Captivated by His Kiss: A Limited Edition Boxed Set of Seven Regency Romances

by Cheryl Bolen

  He leaned back and ran a hand through his hair. Quietly, he spoke. “Why did you marry him? Your father swore he had not forced you to choose him. Then why did you enter into this marriage? It didn’t and still doesn’t make sense. Why would you choose him over me?” He beat his chest as if trying to stamp out the built up pain within.

  She took his large hand in hers and drew it to her mouth to kiss. She took a deep breath. “I did choose him, I suppose, but I did not really have a choice. I know that won’t make sense but that’s all I can tell you. I did not mean to hurt you. If I could have, I would have stayed with you. But sometimes we cannot always get what we want, no matter how much we wish for it.”

  “What are you not telling me, Sabine? What happened ten years ago to make you leave me?”

  Her tears fell again. She could feel them sliding down her cheeks. “Please don’t ask me. I can’t tell you. The past cannot be relived but—but perhaps the future can.”

  He reached out and tenderly wiped a tear away. “Tell me one thing. Did you have feelings for me? Did you love me?” His voice cracked with emotion on the last question.

  She cupped his cheek in her palm and looked him in the eye. “Yes, I loved you. I have always loved you. I’ve never loved another.”

  He crushed her to him and kissed her like there would be no tomorrow. He hugged her against his beating heart, holding her close as if he’d never allow her out of his arms again.

  She responded by pouring all the sadness of the last ten years into the kiss, willing him to understand and simply leave the past buried.

  Both of them were panting by the time the carriage began to slow to a stop. He broke off the kiss. “Sabine, what am I to do with you? I should hate you for the misery you put me through, but I can’t.” He gathered her into his arms, and kicking open the carriage door, he carried her into Roberson House.

  Marcus surprised her when he didn’t take her straight up to the bedroom, but rather into a drawing room. The fire had been lit and the room was warm and inviting. The table was laid with food and a bottle of wine stood open next to two empty glasses. The room was elegantly furnished, not disreputable looking at all. A day-bed had been placed before the fireplace. She’d somehow built Roberson House up as the epitome of wickedness where all manner of debauchery occurred. Instead it reminded her of a family home.

  “I thought we could have a late super and, as you requested, reacquaint ourselves.”

  Her mouth opened in surprise. “‘Thank you. That is very thoughtful.”

  She took a seat in the chair by the fire as Marcus poured them some wine. She watched him as he moved gracefully toward her. His trousers still bulged tellingly. “Are you sure that you can wait,” she pointed at his rampant erection. “Are you not in pain?”

  He handed her a glass. “Where you are concerned, Madam, I’m used to pain.” When she flinched, he added, “Sorry. A reflex reaction; I’ll manage.” With a wicked smile he added, “At least hopefully until after we eat.”

  He sank his large frame into the chair opposite and eyed her warily. “So, Sabine, tell me about your life over the past ten years. Were you happy?”

  His breath caught as he watched the happiness currently blazing from within her eyes, dim.

  Her chin lifted slightly and in a shaky voice she uttered, “I survived.” She took a gulp of wine.

  Marcus didn’t know what to say. Whenever his mood darkened and he thought of her, he always hoped she was miserable. Now seeing the pain clearly written on her face, it wrenched at his heart.

  “You have a son. What is his name?”

  Her smile returned. “Alfredo. He’s my life.” In a quieter tone, “He’s all I have now.”

  “Is he a bright boy? How old is he?”

  She hesitated before answering. She couldn’t look at him. “He’s almost ten.”

  Possessive jealousy ran rampant through him. “Ten! You must have got with child very quickly after you married. Yet, you’ve had no other children since.”

  She started to say something, but instead she simply sighed and shook her head. “No. I was never blessed with another child.”

  Silence hung heavily between them.

  “You don’t have to do this Sabine. I—I thought I wanted to see you humiliated, to treat you as I had once been treated, callously and cruelly. But you are correct. Two wrongs will never make this right. I’m tired of hating.” He stared into her mesmerizing eyes. “If you want to leave, I won’t stop you. I release you from our wager.” With that, he stood and walked to the window keeping his back to her.

  He desperately wanted her to stay. He’d love her to stay of her own accord, and be with him because she had freely chosen it.

  “Thank you. You don’t know how much those words mean to me.” Her husky voice made him tense then his shoulders slumped with disappointment and regret. She didn’t want him.

  “I’d love to share a meal with you, if you agree not to rake over the past. Also we agree that tonight is just about tonight, the here and the now. That we are two—friends becoming reacquainted.” Her voice came from right behind him. He hadn’t heard her approach. He turned around slowly and she stood quietly smiling up at him. She reached up and offered him his glass of wine.

  He sent her a smoldering look. “It’s agreed, although I cannot ever think of you as just a friend.” At the flicker of hurt on her face, he added softly, “I do not wish to be just friends with you, Sabine.”

  “Then do you want me to leave?” Her bottom lip trembled slightly.

  “No. I very much want you to stay.” Her mouth opened in surprise. The warm look in his eyes clearly indicated his need. “I want you. I’ve always wanted you,” he felt his heart lighten as he finally admitted the truth.

  She stepped forward and laid her petite hand over his heart which was beating as if that rampaging bull was chasing him.

  She smiled at him. “Then tonight you shall have what you desire. I’m yours, as I’ve always longed to be, yours to command and yours to take.”

  “As you should have been in the first place,” he finally whispered, looking into her eyes with renewed steamy intent. He reached out and put his glass on the windowsill and gripped her around her tiny waist, pulling her tight against him.

  They studied each other in long, searching stares, the past forgotten, the immediate future theirs to write.

  “Sabine,” he breathed.

  His fingers tightened on her hips. She could feel the hard length of him pressing urgently against her stomach. She thrilled at the sensation.

  One hand continued to grip her as if she would suddenly try to flee, while the other roamed upward, tracing her curves, molding to fit perfectly over her breast. He gently squeezed it and hot need flared from deep within her. She pressed even closer.

  “God, I want you. I’ve always wanted you.” He kissed her deeply, his hands roaming wildly over her back, breasts, and bottom. She responded with a soft, eager moan, reaching up to slip her arms around his neck.

  When they both finally came up for air, Sabine stepped out of his hold. She let her desire show on her face. “You won our wager. I’m your prize, but a prize freely given. You want me; you shall have me.”

  Marcus’s mouth dried in tension. She slowly and seductively removed her gloves. Her movements were simple yet erotic. Like ripples on a pond, his desire spread and deepened, building to greater intensity as more of her pale skin came into view. Hell, he wanted to tumble her on to the floor this second. No seduction, no foreplay, just give in to the raw passion driving them both.

  He couldn’t recall any woman ever igniting his need quite like Sabine was doing. This urgent want inside him he couldn’t label simply as lust. His heart expanded in his chest and in the back of his mind, he’d already admitted that he still loved Sabine. This time, he would not let her go. She would be his—forever.

  A small smile tilted the corners of her mouth, while just a hint of hesitation filled her eyes. She reached up
and pulled his already untied cravat from around his neck and tossed it aside. Her hands slid up his chest and pushed his jacket from his shoulders. It fell to the floor in a crumpled heap. Her fingers worked diligently at undoing his waistcoat and it quickly followed the way of his jacket.

  He breathed deeply. Beneath the white linen of his shirt, his muscles rippled in expectation. Her fingers trembled as she tugged at his waistband and his impatience got the better of him. He quickly pulled his shirt up and over his head. Her gasp when his chest was revealed heightened his excitement. One small finger reached out and tentatively touched him.

  “Soft but so strong; hard as steel but so warm.”

  He closed his eyes to keep a rein over his burgeoning emotions. Her voice hummed seductively as she explored his body in wonder and awe.

  He was beautiful and she’d not yet seen him completely naked. Her heart beat frantically, her attraction to him overwhelming her. The thought of one day maybe lying with this man every night, was intoxicating. Shoving that dream aside, Sabine reminded herself that he was hers only for tonight.

  Tonight she would freely give herself to the man she loved and she would then savor the memory for eternity. She’d enjoy Marcus’s touch and she’d give everything of herself to ensure he was satisfied.

  “You’re beautiful, Marcus. I’ve always remembered you as beautiful,” she added wistfully. “At last, I have my dream within my reach.”

  “You’ve been my dream for so long, Sabine. I’m not sure how much longer I can wait.” The deliberate plea in his voice saw her reach for the placket of his trousers. Her fingers fumbled and she heard him issue a curse before he swept her hands aside and freed his rigid erection into her waiting hands.

  Her hand firmed around the thick length and at her first stroke Marcus sighed and tilted his head back. She explored him and realized her touch pleased him.

  Finally he let out a groan and he pulled her even closer to him. They stood pressed together, each relishing the feel of the other. “You have far too many clothes on,” he huskily murmured. “Turn your back.”

  When she complied, he began to undo the hooks of her dress. The dress exposed her shoulders and fell in a pool of silk at her feet. Without speaking, they both removed the rest of their attire until they stood naked, facing one another.

  “You’re even more beautiful than I had ever imagined.” Marcus brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re worth waiting for, but I’ve waited far too long. And I’m hungry for you.”

  She placed a hand on his chest. His heart raced beneath her touch. “Tonight I’m yours. I’m not going anywhere.”

  He took her hand and dragged it down over every ridge and muscle of his torso to his groin. She was startled by the warmth pooling in her stomach at feel of him, hard and hot beneath her palm.

  “See what you do to me, sweeting. I don’t know if I’ll ever get enough of you, but I won’t be satisfied until I’m buried deep inside you.”

  The earthy rawness of his words sent a shudder down her spine. Her loins contracted hotly as he encouraged her hand to explore more of him.

  He cupped her chin and the suddenness of his kiss started a fire raging in her belly, and she gave herself up to pleasure as his hands explored her naked flesh.

  He kissed her. It was a demanding kiss, possessive and controlling. Hot and needy, his tongue swept into her mouth. The taste of maleness on it tantalized her taste buds as it swirled around hers until her knees almost gave way. A strong hand ran over every inch of her goose-bumped skin, igniting the heat of passion within her. He deepened the kiss. It tugged at her, demanding a response and she gave it willingly.

  The feel of his soft chest hair upon her sensitive nipples shot tiny frissons of sensation across her skin. He felt so large, so big and so overwhelming as she stood in the protective shadow of his massive frame.

  The skillful touch had her melting. His dark, spicy scent was like an aphrodisiac, enticing her on. She pushed even closer, exploring further.

  Cool air brushed her mouth as his lips danced across her cheek in search of first her ear lobe, and then her neck.

  “You were always so responsive in my arms. It used to drive me crazy. Now, that I am holding you naked in my arms, I think I shall lose my mind.”

  An instant later, a large hand intimately cupped her, while his thumb brushed across her nipple. She shuddered in his embrace and with a low moan of pleasure, her head fell backward, allowing, and encouraging his lips to glide down her throat. His teeth gently nipped her as he moved his mouth ever closer to where his thumb continued to circle around the stiff peak of her breast. She was soon craving his mouth upon her nipple.

  It was heaven, it was hell, it was everything she’d fantasized about and then more… Heaven to allow herself to succumb to his tantalizing touch; hell to have so much hunger.

  The second his mouth gave her relief and he captured and sucked firmly on her sensitive nipple, another moan poured out of her. The wet heat of his mouth reignited another wild need and she demanded satisfaction. Her fingers sought the hard, length of him and circled around his thickness.

  Her touch drew a moan of delight from him, and he moved his body so that his member thrust in and out of her grasp. The thought of him, the size of him, sliding deep within her, made her shiver with a mixture of trepidation and excitement.

  A sigh of bliss slid past her lips as he massaged her other breast as his mouth continued to devour her engorged nipple. Never in her wildest imaginings had she experienced such deliciously sinful sensations. He aroused her completely. Fire flooded wildly through her veins, and the moment his teeth bit down, her insides grew slick with her desire.

  Not once had her body responded in such a manner to her husband. Only Marcus could make her feel this way. With her heart pounding in her breast, she resisted the deep pang of regret and the horrid memories of the past, from encroaching on this one perfect night.

  The palm of his hand caressed her throat before moving down to her belly. A tremor rocked her to her core.

  “Are you hot and wet for me, Sabine? You’re my beautifully responsive girl, my dream come true.”

  His lungs burned as if on fire as he sent his fingers seeking the warmth and heat between her legs. She did not disappoint. As she released a soft sound of excitement, possessiveness surged through him and he kissed her again and again, lusting after the fresh sugary taste of her tongue against his.

  With an eagerness that pleased him, Sabine pressed herself upon his hand, her damp curls enticing his throbbing cock. Christ, her abandoned passion made his gut lurch with desire yet again. He wanted her like nothing he’d ever experienced before. No woman had affected him like Sabine had. Perhaps that was because he’d never wanted any woman like he wanted her.

  Her fingernails lightly scored the skin on his back as she murmured his name in an aching plea. He’d never heard anything so sweet in all his life.

  Eager to bury himself deep within her wet heat, Marcus swept her into his arms and lowered her onto the daybed. With great gentleness, he laid her upon her back; she truly was a feast for his long denied eyes. Aroused, she stared back at him from the depths of her deep ocean blue eyes. It took his breath away; his erection pulsed.

  “God, the sight of you almost unmans me,” he whispered as he struggled for control.

  She smiled seductively and let her legs drop open. The strong scent of her arousal assailed him and coupled with the image of her womanhood glistening in the firelight, it saw his control flee completely.

  Surprise swept over her face as he grabbed a cushion and situated it beneath her bottom.

  He couldn’t wait any longer so he used his thighs to part hers wider and pressed his aching cock into her, savoring her tightness as inch by inch he slowly entered her until he had filled her to the hilt.

  Her eyes rolled back and she let out a deeply satisfied sigh. “I never knew it could feel like this.”

  Gratified by her response, his body
rejoiced at the hotly aroused sight of her beneath him. He held himself still above her, his arms shaking. He wanted to pound into her but knew if he did so he would not last.

  When he refused to move, she opened her eyes, “We have all night, Marcus. Take me! Take me how you’ve always longed to take me. I am your prize.”

  She was a prize all right. God almighty, she was tight and fiery around his cock. She punctuated her words by arching her body, forcing him to withdraw and then sink back into her, penetrating her deeper. As she moved he looked down and the sight of his erection coated with her juices increased his own craving until he could not deny her more. At this rate, she would make him come faster than an inexperienced youth.

  He used his hands to steady her hips so he could thrust in more deeply. He pushed her legs up higher, opening her fully and at last his control evaporated. As if on the edge of insanity, he pounded into her hot depths. She tilted her hips, matching him thrust for thrust, her bountiful breasts jiggling enticingly as he slammed into her. He could feel his sac become tight and full as they brushed against her. He could not last….

  A sharp cry broke from her lips, as her fingernails dug deep into his buttocks, and her tight sheath contracted around him with spasms of pleasure, her breath coming in loud gasps as she continued to contract around him, the tightness drew out his own release. With a roar, he thrust one final time and spilled his seed deep inside her. He collapsed on top of her, completely spent, unable to hold himself up any longer. His body throbbed with a pleasure he’d never experienced before. It was as if every woman that had come before Sabine had been a mere scrap, while she was the feast. She had just succeeded in wiping the memory of all others from his mind.

  He drank in big gulps of air, enjoying the feel of the slowly ebbing waves of their climax. If it was always like this, tonight might just finish him off, but at least he’d die a very satisfied man.

  A shiver of trepidation crept its way down his back. If he wasn’t careful, Sabine would once more become an obsession. His plan looked to be a noose around his own neck. Instead of diminishing his desire for her, it appeared to be feeding his hunger to have her with him always. But the very thought scared him witless. One thing he definitely knew, he would never understand where he stood with this woman. He was petrified of trusting her.