Whisper To Me of Love

by Shirlee Busbee

  His mouth found hers in a rough kiss and effortlessly he carried her over to the sofa, his lips never leaving hers as he gently lowered her to the soft cushions. Kneeling beside the indigo velvet sofa, Royce made short work of Pip’s dress, swiftly stripping it from her body, leaving her lying naked before him.

  The touch of the sofa against her back slightly roused Pip from the trancelike state she was in, and feeling the last remnant of her clothing being relentlessly removed—suddenly alarmed her. Passion fading a little, her eyes widening with stunned comprehension of what was happening, she stuttered foolishly, “M-my d-d-dress! W-w-what did you d-d-do to my d-d-dress?”

  Smiling tenderly down at her, Royce ran a finger along the top of her breasts and murmured, “Don’t worry about it—I’ll buy you another. A dozen, dozens, if you wish.” He gave a husky laugh, and his eyes glittering with a golden fire, he added, “I’ll clothe you in silks and satins and then give us both pleasure when I tear them off of you.”

  Pip swallowed with difficulty, her gaze mesmerized by the activity of his busy fingers as, with a ruthless economy of movement, he stripped away his own clothing until he was standing before her in naked splendor. Oh, and he was splendid, Pip admitted giddily, her eyes sliding with shy appreciation over his tall, muscular body, the strong arms and the powerful thighs. Whorls of thick, tawny hair covered his wide chest, the hair arrowing downward as it reached his hard waist before widening into a mass of dark gold curls at his groin. Pip had never seen a naked man before, certainly never a rampantly aroused male, and in dazed bemusement she stared at the sheer rigid bulk of his manhood as it sprang brazenly and unashamedly from the dark gold curls. A stallion, she thought half-hysterically, half-blissfully. A beautiful tawny stallion and he wants me ... as I want him, she conceded with a small quiver deep within her body, her nipples tightening painfully as she gazed at his magnificent form, a pool of liquid fire flaming between her legs.

  Looking down at her, seeing for the first time the naked feminine charms that had haunted his dreams, Royce drew his breath in sharply. Pip made an undoubtedly sensuously appealing picture as she lay there on the indigo velvet sofa, her pale skin gleaming like alabaster against the blue-blackness of the material. Her dark, curly hair was tousled, her lips were crimson and swollen from Royce’s kisses, and her eyes were a smoky purple from the desire that he had aroused within her. With an effort, he restrained himself from falling upon her like a ravening beast, taking instead an erotic pleasure in the rise and fall of her small, impudently tilted breasts, the nipples as red and sweet as berries, the taste of them still lingering on his tongue. She was finely made, her waist slim; the flare of her slender hips and the surprising length of her delicately formed legs were exquisite. My pocket Venus, Royce mused. And she will be mine, he admitted with an undeniably possessive curve to his handsome mouth.

  Unwilling to deny himself a moment longer, Royce dropped to his knees, his hands unerringly reaching for Pip. With a muffled cry he pulled her against him, his lips finding hers in a hungry, probing kiss, his tongue invading and thrusting into her mouth with an almost brutal urgency. But kissing her soon wasn’t enough, and his mouth reluctantly left hers to travel hotly down her chest to her breasts, where his tongue curled tightly around the throbbing nipples, the avid touch of his lips as he pulled and tugged at her breasts, making Pip arch helplessly up against his mouth.

  Nearly shaking from the force of the potent emotions that commanded her, Pip moved her hands restlessly over him, taking simple pleasure in the hard, warm flesh beneath her fingers. Yearningly she stroked him, his shoulders, the sleekly muscled arms, the taut, broad back, wanting the sweet torture of his mouth against her breasts to continue, marveling that he found her desirable, and when his big body slid up onto the sofa beside her, it seemed the most natural thing in the world to cling to him, to press herself invitingly against him.

  Royce growled softly at the touch of Pip’s body against his own, the need to take her, to find the ecstasy he knew awaited them, inflaming him even further. She was so sweet, so responsive, under his mouth and touch that he hungered to taste every inch of her, to take hours leisurely exploring her soft, white body, but he very much feared that if he did not have relief soon from the savage, pulsating ache that filled his body, he would quietly go insane.

  His mouth sought hers, the blunt demand of his lips and tongue revealing the depth of the passion that consumed him. With a swift, sure movement, his thigh slid between hers, and Pip gasped at the intimate gesture, wild new sensations flooding through her as gently, teasingly, he moved his thigh against her. Racked by the same passion, Pip was helpless in his arms, unable to deny him anything, and when his hand slid between her legs, his seeking fingers parting and deeply caressing the silken heat he found there, she surged violently upward, her body eagerly meeting this new invasion. Her blood thudding in her veins, her heart beating furiously, Pip writhed beneath his touch, her body reacting with a mind of its own, and she reached for him, wanting to give him as much pleasure as he was giving her.

  But Royce captured her searching hands, and holding them above her head in one of his, he muttered thickly into her mouth, “No. Not this time. This time I could not bear it if you touched me.”

  Keeping her hands captive in one hand, he continued to kiss her fiercely as he settled his big body between her legs, his intention clear. Pip knew a moment of panic, but then it was too late, his fingers parting the way for him as inexorably his swollen shaft began to sink deep within her. The feeling that exploded through her slender body was indescribable, part wonder, part pain, as he sank deeper and deeper into her welcoming flesh, her virginity proving a frail barrier against his total possession.

  But it was a barrier, and as he felt it, Royce’s eyes flew open in shocked comprehension; he was unable to believe that she was still a virgin. It didn’t matter, he told himself dazedly—it was too late, the damage done before he realized it, and he was too aroused to stop now, the taut, silken heat of her body so seductive that he could not think of anything but how she made him feel at this very moment. Groaning aloud his intense pleasure, he moved on her, urgently thrusting himself again and again into the sweet depths of her, his movements helplessly wild and compulsive as he felt her respond, felt her body rise up uncontrollably to meet the downward thrust of his.

  Lost in a welter of violent emotions, Pip matched his frantic movements as she desperately sought some guessed-at heaven, her hands twisting in his grasp, her mind and body utterly at Royce’s command. Again and again he thrust into her, each powerful thrust making Pip greedy for the next. Suddenly she stiffened, a wave of such intense rapture, such shameless gratification, surging through her that her body shook from it and she cried aloud.

  His features strained from the effort of holding back his own ecstasy, a glitter of satisfaction flamed momentarily in his amber gold eyes at her cry, and almost with a sigh Royce felt himself explode with pleasure. The fierce motions of his body slowed as passion ebbed from him, but he continued to kiss Pip with lazy contentment, unable to bring himself to part from her.

  Finally, though, he had to move, and levering himself slightly away from her, he looked down into her passion-flushed face and said aloud the thought that had been in his mind from the instant he had kissed her today. “I can’t let you go,” he said harshly. “Not now. Now you are mine and I will not let you go.”

  CHAPTER 14

  Stunned by what had just occurred, her body still tingling from Royce’s fierce possession, Pip stared up into his dark face in dazed incomprehension. Disconcertingly aware of their nakedness, of the frank intimacy of their positions as they lay there together on the sofa, Royce’s big body half-covering hers, one muscular thigh boldly thrust between her legs, Pip was too confused by the turbulent emotions coursing through her body to understand what he was saying.

  Had it only been moments ago, she wondered bewilderedly, that she had ranged aimlessly around this room, lost in her own u
nhappy thoughts? And now ... and now she knew the power of his body moving on hers, now she knew the ecstasy that could be shared between two lovers, and now, she thought miserably, now her feet were firmly set on the path her mother had followed.

  Oh, she might not have put a price on her favors this first time, but the instant Royce had taken her into his arms and kissed her, kissed her so passionately that coherent thought had fled, the decision about her future had been made and there was no going back. She had let him make love to her, had gladly given him her virginity, had reveled in the power and strength of his beautiful body as he had possessed her, but now she must face cold reality. And cold reality was that men like Royce Manchester had only one use for women like her. They didn’t fall in love with them, nor did they ever consider marriage with them—they enjoyed their bodies, and when the initial passion had fled, they discarded them and went on to the next woman who caught their fancy. It had always been that way and would always be that way, and yet Pip couldn’t help wishing desperately that events had worked out differently.

  Regretfully her clear gray eyes slowly moved over Royce’s dark, intent features, from the rebellious lock of golden brown hair that fell across the broad forehead, down to the thick, arching, black brows, her gaze deliberately avoiding meeting the deep-set amber gold eyes before traveling on to the handsome nose and finally lingering on the full, mobile mouth. Unable to tear her eyes away, she stared at those chiseled lips, those lips, she thought suddenly with a shiver, those lips that give me so much pleasure, that do such wickedly wonderful things to my body, that sinfully appealing mouth that I ... She stopped and swallowed with difficulty. She would want her husband to possess the same features, the same qualities, and she realized painfully that she wanted her husband to be very much like Royce Manchester.

  It was an appalling admission, one that filled her with angry despair. Women like her could not afford to aspire to marriage with men like Royce Manchester. Bitterly she railed at herself for being a fool, for being so stupid to let her dreams center on someone like him, a man who, except for a trick of fate, might never have crossed her path, a man who might enjoy her body, but who would never consider her more than an object of his desire. A knife twisted viciously in her chest, and for the first time in her life, she longed to have been born someone else, to have been born a lady of fortune and birth, a woman who might have been able to command marriage with Royce Manchester... .

  Royce’s lazily caressing hand at her throat brought Pip shatteringly back to the present, and helplessly she met the glitter of those topaz eyes. He was looking at her keenly, the expression in those tiger’s eyes hard to define, not quite satisfaction, not quite possession, but something in that golden stare made her shiver. And whether it was with anticipation or fear, she could not say.

  He seemed fascinated with her body, his gaze finally leaving her face to slide slowly down the length of her slender body, her flesh flaming wherever his eyes touched, her nipples tightening, her breathing quickening, and incredibly, her loins suddenly aching to have him bury himself within her again. When his hand left her throat and wandered to her breast, her fingers dug into the softness of the velvet cushion as she frantically willed herself not to betray just how deeply his mere touch affected her.

  Not content to just look, Royce swiftly bent his head and captured one impudent nipple between his teeth. “God!” he muttered against her warm skin, “I never want to move from here, I just want to lie here and make love to you again and again ... and again.” He gave her nipple one last gently teasing bite and then, with an obvious reluctance, rolled away from her and sat up.

  One arm resting on the back of the sofa, he leaned forward, a rueful expression on his handsome face as he glanced down at her and admitted, “This wasn’t very wise, was it? I never meant to fall upon you that way, and if I had known it was your first time ...” His eyes darkened and his voice was thick as he said, “If I had known you were a virgin, I would have wanted everything to be perfect for you—certainly I would have chosen a better time and a better setting to make you mine!” Almost as if he could not help himself, his free hand closed around her breast; the fingers rhythmically kneading the soft flesh, and the tiger’s eyes filled with an oddly tender light, he demanded huskily, “I didn’t hurt you very badly, did I?”

  Shaken by the husky tenderness in his voice, Pip could only stare up at him mutely, her eyes full of smoky secrets. She was unbearably conscious of his naked form almost touching her, of his muscular thigh resting only inches from her torso, and of the spiraling need his insistent fondling of her breast was arousing within her. How could she have been such an utter slut? How could she continue to lie here so passively, letting him caress her at will, making no attempt to break away from him? Ashamed of herself, alarmed by the wanton sensations that were building within her with every passing moment, with every stroke of his fingers on her breast, Pip angrily forced herself to act.

  Swiftly brushing aside his hand, she jerked upright in one quick movement. Her back against the arm of the sofa, she drew her legs defensively to her chest and wrapped her arms tightly around them. Longingly she glanced at her torn gown where it lay just a few feet from the sofa, where Royce had tossed it, but feeling that she was now at least partially shielded from his blatant appraisal of her naked body, Pip shot Royce a speculative look from beneath her lashes.

  He didn’t seem at all perturbed by what had happened as he just sat there calmly, mere inches from her, his nakedness apparently not bothering him one whit, and she was suddenly struck by what a ludicrous picture they must present, both of them stark naked in the middle of the afternoon in his office, where anyone could walk in on them. She was unable to prevent the tiny grin that tugged at the corners of her mouth as she pictured the expression on the face of Royce’s very proper Mr. Spurling, should the valet come in search of his master and discover them in this position.

  Tiny though the grin was, Royce caught it, and a smile on his own mouth, he murmured, “You haven’t answered my question, but since you can smile about it, I must not have caused you too much pain.”

  The art of dissembling was something that Pip had never learned, and to her utter horror, she found herself saying earnestly, “Oh, no! You didn’t hurt me hardly at all—just a very little in the beginning.” Shyly she confessed, “I never knew it would feel so wonderful.”

  His eyes darkened passionately and one hand reached out to cup her chin. Without her knowing it, he had moved closer, and his mouth just above hers, he said softly, “I don’t think that it is a good idea for me to hear such things—I want to make love to you again, right now, and if it weren’t for the fact that I know you must have suffered some pain, I’m very much afraid you would already be beneath me!” He dropped a hard kiss on her startled mouth and muttered, “Don’t tempt me, or the extremely recent loss of your virginity won’t stop me from taking you a second time within a very few moments!”

  As if only becoming aware of their surroundings at that instant, he grinned at her and said mockingly, “Besides, I am very much afraid that we would not be so lucky a second time and I think it would behoove us to get dressed before we are found in this rather, ah, compromising situation.”

  Standing up in a single catlike movement, Royce casually reached for his scattered garments and, with unhurried, economical movements, put on his clothes, evidently not suffering from the same modesty that beset Pip. Her cheeks flaming scarlet, she glanced away from his magnificent form, willing herself not to stare at the tall, muscled body that had just given her such unforgettable pleasure.

  He was nearly dressed before she began to scramble around, gathering up her pitifully few pieces of clothing, and it was only when she hastily pulled the old gingham gown over her head that the full extent of the damage Royce had done to the garment was apparent. The gown was irreparably ripped from the neck to the waist, and there was no way of fastening it—or of hiding the havoc his seeking hands had caused to the wor
n material. Dismayed by the destruction of the gown, with trembling fingers, Pip tried again and again to fasten and hide the torn material. It was useless, and her eyes full of anxiety, she glanced across at Royce.

  “Ivy’s gown is ruined! She only lent it to me; how can I repay her? I can’t fasten it ... and I have nothing else to wear.” Shame evident in her voice, she added helplessly, “What am I to do? I can’t go back to the kitchen this way.”

  An enigmatic expression in his topaz eyes, Royce murmured, “No, of course you can’t go back to the kitchen ... but then, I never intended that you would stay there forever.”

  Something in his voice made Pip’s heart beat alarmingly fast. “What do you mean by that?” she demanded sharply.

  “I mean,” Royce said slowly as he walked over to her and captured her chin between his strong fingers, “that it is time for you and I to stop playing games with each other. After this afternoon, do you really think that I shall let you return to the kitchen? That I shall let you be treated like a servant?”

  Pip swallowed painfully. Guessing what Royce was about to suggest and needing, for her own pride, to be the one to set the terms of their arrangement, she heard herself saying coolly, “I think we should discuss the price of our relationship, before this goes any further.”

  Royce wasn’t quite certain what role Pip would play in his life after today, but he was fiercely positive that what he felt for her was far different from the businesslike arrangement he had with Della, and he was enraged that she was so willing to put a price on the powerful emotions that lay between them. The warm expression in his eyes faded and his fingers tightened on her chin. “And precisely what do you mean by that?” he demanded.