Page 44 of The Gilded Lady
She smiled up at him. “Well then that’s a travesty. It’s true.” Her eyes roamed over his torso in appreciation and her hands followed as if she couldn’t get enough of touching him. The fingers of one hand traced over his shoulder, the one with the scar. “What happened?”
He wanted to shrug off the question, but the way she looked at him as she asked, her eyes so solemn and knowing, he couldn’t. She looked at him not as a marvel, but as someone who carried scars of her own. Someone who’d been through the worst life could offer and just might be able to understand. It wasn’t even a conscious thought, but he found himself telling her. “It’s a lash from a whip.”
She gasped, but she didn’t pull her hand away. Her fingertips traced it up and down his shoulder before moving up to his face. He’d never allowed a woman to touch his scar before. That horrible night had been too fresh and vivid in his mind for too long. But he found himself leaning into her touch.
“This is the same type of scar,” she whispered, her fingertip tracing over his brow.
He gave a slight nod so that he wouldn’t dislodge her hand. “It happened the same night as the other. The night the Reyes hacienda was raided by the Derringers.”
She didn’t seem horrified or upset. There was calm acceptance in her expression, an acknowledgment. They were both survivors. “It makes you look dangerous,” she said, a teasing light in her eye. “When you’re angry you look downright vicious. And now…”
“And now?” He prompted.
“You look like the big bad wolf, waiting to eat me up.”
“Hmm…not a bad idea.”
She giggled, the light and happy sound washing over him and filling him up with sunshine and contentment.
“You’ll need to take off your dress first.”
She nodded and turned so that he could work the fastenings. His fingers, thick and clumsy, trembled as he unfastened each tiny button. He took advantage of her exposed neck and placed an open-mouthed kiss at her nape, letting the tip of his tongue drink the salty sweetness from her skin.
She sighed and moved back into his touch. “That’s lovely.”
He nearly laughed at her description. He’d take lovely. As he unbuttoned her dress, he kissed his way down her spine until his lips found the cotton fabric of her chemise, then he kissed back up, loving the chill bumps his touch raised on her skin.
“Take this off,” he whispered in her ear when he’d finished.
She moved away to take the garment off and step out of her shoes, carefully placing the dress in the armoire. He sensed some hesitation in her, so he took the opportunity to sit on the edge of the bed and take off his boots. He’d gone back to his own clothes since he’d been on watch. Well aware that they might not progress past kissing and touching tonight, he vowed to pace himself and ignore the hunger roaring through his veins.
When he was left in his pants and she only in her chemise, she walked over to stand in front of him. His hands were drawn to her, catching her by the waist and pulling her closer. She was smiling a little, but there was fear in her eyes now.
“We don’t have to do more tonight.” His voice was husky and rough.
“No…it’s not that.”
His fingers tightened in the chemise and he placed a kiss in the tantalizing dip between her breasts where the fabric met herskin. There was a ribbon holding it together and he wanted to pull it apart. To see her breasts. To taste them.
“You can tell me.”
“I want to do more, I’m just…” She shook her head and ran a hand over her face in exasperation. “I don’t like that I’m afraid, but I am.”
He ran his hands up her rib cage and back down, stopping short of her breasts. “Does it feel good when I touch you?”
She nodded.
He took in a deep breath, taking in her rose scent. “You get to set the pace, Glory.” To demonstrate his point he brought his hands up again, stopping just under the fullness of her breasts. He met her gaze before he went further, silently asking for permission. She gave him a nod and he took them in his palms. The mounds barely filled his hands. Her nipples were tight against his palms, and her lips parted as he gently tested their weight.
“More?”
She nodded again, and he shifted his hands, circling her nipples with his thumbs. She gasped and bit her lip, leaning into his touch. He could barely make out their shadow in the dim light, which taunted him, making him want to see her even more. Gently, he stroked over her nipple, drawing another sound from her lips.
“When you’re ready, untie the ribbons so I can taste you.”
Glory felt her nipples harden even more under the skillful touch of his hands and fingers. He continued to gently knead her breasts, playing with her nipples which were hard little peaks under her chemise. She moved slowly, her fingers trembling, but she untied the ribbon and the fabric gaped apart. Wanting nothing more than to feel his hands on her bare skin, she grabbed them and brought them to the opening. He pushed thefabric aside, his fingers eagerly seeking her skin. His callused palms were slightly rough as they raked over her smooth breasts, sending flares of heated pleasure across her skin. His hand was so large as it closed over her that it encompassed her entire breast.
They were opposites in so many ways on the outside, but on the inside they were the same. He understood her in ways she couldn’t explain. He worked her nipples between his forefinger and thumb, tugging slightly. She gasped as darts of electricity shot directly to her belly. Liquid heat pooled between her thighs, making her rub her thighs together to alleviate some of the tension.
