Page 79 of House of Thorns
Darkness filled the room.
Olivia’s heart began to pound.
“Perhaps there is a way I can convince you to think positively in my favor,” his deep voice whispered in her ear.
There were so many things he could do—that shewantedhim to do.
Moonlight streamed through the windows, bathing the room in silvery light, enough so that she could see the outline of his smiling lips.
“You’re so beautiful, Olivia.”
That brought a laugh to her lips. “In the darkness only,” she teased. “I am untidy, wearing breeches—”
“I rather think all women should wear breeches,” he interrupted, placing a hand on the press behind her and stepping forward to press his body against hers.
Yes. That’s what she wanted. To feel him, every inch. “Women wear breeches? Would it not be rather confusing to tell them apart from men?”
Nicholas lifted a wicked brow. “I rather think not. The shapes, I assure you, are decidedly different. There are advantages to such attire, I might point out.”
The seductive purr in his voice made her heart sing. “Advantages? Pray tell?”
He ran a palm down the front of her shirt, lazily, before replying, “To begin with, the shirt. It’s much easier to…open.”
Her spine arched expectantly at the word. Then, his mouth covered hers in a quick, deep kiss, one that made her instinctively tuck her legs together. As quickly as his lips had found hers, they drew back. Then, he caught the bottom of her shirt and slowly slipped his hand beneath the hem.
As far as rakish behavior went, this was a prime example, of course, but she only willed his hand to slide up faster. She wanted his fingers on her breasts. No, she wanted his mouth.
Then, sweet heaven, his fingers found her nipple. “You’re not wearing anything else beneath?” His lips curved into an expectant smile. He caught her nipple between his fingers and gave it a tug.
A tingle of pleasure shot straight down to her belly. “Yes,” she moaned.
He pressed her harder against the press, kneading her breast in his strong hand.
“Suckle me,” she whispered.
“With pleasure,” he answered, at once. The next instant, he caught her bottom lip between his teeth as he removed his hand from her breast. She would have complained, but how could one talk with her lip being sucked?
Then he tugged the buttons of her shirt. They slipped free and the cloth fell away. Both of his hands returned to her breasts, and she gasped into his mouth, arching her belly against him.
His mouth left her lips to kiss a trail over her jaw and down her neck, his fingers teasing her nipples all the while. She couldn’t seem to hold still. Wetness pooled between her thighs and her muscles clenched.
Finally, his mouth moved lower until he was where she wanted him to be, lifting her left breast into his mouth.
She gasped at the sensations of his hot, wet tongue circling her nipple. He began to suck, each tug sending a spike of sensation deep into her core.
“Nicholas. Yes. Oh, Nicholas.”
She buried her fingers in his hair, pressing his mouth down harder on her breast as he suckled, taking her deeply.
Dimly, she felt him tug at the belt holding her pants in place. She scarcely noticed. How could she, with the sensations his mouth evoked?
Then, her pants fell to the floor, and as the cool air caressed her naked thighs, she lifted her lashes in shock. She was naked. His mouth left her breast and the trail of kisses resumed, down a straight line of her belly to continue lower.
Good Lord, he was kneeling between her legs. She froze, incapable of moving as he ran his fingers down the length of her legs, and then up again, his thumb sliding along her inner thighs.
“Open your legs for me,” he murmured.
As if in a dream, she complied, watching, mesmerized, the dim shadowy form kneeling between her legs. He caught her inner thigh in his hand and lifted her leg higher, pressing her back against the press as he draped her calf over his shoulder.
And then, he buried his face in her privates.
