His hand cupped her breast while his thumb teased over the nipple through the fabric of her nightgown, making it pebble under his touch. “Like this?” His eyes never left hers.
Adeline drowned in the desire she saw there. There was no teasing light, only want, sharp and piercing. His touch felt so good but not exactly right. She shook her head. “No, not gentle. You pinched them. Rolled them between your fingertips.”
He did as she asked, cupping the other breast while he rolled the nipple between his fingertips. Adeline let her head fall back as the sharp sensation traveled straight down to her core.
He leaned in to suck at her neck, peppering kisses up to her jaw. “You are so beautiful. Your skin is so soft. Your breasts so full and delectable. I could nibble on every inch of you.”
Adeline thrust her fingers into his hair. She simply nodded. He could do whatever he wished. Every kiss, every touch was a revelation. She hadn’t any idea that anything could feel as good as his hands exploring her body. He pinched her nipple again, and she let loose a soft moan of approval. What would it feel like to have his mouth there?
Then his head came up, dislodging her grip in his hair.
He stared down at her, concern stamped on his face. “Before I lose my head entirely, are you sure this is what you want, Adeline? Because you are what I want. I have since the first moment you fell off that stool into my arms. But I don’t want to rush you. If you need more time, I will step back, and I will sleep on the floor.”
What? No. Adeline gripped the front of his jacket with both hands. She shook her head. She didn’t want him to step back. To be a bloody gentleman. She wanted him to be hers. This big, gorgeous man who laughed easily, got lost walking down the streets of London, and gazed at her as though he was interested in her thoughts and her feelings. Nobody ever saw her. She was addicted to his attention, and she would have all of it while it lasted. She would hoard his interest, his casual touches, his bone-melting kisses, saving them up for when scandal blew through her family and left her once again on the fringes. Save them for lonely nights.
How could she explain? “I am sure. You see, you are like a book.”
He raised an eyebrow. “A book?”
“Books fascinate me. I want to crack you open and discover everything about you.” She pushed his jacket off his shoulders and let it fall to the floor. “I want to run my fingers over your pages, admire the flow of your words.” She spread her hands across his chest, then leaned forward to press her nose into his cravat. “I want to smell your pages.” She tugged the cravat loose and slowly unwound it from his throat. “To unravel your story.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “I never thought reading could be so seductive.”
“Once I have a new book, I don’t want to put it down until I have explored it fully.” She unbuttoned his vest and untucked his shirt, becoming more frantic to touch his skin. “Too many clothes,” she muttered.
“Let me help with that.” Malcolm chuckled. He shrugged off the vest and with both hands he stripped off his shirt. The muscles in his stomach rippled as he pulled it over his head. “Feel free to explore my pages.”
Oh my. Adeline placed her hands flat against his abdomen. He sucked in a breath. She looked up and found his gaze hot as she danced her fingers slowly up his torso. Her touch met hard muscles and hot skin. His nipples were so different than hers, tan and flat; they had some light blond hair surrounding them. Giving in to her impulse, she leaned forward and licked one. His moan in response gave her the courage to repeat her exploration, and to her surprise, his nipple hardened like hers did. Was she arousing him? When she raised her gaze to his face, his eyes were closed and his bottom lip tucked between his teeth. The firelight flickered across his handsome features.
She wished she could climb him to claim his mouth. Instead, she ran her hands up and around his neck to bring his mouth down to hers. He captured her lips and she no longer had to wonder if she had aroused him. He plundered, his tongue licking into her mouth hot and slick. She stood on her toes to better kiss him back.
His hands gripped her chemise at her hips, tugging it higher and higher. His hand ran up her bare thigh, his touch searing a path to her hip. Then he lifted her up, and she automatically wrapped her legs around him. His strong arms banded around her hips and her back, holding her against him as he pumped his hips against her.Oh my.The hard length of him rubbed against her core, setting her aflame.
She grasped his hair. “Do it again,” she demanded.
He rolled his hips against her core, his hands at her hips to better leverage her.
“That’s divine.” She gasped against his mouth.
“God, Adeline. You’re already so wet I can feel it soaking my trousers. I must have a taste.” He set her down on her feet. In one swift move that had her head spinning, her nightgown was pulled over her head and gone. Then he took a step back and stared at her.
Adeline suddenly felt very self-conscious, but only for a moment because the reverence on his face wiped away any doubts she had about his opinion of her body.
“Exquisite. Utterly exquisite,” he murmured.
He shucked off his shoes. Then, he removed his stockings and trousers. This time, it was Adeline’s turn to let her gaze roam down his body. She had been right in her hypothesis that his body rivaled that of a Greek god. Golden skin covered sleek muscle everywhere the eye wandered. His manhood was thick and hard, standing at attention.
“It is bigger than I have seen of the male anatomy depicted in art. I don’t know if it will…” She knew that it was supposed to slide inside her. It would never fit.
He gripped his length, giving it a slow tug. “Oh, it will fit. But first, I want you to finish telling me what you fantasized about in the bath.” He pulled her against him, his manhood hard and so hot against her stomach. “Specifically, what you were thinking about when you climaxed with my name on your lips.”
“You could hear me!” She backed up out of his arms and raised her hands to cover her flaming cheeks.
He stalked toward her, scooped her up, and tossed her onto the bed. Landing with a squeak, Adeline laughed out loud at the predatory way he climbed on after her. She scooted back, only somewhat alarmed by his intense expression.
“Trying to get out of answering my question? No matter, I can improvise.” He snagged her around the waist and flipped them so she landed on top of his hard chest. “Let’s fulfill my fantasy first. Come here, darling. Sit on my face and let me pleasure you until you scream my name.”
Adeline didn’t have time to try and decipher his naughty words. Malcolm gripped her hips and guided them forward so quickly she fell and grasped the headboard for balance as he shimmied down the bed underneath her.
