“I’m nae goin'to vanish on ye,” she muttered as her breath crashed against his face as he spoke. His chest tightened as his lips yearned to taste her once again. The torment was overwhelming. He cupped his hand around her head, resting at the nap of her neck and drew her lips to his.
The world tippedand spun as his tongue slipped between her parted lips. A moan escaped from her. It was a sound of desperation and longing, a call that Theodore couldn’t resist, but he had to. He pulled back and dropped his head.
“I should stop,”he mumbled trying to cling to some thin string of reasoning or logic.
“Then why daenae ye?”she asked as if to taunt his torment. He looked her dead in the eye as his words came out husky and needy.
“I daenae want to.”
She shiveredas he traced her lip with his thumb. “Then daenae.”
“I daenae wantto take advantage of ye,” he answered as he tried not to look her in the eye. But it was no use. She had enchanted him.
“What if Iwant ye to though?” she said. Madison chewed her lower lip as Theodore mulled over what it was she was truly asking him.
“Areye sure that’s what ye truly want lass?”
19
Madison’s heart pounded recklessly against her chest. Her mind was a whirl with thoughts and emotions she couldn’t quite grasp. It was as if she were trying to catch smoke with nothing but a fishing net. Theodore’s eyes bore into her, searching for any hint of doubt.
“I trust ye,”she whispered. She did in fact trust him. After everything the man had done for her, of course she did. What she didn’t trust was her emotions. The slightest hitch of her breath would have him recoil. And in that recoil, she’d feel the sting of rejection.
“Areye sure ye ken what ye’re askin’?” he dropped his voice and his gaze. It was then she realized he wasn’t searching her for a reason to stop, but himself. Madison pressed her palm to his chest. It was the frantic drumming of his heart pounding to the rhythm of anxiety that rattled her the most.
She swallowedhard as Theodore's nearness washed over her like a storm she both needed and feared. His hand curved around the nape of her neck, cradling her so tenderly her knees weakened.
Her fingers curledinto the fabric of his shirt without conscious thought. She didn't know what she was doing, only that she didn't want him to stop.
"Madison,"he breathed, his voice rough with warning. But his hand tightened on her neck, holding her closer instead of pushing her away.
Her breath hitched. "Aye?"
"Tell me to stop."His thumb traced the line of her jaw. "Tell me ye daenae want this."
"I cannae,"she whispered. "Because I do want?—"
Theodore’s handyanked at the fabric of her skirt and pulled it to her hip. The chill of the night air swirled about her thigh and knee. But despite the icy prick of the night trying to ruin their moment, it couldn’t prevail.
She staredup at him as the world narrowed to the space between them. His calloused fingers tickled against her inner thigh. Every breath came in quick sharp gulps as Theodore’s tongue grazed the length of her neck.
“Ye’ll stopme if I do anythin’ ye daenae want.” His breath was hot against her neck. Little bumps rose over her skin as Theodore’s lips moved down her collarbone. With a sharp tug, the straps to her bodice fell slack. Theodore’s hand was on her breast. Her mouth parted as he pinched her nipple between his finger and thumb before drawing it to his mouth. Madison watched as the tip of his tongue flicked over the hardened bulb of tender flesh.
The air leftMadison’s lungs as Theodore suckled harder. He pulled back until her nipple popped from his mouth.
“Do ye want me?”he asked as he pressed his hand to her crotch. The warmth that radiated off him teased and taunted her. She bobbed her head as he pressed a single finger to the slit between her legs. Madison pursed her lips into a tight line as Theodore’s finger pressed on her.
“Aye,”she answered breathlessly. Her body tensed as he shimmed to her stomach. With his gaze locked on her, he moved and shifted to the space between her legs. Madison’s body tensed. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen, all she knew was that she trusted him. He’d saved her from the hunt and had done nothing but show her kindness, he wasn’t about to betray that now.
She closedher eyes and let the world fade into obscurity. The waves that beat against the shore were but a soft steady drum of reassurance that she was safe. Somewhere in the distance Madison heard the cry of the seagull. It seemed to mimicthe same feelings exploding within her as Theodore’s mouth explored the space between her legs.
Madison’sback arched as his tongue flicked over a sensitive spot. She’d never had anyone touch her like that before. Yet her body reacted in kind.
“Do ye like that?”Theodore asked, his lips brushing against her thigh as he spoke. She bobbed her head as his tongue lapped over her once again. The sensations rippling through Madison confused and astonished her. It was as if her body had a mind of its own. It wanted everything Theodore had to offer. And even though she wasn’t entirely certain of what all that entailed, she knew she had to have it.
“More,”she pleaded as she reached for his head, trying to keep him where he was. There was a pleasure to be had there with him in that spot.
“Areye sure ye ken what ye’re askin’ for?” Theodore’s teeth brushed across the meatiest part of her leg as he stared at her. As she mulled over what it was she wanted, she watched Theodore’s fingers disappear. They filled the space between her legs awkwardly, yet still managed to satisfy the hunger that tormented and gnawed at her inner most being. She wanted him.
