The Runner's Enticement (Men of Circumstance Book 2)

by Addie Jo Ryleigh

  Instead of his deep growl clearing her desire, her lips curled upward, proving she was pleased with her ability to unman him.

  Powerless, he descended and pulled a long, hard kiss from her lips. Her moan swamped his senses.

  Who could blame him if he took the sweet friction of her body rubbing against his as encouragement? But he hadn’t yet heard an agreement from her own lips.

  Unfortunately, his momma had taught him right and he’d never proceeded without indisputable permission. Particularly not with a lady of Anna’s caliber.

  This time when he ended their kiss and her gaze met his, he somehow found the strength to stay his course. “If at any time you wish to stop, say the word. Understand?”

  With a lusty haze consuming her eyes and her small nod, there was no mistaking her involvement. Her trust in him filled Nate with something more profound than desire.

  “I want to give this to you. Share this time with you, but I won’t breach any walls we both know aren’t mine to break.”

  Her response reminded him of the no-nonsense way she employed with the students. “As intoxicating as your charms may be, I’m not so far gone I don’t know what I’m doing. Unless you aspire to change my mind, do be quiet and kiss me.”

  Through with being chivalrous, he murmured against her mouth, “Whatever you say, sweet.”

  His longing set free, his fingers and lips took the lead. Years of practice gave him the ability to keep their kiss intense yet unhurried as he slowly guided her to the bed.

  Her low sigh mingled with his groan, urging him to do away with her clothes. Thoughts of removing her garments brought a moment of clarity to his mind.

  “Will your maid be coming to attend you?”

  Showing a boldness he’d never expected upon meeting her, she tugged his head back to hers and whispered her answer against his lips. “Not until I call for her.”

  “To be safe,” he murmured, then slipping from her arms, he strode to the door and turned the lock. Before she could issue a complaint or question, he returned to the bed, and her warmth.

  “Now this will stay between you and me,” he issued with a brush of his lips along hers.

  Propriety concluded, he eased her around to loosen the fastenings running up her back. The moment his hands touched the top hook, she tilted her head and exposed the creamy skin of her neck. Drawn to the movement, he placed a kiss on the curve of her shoulder and flicked his tongue against the sweetness of her skin.

  She tasted of things he’d never thought to hold—especially with a lady of the ton. Goodness. Innocence. And something that shook him to his core.

  Acceptance.

  All their dealings in the last few days had made one thing very clear. Anna didn’t care for his presence in her world. But he was beginning to understand it had nothing to do with his base origins. He sensed that even if he carried his brother’s title, she would hold the same aversion.

  He couldn’t be sure where they would be tomorrow—friends or enemies—but at the moment, as he slid her dress down her arms and over her rounded hips, her soft whimper proved it didn’t matter who he was or who’d sired him.

  His touch had enflamed her desire.

  Anna refused to acknowledge she stood nearly naked before the man who had the power to ruin her—and not just in the physical sense. Instead, she opted to focus on the feelings only Nate roused. From the very first day, he’d elicited responses that both aggravated and excited her.

  The moment he freed her of her remaining garments and lifted her onto the bed, his strong body, poised above hers, became her only focus.

  Her skin tingled at the sensual glint in his eyes as his gaze roamed over her nakedness. An answering heat rose in her cheeks.

  “Even more perfect than I’d imagined,” he whispered.

  Knowing this self-assured man wanted her was too much to absorb. There was nothing trivial or tiresome about Nate. She would never be in danger of succumbing to boredom with him.

  Reclined against the pillows, she melted into their softness when his warm breath grazed her breast. The sensations only multiplied with the flick of his tongue, closely followed by him drawing her sensitive bud into his mouth. As he swirled his tongue over the tip, she arched into his caress.

  Oh, my.

  Her breath hitched when his light stubble grazed the side of her breast as his mouth swept across her torso to focus on the opposite bud.

  “So sweet.” His words moved against her skin, making her crave the taste of his lips.

  Unfamiliar with the rules of bed play, she could only moan his name. “Nate,” and pray he comprehended her overwhelming need.

  A low growl burst from his lips. “I’ve dreamed of my name on your lips but never had I imagined what the simple sound would do to me.”

  Enthralled with what he could be doing to her, she trailed her fingers up his sleeve, resenting the linen keeping her from touching his bare skin, until her hand came to rest on his nape.

  This time there was no tentativeness or holding back on his part when she coaxed his kiss. Be it the strength of his possession or the deep plunder of his tongue, she sensed the change in him. He gave her everything.

  As his hand grazed her knee and slowly trailed over her hip, she sighed into their kiss and tugged his shirt free of his breeches. And shuddered when his hand breached the curls between her legs.

  Oh, dear heavens.

  Rational thought vanished as he explored further, setting off radiating sparks in her body. The touch of his finger as it slid over her wetness made her gasp for breath.

  Breaking off their kiss, he brushed gentle lips along the curve of her jaw before tracing down the column of her neck. Her breasts tingled with the need to once again feel his mouth move over the tips.

  “Please, Nate.”

  His lips vibrated against the skin when he spoke. “Tell me what you need.”

  Unfamiliar with what her body craved, she answered with the only thing she knew. “More.”

  Instead of mocking her ignorance, his lips skimmed the swell of her breast as he whispered, “More of this?” before his mouth consumed the aching peak.

  The tug on her breast heightened the passion building from the way his thumb swirled against her flesh, and her hips instinctively lifted to increase the pressure. Immersed in him, her body was more than ready when he slipped a single finger into her heat.

  “Oh . . . Please . . . Nate . . .”

  Indecipherable words fell from her lips. When a second finger joined the first, she had no power left but to savor the fullness. Needing to touch him, her greedy hand burrowed beneath his shirt. Smooth heat greeted her palm, shooting tingles up her arm.

  Intoxicated from her newly discovered boldness, she spoke her demand before contemplating it. “Remove your shirt.”

  Wordlessly, he sat on his knees and pulled his shirt free of his buckskin breeches. His rush to obey sent a surge of power through her.

  The moment he discarded his shirt and the flickering candlelight outlined his chest, all other thoughts faded.

  The dips and curves of his defined physique fascinated her, inviting her fingertips to trace each line of muscle. All the way down to the band of his breeches. The slight tremble of his body, when her fingers brazenly dipped below the fabric, drew her eyes to his face.

  Gone was his confident smirk, and in its place, a heated yearning had emerged. Every facet of his expression reflected it. In the intense blue of his eyes. His tense jaw and flushed cheeks. All responses she’d provoked.

  Her fingers still trapped in the waist of his breeches, his hand brushed hers when he reached to release the buttons. Instead of shying away, she kept her eyes steady on his and her hand where it was.

  As the last button unfastened and his falls opened,
she knew there would be no turning back. Her body craved him despite all else.

  She wasn’t a blind fool to think the feelings Nate encouraged were love. She determinately prepared to follow wherever their passions led.

  He scrambled her thoughts as he kicked free of his boots, then tugged his breeches over his lean hips. He only paused slightly before shoving down the bunched material, revealing his hardened length.

  Words failed her. His powerful appendage, jutting from a patch of hair as light in color as what adorned his head, mesmerized her. She wondered if the smooth skin would feel as soft as it appeared, in contrast to such hard strength. She longed to explore further. And her fascination with the organ had obviously caught his attention as his easy chuckle hit her ears.

  “I can see your mind working, princess.” He pushed his breeches past his knees. “I’m at your mercy.”

  Free to study and learn, Anna froze. It was one thing to want to touch it. It was completely different to actually do so.

  “I’m not sure . . .”

  As she wrestled with herself, Nate took care of the decision. He scooted closer and snared her hand, gently wrapping her fingers around his flesh. His sharp inhale encouraged her to make her own foray along his shaft.

  Captivated by how it grew even further beneath her touch, she wasn’t focused on Nate when his hand returned to her body. The easy slip of his finger into her center sent a wave of such intense pleasure through her, she clenched him in her palm.

  “Easy, sweet,” he purred. “It may feel sturdy but it can be rather delicate.”

  Her fist eased but refused to relinquish him. As she learned the intricacies of his shaft, his strong fingers continued their intimate probe. Before long, she lost the power to focus on the stroke of her hand, as his caress seemed to push her body toward some lofty summit.

  “Oh, Nate . . . please . . .”

  “Just feel, sweetheart. I want to watch you lose control.”

  The pressure of his hand between her legs increased. The deep plunge of his fingers filled her, yet left her craving more. When his thumb joined the pursuit and pressed in a secret place, swirling waves of endless sensation finally crashed through every muscle she possessed.

  Lights danced behind her eyelids as Nate slowed his movements, extracting every last quiver from her. When he eased his hand from her body, it took a moment before she realized he’d left the bed without a word.

  Fear she’d done something wrong—that she’d reacted erroneously—clenched at Anna’s heart. She struggled between wanting to crawl under the covers in shame, and demanding he never leave her side.

  Her desire, still simmering within her body, made her brazen. She sat up in the bed, prepared to beg him to stay, when she noticed he wasn’t fleeing in disgust. Rather, he’d removed his breeches completely, leaving nothing between his naked perfection and her eyes.

  Quickly he returned to the bed, stretching his muscular frame along hers, fusing their bare skin from torso to knee.

  “I see you thinking again,” he murmured, his lips so close to hers, the words vibrated on her tongue.

  “I don’t think I’m capable of creating a useful thought at the moment.”

  The rakish twinkle returned to his eyes. “That is the point. To feel such rapture the world melts away.”

  He was right. Even the heat of his warm body stirred her.

  “What of you?”

  A grin so wicked she felt it to her toes floated along his lips. “Oh, don’t worry about me. We are far from done.”

  Nate knew she agreed when her low moan trembled against his chest. Earlier, when her virginal cries of completion had filled his ears, he’d nearly lost all reason, crawled between her legs, and pushed into her warmth. Back in control, he was ready to dedicate the time needed to make tonight perfect for her.

  All possibility of leaving her virginity intact had evaporated when she’d slain him with deep need shining from her eyes, a plea impossible to ignore.

  He closed the distance between their lips and became lost in the taste of her. An avid pupil, she swept her tongue into his mouth, arousing him more than he could ever recall.

  Spurred by her sensual kiss, he grasped her hips and pulled her closer, his cock already at full attention, on the brink of exploding like a randy youth at the feel of her body close to his.

  “You are so sweet,” he murmured against her lips. “One day I’m going to taste all of you.” He refused to think of what his words meant. Of what his desire-filled mind was planning. Their time together was only supposed to be about tonight. There wouldn’t be another interlude. He had no place in her life.

  Anna’s wandering hand brought him to some semblance of sense. While he’d been contemplating her honeyed taste, she’d managed to slide her fingers between their bodies and was a touch away from encircling his cock. Aware he’d lose control the moment she touched him, he navigated her onto her back.

  Settled between her thighs with the tip of his shaft inches from heaven, he focused on her dreamy gaze, peering at him. Rocked by the sight, he slipped his hand over her mound. Recalling how amazing she’d felt, he glided a finger into her tight, wet heat.

  Her back arched from the bed. “Nate, I need more.”

  Preparing her for his size, he brought another finger into play and nearly died at how easily her body accepted him. He needed to have her now.

  “I’ll take this as carefully as I can but it might hurt at first.” He’d never been with a virgin so he could only assume the pain she’d endure, and hope he didn’t do anything to taint the moment for her.

  The faith shining in her eyes speared him before she answered, “I trust you.”

  Now he was nervous. He knew the moment would be amazing for him, her tight wetness guaranteed it. But for once in his life, he wasn’t concerned with his pleasure. He needed everything to be perfect for Anna.

  Intent on just that, he drew the rigid peak of her breast into his mouth while he continued to stroke her.

  “Please, Nate. Now.”

  The longing woven through her words broke his resolve. Moving fully over her body, he kissed her lips as the head of his cock brushed against her entrance. He nearly wept at the sensation. Everything about her was perfection. Their eyes connected as he slowly took her, each time withdrawing slightly before working himself deeper.

  “Anna,” he whispered as he reached her maidenhead. Fixated on her turquoise eyes, he pushed through the barrier, eliciting a hiss from her throat. He kissed her mouth tenderly, holding still. “I’m sorry.”

  Heartbeats passed before her lips came alive beneath his, all the encouragement he needed. When her hips met his every thrust, he wanted to shout his gratitude.

  He groaned, “You are perfect. Don’t stop.”

  Surrendering, he pressed his cheek alongside hers as he lost himself in her body. She clawed at his back, trying to clutch him closer. Reining in his release, he dragged his mouth over the curve between her shoulder and neck and gave a gentle bite, quickly soothing it with the pressure of his mouth.

  “Yes. Oh, Nate, yes.”

  He sucked harder and thrust deeper right as her orgasm clenched her body around his cock and sent him over the edge.

  Their bodies stilled.

  The sweat on his back started to cool before he recognized his blunder. He’d released his seed in her. Buried in her warmth, he failed to dredge up the proper amount of guilt at the possible repercussions.

  Instead, he focused on Anna.

  His body remained poised above hers, and he felt her fingers sketch tiny patterns over his back. Intermittent sighs brushed against his hair.

  Preparing to relieve her of his weight, he started to push up on his arms when she prevented his departure.

  “Just a moment longer.�
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  He chuckled. “I’m going to crush you.”

  Her light laugh joined his. “If you didn’t manage to squash me during all that, I doubt another minute or two will bring my demise.”

  Enjoying the feel of her delicate curves beneath him, he didn’t argue. Not when it allowed him time to savor her.

  When her fingers finally slowed, he skimmed his lips over hers before slipping from the bed. Knowing what needed to be done next might be uncomfortable for her, Nate quietly retrieved a cloth and dipped it into the basin of water at her washstand.

  Her eyes steady on him when he returned to the bed, he sat next to her and softly asked, “May I?”

  Without speaking, she slowly opened her legs. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d attended to one of his partners with such care. Then again, never before had he deflowered a lady. Something about the act of cleansing her was more intimate than the act of love itself.

  The task completed, he laid the cloth in the basin and returned to her side. Once in bed, he tugged the blankets over their naked bodies and pulled her against his side. Through it all, she remained silent. He didn’t need her words as she nestled close and rested her head on his chest.

  As perfect as she felt, he couldn’t ignore one small, but important fact. The night hadn’t gone as he’d intended.

  Even with her softness molded against him, his body refused to relax. He’d ruined the daughter of an earl. Honor demanded he right the situation. Marriage to the bastard brother of a duke was no future for a lady, even if Anna would have him.

  Hell, half the time she didn’t even like him.

  Her breathing slowed, indicating she’d fallen asleep. Unready to face the situation or the possible regret in her eyes, he took a page from her book and decided to escape while he could. It was time he prioritized and finished what Lawson had sent him to do.