“Alice.” His moan was deep and guttural.
“Lie down. You are pale,” she whispered. “I won’t allow you to hurt yourself more.”
“Parts of me hurt,” he muttered, but sat. His hands then reached for her hips to pull her down to the bed with him. Jamie rolled, placing her beneath him and then rose to brace himself above her. He kissed her again, their bodies touching, and the contact was heaven and worth any pain he was suffering. Her gentle sigh told him she felt it too. The connection Jamie had felt with no other.
“More,” Alice whispered. She was innocent, and yet showed no fear of what would happen. The world narrowed to the heat between them, and the soft slide of skin, the ragged catch of breath. Every touch was a promise, and every kiss an offering. He would be gentle, because his body and her innocence demanded that of him, but he could not stop now.
Jamie kissed down her neck to her breasts, licking long strokes over the curves until she was arching beneath him, her breath coming in pants. He then took the taut peak of her nipple into his mouth and sucked.
“Oh, my Lord,” Alice whispered.
Jamie continued to torment first one and then the other breast, driving her moans on until her fingers dug into his arms. Only then did he move a hand down her stomach.
“Open your legs, Alice.”
She did, and he ran his hands through the curls and lower. His first touch had her shuddering. He ran a finger over the damp folds. Back and forth, until the tension climbed inside her, only then did he ease a finger into her wet heat.
“Jamie.” His name came out in a rush.
He slid another finger inside, stretching the delicate muscles, never once stopping his ministrations to her breasts. Alice gasped out a breath then and experienced her first orgasm.
Lifting his head, he watched her eyes close and her mouth fall open as she rode the wave of pleasure. It was a sight he wanted to see again, and the thought that he may not, and another may, infuriated him. But that was a thought for another day. Right now, he wanted this woman to be his.
“Be sure, Alice,” he whispered as her eyes opened, their depths dazed with passion.
“I’m sure.”
Jamie lowered himself between her legs.
“I can stop if—”
“Jamie, I want this,” Alice said.
Christ, he was the one who felt like it was his first time. Jamie had never slept with an innocent before, but Alice was that.
He eased inside her. Gritting his teeth, and with every muscle clenched in his body, he slowly inched forward, the tight muscles yielding as he breached her sheath. Watching, waiting for her towince, to cry out, but it never came. Instead, her arms slid to his shoulders, holding him close.
Jamie moved slowly, as her silken muscles stretched to accommodate him, and then he breached her innocence and was sheathed deep inside. He stopped and looked down at her.
“Alice?” His voice was a dry rasp. It took every ounce of his control not to pull out and thrust back into her. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, her eyes steady on his. “It eases.”
Thank God. Jamie pulled out, watching her for a reaction, and then thrust back into Alice’s body. She arched up and into him, so he did it again and again. The only sound in the room was the harsh rasp of their breathing. The world outside the four walls vanished. There was only the two of them.
He felt her tension climb, and knew his climax was also close.
“Again, Alice,” he ordered. She cried out his name as she shuddered beneath him once more. Jamie thrust twice and then followed her as wave after wave of pleasure shot through him. He then slumped down beside her on the bed. For a long while, neither of them moved, the only sound the rasp of their breathing.
“Are you all right?” he murmured at last, his voice low and rough.
She nodded, lifting her head just enough for him to see her eyes. They were soft and sated. “I didn’t think it would feel like that,” she whispered. “Thank you, Jamie, for showing me how it could be. I will treasure the memory always.”
Jamie felt a spike of irrational anger at her words. “I don’t want your thanks.”
“Why are you angry?” She moved, climbing off the bed to look down at him. “Are you in a lot of pain? I could rouse Maggie.”
“No, and I’m not angry, just tired,” Jamie lied. In fact, he was bloody terrified suddenly at the emotion swirling around inside him. Emotion she clearly did not feel if she was thanking him.
