After Nathaniel’s trousers joined the rest of his clothes, she tucked her hands between her legs, discovering the heat and need there. He walked over to the bed completely unaffected by his nakedness. Were men alwaysthus?
She’d grown rather hot and swallowed. “I might have a bath.”
His eyebrows rose, and a wry smile lifted his lips. “Very well.”
She grasped her nightgown to fling it over her head. “I, um…won’t be long.”
He tugged the garment out of her hands as the blankets fell away. Laura lay exposed to his gaze, fighting the urge to cover herself. “What a lucky fellow I am to have such a beautiful wife.”
“I’m a lucky woman.”
“Ah, Laura,” he murmured. “Go. Have your bath. Put on your nightgown if you must.” He stretched out on the bed, as she hastily threw her nightdress over her head and ran across thecarpet.
“Are you all right in there?”
Laura had brushed her teeth, bathed and dried herself, adding a dab of perfume. Wearing her nightgown, she hovered before the mirror, splashing cold water on her cheeks that embarrassment had made rosy. “I’m coming,” she called. He must be completely out of patience withher.
She returned to the room to find he’d turned off all the lights except one lamp. She warmed with a rush of gratitude. He lifted the covers for her, and she slipped into the bed. “I’m sorry I was…”
She gasped against his lips as he brought his mouth down on hers. When he drew away, she thought he was smiling but wasn’t sure in the dim room.
“This is pretty,” he said, fingering the lace of her nightgown. “Shall we remove it?”
Nathaniel pulled it over her head and gathered her close, running his hands over her back and hip. At his touch, a pulse throbbed deep inside, and her breathing quickened. She loved his warm skin against hers when he took her mouth again in a long, passionate kiss, their breaths mingling, his invasion of her mouth incredibly intimate. He tasted of sweet wine. His gentle hands on her body left a trail of sensation. She gasped as he softly stroked her most intimate place. The rush of pleasure his skillful fingers produced brought a moan to herlips.
He took a nipple in his mouth. She couldn’t help a mew of pleasure. Warmth pooled at the base of her stomach. Nathaniel turned his attention to her other breast with an appreciative moan. Laura’s body throbbed and she was having trouble gaining herbreath.
The room filled with the sound of their raspy breathing. She traced her fingers from the soft, dark hair on his chest, down over his flat, hard stomach, but faltered somewhere near his bellybutton. Nathaniel held her hand and guided it onto himself. His skin was hot and silky and so hard it made her quiver. A flood of moisture gathered at hercore.
“I’ll be gentle.” He kissed the hollow at the base of her throat. “Your first time might be painful.”
She tensed, but she wanted him so much, she closed her eyes to hide her nervous excitement fromhim.
“Look at me, sweetheart. I want to see your beautiful eyes when I make love to you.” He spread her thighs and settled between them. Trying not to stiffen, Laura clutched his shoulders as he nudged her entrance. She whimpered at the burst of pain as he pushed inside. He paused. “All right?”
“Yes,” she whispered, rather unsure, but determined not to failhim.
The pain eased as he began to move within her, stirring up emotions she could not have imagined and could barely comprehend. If only she could relax, she was sure she would enjoy it more. She loved the smell of him, the weight of him, his smooth skin and soft hair beneath her hands and the profound closeness she felt when joined with him in this intimate act oflove.
Love? She pushed the thoughtaway.
Nathaniel kept up a steady rhythm, stirring up a needy, demanding sensation in her stomach. He groaned and withdrew, leaving her unfulfilled and on the verge oftears.
He kissed her then stroked gently down her body to the sensitive, hard nub throbbing at her core and circled it with a finger. When she cried out at her release, Nathaniel kissed her. He put his arm around her and settled them back on the pillows. She laid her head on hisshoulder.
“Not too uncomfortable?”
“No,” she whispered. She wished she could tell him it had been wonderful. But the experience had not been as fabulous as the women at university had led her to believe. Her limbs seemed leaden, her eyes difficult to keepopen.
He stroked a long finger down her cheek. “You will come to enjoy it more, I promise.”
Nathaniel had been considerate of her needs, an attentive lover. To be joined in that intimate way with him, to belong to him was extraordinary. She was quickly falling in love with him. If only he had communicated his love for her. She supposed she had hardly inspired it. When she’d thought of their lovemaking, she’d never envisaged lying like a lump while he did all the work. She would learn to be a good lover, she thought with a resurgence of determination. Lying here against him she felt deliciously warm and safe. She pushed her concerns away as sleep claimed her.
Laura opened her eyes to daylight. Nathaniel was already awake watching her. He pressed a light kiss to her mouth. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.”
He propped his head in his hand. “How are you, sweetheart?”
