The Cynfell Brothers Collection

by Samantha Holt

  “I need you, Ash.”

  A smile curved his lips, and he worked his finger around the waistband of her drawers. Lila lifted her hips. He moved carefully, ensuring the cotton didn’t touch the welt on her thigh.

  “I want to make this as pleasurable as possible for you.”

  She knew a little about sex. One didn’t reach the age of one and twenty without knowing something. And her mother had been adamant she would be no ignorant young virgin when the time came. She doubted, however, her mother would have expected her to lose it in such a manner. Kidnapped and unmarried.

  Well, she never had done things properly. She only knew that this was right. This was how it was meant to be.

  However, a little tension worked into her belly. It could hurt. Particularly if the rest of Ash was an indicator to the size of his...manhood. Heat rushed into her face. Here she was, entirely bare to him, and the thought of seeing him naked had her flushing like an innocent debutante.

  Debutante, she might be, but she was no fool. Men and women could enjoy great pleasure together, and she was certain they could too—once her virginity was taken.

  “If you wish to stop,” he said, stroking a hand up and down her breasts and belly, “just say. I would never wish to harm you.”

  “I know.”

  She closed her eyes and savoured the touch as he explored her body. His hands were warm, ever-so-slightly rough. More pleasurable than her own. He touched her belly button, her hips, her inner thighs, her calves.

  “Lila.” His voice sounded urgent, gruff. She opened her eyes to catch him staring at her in awe. “You are beautiful.” He sounded as though he might choke. “So beautiful. What did I do to deserve this?”

  She reached out to him, and he came into her embrace. They rested their foreheads together for a moment while she cupped his face. “You’re a good man, Ash Cynfell. You deserve much.”

  He kissed her swiftly and moved away to tug off his shirt. Rolling muscles and crisp hair was revealed. Her fingers flexed with the need to run her hands over his body. Then he stood to remove his trousers and drawers. She bit her lip, unable to keep her gaze from the sight of him. Large and masculine, he should have terrified her, but she couldn’t prevent herself from sitting up and taking him in her hand.

  A gasp escaped her at the feel of him, and he sucked in a strangled groan. So hot and hard, yet soft. A sharp pang of desire speared through her. There would be no going back now, and she didn’t wish to. All she could think on was their future together.

  “Take me, Ash.” She moved her hand over him again, exploring the shape of him. “Make me yours.”

  He snatched her wrist. “If you keep touching me, I will not be able to do much.”

  She uncurled her hand and allowed him to push her back. He kissed her forehead and stroked her cheek. “I will take you. I will make you mine. But I have to prepare you first.”

  Lila blinked at him. Whatever did he mean? Her confusion fled when he moved a hand down her body and eased apart her legs. Weighted breaths flowed between them. He used his fingers to spread her sex. More heat filled her face. She imagined she must be the colour of strawberries. But the faint flutter of air across her intimate parts and the knowledge he was looking his fill made her body pulse. She ached for his touch, yearned for it.

  “So beautiful,” he murmured again before touching her.

  Lila cried out. It was the gentlest of touches on her tender flesh, but she was far more sensitive than she thought possible. Never had pleasuring herself felt like this. He continued to stroke her face and gaze into her eyes as he sketched a path across her folds, discovering the shape of her. The throb in her thigh was almost forgotten now. She was lost to those intense eyes, to the love reflected in them. Would her eyes show the same? She hardly knew how to voice her feelings for Ash.

  In truth, it wasn’t until he brought her here that she’d come to the sharp realisation this was about more than her being a woman in peril. One look from him and the truth had come to her. He loved her, and she had no desire to deny that love. That had to mean...

  He touched her nub. She gripped his shoulders. Closed her eyes.

  “That’s my girl,” he urged softly, circling her sensitive spot with agonising gentleness.

  His girl. The words made her heart sing.

  “Ash, I need you.”

  “All in good time, darling. We mustn’t rush. Not on your first time.”

  She nodded and swallowed hard while he continued his ministrations. Lila recognised the building pleasure yet it felt nothing like when she touched herself. It was slower, deeper. Whenever she’d done it, she’d rushed, fearing being caught or feeling somewhat scandalous. Ash made her feel as though nothing was more natural than two people bringing pleasure to one another.

  As her legs started to tremble, he moved. Ash kissed her mouth, her neck, down to her chest. He pressed his mouth briefly to the swells of her breasts then to her belly. She sucked in a breath in anticipation. Surely he wasn’t going to...?

  His tongue probed her, hot and wet. She flung her arms wide and gripped the bed sheets. When she looked down, she found him gazing up at her while he tasted her flesh. A rush of fresh need washed through her. Lila tipped her head back and closed her eyes. He tasted and teased, increasing the ecstasy. She drew in sharp breaths. So close. So, so close.

  Ash pressed a finger inside her, and she cried out her satisfaction. He continued to circle her nub with his tongue, bestowing the occasional teasing nip on her flesh. He moved in and out, bringing about a sizzling satisfaction through her veins. When he added a second finger, she feared she’d explode then and there.

  He didn’t let her—not yet. Ash moved his fingers in and out, getting her used to the sensation. Behind her closed eyes, colours began to spark as his clever tongue worked her into a frenzy. The sweet sensations collided, and she bucked up her hips. He grasped her rear in both hands and held her body close to his while he continued to draw out her orgasm. She gasped, her legs shook. When she opened her eyes, she found him looking at her. It was so scandalous, so erotic, then her body gave another pulse and shudder, and she collapsed.

  He released a grin that was distinctly smug. Swiping a hand across his mouth, he moved up beside her. “You are beautiful when you come.”

  He smelled musky—her smell—but it didn’t concern her when he kissed her. There was something oddly exciting about it, especially because she knew what was coming.

  Gaze never leaving hers, he took her hips, careful not to touch the sting, and moved her on top of him. Lila couldn’t help but spread her hands over his chest and trace the carved muscles there.

  “Do you exercise a lot?”

  “Boxing.”

  She nodded. That explained why he’d been so good at fighting off the attacker. “There are a lot of things we don’t know about each other.”

  “Yes.”

  “That does not worry you?”

  She continued to trace a path down the ripples of his stomach, admiring the way they contracted under her touch. When her fingers dropped low, his arousal moved, and she found herself fascinated with it. She skimmed the head, feeling the moisture there and marvelling at the silky sensation. Ash dragged in a sharp breath, the sound hissing through the quiet room.

  He grabbed her hand to still it. Her gaze snapped to his. “I know everything I need to know,” he told her. “The smaller details will come later.”

  She eyed him, acutely aware of his hard thighs beneath her own, coarse and masculine. Of his strength that could be used for so many things but was only ever used to protect. Of the softness in his gaze. Of his love for her. Yes, she knew all she needed to know too.

  “Make love to me.”

  He took her hips in his hands. “I’d do anything for you, Lila.” He helped her get into position and released one hip to guide his manhood to her sex. “Go slowly. There’s no rush.”

  Her body was so ready from her previous orgasm that he slid in easily
to begin with. She felt her eyes go wide at the sensation of being spread and the knowledge they were joining in the most primitive and intimate way possible. Ash held her hips to prevent her from going farther, but she wriggled, keen to take the rest of him inside her.

  “Slowly,” he warned.

  A burning sensation struck her. She dug her nails into his arms and concentrated on breathing through her nostrils. She continued on, somehow knowing the reward would be worth it. After this, Ash would marry her, she had no doubt about it. He was not the kind of man to abandon a woman, and more than anything, she wanted a life with him. Let her have this serious, sensitive, courageous man over all the foppish, preening fools she’d met and would likely meet. No one would ever measure up to him.

  She stopped moving. They were joined. The pain eased but wasn’t gone so she waited a little longer. His gaze tracked over her body, falling on her breasts and where they were joined. She imagined the picture she made and felt a tiny pulse of need low in her belly. She shifted slightly. There was still tenderness but the awareness of being so blissfully full threaded through her.

  “Slowly, Lila,” he reminded her.

  He helped her understand what to do with his hands on her hips. From the gritting of his teeth and the way the veins in his neck stood out, she had no doubt he was using all his self-control not to take her as he wished. It astonished her that he considered himself so weak for these migraines yet was the strongest man in character and body she’d ever met. One day, she hoped she’d help him understand that too.

  Palms to his chest, she moved up. He eased her back down, then she moved again. Together, they found a rhythm that brought about a warm, budding sensation deep inside her. This was different, very unlike what she’d felt before. She anticipated—and almost feared in some way—that it would be life-changing. More so than losing her innocence. Once she was marked with that pleasure, she’d be thoroughly lost to him, body and soul.

  Lila stared down at him while she rocked against him. His intense eyes followed her movements. He would look after her body and her soul. She had no need to fear.

  She gave herself up then, moving with abandon as her body dictated. The warm sensation inside her grew more acute. She couldn’t help but utter his name between cries of disbelief at the pleasure two people could create. He answered her with his own grunts of ecstasy and the occasional utterance of her name.

  Ash put his hand between her legs and worked her nub while she continued to ride him. It didn’t take much. Her body was already sensitive and just waiting for something to push her over.

  His touch did it. Convulsing around him, she fell apart and collapsed forward. Her blood heated and her peak flowed through her like warm wine. Ash smoothed his hands up and down her back while speaking encouraging words. Then he began to move with vigour.

  Her tender body accepted it. Lila lay against him, basking in the warmth and strength of his chest while listening for his building orgasm. She would let him spill in her. If they were to be married, there was no reason for him not to. She lifted her head when his movements became jerky and watched his pleasure play out through his face. He gripped her tight, murmured her name and closed his eyes tight.

  Ash spilled into her. Their hearts hammered together. Never had Lila felt so content.

  “I love you, Lila.”

  She absorbed the words and the reality of them before replying, “I love you too.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Slivers of moonlight caressed the room. Ash opened and closed his eyes several times before gaining his bearings. He looked over to where his arm was pinned, wrapped around a beautiful sleeping woman. The night had turned cool. She wore her chemise, but he could feel her bare legs tangled between his. It had ridden up so that he could easily slip a hand down to stroke her bear rear.

  He watched her face as she slept. She showed no signs of being in pain, but he suspected the after-effects of the brandy and their love-making were responsible for her sleeping heavily. Unfortunately, the jellyfish sting would likely still hurt in the morning. A smile eased across his face in spite of that knowledge. How much longer they’d be here, he didn’t know, but as soon as it was safe to do so he was taking her back to London and marrying her.

  He stiffened. The air had changed or there was something different. A floorboard creaked. His heart was heavy in his ears. The room was dark, but there was enough light from the moon to see the furniture and Lila lying peacefully next to him. He forced his breaths to still and listened intently. An animal perhaps.

  But his gut said danger, and he always trusted his gut.

  Ash eased his arm out from beneath Lila. He didn’t wish to wake her if it was nothing. Slipping on his drawers, he sucked in a breath when his feet met the cold wood floor. He moved stealthily. If there was an intruder, he’d like to have the element of surprise on his side. But could Newton really have found them? Few people knew of their home in Kent, but he supposed one of his mother’s friends could have said something.

  He eased around the bed and out of the door that he’d left slightly ajar in his rush to get her to bed. The hallway was darker. Only a narrow window at the end let in any light, and shadows haunted each corner. The stairs were to the left of him, and when he peered over the bannister, all he saw was gloom. Ash curled a fist and inched across the plush carpet, grateful for how it cushioned his footsteps.

  There was a bang. Then a flash. The brief vision of Newton’s face lingered in his dazed eyesight. Then searing pain. He fell to the floor as agony tore through his thigh. Hot liquid poured down it, and it was only when he tried to push himself up that he realised it was his blood. Dots danced in front of his vision and the remembrance of the pain his brother had endured struck him. He’d been shot.

  With a groan, he pushed himself up, only to find a foot pressing down on his shoulder. He peered up at the barrel of a gun. The pain racked him, but it wasn’t any worse than the agony in his chest.

  He’d failed Lila.

  When he peered past the barrel, he saw the face he’d expected and dreaded.

  “You found us then,” he croaked.

  The chief grinned, his teeth flashing white in the dark. Ash couldn’t see his eyes properly, but he knew what they’d be filled with—darkness, anger, hatred, sickness.

  “You seem to forget that I am an officer of the law. You were not the easiest to track down but you left a nice little trail of breadcrumbs.” He glanced around. “Where’s the girl?”

  Ash said nothing.

  “Where is she?” Newton lifted his boot from Ash’s shoulder and moved it to the wound on his leg. He pushed down with his boot heel, and Ash bit back a howl of pain. Bile rose in his throat. He feared he’d pass out.

  But he’d suffer eternal agony rather than give Lila up to him. He prayed she’d found a hiding spot or something—anything. Anything to stop her from being harmed. It mattered little what happened to him as long as she remained safe.

  The chief flicked his gaze dismissively over him. “You won’t be going anywhere. What is the likelihood that she was sharing your bed? Could not resist the little virgin, eh?”

  Ash went for the man’s ankle, gripping it tight as he moved toward the bedroom. But he kicked him off with ease and stalked into the room. He couldn’t sit and wait for him to kill Lila. He swallowed the knot in his throat and forced himself up to sitting while expecting the sound of a gunshot at any moment. A crash of furniture sounded. Then something breaking. But no shot.

  Gripping the stair bannister, Ash dragged himself up. A fresh trickle of warmth ran down his leg, and the pain had turned into a throbbing, burning sensation. No less tolerable but he found himself able to almost ignore it while he focused on saving Lila.

  Sweat dripped across his forehead while he dragged his useless leg to the bedroom door. There was no subtlety to his movement this time. If Newton wanted to shoot him, so be it.

  When he reached the open doorway, he found the man tossing the furnit
ure about. But no sign of Lila. Ash grinned to himself.

  The chief turned to him, his eyes wild, pointing the gun at his gut. “Where is she?”

  Ash lifted a shoulder as he propped himself against the doorway. “Not here.”

  The chief shook his head. “Fine. I’ll find her. It was you I was after anyway.”

  He scowled. “You tried to kill her.”

  “Because she saw me. But it had always been you. If you had been where you were meant to be that night, none of this would have happened. Westerling was a waste of time and effort. He gave up within moments.” He laughed. “No, I really wanted you. There’s nothing quite like spilling the blood of a healthy, virile man like you.”

  The way he said virile had an edge to it. A sort of sadistic tinge that hinted at some sort of pleasure he took from that. Ash’s stomach rolled with disgust. He strongly suspected the man was aroused by the idea of killing men like himself. How many other men had he killed that they didn’t even know about?

  He edged forward, the gun still aimed at Ash’s stomach. “Then I would have gone for your brother. Unfortunately, I mistook him for you the first time and never did get my chance to finish him off.” Newton shrugged. “Oh well, I still will. Once I’ve informed everyone the serial killer threw himself off the cliff edge, I can get to him. Thanks to your brothers, there’s been a few suspicious fingers turned on me, and I’ll admit it’s caused quite a bit of inconvenience.”

  Ash almost laughed. His brothers were clearly close to exposing him, and whatever happened, he knew they’d get him for what he’d done.

  “Does that amuse you?”

  He nodded. “Yes.”

  The chief cocked his head. “Why?”

  “Because you have no idea how determined my brothers are.” A flash of movement behind Newton caught Ash’s eye. His heart jolted. He laughed again, loud and deliberately. The chief eyed him as though he’d lost his mind.

  Ash twisted himself to the side, flattening himself to the wall when Lila swung down with the poker. He didn’t see the effect, but he heard it—a dull thud and a howl from Newton. The gun didn’t go off as feared, but it dropped to the floor.