“Oh, it’s all become so complicated—but none of that matters. I suppose I danced with him that first night at the Talbots’ because…I wantedyouto care.” Her voice was broken.
“What?” His voice was hoarse now, shaking slightly. The question was completely different than the same word he’d just uttered moments before. He stalked toward her and spun her around to face him. Clutching her upper arms, he stared deeply into her ice-blue eyes. “Damn it, Annabelle. You already know I care. I can’t stop thinking about you. I can’t stop wondering what you’re going to do next. I think about you every minute. I want you every second. I can’t stop.”
Annabelle’s eyes were wide as moons as she stared up at him. “What did you say?” came her nearly silent whisper.
“I said I can’t stop,” he repeated.
She froze, tears pooled in her eyes. “Before that?” she whispered brokenly.
He pulled her into his arms. “I want you every second,” he repeated, his lips inches from hers. “But I can’t keep doing this, Annabelle. You’ve made it clear you don’t want me.”
“But Idowant you, David. That’s why I came here tonight.” She reached up and wound her arms around his neck. “Make me yours.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Hope and lust flared in David’s chest. “Are you certain, Annabelle?” He searched her face. She needed to be sure beyond any doubt.
“I’ve never been more certain about anything. There’s only one thing I ask…” She bit her lip.
“What’s that, love?” He pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear and traced his finger along the line of her cheek.
“I cannot get with child.”
He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. “I’ll make sure.” It stood to reason that she would ask such a thing. Their wedding might not be for months, and a scandal would ensue if a baby came too soon.
She nodded, relief washing over her features.
That was enough. David allowed the lust to win. He was going to make love with Annabelle. First, he reached behind her and unbuttoned her gown. Then he slowly untied the sash. Next, he helped her pull the gown over her head, so she was standing in front of him with only a chemise and stockings. She’d already kicked off her slippers.
He let his gaze roam over her. “You’re gorgeous, Annabelle. Do you know that?”
“So are you,” she said with the hint of a smile on her face. She reached up and placed a hand on his rough cheek.
He leaned down and gently kissed her lips, but Annabelle clearly didn’t want things to be gentle. She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him with abandon. David reached down to pull her chemise over her head. She helped him and the garment was soon discarded on the floor.
David sucked in his breath. The sight of Annabelle clad only in her stockings would be burned in his memory forever. Her body was lithe and slender. Her legs long. Her breasts, supple and perfectly rounded. She looked like Venus having just emerged from the seashell.
Annabelle pulled the pins from her coiffure and placed them on the table beside the bed. Then she shook out her long blond hair so that fell in thick waves over her shoulders. He watched, in awe of her beauty.
“Take off your breeches,” she ordered after allowing his gaze to roam over her thoroughly.
“With pleasure, my lady.” He unbuttoned the fall of the garment, and pulled them down to his ankles, where he kicked them off.
It was Annabelle’s turn to look at him. “You’regorgeous, David,” she breathed. Stepping forward, she placed her hand on his chest and moved it along the muscles of his flat abdomen where the skin jumped in reflex to her touch.
He closed his eyes briefly, allowing her to caress him. Her hand slipped down between his legs, and she closed her fist over his cock. David sucked in his breath. He clutched the canopy post, bracing himself against the unholy surge of desire that nearly brought him to his knees.
He had to control his breathing and his body’s reaction to her or he’d embarrass himself tonight, and all he wanted to do was make it special for her. So special. He allowed her to squeeze him inexpertly at first, but learning fast. Too fast. He plucked her hand away. He lifted her in his arms and laid her gingerly on the bed. Then he climbed in after her and lowered himself atop her. They kissed and rolled until they were in the center of the mattress.
“Please tell me I can take these stockings off of you,” he growled, his cock so hard it ached.
“Please do.” She pushed herself up, bracing against her wrists, giving him a seductive look from beneath her lashes.
David intended to enjoy every moment of this. He moved his hands down the soft plane of her belly, skimming over her womanhood, before caressing the outsides of her thighs. He started at the scalloped edge of the stocking, licking his lips, before reaching out and rolling it down her thigh, inch by silken inch.
Annabelle pulled up her knee to give him better access, but David took his time, moving the stocking down her leg, trailing his hot fingertips along with it.
* * *
