His tongue tangled with hers in a kiss so carnal it should be indecent. This was not a kiss a man gave a woman of quality. It was one that should have been reserved for a mistress. Kingston could not make himself care. He wanted her too badly and he would not apologize for it. Jaclyn meant far too much to him and he would ensure she knew that. He would show her that she was his everything and when this night was done, she would never doubt it. This wasn’t going to be their only night together. No, he wanted far more than that.
Jaclyn had never known it could be like this. That she could burn from the inside out with so much desire that she felt as if she would go up in flames. He made her feel so much. She would never be able to fully describe what it was like to be loved by him. When he had set his mouth on her she had been so nervous, but that had soon been set aside with something far more appealing. The pleasure had been too much and not enough. She didn’t know what had happened to her when she fell apart and then he had started all over again. How many times could she shatter and be remade by him in one night?
And now he was kissing her again. As if they had more than mere hours to find pleasure in each other’s arms. He took his time with her and drew out the pleasure with the care of a lover that intended to ensure she would find no fault in his arms. As if that were a possibility… She loved this man and nothing between them could ever be wrong. But she had asked him to love her scandalously and so far, he had delivered on that in every way possible. They were far from done. He had not taken her fully. She had no doubts he would though. When he had removed his clothing she had reveled in the sight of the magnificent man. He was so utterly beautiful. He had a sculpted body that begged to be touched. She wanted to kiss him the way he had her, but she didn’t think he would allow that. At least not yet. He seemed to have a plan on how to go about seducing her, and who was she to distract him from his goal? It was the same as hers, wasn’t it? She wanted this. She wanted him.
He slid his hands over her and cupped her behind in his palms and then spread her thighs so he was cradled between them. It was a strange feeling to have him pressing his hard length at her core. She wiggled in his arms, and he groaned. The feeling was… She wiggled again. Yes, that was right. She wanted to press herself against him more. She ached inside as if something was missing. Jaclyn wanted him there, but she didn’t know how to ask for what she desired. “Kingston,” she moaned his name.
“Soon, love,” he told her. “You’re not ready yet. I have to make this good for you.”
He kissed her neck and then sucked lightly. She began to heat all over again. How would she survive this? She understood now why ladies were warned away from wicked rogues. If all the debutantes realized what kind of pleasure they were being denied, they would take far too many risks. She did not care though. She would never regret this night with him. He meant too much for her to care. Besides, she already had a ruined reputation to contend with.
Kingston positioned himself at her entrance and slowly started to push inside of her. He was barely inside of her as he stretched her. It was an ache, but a pleasant one. She welcomed it wholeheartedly. He kissed her deeply and madly as he slid himself inside of her. She was so distracted by those intoxicating kisses that she barely noticed when he was completely inside of her. “You’re perfect,” he told her. He didn’t move for several heartbeats. Just kissed her over and over again until she couldn’t do anything else but take what he offered. But she wanted so much more. No, she needed more.
Instead of demanding it she decided to take it. She lifted her hips and moved. He groaned as she moved, and he stilled her hips. “Easy, love,” he told her. “It’s your first time and we have to do this just right.”
“I need you now,” she told him. “I can’t wait.”
“So demanding,” he said, then chuckled. “Let me show you how good it can be.”
He slid out of her slowly and then back in with a quick thrust. He did that several times until she was moaning. He had a rhythm that was driving her mad. That same need was building up inside of her again. She would shatter beneath him and this time she might not be able to find herself again. Jaclyn could not find any reason to care. He kept the same maddening pace until she was on the brink and then, he stopped. She met his gaze and frowned. “Kingston?” she said his name as a question.
“Just making sure you’re here with me, love.”
“Where else would I be?” she asked.
“Lost, love,” he said. “But that’s all right too. I am lost in you.” He began to move again, but this time with a more frenzied pace. It didn’t take her long to reach that pinnacle again and when he slid his hand down to rub against her sensitive flesh she flew apart. She screamed his name as her pleasure overtook her. But he wasn’t done.
He kissed her again and he continued those quick thrusts. Kingston slid his hands under her thighs and pushed her open even wider. She had never imagined… well, she hadn’t had anything to use her imagination on had she. There was nothing that prepared a lady for such an invasion, and it was that albeit a pleasurable one.
Kingston groaned. “You feel so bloody good,” he told her. “So, so good.” Jaclyn lost herself in him and for a moment it seemed as if everything went black. He moaned her name and shuddered as he found his own release. He rolled them to their side, and he held her against him. His breathing was ragged, but she wasn’t in any better condition. She wasn’t sure she would ever be the same again.
He held her against him as if he thought she might flee. But why would she? Jaclyn was exactly where she wanted to be. She trailed her fingers over his chest lightly. “Kingston?”
“Yes, love?”
“When can we do that again?”
He chuckled softly. “We should probably wait a little bit. You’re likely to be a little sore. I was not exactly easy on you.”
“You were perfect,” she told him. “You were everything I never knew I wanted.”
“Rest, darling.” He kissed her lightly. “We can talk about this later.”
She did not want to wait until later. Jaclyn had never been so exhilarated in her life. She would much rather talk now, but she would give him this one thing. Perhaps he thought she would make demands on him now that they had been intimate together. She did not intend to do that at all. She had only wanted this one night with him. If she had to carry a ruined reputation, she wanted to at least be guilty of the trespass.
Her lips curled up into a satisfied smile. She had no regrets. She loved him.
Jaclyn lay there, her heart still racing from the intensity of the moments they had shared, feeling the warmth of his body beside hers. But now, in the quiet aftermath, with his chest rising and falling beside her, Jaclyn’s mind was a whirl of emotions she couldn’t quite name. The exhilaration still buzzed in her veins, and yet, there was something else—the quiet fear of what would come next. What would he say in the light of day? Would he regret what had transpired? She did not want to hear it if he did.
She turned her head slightly, glancing at him as he settled back against the settee, his eyes closed in the aftermath of their union. His features were relaxed, his strong jaw softened in repose. Jaclyn couldn’t help but admire him—his dark hair tousled from their lovemaking, his broad shoulders, the way he seemed to fill every space around him without trying. But even more than his physical appearance, it was the way he had treated her, the way he had cared for her, that made her heart swell.
And yet, she couldn’t push away the growing unease. She wanted him—she had always wanted him—but did he want her for more than this night? She had no illusions. She was no naïve debutante who believed in fairy-tale endings. She had seen enough of the world to know that men like him, men with titles and estates, didn’t simply fall in love with women like her. She had known that from the start.
Jaclyn took a deep breath, pressing her lips together in a firm line. She would not beg for his affection. She would not demand anything of him. If this was all they would ever have, then she would cherish this night, and she would move on. It would hurt, certainly, but she would find a way to heal, as she always did. Somehow though, she did not believe it would come to that. She had faith in him, and the love she had in her heart.
Seventeen
Kingston should never have fallen asleep. Hell, there was a lot he should not have done. He should have been stronger and resisted the temptation that was Lady Jaclyn Thomas. Even with that knowledge he did not have any regrets. How could he? Not when she was snuggled in his arms and all he could think about was how much he loved her. He had not wanted to give her his heart. He had not wanted to love any woman, but somehow, she had claimed it, nonetheless. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her. It was time that he made a decision that would keep her by his side always.
