Page 48 of The Widow’s Christmas Surprise

Letting the shirt drop to the floor, Maria left the warmth of the fire and walked toward him.

He backed up as far as he could, until his bare back hit the cold tile wall.

“Maria, please. We promised.”

“More fool us then.” She draped herself against him, sliding her arms around his neck, her breasts pressed skin to skin against his. “Love me, Hugh. Please love me.”

He groaned, but didn’t try to push her away. How could he? He’d almost lost her forever. Her body still shook with cold. He should be willing to do anything to keep her safe and warm, no matter if the task was odious or pleasurable. That this task would be immanently pleasurable shouldn’t matter, shouldn’t make him feel guilty.

She burrowed against his chest and he slipped his arms around her. “You are a very stubborn lady.”

“And you are a stubborn man.” She smiled against his chest. “I imagine we will have more battles than this one because of it.” A chill shook her. “I’m just glad I won this one. I really am terribly cold, Hugh.”

“Sweetheart.” He lifted her into his arms, and grabbed the material out of the tub. “I hate to take you from the warmth of this room.”

“Transfer the fire to the bedchamber fireplace. It won’t be as warm as this room, but it will take the chill off it.” She grinned up at him. “We can produce the rest of the heat ourselves.”

With a sigh, Hugh stalked into the bedroom and threw the ripped bedcurtains onto the feather mattress. He laid Maria on the material, then ripped the other curtain off the rails and draped it over her.

She drew the soft fabric around her and snuggled into it.

It then took only moments to scoop the fire into the bucket for ashes and transfer it and the remaining logs to the main fireplace. Soon it was roaring, and the cold of the room retreated. Hugh turned back to the bed where Maria lay, following his every movement.

“Come to bed, my love.” She raised the makeshift blanket, invitingly.

* * *

She’d still not stopped shivering, even though the fire and cover had helped. What she needed, wanted, was Hugh’s big, hot body pressed against her again. The body he was revealing this very moment before her. Hungrily, she waited to see all of him.

His strong chest and shoulders were a delight to the touch, smooth and warm when she’d draped herself against him in the bath chamber. Now she wanted more.

He sat on the edge of the bed, taking off his boots, building her anticipation until she squirmed beneath the cover. Didn’t he know how much she wanted him right now? From his reaction to seeing her au naturel—she’d felt that hardness press against her earlier—she assumed he wanted her too. So why was he taking so abysmally long?

At last he turned around and oh, yes, without a doubt he wanted her. His shaft jutted straight out, full and hard and magnificent. She raised the covers again and he dove between them.

He pulled her to him, wrapping her in his arms as if he would engulf her entirely, pressing all of him against her. As she’d suspected, his body was hot, heat pouring off him in waves, like a blazing bonfire. For a moment she simply reveled in the warmth, her body relaxing at last into the safe haven. He did not shrink from her cold limbs at all, but tried to rub every part of her that needed his warmth.

Her shivering finally stopped, though her stomach trembled for a completely different reason. Staring deeply into his blue eyes, now darker than she’d ever seen them, she wanted to stay like this always, warm and intimate with this man. She lowered her mouth to his, touched his lips briefly, then sucked his bottom lip between her teeth to nibble on it.

He moaned deep and long before pulling free and rolling her onto her back, bringing him on top of her, his weight pressing her deep into the mattress. Dropping kisses on her lips, her chin, her jaw, her neck, he wound his way down her body, her temperature rising at every touch of his mouth. Disappearing beneath the covers, he continued his caresses, where she could not see. Suddenly, he sucked her nipple into his mouth. Half gasp, half moan escaped her, bringing her head up off the mattress. While his mouth played with one breast, his fingers stroked and tweaked the other one, hardening the tip until she thought she might explode with the pleasure of it.

His head emerged from the covers, his dark curly hair charmingly disheveled. “You do not get off so easily, my lady. Will you guide me in, if you please?”

“I am more than happy to help, sir.” She slid her fingers along the hard muscles of his abdomen, over his slim hip, and down to where his member stood ready. Slowly she stroked it, up and down, wanting its raging heat inside her now.

He raised up and she positioned him right at her opening, then shifted her hands to his buttocks and pulled him toward her. Like the finest silk, he slid smoothly in, filling her completely.

Happy beyond belief, Maria moaned as he began to thrust inside her, long slow glides that reached all the way to her core. A tension began to spiral deep within her, a pressure she’d only experienced a few times before during her brief marriage to Alan. The faster Hugh stroked, the tighter wound she became until the tension reached a critical tipping point. This was how she was supposed to feel when she was with a man, but so seldom had.

“Hugh, Hugh!” she cried as she shattered around him, pulsing deep within.

He continued to thrust, faster and faster until, with a great cry of release, he shuddered inside her, filling her with his hot essence. After a moment he slumped on top of her, but immediately rolled over onto the bed, spent and panting.

Maria sagged into the mattress, totally spent, immeasurably happy, and finally, completely warm.

Chapter Twenty

Drowsing in Hugh’s arms, Maria could think of no place she would rather be. Certainly not in the Highlands of Scotland where, if she allowed Jane and Lord Kinellan to guide her, she would be for the better part of the winter with little or no contact with Hugh. She ran her hand over his forearm and was rewarded by the squeeze of his embrace. Undoubtedly, after this morning’s activities, the situation had changed once again, as she had known it would. Still, she wasn’t sorry. This is how their life should be, would be if his brother’s life did not have so much of their future hanging on it.