I’m meant to be here with him.
His honesty—his willingness to let her in—was a form of persuasion she could not resist. Not only had he apologized for his prior characterization of her as an indulged miss, but he was also demonstrating it through his behavior. By sharing his past, he was treating her like an equal…like a grown-up capable of handling the information and deciding her own path forward. She understood that he didn’t trust easily, and as she now knew, he had good reason for it. The fact that he’d exposed his vulnerable side filled her with giddy hope.
Furthermore, he was relinquishing his plans for Letty’s spa for her sake. Because no matter how much the water or land might be worth, he valued her more. He wished to court her…to marry her. Gigi was as surprised by his proposal as she was by her own reaction. For the first time, the notion of matrimony intrigued her. Past offers had lost out to her desire for freedom, but a future with Conrad brimmed with the promise of discovery and adventure.
There was much to contemplate when it came to the future, and for now, she wanted to focus on the current exciting escapade. On the hunger in Conrad’s kiss. On her own desires, which turned her blood molten and made her squirm restlessly on his lap.
He chuckled softly against her lips. “Impatient girl. Ready for more, are you?”
Emboldened by his earlier honesty, she confessed, “I missed you. I have thought about our time together in the caldarium constantly.”
“Have you now?” He shifted her so that she was sitting with her back to his front. His mouth roved hotly above the collar of her shirt. “What did you think about?”
Voicing her naughty fantasies was a bit too bold, even for her.
“Um…”
“I’ll tell you what. Why don’t we play a game instead?”
Hearing the catch of amusement in his voice, she asked, “What sort of game?”
“I’ll guess what you thought about. All you have to do is tell me if I’m correct.”
That sounds easy enough.
“Um, all right.”
When his mouth engulfed her ear, she jerked in surprise. Winding one of her plaits around his fist, he held her steady. He licked and sucked her sensitive lobe until she was wriggling against his thighs.
“Did you think about this?” he murmured.
“Yes,” she sighed.
“What about this?”
He reached in front of her, and the sight of his battle-scarred hands undoing her shirt increased her shivering. A part of her couldn’t believe the risk she was taking by having this midnight rendezvous. In Conrad’s presence, however, her sense of propriety gave way to more primal desires. Her need to be a good and proper girl was overcome by the more pressing need to be…to be herself. Or whoever this wanton creature was. The panels of linen parted, and for the first time, her breasts were exposed to male eyes. Even in the dimness, she could see how swollen the tips were.
“Your breasts are even prettier than I imagined,” he said thickly. “In your fantasies, did I do this?”
When he cupped her aching mounds, she whimpered her answer. He hefted her breasts, lifting and pushing them together. When he grazed the straining peaks, she couldn’t stifle a moan.
“How about this?” He pinched a throbbing bud between finger and thumb. “Did you think about me touching these lovely nipples? Licking them?”
“Yes.”
She nearly protested when he stopped touching her. Then he brought his fingers to her lips.
“Lick them, sweetheart.”
She darted her tongue out and tentatively wetted his thick digits. The act felt shockingly provocative. Apparently, it aroused him too, for his manhood wedged against her bottom like an iron bar.
“Open up and take more of me,” he urged.
When he pushed his fingers into her mouth, she let him in. He thrust them in and out, every pass heightening her feverish need. She licked his invading digits the best she could, and when she felt the tips hooking her inner cheek, she instinctively sucked.
“Christ, you’re delightful,” he rasped. “I can’t wait to be inside this hot little mouth.”
Before she could puzzle out what he meant, he pulled out with a popping sound that made him groan. He palmed her breasts, rubbing the stiff nipples with his slick fingers. Sparks of pleasure traveled outward from her breasts, igniting her nerves and gathering between her thighs. Moaning, she let her head fall back against his shoulder.
