Midnight Masqerade

by Shirlee Busbee

  His words stung, but Melissa had to admit to the justice of them. Certainly her reactions to him every time he came near her would lead one to suppose that she was more than agreeable to join him in bed, she thought disgustedly. But she could hardly confess that she found him utterly fascinating and that becoming his wife, his beloved wife, held a great deal of appeal to her. Since it was depressingly clear that he felt none of the more tender emotions that she did, she was going to have to make certain that he never discovered just how hard it was for her not to fall under his mesmerizing spell. Giving a saucy toss of her honey-colored curls, she said bluntly, "Well, it would appear that you were mistaken!"

  He smiled slowly, and Melissa felt her traitorous heart beat a little faster at the sight of that beguiling curve of his lower lip. "Mistaken?" he repeated lightly. "No, not mistaken-I merely forgot how infuriatingly contrary you can be!"

  There was far too much truth in what he said for her to deny it, and to her horror, instead of the anger she was desperately longing to feel, she was conscious of a foolish compulsion to giggle. She could actually feel her lips start to twitch in an answering smile before she remembered herself and quickly pursed them into a tight, disapproving line.

  But Dominic had seen the slight quiver of her mouth and, laughing delightedly, he swung her up in his strong arms. With mischief and something else dancing in his gray eyes, he murmured against her ear, "And now, sweetheart, there will be no more talking . . . unless, of course, you wish to tell me what a wonderful lover I am!"

  Tom between the desire to soundly box his ears and the equally appealing desire to join in his laughter, Melissa give up all pretense of resistance. He was irresistible, and she suspected that she had lost this particular battle the moment she had first laid eyes on him. But the memory of what he had admitted about not wanting to marry lingered with painful intensity. Determined to protect her silly heart from further hurt, she said formally, "I just want you to know, Mr. Slade, that it is only because it is my duty as your wife that I am consenting to this. "

  Dominic grinned down at her as he placed her gently on the silk coverlet. "And I," he murmured with a wicked gleam, "will only dutifully exert my husbandly rights!" As he had lowered her to the bed, her gown had slipped farther down her body, the tip of one small breast peeking above the lace of her chemise. His smile faded, and as if mesmerized by the sight of that rosy nipple, he said thickly, "Very dutifully."

  With one careless movement, he loosened the sash of his robe and shrugged out of it. Melissa had a brief glimpse of a muscled chest, thick dark whorls of hair spreading across its hard width; and then his face and head blotted out everything as his mouth sought hers and she gave herself up to the enchantment that was Dominic.

  She had been half fearful that he would fall upon her like a ravening beast, but now that all the words had been said between them, he seemed in no hurry to claim what was rightfully his. Instead he took keen pleasure in merely kissing her, long, deep, drugging kisses that sent her blood spinning dizzily through her veins, blocking out any idea of resistance. But kisses soon didn't satisfy him and his mouth traveled slowly across her jaw, his tongue tasting her flesh, his teeth gently nibbling as he explored the shape and texture of her silken skin. It was a delicious sensation, and Melissa shivered with pleasure when his teeth found her earlobe and he bit it lightly, his tongue circling and probing.

  If his exploratory kisses had made her dizzy, the touch of his questing hands sent a jolt of sheer animal enjoyment right through her bones. She had been so caught up by his seductive kisses that it was a shock when she felt his hand close over her breast, his thumb rubbing persistently across the nipple. With breathless anticipation, she lay there oddly acquiescent, unable to move or think of anything but what he was doing to her, his warm mouth slowly sliding down her chest, his lips moving unerringly toward her aching nipples. Unable to help herself, she moaned softly as he cupped her breast and his mouth fastened hotly over the rosy tip, his tongue curling with obvious relish about the straining flesh. Desire, instinctive and compelling, washed through her, the hungry suckling movements of his tongue and mouth dragging her deeper into the erotic whirlpool he was deliberately creating between them.

  Melissa had foolishly thought that she could maintain some sort of composure, to merely submit to his demands, but she discovered that it was impossible to remain unmoved by his arousing caresses. Helplessly, her fingers tangled in his dark hair, unconsciously pulling him closer to her breast, her body arching up slightly toward his tantalizing mouth. At her betraying movement, his hand tightened fractionally on her breast and his teeth grazed the swollen nipple gently, intensifying the already pleasurable sensation, and she moaned again, unknowingly encouraging him to continue this tender assault.

  Time and again his lips would leave her breasts to fasten demandingly on her mouth, his hands moving feverishly across the soft skin that he had exposed. Half shyly, half greedily, Melissa returned his kisses, her tongue seeking to explore his mouth as he was exploring hers, her hands sliding wonderingly across his broad shoulders, feeling with delight the muscles tense when her fingers brushed against his spine. His skin was warm and firm and she discovered that it gave her great pleasure just to touch him, to feel the reaction of his body as her hands grew bolder, slowly wandering down his back to his waist.

  Groaning softly, Dominic suddenly raised his mouth from hers and his bright gaze moved sensuously over her flushed face before it dropped to the small breasts with their upthrusting coral nipples. Her crumpled gown and chemise hid the rest of her body from his searching eyes, and pressing a kiss between her breasts, he muttered, "I want to see all of you . . . to see if reality is as beautiful as my dreams of you."

  _ Before Melissa had time to protest, if the thought had even occurred to her, Dominic swiftly pushed away her offending garments. He shifted slightly and with one final movement, gown and underclothing were totally removed and tossed carelessly onto the floor. In the faint dancing light of the candles which had been lit earlier with a possessive glitter in his gray eyes, he boldly surveyed her slender shape as she lay there, her skin gleaming like sunwarmed honey against the deep lavender coverlet. Her breath trapped in her chest, Melissa froze, unable to move, inherent modesty warring with an odd shamelessness as his gaze moved slowly across her bared flesh.

  Unhurriedly Dominic viewed her nakedness, the slim ankles and long, shapely legs, his gaze riveted for several seconds on the soft tangle of tawny curls at the junction of her pale thighs before he was able to wrench his eyes away and continue his leisurely appraisal. She was everything that he could have wished for, and unable to just merely look upon her, he reached out and pressed one hand on her flat stomach, letting it sweep up past the slender waist to the soft swell of her firm breasts. "Lovely," he said thickly. "Far lovelier than even my dreams."

  His mouth swooped down upon hers and he kissed her fiercely, his tongue plundering between her lips, his arms closing around her strongly. The warmth and hardness of his powerful body startled Melissa, her breasts crushed against the unyielding wall of his chest, her legs intertwined with his; and between them ... between them, stabbing against her belly with a heat and force of its own, . was the swollen, imposing length of his manhood. Melissa knew a quiver of excitement and fear when his hands moved to her hips and he jerked her closer to him, making her even more aware of the strength and power of his big body.

  Lost in the wild turbulence of new emotions that stormed through her body, Melissa responded blindly to Dominic's increasingly urgent kisses, her arms closing about his neck, her body instinctively pressing intimately against him. Her nipples tingled from the rough caress of the crisp hair that covered his chest as they lay there locked together in a passionate embrace, and she was more and more aware of an insistent yearning ache deep within her. The touch of his roaming hands as they traveled over her slender hips, fondling her buttocks while he rhythmically rocked against her, only served to excite her further,
to intensify the spiraling need that was inexorably surging through her slender body. She ached with an elemental need; the kisses and the arousing caresses were now not enough. There was a hunger for something more, driving her to seek a closer intimacy, her hips arching up to rub erotically against him.

  Dominic groaned with satisfaction at her actions, his hands clenching convulsively into the soft, pliant flesh of her buttocks as he held her motionless against him, just savoring the sensual experience of her delicately formed body pressed so close to his. Her hard little nipples were burning into his chest like points of fire, and the excited brush of her body against his was an incredibly carnal pleasure. She was an enchanting, intoxicating creature, everything about her pleasing him, from the passionate kisses she returned to the obvious signs of her own arousal. He wanted her, needed urgently to bury himself deep within her, to find relief from the aching, throbbing demands of his body, and so gently he pushed her back into the softness of the mattress, his hands sliding to the tight curls between her legs.

  At the first touch of his hands in so intimate a place, Melissa stiffened, the instinct to protect herself momentarily allowing coherent thought to filter through her consciousness. She made a tiny movement to escape, but Dominic was prepared for it, and lifting his mouth from hers, he muttered huskily, "Ah, no, sweetheart ... don't close me out. Let me ..." His mouth slid to her breast and he muttered against the silken flesh, ". .. let me pleasure you, let me teach you . . ."

  A shudder of happiness went through her at the need and desire clearly evident in his voice, and with a small moan of mingled defeat and excitement, she relaxed against him. His lips closed almost painfully around her sensitive nipples and the hungry, yearning ache in her loins sharpened instantly, nearly making her cry out at the intensity of emotion that flooded her being. But it was the probing caress of Dominic's knowing fingers between her thighs that shattered her inhibitions and had her writhing like a wanton, possessed creature as, tenderly, he taught her the secrets of her body. With an excruciatingly sweet deliberation, he stroked and teased that most sensitive flesh, and pleasure such as she had only guessed at exploded throughout her body with every erotic movement of his fingers. Gripped by a fierce onslaught of desire, she pushed up frantically against his invading exploration, her hands rubbing feverishly across his broad back.

  "Oh, Dominic," she moaned softly, "I want ... oh, please ... please . . . "

  Her words were very nearly his undoing, the throbbing demands of his hungry, straining flesh almost destroying whatever restraint he still possessed. Her scent was in his nostrils, her yielding, sweet body was eager and aroused beneath his touch and her honeyed kisses nearly drove him mad with the compelling desire to plunge his body into hers, to make them one. Aware that he would lose total control of the powerful needs that were swamping him if he did not end this delicious torment soon, he captured her wandering hands in his and quickly covered her with his body, sliding between her legs.

  The warmth and weight of him both thrilled and agitated Melissa, her breath suddenly catching in her throat as she felt the burgeoning pressure of his swollen organ between her thighs. She twisted against him, wanting his possession and yet -frightened of it too. He seemed so big and intimidating as he loomed over her, and with a leap of her heart she became aware of the strong grip of his hands holding her own prisoner on either side of her head. She could feel him trembling against her, could sense his driven passion from the hungriness of his fierce kisses, and her apprehension fled. He was her husband, the only man who had ever aroused her to passion, the only man whose kisses and caresses had shaken her, the one man who had made o her giddily aware of the delights to be found in physical love, and helplessly she melted against him. Her lips against his firm mouth, she murmured gently, "Take me, Dominic ... make me truly your wife."

  She felt the quiver that knifed through him at her words, but she could never guess at the deep pleasure they gave him. Unable to think clearly any longer, the urgent demands of his body pushing all thoughts but one from his mind, he kissed her passionately, his hands tightening on her wrists, and with one swift lunge, he buried his aching flesh within hers.

  Racked by a sudden, sharp burst of pain as his body thrust into her virgin one, Melissa shivered violently, her fingernails digging into the backs of his hands as she choked down a cry of intense hurt. Her body heaved upward in protest at the pain he had so unexpectedly given her, but Dominic's hands clamped even more securely around her wrists, holding her prisoner beneath him.

  He remained motionless within her, deliberately giving her body time to adapt to this new intrusion, and gently he kissed her cheeks and the tempting outline of her mouth. "I'm sorry," he breathed huskily, "but there was no other way. ..." He kissed her deeply, only by the greatest effort able to control the elemental compulsion to seek his own release. It was ecstasy to lie here like this, to feel his body locked with hers, to feel the heat and silkiness of her all around him, and a surge of incredible tenderness eddied through him. She was fire and wine in his arms, everything that he had ever wanted in a woman, and helplessly, his kisses became more demanding, his body moving slowly, gently, within her.

  In a welter of confusion and shock, Melissa felt the pain ebb, felt her body widen to accommodate his possession. She was a woman now, Dominic's woman; that one thought banished the last remnants of her pain, and mindlessly she let him wrap them both in the heady pleasure to be found between lovers.

  Bemused by the frankly sensual experience of his hard body driving urgently into hers, intensely aware of his strong hands clasping her buttocks, holding her tight against him, instinctively she matched him movement for movement, her slender hips eagerly rising to meet the downward thrust of his. Dominic's powerful lovemaking was intoxicating, the demanding pressure of his mouth sweeping her violently along with him, a soft ripple of tingling pleasure unexpectedly shooting through her as he increased the tempo. Breathless and wide-eyed, she lay there stunned beneath him, unable to understand how such a simple act could bring this much delight.

  Dominic had been uncertain whether he could bring her fulfillment this first time, but he felt that faint quiver her body gave, and a surge of exultance raced through him, pushing him over the edge to find his own ecstasy. And afterward, afterward, there was her sweet, soft body to pull next to him, his hands compulsively tangling in the tousled curls that tumbled wildly near her temples, his mouth, gently, thoroughly, searching hers as he plainly enjoyed the aftermath of lovemaking.

  Melissa lay silent beside him, shyness and confusion sealing her lips. What did one say after such an event? My, wasn't that enjoyable? Thank you very much? A nervous giggle threatened to escape her and she burrowed her head deeper into his warm shoulder, unbearably conscious of their nakedness as they lay there together on the satin coverlet.

  It would have come as a great surprise to her to learn that Dominic was suddenly, paralyzingly, at a loss for words. He had made love to several women in his life, although he had never had quite as many mistresses as had been attributed to him by the gossips, but this was the first time that he had ever made love to a virgin or to a woman who was his wife. What, he wondered uneasily, did he do now? Ordinarily, he would have dropped an affectionate kiss on her head, mentioned a future meeting and then discreetly taken his leave, but this was his wife, for God's sake! He couldn't treat her like a damned mistress! Besides, he discovered to his astonishment, he didn't really want to leave her bed; he rather enjoyed lying here with her tempting body pressed against him. More to the point, he was extremely conscious of the renewed stirring of his body-not since his hot-blooded youth had he felt this compelling desire to taste again the delights that he had experienced only minutes ago. And that rather alarmed him. As a matter of fact, his whole reaction to Miss Melissa Seymour, now Mrs. Dominic Slade, alarmed him.

  Frowning, deliberately ignoring the urgings of his body, he considered all his uncharacteristic actions of late-particularly since he had firs
t laid eyes on the bewitching, infuriating creature at his side. He could in part, now that her disguise had been dispensed with, understand the attraction he had felt for her ... except it nagged him that even when he had thought her a sharp-tongued dowdy, he had still found himself drawn to her. He hadn't been aware of her beauty the night Zachary had gotten drunk. Nor had he plumbed the depths of her disguise when he had made the ridiculous offer to buy a half interest in Folly. In the darkness, he smiled wryly. Folly. That was what this entire episode had been, pure folly. But calling it folly didn't satisfy him, and his sensation of disquietude grew. He could convince himself, in regard to the purchase of the horse, that he had allowed compassion to move him; he could even tell himself that it had been simply to rescue her from what he was fairly positive had been an unpleasant situation involving Latimer. He would have done a lot to thwart Latimer.... But that still didn't explain everything. Nor did it answer why he had meekly stood by and let Josh Manchester coerce him into marrying her....

  It had been an unfortunate situation that night at the inn, of that there was little doubt, but marriage . . . He moved uneasily on the bed, his hand unconsciously caressing Melissa's arm. Marriage was something he had sworn to avoid, and he was dimly aware that had the woman he had found in his room that night been anyone other than Melissa, he would never have lost his head that way, nor would he have let any number of angry relatives force him to take such a drastic step. Not liking the trend of his thoughts, he scowled. Why he had acted as he had on numerous occasions in connection with Melissa wasn't important, he told himself doggedly. The important thing was that they were married and that it would behoove them to make the best of a bad situation. But even coming to that sensible conclusion didn't quell the uneasiness within his breast. He had the unwelcome premonition that if he were not very careful he 'would commit the greatest folly of all-falling madly in love with his wife and turning into as besotted and doting a husband as his brother Morgan! It was only natural that his young bride should fascinate him, but loving had absolutely nothing to do with it. As for the desire she aroused, well, that was perfectly normal-he wouldn't be male if his body didn't respond as it did to the warmth and silky feel of her soft flesh. Resolutely, he pushed aside any further thoughts on the subject. What if he did want to make love to her again? She was his wife; this was their wedding night and he had been a long time without a woman. Convinced for the present that he had explained everything away, with renewed hunger stirring in his veins, he tightened his clasp on Melissa and fervently sought her mouth with his.