“You’re crying.” He scowled at her as she shook her head.
“No. A piece of ash flew into my eye.”
“Don’t lie to me, Ruth,” he said gruffly as he leaned closer to catch her chin in his fingers and forced her to look at him. “Are you crying for me?”
His amazement was easy to see, and she slowly nodded her head. An odd emotion flashed in his blue eyes, but it was impossible to read because it vanished so quickly. His thumb lightly rubbed across her bottom lip before he released her to recline in his chair again. Uncertain of what to say, she realized the tension between them had escalated again, and not in a good way.
“No one has ever cried for me before.” The words were so soft, she wasn’t sure she’d heard them at first. She stared at him in surprise.
“Not even your sisters?”
“Grace was too young to really understand what was happening in the house.” His features could have been solid granite for all the emotion he displayed, and his voice was just as devoid of feeling. “Unlike you, Lily had no real knowledge of what life was like for me with Beresford in the house. I managed to keep most of it from her and Vincent.”
“Just like you hide it from them now.” Her soft statement made him jerk his head toward her. “If you let them, or anyone else, see your pain, you think it would make you less of a man in their eyes.”
Although his expression didn’t change, there was a dark emotion in his vivid blue eyes as he jerked his gaze in her direction. In that instant, she wanted to kill Beresford for the injuries he’d inflicted on Garrick. She understood the deep pain that others could inflict.
The pain of her father’s rejection was always with her. It wasn’t something she allowed herself to contemplate often, but the ache never eased. And she would never be able to forgive her father for what he’d done to her mother. Her father wasn’t directly responsible for her death, but his actions had made her mother give up on living.
Like her, Garrick had endured pain at the hands of others and refused to give way to the hurt. Both of them had hid their feelings from the world to etch out their lives under their own terms. They’d survived despite the pain others had caused them, and they’d hidden the torture that survival had caused. The reflection made her remember what she was, and she flinched.
Their experiences had shaped them and made them hide their vulnerabilities. And she was terribly vulnerable where Garrick was concerned. He was completely oblivious to his ability to leave a woman breathless when he offered up that wicked smile of his.
Then there was the darkness buried deep beneath the surface that enticed her—mesmerized her. The force of his personality drew her to him with an intensity that excited more than frightened her. In truth, the man held far more sway over her than she cared to admit. She reached for Garrick’s hand, determined to alleviate his emotional pain as much as she could.
“I think another subject matter would make both of us feel better. What if we plot the demise of those miscreants we find despicable and repulsive?” she asked mischievously as she smiled at him. “I know quite a few in the Set who the world would be better off without.”
Her words lightened his features considerably as he offered her a half smile. “Again with this bloodthirsty mind-set. It’s a side of you I’ve not seen before.”
“It would be madness for me to display it often. I might lose all hope of enticing suitors into my company.”
“I’ve told you before that you underestimate yourself,” he said quietly. The emotion flickering in his blue eyes sent her heartbeat skidding out of control. In an effort to regain her equilibrium, she leaned toward him with a flirtatious smile.
“Well, I must confess I enjoy having a handsome man in my bedroom. Especially one who’s such an apt pupil.”
“Pupil?” He shook his head in silent refusal.
“Yes, and I won’t take no for an answer,” she said with a seductive smile.
She set her brandy aside and pulled a small piece of bread off the loaf Dolores had included with the cheese. Her hand outstretched, she offered the morsel to him. As he reached out to take it from her, she pulled her hand back.
“No, make it the sensual act of a lover,” she said firmly.
Once more she extended her hand as she sent him an arch look. He eyed her carefully for a moment. She was certain he was about to turn away when she saw a flash of emotion cross his face. In that instant, she saw how quickly her liaison with him could become dangerous. She watched in fascination as he leaned forward to slowly nip at her fingertips with his teeth as he took the morsel from her.
His gaze didn’t leave hers as he ate the bread. The air in her lungs disappeared as she struggled to breathe while watching him. The man was a born seducer. He just didn’t realize it—or maybe he did. The one thing she was certain of was no woman would stand a chance with him if he made up his mind to have her.
“You do realize I can’t agree.”
“To what? Allowing me to instruct you in the finer points of lovemaking?” Her hand carried her glass to her mouth to take a small sip of brandy as a way of controlling the sudden trembling that threatened to shake her entire body. He looked away from her.
“Yes. What happened earlier cannot happen again.”
“Why not?” Her question seemed to surprise him as he jerked his head back toward her. She frowned as she suddenly pondered the idea that her performance might have been a disappointment for him. The idea made her stomach lurch. He’d said her age wasn’t an issue, but perhaps he’d changed his opinion. “Did I fail to meet your expectations?”
“What?” He choked out the one-word exclamation with obvious disbelief as he protested with a sharp shake of his head. “No, of course not. You were . . . you . . . it was incredible.”
“Then make love to me again.”
“I can’t.” There was a desperation in his voice that made her ache for him.
“Garrick,” she said softly as she leaned forward to cover his hand with hers. He shuddered beneath her touch. “I know you don’t want me to see you undressed. It’s why I told you where the other scarf was.”
“And it’s why I can’t make love to you again.” The terse response made her nibble at her bottom lip. How could she make him understand he could trust her? In some ways he reminded her of a hurt little boy, unwilling to show his pain.
“Then you blindfold me again or we can make love in the dark. I meant every word when I said I want you to always be comfortable here.”
She watched the conflicting emotions on his face as she met his gaze steadily. Beresford had much to atone for in making Garrick believe his body was ugly or that a woman wouldn’t want him. In truth, she could see how easily she could develop feelings for him. He closed his eyes and turned away from her again. The resistance in him seemed to ebb slightly, and she left her chair to kneel in front of him.
“Garrick, I want you,” she whispered. It wasn’t a lie.
“It’s not possible,” he ground out between clenched teeth.
“You said you trusted me. Will you not trust me a little more?” She extended her hand to touch his chest. Beneath the crisp white linen of his shirt, she could feel his heart pounding frantically against her fingers. “Take your shirt off. Nothing more.”
He stared at her for a long moment, and the now familiar glint of panic returned to his blue eyes. Something told her it wouldn’t take much for him to recoil from her, and she remained silent even though she wanted to offer up words of encouragement. When he moved, she drew in a quick breath as he caught her hand and carried it to his mouth.
The tender way he brushed his lips across her fingertips made her heart skip a beat before it resumed its fast-paced rhythm. With a gentle firmness, he pushed her hand away to slowly unbutton his shirt. Fascinated, she watched as he shrugged out of it. The sight of him made her suck in a sharp breath. Sweet heaven, he was beautiful. Hard, powerful, and all male.
“You’re magnificent,” she whisper
ed in awe as she reached out to trail her fingers across his chest. He jumped at the touch, and she immediately looked up at him.
Beneath her stare, he shifted uncomfortably and she saw a muscle twitch in his cheek as he locked his jaw. When he didn’t say anything, she leaned forward to press her lips against his skin. Another shudder rippled through him, but he didn’t move as she placed another kiss on his chest in a different spot.
Slowly, she brushed her mouth across his chest to his nipple. Her tongue flicked across it before she abraded him with her teeth. A dark growl rumbled out of him, and she glanced up at him to meet his gaze for a brief moment before she returned to the task of caressing his torso with her lips.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d ever taken such pleasure in worshiping a man’s chest. Nor could she recall the last time she’d ever tasted a man so deliciously raw and spicy against her tongue. Hard muscles flexed slightly beneath her caresses as his breathing grew harsher with every passing second.
“Has any woman ever told you how beautiful you are?” she breathed against his skin.
“No,” he rasped. The sound made her smile as she kissed his breastbone.
“Do you like what I’m doing to you?”
“Yes,” he choked out as she abraded his nipple again with her teeth. He groaned. “Christ Jesus, yes.”
“I’m glad, because I like pleasuring you.”
With her hand pressed against his chest, the solid thud of his heartbeat pounded against her fingertips. The steady vibration accelerated dramatically as she slowly trailed her mouth down the center of his chest toward the fine line of hair diving downward into his trousers. A moment later, he grasped her shoulders and dragged her upward.
Startled, she didn’t protest as his mouth parted hers with a skill that left her breathless. He might lack experience in bed, but his kisses were that of a talented seducer. It was a contrast that excited her even more. She responded eagerly, a tremor shaking through her as his tongue swept into her mouth to mate with hers. With each swirling caress, he tugged a response from her that made her tremble with need.
Heat rolled through her veins until she was on the verge of forgetting who was the pupil and who the teacher. As he lifted his head, she drew in a deep breath at the passion blazing in his eyes. Aware that he was still wavering whether to give in to her, she got to her feet and took his hand in hers to pull him out of his chair and toward the bed. The moment she sank down onto the mattress she smiled up at him.
“One of the most important things you need to remember when you make love to a woman is to treat her as if she’s the only lover you’ve ever had that excites you to distraction.” Her heart skipped a beat at the flash of emotion that flared in his eyes.
“That’s not difficult where you’re concerned, Ruth. You do drive me to distraction.”
Dear God, if she didn’t know better, she’d think the man well skilled in the art of seduction. The deep sound of his voice was nothing short of sinful. It contained an invitation to be wicked, and she shivered at the effect it had on her. Perhaps it was a mistake teaching him. The man was already devastating enough to her senses. The heated expression that swept across his face made her suck in a sharp breath as he reached out to run his thumb across her lower lip. Desire streaked through her and sent her heart skidding out of control until it slammed into her breast.
“Tell me how to please you.” There it was again, that dark note of seduction that made her realize how easily he could master her. She swallowed hard as she slowly removed her robe.
“Touch me,” she whispered.
A small gasp escaped her as he sat down next to her and his forefinger pressed gently against the base of her throat before sliding downward. He bent his head to follow the movement, his breath warming her skin with a heat that seared its way into every pore of her skin. With each slow inch his finger traversed across her skin, a stark need grew inside her until she wanted to cry out for a more intimate caress. As his finger circled the small indentation of her stomach she drew in a quick hiss of air.
“Does this please you?”
Behind the question she heard a slight note of hesitation in his voice. The fact that the man didn’t realize the effect he was having on her made the moment even more intoxicating. She nodded.
“Yes, very much.” Her gaze met his, and she slowly reclined back onto the bed, her hand brushing down the hard muscles of his arm. “Every woman has sensitive spots on her body, and every woman is unique as to where those spots are. You need to explore your lover’s body to find them.”
“I believe I’ve already found one of yours.”
A smile quirked one corner of his mouth as his hand slid along her leg. He bent his head to kiss his way down to the inside of her ankle. Every nibble of his lips against her skin sent desire rushing through her until her breathing was wild and erratic.
Her eyes closed a moment later and she gasped as his mouth slowly made its way upward to her knee and along her thigh to the curve at her waist. She didn’t know how much longer she could keep from demanding he make love to her immediately. She couldn’t remember a time when she’d ever wanted a man as much as she wanted him, now, this instant.
The scent of him filled her nostrils as he shifted his body and hovered mere inches above her. For a moment, she simply breathed in the male essence of him until he enveloped her senses in all his raw maleness. When she opened her eyes his smoldering gaze made her feel as though he were devouring her. And dear Lord how she wanted him to do just that.
She saw him reach for one of the scarves still lying where he’d left it earlier. As much as she wanted him at that moment, she knew she had to put aside her own need if she was going to teach him how to be an extraordinary lover. Deep in the back of her mind, a warning screamed at her to stop the madness, but she refused to listen to it.
“Not yet,” she breathed. She tried to clear the knot in her throat as he stared down at her. Oh God, when he looked at her like that it was almost impossible to think straight. Her voice husky, she lightly ran her fingertips over his shoulder. “A good lover knows how to please a woman, but an exceptional lover knows how to tease her until she’s begging for a satisfaction only he can provide.”
“Like this?” he murmured.
She gasped as his hand slid down across her stomach, and a moment later his fingers parted her slick folds to stroke the sensitive nub of flesh within. Her eyes closed as she arched upward to provide him greater access. A moment later the warmth of his breath brushed across her breasts as his mouth gently seized a nipple and sucked.
Raw, primitive sensations charged through her, pulling her closer and closer to the edge of an intense threshold of fulfillment before she spiraled downward into an erotic haze of pleasure. A sharp cry flew from her lips as the orgasm wrapped her in a white-hot heat that sent one shudder after another lancing through her. Pleasure flooded every inch of her until she was certain she was melting. As her trembling slowly subsided, he gently released his hold on her.
Sweet, merciful heaven. She’d never climaxed so easily at a man’s touch. Trembling, she saw a look of satisfaction on his face. Her breath still coming in small pants, she tried to gather her wits about her. She’d known he’d be a quick study, but she’d not expected to find herself becoming addicted to his touch with each passing moment.
“I take it I’ve passed this particular examination in my studies?” It wasn’t a question. The amusement in his voice said he knew full well he’d succeeded in pleasuring her.
“Most assuredly,” she said and nodded in bemusement.
“I liked pleasing you.” He lowered his head and nibbled at her bottom lip with his teeth. “But I especially liked watching you fall apart in my arms just now.”
Heat flushed her cheeks at the provocative expression on his face, and she fought to control the emotions stirring deep inside her. What the devil was wrong with her? She wasn’t some fresh-faced debutante staring up at an older lover. I
t was the other way around. She was the older, experienced lover instructing a younger man in the art of lovemaking. It was an important fact that would bear continuous repeating where Garrick was concerned. And she was determined to ensure he could bed whatever woman he desired with more finesse than any lover that woman had ever known.
“I’m certain any woman you bed will find your touch as pleasurable as I do.” She gasped slightly as his hand stroked the inside of her thigh. The touch renewed the desire she thought her climax had quenched.
“I remain unconvinced, and I’m much more interested in delving deeper”—his voice was hypnotic as he dipped two fingers into her core—“into the sweet delights that I’m certain you’ve yet to teach me.”
His touch tugged a low moan from her as she pushed against the heated stroke of his fingers. Instinctively her body clenched around him, and she trembled at the need growing inside her at an alarming rate. But she wanted more this time. Her heart racing wildly out of control, she raised her hand to caress his cheek as she fought to maintain control over her senses.
“Seduction—” She drew in a sharp breath as his touch sent her rushing toward the edge again. Desperately she struggled to continue a lesson that was quickly getting out of hand. “To seduce a woman . . . you must use . . . not only touch, but words . . .”
“If you wish to hear that you’re lovely then I’m happy to oblige because I find you beautiful,” he rasped.
“Yes, a woman loves compliments . . . like that . . .” She struggled to keep her voice steady. “But sometimes we like . . . it when your words are naughty.”
“Naughty?” He frowned with puzzlement, and his pleasurable stroking slowed drastically. She wanted to beg him not to stop.
“Yes. Words that are risqué. Forbidden.”
“Such as?”
He withdrew his touch, and she wanted to scream with frustration. Instead, she reached up to trail her fingers across the hard muscles of his chest. Then with deliberation, she dragged one finger down the middle of his chest toward the thin line of hair that dove toward his trousers.
Pleasure Me Page 19