He paused, hischest expanding with each harsh breath even as his mouth turned upat the corner. “I should be asking you that.”
The white-hotpassion of moments ago cooled a little, and she found herselfscowling. “Why?”
“Because I have less to lose.”
“Ihave nothing to lose,” she argued.
“Just your maidenhead,” he retorted. Then he blinked. “Do youhave a maidenhead to lose?”
She hithim.
He grinned.“I’ll take that as a yes.” His expression softened. “Thank you fortelling me. I needed to know, to make this good foryou.”
She lifted herchin. “See that you do,” she said, and her voice only slightlywobbled.
Still grinning,he leant down to capture her lips with his. “Sit up.”
She did as hebade and he tugged at the laces of her stays, removing the garmentwith distressing ease. “I don’t want to think about why you’re sogood at that,” she said tartly.
“Iused to be quite well-versed in bed sport,” he repliednonchalantly.
He knew much andshe knew little. “Wonderful,” she muttered.
“Iused to be, Sera.” Capturing her chin, he laid an almost chastekiss on her lips. “But now I want no one but you.”
“Oh.Well.” Flustered, she waved a hand. “I suppose then you maycontinue.”
A faint smile onhis face, he raised a brow. “Oh I may, may I?”
Joy burst withinher. This man, this beautiful man. This man who understood her, whovalued her, who knew she concealed great emotion withimperiousness. “You may.”
Smiling, hislips brushed over her collarbone, and then lower. His mouth closedover her breast, and fire streaked inside her as he worried hernipple with his tongue and his teeth. He pulled back to admire hishandiwork, her flesh reddened and distended. She arched for him,her breasts aching, and he lowered his head again, this time toworship her other breast, his fingers plucking at the one he’dabandoned as she thrashed beneath him, the sensations almost toomuch.
Rising again, hestared at her, his gaze running over her face, her breasts, herbelly, and then he pushed his breeches down, his drawers hanginglow on his hips. A tan line bisected his abdomen below his navel,separating the tanned flesh of his chest and arms from the palerskin of his hips. Her mouth watered as she imagined on his footballpitch, his shirt off and his strong form exposed to thesun.
Leaning overher, he caged her in warmth and muscle as his thighs pushed hersapart, and she drew in her breath sharply as his hardness pressedagainst her. One hand travelled down her side and curled around theback of her thigh, pulling her knee against his hip. A gentlethrust pushed him against her core through her petticoats and hisdrawers, and she gasped, hot and wet and so desperate to have himinside. Frantically, she pushed at his drawers, cupping his firmbuttocks to pull her closer, closer. He tugged at the ties at herwaist and then he dragged her petticoats from her, and then herchemise, and then there was nothing between them. His touch driftedto her mound, through her curls, and she held her breath as hegently stroked the seam between her legs, feeling for himself howwet she was.
He pulled back.She urged him against her but he refused to move.
Dark eyessearched hers. “You haven’t done this before?”
“What?” A frown touched her brow. “Haven’t we alreadydiscussed this?”
“Wedid, but...” He looked...unhappy. “I don’t want to hurtyou.”
“Well, you’re going to,” she said bluntly.
“Christ. I’m going to hurt you.” He touched his forehead tohers. “How on earth do I do this?”
“Doyou really need me to explain it to you? Because Iwill.”
He didn’t raisehis head, but she saw the faintest of smiles.
“Stephen.” She twined her fingers in the hair at the base ofhis skull. “Come inside me.”
He closed hiseyes, swallowed. Then, she felt him push inside her. She drew inher breath as he retreated and pushed again, a little deeper. Itfelt strange, and burned a little. He pushed further and further,and then he stilled, the whole of him inside her, his foreheadagainst hers, his chest bellowing.
“DidI hurt you?” he ground out.
