She hesitated, but realized that it would be more comfortable to stretch out on the mattress. There seemed to be no haste on his part, and so she laid down beside him while caressing his back with one hand.
He shivered when she reached his lower spine. Did she truly have that effect upon him? The instinct to taste his skin came over her, and she pressed her lips to the place her hands had just touched. A prickle of gooseflesh rippled over him, and she placed another kiss higher upon his spine.
She stopped, questioning what she was doing. Trahern rolled onto his side, and the look on his face held her captive.
“There’s no need to stop.” He placed her hand onto his back once again. “I’ll endure it if I must.” The teasing note in his voice made her relax, and this time, she massaged his shoulders, growing bolder. With her fingers, she touched the back of his neck, reaching up to the fine hair upon his scalp.
He groaned, and his fingers clenched into the mattress. Encouraged by his response, she soothed the tension and knots from his neck. But when her lips brushed the back of his throat, he rolled over.
Dark gray eyes caught hers in silent invitation. He cupped her nape, and her hair spilled between them. He drew her atop him, his mouth covering hers.
Like warm rain, his kiss melted through her, sinking down into the secret places of her body. She felt her breasts tighten against herléine, feeling heavier and more sensitive.
His palm slid beneath the hem of her gown and up her calves. He moved no further, but kissed her again, his thumb pressing lazy circles over her lower leg. Though the gesture was nothing more than what he’d done before when he’d washed her feet, it conjured an echoing sensation in other places. Her skin grew warmer, the underdress constraining her.
When his hand moved beneath the neckline of the gown to touch her bare shoulders, she couldn’t stop the wave of trembling that came over her.
“I want to take this off,” he said huskily. “And God help me, I know it’s wrong.”
Her throat closed up with shame, and a heavy silence descended between them. “I shouldn’t have asked you.”
He linked his fingers with hers. For a long time, he studied her, searching for answers, it seemed. “You said you wanted to forget what happened to you.”
She nodded. Just being near him made her feel desire, and she hadn’t forgotten the way he’d evoked such a strong release. “Aileen said . . . the best way to forget about that night was to replace it with better memories. And you’re the only man I trust.”
His hand moved to her face, stroking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Are you certain you want to do this?”
She gave another nod, trying to mask her fear.
“You hold all the power,a mhuirnín. Any time you want me to stop, speak the word.“ His gray eyes held an irrevocable promise. In them, she saw desire, and something she couldn’t quite understand.
Though she would terrified of what would happen next, she trusted him. “Turn around.”
He did, rising from the bed and facing the opposite wall.
Morren turned away from him and removed herléine, sliding naked beneath the coverlet. The rough wool abraded her bare skin, and she grew cold, both with fear and anticipation. Closing her eyes, she turned to the opposite wall and proclaimed, “I’m ready.”
A moment later, she felt his weight upon the mattress, and he got under the covers with her. His feet touched hers, and when her hand brushed against his knee, she realized that he, too, was naked. Panic froze her in place, and she gritted her teeth when his palm touched her shoulders.
“Relax,a mhuirnín. Lie on your stomach.“ When she obeyed, he moved the coverlet down to expose her back. His hands caressed her skin, massaging the back of her neck, just as she had done for him. Warmth permeated her, and he trailed a kiss down her spine.
The softness of his mouth made her think of the other night when he’d promised to kiss every part of her body. Would he? She shivered at the thought. What would it feel like?
Slowly, she rolled onto her side, revealing her breasts to him. His eyes grew hooded, dark with desire. “I want to touch you,” he whispered. “And I want to taste you.”
His words were heady, and she took a deep breath, bracing herself for what was to come. She gave a slight nod, but it couldn’t have prepared her for the sensation of his thumb and forefinger, teasing the hardened tip of her nipple. Soft and sensual, he caressed the sensitive bud, and she felt an echoing sensation between her thighs. A shudder rocked through her, but it was nothing compared to the delicious warmth of his mouth upon her breast. His sleek tongue darted against the tip, coaxing her to pull him closer. He took her breast into his mouth, suckling one nipple while his hand teased the other. Her breathing quickened, her fingers grasping the softness of his short hair.
“You taste like the sweetest spring berries,” he said against her flesh, and his mouth moved lower to her stomach.
It was like fire, licking at each limb, consuming her with heat. She held on to his neck, shuddering when his palm moved over her hip.
It took the greatest courage of all to lie still when his hand brushed over the mound of curls between her legs. Her knees locked, instinctively trying to remain shut. Trahern didn’t argue, but he lowered his hand to rest upon the triangle.
“I’ve never wanted any woman more than you,” he admitted. “And there’s nothing I want more than to watch you soar with release. I want to see your face and watch you come apart.”
His finger slid to rest upon the flesh just inside the top of her intimate folds. Though she hadn’t unclenched her legs at all, she was shocked at the arousing sensation of his finger stroking her.
She found herself leaning into his touch, straining for him to reach the part of her that ached. His mouth covered her nipple once more, tantalizing her, and making her shift her thighs together.
