Chapter 28
She arrived at Jasper’s apartment within thirty minutes, aware it appeared unseemly for her to march up the steps and drop the knocker, but she did so with the confidence of a woman in command of her future. The slim building with its symmetrical façade sat quietly as if it awaited her arrival. She held her breath.
The door opened without pause and Jasper stood before her in fine raiment, top hat in hand, as if his preparation to leave had been interrupted by her arrival. She’d caught him just in time and oh my, he looked ever so handsome.
“Miss Shaw.” A smile spread across his face as their eyes met. “I was just now leaving to pay you a call.”
“Then I’m pleased to have saved you the time and trouble.” Why did her voice sound so winded? She couldn’t be nervous. Shouldn’t be.
“As am I.” He stepped to the side with a wily glint in his eyes. “Please come in.”
An enigmatic pull radiated between them, pulsing with unspoken anticipation and a fantasy or two. No doubt they both imagined the expected outcome of her entering his home, although they’d design the development as things progressed. Best she get on with it and pierce the heart of the matter.
“I’ve come to a startling discovery, more novel and precious then any of these clever inventions.” She flipped a scant glance over each shoulder in reference to the boxes cluttering the room.
He placed his hat to the side and then worked to release her bonnet, his nimble fingers plucking the pins with determined gentleness. She hemmed her lip in wait of what he would do next, the silence near unbearable as he removed her hat and set it beside his on the Pembroke table.
“What would this discovery be?” His words whispered past her temple as he returned to stand in front of her. “I’m thoroughly intrigued.”
She hesitated but a breath. “I’m highly susceptible to tender feelings when I’d considered myself immune. In short, I rather like our kisses.” She notched her chin higher. Not to offer her mouth or suggest he demonstrate his efficiency with her confessed obsession, but to emphasize her undeniable confidence. Or at least she told herself.
“Oh, my little minx, we have that in common.” He murmured the words in a hushed tone that warmed her to the points of her slippers. “Although to my astute discovery, I’ve fallen headfirst into love, not just kisses, for all of you, from your jaunty bonnet to the tip of your toes.”
Her heart pounded in her chest as she rejoiced with the words. Jasper loved her. He loved her. For who she is…unconditionally, without rules or requirements.
What should she do next? Whisper delicious ideas in his ear like he’d dared threaten during their waltz? Place her hand against his thigh and cause him to melt as easily as she in her office? The choices were endless once one liberated the mind.
She pulled at his cravat to untie the linen and allow his collar freedom. Then she went up on her toes to press a gentle kiss to the pulse at the base of his throat, the skin smooth and hot against her lips. She heard his sharp intake of breath, noticed how he shifted his stance and slid his palms to her waist, whether to brace himself or pull her closer she did not know.
Her experiment quickly unraveled, the heated proximity of their bodies too much to bear, for they both knew what was to come, cozied so near not even a secret could live between them.
“Jasper—”
He took his name from her, his lips finding hers with fated accuracy. The hot slide of his tongue inside the hollow of her mouth weakened her knees. With the next breath, he deepened the kiss, supporting her with an arm around her shoulders as he backed them to the wall. The jolt of the hard surface pressed her breasts against his broad chest, funneling pleasure and desire straight to her core, her nipples tight and sensitive, making her wish no barriers remained between them, the unfulfilled yearning alive within her, urging to discover all the delicious sensations he offered.
She found his shoulders, gripped them tight before smoothing his waistcoat free to drop to the floorboards unheeded. The texture against her fingertips, smooth linen over hard muscle, begged she strip his shirt next and she smiled within their kiss, easing the braces from his shoulders, gliding her hands beneath his shirttails, up over his lean waist and firm chest, until he broke the kiss and discarded the nuisance, tossing it to the side without a glance.
“Miss Shaw?”
His use of her full name caught her attention and she quickly corrected. “Emily.”
He chuckled, the sound rich and thrilling and then he leaned ever closer, his bare chest a masterpiece of ridged muscle and smooth skin poised against her heart. “My dear sweet Emily, you will be the death of me. For one so invested in equality, you’re wearing entirely too much clothing.” He spun her so she faced the wall, her hands braced flat while he unbuttoned, untied, and tore her free. First her gown, then corset and petticoats last, and she never felt more empowered, more alive and in control, as when she allowed his slow perusal of her exposed body clad only in chemise, pantelets, stockings and slippers.
She held her breath despite her newfound glory in his affection.
“Indeed, Miss Shaw.” A half smile played on his lips and he lowered his eyes, those long lashes hiding the brilliant green of his irises. “I never imagined such amaranthine loveliness.”
He still wore his trousers, but she could see his adoration outlined and a wary tic of nervousness, a niggle of hesitation, dared remind this was an adventure into the unknown; one which offered no second chance or abrogation. She swallowed her incertitude and squared her bare shoulders.
He read her conflicted emotions. She saw it in his eyes and when he took a step closer, she willed herself to remain still though her pulse beat a dangerous tempo, the fluttering solicitation of adventure sought and paradise promised.
“You have nothing to fear. We need not do a thing.” He whispered a few kisses against her brow, the delicate touch at her nape causing a shiver to skitter down her spine. “You’ve disclosed you enjoy our kisses, so we’ll leave it at that unless you direct me otherwise. Would that be to your liking? That way you hold all the control, make all the decisions.” He withdrew to gain her consent and when she offered a slight nod, he captured her mouth in an exquisite kiss of reverence.
Yet the more he offered light caresses and hungry kisses, the more her body begged for something deeper, fuller. Much fuller. She shifted, the slight movement causing her breasts to graze his chest. Her nipples traced against his hot skin, her thin chemise no barrier as she melted into his delicious kiss. His hands slid over her ribs, one palm settling against her breast. Heat rushed over her skin as he cupped the weight, his hand curved in firm possession. She gasped with ragged desire. Yet if she meant to object, his kiss consumed the words, his tongue sliding in rhythm to the sweet stroke of his thumb against her nipple, hard and tight. It was an ethereal touch, subtle, gentle, but desire drove her to press further into his palm until his attention caused a tremor of sensation with every soft pinch and tender squeeze. One could die from the pleasure. Her breath caught with each grazing caress, the tips of her breasts aching, desperate for one more touch, one more stroke, while below between her thighs, she grew wet and restless as if imagining the same intimate attention against her sex.
Some sound, nothing she’d ever voiced before, echoed in her throat, akin to exquisite agony, a newborn pleasure or unexplored discovery.
“Do you like that?” His husky question coalesced with their kiss.
She murmured agreement, unwilling to break contact.
“I could kiss you there too, if you’d like. Just kisses, nothing more. You have my word.” His fingers left her breast to skim the neckline of her chemise, inching the cloth downward in a delicate caress as soft as a feather tickling her skin. The back of his hand brushed against her clavicle, reminding of his strength and intent.
She wriggled with impatience not knowing what she wanted, just knowing that she wanted; the current of desire and innovation too strong to deny. She sagge
d against the wall, her breath high and fast, and as she looked into his eyes, she saw fathomless adoration. Her heart surged with love and the persistent demand of unfulfilled passion. Empowered by the rush of emotion, she smiled. “Yes, kiss me there.” She rasped the words and gathered another breath as if preparing for the pleasure.
He returned her smile, his eyes intent as he untied the ribbon at her shoulder, the chemise falling open halfway, exposing her to the cool air and his heated gaze.
“You’re so very beautiful.” He skimmed his fingertip along the curve of her breast evoking a delicious shiver. “Skin soft and delicate as down, yet a heart as strong and capable to defy limitations and take flight.”
“Jasper?” She reached forward and brushed a touch across his chest, mimicking the caress he’d given her, making him shudder in turn, his jaw tight as if he strained to keep a hold on his reaction. Her eyes dropped to his trousers where the placket pulled taut with the evidence of his arousal. Somehow, though his actions made her weak, his affection emboldened her with the knowledge she drove him to this ardent concupiscence. It was a heady feeling, to know her yield didn’t diminish, but rather, empowered. She voiced her command with confidence. “Kiss me.”
He obeyed, taking her breast in his mouth, the first hot drag of his tongue against the peak almost too much to bear. The give and take of rough sensation as he lathed the tip, sucking and stroking, the delicate scratch of his teeth as he nipped, left her helpless and vulnerable. She trembled, all at once liquid in his arms as she surrendered to precious tremors of ecstasy, thankful for the wall at her back. Much to her mortification, she moaned with pleasure and his smile curled against her skin in a flash of masculine pride.
Not to be bested, she eased her trembling fingers from his flexed bicep, down the ridges of his ribs to his waist, to rest her palm against his erection in a reckless fearless caress.
He pulled from her immediately, and her grin dropped away, all at once worried her bold action had destroyed the delicate beauty of their kisses, yet his face displayed anything but anger, a mischievous glint in his lovely green eyes.
“You said only kisses, Miss Shaw. You’re breaking your own rule.”
“True.” She drew a well-needed breath, a last attempt to resolve her cupidity. “My fondness for kisses is of great concern. Perhaps I became a bit carried away.”
“Carried away, say you?”
She didn’t have an opportunity to respond. Jasper swept her up in his arms, whisking her through the drawing room and into the bedchamber at the rear of the apartment. Truly, she was shameless and disheveled, to allow herself to be flung about, half naked and fully aroused, in the arms of the most perfect man in England…and she never felt more wonderful and free.
He dropped her to the mattress and stalked to the other side, where he joined her in recline, propped on one elbow as he angled above her, his mouth beside her chest, partially exposed by the disarray of her chemise.
“About those kisses…” he began, although it seemed he had no intention of continuing the sentence as he nuzzled her neck, rendering delectable sensitivity in a path from her shoulder to breast.
She closed her eyes, lost in a sea of gossamer pleasure, and surrendered her heart.
He’d promised only kisses. By damn, only kisses, yet his cock twitched, demanding attention, all blood flowing to his groin to beget difficult decision-making.
She lay before him, eyes closed, as if she sacrificed herself or worse, surrendered against her better judgment. No matter the roar of longing in his veins, he couldn’t have that.
“Are you all right?” His voice sounded as tight as his smalls.
“Yes. Why?”
Her lashes fluttered open, crystalline blue, her gaze softened by what he hoped was arousal and desire. Her hair splayed in ribbons of silk across his pillows, just as he’d imagined, and as she shifted to speak to him, the corner of her chemise, the one still tied, pulled tight against her breasts to outline their beauty in an erotic veil, the dusky peaks causing him to clench his teeth against temptation.
Images from dreams and fantasies, Greek myths and fairytales, flooded his brain, as he viewed her lovely form, exposed and offered for his pleasure. He’d always cherish this moment.
“I adore you.” He exhaled, his eyes searching her face, taking in every magnificent inch. “I think I half fell in love the instant you challenged me in your clever little bonnet outside the offices that first day. Then once I tasted your kiss…well if I wasn’t already heartsick, I came down with the ailment hard and fast soon after. And now here we are, in my bedchamber, on my bed, where I’ve envisioned you every night since.” He paused to order his thoughts. “But I wouldn’t wish to compromise your beliefs or lead you to do something you might regret. That wouldn’t be love, and I love you, Miss Shaw, quite completely.”
His formality evoked a giggle and she all at once appeared relaxed, as if she was exactly where she belonged, on top of the blankets, atop his bed and snugly tucked into his heart.
“I’m not here as some experiment or because I believe intimacy will make me stronger. Nor to prove I’m independent or worse, that I have no need for a man within the order of my life.” She touched his cheek with a tender caress as whisper-soft as her words. “I’m here because your love awakened my soul and opened my eyes to possibilities I never considered. I love you, Jasper. Not just for the man you are at this moment, but the man you will become. You tempt me to believe in a happily-ever-after when I truly thought such nonsense impossible.”
He curled his hand around her cheek, drawing her close with an open-mouthed kiss that confessed all he hadn’t said and promised even more. He groaned with pleasure when she met his ardent pursuit, her tongue rubbing over his, their tender sentiment turned passionate in the span of a heartbeat.
Unable to wait a moment longer, he hooked the remaining chemise strap under his finger, tugging with impatience to force it open, her beauty bared to him as he pushed the gauzy fabric lower, past her navel, catching the lacy border of her pantelets in his wake as he rose on his knees and skittered the garments down over her slender calves and ankles. All that remained were her slippers and stockings and while a whirlwind of naughty suggestions surged through his brain, he pushed the revelation aside for future lovemaking and finished stripping her bare.
He stood, his fingers shaking a little as he unbuttoned his trousers, not the sign of a green lad, but the anticipated passion of a grown man who wanted the woman he loved with unrelenting yearning. He discarded his pants and smalls, moved aside the bed as she rose to her knees, her eyes wide with glorious interest and perhaps, a smidgen of fear.
He chuckled.
He couldn’t help himself.
“You needn’t look like that.” He stifled the laughter that rebounded in his chest. “I have no doubt you’re ready for me.” It was a cocky admittance, but still he spoke the truth, and to prove his point he gently grasped her waist, one hand sliding across her hip to cup her sex, the damp curls parting as his fingers discovered her core.
“Jasper—”
She purred his name, her hips angling instinctively, but he wouldn’t let her go now that he’d found her so soft, and wet, and ready. He reached around with his other hand, clasping her bottom and anchoring her in place on the coverlet, while he offered her deep kisses, the clever work of his fingers mimicking the play of his tongue. The slick sweet glide of each parry, above and below, incited his passion as much as hers. She panted soft sighs against his lips as he withdrew and murmured a seductive growl whenever his finger sank into her hot wet core.
His cock throbbed in unbearable torment, yet he continued to stroke her, willing he wouldn’t climax, pacing himself and praying he could endure the ecstasy of pleasuring her when he wanted nothing more than to sink into her velvety heat and make her his at last.
Chapter 29
It must be shameful. Though it felt so incredibly divine, how could it be wrong?
Emily b
raced her palms atop Jasper’s shoulders, the hard muscles shifting with his delicate torture, their mouths joined in a deep kiss. Inhaling his masculine scent of sandalwood soap, she pressed her body against his, desperate to satisfy the growing intensity that spiraled in her core and radiated within every part of her, threatening sweet havoc, edging closer with each stroke of his fingertip. Her breasts bristled against his chest hair and the exquisite sensation made her weaker still, her legs quivering until she could no longer kneel. She pulled backward onto the counterpane. Jasper followed, the heat of his body covering her in a tangle of arms and legs.
She could feel the press of his manhood against her thigh. The same sensitive spot where he’d placed his palm and ignited her passion. She wanted him inside her, filling her, marking her as his alone. The notion was at once startling. She, a woman determined to find independence and competency, near begging to be satisfied. She froze for less than a heartbeat, but he noticed and broke their kiss, his eyes at once concerned.
“I promised only kisses.”
“I want so much more.”
His caressed her breast, his hands skimming her ribs, as if he needed to touch her, despite they’d paused for conversation, their bodies pressed together, their breath coming heavy and fast.
“I have a solution.” He leaned in to press a brief peck to her lips, then winked as he lowered his body, hoisting her further up the coverlet as he licked past her navel, nipping her hipbone and nuzzling the crease of her thigh.
He paused, yet she couldn’t see him, her eyes clenched together tight as if in wait of what would happen next with apprehension and anticipation. He was a man of great discovery and visionary intellect. She knew in her heart she could trust his judgment.
The first stroke of his tongue against her core brought a jolt of pleasure so powerful, she called out, her fingers fisted in the counterpane, her eyes shot open in surprise and awe-inspiring sensation. Instinct provoked she clench her thighs, wishing to cease the excruciating delight of Jasper’s hot tongue.
Undone by His Kiss Page 22
