Fleur was glad that he had dispensed with most of his finery, leaving just his shirt and trousers on. She removed the hem from his trousers and allowed her hands to slide up the side of his ribcage as she broke away long enough to slip it over his head and toss the garment away. She looked at his muscular chest with its pattern of scars, the vivid memory of his lifeline marked forever upon his body. She ached for his pain, but more than that, she ached for him.
She brought his head back down to hers and they resumed their tumultuous embrace.
His hands roamed upward until they cupped her breasts through the thin material of the gown. Her breathing hitched as he found her nipples and toyed with them until they were taut peaks. She moaned, pressing further into him. It wasn’t enough.
She wanted more.
“Take me to bed, Drake. Make love to me.”
He instantly stilled; his breathing harsh as he tore himself away from her. His eyes were like molten silver as they lit on her. “This isn’t about love,” he growled. “You have to know that before we go any further. This is for mutual satisfaction.”
Fleur swallowed hard. “I’m sorry. I suppose it was a… poor choice of words.” She shook her head. “We don’t have to continue?—”
He came back, putting his hands on either side of her cheeks. Forcing her to look at him, he said, “Please don’t tell me to stop now. I just wanted to be clear.” He closed his eyes as if he were in physical pain. “To be honest, I’m not sure I have enough of a heart left to love. It barely keeps me alive anymore.”
Her own heart going out to him she covered his hands with hers. “I don’t accept anything more than tonight. Tomorrow is never promised to us. But I cannot send you away, because it would be a lie.”
His eyes were intense in their probing, and when he met her lips this time, it was gentle and absolutely… perfect. She knew she was making the right choice by giving herself to him. She would never have any regrets about this night.
* * *
Drake could tellthe moment Fleur fully opened herself to him. It was humbling, to say the least. For a man who had lived most of his life causing others to bow to his mercy, she was the one who held him in her grasp. He could never allow her to know the power that she held over him because it would be his demise. He’d made that mistake once and discovered that the women he believed cared about him was using him for what he could provide. He had taken his revenge, although not before it had nearly broken him first.
He was confident that Fleur truly cared about him, but there would always be that small doubt that remained. But he could offer her one thing. As an innocent, she deserved everything he could offer her to make the experience, if not wondrous, then it could at least be bearable.
Gathering her nightdress in his grasp, he lifted it until he could whip it off and over her head. She was clothed in nothing more than the moon’s soft glow and he was nearly brought to his knees by her astounding beauty. From the peaks of her full breasts to the triangle of hair at the apex of her smooth thighs, she was perfection in itself. He almost hated to taint such a breathtaking display of trust and innocence but he vowed that if there was one thing he could do to atone for his sins, it was to take care of her to the best of his ability. Tonight, and as long as he was honored enough to have her at his side.
He dipped his head and made a trail with his tongue along her neck and down the curve of her shoulder, and along the length of her collarbone. She raised her hands and threaded them through his hair. He continued to move down further, until he caught one of her breasts in his mouth. Sucking and lightly biting each hardened tip, he massaged both mounds of flesh. Her breathing hitched and he could feel the steady beat of her heart.
He continued downward along her stomach and around her navel until he was on his knees in front of her. He paused to glance upward. “Move your legs apart.”
She looked at him quizzically. “Why?”
His fingers dug into her hips, holding her close to him. He could smell the musky scent of her desire and it was driving him mad. He couldn’t wait to taste her and bring her to the heights of bliss. “Just do it.”
He sighed when she finally obeyed. He kept eye contact until his tongue darted out and he slid it up the center of her core. Her green eyes rolled back in her head and the smooth column of her throat was revealed. After that, he was dedicated to his task. He licked and teased her until the point her legs were trembling and she was pleading and calling out his name.
Drake knew that she was close to her release, so he stood and lifted her into his arms. Carrying her to the bed, he laid her down on top and then returned to give her the pleasure she was desperate to obtain.
It didn’t take long before her body tensed and she arched off of the bed, her fists clutching the counterpane on either side of her. Drake watched her breasts quiver as wave after wave of the orgasm swept over her.
When she started to settle, he stood and removed his trousers. Kicking them to the side, he positioned himself at her entrance. While she was still dazed, he slowly began to press inside of her. He was almost overcome by her wet heat. She was gripping him so tightly that he had to grind his teeth together so he didn’t spill himself too early. Without a sheath, he would have to pull out of her. It would be misery to do so, but he concentrated on the glory of this moment.
When he reached the barrier of her maidenhead, he leaned down and bit the tip of her nipple, causing two areas of sensation that he hoped might lessen the first. As he breeched her core and slid all the way to the hilt, he saw her eyes widened slightly, her mouth opening on a slight exhale.
“Breathe,” he said softly.
She nodded and eventually her body began to ease following the intrusion. When he could tell she had relaxed, he started to move. His hips pumped slow and steady at first, but as her breathing started to become harsh once again, her nails clawing at his back, he increased his pace until beads of sweat started to form on his brow.
It was the sweetest torture he had ever endured.
As her body started to convulse a second time, Drake watched her face glow with a carnal awareness. She bit her lip and when her eyes opened to reveal a dark, emerald green, it was enough to send him tumbling over the edge.
With a hoarse shout, he withdrew from her just as the first hot jets of his ejaculation pattered the inside of her silky thighs.
His arms no longer willing to support his weight, he collapsed beside her. It didn’t take long for his breathing to return to a normal pace, although he knew it would take much longer for his body to recover from such an experience. He had bedded many women over his lifetime but this was the first time it had seemed… different somehow. As if some part of him understood that this woman was special.
He turned his head to look at her and he was concerned when she continued to stare at the ceiling. Rolling to his side, Drake reached out to touch her chin. “How are you feeling?”
