Page 76 of When a Duke Loves a Woman
He helped her get her arms out of the blouse, then tossed it aside. He went to work on the buttons and ribbons of her chemise until it was in a position to join the discarded blouse. Then he simply stared at those lovely, lovely breasts that once upon a time had made the arrival of death seem not quite so daunting.
“Do you remember throwing the mermaid at me?” he asked.
“Yes, of course.”
“Coming to the bed all in a fret because you’d hurt me.”
“And the blood. Trying to stop the blood so you weren’t in danger again of bleeding to death.”
“Hovering over me.”
“Yes,” she rasped. “I remember that very well.”
“I desperately wanted to do this.” Lowering his head, he pressed a kiss to the underside of her breast.
She remembered the feel of his warm breath fanning over her skin, but to have his mouth there...
And then his hand supporting her breast while he peppered it with tiny, hot kisses and a lap of his tongue, velvety silk, awakening whatever remained of her dormant desires. His attentions were glorious and tender, yet she was also aware of how hard he fought to hold himself back, the tension in his neck and shoulders where she dug her fingers for purchase, to keep herself standing, so she didn’t melt into a puddle at his feet.
His mouth journeyed up until it met hers, and the fire burst through her as he once again took possession of lips and tongue, as he claimed what she was so willingly giving. He stroked her bare back, up and down, up and down, before his hands went to work unfastening her skirt. It slid down to the floor, quickly followed by the silk undergarments.
“Sit on the edge of the tub,” he ordered, and while her first instinct was to disobey simply because she didn’t like being ordered about, her second instinct was to allow him to have his way with her in any manner he so commanded. He was the connoisseur while she was the novice. She would learn all he had to teach and then she’d turn the tables on him.
Hovering on the rim, she clutched the lip of the tub so she didn’t fall into it, watching as he swept her clothes aside and went to work removing her shoes, first one, then the other. When they were out of the way, he untied a stocking and slowly, ever so slowly, rolled it down. She didn’t know if she’d ever felt anything quite so sensuous. After tossing aside both stockings, his fingers fluttered up and down her calves.
“So fetching,” he whispered, lowering his head and pressing a kiss to the side of one calf and then the other. “I look forward to having them wrapped around my waist.”
She’d always considered her height an aberration, something that made her less than appealing to men, especially the ones she could literally look down on, but now she understood she would have an advantage with him. They would be locked together thigh to thigh, hip to hip, chest to chest, mouth to mouth. She would require of him no awkward bending or twisting. They were perfect for each other.
Placing his hands on either side of her waist, he supported her, bringing her to her feet. “In you go.”
Holding her hand, his fingers snug around hers, he helped her keep her balance as she stepped into the water and sank down within its warm depths. “You should remove your shirt so it doesn’t get wet.”
“Splendid notion.” He freed two buttons and pulled it over his head. That magnificent chest of his beckoned to her fingers as he crouched before her. She couldn’t stop herself from touching him as she hadn’t dared when he was injured in her bed: skin to skin.
“I wanted to do this when you were recovering, but it didn’t seem right to do so when you were unaware of your surroundings.” She loved the feel of his hair tickling her fingers.
“How can a tavern owner be so mindful of propriety?”
“One must limit one’s sins.” Touching him would have been a tiny sin. What they were doing now was a much larger one. She could only hope that, by avoiding the smaller ones, the larger one would be forgiven.
“Not tonight, princess. Tonight you can sin all you want and I’ll hold it secret.”
She smiled. “It doesn’t feel like a sin.” It felt marvelous and right. She who had never been entirely comfortable around men, who had hidden her feminine side from those who might take advantage, felt gloriously womanly.
Taking the soap, he dipped it and his hands into the water, gave her a wink, and scuttled around behind her. Drawing up her legs, she wrapped her arms tightly around them and placed her cheek on her knees. She couldn’t stop the low moan from escaping as his large hands landed on her shoulders and slowly caressed. He had no calluses, no abrasions, and yet his palms weren’t completely smooth. There was a fine layer of roughness to them that caused luxuriating shivers to cascade through her.
“Would you really have not taken advantage the night I was recovering if I’d given in to this?” she asked somewhat dreamily.
“I’d have tried my damnedest to behave.”
“I was fearful I wouldn’t have wanted you to. Now I know the truth of it. I’d have begged you to make a wanton of me.”
He chuckled low. “I’d have been obligated to oblige, especially as your back is incredibly alluring.”
Then why did he take his hands away? Why was he no longer stroking her from neck to lower back? Looking over her shoulder, she saw he was standing, unfastening his trousers. She whipped her head back around. She’d known eventually he would remove them, but didn’t want him to see how much she was anticipating it, licking her lips in eagerness.
“Don’t be bashful, Gillie. I’m rather certain you’ve seen me before, since I was naked in your bed.”
