by Monica Burns
The touch made her thrust her hips upward into his erotic caress as she released a deep moan. Another small cry flew past her lips as his touch increased her pleasure. She wanted to sob at the mind-numbing delight cascading its way into every inch of her body. In the darkness of her bedroom she’d touched herself in a similar fashion, but it had never given her such an intense, wicked sensation of pleasure. This was something new and altogether different.
“Oh God, yes.” She moaned.
The intensity of the sensations coursing through her reached a fevered pitched as he slid first one then two fingers inside her. This new sensation pulled another cry from her as her hips pressed up against his hand in a silent plea for more. With each stroke of his fingers, her body moved in sync with the increasing pace of his strokes.
A crescendo of wild heat rose inside her until wave after wave of sensation crested over her, and she was drowning in a dark sea of pleasure. With a wild cry, she arched her back and thrust her body upward as a violent shudder swept through her. The intense sensation held her hostage for a long moment before she fell back into the mattress, her breathing small ragged gasps. Her eyes fluttered open to see him raise his hand and lick at the creamy coating covering his fingers. Shocked by the decadent act, she stopped breathing for a moment as he smiled at her.
“You taste delicious, sweetheart.”
There was a devilish expression on his face as he reached down to circle the rim of her sex. She trembled at the touch and closed her eyes as small ripples of pleasure spread through her body. Sweet heaven, was he going to pleasure her again? She wasn’t sure she could withstand another sensual assault on her body. Not yet, she couldn’t.
“In fact, you taste so tangy against my tongue I want more.”
She jerked slightly at his words, her eyes flew open to meet his wicked gaze. As he started to lower his head, her eyes widened in shock. Dear god, surely he didn’t mean to put his mouth on her. Horrified, she tried to close her legs, but with a dark growl, he nipped at one thigh. Instinctively, she pulled her leg away from his teeth, which allowed him to dip his head downward.
The moment his mouth touched her sex, his teeth gently bit down on the nub of flesh and tugged on it. The raw sensation forced a guttural cry from her, and she jumped as his tongue drove into her. Once more, sensation tightened her chest as his mouth suckled her, and his tongue stroked then swirled around the nub of flesh at the entrance of her sex. It was the most decadent, wicked thing she’d ever experienced. And she wanted more.
§ § §
Sophie tasted tangy on his tongue with a slightly sharp bite. It delighted him to know he was responsible for the thick cream flowing warmly into his mouth. He nipped at her sex gently, and a guttural cry broke past her lips. The sound tightened his cock in a pleasantly painful way. With renewed vigor, he thrust his tongue into her and licked her cream while gently rubbing the nub of flesh just above her sex.
Christ almighty, she was the most delightful creature he could ever remember tasting. Triumph surged through him at the way she arched upward into his mouth. With every little whimper of pleasure she released, his lust for her deepened to a painful ache.
If he didn’t find a way to satisfy that ache, he was going to come in his breeches. Suddenly, she bucked against his mouth, and he drank the sweet cream gushing from her as she climaxed once again. Bloody hell, but she tasted wonderful on his tongue.
When was the last time he’d ever had such a delightful time bringing a woman to climax, and this woman had already come for him twice in less than ten minutes, something that excited him. He enjoyed seeing her fall apart at his touch. It only reaffirmed his original supposition. Sophie would provide him with many hours of pleasure.
He lifted his head and kissed the round softness of her belly as he worked his way up to her breasts. As he nipped at first one nipple and then the other, she squirmed against him. Her hands tugged at his shoulders as she silently indicated she wanted him to stop. He raised his head to look at her.
“Kiss me,” she whispered. “I want to taste my essence on your tongue.”
The soft demand stunned him. As he stared down at her in amazement, a blush spread its way across her cheeks, and her expression quickly dissolved into one of embarrassment.
“You’re a quick learner, my sweet,” he said with a grin, pleased to see her discomfort fade from her lovely features.
“And you are slow in your instruction, my lord.”
Without waiting for a second invitation, he sought her mouth in a hard kiss. As her tongue danced along the edge of his lips, he opened his mouth to her. The moment her tongue danced with his, his cock jumped violently in his breeches.
Bloody hell, the woman would ride him better than any tight grip he might use on himself. And when she came, she’d squeeze him like a slick velvet vise until he exploded inside her. Fuck, he needed to remain in control. Maintain his perspective. This was a simple bargain. Nothing more.
As the sweetness of her mouth washed over his tongue, he slid his hand over a lush, silky thigh. How in the hell could she possibly be forty-one? Her body was as firm and ripe as a woman half her age. Breaking their kiss, he sought the side of her neck with his mouth. She smelled of lilac and musk.
Beneath his lips, the racing beat of her pulse told him it would take very little to make her hot cream flow again. The thought of his cock coated with her liquid heat sent blood surging in his body. It tightened his erection to the point he knew he wouldn’t be able stem his release much longer. It wasn’t the first time she’d made him ready to spill his seed.
Lust tightened its grip on him, urging him to assuage his need in her hot, slick passage. The urgency streaking through his body caught him off guard. Christ, he needed to remain in control of his senses. He’d agreed to teach her the art of pleasure, not succumb to it himself. The point was to obliterate every thought from her head so the only images consuming her were of him and his touch.
He wanted to drive her so mad with desire that she’d never want anyone but him. The possessive nature of his thoughts made him falter slightly before her soft moan pushed everything out of his head. The only thing he could think of was to bury himself inside her as quickly as possible. He quickly undid his breeches and his hand guided his cock to touch the hot rim of her sex. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d ever been so hard.
Although his instinct was to thrust deep inside her, he gritted his teeth in an effort to show restraint. She’d asked for instruction in the art of pleasure, and he had no wish to take her roughly. Slowly, he slid a small way into her slick passage. Her eyes flew open and she gasped in surprise. With a suppressed groan, he leaned forward and swirled his tongue around her nipple then pushed deeper into her.
She immediately arched her back to welcome his touch, and his hand grasped her thigh as he lifted her so her hips snuggly met his. Once more, he retreated from her then pressed deeper into her hot core until he reached the barrier preventing his release and hers. Muscles tight from the exertion of saving her as much pain as possible, he looked down at her.
Her eyes fluttered opened and deep inside he wondered if he had the right to take her like this in an abandoned cottage and not in his own bed. She smiled up at him and reached out to touch his lips with her fingers. The gentle caress snagged something deep inside him. His brain quickly pushed aside the sensation as his body demanded its release. Pulling her close, he pressed his forehead to hers.
“Hold on to me, my sweet. Just a sharp pinch then nothing but pleasure.”
Her fingers dug into his shoulders, and he crushed her lips beneath his as he thrust deep and hard into her. His kiss muffled her brief cry, and he experienced regret that he’d caused her even the slightest amount of pain. With a gentle stroke of his tongue, he kissed her deeply in an effort to distract her from any sensation other than pleasure, while remaining still.
Desperately, he deepened their kiss to stave off his need to move. When he could wait no longer
, he released a groan as his mouth sought the softness of her neck. With each slow, measured stroke, his cock throbbed with a dark need he’d not experienced before. It rang an alarm in the deep recesses of his mind, but his carnal instincts shoved everything aside except the immediate release of his tension.
He knew she needed time to adjust to him, but it was becoming increasingly difficult not to pump hard and fast into her as he sought his own release. In the midst of the battle engulfing him, a soft movement pushed against his hips. He jerked his head up as she tentatively met his thrusts with small ones of her own.
The expression of surprised delight on her face filled him with a strange sensation he couldn’t identify. Nor did he want to. Her body clenched around his cock, and he released a guttural sound from deep inside as what little restraint he possessed evaporated in a split instance.
Blind to everything but her and what she gave him so willingly, he moved hard and fast inside her. With each hard stroke, she met his every thrust with equal zeal. The friction her muscles created as they clenched around him intensified the pleasure of taking her. As his sacs drew up tight, he pushed hard into her one last time before he exploded with a shout.
Every muscle in his body was taut and hard as his release held him rigid inside her. Slowly, the intensity of the moment passed, and he gently lowered himself down on top of her to bury his face in the curve of sweet smelling neck. A soft sigh echoed out of her, and he recognized it as one of satisfaction. Raising his head, he grinned.
“I take it your introductory lesson in pleasure meets with your approval, my lady.”
“Quite,” she said with a smile. “I didn’t realize it could be so…pleasurable.”
An odd look crossed her face, and as her gaze met his there was an emotion swirling in the depths of her hazel eyes that made him frown. The look disappeared so quickly he wondered if he’d imagined it.
“Come, I’m sure your dress is dry now.” He started to move, but her fingers pressed into his shoulders.
“Must we?” The smile she offered him was as sweet as it was enticing. Lowering his head, he gave her a quick kiss.
“Yes, you minx,” he chuckled. “I have no wish for someone to stumble upon us like this, even if we are to be married in the morning.”
“I find that highly unlikely,” she said as he fastened his breeches and pulled on his jacket. She sighed quietly. “But I suppose you’re right. This cottage is the only dry place short of the hall or the keep.”
Quentin stepped forward as Sophie stood up and began to lace up her corset. Gently, he pushed her hands aside to lace the combination garment himself. His gaze met her startled one.
“I am well versed in ladies undergarments, my sweet,” he teased as he tied the laces into a bow at the top of the corset. Another dark emotion clouded her eyes, and he frowned. “What is it, sweetheart? What’s—”
The cottage door flew open before he could finish, and he jerked his head to see Sophie’s brother standing in the doorway shaking off the rain from his clothes.
“Phee, what the devil were you thinking coming out in this downpour,” Hamilton muttered with disgust as he shook off the rain from his overcoat before raising his head. “Bloody Christ.”
In a long, drawn out moment, all of them stared at one another in varying degrees of outrage, anger, and trepidation. Deep inside a dark laugh mocked Quentin as he experienced humiliation for a second time at the hands of a Townsend brat. Not content with his verbal agreement to their bargain she’d arranged this little drama to seal his fate. He barely had time to acknowledge that fact when Hamilton launched himself forward. Quentin immediately took a defensive stance when Sophie leaped forward to put herself between them.
“No, Spencer. Don’t,” she cried out.
Angered by her defense of him, Quentin roughly shoved Sophie behind him. Her brother was no match for him. Unlike last time, he wasn’t about to use any restraint. Once again, he’d allowed another Townsend woman to make a fool of him. He sure as hell wasn’t about to give her brother the satisfaction of besting him in a boxing contest.
“I’ll kill you for this, Devlyn.” The younger man glared at him with an expression of outrage Quentin found almost laughable. “You weren’t satisfied with ruining Eleanor you had to prey on Sophie.”
“Eleanor was beyond ruin when I met her, Hamilton,” he said in an icy voice. “And if you must know, Sophie came to me. She was the one to initiate her seduction.”
Hamilton jerked back as if Quentin had hit him. The stunned expression on the younger man’s face made Quentin narrow his eyes at the man. Townsend should have put his brood on the stage. Anger returned to Hamilton’s face as he shook his head.
“You’re a liar,” Hamilton snarled. “Sophie would never willingly come to the man who ruined her sister.”
“That’s not true,” Sophie exclaimed as she bolted out from behind him. Quentin didn’t understand why, but he quickly shoved her back behind him in an effort to shield her state of undress.
“Damn it, Sophie, you’re not dressed decently,” he growled.
“A bit late for proper behavior now, don’t you think, Devlyn,” her brother sneered.
“That’s enough, Spencer,” Sophie exclaimed as she pressed her hands into Quentin’s shoulders to stand on tiptoe and look at her brother. “I came here of my own free will.”
“He’s making you say that.” Hate filled Hamilton’s eyes as he glared at Quentin.
“No, Spencer.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sophie shake her head. “We’ve only anticipated our wedding night by a few short hours. We’re to marry tomorrow.”
“Good God! Have you lost your mind, Phee! This bastard ruined our sister then failed to do the honorable thing by her.”
“No. Don’t you ever say that again.” Sophie tried to push her way past Quentin’s extended arm with a strength that surprised him as she continued her tirade. “Eleanor was whoring with one of the stable boys. When she learned she was with child, she tried to trick Quentin into marrying her.”
“I suppose he told you that.” Spencer snorted loudly in disgust and jerked his head in Quentin’s direction.
“No, I saw Eleanor and her lover one morning before I went riding.” Sophie tried to step around him once more. Infuriated by her refusal to remain where she was, Quentin drew in a sharp hiss of air as he blocked her way.
“But, Eleanor told me—”
“Eleanor lied to you. You weren’t here, and I could hardly write about something like this,” she said fervently. “When they couldn’t find a way to force Quentin into marrying Eleanor, Father went into a wild rage. In less than two weeks, they’d convinced Andrew to marry her. Then Father set out to destroy Quentin by stealing nearly everything he had.”
For a short moment, Quentin almost found Hamilton’s bewildered expression credible. Even the look of betrayal on the younger man’s face would have been believable if Quentin hadn’t known who his sire was. Behind him, Sophie moved as if to go to her brother.
“Goddamnit, Sophie stay where you are,” he bit out as he prevented her from getting past him. She muttered something that he couldn’t make out, but he ignored her.
“Hamilton, I suggest you step outside for a moment. Sophie needs to dress.”
The dazed look on the other man’s face made Quentin’s jaw tighten. He refused to be taken for a fool again. As the cottage door closed behind Hamilton, he slowly turned to face Sophie. One hand pressed to her forehead, she began to pace the floor.
“Dear god, I can’t believe Spencer actually found me—us—here.”
“It is a bit puzzling,” Quentin said with suppressed anger as he watched her pace the floor.
“I know you must be thinking the worst of me,” she said as she stopped and turned to face him.
There was a pink flush to her skin left by their recent lovemaking. Instantly, he remembered how good she felt wrapped around his cock. Despite her deceit, she still filled him with a dark l
ust that made him want to bed her once more. He crushed the sensation and narrowed his gaze at her.
“Shouldn’t I?” he said in a frigid tone.
This time he didn’t bother to hide his cold anger, and her pretense at confusion only increased his fury. Tension hardened his jaw, drawing his skin up tight until it tugged painfully on the scar slashing across his cheek. Sophie took a quick step back from him, and he narrowed his gaze at her, unconcerned she might be frightened. One hand pressed to her throat, she shook her head slightly.
“I don’t—are you suggesting I arranged for Spencer to find us…” she whispered in horror. For not the first time, Quentin marveled at the exceptional acting skills of the baron’s offspring.
“Didn’t you?” he bit out. “After all, it does seem rather convenient. A small cottage on my property. The rain simply made it easier for you to show off your wares more convincingly until your brother arrived.”
“My wares…” The appalled look on her face abruptly changed to outrage as she glared at him. “The only wares I had to sell, Lord Devlyn, were the ledgers that would help you restore your fortune.”
“Come now, Sophie, we both know this little play of yours has only one outcome. You wanted to ensure that I held up my end of the bargain. After all, the Devil of Devlyn Keep isn’t an honorable man.”
“That’s not true,” she said fiercely. “You are an honorable man. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t have come here today. You would have used the ledgers I gave you to exact your revenge without holding to our bargain.”
“But you’ve already said you weren’t sure of me, didn’t you,” he snarled as he closed the distance between them in a deliberate manner. “You made certain your brother found us together to ensure our bargain was sealed.”
“I am not a liar, my lord, and our agreement is one that can easily be broken.”
Hands on her hips, she glared at him. Unwillingly, he realized that anger became her. She looked like a wild siren with her hazel eyes flashing, and her bosom heaving from her rapid breathing. The sudden urge to bury himself inside her at this very moment made him stiffen. What the hell was wrong with him? Infuriated by his reaction to her, he caught her chin in his hand and stared down into her eyes.
