Page 56

God, he was a clumsy oaf sometimes. How could he know exactly what to say in negotiations and yet be so utterly inept when asking a question as simple as this one? But he already knew the answer. None of that had ever really mattered. Nothing would ever matter as much as Gwen, and the more he felt, the less capable he was of articulating any of it. He needed her to know that he wanted whatever she wanted. That whatever they did tonight would be exactly right, but even in his head he lacked the eloquence to say what he meant. In a burst of frustration, he hooked his hands beneath her arms, hauled her atop his body, and kissed her hard on the mouth.

“I want babies with you, Gwen. I want hordes of them. Little bossy girls who take their first steps on the deck of a half-built cutter and boys who fall in love with the sea. But I want them when you want them. So I need you to tell me how you want this to be done, Wyn… Now, when you’re clearheaded and I’ve still got more blood in my brain than in my—well…” he blew out a breath. “It’s just best we talk about it now.”

“What I want,” she said, kissing the tip of his nose, “is for you to stop thinking of yourself as a collection of mistakes you must repay before you’re worthy of being my husband. You are my husband, Michael. And I will welcome your horde of sea-loving, half-English babies whenever they come.” She toyed with the waistband of his smalls, her pink lips on the cusp of a smile. “Now take these off so I can see you properly.”

He took her mouth with his, one kiss sliding into the next, each slower and sweeter than the last, until he was pouring every ounce of affection and gratitude he possessed into the tender exchange. He released her only when she snaked an impatient hand down his back and into his smalls to grip his rear. She tightened her grip, the bite of her nails sending sparks of impatient desire skittering over his skin.

Michael rolled them gently, settling her beneath him before tugging his smalls down and kicking them aside. Then he pushed her chemise up and slid lower, settling between her thighs and splaying her open for his mouth. Weeks of licking her to completion had taught her to be bold, exacting in her demands… wonderfully wanton in a way that turned Michael inside out with lust. She was an eager student, but so was he, and he knew her now. Knew exactly how to restrain her on the cusp of orgasm or to coax her to come hard and fast on his tongue. Best of all, he knew if he was gentle with her afterward, tenderly licking the sticky sweetness from her petals, patiently building her desire with delicate nudges and soft breathy kisses, that she would let him do it again. So when her legs began to tremble in his hands, Michael didn’t hold back. He loved her body ardently, feeding off the sounds of her impending climax until her soft whimpers broke with a low guttural moan, the raw, ecstatic relief in the sound igniting his own need like the spread of wildfire.

Panting for breath, Michael rested his cheek on Gwen’s thigh, the skin there flushed and damp with sweat. It had become something of a ritual, this intimate pause where he could catalog every detail of her while she remained blissfully unaware. And though he needn’t wait for his body to settle this time, he found he craved this part every bit as much as what would come next. So he willed his body to relax and studied the peaceful, unguarded planes of her face until her eyes fluttered open again.

“Hello there,” he said.

A bashful smile crept over her face, and for a long, perfect moment they simply watched one another. Michael rather thought he could have gone on doing so indefinitely, had Gwen not finally wriggled free and slid off the bed to remove her chemise.

Michael drank in the sight of her, his hands fisting the coverlet to keep from immediately dragging her close. It was always like this when he saw her bare, an unexpected blow that left him breathless and helpless against the need to make her his. She climbed back onto the bed, inching toward him on her knees, all soft curves and unhurried confidence, the muted firelight spilling across her skin as she moved.

Reaching him at the center of the mattress, she urged him onto his back and settled between his legs. Her fingers trailed along the tops of his thighs, then wandered higher, exploring the contours of his ribcage and chest. Bending, she brushed a kiss to the skin just below his navel.

Michael let out a long, slow breath, bracing himself as she followed the trail of hair down his lower abdomen, but each beat of his heart struck louder and more urgently than the last. Her legs pressed against the insides of his thighs, the soft weight of her breasts grazing his skin and causing every hair along his body to rise in heady anticipation. She feathered her fingertips down his erection, and his cock pulsed, the crown already red and glistening.

Her gaze flicked down to where his body wept for her. “What does it taste like?”

Michael acted without thought or hesitation. He sat up, slid his fingertip over the pearlescent droplet. then pressed the pad to her lower lip. When her eyes widened, he tried to pull back, but Gwen caught his wrist in her hand, holding his gaze as she drew the digit into her mouth, swirling her tongue around his finger as she sucked him clean.

A choked sound tore from his throat, and he plunged his finger deeper, shivering at the sensual drag of her tongue. He was leaking in earnest now, his balls drawn so tight that they ached. And no. There was absolutely no chance at all he would last even a second with his wife’s lips wrapped around his cock tonight.

Slipping his finger free, Michael reached for Gwen, drawing her atop his body, his lips searching for hers. She made a brief sound of protest at the sudden shift, but only for a moment before sinking into him, her hands settling on his shoulders as she returned his kiss with equal fervor.

For a long while, neither of them seemed capable of doing anything but kiss, breaking apart only to draw the necessary breath before finding one another again.

“Need you.” He panted. “Need… please.”

Their bodies had instinctively aligned amidst their heated embrace, both reaching for a closeness that seemed impossible to satisfy. Gripping her hips, Michael steadied her, asserting control over her restless writhing and slowing her movements until each cant of her hips had his throbbing erection sliding through her slick folds.

“Michael,” she whimpered, the sound broken and breathless against his ear.

He ground his teeth against the urge to shift her angle himself, to take the final step his body demanded. But Michael was finished taking things from Gwen. If she wanted him, she would have to choose it for herself.

“I’m right here, Gwen. Right here holding you. Take what you want, love. Whatever feels good.”

“I can’t— You’re not—” She tugged at his shoulders, trying to roll them over and reverse their positions, but he held her fast.

“No,” his voice softened. “You can. We can. Just as we are, or you can sit up a bit, lift your hips and take me in.”

She didn’t lift up, only ground down harder on his cock, the weight of her body pinning his length against his belly as she slid over him. Christ, she was so slick and swollen, each stroke teasing the head of his cock over her entrance. The urge to take himself in hand and end both their desire was nearly overwhelming. He squeezed his eyes shut, breathing through the exquisite torture as she nudged him again and again, his crown resting at the threshold of her warmth. So impossibly close.

His pulse was racing, blotches of light exploding behind his eyelids, and then he was babbling. Begging. Praising his brave, wonderful wife without a single care to what came out of his mouth.

“Fuck, Wyn, that’s it. You’re so close. So close to where I need you, and you feel so good. Your sweet little quim is so good on my cock. You’ve no idea... no idea what you’re doing to me. I’ll wait. I will. I’ll be good for you, my pet. Anything you ask. Anything at all.”

His words dissolved in a groan as the tip of his cock slid home. She froze, wide eyes darting to his.

“Easy now. That’s it. You’re going to take me inside you so well. So perfect, my pet.”

Her breath hitched as she took him deeper, her head dropping to his shoulder.

“Mmm. Yes. How does that feel love? Do you want more?”