His warm palms slid down the sides of her neck to grasp her shoulders, and for a moment she thought he’d push her away. But he pulled her closer, so close she could see the wild beat of his pulse at the base of his throat, and she wanted to taste him there.
She didn’t mean to touch him, didn’t want to, but her hands moved to his chest. His muscles leapt to meet her touch and his heart throbbed under her palm, but it wasn’t enough. Touching him—it wasn’t enough. “A kiss, Cam. This isn’t a kiss.”
He brushed his lips over hers, so soft, once, again, then lingered there, firm and warm before he drew back to murmur, “Is this what you want?”
Yes. God, yes.
He coaxed her with light touches of his lips and tiny kisses against the corners of her mouth. His kiss was gentle. Gentle, even as she felt the anger and desire leap inside him, felt the muscles in his body draw tight, felt him strain to bank his passion as it clamored for release.
Screamed for it.
This man, who’d never been taught to give, only to take . . .
He kissed her gently.
Panic rose in Eleanor’s throat.No. She didn’t want this—his gentleness, his tenderness. She didn’t want him to give anything to her. She couldn’t fight him if he did.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, tugged hard at the tousled chestnut waves at the back of his head, and parted her lips for him.
He groaned when he felt her mouth open under his. “God,yes. Give me your mouth.”
She nipped hard at his bottom lip. “I’m not giving, Cam. I’mtaking. I’d think a man like you would know the difference.”
His breath was short, harsh. “Take more.”
She fisted a handful of his shirt and dragged it aside, and then her lips were on his jaw, his chin, his neck, her tongue against the pulse point that had fascinated her earlier. He made a choked sound, and she felt the vibration of it against her mouth as she licked him there.
His taste.
His skin was so hot it seared her tongue, his taste earthy, clean—a faint trace of salt and shaving soap. He tasted like a man.
“More. Take more.” He was panting now, shaking with need and the effort to restrain himself.
She worked the neck of his shirt open and spread the material wide with impatient fingers—oh God, his chest was a wall of muscle, the skin smooth, except for the dusting of hair there, not like the tawny hair on his head, but darker, crisp, thicker.
Eleanor swallowed. She wanted to run her hands over his chest, his shoulders, his belly, touch the smooth, warm skin stretched like velvet over his hard muscles. She wanted to touch his nipples, taste him there. Would they rise to meet her fingers, her mouth?
Did she dare?
She darted a glance at his face. He watched her, his pupils huge under his half-closed lids. “Take more,” he whispered.
She brushed a thumb across one of his nipples, felt him shudder at her touch.
“More.”
She opened her mouth over the center of his chest and kissed him there once, before trailing her tongue over the dark flesh of his nipple.
“Ellie. . .” He surged to life, his hands rough over her back as he dragged her against his body with a harsh groan, his mouth taking hers, ravenous now—his tongue hot, insistent, his control shattered. “Is this what you want?” he demanded against her mouth. “To tease me until I lose control?”
She couldn’t answer. He stole her breath. Her will.
“Do you want me to beg, Eleanor? Would that satisfy you?” He wrapped his hands around her waist and for one dizzying moment the floor dropped out from under her feet. Then she felt a hard wooden surface beneath her and she knew he’d lifted her, set her before him on the table. He slipped his hands under her skirts and closed them around her ankles. “Because I’d sink to my knees even now, just for another taste of you.”
He dragged his tongue across her lower lip and slid his palms up her calves until he reached the inside of her knees. Warm fingers dipped under her garters to tease against her bare flesh, then he pressed her knees apart and moved between them so he wasthere, the neck of his shirt open, his body hard, primed from the teasing touches of her hands and mouth.
She’d wanted this—wantedhim, and she wanted him still.
“You drive me mad. You’re all I can think about.” He caught her earlobe between his teeth and bit down, then pressed his hot mouth behind her ear, against her neck. Eleanor’s head fell back as he nipped and teased the sensitive flesh. He wedged his body tighter into the space between her legs, his breath shuddering through him. “Do you think I won’t take you? Because you’re right, my lady. I do know how to take. God help me, it’s all I know.”
