When there was finally a lull in the conversation, their eyes met, and sparks leaped between them. Gemma caught her breath and glanced away.
“I suppose we should go in,” she said nearly wistfully, glancing toward the back of the house. “We’ve been out here quite a long time.” Only it hadn’t felt like it. She was just realizing how long it had probably been. No longer directly above them, the sun had dipped toward the west.
“You must be tired,” Lucian said as he gathered up the remnants of their picnic and placed everything back in the basket. He stood and helped her to stand. The touch of his hand sent a thrill through her body. Scenes from their night together flashed unbidden through her mind.
Shaking her head, she moved off the quilt and into the grass so he could pick up the blanket.
Gemma was back upstairs in her bedchamber before she realized that the feeling lingering in her chest after any entire afternoon spent in her husband’s company was…excitement. She bit her lip. He was witty today. He’d seemed caring. He’d even made fun of himself a bit.Thathad been surprising. Evenmore surprising? She’d actually enjoyed herself at the picnic and hearing all his stories about India.
Was it possible that she had misjudged him?
O
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Tonight, Gemma didn’t even question it. The nerves were gone. The doubt was gone. She only knew she wanted him. The moment Lucian came through the adjoining door wearing those revealing breeches slung low around his hips, she rushed into his arms and kissed him.
Without saying a word, he turned her toward the door and pushed her against it, his mouth ravaging hers. He leaned down and grabbed the backs of her thighs, easily lifting her. Then he shifted himself, pushed down his breeches, and let her slide onto his hot shaft.
“Oh, God,” she breathed. She braced both hands atop his wide shoulders as he lifted her hips again and guided her down over and over. His eyes were closed, and a pained expression made his features hard. Gemma looked her fill at his sculpted chest, his rigid muscles. She ran her fingers over him, memorizing his muscles. She pressed her face into his neck and breathed in his now-familiar scent.
He pumped into her again and again. But then he stopped, and she cried against his throat. “Don’t stop,” she begged.
“I want to make it good for you.”
Oh, God. Didn’t he know it was already good for her?
He carried her over to the bed and laid her upon it before pulling off her shift and his breeches and tossing them both to the floor. He began a slow descent down her nude body, kissing her cheek, her chin, her jaw, her neck. He lingered, dipping his tongue into the hollow of her collarbone. Then he moved down to cup both of her breasts in his large hands. “You’re so beautiful, Gemma.”
She tried to reach for him, to pull him atop her—she wanted him,now—but he leaned down, his hot mouth finding one nipple and sucking it until she moaned and writhed beneath him, arching her back to move her breast into closer contact with his mouth. How did he know how to do that with his lips? His teeth?
He plucked at her nipple with his tongue, circling, biting, and drawing up the tight bud until he nipped the tip of it, which sent a jolt of pleasure directly between her legs. He moved his mouth to the other nipple and gave it the same tender care. By the time he was through, Gemma was mindless. Mindless and wet and wanting. She grabbed at his hips, but he moved them away.
Instead, he lowered his torso between her legs. He caught her thighs and slowly pulled them apart, leaving her open to him. Gemma gasped and then held her breath. Oh, God. He was going to kiss herthere. What?—?
When his tongue dipped between her folds to find the nub of pleasure centered there, Gemma arched her back and cried, “Lucian.” Her hands moved down to tangle in his soft hair. “Please,” she begged. Though she didn’t exactly know what she was begging for.
But Lucian did. He licked her in circles until her hips were thrusting of their own accord. Then he traced a hand up her inner thigh and slid one finger inside her, pressing against that spot along the front of her inner wall that sent her hurtling over the edge of oblivion in seconds.
After her body stopped shaking and her limbs no longer felt liquid, Gemma lowered her gaze to see Lucian still propped between her legs, a smug smile on his face. He was obviously proud of himself. She longed to replace that smile with pleasure-pain, the same intense look of desire she’d seen in his tight jaw last night just before he’d taken his pleasure.
She planned to torture him.
Pushing herself up to her knees, she pointed at the mattress. “Lie down,” she demanded.
Lucian’s brows shot up,but he did as he was told. He easily flipped onto his back and laid there while Gemma moved around his body and straddled him. He would have liked nothing more than to pick her up and drop her on his throbbing cock, but apparently she had other plans.
Slowly, so damn slowly, she did to him what he’d done to her. She started at his neck, dropping kisses upon his shoulders, his jaw, his collarbone. Then she licked his nipples and nipped at them. When she went even lower and drew her tongue down his belly, Lucian thought he would go up in flames. The closer her tantalizing mouth got to his cock, the more his hips jolted. She moved lower, lower, until…
“Tell me what to do,” she said in a throaty voice. “To make you feel good.”
Fuck. He couldn’t tell hiswifesuch a dirty thing. Could he? Honestly, he’d never contemplated doing such things with awife. He’d been raised to believe wives were to be swived in the dark with a few thrusts until heirs were begotten. But Gemma hadn’t allowed any of that. From the first moment he’d touched her, it was as if her body came alive under his fingers. She’dalready been far more exciting in bed than he’d ever expected or hoped for. And all he wanted was more.
“Tell me,” she demanded. She’d already figured out enough to wrap her hand around his cock and squeeze. A jolt of desire shot through him. He was going to die. It was that simple.
“Should I kiss you?” she said, lowering her mouth to his tip and kissing it.
He groaned, his hands grasping the bedsheets on either side of his hips.
