The command was unmistakable.
“The robe,” he added, his voice rougher now. “Just like ye put it on earlier.”
Sorcha knew exactly what he was doing. He was taking back control. Turning her earlier defiance into her undoing.
The thought sent a thrill through her.
Instead of obeying, she stepped closer, folding her arms. Her covered breasts brushed against his naked chest in the process. She heard his sharp intake of breath at the contact.
“Take it off yerself,” she whispered, her lips curling into a slow, taunting smile. “If ye want me that badly.”
The words had barely left her mouth when his other hand dropped, gripping the fabric firmly. In one swift motion, he tore the robe off her.
Moonlight poured over her, revealing every curve she had hidden moments before. Her round hips, her narrow waist.
His eyes swept over her, this time with no apology, no restraint. He looked at her as though she were something rare and sacred, something that belonged to him alone.
He leaned down, his lips brushing her ear. “Yer beauty,” he murmured, his breath warming her skin, “will be the death of me.”
With that, he gently sucked on her ear, on her neck, tracing a path to her lips.
The soft pulls made her gasp. She closed her eyes as if to memorize every playful flick of his tongue against her skin.
When he finally claimed her lips, the kiss was raw and aching and impossibly tender. The kind of kiss that broke her from deep within. The kind of kiss that wasn’t supposed to be rushed. Sorcha melted into it.
She kissed him back with equal hunger, equal need. Her hands rose to dig into his hair. She fisted the soft strands,, holding him as though letting go would hurt too much.
When he finally pulled away, both of them were breathing hard. William dipped his head, pressing his forehead against hers. He wasdevastating.
Sorcha stared at him, her heart pounding.
Then he leaned into her ear and whispered, “Would ye… like to take a bath with me?”
Sorcha couldn’t believe he had asked her that. Of course, she would like that. No, she wouldloveit.
She nodded her head, and he groaned. Perhaps it was relief, hunger, or wonder.
With a smile, William bent and lifted her into his arms as though she weighed nothing. She curled into him instinctively, as though she belonged there, breathing in his scent.
He stepped down into the bath without letting go. Lukewarm water rose around their legs, waists, and chests, enveloping them.
Sorcha had barely settled into the water when his mouth crashed back onto hers, like that was the only place it belonged. Shekissed him back with every tremor, every burn, every ache. It was as though she was giving him her soul.
Not wanting to let go, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, her fingers tangling in his thick hair and pulling him even closer.
Their kiss grew messy, deep and wet. Greedy for more, her hands roamed down his shoulders and chest. When she reached the tie of his trousers, her fingers trembled with heavy want. She tugged it loose, pushing the heavy fabric down his hips until it sank beneath the surface.
A low groan vibrated in William’s chest as his hard length sprang free, thick, hot, and heavy. His mouth tore from hers only to trail fire down her throat. He sucked on her slowly, leaving marks on her skin. First gentle, then harder, his teeth grazing just enough to make her gasp. Each pull of his lips sent sparks straight between her legs.
Sorcha arched into him, and his hand slid lower. His fingers found her pearl beneath the water and began to draw small circles around it.
She whimpered. Damn, he knew exactly how to touch her. How to build her pleasure until her thighs shook around her hips.
She helplessly moaned into his mouth, loud and shameless. And William answered every sound with another deep kiss, his tongue stroking hers.
Water sloshed gently around them as her hips began rocking against his fingers, chasing more pleasure. Once she was teetering on the edge of release, he withdrew his hand.
Sorcha opened her eyes slowly, whimpering at the loss. But then his strong hands gripped her waist, pulling her flush against him. Instantly, she felt him. His thick length pressed hot and heavy between them. And then, slowly, deliberately, he began to move.
