Page 19 of Her Wicked Longing
“You…want me?” Surely, he was teasing her, toying with her to some cruel end. If he wanted her, he wouldn’t have abandoned her or resisted her when she tried to show him herdesire.
“So badly that it makes my body ache. Do you know what it feels like?” Jonathan growled. His hand at her waist slid down her skirts along her thigh. He began to drag her gown up. Audrey gasped as his palm touched her stocking-cladknee.
“What does it feel like?” Her question escaped her lips in a raggedwhisper.
Jonathan nibbled the lobe of her ear. Tiny sparks shot down to her abdomen. A heavy heat filled her deep inside, and a pulsing started between herthighs.
“It feels like I’ll die if I don’t taste you, if I don’t pin you down on the bed and ravish you. Every muscle in my body is rigid withneed.” He rocked his hips against hers, and she felt the bulge of his arousal dig into her lower back. The pulsing inside her grew harder, and she panted softly. His hand underneath her skirts had reached the middle of her thighs, and he now drew teasing patterns on the bare skin of her leg. Audrey couldn’t speak—she was captivated by his words and how he madeherfeel.
“I’ve often wondered if you were some kind of witch, the way you cast a spell over me. I can’t get to sleep at night without picturing myself claiming you over and over.” His dark-gold lashes fell halfway as he flicked his tongue inside her ear. Audrey whimpered at the burst of arousing new sensations elicited by the naughty little lick of his tongue. Unable to stop, she pressed her hips back, rubbing herself against him. It was a completely wanton thing to do, but she didn’t care. She needed him to deliver the passion his hands and mouth werepromising.
“Please, Jonathan, stop torturing me!” shebegged.
His raspy chuckle gave her delicious chills. “Torturing you? Oh, my darling. I haven’t even begun.” His hand between her legs moved higher, slowly, deliberately teasing until he reached her aching sex. When he cupped her mound, she arched her back as a flood of sensations exploded through her. She felt dizzy, and her legs shook as he played with her. There was no other word butplayto describe the featherlight touches on her bundle of nerves and the little strokes along her inner folds, which were slick with herarousal.
“Already wet for me.” He purred the words in a low rumble that she felt vibrate from his chest toherback.
She couldn’t think past the fact that Jonathan had his fingers inside her, was caressing her in the most secret part of her body,andthen…
The climax hit her hard, so hard she cried out, but he held on to her, like a hound with a kitten in its paws. She stared at their reflection, seeing his wolfish smile as he pressed a kiss to her cheek and murmured soft words of nonsense in her ear. Her heart was racing, and her body shook violently. She felt as though she’d almost died in that instant before she’d seemed to explode from theinsideout.
“I…don’t think I can walk,” she whispered. Her legs were locked in place, and her body quivered as he slowly withdrew his hand from between her legs and let her dress fall back intoplace.
“Hold on, my darling.” He lifted her up in his arms and cradled her to his chest as he carried her to the bed. He set her down and then joined her, leaning back against the pillows as he cuddled hertohim.
Audrey feltraw…exposed in a way that made no sense. She rarely felt shy or vulnerable, but shedidnow.
I’ve never really thought this through. Kissing a rogue is one thing, butmakinglove…
It was too much, the sensations too frightening. And she hadn’t even done the deedcompletely.
“What’s the matter?” Jonathan’s green eyes darkened withworry.
“I should go,” she gasped, scrambling from the bed. Her reticule lay abandoned on the floor. She snatcheditup.
“Audrey, stop and rest. After an experience like that, you need to have a few minutes torecover.”
Recover?She almost laughed. She would never recover from what they’djustdone.
“No, I must leave. I’m missing tea…” she murmured, hating how foolish the words sounded. She tried to pull the door open, butcouldn’t.
“You’re not missing tea.” Jonathan was there behind her, one hand braced against the door, using his weight and strength to keepitshut.
“Please,” she whispered. “Please.” She wasn’t sure what she was asking. He settled a hand on her waist and gently pulled her back against him, holding her close. The tender embrace made her want to cry, but she didn’tknowwhy.
“That was your first time, wasn’t it?” he asked, pressing a kiss to the crown of her hair. She noddedmutely.
“The French call it ‘the little death’ because it can be frightening at first, but thenwonderful.”
He was right. It had been frightening and then wonderful, but that wasn’t what she feared. What she feared was the aftermath, the potent longing that seemed to cling to her heart when she thought of him holding her, kissing her, and making her feel such wondrous things. Here, in the Midnight Garden, he no doubt saw her presence as an open invitation, one without commitment or consequence. Audrey didn’t want a broken heart. She refused to let a man be in control of her feelings. Love had seemed to be such a grand adventure, but now she didn’t want to play the game and risk not being loved inreturn.
“Come back to bed with me.” Jonathan pressed his lips to her neck, and she shivered inhishold.
“Horatia will be missing me,” she tried toargue.
“Then let her.” Jonathan turned her around in his arms and lifted her chin so her eyes met his. The soft expression there threatened to kill her with its sweetness. He lowered his head to hers and kissed her. Such a gentle kiss, his mouth moving over hers in a way that filled her body with a slow wave of heat. She finally understood how a woman could swoon in a man’s arms. Kissing Jonathan made her feel light-headed, like she’d had too much sherry to drink. When their mouths parted, he rubbed the pads of his thumb over hercheeks.
“Feelingbetter?”
