Page 73 of My Hellion, My Heart
“I know Max will honor his promise,” Irina said, the pulse in her throat jumping the closer he became. She’d seen him angry before. She’d seen him caught in the throes of a memory that would not loose him from its clutches. But she had never seen him look like this. Like a prowling beast who wanted satisfaction and would stop at nothing until he had it.
“He won’t. He will take what he wants and be done with it.” Henry cornered her then, blocking her view of the alcove entrance, of the boxed trees beyond the hedge hideaway. Irina swallowed a spike of dread. Worry shot through her chest, but another paralyzing sensation struck lower,too, as heat throbbed in her abdomen. Good Lord, the way he was looking at her made her feel feverish. Every inch of her hummed in his presence.
“Is that the sort of man you want?” he asked, lifting his hand and touching her side. He formed his palm to the shape of her hip and squeezed. Irina felt the immediate answering tug between her thighs.
“No,” she said, but he only responded by raking his hand up the side of her dress, pressing into her ribs.
“Do you want a man who takes what he wants?” His thumb dragged boldly across the underside of her breast.
“Henry, please,” she gasped. “This is—”
“This is a prize I want,” he said hoarsely, and as his fingers curved up her breast, toward the bodice top, Irina knew he was already lost. So was she.
“How much do you think it is worth?” he asked, the question both crude and thrilling. And when he pulled the top of her bodice down, exposing her breast, Irina whimpered.
Henry pinched her nipple gently, and she arched her back, wanting to thrust her breast deeper into his hand. Henry lowered his head and took the hard peak into his mouth, suckling her, scraping his teeth against the sensitive tip until it hurt. She almost didn’t feel the bunching up of her dress until Henry’s palm was sliding up her thigh, rustling over the silk of her stockings and brushing the lace edges of her drawers.
“How much to touch you here?” he asked, his fingers instantly finding the slit in her drawers. Irina knew he was being purposefully lewd, but she didn’t want him to stop. That was always the problem…once Henry was touching her, shedidfeel like a prize had been won.Him.His touch, his attention, the pleasure he was more than willing to give her.
His fingers skimmed her wet heat, but instead of pushing inside to touch her deeply as he had before, he paused.
“Ah, but that has already been won,” he said. “A new wager, then. To up the stakes.”
Henry gave her nipple one last nip and then lowered himself to one knee. He picked Irina’s foot up from the grass and placed it on his thigh before tossing her skirt and petticoats up, exposing her stockinged legs and garters.
“Henry!” she gasped, her fevered eyes looking up to the alcove entrance. “What are you doing?”
His fingers kept the slit in her drawers open and cool air rushed against the most private part of her. His eyes took her in, and for the first time since this mad display in the hedge alcove had started, she saw him falter.
“I told you I wanted you in ways you could not fathom,” he said, his breath gusting against her center.
“But if we are seen—”
“I know,” he said, and then with a groan, he put his mouth to her core. Irina tensed and moaned her surprise as his tongue pushed inside. Henry licked her, scraping his teeth against the small nub at her entrance. Blood pounded through Irina’s ears, her head spinning, her breath all but lost as he made love to her with his mouth. It was wrong. It was so wrong, but it was the most glorious sin she’d ever known.
“I thought I saw the princess come this way.” A voice knifed through Irina’s delirium.
Lady Lyon.
Henry released her and pushed her skirts back down before standing to full height again.
“Stay here. I’ll lead them away,” he whispered, and started to leave. She clutched at his arm, uncertain what she wanted to say, only knowing she didn’t want him to leave.
“I will make it right,” he said softly. His glittering amber eyes, still glazed with unsatisfied desire, searched hers. “You have my promise.”
And then, before she could make any sort of reply, Henry turned and left.
Her body was buzzing from his touch, from her own unsatisfied desire, when she heard his voice speaking to Gwen. Something about not being able to catch up with the princess. A maze farther ahead, near the bowling green. Perhaps they should all try there.
Irina realized her breast was still exposed and she quickly covered herself, straightening her dress and bodice, and touching the simple knot of hair at the base of her neck Jane had fixed earlier.
As soon as her knees would hold, Irina peeked around the corner of the hedge. There were a few ladies strolling in the distance, but neither of them were Gwen. Irina started back toward the greenhouse, trying not to rush and draw attention to herself, but also desperate to leave. Oh, good heavens, what had she just done? What had she allowed Henry to do?
She never would have imagined he’d drop to his knees, right there in the hedges, and kiss her…there, the very heart of her. Somehow, it seemed even more intimate than she imagined the act of lovemaking would be. Her chest felt hot, and the space between her thighs was still thrumming as she avoided entering the greenhouse and walked the periphery of it instead. There was a brick path leading to the front entrance, with topiary along the way, but the shrubs clipped into the shapes of horses, goats, elk, and fish could not distract her mind from reeling with questions.
What would happen now? He’d said he’d make it right…but what did that mean?I will make it right. You have my promise.His promise? He couldn’t mean a promise todoright by her…could he? Because that would entail a proposal. A wedding. And he didn’t wish to marry her or anyone.
Or had something changed?
