Adrienne Basso

by The Ultimate Lover

  Though his attention was centered wholly on the pain in his foot, Gareth’s neck suddenly began to prickle with awareness. Someone else was in the room with him. Before he could leap from the bed to verify his suspicions, something came across his eyes, shutting him in complete darkness.

  He reacted instinctively, grabbing at his face, pulling at the material that had now been drawn tight across his eyes, effectively blinding him. Gareth tried to stand, but the softness of the mattress and his aching foot made him clumsy, awkward. He listed to the right, with arms flaying wildly as he tried desperately to regain his balance.

  Then he felt the caress of warm breath against his ear.

  “I had thought to surprise you, my lord,” a sultry female voice whispered. “Unless you object to my little game?”

  Gareth stilled, then lifted his chin. “Emma? What are you doing? I left you not ten minutes ago. How did you get here so quickly without my seeing you?”

  There was no immediate answer. Instead a warm, lush female body climbed boldly into his lap. The viscount reached again to remove the covering from his eyes, but the woman’s hands closed over his wrists.

  “I had hoped you would want to play, my lord. Will you not reconsider? I promise to make the night well worth it.”

  When she spoke this time her voice was muffled against his throat. She pressed a soft kiss against the starched linen of his cravat, then ran her fingers lightly across his chest. Gareth’s mind froze. There was something not quite right about this situation, but he had no time to dwell on his doubts.

  “If it pleases you, I will leave my blindfold intact. He set his hands firmly on her waist and drew her close to him. “For the moment.”

  “I salute your daring,” came the breathy reply.

  Gareth lifted his face and waited expectantly, filled with an intense craving to feel her lips against his own. Being deprived of his sight heightened Gareth’s other senses. He could hear her breath become short and rapid, could feel the rise and fall of her chest. In anticipation?

  He sensed her face moving closer to his. Their breath mingled and then her lips fused with his. He welcomed her with his lips and tongue, teasing and tempting her desire.

  She moved her body, wriggling excitedly in his lap. Gareth smiled and deepened the contact. Of their own accord, his hands began to explore the unknown territory of her body. Time slowed as his questing fingers roamed.

  He soon discovered she was wearing a nightgown. A silky, sensual garment that hid none of her charms, for she was deliciously naked beneath it. As his fingers stroked, he almost could not tell where the garment ended and her flesh began, for it was the softest skin he had ever touched, smooth and fine as the material.

  It was only when he felt the warm heat beneath his fingers did he realize he was brushing her bare skin. Excitedly he ran his hands along her collarbone, then lower, lower, until he found what he sought. A plump, round breast. He cupped it lovingly, fingers caressing the sweet roundness. Her nipples puckered tightly as her gasp shivered through the room.

  “Stop.”

  She reached out and held his arm. He frowned in puzzlement. “Do you not enjoy my touch, fair lady?”

  “ ’Tis I who wish to pleasure you, my lord,” she declared huskily. “Lie back and allow me my fun.”

  She shoved him, none too gently, and he fell against the mattress. She sidled up beside him, pressing herself wantonly against his chest, stomach, and upper thighs. The tip of her tongue laved a sensitive spot behind his earlobe as her questing fingers worked steadily on loosening his garments.

  She managed to untie the cravat and pull it free.

  “Arch your back,” she whispered throatily.

  He obeyed her command and she easily stripped off his coat, waistcoat, and shirt. Her fingers next busied themselves with the buttons of his trousers. This time he did not wait to be instructed, but lifted his hips off the bed so she could peel the breeches from him.

  Gareth gave an audible sigh of relief as his aroused cock sprang free. He imagined her staring at him, enjoying the sight of his erection. It made him feel wickedly powerful. He reached down and stroked himself, smiling when he heard her sharp intake of breath.

  The mattress shifted and he realized she now knelt beside him. She caught his hand, as he intended, and moved it to her shoulder. Her head lowered and she wetly kissed his chest, his throat, his chin.

  Gareth’s nose detected the faint scent of roses. He opened his lips and slipped his tongue out, capturing his partner’s mouth in an ardent kiss. She responded willingly, returning the pressure with equal measure, arching her body as his hand caressed the length of her spine.

  He touched her gently, tracing the contours of her form with deft precision, feeling each curve, creating the picture in his mind that his hand revealed. A brief smile lit the viscount’s face and a flash of immense satisfaction invaded. The mystery had been solved. It was not Emma Fairweather he held in his arms, but Amelia.

  Amelia swung her leg across Gareth’s body, straddling his middle. Her heart was beating so fast and so loudly it almost hurt her ears, but she ignored her feelings of fright and concentrated instead on the desire and passion coursing through her entire being.

  She had panicked utterly when the door to the viscount’s room had opened and he walked inside. Fumbling, she had blown out the lone lit candle and hid behind the window curtains, uncertain of what she would do. Initially she had hoped he had returned to his bedchamber because he needed or had forgotten something. He would find whatever it was he sought and then leave.

  But the viscount had bellowed for his servant, stumbled, cursed, and fallen to the bed. It was at that moment that a rush of pure madness seized Amelia and she acted upon it. The blindfold was an inspired choice. Though she desired him greatly, she felt too shy, too uncertain to play the wanton a man of his experience would crave.

  But the anonymity of the blindfold gave her a sensual advantage. It let her take control, be in charge. Something that had rarely happened in her life and had never occurred in the bedchamber with a man. It freed her spirit, freed her soul.

  She tilted her head and brought their faces together. The scrap of linen that surrounded his eyes did not in any way diminish the handsomeness of his face, the raw male beauty that was him. She blew softly against his cheek, then favored him with a deep kiss, her tongue playing intimately, eagerly with his.

  The entire surface of Amelia’s skin felt flush and damp. She was aware of the ache that was building in her loins, intensifying each time Gareth’s fingers and lips caressed her. Her body strained toward him as her senses were kindled to a new awareness of physical pleasure. She wanted to lure and possess this man who had come to mean so much to her.

  Her hand slipped between his thighs. She ran her fingers up and down the shaft of his sex, brushing the silken skin that was stretched so taut. His hips bucked upward.

  “Temptress,” he growled.

  She laughed with powerful delight. He made her feel as no other man had ever done. Powerful, strong, desirable. Amelia squinted in the darkness. The streak of moonlight that invaded the chamber illuminated the subtle details of his form. She took her time admiring him. The strong muscles of his chest and forearms were shaded by dark hair that felt wonderfully crisp beneath her searching palms.

  His shoulders were broad, his chest wide, his waist and hips narrow. His legs were long. Both his thighs and calves had swells of muscles. The trail of dark hair that began at his navel ended in a nest of curls where his fully aroused penis jutted forward. That gloriously aroused body sent her senses spinning.

  She returned her hand to his sex, running her fingers around and over the head, sensually rubbing the glistening drop of moisture that appeared back into his hot flesh. Tempted beyond bearing, she moved her head lower. He was beautiful. She had never seen her husband naked, a circumstance for which she was profoundly grateful.

  But the sight of Gareth’s bare flesh brought forth the notion of
pleasure that was too tempting to resist. Perfection such as this should be worshiped, revered. Amelia’s lips descended.

  “Mother of God!”

  His growl startled her. Amelia’s head jerked up.

  “Did I hurt you? Have I done it wrong?”

  “Not hurt. Surprised. Delighted.” Gareth licked his lips and fought for self-control as he felt her face rest once again against his lower belly. “Use your teeth gently, love. Ahh, like that. Now the tip of your tongue.” He groaned louder, the pleasure searing through every inch of his body as she eagerly followed his instructions.

  Beneath the blindfold Gareth’s eyes closed tightly. He knew this was her fantasy, respected this was her unique way to express her feelings and desire for him. But his self-control was being pushed beyond its endurance.

  He sunk his hips low into the mattress as her hands continued to stroke and knead between his thighs, as the wet warmth of her mouth fully engulfed him.

  Suddenly his self-control snapped. He reached for her shoulders, grasping the top of her nightgown. With a single pull he ripped it from her body. The action startled her, moving her mouth away from him. Taking advantage of her momentary disorientation Gareth flipped her over onto her back and flung her into the middle of the bed.

  He heaved himself forward, landing precisely where he wished. Her naked breast rose and fell against his chest, her body lay trembling beneath him. “Hush,” he whispered. “I will allow you control again soon. But if I do not taste you, love, I shall go mad.”

  The blindfold, still intact, did not heed his mission. He caught her wrists, then stretched them tautly above her head, anchoring them securely with one hand. She moved her legs restlessly and he realized she felt his erection rigid against her thigh. He released her wrists and shifted his weight, then felt her fingers caress his shoulders, digging tightly into the muscles of his forearms.

  “No,” he rasped. “Keep your hands high above your head. As if you were tied to the bedpost.”

  Gareth sensed her hesitation. Then felt her compliance as her body arched forward, awaiting his pleasure. Instinct, desire, and an irresistible primal urge led him to his goal.

  His lips trailed slowly down her throat to her breast. He circled, then suckled the nipple. Her body tensed. He waited, then tormented her again with his lips and tongue until she began to squirm and writhe with eager anticipation.

  Gareth ran his fingers along the length of her body. Her skin felt hot and dry to the touch. He found her knee, then pushed it gently, parting her thighs. His exploring hand soon found her other leg, and pushed that also.

  The musky scent of her arousal enchanted him. With a sensual growl of impatience, Gareth buried his mouth between her legs. He kissed her softly at first, then lightly suckled her swollen flesh. She whimpered as he licked and traced and stroked. Her hips thrashed and surged forward, her cries growing louder, more urgent.

  He pressed her knees, keeping her thighs wide, wetting the aching need that he could feel building inside her. A moan escaped her, then she shivered and arched herself against him. He continued to tease the lush opening of her body with the tip of his tongue as she strained and shuddered in ecstasy.

  Exhausted, dazed, satiated, Amelia slumped against the pillows. It took several deep breaths to overcome the lethargic state that had overtaken her body. She turned to her side, to study the man who lay beside her.

  “Thank you,” she whispered in a thick and husky voice. She hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek, the corner of his mouth, the top of his shoulder.

  She rubbed her leg against his thigh and realized his body was still in a state of full arousal, strung tight with tension and unreleased desire. Her emotions were engaged, her curiosity was at its zenith, and the opportunity was too perfect to reject.

  Amelia rose to her knees. Balancing her hands on his naked chest she moved her legs until she was sitting astride him.

  “Ahh, now this is a far better demonstration of your thanks, love,” he purred.

  “I should like to please you, my lord.”

  Amelia raised herself higher, moved forward, then slowly, carefully, erotically lowered her body onto his hard, thrusting penis. She sank down, pushing in and out with long easy strokes and felt the tension gripping him increase.

  The need to see her face, to look deep into her eyes now bordered on obsession. Hastily Gareth tore the linen from his eyes, but once free of the restraint saw only darkness. The little minx! She had pulled the heavy bed curtains closed, surrounding them in a cocoon of darkness. He could barely see his hand pressed in front of his face, let alone his beautiful, sensual bed partner.

  The distraction of darkness however was quickly forgotten as she exhaled slowly, pressing her flanks tighter against his thighs. Gareth gritted his teeth as the slick, sweet heat of her welcoming body surrounded him.

  He grasped her hips and stretched his legs out. Experimentally she began pushing in and out with long easy strokes. He soon found her rhythm and matched it, rising to meet her. Each thrust fanned the flame of desire. She was so hot and tight around him.

  Her breasts swayed invitingly before him and he took one within his mouth, sucking the nipples savagely. She screamed then and clung to him. He felt her begin to spasm and knew her next climax would soon be reached.

  He hoped to last longer, to pleasure her a third time, but it was impossible to hold back. As the wave of tension broke, her body began to contract around him. She shivered and arched her back. Gareth’s own body tightened, the heat burning bright, the sensation climbing to an excruciating height.

  He plunged deeper. The depth of pleasure that washed through him was unparalleled. With a shout of pure male triumph he drove in the final thrust of release, straining and shuddering in ecstasy.

  The sound of their labored breathing slowly began to ease. He stroked her shoulders, the small of her back, then moved his hands down to her hips. Though completely sated, Gareth found it nearly impossible to stop touching her. This possessive act was an unusual occurrence, but was not everything about this magical evening not unusual?

  “I have died.” Her voice was a breathy proclamation.

  Gareth smiled. He knew her legs must be cramping from the awkward position she still held, but he was reluctant to disengage himself from the warmth of her body.

  Still, it was bad form to make a lady suffer. He gently eased her forward, then withdrew. Lifting her hips, Gareth slid from beneath her.

  His hand snaked across her chest, laying a possessive palm across her left breast. “I still feel the beat of your heart, love, so I must insist that you are very much alive.”

  She giggled and rolled to face him. Although she could not see his expression in the darkness, she felt that he was smiling back. “I do feel alive, my lord. More than I ever have before. Thanks to you.”

  “Modesty prevents me from taking all the credit.” He reached out and pulled her against him. “You have fulfilled some of my wildest and most erotic fantasies this night, my lady.”

  “Only some?” Her voice was an erotic whisper that sent a chill racing up his spine. “Then you must fantasize some more and show me your desires.”

  Gareth heard her sensual laugh echo through the room just before his mouth closed over hers.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  The scent of sated lust hung heavily about them. The window remained open, the humid air trapping the aftermath of their lovemaking within the bedchamber. Amelia slowly opened her eyes. Through the window she could see the gray streaks of early morning sky beginning to disappear. Dawn was fast approaching.

  Of their own accord her eyelids closed and she snuggled deeper into the soft bedding. She was so tired. Her muscles ached, though in a pleasant fashion, and the place between her thighs contained an abundant amount of wetness. How strange that—

  My God! Amelia’s eyes flew open. She stared for a moment blank-faced at the man whose head rested on the pillow beside hers. There was a faint line of stubble edging h
is jaw, his dark hair was rumpled, and his brilliant blue eyes were wide open. Staring directly back at her.

  If she was not so mortified and embarrassed, Amelia would have admired how remarkably handsome the viscount looked at this ungodly hour of the morning.

  “Is something wrong?” A frown formed on his brow. Amelia squelched the most bizarre impulse to press her lips against his forehead and sooth it away.

  “I must leave.”

  She tried to rise from the bed, but soon discovered his right arm was slung possessively over her lower back. Effectively trapping her.

  “ ’Tis early.” The arm tightened, drawing her closer to him. “We have plenty of time, Amelia. No need to make such a frantic rush as we indulge our pleasures. Unless you prefer it that way?”

  Though Gareth asked the question, he gave her no time to answer. He adjusted her position, then kissed her lips softly. His hands began a swooping caress of her throat, shoulder, and breast.

  Amelia felt the stirring of desire begin, that sensation of need and want that would soon have her mindless with excitement. She fought it.

  “Why are you behaving so calmly? Are you not surprised to find me in your bed?” she asked, lowering her face to avoid his gaze.

  The hand cupping her breast stilled. He moved it to her face and tipped her chin so he could gaze into her eyes. “I am honored that you chose to sleep here with me.” A twinkling gleam appeared in the depths of his blue eyes. “And proud to say we achieved little sleep last night.”

  Amelia felt the color burst into her cheeks. She could not indulge in the memories of last night while he gazed so intently at her. It was mortifying. “That is not what I meant. The blindfold, the darkness—”

  Gareth placed two fingers over her lips to silence her. “I knew it was you in my bed last night, Amelia. Almost from the first. And the knowledge thrilled me.”

  Her breath caught in surprise. “How? How did you know?”

  He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “Your intoxicating scent.” Kissed her eyelids. “Your sultry voice.” Kissed the corner of her mouth. “The splendid curve of your hip.”