What did she want? The question echoed in her mind.
She had no words for the longing inside her. An awkwardness filtered through her awareness. Her throat tensed. But when she would have tried to shift out of his embrace, his grip on her tightened. The fingers in her hair curled into a gentle fist as he hooked his hand behind her knee and started to draw her leg up his thigh.
“What do you want?” he asked again, his voice deeper, harsher, and more insistent.
Eleanor lifted her chin and swept her tongue across her lips to wet them before returning the question, “What do you want?”
Something wicked and fierce flashed in his eyes and his brows tugged inward for a second. But then…his gaze softened as it slid gently over her features and his mouth tilted into a dangerous smile.
“I want…” he began in a whisper before his voice faded into a ragged sigh. He lowered his head to press a warm kiss to the hollow between her ear and the corner of her jaw.
She gasped a silent breath as sparks of pleasure spread from the spot.
“I want to feel the softness of your skin beneath my hand,” hecontinued roughly.
Gathering her skirts as he spoke, he dragged the material up her legs in a silken caress.
She sighed and closed her eyes.
“I want to kiss your racing pulse and taste your rising excitement.”
He trailed his lips down the side of her throat where her heartbeat sped just beneath her skin.
Eleanor dropped her head back, exposing more of herself to his kiss. Her hand fisted in the collar of his coat. If she could have found her words,thisis what she’d have said she wanted. Sensations. Heat. The thrill of his focused attention. This wild, uncertain pleasure.
And then his hand was on her bare thigh, curved around the back, his thumb brushing gently against her skin. His breath was warm as he slid his lips back up to her ear.
“But, sweetheart,” he whispered roughly, “I don’t want any of it if there is a possibility you’ll regret this.”
He flicked his tongue against her sensitive earlobe then lifted his head. She could feel him looking at her and reluctantly opened her eyes again. The masculine beauty of his features was accentuated by the tension he couldn’t conceal. His jaw muscles were bunched, his brow slightly furrowed, and his stare pierced her soul.
But his lips…parted with his swift breath, firmly arched but so wonderfully soft to the touch. She lifted her hand to brush the tips of her fingers over their intriguing shape. Her entire body tingled in response to the satiny warmth.
“Why do you make me feel like this?” The question slid quietly from her lips before she could stop it. Embarrassment began to sweep through her, but he tightened his grip on her thigh and lowered his chin.
Flicking her focus to his eyes, she saw the intensity sparking in their depths. Her fingers slid to the hard line of his jaw. She reveled in the slightly roughened texture.
“It is not so mysterious,” he answered, a smile subtle in his thickened voice. “Desire is a natural human experience.”
“I’ve never known it before,” she confessed.
He cleared his throat and his voice deepened. “Do you enjoy it?” His hand squeezed her thigh again. “Do you want more?”
Her body tightened. Everything inside her swirled with excitement and anticipation. She looked into his eyes. “I shouldn’t.”
“Why not?”
“It’s dangerous.”
“Not if we’re careful,” he assured. “I know how to be careful.”
Eleanor wanted to believe him—trust him.
“Explore your desire with me,” he murmured.
She wanted to—oh lord how she wanted to!
She curled her hand around the side of his warm throat and leaned forward to press her mouth to the underside of his jaw. He tensed and his breath stuttered.
