Page 69 of Mr. Scandalous

He pressed her back flush against the wall. Her dress was pulled to her waist and her bra slipped unnoticed to the floor. Alec leaned down and nibbled one of her nipples that had stiffened at the brush of his knuckles.

A sigh of pleasure slipped past her lips.

“Mustn’t play favorites,” he murmured, moving to ensnare the other nipple between his teeth.

The hot glide of his mouth drove her to distraction. She couldn’t think of anything except how good it felt to have his wet tongue strumming over the beaded bud.

He licked and tasted and sucked. Her internal hunger for him escalated to a throbbing ache.

She arched her pelvis against him. He wrapped one hand around her waist while the other hand slowly inched her dress down over her hips.

Soon. Soon now he would discover her scar.

Fresh worry filtered through her as his tongue inched from her breasts down her rib cage to her flat smooth belly.

He stopped what he was doing, straightened and took a step back. His gaze immediately sought hers. “You’re trembling.”

“Am I?” A hard shudder passed through her.

He cupped her cheek in his palm, “Sweetheart, are you all right?”

Tears welled up tight in her throat and she couldn’t answer.

“Have I done something to hurt you? Scare you?”

“No.”

“What is it then?”

She shook her head.

“Do you want to stop?” He looked confused.

“No,” she whispered desperately. That was the last thing she wanted.

Do it. Show him. Now is the time.

“What’s the matter, Eden? It’s okay. You can say anything to me.”

His words gave her permission and the look in his eyes gave her faith. With her heart slamming against her ears loud as cannon fire, she hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her satin tap pants and pushed them down along with the folded material of the dress draped around her hips.

Courageously she stood before him, totally exposed in the bright glow of lamplight. She held her breath and raised her head to gauge his initial gut reaction.

His eyes widened at the sight of her scar. The air rattled through his lungs with an audible rasp. The expression on his face was one of tender concern, not revulsion or horror.

She prepared herself for a barrage of questions about the scars, but he took her completely by surprise.

“So this is what you’ve been hiding from me.” He shook his head and clicked his tongue.

“You’re not grossed out?” she whispered.

“Did you really think it would matter? Good Lord, woman, what you must think of me.”

“It happened before. With another guy.”

“Well, that guy was an asshole and I’m not him.”

She was so overcome by his acceptance that she simply couldn’t speak.

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