A Husband for Mary

“Gladly, Devi.” His fingers teased softly around her neck as he brought his lips close to hers. She shivered, but not from the cold when he whispered, “My love. Forever.”

He crushed her mouth under his, teasing his tongue into her mouth with delicate and deliberate sweeps, the like of which she’d never expected but instinctively craved more of. Desire awakened her yearning as he caressed her bare skin, skimming so gently down her back that she never wanted him to stop touching her. She backed toward the bed, drawing her masked lover with her.

When the bed touched the back of her thighs, he lifted her up and sat her upon the coverlet to remove her slippers. “You won’t be needing these for a while.”

He kissed her toes, toyed with the bells fastened to her ankles, then struggled out of his own laced sandals before following her onto the bed.

He rested his body over hers without crushing her, but there was no escape from the fact she was in bed with a man she did not know but wanted with all her heart and soul. She was spellbound by his warmth and the tantalizing brush of his skin and erection against her body.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a deep kiss. She couldn’t contemplate stopping. Not when she felt like this. He was everything she wanted and more. Tonight she would experience passion and hope it would be enough.

He fondled her breasts, and she pushed up her chest into the erotic sensation. He had lovely large hands and seemed to like her body as much as she liked his. His mouth settled over one peak, and he sucked and kissed them, groaning a little. “Perfect.”

“Yes,” she held him close. “Perfect.”

“There’s plenty of time for everything, but…” he whispered as he took her hand and pressed it against his arousal.

Mary sighed. Last question answered. She felt him, explored him and knew she would like being this man’s wife very much if his intentions were honorable.

Mary’s hair covering caught beneath her and she tugged off the hair piece at precisely the same moment as he removed his helmet.

Chapter 4

Ellis Worth focused on the spill of red hair across the pillow and then broadened his attention to the rest of the writhing naked woman he’d been making love to. Her hair was a shade he’d seen on a vexing creature earlier that day. “Mary?”

Her breath caught and then her eyes widened. “You!”

Stunned, he blinked several times because he could not believe. “Mary Vine?”

“Ellis Worth,” she whispered in return, covering her lips.

They stared at each other, Mary’s bare chest heaving, her breasts doing lovely things underneath his clutching fingers. Her hips jerked hard against his and all of a sudden her sex cradled the tip of his erection.

Time slowed, but his ardor cooled a little more with each tortured breath he took.

He’d been about to…

They’d been about to…

He was right there, ready to plunge into bliss, to claim his own goddess. His own sweet love forevermore, never knowing he was kissing his best friend’s little sister.

Mary scrambled back at the same moment he made the same decision to retreat. “How could you?” Mary exclaimed, tugging at the coverlet beneath them in a bid to cover her beautiful, lush body.

He gaped, but didn’t move to aid her. “How could I what? How could you? I certainly did not imagine the wild and wanton woman who dragged me up here could be my best friend’s sister. What kind of game are you playing to torment me so?”

“My game? I think not.” Still trapped by his proximity, Mary stretched for the pieces of her costume, which were strewn about the bed they’d just (almost) made love on. She held the fine cloth over her breasts tightly, an action that revealed their loveliness as she pushed them up higher. His breath caught but he fought his desire. “You knew it was me. You knew I would attend. How cruel of you to trick me.”

“Trick you? I believed you would keep your word and stay at home.” He sat back on his heels in consternation. Ruining Mary had not been his plan, but then again, he’d barely enjoyed a rational thought from the moment their eyes had met in the ballroom downstairs. He’d felt an instant connection to her and undeniable attraction. She’d flirted with him. Mary had pursued him! “You knew I was invited tonight and I think you must have known it was me all along and this is your revenge. I’m not that different in the dark.”

One delicately arched dark eyebrow rose high. “You were pleasant to me. You encouraged me to like you.”

He spluttered out a curse that would likely burn her ears, but under the circumstances, he could not summon up the least bit of guilt over it. He felt utterly betrayed and exposed. He glanced around, fearing he was about to be set up to compromise Mary and be forced to marry her. He would one day be wealthy and titled. However, he couldn’t marry Mary. Not when she disliked him so much. “Please remember it was not me who kissed first. You, Mary Vine, all but threw yourself at me tonight.”

“And you accepted without even knowing my name,” she whispered with a horrified glance at his bare body. “You are the rake everyone claims you to be, after all.”

He crawled forward, furious, and hovered over her, determined there should be no misunderstandings between them now. “You put your lips to mine first and all but dragged me off a dance floor and up to this room so we could make love. I’m only guilty of being a willing participant in your debauchery, swept away by your passion, and nothing more devious than that. I never planned this. I would not do such a low deed. You are my best friend’s sister. I never once dreamed your kisses would taste so sweet and that I would be smitten. I never imagined I could desire…you.”

“Smitten?” She blinked, and did not deny her culpability in the matter. But she did push him back, her tiny hands torture on his oversensitive skin. “I would not have kissed you if I’d known who you really were,” she confessed. “I don’t trust you, and I’d hardly want a man that behaved as you do.”