“I asked Violet to fill yer chamber with it,” she admitted. “Ye seem to fancy the scent.”
Aaron looked at her.
“I fancy it,” he said quietly. “I have fancied it since the very first time I held yer hand in me study. But I like ye considerably more.”
Her breath caught, color rising in her cheeks even after everything they had shared.
He kissed her then, slow and deliberate, his hands finding the laces of her gown with a patience that cost him considerable effort to maintain. He wanted this moment—all of it—to belong entirely to her. To be as gentle, as unhurried, as reverent as she deserved.
He drew the fabric from her shoulders slowly, pausing more than once simply to look at her, to memorize the way candlelight caught her skin, the freckles across her shoulders he had spent weeks pretending not to notice.
“Ye are starin’,” Edith whispered, though she made no move to cover herself.
“Aye,” Aaron admitted, his voice rough. “Ye are stunning.”
Edith smiled. She looked away, her face flushing as his hands came to her waist, the thin fabric of her undergarments barely a barrier from her skin.
He leaned in again, slower than he had the first time, and she rose on her tiptoes, her lips meeting his in the softest kiss. Her eyes fluttered shut, and he kissed her back, more fiercely this time.
Her lips were soft and plump, and her breath was fresh as his tongue slid into her mouth, dueling with hers.
His hands roved over her body as she melted into him, coming to cup her breasts, and he felt her nipples pebble his palms.
His member stiffened as heat traveled down his body, straining against the confines of his trews.
It was time.
He pulled away from Edith and unfastened his tunic, his gaze remaining on her as he slowly undressed himself.
His fingers found the belt at his waist, and he unbuckled it. The heavy folds of his plaid loosened, slipping from his shoulders before pooling soundlessly at his feet. When he stepped out of it, nothing remained but his trews.
Edith’s eyes widened, her throat bobbing as she swallowed, unable to look away from him.
He smiled in satisfaction at the look on her face.
“Are ye ready?” he murmured against her skin once he had closed the gap between them.
A soft breath escaped her lips, her hand coming to rest against his broad, muscular chest.
“Edith,” he murmured again, his mouth brushing her breasts. “Are ye ready?”
His fingers pinched her nipple, and she gasped. “Aye.”
That was all he needed.
He scooped her up into his arms, carrying her the short distance to the bed before placing her gently in the middle of it. Then, he crawled slowly between her legs.
“Relax,” he breathed against her stomach as his hands slid up to her chest.
Edith moaned, her breath quickening.
Aaron kissed her breasts through the thin fabric of her undergarment, moving down until he reached her navel, his hands firm on her waist. Her scent was intoxicating, drying out the back of his throat even in the warmth of his chamber.
“Aaron, please,” she whispered, her hips bucking.
He immediately knew what she wanted. He had done it to her in the carriage, and she had thoroughly enjoyed it.
He slowly parted her legs, inhaling the smell of wild lavender as it drew him closer to her sex. Then, his lips descended on her wet folds, tasting her.
