She could feel his thudding, rapid heartbeat through her entire body. His skin was hot and damp with sweat. His muscles were tense. And his erection was still thick and hard beyond belief against the bend of her knee.
Realization dawned within her pleasure-clouded mind. “Phin,” she breathed thickly.
“I’m here, my beauty.” His voice was as weighted as hers. More so, as he didn’t have the benefit of released tension. Tension she could feel through every inch of him.
It took every bit of her courage to utter, “You are not going to make love to me, are you?”
His breath caught mid-inhale and a ragged sound rolled in his throat. His voice held a hint of amusement, but it did not dispel his obvious tension. “Some would say that what we—”
“You know what I mean,” Eleanor interrupted.
He released his pent-up breath. His hand smoothed up the length of her arm and his other arm curled just a bit tighter around her back.
“I promised I’d be careful,” he muttered.
“And by that, you mean…you won’t claim me completely.”
His response was little more than a grunt. The strain and taut resistance in his body suggested he wished it were otherwise.
“You want to,” she whispered.
“So badly I feel like I could murder someone for the privilege,” he answered quickly, the violence in his words widening her eyes. But then his tone shifted to one of regret. “But I don’t make the rules.”
“You also don’t seem the type of man who follows the rules,” she argued.
“Not always,” he admitted with a smile in his voice. “But I would not ruin your future for my pleasure.” He trailed his fingers lightly down her arm in a tingling caress. Holding her gaze, he added roughly, “You would not like marriage to me, princess. I’m restless. I’m never home for long. I’d make you miserable.” He paused. The look in his eyes was heavy and dim. “You’d come to hate me.”
He was probably right.
Eleanor wanted a home of her own, a life that she directed, a family to love. Children, if she were so blessed. But she’d always envisioned having a partner in that scheme. A steady compassionate companion. Someone to share in the triumphs and disappointments that might come along.
She would certainly grow to resent a husband who couldn’t be bothered to stick around.
And if she were unlucky enough to fall in love with that man…
She didn’t want to consider how it would break her heart to constantly compete with his yearning to be free.
So…that wasn’t going to betheirstory. That’snothow this would go.
If she wanted something different, she would have to claim it.
Eleanor had no idea where her boldness came from in that next moment. But she was certain that she had no intention of letting theman leave her bed without getting what they both wanted. She didn’t particularly like how one-sided this…thingbetween them was starting to become. She wanted to participate equally.
As she shifted and pushed herself up and over to lay full-length atop his hard body, she acknowledged this was as much for herself as it was for him. She was desperate to explore his pleasure. Desperate to give him the wonderous experience he’d given her.
Her own brazenness shocked her. But as she settled atop him and felt his erection against her belly and looked down into his stark and silent gaze, she surrendered to her instincts.
“What if I said I’m not particularly interested in following the rules, either?” she asked. “The notion that a woman’s virtue should be valued more highly than her own free will is ridiculously antiquated and extremely offensive.”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “I don’t disagree.”
“It’s nonsense, really,” she noted, warming to her argument. “Why shouldn’t I be as free as any man? Didn’t you encourage me to explore my passions?”
As he gripped her hips firmly in his hands, his smile widened and his eyes sparked with blue fire. “I sure as hell won’t stop you.”
“Wonderful,” she murmured thickly. Framing his face between her hands, she lowered her head to kiss him. Gentle, brushing kisses. Small laps of her tongue. Slow, languid licks into his mouth.
But it wasn’t long before the kisses deepened. Their open mouths clashing and claiming with tangled tongues and the edge of teeth and hot, panting breaths.
