He fell to one knee and pulled her hand into his grasp. “Marry me, Sarah. I’ll save you from him.”
Tears slipped down her cheeks. “Christian, I—”
He stood again quickly, cupped her cheeks in his hands, and searched her face. “You can’t tell me you love him. I know you can’t.”
She shook her head. “It’s true. I can’t.”
“You don’t want to marry him. I know you don’t. You ran away to Scotland to avoid the man. You can’t possibly want him.”
She shook her head more vigorously, biting her lip. “I don’t. I know I don’t.”
“Then marry me, Sarah. You’ll never have to see him again.”
“I don’t know what to do. I’m so confused.”
“Let me convince you.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. His tongue plunged into her mouth and Sarah melted against him. Every thought in her head was telling her to stop him, to pull away, to say no, but she couldn’t. Shewantedto kiss him, had wanted to from the moment she saw him standing there next to the fireplace.
“Christian,” she whispered fiercely, standing on tiptoe and wrapping her arms around his neck.
His mouth didn’t leave hers. He kissed her until her lips were swollen. Then his mouth traced the line of her cheek, her jaw, his tongue dipped into her ear, and she shivered against him.
He picked her up in his arms and carried her the few steps over to the bed.
“Christian, we can’t—”
“Just let me touch you. Only touch.”
She nodded, her mind hazy with lust. She wanted him to touch her, too. Wanted it so badly that it was all she could think about. He pulled off his cravat, and his shirt was soon gone. There was that muscled abdomen again. She sat up and he worked on the back of her gown. He pulled down her stays, freeing her breasts to his hungry mouth. She traced his muscled chest with her fingers while his lips found her nipple and he sucked one and then the other. She held his head to her chest, wanting it never to end. Then his hand moved under her skirts, up her leg, and she shivered again as his fingers made their way inexorably toward the juncture between her thighs. She wanted his touch there most of all. She spread her legs and his fingers toyed with her. Oh, God, this was wrong, but she didn’t want it to stop. Ever.
One finger slid inside of her and she closed her eyes and moaned. “Christian. Oh, Christian…”
“You’re so wet, Sarah. So hot. So perfect.”
His finger moved and she tossed her head back and forth against the pillow. She’d never felt anything like it before. His mouth was back on her nipple and pangs of heat and desire shot through her from her breast to the intimate spot between her legs where his finger touched her, so softly, so gently. So right.
She arched her back to bring her breast into even closer contact with his mouth. Then his mouth moved back up to her lips and he kissed her again and again, finally dragging his mouth across her cheek, back to her ear, then down to her neck, where he sucked her roughly.
All the while his finger was still playing with her, moving in and out in a forbidden rhythm that made her hips arch and twist to meet his thrusts. “Christian, I don’t—”
“Shh. I only want to watch you.” Then his thumb rubbed her in tiny circles in a spot between her legs she barely knew existed. She cried out and he kissed her again, swallowing her cries in his mouth.
The pressure between her legs built and expanded and Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him fiercely one last time before waves of pleasure streaked through her entire body and she called out his name.
Christian pressed his forehead to hers, hard. His breathing was heavy. He was panting and he looked to be in pain. She kissed his temple and whispered in his ear, “What can I do? For you? To—”
“Nothing.”
Her hand had reached for his waist, for the buttons on his breeches, but he captured her fingers, brought them up to his mouth, and kissed them.
“You’re so beautiful, Sarah. So lovely when you—”
A knock at the door interrupted them. Alex’s pretty voice floated through. “Sarah, we’re back. Are you all right? We should probably return to the house now.”
Sarah abruptly pulled away from Christian, her breathing still heavy, her heart pounding in her ears.
“Yes, yes. I’ll be right there,” she called back.
“We’ll just wait out here,” Alex replied.
