Page 54 of Let Me Be Your Hero
He kissed her, but only briefly before rolling onto his back, cradling her against him. “I must be crushing you.”
“It’s all right.” It was true, although Izzie had liked being crushed, at least a little bit. But it also felt nice lying snuggledup to Archibald with her head on his shoulder, so she didn’t complain.
He drew the counterpane over their legs. His deep voice rumbled beneath her ear. “How do you feel?”
“Happy,” she answered without thinking.
“Happy is good,” he murmured.
They lapsed into a contented silence. Izzie found that she enjoyed having his big, muscular body at her disposal. Her hand traced across the flat planes of his chest, then the bulging muscles of his arm.
As she explored the tightly contoured ridges that crisscrossed his stomach, she noticed a tent forming in the bedclothes directly over his groin. Ducking her head, she grinned into his shoulder, then began stroking him with diabolical intention. She lingered over his flat nipples, enjoying his gasping breath. She scraped her nails gently up his side and was gratified by his shudder. She rubbed her own naked body against his like a cat, earning her a tiny moan, one she could tell he was trying to suppress.
But when her fingers stroked down past his stomach and slipped beneath the edge of the counterpane, she abruptly found her wrist seized in an iron grip. Suddenly, she was flat on her back, both of her hands held in place above her head and her husband’s hips pinning her to the mattress.
Izzie’s mouth went dry and the place between her legs went wet. As always, shereallyliked this position.
His eyes were slightly wild. “Unless you want me to fall on you like a rutting animal—”
“Yes, please,” Izzie moaned. She couldn’t help but roll her hips against the ridge of his hard cock.
He made a sound of despair. “You’re not supposed to sayyes, please. It hasn’t even been five minutes since I took your maidenhead. I’m trying so hard to be good.”
“I know. I would try the patience of a saint,” Izzie agreed. “Do you have any idea howgorgeousyour arms look when you hold them up over your head like that?”
“Gorgeous?” He gave her a strange look. “I’m not sure that a brutish, hulking blacksmith can be considered gorgeous.”
“You do look like a blacksmith. But you would also make a good Viking. I was thinking—maybe sometime we could find some furs to spread out on top of the counterpane. Then you can carry me into the room, toss me on the bed, andravishme.”
His arms were shaking, and his voice when he answered was strained. “If that is something you would like, I would be glad—morethan glad—to do it for you. But surely I need to be gentle with you for at least a few days.”
Izzie wrapped her legs around his hips and started to rub her core against his swollen cock, back and forth and back and forth. “You want to do it again.”
His eyes had gone hazy. “I… I...”
“You can’t hidethis,” she said, grinding against him.
“Of course, I want to,” he bit out. “But I wouldn’t hurt you for the world.”
“But it didn’t hurt! That’s the remarkable part. And…” She bit her lip, too shy to say the rest.
She got nothing past Archibald, who was studying her face intently. “And what?”
“Nothing.” Seeing that he wasn’t buying it, she sighed. “It’s just… I did want another try at it. To see if I enjoy it more the second time around.”
Archibald released her wrists and pulled her into his arms. “You were perfect. I’m given to understand that few women truly enjoy their first time.”
Izzie ducked her head into his neck. That wasn’t what the housemaid she’d questioned had told her. She’d said that,although there would be a moment of pain when she lost her maidenhead, there would be nothing but pleasure after that.
Izzie hadn’t felt that stab of pain. But the truth was, she hadn’t felt the pleasure, either. Not the way she did when Archibald rubbed that little nub between her legs.
Archibald laughed ruefully. “And if you didn’t find your pleasure, it was my fault. Don’t worry. I’ll last longer this time around.”
Izzie was on the cusp of asking what the significance of how long he lasted was when his words washed over her. “This time around? You mean… we’re doing it again?” she asked brightly.
He was really quite handsome when he smiled. “You’ve strong-armed me into it.”
Izzie couldn’t suppress a giggle at the notion that she could strong-arm this man into anything.
