Page 74 of Lord Ashley's Beautiful Alibi
She let out her worst revelation. “I did not laugh when one man caught me by the skirts and forced me up against a wall and tried to ruin me.”
He sucked in air between his teeth. “Who would dare?” he seethed.
“A deputy minister of justice, a friend of Vaillancourt’s. Amber came upon him and beat him around the head. He fled, but, you see, I had lured him on, flirted with him. Innocent and stupid of me. But he took advantage, laughed at me, and spread rumors that I was his, until Amber had Aunt Cecily ask Josephine for his transfer to the south.”
Kane kissed her cheeks and her lips. “When I meet Amber, I will thank her for that service to you.”
At his sentiment, she hugged him closer. She wanted more of his gentleness.
He swept a hand along her torso from rib to thigh. “Affection between a man and woman is not harsh or mean.”
She blinked. He understood what she wanted from him.
“My darling, listen to me. What a man and woman enjoy is soft and sweet, wild and rapturous, but never cruel.” He slid his hand to her mound and, through her thin chemise, pressed his fingertips between her folds. She heard the sound of her wet desire for him, and she startled. But he smiled and sank his fingers further between her lips. “I want to show you.”
She caught handfuls of his shirt. “I want to have you!”
His face broke into the greatest joy. “This will be good. Just what you want and what I have wanted… Oh, God.” He dropped his head against her chest. “What I have wanted of you from the first day on the Malmaison road.” He caught her chin. “I will show you that you need me. And after this, you will tell me we are not finished, you and I.” He rolled her to her back. “Tell me you will not leave me.”
She arched up against him. “I cannot bear the thought!” She took his lips in a claim she had not dared to display. Full against him, she opened her thighs and let him sink between. This was what she’d yearned for, the heavy claim of him, as she’d had alltoo briefly back in Reims. The pleasure of his rippling muscles against her thighs and ribs and arms and the rapture of his kiss on her lips.
He urged her to one side. “You’ll have to help me. Drop your robe. Take off your shift and help me remove my breeches and shirt.”
She rolled away and stood to shrug and let the robe fall.
Chapter Nineteen
He groaned, hiseyes filled with the supple beauty of her curves. She was alabaster perfection. A throat, slender and sweet. Breasts, firm, sweet handfuls. Her nipples, pink chiffon, large and growing pointed as he watched.
That she had wanted him and he had not known honored him, but had him doubting how drastically he had controlled his desire for her that she would question herself. He had played disinterest too well. He now had largesse to show her otherwise—and he would not fail.
He pushed up in the bed and, feet to the floor, tested his ability to rise. His head did not swim, so he had the means to love her well. Tonight, he would also keep his brains and love her so well that she would forget the one man who had hurt her. And maybe, if he were truly admirable here, he would love her so well she would wish never to leave him.
She was suddenly shy. Her arms flew over her lovely breasts, then she tried in vain to cover the dark curls over the juncture of her trim thighs.
“Don’t do that,” he said, his gaze riveted to hers. Then he stood and stripped his shirt and unbuttoned the flies of his breeches.
“Oh!” She gazed upon his penis, her eyes wide and appreciative. “You are quite…”
He didn’t have to look down to know he was hard as stone. “I am.”
“Is that…” She twirled a finger at him. “Normal?”
“My reaction to you?”
She swallowed. “It gets bigger for different ladies?”
He snickered, hands on his hips. “I never measured.”
“And…um…it seems to…” Her eyes widened with each word. “Grow.”
“Indeed it does.”
“So how does it…” She looked spellbound, as if making a scientific study. “Fit?”
“There are ways to ensure it does.”
“Like what?”
