Page 50 of A Scandalous Proposition
‘Give me leave to exorcise this demon once and for all, Lord Fitzroy.’
Her voice shook with emotion but whether that was attributable to her cause, or to the attraction she entertained toward this elegant sophisticate, she could no longer say. Their relationship had reached a defining moment, and she had a decision to make that had nothing to do with Dawson. But it was so difficult to think coherently when he could cause her body to pulsate with need, to tremble and ache, simply by circling an aureole through the fabric of her gown.
His vital strength, the vibrancy of his presence, unbalanced her as much as the brutal passion she’d already seen burning in his eyes. She couldn’t be entirely certain whether she was being wooed or coerced, but suddenly, with a clarity that left not one iota of room for doubt, it didn’t matter. She wanted to experience, just once, all that he was prepared to offer, and now wasn’t the time to question his motives. His lips were still hovering just above hers and, with a brazenness she wasn’t aware she possessed, she tilted her head back and initiated a kiss.
With a gentle sigh her arms slipped around his neck and he drew her body hard against his. She opened her mouth and sucked the tip of his tongue into her mouth. Her reward was a stifled moan. Then he took control and deepened the kiss.
His hands roamed across her back and came to rest on her derrière. He clasped it, pulling her closer until she could feel the full and impressive state of his arousal. Aware that she was responsible for his condition empowered her and she melted against him, mindlessly following wherever he led. She pushed to the back of her mind the few doubts she still entertained about the wisdom of her actions. Something that subliminally felt so right couldn’t possibly be wrong.
He broke the kiss but his eyes lingered on her face, asking a question that required no words. She offered him a riotous smile, her heart beating wildly as she audaciously inclined her head.
‘I’m perfectly sure,’ she said.
‘I know you are. But I needed to be sure that you did.’
‘You’re insufferable. Do you know that?’
‘I thought I was infuriating.’
‘That too.’
‘By this reckoning, my list of shortcomings is likely to be extensive.’
‘Believe me, I’ve hardly started upon it.’
‘I’m mortified to learn that I fall so short of the standards you look for in a man.’
‘Don’t berate yourself in that respect, sir. My standards are very high.’
He chuckled as he removed her hairpins and scattered them carelessly over the floor. He appeared satisfied only when her tresses tumbled about her shoulders in a jumble of insubordinate curls.
‘Come here, vixen.’
She slipped her hand into his extended one and allowed herself to be led back to the daybed. When he sat down and pulled her onto his lap, all her insecurities returned and she wondered about the wisdom of going through with this. He must have sensed her hesitation because his hands immediately fell away from her waist.
‘Have you changed your mind? Tell me at once if you have and we’ll stop.’
‘No.’ Her doubts evaporated and she was again filled with the urgent desire to experiment. ‘I haven’t changed my mind.’
‘I won’t disappoint you, sweetheart.’
The intensity of his gaze scalded her face. He kissed her again and as he did so she felt her bodice slipping away. By the time he broke the kiss it had had fallen to her waist. She wasn’t wearing a corset tonight and only the thin fabric of her chemise now covered her breasts. Before she had time to be embarrassed, he’d removed that as well and she now sat on his lap, her breasts entirely exposed to him for the first time.
‘Beautiful!’
He spoke in an awed tone as he caressed first one plump mound and then the other, stroking and agitating until she thought she might well lose her mind. She moaned, thrusting herself into his hands, urging him on. But Adam clearly required no such encouragement. He lowered his head and captured a nipple between his teeth. It was rock hard but expanded almost painfully as his tongue rasped against it.
‘Adam!’ She buried her fingers in the thickness of his hair and cried his name, flames leaping inside her, threatening to ignite.
‘Yes, darling, what is it?’
‘Nothing, it’s nothing. Just don’t stop what you were doing.’
She writhed on his lap, beyond caring how abandoned she seemed. With a strangled oath he admonished her to sit still.
‘This is for you, sweetheart, and if you keep moving it will be over in an instant.’
‘Oh, I see.’
