“That’s quite a history,” he murmured as he kissed her bared breast. His lips were like satin, and the suction of his mouth made her stomach tight and quivery. She wanted to tangle her fingers in his hair and squeeze her thighs together instead of remaining still as a statue.
“They’ve found some of them encased in ancient amber, preserved to the tiniest detail.”
“I’d preserve these in amber if I could,” he said as he lavished first one breast, then the other.
His tongue stroked over her areola, teasing around the place she desperately wanted to feel its caress again. She steadfastly ignored her instincts and surreptitiously curled her foot around the leg of the ladder, to stop her body from surging forward.
“That’s what sculptures are for,” she retorted. She wanted to bite her tongue, or turn the clock back as soon as she let the words slip.
“Are you giving me leave to sculpt your bosom, dragonfly?”
“You have plenty of women who’d willingly pose for such a scandalous endeavor. I am not among their number.”
“Perhaps I’ll attempt to do it from memory. With the taste and scent of you still on my tongue.”
“You shall do no such thing. I forbid it.”
He scraped his teeth over each nipple. “You cannot stop me. Unless you monitor my every move. Even then, you wouldn’t be able to stop me from creating a memorial to these glorious beauties.”
“They are simply breasts.” Jess was mortified.
“They are not simply breasts. Look at how they fill my palms to overflowing.” His voice grew even rougher, like the sound of a scythe separating chaff from wheat. “Look at the way your nipples harden in my palms, how they’re the color of port. How they pebble at the stroke of my thumb like pert little rosebuds. How the dusky halo of your areola looks against the frecklesscattered across your collarbones. They are not simply breasts. They are your breasts - just as perfectly bountiful as I imagined they would be a thousand times.”
“A thousand times?”
“More than that. At least a hundred thousand times. Thinking of the way they would hold the length of my cock. If you’d be too shocked to wrap your mouth around the head and suck as I sucked these little berries to ripe, delicious fruition.” He flicked his thumbs over her sensitive skin, a rough stroke that made it almost impossible to ignore his ministrations.
Every inch of her body felt alive - as if she was on the verge of shattering into a million pieces. But she couldn’t let him win again.
“Your seduction ploy tonight has failed, Mr. Morgan. I have been steadfast and withstood your persuasion. Not a single whimper or moan has passed my lips.”
He placed a lingering kiss on the top of each breast before he rose to his feet.
“I concede to your indomitable will, dragonfly. I will bring one of the lenses with me to Christmas dinner.”
“One of the lenses? Not the entire microscope?” How much more of this was she expected to endure?
“Yes,” he said as he tucked her back into her chemise and retied the ribbon. “One lens. There are three lenses and the microscope itself. For every kiss you remain impervious to, I will deliver a part. I have at least three more opportunities to storm your castle.”
She pushed his hands away and loosely affixed her corset. “I welcome the skirmishes. I am confident I shall emerge victorious, just as I have tonight.”
He tipped her chin up with one knuckle, his gaze roving her face. “You are a much worthier opponent than I thought you would be. I welcome the challenge, dragonfly.”
She frowned. “I wish you would stop calling me that.”
“You may wish all you want, madam. Futilely. I shall call you whatever I please,” he said as he pulled up her sleeves. “Turn around and I’ll button you back up. And you may want to fix your hair in the mirror over the mantel.”
Jess wasn’t a contortionist, so she ignored the warmth of his touch as he made her presentable once again. When she felt the last button slip into place at her nape, she stepped away and stood on the tips of her toes to measure the damage done to her coiffure. Her reflection showed that several of the pins had come loose. She removed them and clenched them between her teeth while she smoothed back the flyaway tendrils of hair. Once she was satisfied with her efforts, she carefully slipped the pins back in place.
“Prim and proper to the core,” her host commented with what she sensed was chagrin.
“Unlike you, I have a houseful of people awaiting my return. A houseful of people you assured of my safety and well-being, might I add.”
“I’ve compromised neither your safety nor your well-being. This is an agreement between adults, and your determination to win tonight’s bout was admirable. I cede victory to you and look forward to our next engagement.”
“I shall see you in two days hence.”
“Not so fast, dragonfly. I will escort you home in my carriage.”
