by Joanna Shupe
I know I said we shouldn’t but it’s killing me to resist him.
They were alone in the kitchen. Carpenters had been in and out of the main room throughout the day, but they’d left almost an hour ago.
No one was in the building save her and Kit.
He watched her carefully, his gaze wary. Desire had darkened his eyes and his cheeks were slightly flushed. He held himself stiffly, hands in his pockets, as if he was afraid of what would happen if he didn’t keep them hidden away.
My cock is hard all the time for you.
He wanted her.
She didn’t know why or even how, but this beautiful man wanted her. It defied logic, but she wasn’t about to complain. And the reasons for keeping her distance from him no longer seemed important.
I’ll find a husband when this is over. Starting Saturday, I swear.
Lifting her hand, she placed it on his chest, right over his heart. The muscle pounded beneath her fingertips, strong and true, with the heat coming off him like a jolt of electricity to her core.
He didn’t move. “Alice, what are you doing?”
“I think you owe me for my services today.” The words came out in a teasing, flirtatious voice that hardly sounded like her own.
His lips parted on a quick intake of breath. “And what do you want in exchange?”
“I’m not certain. Perhaps something old. Perhaps something new.”
The edge of his hip nearly touched her stomach as he shifted closer, his shoe scraping on the tile floor. “I have fond memories of old, but I’d love to explore this idea of new. Care to elaborate?”
She shook her head, incapable of putting any of her thoughts into words, not when her skin crawled with anticipation and need and wanting, so much so that she could nearly taste it.
“Does this mean you leave it up to me?” His mouth hitched. “Always a dangerous proposition, sweetheart.”
The endearment sank inside her bones, melting them, and she clutched his vest in her fingers. “Will you kiss me already?”
“Still bossy.” He slid a hand onto her hip and up her rib cage. When he cupped the back of her neck, he closed the distance between them. “I like it.”
His mouth descended slowly, carefully, as if he sensed how desperately she wanted the kiss and derived a perverse pleasure in denying her. Unfortunately, she didn’t have much time.
This kissing business needed to get underway, now.
Rising up on her toes, she met him the rest of the way, her mouth covering his, and a resulting tremor went through him. Then he kissed her back, taking over and pushing her toward the counter. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she dug in, clinging to him like a raft in a churning sea. His tongue plunged into her mouth, seeking and stroking, their soft grunts and pants melding together in a frenzy. He surrounded her, hands roaming her back as her arms wound around his neck, their bodies nearly flush.
He kissed her like he couldn’t get enough. Like air was overrated and unnecessary. Like he was starving for her. This was no practiced seduction or flirting. This was Kit wild with passion. Wild for her.
And she loved it.
Breaking off, he kissed her jaw, her neck, then bit her earlobe. She gasped, the pain like an electric shock that ran to her nipples and between her legs. He licked the flesh, as if to soothe it. “How much time do you have?”
“How much time do you need?”
He chuckled darkly. “I’ll keep you all night, if you let me.”
She shivered. If only. The clock showed almost four o’clock. Her maid would return at five. “Thirty minutes, I think.”
His teeth scraped over her throat. “Perfect. I only need ten, perhaps fifteen.”
“For what?”
“You’ll see. Come with me.” Taking her hand, he led her into the main room, where they dodged the tables and chairs until they reached a door. Kit turned the knob and held it open for her.
It was an office, with a desk, two chairs, a sideboard and sofa. “Sit,” he said, and pointed to the sofa. Then he shut the door, locking it behind him.
Oh.
Stomach fluttering, she lowered herself onto the sofa and watched as Kit stripped out of his coat. After tossing it onto an armchair, he removed his cuff links. Then he began rolling his sleeves up, never taking his eyes off her. His lids were heavy, his gaze dark. “Do you trust me?”
Why did he keep asking her that question?
“Of course. Would I be here otherwise?”
“I want to make you feel good. And I promise, it will leave your innocence intact.”
“Kissing, then.”
He pursed his lips and raked her body with a hot look. “Definitely kissing, but not on your mouth.”
Where, her neck? Her chest? Her breasts?
She swallowed. He wants you to agree. He wants you willing. Really, it was an easy decision. Another chance like this might not come around again, not with Kit. Tomorrow, the kitchen would be full of assistants and too many tasks to name. Friday, as well. Then the event was over and she wouldn’t see him again. She’d return to her boring parties in a quest for a husband.
Refusing this opportunity would be unforgivable. “All right.”
Relief flashed over his face before he approached the sofa. “I was truly hoping you’d say that.” He slid next to her and quickly took her mouth once more. She relaxed into him, meeting the bold strokes of his tongue with her own, her lips and hands greedy for everything he gave her.
When they were both panting minutes later, he cupped her jaw and studied her face. “I want to lift your skirts and touch between your legs.”
She blinked. Was this how his liaisons went, with him telegraphing every move in explicit detail?
No. He’s doing this so he doesn’t scare you.
Oh. Of course. “All right.”
He bent to touch his forehead to hers. “I am rushing you. I just . . . God, Alice. I want to give you everything, show you everything, but I know I haven’t the right.”
“Kit.” She wrapped her fingers around his wrists. “You’re wasting time.”
He sucked in a breath, surprised. “So I’m not rushing you?”
“Actually,” she said with a small, albeit nervous laugh, “I am rushing you because I need to leave in a few minutes.”
His knuckles brushed the underside of her jaw. “Clever, inquisitive Alice. You are going to be the death of me.” Without awaiting a response, he kissed her again, fiercer this time, and her nerves disappeared like a block of ice on a hot day.
She could do this for hours, just lose herself in this man. An elevated train could rush through the room, clacking over its iron rails, and she wouldn’t budge. Kit was all she could see and feel, her entire world at the moment, and she loved it. There were no parents or future husbands right now, no dicing or chopping or mixing. Just the two of them and these kisses.
“Have you ever made yourself come?”
“I . . .” She couldn’t think when he was nibbling on the sensitive skin behind her ear, his hand nearly brushing the underside of her breast. “Hmm?”
“Do you pleasure yourself?”
Closing her eyes, she gave him the truth. “Yes.”
“Thank God. That will make this easier.” He reached down and began lifting the front of her skirts, while continuing to lick and kiss her throat. She dropped her head onto the sofa back with a small moan. The place between her legs pulsed in time with her heartbeat and she craved attention there. Needed it. If she’d been alone, she would have lifted her skirts, as well.
When he got the fabric high enough, he slipped his hand underneath and found the center of her through her drawers. Two fingers traced the feminine folds and she eased her legs apart as best she could. He groaned and sank his teeth into her skin. “You are so wet. So hot. God, Alice.”
He skimmed her flesh with his fingertips, teasing her with long sweeps determined to drive her out of her skin. Clearly, he was in no hurry whatsoever to move things a
long. “Kit,” she breathed, her body restless under his attentions.
“I know. I’m getting there. Kiss me,” he demanded, and shifted his mouth to hers, where their lips collided in a maelstrom of teeth and tongues, hunger and longing. Then his fingers rubbed that tiny knot atop her sex, the one where every nerve seemed to be centered, and she jumped.
“Is this all right?” His voice was silk and sin. “If you don’t like it, just tell me.” He did it again, then paused. “So do you like it?”
Her eyes nearly rolled back in her head. “I would like it more if you kept going.”
Chapter Seventeen
What he was doing was reckless and unwise, but Kit couldn’t seem to stop. Alice’s mouth was warm and plush, her tongue smooth and eager, and his fingers were exploring the slickness between her thighs. In short, he was in heaven.
He loved the way she responded to him. There was no artifice; Alice wasn’t experienced enough to fake her reactions. She clawed and mewled and strained to get closer, her hips seeking his hand as he stroked her clitoris. It was the most arousing thing he’d ever witnessed.
He wanted to give her this. Needed to give her this. Her first orgasm by a hand that wasn’t her own, and he would watch as she fell apart. Only one thing could make this better.
Breaking from her mouth, he eased off the couch and knelt on the floor. She tracked him with wild eyes now bright with desire. “What are you doing?”
“I am replacing my hand with my mouth.”
When her thighs instinctively closed, he shifted her legs apart and slipped between them. Her knees hugged his ribs but she didn’t try to cover herself. “I don’t understand.”
“You will understand in a few seconds. If you don’t like it, I’ll stop.” Not once had a woman rejected Kit’s tongue on her pussy, but it could happen. And Alice was a virgin. Kit had no experience with innocents other than Alice. Women of her class were taught that sexual relations were dirty and base, that only men should ever find pleasure in the act. So, this could be more than she was ready for.
But he didn’t think so. No, he had a strong suspicion his pupil would love it.
He pushed her skirts higher, up toward her waist, revealing drawers of plain cream cotton with only light blue silk ribbons for embellishment. The slit in the cloth revealed her sex, now glistening with her arousal, and the sight and smell nearly caused him to spend in his trousers. He was so hard it felt as if the skin surrounding his cock might split open. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered.
He reached under her thighs and pulled her forward, closer to his mouth, then studied her face. Her eyes were glazed but unafraid. Bending closer to her pussy, he said, “Put your hand on the back of my head.”
“Why?” Her voice was thin and breathy, and it sent more lust cascading through him.
“If you don’t like it, push me away or tell me to stop. If you like it, however, do the exact opposite.” Fuck, the idea of Alice holding on to him, smashing his face closer to her quim, was almost too much to bear.
Her hand touched the crown of his head and delicate fingers threaded his hair. When he was certain she was ready, he angled forward and nuzzled her, inhaling and letting the rich feminine scent fill his lungs. Goddamn. He wanted to coat his face and tongue, drown in her until they were both holding on for dear life.
Then he dedicated himself to the task. There wasn’t much time, and having her orgasm on his tongue felt essential to his mental well-being. He kissed her gently, getting her used to the feel of his lips on her intimate flesh. She twitched, her fingers flexing atop his head as if she wasn’t quite sure yet what to make of it. Increasing the pressure, he gave her deeper kisses, worshipping her, not leaving any bit of her unexplored. Her lips parted as she panted, the sound of her breath mixing with the lewd smacks of Kit’s mouth.
Had she any clue as to how enticing she was? She was the perfect combination of innocent and daring, pure and sinful. Alice made a man want to protect her, even as he was wrecking her for all other men.
Kit wished to corrupt her, draw out her inner siren, while still leaving her an angel.
Groaning, he spread her thighs farther apart and licked her opening, the moisture coating his tongue. He savored it, shutting his eyes and feasting on her as if this were his last meal on earth. She was delicious, warm and slippery, and he couldn’t resist thrusting his tongue inside her channel, spearing her. Alice gasped, so he did it again and again until she rocked her hips to meet him.
Aware of the time, he swept his tongue along her seam and began laving her swollen clitoris. After a few swipes, her muscles clenched and her fingers clutched his hair, tugging ever so slightly. He reveled in the reaction, his fearless pupil demanding her pleasure, and he rewarded her by sucking the tiny bud into his mouth, focusing all his efforts on that one spot.
“Oh, my God,” she wheezed. “Oh, Kit.”
The words were almost his undoing, but he ignored the pounding lust in his groin that demanded release. He could come later, just as soon as he’d put her in the carriage. For now, he licked and sucked using this teeth, tongue and mouth until her thighs began shaking. His gaze shot up to her face, not wanting to miss her reaction, so he saw the instant the pleasure overtook her. Never had he beheld a more beautiful sight. Her body seized, lids flying open as she stared at him in a mixture of shock and astonishment, as a long moan rumbled out of her chest. Limbs trembling, she held on to his hair, not letting go for a second as the release went on and on.
When she relaxed, he eased off her clit and allowed himself one more swirl of the slick gathered at her entrance. This final taste would need to last him for the rest of his days, a pleasant memory he would relive over and over when Alice soon married someone else.
Pressing a kiss to her mound, he straightened. The need to free his cock and stroke himself was so raw, so consuming, that he almost gave in to it. Yet, scaring Alice hadn’t been his goal. Pleasing her was all that mattered.
“I . . .” She swallowed hard. “I had no idea.”
“Was it all right?”
“Could you not tell?”
He could, but he wanted her to express her reaction, share more of what was inside that gorgeous head of hers. “I have an idea but I’d rather hear what you think.”
“That was amazing. Like nothing I could have imagined. If men are capable of that, how do wives ever get any work done?”
He threw his head back and barked a laugh. Christ, this woman. “They return the favor,” he said.
“Oh.” Her tongue darted out to swipe across her lips. “Do you . . . ?”
God, how he wished they had the time. He’d give almost anything to see Alice’s lips wrapped around his cock. “That’s not necessary. Let’s get you in a carriage and back to the hotel.”
He started to rise, but she put a hand on his arm. “Kit, thank you.”
The gratitude in her voice caused something to unfurl in his chest, like his heart was plumping up, doubling in size. If it were possible, he’d shower her with affection every day to receive such sincere appreciation. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her mouth, which she returned in kind, apparently not minding that he smelled and tasted like her.
When they broke apart, he checked the clock. “It’s half past four. Time to go, sweetheart.”
Within seconds she smoothed her skirts and tucked her hair back in place. He took her hand and led her out of his office and into the club. After she visited the washroom to freshen up, they crossed the floor. The workers had departed, the finishing touches almost complete, so there was no one to see as he gave Alice a leisurely kiss at the door. They were both breathing heavily when he pulled away. “There. That’s a proper goodbye.”
Her fingers caressed his jaw. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Yes, she would, but they wouldn’t be alone. This was the last time that would happen, and he already regretted sharing her tomorrow and Friday. Part of him wanted to keep this competent and clever creatu
re his secret. But she wasn’t for him. She would marry a proper husband from a good family and settle into a life of monotony and monogamy—two nouns that would never apply to Kit.
Lifting her hand, he ignored the ache in his chest and kissed her knuckles. “Come on. Let me help you inside the carriage.”
It was highly likely that Alice was infatuated with Christopher Ward.
She couldn’t believe her stupidity. All along, she knew having feelings for Kit was a terrible idea. His position on marriage had been made perfectly clear and, even if he was interested in marriage, he could have any woman in New York. Why would he ever settle for her?
She had to snap out of this, shake some sense into herself before it was too late. The goal was to find a suitable husband, fast. Enduring another season with her mother at her side was as appealing as week-old bread. The first two had been bad enough. A third would sink her.
Shifting on the carriage seat, she marveled at what happened in the club’s tiny office moments ago. Heat washed across her skin like bathwater, and she bit her lip, remembering. It had felt unlike anything she could have dreamed, much more intense than any of her own explorations, as if Kit had thrown a switch to electrify her entire body, with all the pleasure centered in that one spot.
She would never forget it. There was every chance she would blush for the entire day tomorrow, but the embarrassment was worth it. Not every debutante received such an education from a master.
With one smile, he manages to turn even the shyest woman into a vixen.
Was there any doubt left as to why?
However, allowing more lessons only meant allowing her feelings for him to deepen and solidify. Soon she’d drown in feelings, unable to climb out of the emotional chasm before heartbreak wrecked her life. That could not happen. She needed to remain practical about these things, keep her eye on the future—her future—and bear in mind her two priorities: to find a husband who wanted her, not merely her dowry, and to start a new life to please herself—instead of pleasing her mother.