Page 50 of A Sight to Behold
With the most beautiful blue eyes, she blinked at him. Then she stilled, only batting her long lashes expectantly.
Nick waited and squared his shoulders. With his body language, he gave her access. And she understood.
Pippa dropped the towel to the floor and trailed her right hand over his chest until it met her left near his abdomen. Her exploration was eager but also revealed her innocence. Nick knew how girls of her social standing were raised, protected, and coddled. Except that in all of her isolation, she’d been deprived of the love she needed to blossom in her pretty little greenhouse. Although Nick couldn’t give her any of the riches that her standing required, he could give her the love her heart desired.
If he could allow himself and if she let him.
Time to find out.
Nick inhaled deeply and his chest grew wide. He took Pippa’s hands and led them down to… and before he could consider howshe’d react, she inserted her index fingers in his waistband. “I want to know,” she whispered, looking down at his crotch.
“Pippa, if I go too far, you have to stop me.”
“Why should I?”
“Because I won’t stop unless you want me to.” He placed a tender kiss on her forehead, then her cheek, and then her mouth. Nick shuddered at the thought of stopping because he wanted to go all the way. Stopping would probably kill him on the spot and yet he’d never go further than she wanted him to. “If you allow it, Pippa, I’ll show you how you make me feel. Not how Violet and her husband make each other feel. Just you and me. Here and now. Do you want me to?”
“How?” Her voice was pierced with the awe of a young fawn taking in the smell of a lovely fresh clover for the first time. “How can you make me feel?”
Nick swallowed hard. He nodded but feared that by speaking now, his voice would break like that of a green boy. For that’s what he felt like. He knew all too well that she was a virgin and inexperienced. She couldn’t know what he did about the human body, much less what two bodies could do together. And yet, he felt like the inexperienced one. He was in her lavish house, and he had the impression that she’d brought him here on purpose.
“Did you mean to spill the tea on me?” He jerked his head back but tilted it to the side. Thinking of it, the tea had been lukewarm and looked rather light in color. “You watered it down so you wouldn’t burn me, didn’t you?”
Pippa pinched her lips and removed her hands from his body. Then she spoke with the poise of a governess trying to explain that cod liver oil would taste good. “I’m just so clumsy.”
Nick broke into a smile. She was lying.
“I’ve rather cured you of clumsiness, haven’t I?”
Pippa took a step back and brought her fingers to her eyeglasses, removed them, folded the temple stems in, and setthe glasses on a side table with great care. “I’m very, very clumsy.” She shook her head, but a telling grin built on her face, and the mischievous glint made Nick laugh. Oh, she was so sweet and innocent but also fiercely smart. She knew exactly what she was doing and that he knew. Well, good, then they were in agreement.
Nick stepped closer and took a wide stance before her, offering his body for exploration—no for anything she’d ever want—and waited.
“Dr. Folsham—” Pippa started but her breath caught as her eyes trailed over his upper body.
“Nick.”
She inhaled and spoke with feigned gravitas. “Nick.”
“Yes?” His voice was dark.
“As you know, I don’t see well without my glasses.” Her hands returned to his chest, and she trailed them over his muscles as if she couldn’t stop herself. Side to side, from one side of his chest to the other, and then one hand found his waistband again, the other cupped the back of his head. “I need to feel for what I cannot see.” And she inserted one hand in his breeches.
Nick gasped. She was brazen and oh, so sweet.
He leaned in but stopped short of her mouth just when she raised her mouth to his. Her hand slid farther, and her delicate fingers wrapped around his shaft.
Nick smiled but didn’t touch her lips. Two could play a game of teasing.
*
He was alittle cocky and sure of himself, but Pippa loved it. She couldn’t quite say what his manhood felt like, but it was hard and hot in her hand and gave a twitch that she found mostpleasing. She gave a gentle squeeze back and Nick smiled, his face so close to hers but still not touching.
But she wanted him to touch her.
Everywhere.
She wanted more of this teasing and the exploration. Yes, he was a little blurred now that she’d taken her glasses off, but she could easily make out the expression on his face, the boyish smirk and the manly seriousness. He was letting her lead.
