Page 35 of Seducing the Marquess (Lords and Ladies in Love 1)

Good? Lord, if death strikes me now I will die a happy man with this woman in my arms and her hand wrapped around my cock. “Yes, my dear. That feels quite good.”

He watched her from under lowered lashes. The concentration on her face almost made him smile, which he would have done if he’d not been suffering from her exploration. And anxious to put his throbbing cock inside her.

Her body was splayed on the bed, one slender leg straight, the other bent at the knee. The soft glow of the candlelight highlighted the tangled mess they’d made of her glorious hair that spilled over them both. Her lips were swollen with his kisses and, when she glanced up, the desire in her eyes swept him to a place so unfamiliar he felt his heart stumble. When had she come to mean so much to him?

Her golden skin was all dips and curves, warmth and softness, and he was mesmerized as never before. Despite his ingrained beliefs about ladies, this goddess was right here in his house, and he had access to her any time he wished.

She’s my wife, not some harlot. She will probably hate herself in the morning.

Shoving that thought to the side, he watched as her hand explored him, rubbing the tip of his cock with her thumb. “So soft here, like my bath sponge. Yet so hard below.”

Not able to handle any more without embarrassing himself, with one quick motion, he untied his banyan and, without even removing it, pushed her legs apart, where he nestled his hips. Instead of gently sliding in, as he generally did, he slipped both hands under her bottom and lifted her slightly.

His eyes roamed over her body in the faint light, beginning at her head, down to the juncture of her thighs where, with a groan, he plunged into her. The muscles in his face grew tight as he closed his eyes and gripped her hips, pulling her closer until their bodies joined.

A soft moan escaped Eugenia’s lips as she wrapped her legs around him, her heels digging into the backs of his legs. Quickly he began to move, driving himself into her, swallowing her gasp as he leaned in for a searing kiss to continue the assault on her mouth.

He drew back and gulped for air. “Can you feel that?” he asked as he worked his body. His muscles strained as he pounded against her.

“Yes. I can feel that. It’s…” She gripped his shoulders, her nails digging into his flesh. He was unable to hold off, it had been too long since he’d had a woman who responded so much to his touch. Gritting his teeth with the strain of delaying as long as he had, he called her name and poured himself into her. With a grunt he collapsed, and then rolled to the side, taking her with him, wrapping her in the cocoon of his arms.

What. The. Bloody. Hell. had just happened?

…

The following morning, Eugenia shifted on the bed to avoid the bright sunlight streaming through the windows. She and Devon had collapsed the night before and had fallen asleep without closing the bed curtains. He lay sprawled next to her, his superb body only partially covered by the twisted sheets.

She gasped and flushed when she realized she was naked, too. Never in her entire life had she slept without a night rail. The decadence only added to all she had experienced the night before.

With the bright light now illuminating Devon, she took her time to examine him carefully. Tousled hair lined his forehead, and already his face was shadowed with a morning beard. His classic features, dark eyelashes, and aristocratic nose gave strength to his visage. Slowly, her eyes drifted to his angular jaw, then his muscular chest with the black curly hair beginning between his flat nipples and continuing on down the middle to create a straight arrow to the area that so fascinated her.

Her

eyes grew wide when the target of her interest seem to move and grow of its own accord. Afraid Devon was awake and watching, she jerked her head and looked at his face, but he remained asleep. She reached out a finger to touch it, and drew back when it moved again. The thing had a life of its own!

She continued her perusal to include his long, powerful legs and elegant feet. He could easily be a statue of a Roman god in a museum somewhere. Except this god was warm flesh, and living and breathing male.

And all hers.

Surely after last night, he would no longer seek a mistress. Thoughts of all the naughty things they could do that she’d seen in her book brought another flush to her face. But she would be willing, in fact, excited, to indulge in them, in order to keep him by her side.

She jumped when a warm hand landed on her thigh. “Good morning, my dear.” Devon viewed her from underneath the dark locks that fell over his forehead and partially covered his eyes. He ran his fingers through his hair and brushed it back.

Would he want to make love again? She thrilled at the idea of them doing that in the bright sunlight. Instead her smile faded when Devon rolled from the bed. “I am sorry to have stayed here all night. I did not mean to interrupt your sleep.”

She rose up on one elbow and shook her head. “It was no burden, I assure you.”

He bent and kissed the top of her head. “I will see you at breakfast.” He picked up his banyan that had found its way to the floor. Shrugging into it, he tied the belt as he walked to the door adjoining their chambers.

It appeared there would be no morning re-creation of the night before. Eugenia sighed and pulled her nightgown over her head and rang for her maid. She was a bit sore between her legs, since last night’s bedding had been quite different from the others.

Her heart thumped again as the memories flooded her. Would all the other times be the same? Was this something that all adults—except her—knew about? She didn’t know whether to feel stupid or angry. Why had her mother spent so much time telling her about her “duty” and how she should lie still and let her husband “do what he needed to do?”

As Sally helped her bathe and select the morning gown she would wear, Eugenia began to feel a bit of sadness for her mother. After all those years of marriage, she had obviously never experienced what Eugenia had.

Looking forward to seeing Devon once again, she sped through her morning routine, feeling as excited as a young girl with her first love. Then she sighed. Devon was her first love.

She checked herself in the mirror, left her room, and hurried down the stairs. Only when she stood in front of the breakfast room door did she try to quell her excitement by taking a deep breath and entering. “Good morning.”