Strange and wonderful.
But she needed to leave before he awoke. She could not bear for things to be awkward so she concluded her best bet was to leave.
“Where do you think you are going?”
She froze. “Oh, I am just…” She indicated to the door and took a few steps back. “Um, thank you for last night. It was…um…most excellent.”
She twisted and put her hand to the doorknob.
Hands came to her shoulders. He spun her around to face him and before she knew what was happening, his mouth was upon hers, his tongue pressing between her lips.
Grace gasped, her hand coming up to touch him as he used the opportunity to press the kiss deeper, but he grabbed her wrist, pushing it down to her side as he wrapped his arms around her.
All sense seemed to depart her as Nash’s body pressed into hers and his tongue invaded her mouth. Her free hand wound up around his neck, stroking at the soft hair that met her fingers before tracing across his jawline.
He twisted her around and hot lips met the crook of her neck and she inhaled sharply as it sent tremors shooting through her. His hands held her own across her body, pushing her into him and she could feel the hard length of his manhood.
“I will not do anything that you do not wish. Say the word and I’ll let you go,” he whispered before brushing his teeth over her ear and lavishing attention on her neck. “Say it, Grace, and this shall be over.”
Grace’s head lolled back as her legs trembled beneath her, but Nash kept her upright, his hand snaking around her waist.
She said nothing, biting down on her bottom lip while tingles made every tiny hair on her body stand on end.
With a groan, his hand skimmed upwards, brushing lightly over her breast. She whimpered at the faint touch, her nipples unbearably hard. His other hand settled onto her hip, angling her into him, and she writhed against the solidity that awaited her.
Tilting her head back, she was gratified to feel his lips upon hers once more, this time lingering more carefully. Grace eagerly met his tongue with hers.
He groaned again as she kissed him back with relish and she smiled against his lips. How different she felt in his arms, how strong, how powerful. She had the power to make him groan.
Nash tugged at her chemise and his fingers swept over the stiff peaks that poked from beneath, teasing them until they became impossibly tight.
His other hand crept down to the tender flesh between her legs and, though the briefest dart of panic made her heart race, she quickly gave herself up to his touch. She wanted this, more than anything. She’d weighed up all the possibilities and she’d come to her conclusion.
He kept her clamped to him with the press of his hand on her breast as his fingers brushed at the damp heat of her through her chemise. She sighed as he stroked over the heat, the moisture that awaited him quickly seeping into the fabric of her shift. A growl erupted from him when she ground against his touch, the ache in her sex replaced with a gratifying tingle.
In a sudden flash of movement, both of his hands came about the neckline of her chemise and he ripped it from her as she squealed in shock. Grace instinctively covered herself with her hands, but he was swiftly upon her, peeling her stiff hands away.
“You are beautiful, Grace. In so many ways.”
“I’m like a boy,” she could not help but whisper.
He cupped her breasts. “These do not belong to a boy.” Then he moved his hand down to her waist and spanned it with a hand. “This is most certainly a woman’s waist.” His hand finally cupped her rear. “And this, Good Lord, is the most perfectly female arse.”
The soft fabric of his shirt rubbed against her bare back as he tugged her into him, both hands closing over her breasts. His breath hissed between his teeth as he spread his hands over her soft flesh and Grace trembled.
“You are exquisite,” he grated out.
She felt it. She really, really felt it.
He buried his face into her hair as his thumbs continued to rasp over her nipples. A hand left her breast and she felt bereft, longing for the rough heat once more. However, the warmth of his hand was soon back on her skin and trailing over her stomach, carefully snaking toward her sex. Her muscles contracted under the gentle touch which seemed almost uncertain and questioning.
In response, she lifted her hips and he took that as her acceptance, easing his hand to the silken skin that awaited him. A finger dropped very briefly into the damp juncture before swirling over her pulsating core, causing her to buck. He continued tormenting her, keeping her pinioned with one hand to her breast, and she found herself reaching for something, an ending to the torturous but blissful sensations.
Two fingers penetrated her, plunging swiftly, and her eyes widened in the dull lamplight as the ache seemed to both quench and inflame. In and out he went, and she continued to writhe under his attentions as he kissed her tenderly.
He quickened the pace and she struggled to breathe. Nash’s thumb brushed over her sensitive nub and she cried out as the fiery heat enveloped her, sending her shuddering with waves of rapture.
Grace lay limply in his grasp, his fingers still imbedded in her, as she tried to gain her breath and gather her senses. Easing himself from her, he turned her to face him.
Nash’s mouth came down on hers, tenderly, cautiously, and she reacted similarly, savoring the sweet warmth and the press of his lips. His hands twisted into her hair.
“Lie down,” he whispered against her lips.
Grace obeyed, hurrying to the curtained bed. She nearly pulled aside the sheets but decided against it, enjoying the feel of her nudity and forgetting any vulnerability in the dark cloak of the night. Instead she felt mischievous and delightfully shameless.
She stared at the canopy above while he undressed. The desire to look at him warred with her hammering heart and she couldn’t be certain how she would react to his nudity so she waited until he moved over to the bed.
Reaching out blindly, she gasped as her hand connected with hard male flesh. She heard the sharp intake of his breath as she explored him, spreading her fingers across the lithe muscles that awaited her touch.
“Goodness,” she murmured, taking in the sight of crisp hair and flexing muscles.
Grace continued her exploration downwards, following the trail of rough hair beneath his stomach. The velvety softness of his arousal combined with such power shocked her and she drew back.
Drawing in a breath, she reached out again, this time ready for the feeling of him and she clasped him carefully, delighting in his groan and the instinctive thrust of his hips. Slowly, she moved her hand up and down, guided by the appreciative noises he made.
“Christ, Grace, you’re going to kill me.” He snatched her wrist, pressing it back against the bed. When his weight came across her, her mind went hazy at the feel of his warm flesh aligned with hers.
He eased her other hand up above her head, leaving her open to exploration. She trembled as his finger traced a path along the tender skin of the underside of her arm.
“That feels quite nice,” she murmured.
He smiled against the side of her breast. “This will feel nice too.” His tongue flicked out, trailing a path across her skin until he reached her nipple. Pausing to blow across it, he promptly surrounded it with his mouth, the sensation so intense, she arched from the bed.
His other hand came underneath her, holding her body to his mouth. Writhing, she moaned as he flicked from one rosy tip to the other, desperate for her hands to be released so she could clutch him to her.
Finally, he released her hands so that he could kiss her all over, trailing kisses down her stomach, her thighs, her hips. She held her breath and eyed his dark head against her pale skin. She supposed she finally understood the appeal of sex. It was wicked and oh so exciting.
Impatiently, she tugged him back up to her breasts, securing his head against her. “I like it when you touch my nipples.”
“I very, very much like touching them.�
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After lavishing attention on her nipples, he flipped her over, her face thrust into her pillow. Turning her head to the side with a gasp, she sank into the mattress as his muscular body covered hers, his manhood pushing against her bottom.
Nash’s lips came to the side of her face and he nibbled on her lobe and breathed into the shell of her ear.
Grace moaned. Who would have thought not being able to see him properly could be so…so erotic?
The moisture from his hot breath registered on the back of her neck and she shivered as his lips danced ever so lightly across the sensitive skin.
“Do you like this?”
She nodded frantically, praying he would do something to end her suffering and bring back some of the delightful sensations.
He moved away briefly but she remained where she was, laid out with her hands above her head and her bottom reaching for his touch. A lone finger followed the curve of her spine, lingering just above the soft flesh of her bottom before his lips shadowed the path, sweeping over her bottom and placing a sound kiss to each cheek.
That teasing finger dipped between her cheeks, toying ever so lightly in the slippery softness that begged for his touch. She muffled her squeal of exasperation by burying her head into her pillow as her bottom intuitively lifted to his touch. His fingers plunged suddenly inside her, startling her, before withdrawing and leaving her bereft.
The heat of his body covered hers suddenly and he lifted her hips off the bed slightly, the tip of his cock meeting the folds of her sex, and Grace realized this was it. He was going to take her now.
“From behind?” she asked, unsure if her voice shook from desire or trepidation.
“It will feel deep for you,” he said, and she heard a smile in his voice. “You should enjoy it.”
Nash moved hesitantly, pressing lightly against her and then retreating.
“Take me,” she begged.
He buried himself in her with a groan. “Bloody hell.”
Grace could hardly think, hardly breathe. He filled her so completely, so perfectly, it was as if he was made for her. Just when she thought it couldn’t get any better, he withdrew, before pumping back in.
He moved easily inside her and she found a rhythm, moving to bring him deeper and deeper. Over and over, he lunged until they were slick with sweat and Grace could do little other than shudder with pleasure as each thrust brought her closer and closer to the edge.
“I need to…” He stopped suddenly, withdrawing and putting a hand under her hip so he could turn her to face him.
Before she could ask him what he wanted, his mouth descended upon hers with a frantic, passionate kiss and he grabbed her thighs, wrapping her legs about him as he joined with her once more.
Grace kissed him deeply, digging her fingernails into the rolling muscles of his back. She threw her head back and took every hard thrust. How it felt so natural already, she could not fathom but could not help wonder what other ways there were of making love.
And would he show them to her?
Bucking her hips against him, she sucked in harsh breaths as her body tingled. The bed squeaked beneath her and the frame thudded against the wall. She closed her eyes, pressed her forehead against his chest, and held her breath when the pleasure broke, splintering through her.
She opened her eyes to watch Nash thrust several more times before withdrawing and spilling himself over her thighs.
He pressed his forehead to hers. “Ah, Grace, do you have to stare at a man with those wide eyes? It’s enough to make a man paranoid.”
“But it’s so fascinating.”
“Something like that.”
She glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece. “Do you think we have time for…more?”
He chuckled and turned then reached for a cloth to clean her up. She could not help but stare at his rear.
“Let us rest a little while,” he said while he dabbed her thighs. “Something you will learn about men is that we do need a small amount of time to recover.”
She nodded and smiled. “I am learning a lot today.”
“Not to worry. I have lots, lots more to teach you.”
Chapter Eighteen
“Bollocks,” Nash hissed.
Mary’s gaze skipped between the two of them, a brow raised. Nash sat up, using his body as a shield for Grace.
Not that Grace seemed bothered at all by being discovered in his bed. She curled a hand around his arm and peered around him. “We’ve been found?”
Mary shook her head. “Not yet but my brother said someone was asking about you in the Eight Bells. Or a woman of your description.”
Nash cursed again. How the hell had anyone tracked them so closely? Russell was about the most cautious kidnapper anyone could get. All he could think was that something had happened with the ransom to give them away. He rubbed a hand over his face.
That did not feel right either. Russell and Guy were too smart for that.
“We need to leave,” he announced.
Grace banded the bedsheet around her and nodded.
He’d half-expected her to argue but either she trusted him to a fault or she had already worked it out in that far-too-logical mind of hers that staying was too dangerous, and if someone was hunting them, it would not take long for them to figure out they could be in the abandoned old house.
“Mary, can you gather Grace’s gowns and a change of clothes for me? We’ll have to go on foot.”
Mary nodded. “Of course.”
“I’ll write a letter to Russell and Guy, let them know what’s happening. Can you ensure it is sent?”
She nodded again and hastened out of the room. Nash turned to Grace and curved a hand around her face. “I will not let anything happen to you, I swear.”
Eyes wide, she clasped a hand over his. “You’re strong and clever. I am certain you will not.”
“Woman, you certainly do know how to compliment a man.”
“It wasn’t a compliment, merely an observation.”
He chuckled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Get dressed, with haste. We will leave within the hour.”
She slipped her chemise over her head and he closed his eyes briefly. This was not at all how he intended to start the day. He’d rather have had more time to explore her body, taste every inch of her. Even a whole night of lovemaking wasn’t enough to fulfill his need for her.
Instead they would have to make a run for it.
He wasn’t scared, at least not for him. He could protect her easily enough and he’d go through hell and back to ensure she didn’t have to marry that bastard Worthington, but there could be a whole crowd of paid men hunting her and he wasn’t willing to put his life on the line unless he could guarantee her safety. It would be far better to get some distance and join forces with Guy and Russell at the lake house. Her safety was not something he was willing to wager on.
Thank the Lord, they had a backup plan. They had never had to use it before, but cautious Guy had made it clear what should be done should something go awry. Mostly it involved getting the hell out of the house but at least he didn’t have to think about where they would go.
After dressing swiftly, he splashed cold water over his face and ignored the crumpled sheets on his bed that still smelled of Grace. It was hard to have any regrets, especially when she had made such a sound argument, but he had broken his vow to Guy and Russell. Maybe that would mean this whole Kidnap Club thing was over for him and maybe that meant his strict idea of sticking to promises had bent a little, but he’d be damned if he could regret being Grace’s first.
God damn, though, he’d love to be her last too. Never in his life had he had a possessive thought over a woman, but he did now. Several of them in fact.
He shook his head and pushed his feet into his boots then hurried downstairs to pen a hasty letter to Guy. With any luck, it would reach him in a day with the help of a fast messenger and he would have the extra muscle needed to protect Grace. He wasn’t
proud. He was strong and capable and an excellent shot too. But if he had to ask every man in England to keep her safe, he would.
Curses, he had better retrieve his pistol too. He rose from the writing desk and found Mary in the entranceway, two bags in hand.
“I think you have all you need,” she said.
He handed her the letter. “As fast as possible if you can. And once we are gone, can you close up and ensure you’re not seen? I wouldn’t have you getting into trouble.”
Mary grinned. “I think I have enough protection with my brothers.”
Nash considered the three burly men and nodded. “That is true.”
“How do you think they found us?”
He shrugged. “Lord knows. Hopefully Russell can answer that. He might know something I don’t, and the man has a brain almost bigger than Grace’s.”
Her brows rose.
“It’s true. He might seem the quiet, brutish sort but I’ve seen him read through books in under an hour and he’s forever quoting Shakespeare.”
“Well, I hope you can keep Grace safe.” Mary’s smile turned impish. “And at your side.”
“You saw nothing.”
“Of course I didn’t but if it helps, I think she’s perfect for you.”
Oh great. The last thing he needed was Mary rooting for some sort of future for them. Grace still did not know the full extent of his past and while they might be ridiculously compatible in bed, it did not mean they could carve out a future together.
“She’s perfect,” he agreed. “Just not for me.”
“YOU CAN’T BRING the cat.”
Grace clutched the basket handle closer to her body. “I am not leaving Claude behind. Mary said she has been instructed to keep clear of the house. Who will look after him?”
Nash groaned. “Can’t he eat mice or something? We will come back to collect him once you are safe, I promise.”
She eyed him. Apparently bedding a man did not make him understand one any more than previously. Or had he bed her? She was just not certain. After all, she had been the one to ask him to make love to her, but Nash had most certainly taken the lead.
And what a lead it was...
Capturing the Bride (The Kidnap Club Book 1) Page 12