Page 39 of The Mech Who Loved Me
Somehow he tumbled her onto her back. Ava splayed on the blankets beneath him, stiff with shock for all of a second before she surrendered, his hips sinking between her parted thighs. His weight pressed her into the mattress, and Kincaid groaned as his heavy cock was crushedbetweenthem.
Damn, she truly was exquisite. Lantern light gilded the soft gold strands in her hair, turned her skin to pure, molten honey, and for a second he couldn't believe she was real. That this was happening. He captured her mouth again, teasing her with his tongue, coaxing her to kiss him back when she hesitated, before she finally began to capture the rhythmofit.
Fuck. Kincaid eased the collar of her nightgown open, fisting his hand in her hair and turning her face to the side as his lips followed the smooth column of her throat down, down to the sweeping curve of her breasts. Breathing hard. Panting in fact, his hand sliding down to cup herbreast—
"What are y-you doing?" Avagasped.
And he realized where they were, and what he'd promised, and the fact she probably hadn't experienced anything like thisbefore.
Damnit.
Somehow he pulled himself together. Kincaid looked down at her face, breathing hard. Her nightgown was bunched between them, barely clinging to the curves of her puckered nipples. The thin silvery scar rested between her small breasts, but he didn't have time to explore more. He had a nervous virgin on his hands, and he'd pushed too far. "I'm showing you what youaskedfor."
Her hands fluttered between them, then she hesitantly rested her palms on his bare chest. "I...see."
No, you don't, not truly. And the lie came undone in his mind as he realized everything he'd told himself in the last month was untrue.She means nothing; you only want her because you can't have her; you're just bored and her innocence is appealing; she's not for you....That last one, and only that, was thetruth.
Ava McLaren wasdangerous.
"May I touch you?" Ava whispered, and there went his mind into darkplaces.
Yes.He wanted to drag her hand lower and curl those curious fingers aroundhiscock.
Even as he knew she wasn't readyforthat.
Kincaid caught her hand in his, and kissed her palm. She followed the movement with those expressive eyes, and when he licked the sensitive skin there, her eyes widened. God, she was so damned perfect. He wanted to see those eyes widen when he slid his cock inside her for the first time, to see the wonder in them. "I don't think touching me is a good idearightnow."
Or else her experience with sex would be a very short, brief affair. The ache in his cock was almostexcruciating.
Those glorious eyesshuttered. "But...?"
"Not tonight," he replied firmly. "Sleep on it. Be certain this is what you want. Because the next time we do this, I'm not goingtostop."
"Oh." A soft, reverent sound. She was thinkingagain.
He had to get out of here. "Good night, Ava." Leaning forward, he kissed her again. Her mouth and thighs both parted with ease, and then he was groaning and trying to push away from her. Or at least, he intended to push away from her. His cock had other ideas. Kincaid's hips flexed, his erection pushing into her belly, and Ava gasped as she archedbeneathhim.
Jaysus.
He shoved to his feet abruptly, rearranging himself in his pants. Ava lay sprawled on the bed, looking utterly ravished. All those blonde curls splayed across her pillow. Why was he saying noagain?
Right. He needed to find some control, and she needed to be certain this was what shewanted.
"Sweet dreams," he murmured as he turned around and strode towardthedoor.
Before he could change his mind and scrap all sense of honorableintentions.
* * *
Sweet dreams?Ava paced the bomb site at the clinic the following afternoon, her skirts seeming to irritate her sensitive legs. Ever since Kincaid left her in a heated mess on the middle of her bed last night, she'd been unable to concentrate. She'd never felt this waybefore.
Of course, she'd never had a man press his body so intimately against hers, especially in places that had never felt a man's touchbefore....
Ava groaned, trying to clear her mind. The Duke of Malloryn was due at any moment for a briefing. And Malloryn was the most perceptive man she'd ever met. If she even thought about carnal relations with Kincaid while Malloryn was in the building, she was certain the duke wouldnotice.
Right on cue, a carriage rounded the corner, a team of matched blacks trotting along in front of it. Horses seemed an old-fashioned concept these days—an extravagance the Echelon still liked to display—what with steam power ruling the city. Most regular people were forced to make do with coal and steam power, which left a dirty pall hanging overLondon.
Not the Duke ofMalloryn.
