Page 25 of Too Wylde To Tame
Her muscles drew taut, quivering as she hovered on the brink of something she could not fathom. Then, without warning, that tension broke. The world simply came apart. He kissed her again, swallowing her pleasured cries as she shuddered helplessly against him.
Slowly, Charity returned to earth. She was no longer hovering somewhere above it, lost in the cloudy haze of satisfaction. While she lacked his experience, she was not so naive as to mistake the fact that he had given her the greatest of pleasures while taking none for himself. And yet, he continues to caress her with gentle, soothing strokes as he peppered her jawline and her neck with kisses.
“I thought we were to give one another pleasure,” she observed.
“Watching you was my pleasure,” he whispered. “Hearing the sounds you made, feeling your body quiver from it—Oh, Charity, you’ve no notion what a pleasure that is for me. But we are far from finished.”
Pointedly, she looked down at the front of his trousers. The unmistakable evidence of his arousal was impossible to ignore. “Oh, well… then.”
He rolled away from her, just long enough to remove his trousers before climbing back into the bed. She barely had more than a glance at him, but that was enough to have her eyes widening. What she had seen bore little to no resemblance to her only practical knowledge of male anatomy—classical statuary.
As if he’d sensed her hesitation, he offered, “I’ve lived in a state of constant arousal since the first time I saw you. Another day or so will not kill me… We can wait.”
Charity shook her head. “No. I don’t want to wait, I’m just… I’m being a ninny. I’m here because I wanted to be, but I’m afraid that my courage and bravado are fading quickly.”
He kissed her again, long and deep, until it robbed her of breath and thought. Easing back, he looked at her with such tenderness that it overwhelmed her and obliterated her fear entirely. “You can tell me to stop at any time and I will. No matter the cost. Do you understand?”
Unable to speak, she simply nodded and then, as a silent invitation, reached for the hem of her chemise. It took a bit of shimmying to work it over her bottom and hips as she lay there in his bed. But eventually, she managed. Once she’d tossed the garment aside and looked back to him, what she saw left her reeling. His gaze roamed over her as if in awe, as if he were simply stunned by the sight of her. The naked hunger so evident on his face was impossible even for someone of her limited experience to mistake.
“There is nothing about you that I would change… you are perfection. You are everything that I could ever want,” he said, the words a solemn vow. After that, words became unnecessary. He showed her the truth with every touch, every kiss. His hands moved to her thighs, stroking and kneading. It was instinct as much as anything else that had her parting them for him. Then he was resting between them, his body fitting to hers in such a way that she could only feel they were made for one another.
The intimate touch of his fingers sliding over her damp flesh prevented further thought. Instead, she gave herself up to those exquisite sensations. It wasn’t until he’d brought her to the very brink of pleasure, when her body was taut and trembling beneath him, that he drew his hand away. Then she felt his rigid flesh pressing into her. It wasn’t comfortable. Not at all. It certainly wasn’t pleasurable. But she wanted it regardless. She wanted to be connected to him fully, to feel him become a part of her and for her to become part of him.
There was a flash of pain, bright and sharp. And then he went completely still, not moving at all but for the softly whispered words at her ear. They were nonsensical to her as she hadn’t the ability to even process them at that moment. But they were soothing. And eventually she began to relax, the tension flowing from her body. That changed everything. The more she relaxed, the better everything felt. Without the tension created by unconscious resistance, her body opened for him, welcoming him.
“Are you all right?” He asked.
Charity smiled up at him. “I think I”m much better than all right. I’m beginning to see what all the fuss is about.”
He smiled down at her, wicked and warm and wonderful. “Then let me see if I cannot edify you further.”
When he moved within her, pressing deeper and then retreating ever so slowly, Charity’s eyes fluttered closed and her head fell back as the sensations overwhelmed her. Each stroke, each thrust and withdrawal, took her closer to the edge. She hovered there for a moment, on the brink of release.
Then Frederick hooked one hand behind her knee, drawing it higher onto his hip, altering the alignment of their bodies only slightly. But that slight adjustment sent her hurtling over the precipice. The world flashed bright white behind her eyelids as the waves of pleasure rocked through her.
Charity wasn’t aware that she’d cried out his name. She wasn’t even aware that her nails had dug into the flesh of his back, leaving crescent shaped impressions in stark relief on his skin. But she was aware of the way of his body drew taut against hers, of the broken whisper of her name on his lips as he surged within her and then the heated rush of his release sent her spiraling once more.
SEVENTEEN
Frederick had never known such contentment. Lying in his bed, Charity in his arms, her blonde curls spread out around them. It was a moment that he wanted to last forever, but he knew it could not. The dawn was approaching and with it, servants would begin their day.
“Do not say it,” she murmured sleepily.
“I have to. We need to get you back to your room before we are discovered.”
She propped herself up on one elbow and looked at him. “Would it be terrible to say that I don’t care? We’re going to be married in only a day or two. I cannot imagine that we are the only couple in the world to indulge in a preemptive consummation.”
Frederick sighed. “We are not. But I’d just as soon my valet not walk into this room and see your lovely, naked arse.”
She glanced over her shoulder. “Is it? A lovely arse, that is.”
Tempted beyond belief, he slid his hand down her back to cup one lush cheek. “Perfect, I’d say. Utterly perfect. But you need to get dressed and go. Now. If you stay here any longer, I will give in to the temptation that you provide and my poor valet will be so scandalized he’ll have an apoplectic fit right there in the doorway.”
“We can’t have that,” she teased. “I’d be useless at tying your cravat. We must keep him happy.”
He kissed her once more, then rose from the bed, pulling her to her feet. “Go to your room, and know that I will be counting the minutes until we can repeat all that has passed between us tonight… and so much more.” With each word, he’d gathered up more of her clothing.When he turned back to her, she had grown quite serious. “What’s wrong?”
Charity shook her head. “Nothing is wrong. It’s just that… Frederick, I don’t expect you to say it back to me, but I need to tell you. I love you.”
