Page 33 of Daring the Forbidden Earl
“And what if I were to do this?” Brazenly, she slipped her hand between them, until she found the thick, hard protrusion through his trousers. Slowly, she rubbed her hand up and down, unable to grasp him as the letter had instructed.
He moaned in pleasure. “I would… think myself a fortunate… man.”
Exasperated by the garments that were keeping them from getting closer, she pulled her hand away and set to work on his tailcoat and shirt. Following her lead, he unfastened the ribbon of her coral muslin gown and sat back, taking hold of her hands to bring her up with him. He did not even need her to turn her back to him, as he reached around and deftly undid the buttons of her gown.
Now loosened, Mark took hold of the hem of her gown and pulled it all the way up, over her head, before throwing it over the back of the settee. He dealt with her stays in much the same way—unfastening them without looking, and letting her half-corset drop to the ground to join her gown.
“Lie back, Sweeting,” he urged.
She did as he asked and lifted her hips as he pulled her pantalettes down her legs and onto the floor. His head dipped and he kissed his way back up her thighs, until he reached that peak of slick, inviting heat.
Shuffling back, he pushed her legs up until they bent at the knee. Lowering himself down, he curled his arms around her thighs, gripping the soft, smooth flesh. Johanna did not know what he intended to do, but she soon found out as his tongue licked slowly against her secret bud. A jolt of euphoric lightning jumped from that intimate spot and up through her body, forking out until she was writhing upon the velvet cushions, clawing at the fabric with every quickening lick.
“Oh… Oh my… Mark… Oh Mark…” She panted and moaned, feeling as though her body was about to tear apart at the seams, in the most remarkable way. In all her life, she had never felt so alive, so magical, so utterly aware of every trembling inch of her skin.
Her hand reached down so her fingers could run through his light brown locks, as her hips bucked, and her body pulsated with ripples of newfound pleasure.
And then, to her absolute rapture, his fingertips pressed against the heat of her entrance. A moment later, she felt his two long, masculine fingers slide inside her.
“Oh… Oh!” She had never known anything like it.
If he can do this with his fingers, what can he do with his manhood?
His fingers curled slightly inside her, adding a pressure that almost tipped her over the edge. All the while, his tongue continued to lash at her secret bud, building something new and strange within her, a sensation of something gathering, and her muscles tightening, though she did not know what it meant.
Moaning in bliss, she tipped her hips slightly back and forth as his fingers moved slowly in and out of her... until that gathering, tightening sensation within her suddenly had its release.
“Mark!” she cried out his name as a pulsing wave of pure ecstasy surged through her, making her legs shake and her body spasm. And, in that moment, she could have sworn the world started spinning around her, sending her away to another realm. A realm of pleasure, where only they existed.
As the blissful tide ebbed, and her body ceased to shake, she lay panting upon the settee, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Her mind could not even begin to think clearly.
Mark lifted his head and kissed across her thighs and over her stomach, until his mouth found her taut nipple. He sucked it gently, as though aware of how sensitive her skin was. Even his kisses felt as though they were leaving blazing marks upon her skin.
“Did you like that?” he said, pausing for a moment.
She nodded weakly. “I do not know whatthatwas, but I… will never have enough of it.”
“I can oblige you in that regard.” He grinned. “I do not think I could ever tire of hearing you call out my name or seeing you in the throes of passion. As the letter said—youare a goddess, Johanna.”
She began to laugh, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him down on top of her. “Then your tongue must be heavenly.” She buried her face in his shoulder, content to just lie there with him. “But what of you? What can I do for you?”
“Nothing tonight, Sweeting,” he replied silkily. “We have all the time we need to explore one another. And I, for one, cannot wait until the next time.”
She grazed her lips against his earlobe and whispered her sweet nothings in reply. “Nor can I, my darling. Nor can I.”
Chapter Nineteen
Later that night—or, rather, in the early hours of the morning—Mark and Johanna lay together in her bed, naked beneath the coverlets. They had not tried anything else from the mysterious, illicit letter, but she had asked him to remove his trousers so she would not feel so alone in her nudity. He did not mind indulging her, for though he had no desire to rush anything, the night was still young.
“What would you have said upon that bridge, if we could have that moment again?” Johanna rested her head against his chest, her fingertips trailing circles across his skin.
Emulating her gentle caresses, he stroked her silky blonde hair. “Do you truly want to know?”
He wanted to tell her, but he did not know if he was ready. For such a long time, he had resented her for marrying his uncle, thinking it was what she had wanted. All of that seemed so pointless now. He had wasted time hating her that he could have spent on admiring her and fanning the flames of his affection for her.
Moreover, I could have saved her…
“I do,” she replied, peering up at him.
