Never Trust a Pirate (Scandal at the House of Russell 2)

Disappointed by what? She didn’t ask the question out loud, though, instead saying, “Then you don’t want me to put my mouth on you?”

There was a long silence. And then he swore. “Do you want to?”

“No.”

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. If you want to get out of this bed and get dressed, you can do that. I don’t force women.”

“You don’t have to.” There was no disguising the trace of resentment in her voice. She didn’t want to think of all the women he’d had, all the women falling at his feet. As she was.

He laughed then. “If I had to force them then it wouldn’t be any fun.”

“Fun?” she echoed. “That’s a strange term for it. I can’t think of anything less like fun in the world.”

“Then why are you here in my bed?”

“Because you dumped me here, tied up.”

“So I did. Why did you take off your clothes when I asked you?”

For a moment she couldn’t answer. But it was dark, and safe, and he was warm and strong and near. “Because I want you.” It was only half the truth. She wanted him on so many levels she refused to think about it. But she would take what she could get.

“That’s convenient, because I want you too. I’ve been burning for you, for days, weeks. Waiting for you.”

“Waiting for me to do what?”

“To stop hating me for something I didn’t do.”

“I don’t…” But he stopped her words, putting his fingers against her lips.

“You don’t need to explain. I think we’ve put this off long enough.”

It was time. She steeled herself. “All right,” she said, and flopped back on the mattress, waiting.

Again he didn’t move. And then she felt him lift up, move over her in the darkness, holding himself above her. “What are you doing?”

She’d made another mistake, she thought, some of the warmth that was filling her beginning to fade. “Getting in position. You said you were ready to take me, didn’t you?”

“I’m not going to take you, Maddy. We’re going to make love. And you’re going to like it.”

She could see his eyes even in the darkness, the intensity in them as he looked down at her. “I should warn you,” she said. “I’m not a virgin.”

He brushed his mouth against hers. “Neither am I.” And before she knew what he planned he slid down her body, his mouth brushing against the curls between her legs.

“What are you doing?” she shrieked in real panic now.

“Making love to you. Whoever did it before didn’t do a very good job. I’m going to do it right.” And he put his mouth between her legs, holding her thighs apart.

Heat and shame washed over her. This was a horrible idea, what did he think he was… oh, my. A curl of sweet sensation seemed to spark from where his tongue was, and she found she was clutching the sheet beneath her, as he licked all her secret places, using his tongue to devastating effect before he touched her with his teeth, just the hint of a bite at the very moment he slid one long finger inside her, and she had to slam her hands over her mouth to keep from shrieking. The sensation was strange, frightening, and she wanted to beg him to stop.

“I don’t like this,” she said in a rattled voice, as stray shivers of reaction kept dancing across her body, a reaction she couldn’t bring back under her iron control.

“Yes, you do,” he said. “You’re just not used to it.” And he slid two fingers inside her as he put his mouth back down.

Her skin was burning up, a million pinpoints of tiny shocks, building, building, and she wanted to fight him, stop him, wanted to beg him to keep going. She wasn’t sure what she wanted, but then he used his teeth again, moved his fingers inside her, pressing against the wall of her sex, and the ability to think shattered, along with her body. Even with her hands across her mouth she couldn’t control her low, keening wail, or the way her body arched up against him as he pumped his fingers into her. When she fell back she was dazed, breathless, shocked beyond belief, and he slid back up her body, covering her in the darkness, heat blazing off him.

“What the hell was that?” she questioned weakly.

“I made you come. I’m going to do it again.” He leaned down and casually licked the tight bud of her breast. It almost hurt. Almost, and she remembered him sucking at her, holding her. It was clear she knew absolutely nothing about this matter of making love, that it could feel so shocking, so life-altering, so… wonderful.