Page 37 of Taming of the Rake
David wrestled with keeping a straight face as she propped herself up on the pillows beside him, hands folded over her abdomen, eyes fixed on the ceiling. She held herself as rigid as a slab of steel, fingers clenched so tight he doubted he could pry them apart if he tried. The poor thing was so out of her depth.
“Hmm,” he murmured, slipping one arm beneath her shoulders and gently easing her toward him. “Not quite what I had in mind. A few minor adjustments, and … yes, that’s better.”
He arranged her to lay on her side pressed against him, her arm slung across his middle. Regina’s breath grew unsteady, but she didn’t pull away. She eventually relaxed, letting David hitch one of her thighs up to drape his.
“Did I mention that a courtesan’s hands have many uses which have nothing to do with intercourse? Allow me to demonstrate.”
David sank his fingers into the mass of her hair, gently kneading her scalp. Regina made a sound that reminded him of a cat’s purr, her heavy sigh tickling his bare chest.
“Oh … well, that … that’s quite good.”
He smiled. “It is my job to ensure you enjoy the full experience. How am I doing thus far?”
“Even with no basis for comparison, I have to admit to being impressed. It’s a wonder some woman hasn’t shackled you to her bed to keep you as her prisoner.”
“Well, Ihavebeen shackled, but never for more than an hour or so.”
Her head tipped back and the look she gave him was priceless in its astonishment. “Never tell me you actually enjoyed that.”
A wicked grin spread across his face. “Would you like me to bring a set of irons for my next visit so you can see for yourself? Being completely at your mercy sounds rather appealing.”
Her face pinked just before she burrowed back into his chest, seeming too embarrassed to look him in the eye. It was amazing, the transformation he had witnessed—from timid innocent, to greedy wanton and back again.
“Will you ever cease shocking me?” she murmured, one hand hovering tentatively over his chest.
David gave a little hum of approval when she finally laid her palm against him, fingers tangling in the dark tangle of curls. “Not if I can help it.”
She fell silent for a little while, becoming bolder in her explorations, tracing his contours and sinews. David closed his eyes, content to let Regina have her fill of him in whatever way pleased her. He liked the feel of her hands on him, the soft breaths tickling his skin, the little sounds of contentment she made without noticing.
“It’s intriguing,” she murmured, running a fingertip down the center of his belly.
“What is?”
“Your skin. I thought you were so dark because of the sun, but … you’re the same color all over.”
Opening one eye, he glanced down to find her swirling her fingers through the trail of hairs leading to his groin, and prayed she wouldn’t stop on her downward path. His cock was already stirring at the mere suggestion.
“My mother is Greek,” he replied. “My father went on his grand tour, lingered in Athens longer than he did anywhere else, and came home with a wife. Apparently, she needed convincing to leave her home and family to be with him. I inherited my coloring from her.”
“And your eyes?”
“Another gift from her. She is an uncommonly lovely woman. My sisters are pretty, too, but they look more like Father did.”
She sat up, staring down at him with her eyebrows drawn together. “You refer to him in the past tense.”
“He died just a few weeks before I met you.”
Her gaze swung to where his clothes lay in a heap on the floor. “You’ve been in mourning all this time. I had no idea.”
He shrugged, absently toying with a ruffle of lace on her sleeve. “It isn’t as easy to spot a man in mourning. My wardrobe did not require nearly as much adjustment as my mother’s and sisters’.”
“I’m so sorry. How awful for your poor mother. It sounds as if theirs was a love match?”
“It was. My family fell on hard times during the last years of his life, but even then they seemed happy with one another. I have done my best to care for her, but there are some things even I cannot make right. To have spent so much of her life with someone only to have him taken away … I cannot pretend to know how much that must hurt.”
Regina didn’t respond right away, staring across the room as if deep in thought. When she did speak, her words came out on a low whisper.
“I do not know how that feels. Randolph’s death came as a relief. I felt as if shackles had been struck from me when he took his last breath. I am sorry that your mother is in pain, but I am glad for her all the same. At least her marriage wasn’t a prison. When her grief has lessened, she will be able to look back on their time together with fondness.”
