As she took her leave, Elwood watched the gentle sway of her derriere and nearly groaned aloud. It was too bad that he was a man of such voracious sexual appetite, or he might have taken her rejection a bit easier. However, when he couldn’t seem to rid her from his thoughts, and her very presence was torture, he knew he had to do something to persuade her to accept his offer. His desire would accept no less.
For tonight, however, he would have to resort to sleeping alone.
He trudged up the stairs, but as he passed by Miss Newton’s room, he heard the sound of sloshing water.
He froze. Dear God, was she in thebath? When had that been approved?
Nearly groaning aloud, his heart started to pound as he stepped steadily closer. Surely he was just hearing things and the fates weren’t so unkind as to allow?—
A soft moan caused any other conscious thought to fade into oblivion.
He grasped the edge of the doorframe and stared at the hard oak, as if he could see through it to the naked woman on the other side. Instead, he was forced to use his imagination as the gentle mewling sounds she made caused his cock to turn as hard as marble. It throbbed with an urgency that almost surprised him. It had been years, during the true rowdy years of his youth, since his manhood had been so insistent. Then again, Miss Newton was different from the rest.
As the sounds continued, Elwood closed his eyes and let his imagination take flight.
Meliah had intendedto do as she’d said and go to bed when she arrived at her chamber, but when she entered the room and found the copper tub filled with steaming water, she hadn’t been able to resist the temptation it presented. It had been a long time since she’d been allowed to indulge in something so lovely. And this one was much better than the cramped washtub her parents had. She didn’t know if the earl or someone else was responsible for such a luxury, but she wasted no time in removing her clothes and sinking down into the heavenly abyss.
A bar of lavender scented soap had been set out near the edge, as well as a soft, white linen. She intended to make good use of them, but for now, she leaned back and enjoyed the sensation of the warm water lapping over her skin.
She gripped the edges of the tub as she closed her eyes and sighed in contentment. However, it wasn’t long before something shifted. The water that had been innocent suddenly became seductive, as if being led by Lord Belmont himself. The ripples became his hands as they touched and teased her, the heat the feel of his breath as he licked the side of her neck.
Her fingers tightened as the image grew in intensity. She pressed her thighs together and saw the earl standing over her body, caressing her breast, waist, hips with his wicked gaze before he reached into the water and allowed his hands to follow the same path.
Meliah braced her feet against the opposite end of the tub as her legs fell open slightly. She had never before considered touching herself intimately, but recalling the glorious feeling that had pulsed through her at the earl’s hands, she found that she wanted to replicate it.
Biting her lower lip, she pictured Lord Belmont’s hand slipping down,down. When her finger grazed her core, she allowed a soft moan to escape. Recalling the rapid movements he’d made, she attempted to mimic the same actions and soon found her body starting to coil with her efforts. Her breath was coming in short pants, her back arching off the edge of the tub.
It wasn’t until she allowed the flash of memory of the earl taking his pleasure when she’d been hiding in the wardrobe that the pressure built to the point of pain.
Abruptly, her eyes popped open. Was this what he’d been referring to when he’d mentioned the line between the two worlds?
She quickly got out of the tub and without even drying off, she grabbed her robe from the end of the bed and wrapped it around herself. Her body was still humming, demanding the satisfaction that she craved, but she found that she didn’t want to reach that pinnacle by herself. She wanted to share it with someone. With Lord Belmont.
But did she dare approach him with the request without expecting anything more than a night of bliss in return, even if that was all she could give?
She started to pace her room, desperate for her mind to quiet so she could put this torture behind her and go to sleep, but when she heard the sound of a gruff noise on the other side of her door, she walked forward without conscious thought.
Meliah yanked open the door and gasped when she found the earl standing there with a pained expression on his face. She glanced down and noticed that his trousers had a decided bulge and realized the reason for his discomfort. Immediately, her cheeks heated. “My lord, what are you?—?”
“For the love of all that’s holy,” he gritted through his teeth. “Shut the door so that I’m not tempted to put my face between your legs.”
She lifted a shaky hand and gathered the top of her robe together. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she asked, “How long have you been standing here?”
His nostrils flared, another indication that his control was tenuous. “Long enough to know that you were pleasuring yourself.”
The blood rushed away from Meliah’s face, but then returned in a flurry. If she had been waiting for the opportune moment to invite the earl into her bedchamber, this was it. The throbbing between her legs was still insistent.
Deciding not to think anymore, she released her grip on the robe and slowly untied the sash holding it closed. Allowing the damp material to slide to the floor, standing in front of Lord Belmont in all of her naked glory, she whispered, “I’ve found it’s so much better when you pleasure me instead.”
Elwood didn’t haveto be asked twice. Stepping over the threshold, he kicked the door shut with his booted foot and lifted her into his arms. He wished like hell he’d removed more clothes after dinner than just his jacket, but he didn’t need to be unclothed to do what he’d promised—what hewantedto do to her.
He carried her over to the bed and laid her down on it horizontally, where her legs were dangling off the edge. He bent down on the floor and lifted her legs, spreading them wide. Her core glistened at him, as if urging him to come forward. He was more than happy to oblige.
He bent forward and licked a perfect swipe up her center. The sensual gasp Meliah uttered from deep in her throat for his efforts was more than enough for him to continue. He inhaledher feminine scent, the musky scent that made him want to spiral over the edge into oblivion. There was something about women that drove him crazy with lust, but the nectar that Meliah offered was more potent than anything else before.
He started a rhythm that soon had her hips moving restlessly. Her hands clutched the coverlet, her back arching and gaining him a perfectly desirable view of her pert breasts and their delicious rosy peaks. He intended to feast on those as soon as she reached her release.
“My lord…”
