Page 80 of The Lady Needs a Rogue
His clever fingers worked their magic. Touch upon touch. The pleasure grew from tiny ripples of delight to waves of pleasure so very intense, she was in danger of being swept away.
A rogue wave of sensation washed over her, seeming to carry her away. The rush of feeling carried her out of reality, so intense she felt a bit mad. Sheer pleasure swirled around her like a whirlpool from which she had no desire to free herself, wave upon wave upon wave of pure joy.
A sense of utter contentment filled her heart. She felt as if she drifted back to shore, into the safe haven of his embrace.
When she met his gaze, the heady blend of primal desire and tenderness in his eyes melted her heart. God above, did he have any idea how she longed to look into his eyes every night? Every morning. Every day.
“Do ye have any idea how beautiful ye are, lass?” He skimmed over her bottom lip with his thumb. “If I live to be a very old man, nothing could ever compare to those beautiful green eyes, radiant with pleasure and desire.” His mouth curved, the most subtle of smiles. “Desire for me, my love.”
She nestled against his lean, strong body. For a long moment, she watched the rise and fall of his chest, delighting in the sight. He was vital and strong and, hopefully, he was hers. Just as she was his.
“Ah, Finn, I’d say you’ve succeeded in your quest. I am wild for you.” She kissed him again and smiled to herself. How delightful that she could lie with him and kiss him simply because she wanted to. “Truly and deeply and utterly mad for you, Mr. Caldwell.”
*
The sun’s firstrays shined through the curtains, rousing Macie from a thoroughly delightful sleep in Finn’s bed. In Finn’s arms.
Ah, she could easily become used to mornings like this.
Macie scooted to the edge of the bed and pressed her feet to the cool wooden floorboards. She turned back, and for a long moment, her gaze lingered on Finn.
Goodness, he was such a handsome man. He lay on his back, the hazy light dancing over the contours of his muscular chest. One arm stretched out against the mattress, as if he dreamed of holding her to his body.
A little sigh escaped her. She’d delighted in those moments of pleasure in Finn’s arms. Were they simply stolen moments of joy? Or had she found a man she could love for the rest of her days?
Time would tell the tale. Donning her dressing gown and slippers, she tiptoed back to the bed just long enough to press a soft kiss to Finn’s mouth.
It wouldn’t do for anyone—especially Mrs. Tuttle—to encounter her leaving his room.
So of course, as luck would have it, Mrs. Tuttle peeked out of her chamber at the precise moment Macie closed the door to Finn’s room behind her.
Their eyes met. An awkward silence followed, broken when Mrs. Tuttle smiled even as she gave her head a regretful shake.
“Miss Macie, are you waiting for me to say something?”
“Honestly, I was hoping you were walking in your sleep,” she said with a brief grin.
“Not a chance.” The older woman regarded her with careworn features. “I can only hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I believe I do,” Macie said, sounding perhaps more confident than she felt.
“I do hope so.” Mrs. Tuttle shuffled out of the room, clutching her flannel dressing gown around her. “Promise me you will do this one thing for me, Miss Macie.”
“And what might that be?” Macie asked gently.
“Take your time, dear.” The housekeeper reached out and tucked a wayward curl behind Macie’s ear. “Promise me you will guard your heart.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Rise and shine,Mr. Caldwell,” Mrs. Tuttle said. “You have a visitor.”
“A visitor?” Finn’s voice sounded like a cross between a croak and a groan even to his own ears. He pulled the blanket over his chest and raised up on his elbows.
Macie’s housekeeper frowned. “He says his name’s Tim. Mr. MacLain sent him.”
Her words jarred him from his drowsy, sleep-deprived state. What in blazes was going on? Had something happened to Amelia or her babe?
“Where is he?”
