The Secret to Marrying Marchesi

He stood back, undoing the knot of his tie and unbuttoning his shirt slowly. Nicole’s throat dried as his deliciously bronzed skin was revealed inch by inch, before he removed the shirt completely and dropped it to the floor.

‘Do you want me to fold that up?’ she asked coyly, unnerved by the crackling tension. ‘We wouldn’t want it to crease.’

‘No jokes, Nicole,’ he growled, grabbing her by the waist and holding her against him.

‘I’m nervous,’ she admitted, her voice barely a whisper.

‘Dio, how can you not see how beautiful you are?’

‘You’re the only person to ever actually make me want to believe that.’

‘That sounds like a challenge, tesoro.’ His eyes gleamed.

CHAPTER SEVEN

SHE REACHED OUT, boldly running her hand across his bare chest, just as she had done that very first night in Paris a lifetime time ago. Only that time the room had been too dark for her to appreciate his perfection. Right now the faint glow of the candles bathed the room in just enough light.

Her sense of exposure intensified, but with his eyes locked on hers and the heat she saw there some of her self-consciousness melted away. He was just as turned on as she was—just as wild with anticipation as he seemed to drink in every inch of her body. She leaned her head back, closing her eyes as he ran his hands down her body. He cupped both her breasts, teasing her hardened nipples through the silk and lace of her delicate bridal corset.

The structured silk garment had originally been designed for practicality, not seduction. But as Rigo turned her around and she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror she began to understand the appeal of such feminine lingerie. She watched his eyes darken as he slowly pulled the laces loose. The fabric brushed against her already sensitive breasts as the whole thing loosened and came to rest around her hips.

Rigo moved against her, the heat of his erection pressing on her lower back as his tongue licked a path up from the sensitive spot between her neck and shoulder. Their eyes met in the mirror as his fingers explored her bare breasts, and Nicole couldn’t resist moving herself back against the hardness of him.

Her hand seemed to reach down of its own accord to touch him through the fabric of his trousers. The pace of his breathing increased as she squeezed his length, then ran her fingernails down the hard ridge of his erection. The sound of his guttural moan filled her with pleasure, and her own heartbeat was now thumping powerfully in her chest.

Rigo suddenly grabbed her hand, pulling her with him across the room to the king-size four-poster bed. He sat on the coverlet and positioned her so that she stood facing him, trapped between his thighs. Her corset was dropped to the floor entirely, followed swiftly by her underwear.

Nicole instinctively moved to cover her abdomen, knowing that the faint marks from her pregnancy were now in full view for him to see.

* * *

Rigo moved Nicole’s hands away, holding them by her sides as he looked his fill.

‘Don’t hide yourself from me.’

He leaned forward, taking one taut nipple in his mouth, his hands roaming on a path down her sides to cup her behind. And what a behind it was, he thought as he squeezed tight.

Nicole began to relax, her body leaning into him as he kissed a trail between her breasts. She was unsure of herself, of her appearance. Why, he had no idea. He couldn’t make it any clearer how sexy he found her, how ridiculously turned on he was.

So he stopped talking, instead focusing on showing her with his tongue, running it down her abdomen. With the way his hands caressed the front of her thighs, spreading them apart so that he could stroke his knuckles along the soft dark hair between. He slipped one fingertip inside the crease to tease her with gentle touches before running a smooth rhythm up and down the crease of her lips.

Every one of her husky moans made it harder and harder not just to bury himself deep inside her and end the torture. He settled for moving a finger to her slick entrance, sliding it deep and setting a slow rhythm before adding a second. Nicole groaned deep in her throat, whispering something incoherent as he continued pleasuring her.

He bit hard on his lip, knowing he was the only man who had ever brought her this kind of pleasure. She was destroying his control with her unschooled responsiveness. There was no pretence in the way she dug her fingernails into his shoulders and let a harsh breath hiss out from between her teeth as her climax began to build.

He felt her muscles tighten and slowed his pace, wanting to draw out the torture a little longer. He had waited long enough to want to take his time. He wanted to tease her right to the brink, then feel her come apart on his tongue. Without hesitation he moved her back a pace and dropped to his knees in front of her. She didn’t have a moment to protest before his tongue was sliding against her centre, stroking her in long, slow movements in time with his fingers.