Page 73 of A Kiss to Stop a Wedding
It was only when she turned that she found Matt had slipped out of bed and followed her. She suddenly felt very shy and stepped back until she felt the solid wall at her back. He cupped her cheek.
‘Nervous?’
She shook her head and he kissed her gently.
‘I’m afraid you’ll have to help me remove your chemise, love,’ he murmured.
Flora grasped the thin linen and swiftly lifted it up over her head. Before she could pull off the shift, Matt caught her hands in the material and held them against the wall. She was a prisoner, the shift still covering her face, and she gasped when she felt his lips close on one breast. Flora moaned, almost swooning as his tongue teased the nub, slowly circling, while his fingers worked a similar magic on the other breast and drawing an unbearably delicious ache from somewhere deep between her thighs.
She almost cried out in despair when he stopped, but as soon as she was free of the shift he captured her mouth in a kiss that was slow and deep, drawing up the fire he had kindled and she responded, her mouth open against his, their tongues tangling in a dance as old as time.
She slipped her arms around his neck and plunged her fingers into his silky curls. His hand caressed her neck while he covered her face in hot kisses. She threw back her head, eyes closed as his lips travelled on, leaving a heated trail on her neck to fix again on her breast, licking and sucking until the breath caught in her throat and she was arching against him.
Still he did not stop and she shifted as the relentless pleasuring continued. His hand caressed her waist and then her stomach, gently moving lower until she wastrembling, almost swooning as his fingers slipped between her thighs.
He was stroking her, slow rhythmic movements that sent bolts of pleasure coursing through her, one after the other. She felt herself opening, pushing against his fingers. A moan broke from him and a sudden anxiety for his injured arm made her think they should stop, but even as the thought occurred it was blown away by the relentless movement of his fingers, which caused her body to convulse. She cried out and clung tightly to Matt as her body shuddered out of control.
At last the juddering convulsions eased and she became aware of the hard, aroused body pressed against her. She slipped her hand down between them.
‘Careful, I am not yet done!’
‘I know.’
Matt sucked in a breath when she gently touched his arousal. As her fingers explored, his good arm tightened around her until, shuddering, he released his seed against the soft swell of her belly.
With a groan he lowered his head, resting his cheek against her hair as they held one another. After a few moments Flora stirred.
‘Why did you not…?’ Her words trailed away.
He growled. ‘Do you think I would risk giving you a child for Whilton to call his own?’
‘No.’ She cupped his face with her hands and smiledup at him. ‘Thank you,’ she said, kissing him. ‘And thank you for making me feel so…alive!’’
Matt hugged her against him, marvelling at the passion he had aroused in her. It was far more than his clumsy caresses deserved.
‘Did I hurt you?’ he asked.
‘No, you didn’t hurt me.’ She nuzzled into his neck and said shyly, ‘Oh, Matt, I have never felt anything like that before.’
The awe and wonder in her voice made his heart swell. For a moment he felt almost tearful, but he concealed the unfamiliar emotions with a light quip.
‘I should hope not.’
Flora saw his crooked smile, heard the amusement in his voice, but she was not deceived. His eyes glowed with a silent message that made her heart ache. There was so much she wanted to say, but could not.
Instead, she became practical.
‘I need to wash before I dress.’ She walked across to the stand and touched the jug. ‘It’s warm enough.’
She used the water to clean herself before putting on her shift. When she looked around, she saw Matt sitting on the edge of the bed, his arm back in its sling.
‘Is it hurting? I hope we have not done more damage.’
‘No, it aches a little, that is all.’ He grinned. ‘It was distracting, keeping it out of the way. Next time will be different.’
Her attempt at a smile failed. She said, ‘I pray every day for a miracle that will allow us a next time.’
‘Prayer and miracles!’’ He scoffed. ‘Two things I do not believe in.’
