, stripping out of his clothes with flattering haste and coming down beside her to claim her mouth in a hungry kiss that demanded her eager response.

  Fingers of sunlight filtered through the dense foliage of the trees and dappled their bodies. Libby could see tiny patches of blue sky between the green leaves, but as Raul lowered his head and suckled one taut nipple and then the other, she closed her eyes and gave herself up to the pleasure of his mouth. She bit her lip when he pushed her legs apart and flicked his tongue across her clitoris, back and forth, until she twisted her hips urgently, needing to feel him inside her. He was already massively aroused, but fascination made her bold, and she touched him, smiling at his swiftly indrawn breath when she closed her hand around the hard length of his erection and gently squeezed.

  -->