Page 33 of Desert Island Duke

“You’re sure?” he breathed against her lips. “Last chance to say no.”

She lifted up and pressed her mouth to his. “Do it, Cavendish, or I’ll stab you with that stupid knife of yours.”

His chuckle morphed into a low growl of pleasure as he pressed his hips forward and slowly, slowly entered her.

Caro opened her eyes wide in the darkness, absorbing this astonishing new sensation with a sense of awe. He pulled out a little, then he slid back inside, even further this time, and a shimmer of dark delight raced along her limbs.

“That’s it,” he whispered against her temple. “Let me in. Let me love you, Caro.”

He pressed further, stretching her, but her body yielded to his invasion. He rocked back and forth in a maddening rhythm that made her catch her breath and arch up, straining for more of the delicious friction.

She gripped his hair, urging him on, as tension built in her muscles, clamoring for release. His movements rubbed a spot deep inside that built and built until suddenly, with a cry of elation, her entire body flew apart.

Lightning flashed behind her closed eyelids as pleasure pulsed through her body. Max wasn’t far behind. With a groan that seemed dragged from the center of his chest, he thrust once more inside her then withdrew from her body. He pressed himself, full weight, upon her and Caro felt the hot tide of his release against her stomach.

For a brief moment they lay completely still, hearts hammering in tandem. And then Max rolled off her with a sound that was half groan, half exhausted chuckle.

“Dear God, I knew you’d be the end of me, Montgomery.”

Caro tried hard to catch her breath. Her entire body was glowing, replete with a wonderful lethargy.

“Well, if it’s any consolation, you’ve killed me too,” she managed weakly.

He cleaned them both off with his discarded cravat, then shifted back to her. Silently, he rolled her so that she was facing away from him, then threw his arm over her waist and tugged her backward, nestling her bottom into the curve of his groin, surrounding her with his body.

Caro had no objections. Their exertions had brought a sheen of sweat to her skin, but now she was cooling off. A gust of wind battered the shelter and she shivered involuntarily.

“Cold?” Max’s voice was muffled as he pressed his mouth to her neck.

“A little.”

His arm tightened, drawing her closer into the shelter of his body, and she let out a little sigh of contentment.

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep you warm.”

Chapter 18

Caro awoke at dawn, still in Max’s arms. She must have turned over in the night, because now the top of her head was tucked under his chin and her flattened hand rested on his glorious chest. His left arm was thrown over her waist, and his heart beat, sure and steady, thumped beneath her palm.

“Ah, awake at last.”

Max’s voice, deep and gravelly with sleep, rumbled above her, and she pulled back to look up into his face.

Despite her resolution to be mature and sophisticated, the feel of his body pressed so intimately to hers made heat rise to her cheeks.

The storm had passed. The rising sun warmed the angles of his cheeks and gilded the straight line of his nose, and Caro’s heart gave a little squeeze inside her chest.

Oh, she was going to miss him.

She tried to memorize every detail, to burn it into her memory so that when she was back in cold, rainy old England she would be able to remember the sheer heaven of being held like this, in his arms.

“Still deciding whether to stab me?” Max’s blue eyes twinkled at her. “Because I distinctly remember you threatening me with such a thing last night.”

“Only if you didn’t make love to me.”

“Which I did.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “Was it not satisfactory?”

“Oh, it was very satisfactory. As well you know, you scoundrel.”

---