In his eyes, she saw the dark resolve and he swore, “This isn’t finished between us, Serena. I’m not letting you go.”
She gave him no answer, distracting him with her kiss. She didn’t care if she was throwing herself at him. This was theirtime together. A time when she would do as she wanted, not what she ought to do.
Her kiss provoked him, and when his tongue slid against hers, she opened to him. Serena felt the buttons falling away, revealing her chemise and corset. Karl broke away, his breathing deep, his eyes burning into hers.
Against her shoulders, she felt the heat of his hands. “Don’t stop,” she breathed. Beneath her fingertips, she could feel his pulse pounding. She sent him a tentative smile, so afraid he would turn her away. “You’re quite good at taking things apart. Perhaps you should try it out with me.”
Karl had never before seen a more beautiful female body. And it wasn’t because Serena was perfect. Her breasts were full, her skin pale and smooth. But when she lay back upon the grass, she stole the breath from his lungs.
Though he’d once believed he couldn’t live as a common man, he could with her. If it meant waking up in her arms, watching her smile…he was willing to live in rags.
He understood that she was planning to face the wrath of her father. And despite her insistence that he leave her, there was nothing she could say to make him go. He would protect her, despite the risk.
“You’re so quiet,” she said. “Was I wrong in…asking this of you?”
He lay beside her, both of them resting upon a bed made of their clothing. Reaching out to her shoulder, he palmed the bare skin, caressing her arm then drifting his fingers down to her hip. “No.” He followed the path of his hand, moving his mouth over her skin. “I’m taking the time to memorize you.”
The wind rippled through the grass, tightening her nipples. He saw the goosebumps rising over her skin and tried to shield her body from the cool air. With her body beneath him, he could feel the softness of her curves, and he wanted her so badly, his hands were practically shaking.
“In my mind, I’ve been with you a thousand times.” He moved his mouth to the dip of her waist, his fingers spreading upward to caress her breasts. “I’ve touched you everywhere. I’ve discovered your most secret places.” With that, he moved his hand between her legs, dipping his fingers against the cleft of her body. She gasped, her hands coming up to touch his shoulders.
To be with this woman, to take her body with his, was a gift he was almost afraid to accept. Though he wanted her badly, he didn’t want to hurt her.
She never took her eyes from him, though her cheeks flushed at the sight of his nudity. He stroked her hip, moving down her thigh. He explored her body, searching for the places that would arouse her. With his mouth and hands, he tried to show her what she meant to him.
Serena shivered and he covered her body with his own, gently coaxing her legs open. It brought his shaft up against her silken hair, and the sensation made him want to open her, to slide deep within her body and find the fulfillment they both wanted.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said, stealing a kiss from her.
“I know you won’t hurt me,” she answered. Her trust made him all the more determined to bring her nothing but the deepest pleasure. Serena’s arms came around him, pressing her sweet breasts against him. When he lowered his mouth to taste her nipple, she trembled and opened her legs a little wider. As an experiment, he moved his erection against her center, watching her response. Her fingers dug into his hair and she let out a soft moan.
“Do you think this is what our wedding night might have been like, if I’d married you a week ago?” she whispered, moving her hands down his back. The unexpected touch speared through him, making him want her more.
“No.” He moved to the side, facing her with a wicked smile. “We would have been in a bed, instead of out in the open where anyone could see us.”
A flush came over her. “Do you think anyone will?”
He stroked her stomach, down to the dark blonde curls between her legs, and parted her thighs. “I don’t care if they do. They’ll only see me pleasuring you.”
She closed her eyes at the touch of his hand, her breasts tightening. He felt the wetness of her desire against his fingers, and as he deepened the touch, caressing her intimately, her hands dug into his shoulders.
“Karl,” she murmured, her eyes opening. He slid a finger inside her, and her expression grew more intense. “These days I spent with you…I’ll never forget them. You made me happy.”
Her confession seemed to transform Karl from gentleness into a man bent upon arousing her. The fierce need in his eyes only darkened as he stimulated her flesh. She could feel herself stretching, rising higher as her body responded to him. But she didn’t want him to focus everything on her. Against her hip, she felt his rigid arousal.
She’d never touched a naked man before, but she wanted to know if she could awaken the same feelings inside him. Slowly, she reached for him, curling her hand around his shaft.
He inhaled, his hand stilling upon her. “Serena—”
She dragged her hand over him, squeezing gently and found her own sense of power when he closed his eyes, drinking in her touch.
“Am I hurting you?”
“No, but you’re making it difficult to think clearly.”
She pressed him back against the grass, marveling at the strength of his body. Karl had lean, strong arms and a tapered waist. His powerful thighs were muscled from riding, and she sat against him, her hands over his chest. “I want to touch you.”
He made no argument, as she lowered her mouth to his, kissing him while her palms moved across his body. There was a reddish scar from where the bullet had grazed him, days ago, and she avoided it so as not to hurt him. Lowering her mouth, she kissed his stomach, drawing closer to his manhood.
