The petal-soft sweetness hinted at a sensual innocence that teased and intrigued him. He hadn’t intended for things to go this far and knew he should stop, draw back and give her the space she needed to run. If she had the wisdom to do so, which given the tentative way she was returning the silken glide of his lips was something she undoubtedly didn’t have.
One taste was what he had promised himself. He couldn’t bear to release her without tasting her, without seeing for himself if she really was as sweet tasting as she appeared. He couldn’t bring himself to leave not giving his clamouring senses some reward.
He kept the caress gentle and unthreatening, taking far more from her than was wise but not wanting to break their hold just yet. His patience was rewarded when after several moments her curiosity overwhelmed her fear of him and she began to tentatively copy his lips until she was readily returning his kiss.
Sensing victory, he swooped, skilfully manipulating her interest, promising her sensual delights he set about captivating her senses with simple kisses laced with temptation she found impossible to resist.
Eliza sank into his arms, aware that he closed them around her, drawing her closer to his warmth.
He breathed deeply, inhaling the delicate scent of her as his tongue traced the lower lip, waiting for her ultimate submission. He was rewarded once more when after a moment of brief hesitation her lips tentatively opened beneath his. It was all he needed and within moments had dipped his tongue into the moist recesses of her mouth, tasting her as he wished while she stood soft and compliant in his arms.
One taste was all he had promised himself, but now he had the taste of her on his lips he knew that would never be enough. Slowly he drew back and watched as her lids lifted revealing lambent pools of innocent wonder staring expectantly back at him. Madness overtook him and despite everything, he felt the driving urge to possess her, to take everything she would so readily give him and damn the consequences.
It was the thought of consequences that were enough to douse the flames that burned through him and give him the strength he needed to draw back, giving them both enough space to consider the ramifications of their actions.
“Go and lie down.” He murmured softly, cursing himself for being a fool and trying to teach her anything. He wondered if it would rebound on him and he would be the one ‘learning a lesson’. He sent a mental plea of forgiveness from Peter for what he was about to do.
“What?” Eliza struggled to form thought through the warmth that seeped through her and she stared hungrily at his lips as he stared down at her.
“Lie down on the bed.” He repeated, drawing backwards. He held one trembling hand in his and eased her slowly around to sit on the small bed beside them.
Eliza instinctively shook her head and made no attempt to do as she was told. Despite the thick haze of passion that hummed through her, she wasn’t so lost to her desires that she would allow that to happen. Even if the power of his kiss was enough to make her forget who she was, or where she was.
“Lie down Eliza.” He didn’t have to try to keep his voice low and hushed to ensure her compliance. The husky timbre to his voice was pure arousal. Although he had no intention of making love to her, everything within him clamoured to taste her one more time before he drew back and kept his distance for the remainder of their association. He would face the hell of meeting her knowing she belonged to Peter if she did turn out to be Jemima, later. Until then however he wanted her with a fierceness that made his senses reel.
He struggled to focus on the matter at hand, and the need to gain her trust and compliance. Intimidating her hadn’t got him the outcome he needed, so he was reverting to plan b and wasn’t averse to attempting minor seduction to gain her compliance. If he happened to enjoy the encounter, then it was the least reward he deserved for his forbearance in enduring the physical discomfort he was now in.
Eliza sat in the middle of the small bed, trembling with desire. She watched as he sat close, the sharp protrusion of his hip poking her thigh. All of her life she had longed to know what it was like to be kissed like this; as a woman desired. A gentle lick of desire curled deep inside warming her to
her very toes. She made no protest as his head lowered over hers once more, and curled her trembling fingers into the soft folds of his shirt to steady herself against the sensual onslaught of his mouth.
His head slanted over hers as he deepened the kiss. He hand he slid into her hair tugged the coiled tendrils loose until they cascaded in silken abandon around her shoulders. The hot probing of his tongue inside her mouth was enticing and she clung to his strength, silently seeking his reassurance.
After a heartbeat of initial hesitation, Eliza began to copy his advances and within moments tongues met and tangled; teeth nipped and breaths mingled as the noise of the busy inn melted away.
He tasted of masculine heat and untamed wildness that was almost primeval against her feminine softness. Despite her innocence she could feel the leashed tension shimmering just beneath the surface and quivered in feminine anticipation.
“Eliza.” He groaned, his voice gravelling with arousal.
“We can’t do this.” Eliza murmured, sucking in a deep breath and immediately regretting it when the soft mounds of her breasts pushed into the solid wall of his chest eliciting a low moan from him.
“I know.” Edward whispered, starting to draw back and create some distance between them. He took one glance at her sitting on the bed and relented to the demands of his flesh, swooping down to capture her startled lips in a fierce hold neither could break.
His hands clamped firmly in her hair, holding her still against his marauding mouth as he abandoned all pretences of civility and kissed her as he really wanted to. His tongue probed deep, demanding her compliance and accepting nothing less than her total acquiescence. The sheer power of him as he eased her down on to the cool sheets battered her already whirling wits. She couldn’t have protested even if she wanted to.
He braced his weight on the palms of his hands on either side of her head, trapping her with nothing more than the force of his presence and his mouth as easily as if he had shackled her. The tempting pressure of his chest brushed teasingly against the soft mounds of her breasts as he took a breath made her senses reel and her head whirl with giddy sensation.
Eliza was helpless to do anything but return the silken glide of his lips as she gave in to the demands of his marauding mouth. She was only vaguely aware of the gentle dip of the bed as he shifted to lie down beside her and could do little but lie compliant as his arms encased her and the hot spear of his tongue cajoled hers into mutual exploration.
Her fingers slowly opened like petals on a rose, releasing the soft folds of his shirt and she tentatively pushed against the firm muscle and bone, gauging the strength that lay shimmering beneath the warm skin. She could feel the rapid thud of his heart beneath her fingers betraying his need for her and felt a thrill of feminine delight that she could have such a profound effect on a man as ruthlessly masculine as -.
She mentally frowned at the realisation that she didn’t even know his name. A wave of shame swept over her at the ease in which he had manipulated her onto the bed and skilfully seduced her onto her back in order to take everything she so readily offered.
She was nothing more than a wanton whore, she thought morosely, a cold wave of reality sweeping away all traces of passion on a tide of remorse.
Edward sensed the change in her and reluctantly softened the kiss. Had he frightened her with the depth of his need for her? Mentally cursing, he released his hold on her head and slowly trailed a hand down to caress the soft peach-tinged flesh of her cheek.
“No.” Eliza murmured, turning her head to one side as he dipped his head for another kiss.