He hadn’t anticipated that. He hadn’t even contemplated what he would say to her. All he could do was tell her the truth. “And did she tell you that she and her mother had schemed to trap me?”
“No, she said she had gone to your room at your request, and her mother and my uncle happened upon the two of you…indisposed.”
“And you believed her?”
“No.”
“No?”
“I don’t know what this thing is between us, but I don’t believe you’re that type of man, the type who would go from one woman to the next. Not when matters of the heart are involved. You weren’t that man two years ago, and I don’t believe even war could harden you so much.”
Did she really mean it? And if she did, if she believed in his integrity so thoroughly, what had her so angry?
A thought came to his mind, but could it be…“Are you really so angry that I desire you, Lina?”
“No,” she answered simply.
Then what was it?
“Are you angry with yourself that you desire me as well?” He worried she’d burst out in anger at his question, but it was an honest one. Whether she liked it or not, she desired him, perhaps with an intensity that approached his own.
“No…and yes,” she admitted, offering honesty in return. It was strange for them to be speaking to plainly to one another and not bantering back and forth. “It would be easier if I didn’t want…”
“Me?”
“Yes,” she snapped, her anger rising anew, but that wasn’t the only thing she felt. Her honesty had broken down her own wall, left her bare to the truth, and it set a fire ablaze in her sapphire eyes. Anger and desire mingled and radiated from every fiber of her being. And she was glorious.
He lunged for her, knowing he shouldn’t. It had only led to her fleeing from him the last time, but he couldn’t stop himself. He’d wanted Lina for so long, and she wanted him, whether she liked it or not.
Still, as he captured her lips with his own and he felt hers part for him without his urging, it was unlike anything he’d ever experienced.
Lina. Lina was responding to him unabashedly. She threw her arms around him, and it was her who molded her frame against his this time. He closed his eyes against the blast of intense arousal that threatened to have him rushing headlong toward his final prize. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t take that final prize from her. As much as he longed to make her his, he had no idea what lay in store for them.
But he could do some things to her. He could have some part of her. He could be the first to introduce her to the pleasures of the body. It required that he maintain incredible control, a control he didn’t fully know whether he possessed. Still…
He ran his hands along her body, outlining her gentle curves through her clothes. But it wasn’t enough. He wanted to see her, to touch every inch of her soft skin. But if he moved too quickly, he worried he’d scare her off. And so, he released her lips, reluctantly leaving the honeyed warmth of her mouth to travel lower, kissing his way along her jaw and down her neck. She moaned in response and it urged him onward. He kept up his teasing assault on her neck while he reached for the fastenings of her dress, releasing one after another ever so slowly. And the moment he released the last one, he leaned in lower, sampling the soft flesh of her collarbone and down along the upper swells of her breasts as he let the dress fall to the ground around her.
She didn’t even seem to notice. Her fingers were twined in the hair at the back of his neck, but as he kissed lower, her hands began to move, grazing down his neck, across his back, along his arms. Catalina—the woman who’d appeared in every one of his fantasies—was touching him, and in just a moment or two, she would stand before him completely naked. His eyes would finally take in the sight of her exquisite body.
His mouth traveled even lower, teasing her nipple with his tongue through her shift, and she cried out, digging her fingers into his arms. She was so damn responsive. But he didn’t want to touch and taste her through her clothes. He wanted her flesh beneath his hands and lips.
Lapping at the tight bud with his tongue, his hands grazed upward to the neckline of her shift and he pulled it downward so slowly. And when his mouth was all that hampered its descent, he pulled back for the briefest of seconds, sliding down the fabric to reveal her firm breasts. But his mouth was back in a flash, suckling her nipple into his mouth. She cried out again and her hands moved to hold his head, keeping his mouth firmly around her.
“Brandon, I…” She didn’t know what she wanted, which was why there was no more to that sentence. But he would show her.
“Easy, love.” He released her nipple and she whimpered as he stood. He smiled, pleased immensely by her sense of loss. But he wouldn’t leave her bereft for long. He captured her lips once more as he cupped her breasts in his hands, grazing back and forth across her nipples with his thumbs. Her body writhed in response, pressing intimately against him, and he drew in a sharp breath as his cock brushed against her bare abdomen. Her eyes widened, no doubt feeling him there through the fabric of his trousers. Amidst her surprise, a curiosity blossomed in her gaze. Steeling himself, he took hold of her hand and guided it between them, pressing the palm of her hand against his hard shaft. Not only did he want to feel her touching him, he wanted her to know the profound effect she had on his body. Just once. Just for a moment.
“You do that to me, Lina. You always have.”
“But I thought you didn’t…”
“You thought I haven’t wanted you like this all this time? God, Lina, there’s nothing I’ve ever wanted more.”
For some reason, his words seemed to have a profound effect on her, and whatever reservations she’d had fell away. She lunged for his lips, rubbing her hand up and down his cock while her tongue glided along his.
But as much as her sudden boldness thrilled him, he had to rein it in. He couldn’t allow his body the release it so desperately wanted. He couldn’t bury himself deep inside her where no other man had ever been. But there was no way he’d be able to hold himself back if she kept that up. And so, he pulled her hand away from him gently.
“Let me, my love…”
Instead of distracting her this time, he reached for the shift gathered at her hips. He wanted her to know what he was about to do; what he was about to see. And he wanted her to welcome it.
And she did. God help him, he’d never been more aroused than he was right then, knowing she wanted this. She wasn’t going to run off. She wanted him with an intensity that rivaled his own need for her.
In one, swift movement, he yanked the shift down and in the next second, she appeared before him completely naked. And even though he stood there for a moment, overwhelmed with desire, she didn’t squirm under his gaze or try to cover up. She let him look his fill, but what happened next threw his mind into chaos.
She reached for the buttons of his shirt, unfastening as quickly as her trembling fingers would allow. And she didn’t stop there; she yanked the shirt off and covered him with her soft hands, grazing over the hard planes of his chest and the rippling muscles of his abdomen. And when she reached the waist of his pants, she made quick work of those as well.
He should have stopped her; there was no way he would be able to resist sheathing himself deep inside her when not even the thin barrier of clothing hindered him. But he didn’t stop her. He stepped out of his trousers quickly, but as her hand reached for his hard shaft, he seized her hand in his grip, trying to maintain what little control he had left.
Moving her hand to her side, it was his turn to explore her. Her breasts, her hips, her abdomen, her thighs—he left no part of her untouched. And when he’d sampled everywhere else, he ran his fingers through the soft curls above the apex of her thighs, and then moved lower, rubbing once and then twice over her clitoris.
“Brandon, no!” she cried out as her eyes widened and her hips jerked toward him. He would never have to wonder if she’d ever experienced such delights with any other
man. The answer was obvious. She was completely unschooled in the responses of her own body.
He paused, but he kept his fingers there on her. “It’s OK, Lina. I promise,” he whispered soothingly, and then he began again, holding her hip with his free hand as he rubbed slowly, gently at first. His every movement drove her higher. Her moans grew louder every minute, and the moment he increased his pace, her moans turned to cries of pleasure.
“Brandon, please, you have to stop,” she cried breathlessly, but she didn’t pull away. She was so close; she just had no idea what end it was her body strove toward.
He rubbed her faster, and he knew she was almost there. And then the coil that had wound tight in her body sprang free. She screamed in ecstasy and he watched as tremor after tremor jolted through her body, and he had to grit his teeth, fighting against his body’s urge to find its own release.
He expected her to melt then, collapsing in his arms. He’d hold her close for a moment while his body berated him for torturing it so, and then he would find some way to force his raging erection to subside and take her back to the manor.
She didn’t melt. She didn’t collapse. Her eyes opened, but he saw the fire there too late. She lunged for him, crushing her lips against his and wrapping her arms around his neck. It had been near-impossible before when their clothes had separated them, but this…the soft skin of her abdomen pressed against his hard cock. If he but lifted her into his arms, he could settle her on top of him, gliding into her tight heat…
Damn it!
He tried to set her from him, but the part of her he’d unleashed, it seemed unquenchable, and he didn’t have the will to persist. Just one more moment…
Her hands moved over his body, kneading the firm flesh of his back and shoulders and then slipping in between them. Her fingers grazed along the length of his shaft, and he groaned at the exquisite pleasure of her touch. He moved to seize her hand like he’d done before, but she slipped her hand out of his reach.
“Lina, I can’t. When you touch me like that, I can’t keep my wits about me.”
“What you did for me…I want to give that to you, too, Brandon. Show me.” She looked up at him with fire and courage in her gem-like eyes.
It shouldn’t surprise him that she didn’t shy away like some ordinary, inexperienced woman. This was Lina—the woman was too brave to shy away from anything.
Knowing it was the worst idea in history, he didn’t stop her when her fingers returned to him, wrapping around the head of his cock. She looked up at him again, and he knew what she wanted, what she was asking for. He sighed heavily, cursing his own weakness, and yet giving her what she wanted. He wrapped his hand around her delicate fingers and moved her with him up and down his hard shaft.
He clenched his jaw so tight he feared he’d never be able to open his mouth again, but he stood still, removing his hand to watch as her smaller one slid up and down him. It was the most exquisite torture he could have imagined.
Suddenly, his body in a complete frenzy, he couldn’t resist…it was just too much…how could any man be expected to endure this?
And though he wouldn’t have thought it possible, the torture increased a moment later when he caught sight of the way she was squeezing her thighs together. Her body was seeking out its own pleasure, trying to alleviate the arousal that had built quickly inside her.
“Damn it, Lina,” he whispered the curse as he lifted her into his arms and laid her out on the soft ground beneath them.
His breath caught in his throat as he climbed on top of her. She was so wet, the proof of her arousal glistened on the insides of her thighs.
He lined himself up, the tip of his shaft pressed against her soft folds. Gazing into her eyes, he pressed forward, slipping inside her wet heat. Her eyes widened and her lips parted as he eased himself in, coming to a halt when he felt her maidenhead. He wished he could avoid this part, avoid causing her any pain, but he knew he could temper it some with pleasure. Supporting himself on one arm, he slipped his hand between them.
“Your body will want to writhe when I touch you, Lina. Please try to stay still,” he whispered as he found the sensitive bundle of nerves above where he impaled her. He didn’t want her hips to jerk toward him or else she’d force him deeper inside her, breaking through that thin barrier before she was ready.
He rubbed her slowly, pressing her down with the rest of his hand. And though her eyes widened and a moan escaped her lips, he could tell she was focusing very hard on doing as he said.
A few more strokes and her fingers dug into his shoulders as her moans grew louder. She was ready.
Increasing his pace, he thrust his hips suddenly, breaking through the thin barrier. She didn’t make a sound, but he could see the fleeting pain in her eyes, but he kept up his pace on her clitoris and her pleasure overwhelmed her pain quickly.
He withdrew slowly and her legs wrapped around his hips, as if she feared he would withdraw from her completely. He stifled a chuckle, thinking how new she was at this, but he appeased her fear quickly, plunging back inside slowly. He continued to thrust slowly, over and over again, gritting his teeth against the urge to plunge in to the hilt at a merciless pace.
She was so god damned responsive, now thrusting her hips to meet his as her pleasure mounted quickly. He could feel it building, but she held back, fighting against her body’s release.
“Brandon, it feels…so good…but I…”
“Don’t fight it, Lina. Let it come. Let me give you this,” he whispered ruggedly as the tight walls of her sex drove him higher.
And then all at once, her back arched clear off the ground, her fingers dug into his back and her cry of release echoed through the forest surrounding them. She spasmed around him violently, and he could hold back no longer, thrusting deep inside once more, he spilled his seed in her body.
Chapter 7
Catalina opened her eyes reluctantly. The bright sun high in the sky made them want to stay closed. It had never been so bright in her bedroom before.
And then she remembered where she was—wrapped in Brandon’s arms in the middle of the forest, and completely naked. What had she done? What had she been thinking?
She extricated herself from Brandon’s arms as carefully as she could, though her body fought her every second, wishing to remain there in his warm embrace. But she couldn’t. She stood as quietly as she could and tiptoed the few paces to where her shift laid on the ground. She slipped it on quickly and turned around to ensure Brandon was still fast asleep.
But he wasn’t.
He laid there with his arms folded behind his head and a relaxed smile on his too-handsome face. His expression changed the moment her gaze met his, as if he’d been thinking she was happy with what she’d done. Was he insane? Of course it didn’t have the same consequences for him. Men weren’t expected to go to their marriage beds as virginal as the day they were born!
“Lina, calm down,” he told her without her having to say a word. He stood up, completely at ease with his nakedness. But she wasn’t. A blush stained her cheeks, but even in her embarrassment, she couldn’t keep her eyes from grazing over him, and her body filled with desire remembering what that body had done to hers. He was already hard, and she clearly recalled the feel of that hard member deep inside her. She moaned and groaned at the same time. Already her betraying, foolish body wanted him again. Would she never learn?
She forced her gaze away and sought out her dress instead, fastening it as quickly as she could. She chanced a glance back—mainly because she couldn’t help it—and he still didn’t appear the least bit flustered. He was smiling! She untethered Zinnia as quickly as she could, hopped up on her horse and galloped away. She could feel Brandon’s eyes following her, knowing he still wore that same cocky smile.
What the hell was he smiling about?
***
She made it back to the stables in record time, but as she handed Zinnia’s reins over to Douglas, he smiled at her knowingly. She o
nly realized then that she must appear a frightful mess. She’d dressed in a hurry and her hair was still unbound.
“I take it yer man caught up with ye?” he asked, though she imagined he already knew the answer.
She opened her mouth to respond, but a knot formed in her throat and tears blurred her vision. She was never this weak! What had Brandon done to her?
“May I suggest ye come on in here for a minute, Lady Catalina,” Douglas motioned toward the stable’s interior, and she understood what he was doing—offering a place away from prying eyes to give her a moment to compose herself.
“Thank you, Douglas,” she managed past the knot as she accepted his offer, but she couldn’t linger there for long. If Brandon had started back shortly after her, he’d arrive at the stables any moment, and she wasn’t prepared for another encounter. Inside the stable, she combed through her hair with her fingers and twisted the long length into a knot at the nape of her neck. Douglas came to stand behind her just as she’d finished righting her dress.
“Whatever ‘tis botherin’ ye, give it some time.”
“I’m afraid no amount of time will be enough. I’ve certainly made a mess of things.” Why she was speaking so openly to the man, she had no idea. It was entirely inappropriate. But in truth, aside from Brandon, he was the only person in the world who knew anything about her.
“I’ve watched the two of ye for many years. That man of yers is a good man—even if he isn’t supposed to be yer man. Sometimes ye’ve got to do what’s best for ye, and let fate sort out the rest of the mess.”
If only she could do as he said, to cast off the betrothal that would now bring her nothing but shame, and convince Brandon to do the same…
But Douglas did not understand the consequences she would bring about for acting so selfishly. No, she couldn’t do it.
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