He quickly opened the door and slipped inside, closing it softly behind him and then turning the lock.

Next to her bed sat a large tray of food, enough to feed multiple people for an entire day. Perfect.

He looked at the large bed where she lay in the middle. Encased in a dressing gown, the covers were pulled up under her arms. Her hair, having been freshly washed, lay damp across the pillow. A muscle in his jaw ticced as he stared at the beauty before him. Did he even deserve this? “Juliet. You look…”

A blush climbed into her cheeks. “Like I was near-drowned?”

He chuckled moving closer. “Actually, more like a sea goddess sent to shore.”

“Oh,” she breathed, her smattering of freckles disappearing in the color. “That’s such a lovely thought.”

“You are lovely,” he whispered as he moved closer.

She held up a hand. “Dane,” her voice sounded a bit strangled as her fingers spread out. “We need to talk.”

Talk? He stopped because she asked, not because he wanted to. He wished to kiss every inch of her body. What more needed to be said? “Yes, love?”

She swallowed, her head dipping lower. “I know you feel a certain amount of gratitude after today.”

His brow furrowed. “Gratitude doesn’t even begin to describe what I feel.”

Her eyes widened and her tongue darted out to lick her lips. “But I’m committed to making our courtship…if that’s what we’re doing…”

“We are.” He started moving closer again.

Her hands fluttered. “Then we should proceed with caution. I wouldn’t want you to do anything that yo

u might regret.”

A soft chuckle escaped his lips. He’d never been more sure of anything in his life. Slowly, he lowered his hands to the mattress until he was bent low enough to capture her lips in a long kiss. He felt her breathing stutter at the touch. Lifting one hand, he cupped her cheek. “Any worries or doubts I had washed away in the tide today,” he said, looking into her eyes. “You are the woman for me, Juliet Moorish, and I intend to spend as long as you need romancing you into feeling the same.”

Her hand trembled as she reached up and wrapped it about his wrist. “Oh,” was the only word she uttered as she stared back. Then again. “Oh.”

Speechless was exactly what he’d hoped for and he leaned in to kiss her again, parting her lips and gently probing her tongue with his. Her entire body began to tremble and he sat on the bed to pull her close and tuck her against his body. “Are you cold, love?” He’d warm her. He was a raging inferno of heat.

“N-n-no,” she answered, trembling against him. “I’m just a bit nervous. This is so…” Her words trailed off.

He gave his head a slight shake. “There is no need to be nervous.” He settled her onto his lap, wrapping an arm tightly about her waist, the other hand returning to her cheek. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do today. In fact, we don’t have to do anything at all. I only wish to hold you. Warm you. Show you,” he kissed her again, lightly and slowly, “that I am the man for you.”

She shivered again, her arms wrapping about his neck. “Oh.” Her eyes fluttered closed. “But I already knew you were the man for me.”

Possessive need rumbled deep in his gut at those words. “You did?”

She nodded.

He wasn’t surprised she’d known before him. He could be terribly thick that way. “This is why I need you. You’re clearly far better at understanding and talking about emotions than I am.”

She smiled and pressed against his chest, her fingers threading into his hair. “I don’t know about that.”

“I do,” he whispered, kissing her again. “But I promise to be a quick student.”

That made her grin against his lips. “All right then. I’m teaching you to trust in your feelings. What are you going to teach me?”

His insides clenched and his manhood, which was already hard as stone, turned to absolute granite. “I can think of a few things…”

He felt her heart speed up in her chest, its thrumming matching his own. “Oh,” she said on a gasp.

“Is that good or bad?” He began trailing kisses down her neck. He’d meant what he’d said. If all she wanted was to snuggle in his lap, he’d happily spend his day doing just that. He stroked a hand up her spine. But if she wanted more…

Tags: Tammy Andresen Romancing the Rake Historical
Source: readsnovelonline.net