Shifting her head, she peered at his face, but the darkness defeated her. All she knew was his warm weight, the touch of his hands, and the stream of feeling that welled and poured through her, from her, leaving her shaking inside.
It took a minute to catch her breath, to steady herself, to reground herself in reality and let the fantasy-and that exultation that left her so vulnerable-fade away.
He'd be horrified if he knew, if he realized it was she. So why was every instinct she possessed screaming that this was right, so right, when she knew, logically, it was all wrong?
As she stared into darkness, confusion reigning in her mind, he stirred.
Then he shifted; she realized he was turning toward her, then the pressure on her chest eased. His warmth was still close, her lower body still pressed heavily into the bed. It took her a moment to realize that he was resting his weight on his elbows.
She remembered her veil. Propelled by sudden panic, she started to reach… then realized he was as blind as she. The darkness was so intense, even though she knew his face was mere inches from hers, she couldn't see it.
"That was quite a ride, countess."
The lazy, gravelly words drifted down; his breath wafted across her cheek. His lips followed, searching and finding hers, then settling for a long, slow, exceedingly thorough kiss. When he finally brought it to an end and released her lips, she could tell his wer
e curved.
"How do you feel?"
Stretched. Still full of him. "Alive." How true. Her skin was heating again. How could that be?
As if he could read her thoughts, his lips returned to hers, and he was smiling even more definitely. Another lengthy kiss left her close to conflagration; ending it, he murmured, "Are you game for another gallop?"
He pressed inward, and she realized that he definitely was. Her hips tilted, inviting him deeper; she concluded she must be, too. She tightened her arms about him, wordlessly urging him closer. He settled upon her, settled his lips on hers, and sank deeply into her-into her mouth, into her body.
This time, he was in no hurry. Before, he'd been reined, restrained; this time, he savored her, rocking her deeply, pleasuring her well. The heat inside her grew until her bones melted. She drew back from their kiss to drag in a breath. His lips slid down her throat, then, to her surprise, she felt him shift, pull back. He withdrew from her, leaving her suddenly, achingly empty. Sliding lower, he fastened his mouth leisurely over one nipple.
The scalding heat was a shock; she gasped, then relaxed, then tensed again as he artfully played. The sound she made when he rasped her nipple with his tongue reminded her of a cat; when he grazed the tortured bud with his teeth, she nearly died.
"Gently."
The word was a soothing sigh feathering over her heated flesh as he turned his attention to her other breast, to the neglected peak that was already aching for his touch. When it came, she arched like a puppet whose strings were in his hands. His warm chuckle rewarded her.
"How old are you?"
His lips drifted lower, skating over her midriff.
"Umm… late twenties."
"Hmm." He slid lower, his lips trailing a hot path to her navel. "You've got a lot of catching up to do."
"I have?"
He reached one hand up to fondle her breasts; the other slid down and around, stroking over her bottom and along the backs of her thighs. "Oh, yes."
He sounded very sure.
"You may as well start now."
She didn't argue. She was sensing him, seeing him anew-and it was a fascinating insight. This tenderly passionate seducer set a completely new dimension to this male she'd never, it now seemed, completely known. She'd never met him as the sensual adult male-in that guise, he was an enticing creature, cloaked in darkness, maybe, but oh so tempting.
The world slid away; reality faded as his hands wove their magic.
"What should I do?"
He lifted his head from where he was nibbling his way across her stomach, the skin taut and flickering. Her nerves were similarly afflicted.
"Just lie back." She could hear a certain male smugness in his voice. "Lie back, relax, and let the pleasure take you."