He kissed her harshly, madly, and Susannah accepted his roughness and eagerness. That pleased him, aroused him.
Her hand dropped to his thigh and then slipped to the throbbing shaft between his legs. Her unexpected touch sent rushing, delicious warmth sizzling through him, and he lifted his body toward her. His uneven breaths quickened, and so did hers. She caressed his hardness with careful confidence, and he sensed her desire rising to match his.
Race felt her hands working on the buttons of his trousers, and he quickly helped her slide them down and off his legs and feet. He grabbed her night rail and pulled it up and over her head and flung it away, leaving her beautiful nude body for him to devour with his eyes, his lips, and his tongue. He tumbled her off the pillows and stretched his body beside hers on the bed. He wanted to give Susannah all the pleasure she had experienced the last time they were together and more.
He continued to massage her breasts, loving the feel of their full, firm weight in his hands. Occasionally he would stop and tease the nipple with his thumb and finger. He ran the palm of his hands and tips of his fingers over her naked shoulders to her breasts, to her waist, down the slim plane of her hip and inner thigh, and then back up again as he devoured her with his gaze.
“You are beautiful,” he whispered.
“So are you,” she said with eyes that were heavy with passion.
He chuckled and then grinned. “Men aren’t beautiful.”
She smiled convincingly at him. “You are. Your body is.”
Burning heat surged in his loins, and a longing ached in his heart to completely possess her and make her his. She reached up and let her fingertips glide softly, tantalizingly slowly over his chest, down his midriff, and lower. He trembled with need, loving the fact she had no inhibitions, and allowed her hands to go lower and close around his hardness, feel its thickness and weight. He gulped in a ragged breath. Her feather-light caress teased him and offered no mercy to his burning need.
He kissed her lips tenderly and enjoyed the unrestrained freedom with which she touched him. Race threw his head back in measured pleasure as his muscles contracted in sweet pain.
When he could take no more of the exquisite torture, he lifted his taut body on top of hers and softly groaned from the satisfaction of having her beneath him once again. His body throbbed to complete their union, but he wanted to hold off a little longer and make sure she was ready for him.
He bent his head and kissed that warm, soft spot behind her ear. He inhaled the womanly scent of freshly washed hair and lightly perfumed skin. With tenderness, he slowly kissed his way down her face, moving as if they had all the time in the world.
With a gentle hand, he once again raked his fingers down her breast, to the curve of her waist, and then over her slim hip and to her shapely inner thigh.
Race moved his hand back up and caressed the warm skin of her abdomen before inching his hand lower until he found her softness. He rubbed the center of her desire with his thumb in a gentle circular motion as he lovingly kissed her lips. He heard the uneven tempo of her breathing, and he felt the urgent pressure of his manhood wedged against her hip.
She moaned in pleasure and trembled beneath his touch. Race smiled against her lips. There was immense satisfaction in the way she responded to him.
He didn’t want her excitement to end too soon so he stopped the stroking of her center and in one fluid motion he entered her with all the love he was feeling for her. Her body tightened around him like a leather glove, and Race almost lost control.
A low groan of pleasure rushed past his lips, and he sucked in a hard, ragged breath.
Her arms completely circled his back as she kissed his chin, his neck, and back up to his lips once more. He moved slowly, pushing in and out with long, easy strokes.
He moved inside her, and her lower body quickened in response, her hips lifting to meet him with a desperate eagerness, as if to take more of him into her.
Within moments, Race felt her body shudder, and he knew it was time. He slid his hands under her back and cupped her tightly to his chest, making her one with him as they reached the climax of their pleasure at the same time, and he emptied into her.
With uneven breaths, Race gently lowered his weight on top of her. She stroked his back, down his buttocks, and up to his shoulders again with loving hands while he rested his face in the crook of her warm neck. He inhaled deeply, drinking in her warm womanly scent.
Lying with her, he realized he didn’t give a damn about the pearls for himself—not one damn if it meant he couldn’t have Susannah. She was the woman he wanted in his life. The only one he wanted for now and for always.
Susannah was right for him. And that was all that mattered.
It was important to him that she know he wanted her. No other woman but her. But how did a man go about telling a woman he loved her? He had never done that before. And with all that had happened between them, would she believe him?
He rolled off her onto his side. She turned and snuggled tightly, fitting her body perfectly against his, with her head nestled on his arm.
Race lifted her chin with the tips of his fingers, looked into her eyes, and said, “Susannah, I know you’re going to find this difficult to believe, but I’m in love with you.”
Eighteen
My Dearest Grandson Alexander,
Here are more strong words from Lord Chesterfield: “In the mass of mankind, I fear, there is too great a majority of fools and knaves, who, singly from their number, must to a certain degree be respected, though they are by no means respectable.”
Your loving Grandmother,
