Page 31 of Temptress in Disguise
So much for curbing his desire.
“There’s no need. I’ve become quite skilled at undressing without a maid.” Despite the tremble in her voice, she allowed him to free the hooks.
The first glimpse of her bare skin hardened his cock.
He breathed her in, the smell of jasmine assaulting his senses.
Mother Mary!
He’d not had this reaction to a woman since he was twelve and spied the footman undressing the maid. Perhaps it was the lure of the forbidden. Perhaps once he buried himself inside her, these strange stirrings would fade. Sadly, it wouldn’t be tonight.
With her dress gaping, he said, “Shall I continue?” He imagined slipping the garment off her shoulders, sliding it past her hips, his mouth following the glide of his fingers.
“Continue what, Aramis? Inhaling the scent of my hair? Brushing your fingers across my nape? Doing things to make me pant and shiver?”
His smile broadened. “I make you pant and shiver?” He liked this game. Who knew honesty could be so arousing?
“Don’t be coy. You know the effect you have on women.”
He brushed his mouth against her ear. “I only care about the effect I have on you.”
She swung around to face him, her gaze dipping to his bare chest, the heat of desire warming her intelligent blue eyes. “Why do you care?”
The question caught him off guard. “You’re my wife.”
“In name only.”
He glanced at her plump lips, lips he was desperate to devour. “We both know it’s more complex than that. We’re destined to be lovers, and not because you’ll let me bed you as a last resort.”
She blinked quickly while trying to accept what was obvious to him. Then her baffled frown eased into a look of resignation. “I should chastise you for your arrogance, though I cannot deny the power of this unexpected attraction. In which case, a few questions remain.”
“Which are?”
“How and where do we start? How will it work when I lack experience and you insist on being dominant? What happens to us when we tire of each other? When lust’s thrill loses its lustre?”
They were valid concerns.
As Mrs Maloney had attested, he was a practical man with a logical mind. On occasion, a stray emotion caught him unawares. Much like the ache in his chest when he barged into Bow Street and noted his wife’s teary gaze.
By God, he’d wanted to tear the place asunder.
“We’ll begin slowly,” he said, confident there was nothing complicated about seeking pleasure. “We’ll be honest. I’ll be mindful.” Ease into her gently until she became accustomed to his strength and size. “We’ll agree to be lovers only until we’ve solved the case. I doubt either of us will tire of the situation before then.”
Pensive lines appeared on her brow. “When this is over, we will go our separate ways. Return to our old lives. Look for love elsewhere.”
Every muscle in his body tensed. While he could not argue with her sensible statements, something foreign slithered through his veins. Something capable of threatening his robust reserve.
“Let’s not race ahead of ourselves.” The desire to brand her, to ruin her for any other man, had him plotting her seduction. He’d make sure she never forgot coming around his cock. “We’ll take one day at a time.”
Naomi nodded nervously before her mouth curled into a smile. “I’m still not sure how we’ll begin, but I shall follow your lead.”
He glanced at the bed and shocked himself by suggesting sleep should be their priority tonight. “It’s late, and we have much to do tomorrow.” Having her was not an option. Once he’d tasted the forbidden fruit, he might gorge until dawn. “We must examine the crime scene, interview the witnesses and make a list of suspects.”
“If you think that’s best.” She averted her gaze and stepped back, keen to widen the distance between them now he had no plans to strip her naked. Like water being poured on glowing embers, the crackle of attraction died.
Navigating a woman’s virginity proved problematic. If he suggested beginning immediately, she might call him a libertine. In being mindful of her inexperience, he was guilty of an unnamed offence.
They finished undressing in silence.
