Page 75 of No One's Bride
Once inside the carriage, shame turned to amusement, and Ailsa couldn’t help but chuckle. “I think ye did more than show me the hothouse. My cheeks are still glowing.”
Sebastian managed a grin. “After such a thorough education, I pray you remember the names of the plants.”
The thread of laughter in his voice roused hope in her heart. “The most notable was thePrunus avium, often referred to as the wild cherry tree.”
His cobalt eyes glistened in the darkness. “I believe that’s a rather accurate description. And what of thephallus erectus? Do you recall that with any clarity, madam?”
The sight of his turgid shaft was imprinted in her memory. “Aye. I believe I saw an excellent example. A solid specimen of virility.”
Masculine pride brightened his features. “The question is, would you be interested in seeing it again?”
“Would ye be interested in showing it to me?” Did he still feel the burning attraction, or had the flames died? Had their fiery passion been nothing but a magnificent illusion?
He shuffled to the edge of the seat, the curl of his mouth holding the promise of something sinful. “I’m a man who keeps his cards close to his chest. As such, I’m reluctant to declare myself first. Despise feeling the slightest sliver of vulnerability.”
She thought to reward his honesty, to ease his torment by confessing her feelings. But the more time they spent together, the farther she advanced into his secret domain. Every revelation brought them one step closer.
“And yet?” she prompted.
A muscle in his cheek twitched. “From my perspective, nothing has changed.” He dragged his hand through his hair. “I want you. More than ever. I’m still locked in the grip of a spell. Your spell.”
I want you so badly I can barely sit still, she said silently.
“What I need to know,” he began, waves of tension rolling between them, “is if your desire for me has dissipated. Were you swept up in the moment? In the face of this stark reality, has your perception altered?”
She coughed to hide her smile. “Might ye speak plainly?”
“Do you still want me, Ailsa?”
With every beat of my heart.
He threw himself back in the seat, scrubbed his hand over his handsome face and released an agonising sigh. “Tell me now. Put me out of my misery.”
A quick glance beneath the blinds said they were ten minutes away from Fortune’s Den. She hiked her skirts to her knees, crossed the carriage and came to sit astride him.
No words could explain the myriad of emotions in her chest.
So she brushed the lock of hair from his brow, watched his eyes flicker as she slowly massaged his temples, soothing away his fears.
Their eyes met as she cradled his face between her palms. She saw her own desperation reflected back, an insatiable need that defied comprehension. She saw something else. A tenderness that would remain locked in her heart forever.
She kissed him, time standing still as their breath mingled.
It was unlike the kisses they’d shared in the garden.
Their mouths moved slowly. Gently. A hypnotic melding that tightened every muscle, tugged at the lonely place deep in her chest.
They swallowed each other’s moans as their tongues touched. Each stroke was a caress, not a fight for supremacy. Each glide left her core pulsing, a silent call for him to fill the emptiness.
“Free yourself,” she uttered against his lips.
He understood her meaning. “We’ll soon be at Fortune’s Den.”
“Are ye nae a man who seeks adventure, who takes risks?”
He smoothed his hands up her bare thighs. “You need time to recover. You’ll struggle to take me again. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Nothing mattered but the need to feel him inside her.
