Against his better judgment, he took a step closer. His fingers twitched with the urgent need to reach out and touch her, to trace the curves he could glimpse beneath the translucent fabric. He swallowed and forced himself to stay strong. It was essential he focus his mind on what he intended to say. Only, with each additional step he took in her direction, the words that had been on the tip of his tongue when he’d left his own room began fading into obscurity.
What was it she’d said?
He looked into her gorgeous brown eyes and attempted to push the fog from his brain. The need for reassurance stared back, prompting him to reach out and trail his fingertips over her cheek, then down the side of her neck and across her shoulder. His gut tightened in response to her intake of breath and the sensual sigh that followed.
His gaze found the swell of her breasts and whatever lingering thoughts he’d had of walking away dissolved as he lowered himself to the bed in a helpless state of surrender.
“It’s more than all right,” he murmured, pushing the edge of her nightgown over her shoulder. Leaning forward, he placed a series of kisses against the first piece of virgin flesh, a part of her never before seen by any other man. “You’re stunning. Absolute perfection.”
She chuckled slightly. “I wouldn’t go quite that far. I mean, my eyes are—”
“Perfect to me,” he said, before she managed to ruin the moment with notions of inferiority. He sat back and cupped her cheek. “If only you could see yourself as I do, Louise.”
She blinked. “And how is that?”
He smiled with the slow satisfaction of knowing that when she woke in the morning, she’d no longer have cause to doubt how glorious she was or how much he loved her. Rather than answer her question, he placed his hands on either side of her head where her spectacles rested. “May I?”
She bit her lip. “I won’t be able to see very well if you take them off, and I’d really like to see you.”
Appreciation poured through him. “Fair enough. I’ll undress first so you can look your fill. And then,” he added while she turned a lovely shade of red, “we’ll take off your spectacles so they don’t get in the way. All right?”
“All right.”
Grinning on account of the innocent eagerness she expressed with her blushes and smiles, he stood, shucked his jacket, and tossed it aside. “Ready?”
When she nodded, he went to work on his cravat, untying the long length of pristine white linen until it came loose and slid from around his neck. He removed his waistcoat next, though his fingers fumbled a bit with the buttons. A deep inhalation steadied his movements as he pulled the tie closure of his shirt open and tugged the garment free from his trousers. Giving Louise a devilish smile, he drew it up and over his head.
Her gasp was enough to make him feel ten feet tall, and when he looked at her and saw the appreciation gleaming in her eyes, it was as if he’d just been handed a prize declaring him the most gorgeous man in the world.
His heart bounced with increased excitement as he toed off his shoes and removed his hose. And then it was time to take off his trousers. Straightening, he watched Louise while working the buttons on his fall. The interest he saw in her eyes was like a stimulant to his virility, pushing him past desire and straight into full arousal. With a sudden need for her to see the effect she had on him, he pushed his trousers and smalls downand kicked them aside.
Her mouth fell open. “Good lord.”
A smirk pulled at the edge of his mouth. “I must confess, I like your reaction.”
She gulped. “Um…”
“Don’t worry,” he said as he returned to the bed and lowered himself to the edge of the mattress. Carefully, he took off her spectacles and set them on the nearby nightstand. “You and I are made for each other.”
“You’re sure?” Her voice did not convey much confidence.
“Yes.” He pulled her in for a kiss. “We’ll proceed as slowly as you need. I promise not to take you until you’re ready. So relax. It’s just you and me.”
He felt her hands on his arms moments later when he pressed his mouth to hers. One trailed up over his shoulder. The other swept around to his back. She scooted closer and deepened the kiss on her own, adding pressure and tasting him as if she’d been starved for his touch.
Molten heat wrapped itself around his veins until his blood simmered. His hand found the edge of her nightgown, a naked thigh underneath, and the gentle curve of her stomach. She gasped against his lips as he ran his hands over her skin, then again when he swept the nightgown up and over her head.
“Lie back,” he murmured. “It’s my turn to see you now.”
Even though she did not look the least bit pleased with this idea, she did not protest and did as he asked, settling herself against the pillows behind her.
“God help me, Louise. You’re stunning.”
“Really?”
“I think I need to dispel any lingering doubts in your head.” Nudging her legs apart, he settled himself between her thighs and proceeded to worship her as she deserved. He kissed every glorious inch of her body, until she writhed beneath him and begged for more, until he was drunk on her essence.
“Marcus.” She gasped his name as if she might die if he didn’t give her what she wanted.
