Page 107 of The Quiet Wife
“Really?” His eyes widened.
“With everyone, you are a larger-than-life artist. Someone who performs, entertains…” she paused and smiled. “Someone who creates magic and delights in showing it. In private, you are patient, strong, caring…”
He flushed at her words.
She pressed her lips to his again, this time lingering. “Teach me about passion, Jemie.”
He drew her closer still, so her body pressed against his, feeling the warmth of him, “That, my love, I can do.”
He kissed her. Gently, softly, but then more insistently and it sent shivers up through her in spikes of pleasure. The air between them was heavy and the passion that had simmered beneath the surface since their first kiss roared into life. She pressed back and he opened his mouth and kissed her with an achingly intense rhythm. She followed willingly, embracing him with a need that frankly startled her. He groaned into her mouth and pulled her tightly against him, letting her feel his arousal. Her breath caught in her throat as he pulled his lips away and mouthed hot kisses down her neck before coming back to her lips and they kissed for the longest time until they both needed more.
“I want to see you,” he murmured, dropping kisses all over her face. “I’ve dreamed of seeing you.” He pulled back and took handfuls of her hair. “You have no idea how long I’ve dreamed of seeing your hair like this.” He combed his fingers gently through the long locks.
Frances’ lips curled into a soft smile. “It was one of the first things you said to me. How much you admired my hair.”
He drew a strand to his lips and kissed it. “I wanted to see it loose. I knew I wanted to paint you, but I wanted to paint you naked, on my bed, with your hair cascading over your body.”
Frances blushed at his words. “You did, even then?”
He gave her a lopsided smile. “Then, and every moment since.”
The naked devotion in his gaze gave her the strength to banish any self-consciousness she felt. She tugged at the ribbons of her nightgown, awaiting his reaction as she did so with delicious anticipation. She fervently wished she had experience in such matters. Wished she could do it more alluringly, but she did the best she could. She unlaced the gown, eased it over her shoulders, and allowed it slide to the floor.
The look on Jemie’s face was all she could have dreamed of.
Mouth slightly open, eyes so dark she could fall into them, a tremble in his hand, and breathing like he’d run a mile.
“Frances. Oh, my love.” The words tumbled out on a shaken breath.
She wanted to apologise for her body. Four babies had taken their toll. She was still slender, but not like she once was in her youth, but the burning passion in his gaze as he lingered over every inch of her told her there was no need.
He seized long strands of her hair and let it cascade through his fingers and in that moment, she felt truly desired. Truly loved.
She swallowed. “I’d like to see you too.”
Without taking his eyes off her, he dispensed with his coat and cravat, throwing them on the floor behind him. His waistcoat went the same way and then he was pulling his white shirt over his head, ruffling his gorgeous curls, and emerging with a smile.She loved his chest so much. Loved the hair, the muscles, the solidity of it. She put her hands out to touch him, but he backed away. He quickly dispensed with shoes and stockings. He stood in his bare feet and bare chest and his hands fell to his trousers.
Frances’ mouth was dry, and the longing that swamped her intensified.
“Don’t stop now,” she whispered.
He unbuttoned himself and pushed his trousers and under garments down to stand before her completely, utterly, gloriously naked.
“Oh,” she whispered with a blush. “Oh, Jemie.”
He grinned sheepishly. “Look at me like that and this is going to be over before it starts,” he said nervously.
“What do you mean?”
“I want to take a long time with you and I’m afraid I’m going to spend like a green lad the minute I touch you.”
For the first time in her life, taking a long time sounded positively delicious, not something to be dreaded or simply endured.
“You mean you might reach your crisis quickly?”
He nodded uncomfortably and took hold of himself with what looked like a hard squeeze.
She licked her lips, feeling bold. “Perhaps we could do it more than once?”
