“You’re in my bedchamber, and…my bed,” Gideon murmured as soon as she focused her drowsy gaze on him. He’d half expected her to wake in a panic, unsure where she was, but she looked far from panicking as her lips curved intoa soft smile.
“I know.” Her warm breath drifted over his skin, and she trailed her soft hand down his chest, tugging gently on the whorls of dark hair there. “I remember.” Her smile turned teasing. “Did you think I could forget last night, my lord?”
That teasing smile, her heavy-lidded eyes and flushed skin, the nimble fingers stroking his chest—Gideon took a long, slow breath and prayed for strength. She wasn’t his countess yet. As far as anyone at Darlington Castle was concerned, Cecilia was still Isabella’s nursemaid, and Gideon wasn’t a gentleman who debauchedhis servants.
At least, he didn’t do ittwice.
Cecilia, however, had other ideas. “This is very nice, right here.” She squirmed closer, her fingers playingover his chest.
Gideon caught her hand in his to still it. “What, my chest hair? You do seem fascinated with it.”
“I am. It’s softer than I would have thought. But it’s not just that.” She tugged her hand free and resumed stroking, a slow, maddening slide over his chest and down his body, her curious fingers sifting through the trail of hair under his navel. “It’s all of you. All muscle and long, elegant bones.” She traced her fingertips over his collarbones. “Every inch of you islean and hard.”
And growing harderby the minute.
Gideon tried to hold still, but his body grew more impatient with her every slow, sweeping stroke over his eager skin. It had been so long since he’d been touched, so long since he’d held a woman’s body next to his own.
So long since he’d given up on love…
He moaned when her fingertips grazed his nipple. “Cecilia—”
She did it again, a gentle tweak that made his eyes roll back in his head. “Oh. You like that, too. I’ve never…no man has ever touched methere before.”
An instinctive growl rumbled in Gideon’s chest at the mere thought of another man touching her. “No otherman ever will.”
Cecilia’s hand stilled, and she peeked up at him from under her lashes. “Is that so, Lord Darlington?”
“It is.” Gideon reached for her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm.
“Are you this possessive with all your servants?” She leaned over him and pressed a kiss to the center of his chest.
“No,” Gideon bit out, gritting his teeth against the pleasure of her warm lips exploring his flesh. “But it’s been some time since I regarded you as my servant,if I ever did.”
“Hmmm.” Cecilia didn’t appear to be listening to him. She nipped at his chest, pressed an experimental kiss to his nipple, then drew back to study the effect. “Oh.” Her eyes widened when it hardened, then her lips curved with an impish smile. She kissed him there again, lingering this time, then drew back and ran her thumb overthe damp peak.
“Ah, God.” Gideon’s breath left his lungs in a rush, blood pooling between his legs, fierce desire unfurling in his belly. He was doing his best not to writhe under her touch, but his cock was hardening, twitching insistently againstthe coverlet.
Cecilia watched in fascination as the touch of her fingers and lips made it jerk and strain for her. She licked delicately at his nipple, like a cat licking up cream, tearing one low groan after another from his throat.
When she lifted her head at last, his nipple was hard and aching, and his entire body was flushed with arousal. She gazed at him with heavy-lidded eyes, as if she were contemplating what to dowith him next.
Gideon let out a broken moan as she slid her hand down his belly and under the edge of the coverlet, and took his straining length into her small hand. His hips gave a helpless thrust, all thought of restraint dissolving as he pushed his cockinto her fist.
She sank her teeth into her lip. “MayI stroke you?”
Gideon’s battle with his conscience was a brief one. He simply wanted her too much to resist. “Please.” His voice was hoarse.
Her lips parted as she began a slow, languid stroking.
Gideon arched into the caress, which was somehow both too much and not enough at once. “Harder, love, like this.” He closed his hand over hers and showed her how he liked to be touched. “Yes,” he hissed, his hand falling away as her fingers tightened around him, giving him the firm, fast strokes he needed. “Run your thumb over the head,” he begged in achoked whisper.
Cecilia circled the slippery head with a dainty thumb, her cheeks flushed with arousal as she watched him jerk and moan beneath her. “Tell me what you want, Gideon. I want to see you…I love watchingyou like this.”
Gideon arched his neck, tipping his head back against the pillow as her caresses grew bolder, her firm, slow strokes enough to drive him mad, but not enough to satisfy. It went on for what seemed an eternity to Gideon, one tormenting stroke after another until his chest was sheened with sweat and he was thrashing against the bed, incoherent pleas fallingfrom his lips.
“Come here, love. Yes, like that.” Unable to stand it any longer, Gideon grasped her hips and eased her down on top of him. “Closer, sweetheart, so you’re…ah, God, yes. Yes, Cecilia,” he moaned when she was straddling him, her damp core nudging against his straining cock.“Let me just…”
Cecilia braced her hands on his chest, her breath coming in short gasps as he slid his fingers through her silky folds. “Gideon,” she moaned when his thumb brushed against the aching nub at her center. “Gideon, please,” she panted as he circled and plucked at thesensitive bud.
