Page 49 of Charming Sir Charles
Her familiar scent, smoky rose, flooded his head. Her salty taste fed his rapacious senses. As if she, too, had starved for this connection, her eager tongue swept into his mouth.
His heart pounding, he edged her back until she met the wall behind her. Greedy hands wrenched her bodice down. They both groaned their pleasure when he cupped her breasts.
Breathlessly, she pulled far away enough to see his face. Joy transfigured her. He’d never seen her look so beautiful, nor so open. At last, she’d stepped beyond that wall of glass that had kept her safe from hurt.
She hadn’t yet spoken her love, but as he met her glowing eyes, he saw what she felt. Poignant emotion mixed with rising desire.
Damn him for a lucky dog. She was a woman in a million.
“Sir Charles, what on earth are you doing?” The mocking smile curling her lips only made his blood beat harder.
He dragged his hands through her hair, sending a hail of pins scattering over the carpet. Dark gold silk tumbled down around her unforgettable face, turning her into a wild creature. “My dear Lady Norwood, I believe the technical term is pouncing.”
* * *
Sally had time for a gasp of laughter, then Charles was kissing her again, with more of that tumultuous passion that she craved. A throbbing, now familiar weight set up in the base of her belly, and she shifted to ease the hungry itch between her legs. He was hard and ready, and excitement fizzed through her as she reached down to shape her hand around the impressive bulge in his trousers.
“Oh, yes,” he hissed, leaning into her in encouragement.
He pulled away far enough to haul his shirt over his head. She gave a soft growl of appreciation and ran her hands over his chest. The rasp of crisp dark hair beneath her palms was one more glorious sensation.
He kissed her again. She shivered with anticipation when she felt the slow upward slide of her silk skirts.
His hands reached her thighs, and he paused. Then he released a soft exclamation of surprise against her lips. “By heaven, I love you.”
A breathless giggle emerged. “Now you know I arrived with wicked intentions.”
“Do your worst,” he said, stroking along her bare legs and making her shiver.
Deciding not to wear drawers tonight had seemed like boneheaded optimism when she’d left her house. She hadn’t even been sure Charles would see her, let alone want to touch her. Now the glitter in his eyes made her glad she’d chosen such a brazen course.
His seeking fingers found her cleft, and she shuddered as he explored her with sensual purpose. She trembled when he slid one long finger into her, then two. As liquid female pleasure greeted his incursions, she tugged his trousers open and closed her hand around rampant flesh.
He groaned and bent his head to her neck, scraping his teeth across her skin until she cried out and tightened her grip on him. The combination of the sting with the rhythmic thrust of his fingers sent her toppling over into a climax that left her knees like water.
“Charles…” she breathed, clinging to him and tracing a line of kisses across his collarbone. “Oh, Charles.”
“I love it when you say my name,” he gritted out. “I thought you’d call me Sir Charles until the day I died.”
“Sir Charles was too much of a gentleman to do this.”
“Don’t you believe it, darling,” he said. “Lift your leg and hook it behind my hips.”
“Yes, Charles.”
A soft huff of laughter escaped him. “You’ve become very biddable lately.”
She gave a choked giggle as she curled her leg around him, allowing him wanton access. “If you keep me feeling like this, I suspect I’ll always be biddable.”
“Now there’s a delightful challenge,” he murmured.
He caught her under her buttocks and lifted her into his body. She strained toward him as need blazed through her, incinerating everything but love.
She gasped as he pushed forward, and her grip on his shoulders tightened. The pressure between her legs turned into a rapturous fullness.
Once they were fully joined, he went still and lifted his head to stare down into her face. His eyes blazed brilliant in his face, and he looked breathtakingly fierce. “Say you’re mine.”
She met that uncompromising gaze and read an unconditional love she’d never until this moment believed existed. “I’m yours.”
