Page 36 of Taming of the Rake
“Yes,” he groaned, easing a hand between them to take hold of his cock. “Yes, Regina.”
She felt no trepidation at the press of him at her opening, no fear or revulsion. There was only a deep hunger for the unknown. Years of neglect and ignorance had left a deep and visceral longing that must be satisfied.
He filled her with ease, guided by the wetness and eagerness of her body. His forehead fell against hers, their panted breaths tangling together as he slowly withdrew and plunged. She was full and aching, pulsing with a renewed need that demanded more friction, more pressure, more ofhim.
She braced her feet on the bed and arched into him, producing a rough moan from David, who stared down at her with heavy-lidded, unfocused eyes.
“More,” she begged, not fully understanding what she was asking for, but needing it all the same.
David knew. He cupped her buttocks and held her up, his next stroke coming with more force behind it. The impact of his pelvis against hers radiated through her entire being.
“Yes?” he rasped, going still and waiting.
“Yes … yes …”
Skin slapped against skin, the heated drag of his cock against her inner walls driving her eyes up into her head. Each stroke came faster and faster, until he drove into her so swift and hard, she could barely draw breath between the battering thrusts of his hips. She reached up to take hold of the counterpane, though it offered her no purchase. Her body rocked against the mattress, a slave to his primal cadence, his wicked whims.
He had given her control, but now wrestled it back, taking her, branding her in a way she knew to be irrevocable. For the rest of her life, Regina could never forget this moment, when she no longer cared who was in control or what rules were being followed, or whether she was doing the right thing or the wrong thing. There was only this, only them, coming together in a joining of flesh and a something that went deeper than her understanding.
David trembled, his rhythm becoming less precise. “Come with me. Touch yourself … take your pleasure.”
He gritted his teeth as if in agony, and he seemed to fight the urge to chase his own gratification. He wanted her to have hers first, just as he had promised.
Without second thought, she slid a hand between them, pressing tentative fingers against hot, slick flesh. Sensation exploded at the point of contact, heightening the pleasure of him inside her.
“Just like that,” he rasped, his stare fixated on where they were joined, where she stroked herself just the way she had in the tub. “Oh, my God … yes … that’s it …”
She felt herself unraveling again and feared she wouldn’t survive it, yet nothing would stop her from pressing and circling herself. The sight of it seemed to have enraptured David, which in turn fed fuel to her own desires. He looked as if he had never seen anything more riveting than the press of her fingers between her legs.
They tangled together, flying high and crashing simultaneously, David’s hips jerking and his cock pulsing inside her. The hot flood of his seed bathed her insides, and his cries echoed from the walls, husky and hoarse. His eyes remained open and fixed on her through it all, glimmering with an amalgamation of truths she could not avoid.
She was desired. She was wanted.
She was, in the eyes of the most captivating man she had ever laid eyes on, beautiful.
And as he collapsed atop her, gathering her close with his body still connected to hers, Regina was undone.
Chapter 9
“It has occurred to me that there are still a number of ways in which you have been squandering the talents of your courtesan.”
Regina glanced at David over her shoulder, a brush held over a lock of mussed hair. David lay in repose beneath her counterpane, still nude and in no hurry to leave. If she had asked him to, he doubted he would have the strength. His legs were boneless, his eyes heavy-lidded with drowsy satisfaction. She had left the bed minutes ago, stumbling on unsteady legs behind her privacy screen—where David assumed she had cleaned herself up. Reappearing dressed in a prim nightgown buttoned to the throat, she had then seated herself at her vanity and attempted to set her hair to rights.
“Is that so?” she asked, the corner of her mouth twitching with amusement.
Stretching with a groan, he then clasped his hands behind his head and made himself more comfortable amongst her pillows. “Indeed. You see, most courtesans—myself in particular—are built for comfort as well as pleasure. If you were still in this bed with me, you might discover that for yourself. Observe the expanse of my chest, upon which you might find a most convenient pillow. Then there is the length of my arms, perfect for cradling you in a variety of soothing ways. But, alas … you leave me here devoid of purpose to brush your hair. I am wounded, my dear.”
Regina’s shoulders quivered, but her pinched lips held any laughter at bay. David could see the humor dancing in her eyes even from this distance. Combined with the soft pink glow to her cheeks, she left him thoroughly enchanted. Even covered in that matronly nightgown of hers, she heated his blood, making him forget that barely a quarter of an hour had passed since he’d been inside her.
“Forgive me,” she said, setting the hairbrush aside. “I have never had a courtesan before, as you well know.”
Neither had she been treated properly by the only man to come before him, but that did not bear saying aloud. While it irked David to know she had gone so long without knowing true passion or affection, he was gratified to be the one to teach her.
“All will be forgiven if you get back in this bed with me. No, don’t braid your hair. Leave it.”
Regina came to her feet, her expression shy and uncertain as she slowly approached the bed. David never took his eyes off her, the brilliance of fire and candlelight putting the outline of her body on full display through thin white cambric. The brilliant splash of her unbound hair captivated him, and even the peek of bare feet and dainty toes were enough to tie him in knots. It was the most ridiculous thing. He had a healthy appreciation for women and always had. That was all this was.
Yet, as he turned back the coverlet to let her climb in beside him, David couldn’t ignore the intensity of his attraction to this particular woman. It went beyond his usual, indiscriminate love of all things feminine. Perhaps it was merely the novelty of something new—something pure and bright and lovely in the midst of his life, which had become rather difficult as of late. He decided there was nothing wrong with enjoying it while it would last. After all, he’d made it his personal mission to ensure Regina had the time of her life while in his care. Why shouldn’t he also benefit? There had been so little enjoyment in anything for him in a long while.
