Page 45 of Long Live the Baron
“I would, indeed,” he purred suggestively, stroking his fingers over hers. Not entirely appropriate for an innocent young miss, but he suspected Lily would understand his point while not being offended.
She tilted her head, obviously perplexed by his tone. “What—oh! You mean …” She waved her free hand in the air before turning a deep red. He watched with fascination as the color climbed her neck to settle across her face.
Brendan could not help it—he was charmed. He was beginning to understand why Richard had left his life of roguery behind to marry Lady Saunton, a strong-willed woman who would not tolerate a husband who strayed from his vows. There was something to this committed partnership with an intelligent and attractive woman. He had to admit he had never thought to look so close to home as Lady Saunton’s own cousin. Perhaps if he had not been dragging his feet about marriage, he would have uncovered this delightful companion sooner. She certainly was far more entertaining than his paramours of the past few years.
* * *
A buxom kitchenmaid with apple cheeks had come to Lily’s room and assisted her out of her clothing.
After refreshing herself at the washstand, Lily pulled on the night rail that Sophia had helped her order. It was a deep golden color, in the fashion of the French. Standing in front of the full-length mirror marred by age, Lily released the plait that the maid had assisted her with before departing. As her hair fell in a curtain around her face, she nodded in approval. Letting her hair swing loose was an improvement.
Racing over to her bed, she awkwardly scaled the chair onto the towering mattress, where the coverlet had been pulled back. Kneeling on the exposed sheets, she waited with bated breath for Brendan.
A knock on the connecting door announced his arrival, and she called for him to enter. She was transfixed when the door opened to reveal her husband in loose-fitting trousers and an embroidered banyan which accentuated the breadth of his shoulders. There was not an ounce of superfluous flesh on his frame to be seen when he closed the door and approached the bed.
To her great satisfaction, she noted how his glinting eyes surveyed her face before dropping to take in the sight of her golden night rail, taking his time with the bodice, which revealed an unseemly amount of décolletage and the top of her sloping breasts. Lily withheld the urge to glance down, resolutely holding up her chin to stare back at him.
Brendan reached the bed and slid a hand around her waist to gaze down into her eyes. “You are ravishing,” he informed her in a low, husky voice.
Lily licked her lips, inadvertently drawing his eyes as she had done earlier in the evening. “Thank you.”
“Do you know what to expect?”
“I know everything!”
Brendan’s lips quirked into a crooked grin. “Everything?”
“I asked Sophia many questions because I … do not want to disappoint!” Lily admitted breathlessly.
Her husband’s face grew serious. “If there are any issues this evening, it will be I who disappointed.”
Lowering his head, he captured her mouth with his own. Lily’s head fell back as she parted her lips to invite him further and moaned deeply when their tongues entangled ravenously. He tasted of citrus, and Lily breathed in the scent of bergamot and mint while he explored her languidly. Lily attempted to mirror his motions until he finally pulled back. He was panting heavily as he peered down into her face, raising a hand to gently brush her hair back.
“You smell like honey. It makes me want to …” He shook his head, clearly unwilling to state his thoughts out loud.
“What? What do you want to do?”
Brendan stared deeply into her eyes, then lowered his head once more to whisper into her ear, setting off a riot of invigorating tingles. “It makes me want to lick every inch of your creamy skin to discover if you taste as sweet as you smell.”
Lily gasped, raising her arms to curl around his neck and press closer to him. “Yes.”
He growled, and within moments Lily felt his mouth moving down her neck. And farther down to the edge of her rail, to swipe his tongue over the swell of her breasts before she felt a warm hand tugging the fabric down.
Sensation raced in every direction, down to her very toes as she moaned. Overwhelmed, she almost fell back into the bed, but Brendan’s arm around her waist kept her anchored to him. Their bodies were tightly pressed together from breastbone to navel as Lily tried to tug his banyan apart so she might see him bared.
“Lily,” he muttered just before he pulled away and his mouth descended on her pebbled nipple. She bucked in surprise as heady delight flooded her senses, while his tongue flicked over the turgid tip. Her head fell back again, and she keened in passion, pressing up to allow him better access. “You do taste of honey.”
The hand at her waist slipped down to cup her buttock, pulling her even closer as she tugged his banyan down his arms. Brendan slowly released her to shrug out of the garment, dropping it to the floor while Lily hungrily took in his bare chest.
He was sculpted like a Greek statue, all ridges and indentations that made her fingers itch to touch him. She settled her hands on his shoulders, before slowly tracing down his broad chest to comb through the dusting of curling hair that arrowed down to the linen trousers tied at his waist. Brushing her fingertips over the flat disc of his nipple, she watched in amazement as he flinched and his eyes fell half shut in response.
Continuing to trace his form, her hands moved downward as she leaned forward to lick at the bronzed disc. Brendan groaned, his hand sliding into her hair to cup her head. She continued to explore along his flat, muscled abdomen until he breathed sharply. “Stop!”
Lily leaned back, dropping her hands in alarm that she had done something wrong, as she gazed up into his face. Noticing her concern, he shook his head, gazing down at her with impassioned eyes. “It was too good. I need to … maintain control tonight.”
He pulled her back into a searing kiss before gently lowering her onto the bed. One of his hands reached down to straighten her legs, causing Lily to gasp in pleasure at his warm hand heating her skin through the thin silk of her rail. Brendan lowered himself over her, once more trailing kisses down to her exposed breasts, the sleeves of her rail trapped around her arms. He licked at painfully hard tips, tugging at the sleeves to lower her rail even farther to reveal her midriff. Lily was devastated with pure heat when his mouth trailed down her body toward her navel, instinctively gyrating her hips to ease the tension building between her legs as she gasped and moaned her descent into mindless sensation.
“Honey,” growled Brendan, his tongue tracing a path while he quickly tugged her rail even farther down to reach her lower belly.
