Chapter 5
“Ido not knowwhat to do,” Annelise admitted when Rolfe broke hiskiss.
“Nothing,” he murmured against the softness of her cheek. “Simplyenjoy.”
She took a deep breath and released it slowly, and he felt the tension ease out of her shoulders. He took one himself, wanting to be sure to seduce herslowly.
“Very good.” Rolfe whispered the words into herear.
Annelise shivered then giggled. “Thattickles!”
It was as good a place to begin as any. “And this?” Rolfe pressed a slow kiss into her ear. The lady quivered again, as he had guessed shewould.
“That is a tickle of a most wicked kind,” she said, her wordsbreathless.
“Howso?”
“It awakens something deep withinme.”
“Somethinggood?”
“Yes, mylord.”
To Rolfe’s surprise, this time it was Annelise who stretched to brush her lips across his. He liked that she wanted to participate and deepened their kiss, even as he planned how to encourage her. He trailed kisses down her cheek and she tipped her head back with a purr of satisfaction. He ran his teeth across her earlobe. “Andthis?”
Annelise gasped. “I do not know what to call how thatfeels.”
“Good orbad?”
“Oh...” Her laugh was throaty. “More thangood.”
Her enthusiasm made Rolfe chuckle again. “Then perhaps we should try the other ear.” He took his time with that kiss, savoring the way she melted against his chest. The darkness made the scent of her skin seem morepotent.
Morebeguiling.
Annelise locked her arms around his neck and kissed him fully, showing an expertise unexpected. He caught his breath that she learned so quickly. The night promised to be even more delightful than he could haveimagined.
Her breath tickled as it fanned his ear. “Good or bad?” she whispered, mischief in hertone.
“More than good,” Rolfe growled, liking her playfulness as well. He ran his hands down her sides and feigned surprise. “You are still fully garbed, mylady.”
As though she had just realized that he was not, Annelise’s hands moved from Rolfe’s neck to touch his bare skin. Her fingers fanned out as she tentatively ran her hands across his shoulders. Rolfe let her explore, sensing that she needed to know something about him before they wereintimate.
He heard her take a deep breath as her hand slid downward. When she found the mat of his chest hair, she bounced her fingers playfully upon it, then slid them through itstangle.
“Furry,” she pronounced, then skimmed her fingertips over his nipples. Rolfe inhaled sharply at her light touch and Annelise, noting his reaction, paused to caress his nipples. “You like this,” shewhispered.
“As I expect do you.” Rolfe cupped her breast in one hand, then teased the nipple with his fingertips. Even through the heavy woolen cloth, he felt it tighten to apeak.
“So I do,” Annelise admitted, then stepped back from him, her hands stroking him. Rolfe closed his eyes, awash with pleasure from her touch. Her fingertips eased lower, where the hair thinned near his waist, then halted at the drawstring of hischausses.
Shehesitated.
“My turn,” Rolfe whispered. Before Annelise could protest, he bent and rapidly unlaced the sides of her kirtle. He lifted the garment over her head and cast it aside, then the chemise she wore beneath it. The warmth of her skin greeted his exploring fingertips and he slid his hands over her upperarms.
“Your hair,” he whispered, knowing that he would never find all the pins in the darkness. Rolfe heard them tinkle to the floor as she removed them quickly, then the heavy mass of her hair fell over her shoulders and hishands.
It was thick and almost straight. Rolfe could imagine the shimmer of it and remembered its rich auburn color. He buried his hands in its thickness, then pulled her into hisembrace.
