Reese smiled. “Anything you want.” He plunged his fingers into her hair and began searching for the pins, while his mouth sought hers.
Faith reached up and pulled the silk tie away from the neck of his shirt.
Reese froze. His lips ceased their exploration of her mouth. His heart pounded loudly inside his chest. He waited.
Faith looked up and met his gaze. He seemed puzzled, unsure. She smiled shyly. “You said I could do anything I wanted.”
He nodded once, without speaking.
“I wanted to take off your shirt. To undress you.” She hid her face in the white linen. She could feel the hot, flush of color staining her cheeks.
Reese began to breathe again, in quick erratic fashion. “Go right ahead,” he instructed, as Faith pulled his shirt from inside his trousers and began undoing the buttons, one by one.
He found it hard to concentrate on unbraiding her hair. Faith pressed warm kisses against his chest as she released each button, exposing more flesh. He wondered what she would do when she ran out of buttons.
He was barely able to breathe when she went down on her knees in front of him to undo the last button.
She pressed a kiss against his navel, then boldly dipped her tongue inside, touching, tasting.
Reese’s heart skipped a beat. He grabbed her arms and jerked her to her feet. There was no time for Faith to protest his rough handling of her, as his mouth found hers. He kissed her hungrily, demanding a response.
Faith kissed him back, as hungry as he, nipping at his bottom lip with her teeth, invading his mouth with her tongue, tasting him, marking him, branding him with her flavor, as he branded her. Her knees buckled as her blood surged through her veins. She locked her arms around his waist, pressing her breasts against his naked chest. The jet buttons on her bodice bit into him, leaving a row of tiny indentations.
He pushed away, putting his hands between them in an in an effort to unfasten her dress and rid himself of those sharp, little buttons.
Faith whimpered her displeasure as he moved away. Her legs wobbled unsteadily, hampering his attempts to unclothe her.
Cursing profusely, Reese made a grab for her before she slipped out of his reach. He turned and pressed Faith firmly against the hard wood of the bedroom door. He wedged his leg between hers, using his thigh to keep her upright while his mouth continued its passionate assault. His hands busied themselves with the stubborn little buttons.
His groin throbbed, his thigh muscles quivered, and his hands shook as he struggled with the buttons. His precarious control was rapidly deserting him.
Faith pulled her mouth away from his. She kissed the side of his neck beneath his ear, then moved higher. Her hot, inquisitive tongue tasted his earlobe, then began an excursion into the circular maze of his ear.
His control shattered. He tugged at her bodice. Jet buttons dropped to the floor, scattering in all directions. He shoved the fabric off her shoulders, then down her arms, baring her chemise, and the rounded tops of her breasts.
She pulled her arms out of the sleeves of her dress, then pushed his open shirt off his shoulders. It slid down his arms, coming to a halt at his wrists. Impatient, Reese jerked the cuffs over his hands without bothering to undo the cuff links, then tossed the garment in the direction of the chair. He turned his attention back to the battle at hand?the hook on her waistband.
Her busy tongue left his ear and began a trail of fire along his jaw toward his chin. The slight rasp of his beard teased her taste buds. Faith flicked her tongue along the corner of his mouth. He tasted tangy with sweat, and a flavor that was recognizable only because it belonged to him. It was the essence of Reese.
Reese tilted his head slightly, and caught her teasing tongue in his mouth. She tasted wonderful. He couldn’t get enough. He was greedy. He wanted more. He drank in the intoxicating sweetness of her mouth, grinding his hips against her belly.
Faith moved against him, welcoming the feel of his firm length pressing into her.
“God, stop that!” he managed. “It feels too good!”
She snuggled closer, testing his limits.
He moved his hands down to hold her hips steady. “Dammit, woman, stop!” He muttered, his breath fanning her lips and chin. “My hands are shaking so badly I can’t get your skirt off! I feel like a callow schoolboy.”
She slipped her hand between their bodies, grazing his thigh as she moved to press her palm against him. Her voice was deep, husky, triumphant. “You don’t feel callow to me.” She traced the hard shaft with her knuckles to illustrate her point.
Reese raised his head and arched his eyebrow at her comment. He had heard similar remarks over the years, but somehow, he’d never expected a woman like Faith to say such a thing. She was a lady. He studied her features. Her face was flushed with pleasure, her eyes sparkling with triumph, yet darkened to a smoky shade of gray. He was witnessing a transformation. A wonderful transformation. She had become a seductress right before his eyes, beneath his hands. She teased, she tantalized, she seduced.
Reese chuckled softly. “How many callow boys have you felt?”
“None,” she admitted, tangling her fingers in his dark hair.
“Then how do you know?” he teased, resisting her attempts to kiss him.