Gabriel groaned, a low, guttural sound that seemed to emerge from his very core as Penny arched against him. He wanted her; and God help him he would have her. Unbridled lust superseded rational thinking as the last remaining vestige of his affronted pride gave up its intrepid battle. “Is this what you want?” he murmured against her parted lips, undulating his hips ever so slowly as he kneaded the soft flesh of her buttocks through the thin fabric of her dressing gown.
Yes, oh yes. This was most definitely what she wanted, the moment she’d dreamed about time and time again. “Yes,” she breathed, her tone shamelessly unabashed.
Lifting his head, Gabriel looked down upon her through ravenous eyes and then dropped his hands, taking a step backward. “Take it off,” he commanded in a low, throaty tone.
Penny hesitated for only a second before reaching for the tie at her waist and slipping the narrow band of emerald-green satin from its knot, allowing the two sides of her dressing gown to part down the middle. She waited, thinking he might reach out to slide it from her shoulders, but he remained still, his arms motionless at his sides as he watched her. Don’t lose your nerve now, Penny, she silently cautioned herself. And so, lifting her hands, she pushed it from her shoulders, allowing the silky-smooth fabric to slide slowly down her arms and back before pooling at her feet.
Standing there with nothing but the feel of the cool night air against her skin, Penny watched with bated breath as Gabriel’s eyes drifted ever so slowly down the length of her body, her heart beating frantically within her chest. It felt like an eternity as she stood before him, naked and exposed as he surveyed her body from beneath the dark fringe of his lashes, though surely it was only a matter of seconds. Anxiously she wondered what he was thinking, and then she had her answer in the very next moment.
“Perfect,” he breathed, as his admiring gaze slowly returned to hers.
Staring into his vivid green eyes, she could see the unmistakable flame of desire burning hot within their fathomless depths. To know that she pleased him, that her body pleased him, was a heady feeling and she felt her anxiety melting away like the last bit of snow giving way to spring, her apprehension replaced by a rapidly-building heat that seemed to radiate throughout her entire body.
Holding Penny’s gaze, Gabriel raised his hand and cupped one of her breasts in his palm, lightly flicking his thumb across her peaked nipple. She gasped, her mouth falling open as she drew in a sudden, ragged breath. Snaking his arm around her waist he pulled her toward him, watching her reaction as he circled the rigid peak with his thumb, while his fingers deftly massaged the lush, perfectly-formed mound, smiling to himself when her head fell back a few seconds later, a soft, breathy moan escaping her lips.
Lowering his head, he pressed his mouth against the enticing curve of her neck, trailing his tongue along the slender column as he placed his hands at the backs of her knees and then scooped her up into his arms. Striding to the bed he laid her atop the soft, linen sheets as her long, auburn curls streamed behind her, the thick strands splaying out like brilliant flames across the pristine white pillowcase beneath her head.
Penny might have felt embarrassed lying there naked whilst Gabriel stood almost fully clothed, gazing down upon her as his eyes roamed unhurriedly across every last inch of her body, but surprisingly she didn’t. Instead, she felt… beautiful; for the way he was looking at her, with an intensity that she could only think to describe as reverential and even a bit awed, effectively wiped out whatever inhibitions she might have had. It made her feel… like a woman.
Penelope’s body was even more exquisitely lovely than Gabriel had imagined it would be; her each and every curve like a finely-sculpted work of art. From her smooth, ivory-colored skin, and full, luscious breasts, perfectly-proportioned to fit his hand, to the gentle flare of her rounded hips and the small, tantalizing cluster of curls nestled between legs the ideal length to wrap tightly around his back, her entire form appeared to have been crafted with the sole purpose of inflaming a man’s desire, his desire.
Reaching for the buttons of his shirt, he wrenched them free without thought or care, sending several of the small pearl discs skittering across the carpet as he divested himself of the garment. Then reaching for the waistband of his trousers, he swiftly undid the gold, metal fastenings and shoved the woolen fabric over his hips and down his legs, kicking it free as it crumpled around his ankles.
Penny watched in shameless fascination as Gabriel shed the remainder of his clothing, her wide eyes taking in every inch of his masculine splendor as it was revealed to her rapt gaze, from the taut, muscled-planes of his broad chest to the length of his manhood jutting boldly from between his thick, muscular thighs, her eyes widening even further as she noted the length and width of his rigid staff, feeling a momentary twinge of unease at the sheer size of it. Fortunately she had little time to dwell upon it, however, as he joined her on the bed a second later, his hands reaching for her as he lowered his head, his warm lips descending upon hers once again.
Time gradually ceased to have meaning for Penny as Gabriel kissed her into a state of near mindlessness, ravaging first her lips and then eventually moving to place a series of enticing little kisses along the line of her jaw and the length of her throat, hesitating for a moment to trace his tongue over the spot where her pulse seemed to throb in a rapidly increasing rhythm beneath her skin, before trailing his lips in an unerring path to her breasts, where his hands and fingers had already begun a tantalizing exploration of their own. Then, as he caught one, delicate pink nipple between his lips, swirling his tongue around the sensitive bud before slowly drawing it into the warm recess of his mouth, she reached up, clutching his shoulders with a tiny whimper as a sudden, delicious tingle shot from her breast to her belly.
Lost to all but sensation, hours rather than minutes could have easily passed as Gabriel lavished attention on her aching breasts, her breathing becoming ever more ragged as he used both his hand and his mouth with astonishing expertise to send rolling waves of pleasure throughout the length of her body. But then, when she felt his hand move slowly from her breast to skim lightly across her ribs, along her belly and then down to the top of her pelvis where it hovered for a moment just above her triangle of downy curls, her breathing seemed to stop altogether.
“Spread your legs,” Gabriel murmured against the side of Penny’s neck, his breath hot against her already warm skin. She did as he said, inching her legs apart as she slowly released the breath she’d been holding within her lungs, and a second later felt the first gentle touch of his hand against the most private, intimate part of her body.
As Gabriel trailed his fingers over Penelope’s narrow thatch of curls and then down to her soft, feminine folds, he was inordinately pleased to discover that her flesh was already slick and damp, irrefutable proof that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. Deftly stroking her moist cleft, he waited patiently until he felt the subtle arch of her hips against his hand before gently sliding one slender finger into her hot, damp sheath.
Penny let out a soft gasp as she felt the intrusion of Gabriel’s finger into the inner most recess of her body. It wasn’t a gasp of pain or discomfort, however, but one of utter bliss, for the welcome intrusion seemed to be exactly what her body craved. And then, as he slowly began to move his hand, his finger sliding in and out of her sensitive folds with gradually increasing speed, she knew that she’d never felt anything so absolutely wonderful. That is, until a short time later, when the world seemed to fade around her and the only thing she was aware of was her body’s increasingly desperate yearning, followed by a sudden burst of pleasure so intense that it seemed to explode within her body, as well as her mind.
“Oh my,” Penny exclaimed, once she’d regained the ability to speak.
“Enjoyed that, did you?” Gabriel murmured as he skimmed his nose upward along the side of her neck, breathing in the delicious fragrance that never ceased to stir his senses.
Good heavens, Penny th
ought, not even the naughty little book in her nightstand drawer had prepared her for what she’d just experienced. “I… that was… incredible.”
“That,” Gabriel whispered against her ear as he shifted his body above hers, nudging her legs farther apart as he settled over her, “was only the beginning.”
With her shattered senses scarcely pieced back together, Penny eyes went wide at Gabriel’s declaration, and wider still as she felt the unmistakable probing of his shaft between her splayed thighs.
“I’ll be as gentle as I can,” Gabriel assured her as his eyes locked with hers, even though all he wanted to do at that moment was to thrust forward and bury himself within the depths of Penelope’s luscious body. But knowing that she was a virgin and would likely feel a certain measure of pain when he breached her maidenhead, he knew that he had to do what he could to minimize it. Even so, he felt her tense as he slowly eased forward, but despite her obvious discomfort she made no move to gainsay him as she lay motionless beneath him, merely inhaling a deep breath into her lungs as she adjusted to the size and feel of him, her tight cleft slowly stretching and expanding to allow him entrance as he pressed determinedly forward, inch by inch. Surprisingly, however, it seemed only the marked tightness of her sheath that impeded his progress, for he felt no additional barrier to hinder his advance. And while it gave him a moment’s pause, he had enough knowledge and experience to know that, despite commonly held beliefs, the lack of a woman’s maidenhead didn’t necessarily indicate a lack of virtue; and so he continued to push forward, little by little, until nearly the entire length of his shaft was embedded within her heated core.
Having expected to experience at least a small degree of pain as Gabriel took her virginity, Penny was surprised to feel only a moderate sense of discomfort as her body slowly adjusted to accommodate both the unfamiliar incursion as well as his considerable size. “That… wasn’t so bad,” she professed as Gabriel stilled, shifting slightly beneath his weight as she gradually adjusted to the feel of his rigid member seated deeply inside of her.
“I’m not hurting you?” he asked, noting her slight frown.
“No, it’s…” She trailed off with a miniscule shake of her head. “You’re not hurting me.”
Gazing down into Penelope’s wide blue eyes, Gabriel felt an inordinate sense of relief at her answer, for with his cock pulsing and throbbing within her moist heat it was nearly all that he could do to keep himself still. So gradually he began to move, slowly at first and then with steadily increasing speed, lengthening his strokes until finally he settled into a rhythm that had Penelope clinging to him, her fingernails pressing into the backs of his shoulders; and then, soon after, she was raising her hips from the mattress to meet each of his deep, powerful thrusts.
Before long they were both breathing in short little panting breaths, their skin glistening with the faint sheen of perspiration as they moved ever closer to attaining the euphoric release their bodies so desperately craved.
It was only minutes later, when Gabriel felt the first telltale contraction of Penelope’s muscles, followed by her soft, kneeing cry as a series of rippling convulsions took hold of her body, that he finally succumbed to his own release; and a few seconds later he spilled himself, flooding her with his seed as he surrendered to one of the most satisfying and remarkably-intense climaxes he’d ever experienced.
For several long moments afterward, neither of them moved, their bodies still intimately joined as their ragged breathing slowly returned to normal.
“Gabriel?” Penny queried after a time, her tone somewhat hesitant.
“Hmm?” he replied drowsily.
“Is it… always like that?”
Hell no, was his immediate thought, though he didn’t voice it aloud. Instead he murmured against her ear, “Give me fifteen minutes and you can answer that question for yourself.”
“Fifteen minutes?” Penny exclaimed.
Gabriel merely chuckled as he buried his face in the smooth curve of her neck and rolled onto his side, taking her with him.
As it happened, it was actually closer to an hour before Penny got her answer. And much to her utter delight, the answer to her question was an unequivocal yes.
Chapter 16
Penny awoke sluggishly, blinking her eyes against the bright, early morning sun streaming in through the partially-opened draperies, filling the room with light.
“Good morning.”
The quietly spoken words brought her fully awake in an instant, the sound of his voice sending a sudden shiver racing the length of her spine. For a moment her breath caught; and then ever so slowly she rotated her head upon the pillow, coming face to face with Gabriel a second later. He was lying on his side with his elbow bent and his head resting on his hand, looking down upon her through fathomless, heavy-lidded eyes, his expression inscrutable. “Good morning,” she replied softly.
For several long seconds they simply stared at one another in silence, both of them, it seemed, attempting to gauge the other’s thoughts and emotions.
Ultimately, it was Gabriel who spoke first. “Why did you come to my room last night?” he asked, his even tone completely lacking inflection.
To thank you for the necklace, was Penny’s immediate thought; but of course, that would have been a lie. Instead, she told him the truth. “Because I wanted you,” she confessed, her voice coming out whisper soft and slightly unsteady as she bore the weight of his assessing gaze, “because I wanted… this.” She watched him closely, noting the brief, flicker of surprise reflected in his gaze and the subtle shift in his contemplative expression. “Are you angry?” she asked uncertainly.
His lips curved the slightest bit upward at the corners of his mouth. “Do I look angry?”
She hesitated, studying Gabriel’s face for several seconds before responding. “No.”
“I’m not angry,” he confirmed.
She offered him a faint smile then, her entire being relaxing as a tremendous sense of relief washed over her. “I’m glad.”
But after a moment, when the silence began to stretch between them once again, Penny felt another, sudden twinge of uncertainty. “I suppose I should probably return to my own room now,” she said, her voice slightly tentative.
“Or,” he surprised her by saying, his lips curving upward another fraction as he moved his free hand to pull the sheet that covered her ever so slowly downward, allowing the soft linen to brush tantalizingly against her skin as her naked body was revealed inch by inch to his hungry gaze, “you could stay a while longer.”
_____
Over the course of the next two weeks, Penny grew increasingly optimistic about her future with Gabriel as their relationship continued to improve much apace with the progress they’d made since the days following the Caversham’s ball some two months earlier; for much to her ongoing relief they maintained the amiable rapport they had previously established and seemed to grow ever more comfortable with one another with each passing day. And while she knew that Gabriel would never forget the unwarrantable series of events that had occurred in Scotland and might well never accept that her actions hadn’t been deliberate, she took heart in the fact that he seemed willing at least to try and move past it.
It was during the all too short hours of the night, however, that their relationship had taken on an entirely new and far more satisfying dimension. For after that first night, the night Gabriel had shown her the true meaning of pleasure, she had spent each ensuing night in the midst of his enormous bed, her body intertwined with his as he took her on that incredible journey to paradise, time and time again. And it was then, during those glorious, passion-filled hours, when she lay utterly spent and blissfully sated within the circle of his arms that she began to think that maybe, just maybe, her youthful, romantic fantasies hadn’t been so foolish after all.
And while there remained a tiny part of her brain that continued to urge caution, it was nigh impossible to heed, for as the days progressed it grew ever more
difficult to deny what her heart already knew. For better or for worse, sensible or not, she was falling head over heels in love with Gabriel.
As such, it seemed to take little more than the mere sight of her husband to set her pulse racing and her heart beating just a little bit faster within her chest, just as it did at that very moment, for hearing the sound of the library doors opening, she glanced up from the book she’d been reading for the past quarter hour to see him entering the room. “Gabriel, you’re home early,” she remarked in pleasant surprise, for it was just shortly past two o’clock, and on most week days he didn’t arrive home until much later in the afternoon or early evening.
“I am,” he nodded, returning her smile. “The session ended early today,” he informed her as he continued into the room.
“Have you eaten?” she inquired, setting aside the book, for the afternoon meal had already been served. “If not, I can have the kitchen prepare you a plate. Cook made a delicious lobster salad for luncheon.”
“Thank you, but no, Reinford and I stopped by Reeves’ for a bite to eat after the session let out,” he told her, sitting down upon the chair next to hers. “What were you reading?” he asked, glancing toward the book she’d set onto the small, round, mahogany-topped table that sat between their chairs.
“Wuthering Heights.”
“Ah.” Gabriel’s brows drew together as he studied the cover. “A dark and rather dismal tale as I recall.”
“It is that,” Penny acknowledged, “though I must confess that I find it oddly compelling as well.” She’d read it before, twice actually.
Gabriel nodded as he looked up from the book. “I certainly cannot disagree with that, as Miss Brontë did render a decidedly thought-provoking work,” he acknowledged with an amenable expression. “And though I am loath to interrupt your reading,” he stated with an apologetic smile, “there is something of importance I would like to discuss with you.”
To Capture a Duke's Heart Page 23