Page 86 of Tempted By the English Marquis
ChapterForty-Seven
His lips brushed over hers, then settled into a deeper kiss. For a moment, Serafina had been touched with a spot of panic. She’d worried that Gideon might decide to take the honorable road and send her away. Her mother had been clear in her instructions, and while Serafina hadn’t been able to recall everything, one part had certainly stuck in her mind.
The second he looks like he might be having second thoughts, you drop the lace gown to the floor. I guarantee it will tear his self-control to shreds.
The sheer shift she wore was surely wicked and full of temptation. She sent a silent prayer of thanks to the skilled lace makers of Venice.
But when she had offered to remove the lace negligee, he had refused. The husky timbre of his voice was that of a man wanting to take his time when it came to claiming what was his.
I am his, tonight and forever.
Gideon’s hand was now firmly gripping her ass, holding her to him. The press of his hard member against her stomach told her all she needed to know about how much this moment was affecting him. The gentle throb in the core of her sex pleaded its own desire to be touched, to be pleasured.
Serafina forced herself to relax into the kiss, their tongues stroking over one another. She knew it would take more than just a kiss to ruin her, but she wanted to savor this moment. This prelude to the first time that they became one.
When she finally broke the embrace, it was with a sense of reluctance. The feel of Gideon was wonderful, and she was already looking forward to a life of many wonderful lingering kisses. But time was fleeting.
“We should move on with this,” she pressed, trying to ignore the nervous tremor in her voice.
The contessa had given Serafina a quick lesson in the birds and the bees, filling in any gaps that her unwed daughter might have had in her sexual education. Much of it she already knew from her married sisters, but there were a number of tips and tricks that Donna Francesca imparted to her that Serafina had never heard of before. Ways to bring a man to heel, to have him doing a woman’s bidding.
Her hand brushed over the placket of Gideon’s trousers, and she took a hold of his erection, squeezing gently. He drew in a sharp breath. When she slipped her other hand under the folds of the fabric and cupped his balls, he groaned.
“You are still fully dressed. It hardly seems fair,” she said, flicking open the top button on the front of his pants. Her nimble fingers searched for the second button and made quick work of it. The fall front did exactly what it was designed to do—it fell open. Gideon’s cock landed in her hand with a pleasurable smack.
“There you are,” she purred, repeating the words she had been instructed to say at this point. It would have all seemed so silly if not for the fact that she was now holding a man’s erection in her fingers. A firm, thick erection.
Her pulse raced. This whole experience was so very new, so exciting.
What was I meant to do now? Oh, yes.
Serafina bent at the knees, intending to settle on the floor before him, but Gideon reached out and hauled her back to her feet. “No. Not tonight. Whoever has given you a quick lesson in seduction most certainly doesn’t want you to do that to me this evening. I am more than grateful for their wise counsel, but it will have to wait for another time. If you do that, I won’t be in a position to be able to ruin you,” he gently chided.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Look at me.”
Serafina lifted her head and met Gideon’s gaze. He gently kissed her lips, then whispered, “How about you let me take the lead from here? I promise you will get what you want and what you need.”
“Are you sure? I mean, you will do . . . it.”
“Yes, my love. You might not realize it, but you are the goddess of temptation. I swear there are few men who could look at you through that shift and still hold back. I said I would never hesitate with you ever again, and I meant it.”
Serafina blinked back tears; his promise meant the world. Gideon took her by the hand and led her over to the bed. She was still fighting her nerves as she perched on the edge of the mattress. Her hands gripped the blankets tightly,
Calm down. Just breathe. He will keep me safe.
“Once we are married, we will be able to take our time in the bedroom and anywhere else we wish to make love. But as you say, we don’t have much time, so I think that for tonight we need to be conscious of the clock. And that means our clothes will have to stay on.”
A puzzled Serafina glanced up at Gideon. “I thought our clothes needed to be off for this to work.”
He softly chuckled. “Oh, my love, you have much to learn. And I promise I shall teach you everything.”
Gideon bent and lifted the sides of her shift up and over her hips. Serafina closed her eyes; she hadn’t been naked in front of another human since her maid used to bathe her as a child. A lot had happened to her body in the years since then.
“Open your legs. I need to prepare you for when I make you mine,” said Gideon, dropping to his knees. She parted her knees as instructed and Gideon moved his body between them. A tingly sensation followed his hands as he glided them up her inner thighs.
“Oh.” She tensed when his head moved towards her sex.
