Page 81 of A Little Bit Dangerous
“Yes,” she panted, wrapping her arms around him. “Though I’d take anything you had to give.”
“Admit, this is better than sweet biscuits,” he said, forcing his hand between them to stroke her clitoris with his thumb. “I used to watch you eating them in the garden, watch you lick the crumbs from your lips.”
“I knew you were there.” Her head fell back as she arched into him. “It’s why I ate them outside and not in my bedchamber.” A moan escaped her. “Oh, Christian. Don’t stop.”
He captured her nipple in his mouth, his tongue sliding over the stiff peak. In a matter of seconds, she came apart around his cock, the powerful contractions as fast as her breathless pants.
Before the pulses subsided, Christian had her on her back. He’d been holding his release at bay for the last few minutes, and he’d need to be quick if he meant to keep his promise.
He sank into her, each powerful thrust angled to give maximum stimulation. He wanted them to come together, to pour everything of himself into one last stroke. To flood her with the depth of his devotion.
Sense prevailed.
He waited for her to shudder against him for a third time before he withdrew and an explosion of sensations ripped through him. He came hard. Her name on his lips. A secret prayer echoing in his mind.
Please let her stay.
Please don’t forsake me again.
ChapterSeventeen
Isabella watched Christian sleeping soundly.
Love filled her heart. Love infused every fibre of her being. But something dark lingered in the shadows. The monster that was her constant companion, in one form or another, was merely waiting for the right time to strike. Somehow, she had to find the courage to slay the demon. If she didn’t, it would mean losing the man who made her soul sing.
She needed to talk to someone.
Someone who could keep a secret.
Someone who wouldn’t steal her sanity with every kiss.
Quietly, she slipped into her dress and kid boots and made for the door. She stopped to glance at Christian’s tight buttocks as he lay sprawled on his front in the huge bed. Her insides melted. Making love only fed her addiction.
But she needed clarity.
Being skilled at escaping in the dark, she crept from the room and mounted the stairs. She found Mrs Maloney awake in bed, reading beneath the light of a lamp.
One look at Isabella’s mussed hair and the woman closed her book and placed it on the nightstand. “I wasn’t sure I’d see you tonight.” She sat up and patted the bed. “I heard you were home. No doubt I should have come looking for you.” She glanced at her book and chuckled to herself. “Only a fool would hire me as a chaperone.”
“Mr Chance believes you’re the most capable person he knows.” Drawn by the woman’s warm, friendly manner, Isabella crossed the room and sat on the bed.
“Aaron invited me here so he didn’t have to think about you. Christian persuaded me to come because he cares.”
Christian!
Her heart swelled until she could hardly breathe. She couldn’t contain the words any longer. “I’m in love with him. Christian, I mean.”
Mrs Maloney laughed again. “Thank heavens. Anyone who falls in love with Aaron is asking for a life of untold misery. She’d need the hide of an ox. The ability to withstand venom.” She shook her head, annoyed she’d become distracted. “But Christian. That’s another matter entirely.”
Isabella sighed. “Loving him has made me weak.” She wasn’t strong enough to leave him. What if her selfishness got him killed? “I should run, board a ship for America, but the thought tears me in two.”
Mrs Maloney patted Isabella’s hand. “Does this have anything to do with your father and his wicked machinations?”
Secrets she had kept for years came tumbling out. By the time she’d explained about Mr Griffin and the conte, poor Mrs Maloney looked shattered. “So, you see why I cannot stay.”
Silence ensued, but then Mrs Maloney said something baffling. “We took in a stray bloodhound once. Albert, we called him after he followed Christian home from a derelict house in Albert Street. When the dog ran away, Aaron said it was for the best, as it was just another mouth to feed. Christian walked day and night and refused to come home until he’d found him.”
With her mind still hazy from their lovemaking, Isabella tried to find the message in Mrs Maloney’s tale. “He didn’t find Albert. And it was another loss he was forced to bear.”
