Velvet Embrace

by Nicole Jordan

  Brie ground her teeth. "You mock me, my lord, but I assure you he was a scoundrel. I found being with him a perfectly horrid experience."

  So that was it, Dominic thought. Someone had hurt her. That explained why she cringed in fright whenever he got too close. Feeling a surge of anger toward the unknown man who had laid claim to her body and branded her with his harsh usage, Dominic shook his head. "I do not mock you, my fiery vixen. I think it a pity that your initiation should have been so unpleasant. He could not have been much of a man. I would not have been so careless with the privilege, nor would I have neglected your enjoyment."

  Brie arched a scornful brow. "Are you such an expert then?" she asked unwisely.

  Dominic shrugged. "I know how to please a woman." His long fingers slowly traced the line of her chin, moving down the curve of her neck and along the delicate collarbone. "You would not have come away from me ignorant of love's delights."

  "Of all the arrogant, conceited boasts I have ever heard—"

  A smile played on his lips. "You think my words empty?" Shall I show you they are not?"

  Brie turned her head, not wanting to endure his mockery. "No, thank you. I don't care to be shown any more than I already know."

  His fingers gripped her chin insistently, forcing her to look at him. All trace of amusement was gone from his expression. "I think, mademoiselle," Dominic said slowly, "that you deserve at least a demonstration." His hand moved behind her head, twisting in her hair and holding her captive.

  When she realized his intent, Brie's heart went to her throat. "No!" she gasped. But her fervent protest was smothered beneath Dominic's lips. She tried to struggle, but her arms were pinned beneath the blanket and were useless in fending him off. It made no difference, though. Dominic was determined to conquer her fear.

  His mouth moved over hers in a deliberate attack on her senses, drawing the very breath from her. His lips were hot and searing, his plunging tongue merciless in its thoroughness. The sultry, penetrating kiss seemed to go on forever, and before long, Brie's resistance began to melt like a snowflake under a hot desert sun.

  Dominic could sense her defenses weakening, but he steeled his body against his own urgent need. Tasting the sweetness of her mouth had only increased his hunger, but he knew he had to win her with patience. Slowly, he slid his naked length beneath the blanket and gathered her in his arms.

  When he tried to kiss her again, though, Brie gave a start. His heated loins were pressing against her bare thigh, making her intensely aware of his arousal. Frantically, she pushed against his chest, trying to escape the alien hardness. "No!" she cried. "No, please!"

  Feeling her struggle, Dominic threw a leg over her thighs to hold her still and raised his head to stare into her eyes. The blue-green pools were as deep as tropical lagoons and filled with fear.

  But she wanted him, he could feel it. And it wasn't as if she still had her virtue to preserve. By her own admission, she had known at least one lover.

  His mouth sought out her trembling lips once more. She was close to panic, but his soft kisses and caressing voice brought her back from the edge. "Brie, my sweet Brie," he whispered against her lips. "I won't hurt you. You have nothing to fear." Taking her hand, he gently guided her to his engorged manhood. "Feel my flesh, Brie. Touch me . . . yes. Ahh, God, how I want you."

  He gave her no choice but to obey him, but when she held him in her hand, Brie experienced a jolt of surprise. This was what she had been afraid of? His shaft was hard, yes, but warm and vibrant, too. It didn't seem to be an instrument of pain, of degradation, of violence. Perhaps she had been laboring under some misconceptions about men. She regarded Dominic in wonder, making no protest when he pushed the woolen blanket down around her hips.

  Dominic pressed his small advantage, wrapping an arm around her narrow waist. Lifting her slowly, he drew Brie closer, then bent to press light, feverish kisses down the slim column of her throat. When he reached the swelling curve of her breasts, he kissed each one gently, letting his tongue flick over the cloth-covered peaks.

  Brie gasped at the sensation he was creating. The soft lawn rasping against her nipples felt erotic and unbelievably stimulating. She arched instinctively against him, letting her head fall back.

  His fingers brushed boldly against her breasts as he freed them from their imprisoning fabric. Then cupping a thrusting mound in his hand, Dominic let his thumb swirl in languid circles over the taut peak. Brie moaned as a sweeping pleasure flooded her body. She clutched at him, digging her fingers into the hard muscles of Dominic's shoulders.

  When he bent his head and let his mouth settle hot and moist upon her breast, Brie felt a sudden rush of liquid heat, the force of which made her reel. She clung to him, gasping, her fingers tangling in the thick softness of his hair.

  "So beautiful," Dominic whispered seductively, drawing the rigid nipple further into his mouth, teasing the sensitive bud with his tongue.

  Brie couldn't think of a reply. All she could do was feel. His hand was caressing her body freely, wantonly, while he suckled her breasts. Then he began kissing her elsewhere, tracing a molten path upward along her throat.

  Her lips parted easily beneath his this time as his tongue plunged into her mouth, and she responded to him, kissing him back. She could feel his hand move slowly over her, stroking her in a slow rhythm as it glided over the silken skin of her abdomen, then claimed the softness between her thighs. Shocked by his intimate touch, Brie drew in a sharp breath. But she didn't pull away. A strange warmth was starting to build inside her.

  "Your other lover," Dominic whispered against her lips, "did he touch you here? Was he excited by your sweet passion, as I am?"

  His whispered words only half penetrated Brie's dazed senses. She gazed down at him, noticing that his dark hair looked like rippling black sable against her pale skin. How could he speak of other lovers? There had been no others.

  But she forgot her thoughts as Dominic's exploring fingers parted the soft curls that hid her womanhood. When he softly stroked the tender flesh, Brie moaned low in her throat, feeling a hot wetness flowing between her thighs. Unconsciously, she arched her back and pushed her hips forward, trying to get closer to him, trying to find release for the yearning ache he was stirring in her.

  Her eagerness nearly made Dominic lose control. With desire burning through him, he urgently lowered Brie to the mattress, pushing her shoulders down as he parted her thighs and prepared to thrust himself into her.

  The sudden mounting pressure of his entry made Brie gasp, but Dominic's reaction was even more abrupt. He froze in sudden confusion as he met the thin wall of resistant flesh. Then his eyes snapped open and he stared at her lovely face with shock. By God, she had lied to him. He was bedding a damned virgin!

  He would have withdrawn in sheer astonishment except that Brie clung to him tightly. She knew full well what she was giving him, Dominic realized as he saw the trust shining in her eyes. And he was too fiercely aroused to stop himself from taking it. He felt his heart twist in his chest as he gazed down at her. "Little fool," he whispered against her mouth, lessening the sting of his words by kissing her long and lovingly.

  He thrust quickly then, imbedding his flesh deeply inside her, smothering her cry of pain with his lips as his shaft split the fragile barrier of her womanhood.

  He lay perfectly still, raining tender kisses on Brie's lips and face, tasting the salt of her tears as he brushed them away with his tongue. Dominic began to move slowly then, forcibly restraining himself from plunging too deeply into the tight sheath that inflamed his passion. Brie felt like silken fire beneath him, but he tried to control the tempo in deference to her untutored body.

  She was too tempting, though, too warm and responsive in his arms for him to keep his passion in check for long. And no power on earth could slow the explosive shudders that ran through him as he spent his seed. Delirious bursts of pleasure rippled through his body, making his breath come in harsh gasps. When the last
violent tremor had passed, Dominic buried his face in the silken mass of her hair.

  Later, when his breathing slowed, when he could once again think clearly, Dominic slowly rolled onto his side, pulling Brie with him. They lay facing each other, not speaking.

  Brie gazed at Dominic uncertainly, wondering if she had pleased him, while Dominic returned her gaze, watching the color of her eyes shift like quicksilver. For the first time in his life, he was completely at a loss for words. Inexplicably, he was glad she had been a virgin, yet he could hardly believe she had given him such a priceless gift, or that she had had it to give.

  With a gentle finger he traced the outline of her mouth, swollen a little from his bruising kisses. "Did I hurt you?" he asked softly, brushing an auburn curl from her damp brow.

  Brie lowered her eyes from his penetrating gray gaze. "Not much," she answered hesitantly. That was certainly true. She had felt only the slightest stab of pain—and that only for an instant, and the present uncomfortable throbbing between her legs was beginning to fade. Indeed, the experience had been nothing like what she had expected, either in pain or pleasure. She had liked the heavy feel of Dominic's body and the hardness of his muscular thighs against hers . . . but she was also conscious of a vague feeling of disappointment. She had been on the brink of a great revelation, but his caresses had ended before she could discover what it meant. Now she only felt strangely frustrated. Her body was still tight with feverish anticipation, still hungering for something she couldn't even name.

  Dominic watched her brows knit in fierce concentration and wondered what thoughts were going on behind those beautiful eyes. Shaking his head, he pressed a soft kiss on her brow and rose from the bed, returning with a towel which he used to gently wash away the proof of her virginity.

  Embarrassed by such intimacy, Brie tried to protest, but Dominic would have none of her modesty. He brushed her hands away and in a voice filled with tender amusement, told her to be still.

  When he had finished. Brie buried her flaming face in the mattress. Dominic sat beside her, his fingers lightly roaming the satin skin of her back. "I thought you told me you had had a lover before," he murmured.

  "I . . . he didn't . . . we weren't . . ."

  Taking her disjointed stammerings to mean what he had already surmised, Dominic sighed. "I'm sorry," he said very gently.

  Brie lifted her head to stare at him. "Sorry?" She didn't know whether to feel ashamed or indignant.

  Dominic repressed a smile. "Don't misunderstand me. I enjoyed making love to you, more than you could know. It's just that I'm not in the habit of seducing virgins."

  "I suppose you prefer to seduce women with experience?"

  His brow shot up as he gave her a teasing glance. But when Brie flushed and averted her gaze, Dominic felt a surge of tenderness for her he found difficult to ignore. Placing a finger under her chin, he forced her to look at him again. "Believe it or not, ma belle, I much prefer you. You lack practice, but the instinct is certainly there."

  When she made no reply, Dominic gave her a soft smile. "Do you need reassurance? Here, feel me. Does this give you any indication of how much I want you?"

  Brie gasped as he guided her hand to the dark, curling hair below his abdomen, realizing that his shaft was once again stiff and throbbing. Dominic chuckled at her response, although he himself wondered at the speed of his arousal. When she tried to pull away, he shook his head. "Oh, no, my sweet vixen," he said, his gray eyes warm with laughter. "I intend to make very sure you understand completely what goes on between a man and woman. Just so you never again mistake a boor's drunken pawing for the act of making love. Your lover must have been remarkably inept."

  Brie glared at him. "I did not mistake anything. And it wasn't 'making love', it was rape. Or at least attempted rape. The only reason he didn't succeed was because I managed to hit him over the head with a fire iron."

  "Good God. How fortunate for me there wasn't one available the first time I tried to seduce you."

  "There was! I only wish now I had had the nerve to use it on you." When Dominic threw back his head and laughed, Brie clenched her teeth. "I never told you I wasn't a virgin."

  His eyes sparkled wickedly. "Oh, no. You merely spun me a tale about an aging protector who couldn't afford the price of a new gown, and a lover who disgusted you with his fumbling attempts to steal your virtue. And that was after I found you alone in a bachelor's hunting box, wearing less than a statue of Venus. Forgive me for casting aspersions on your innocence."

  There was some justice in what he said, Brie thought ruefully. And even though Dominic had spoken in his usual dry tone, she could tell he wasn't laughing at her. His teasing smile was warm and intimate, inviting her to share his humor. Brie felt her anger melting away. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, and in spite of herself, she laughed. "All right, you have a point. But the story about the lover really was true." What was strange, she added to herself, was that she could laugh about that episode in her life as if it were no more than a bad joke.

  "Well," Dominic said lazily, "I obviously misconstrued what you said. If I had known the truth, I would never have touched you, believe me. But the damage is done now. I suppose," he said, giving her a speculative glance, "it wouldn't hurt to show you just what you've been missing."

  He was no longer laughing, Brie noticed. And his eyes had started to smolder in a way that made her feel highly desirable and more than a little wanton. She was suddenly aware of his nearness, of the heat of his body and the fluttering of her stomach. The air between them seemed suddenly charged with electric current.

  Wanting to break the tension, Brie opened her mouth to say something, anything, but Dominic pressed a finger to her lips. "Hush, chérie," he said huskily. "Lie back and don't fight me. I assure you this will be pleasant. It won't hurt this time, I promise."

  Pressing her back against the pillows, he captured her face between his open palms. "So lovely," he murmured before lowering his lips to hers.

  Any possibility of rational thought fled when Brie felt the touch of his lips. His kiss was like nothing she had known before—gentle and wild, fragile and intense, soothing and provocative. And his hands . . . his hands stroked her gently, arousing a response in her that seemed to come from her very depths.

  He caressed her until her slender body was pliant and yielding. And when at last he parted her legs and carefully entered her, she was nearly breathless. She clung to him, her breasts rising and falling rapidly, her head thrashing from side to side. He seemed to fill her, to become part of her.

  He began to move slowly then, building the tempo into a tantalizing rhythm. Brie instinctively began to answer him, her hips rising to meet his deep thrusts, her nails feverishly raking his back. And when a glowing spark ignited at the very center

  of her being, she whimpered. It felt as if every nerve of her body had gathered there.

  Dominic could sense when she reached the edge of panic. "Yes, my passionate beauty," he whispered hoarsely against her mouth. "Let me fill you. Let it come." Raising his head, he watched the startled expression on her face change to blind passion.

  Brie wondered if she were dying. Her senses seemed to slowly erupt with a wet, white heat . . . And then she was falling, falling. She surged against Dominic, crying out something unintelligible as she reached a shattering climax. She was hardly aware when Dominic's body suddenly went rigid, but she clung to him helplessly as he spent his final passion.

  Some moments later, he eased himself away, but it was a great while before Brie could even think to open her eyes. She found Dominic gazing down at her with an expression that was difficult to read. The firelight cast shadows over the harsh planes of his face, but his eyes seemed to hold a tenderness that warmed her all over.

  "Is it . . . always like that?" Brie whispered, returning his gaze.

  Dominic smiled. "So intense, you mean? Not often."

  Brie let her eyes fall shut again. "I didn't think so," she mur
mured. "Otherwise how would anyone survive?"

  Dominic chuckled, gently brushing a curl from her cheek. He studied Brie for a moment longer, before raising his gaze to the window. "The storm seems to have blown over," he said idly.

  The warm glow surrounding Brie dissipated at once as reality came rushing back with a vengeance. Feeling acutely self-conscious, she turned her head away, trying not to contemplate the fact that she had just allowed herself to be seduced by a handsome rake. When Dominic bent to kiss her bare shoulder, she flinched.

  Watching her, Dominic frowned. He couldn't blame her if she felt awkward and uncertain—he was feeling something similar himself. But he didn't like to see her so meek and passive. He would rather see her spitting fire, even if it were at him. He knew just how to bring her spirit back, though.

  With one finger, he traced a path between Brie's pale, gleaming breasts, letting his hand rest over her heart where he could feel the beat against his palm. "This cabin leaves much to be desired," he observed casually. "Next time I suggest we choose somewhere more congenial to meet."

  Brie's eyes flew to his face. "There won't be a next time."

  "Are you so sure of that, Brie? Somehow I got the impression you enjoyed my lovemaking."

  "Perhaps I did, but I have no intention of allowing it to happen again."

  A smile teased the corners of Dominic's mouth. "Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me. But for now," he added as he pointedly lowered his gaze to her bare breasts, "we really should be going. Unless, of course, you would rather spend the rest of the day in bed."

  He could feel Brie stiffen with anger. "No?" he asked innocently when she brushed his hand away. "Then you had better get dressed. I won't be held responsible for my actions if you insist on displaying your charms in such a provocative manner."

  Giving Brie a playful slap on her thigh, Dominic stood up and stretched. He watched as she fumbled with the bodice of her chemise, knowing it might be some time before he had another chance to feast his eyes on her beauty.