A Daring Passion

As if waiting for that telltale response he began tugging at the buttons of her jacket and pulling it aside. Her boots and trousers were just as easily dealt with and, quicker than Raine could ever imagine, she found herself completely naked.

At first she was merely relieved to have the offending garments out of the way. Her skin felt far too sensitive to bear the scratchy wool. But as he paused and pulled back, her eyes lifted to discover him regarding her with such intensity that she was swiftly embarrassed.

She would have covered herself if he hadn’t grabbed her arm and pushed it back onto the mattress.

“No, meu amor, do not hide from me,” he rasped, a hint of color marring the angular line of his cheekbones. “You are so beautiful. So…”

A groan was wrenched from his throat as he impatiently tugged on his cravat and pulled off his jacket. His movements were strangely jerky as he managed to wrestle himself out of his waistcoat and pulled his linen shirt over his head.

Raine caught her breath at the sight of his broad chest faintly dusted with dark hair, but before she could fully appreciate the spectacular sight he was lowering his head and kissing her with a growing urgency.

Still holding her arms pinned to the bed, he allowed his mouth to begin to explore her body with frustrating leisure. He lingered at the base of her throat, planting teasing kisses over the line of her collarbone and then, at last, he found the straining tip of her breast.

Raine released a shaky sigh as the pleasure blistered through her body and curled her toes. Dear God, she hadn’t known that anything could feel so wickedly wonderful. The heat of his lips as they suckled her, the rough caress of his tongue and even the gentle tug of his teeth. It was all enough to make her arch upward in a shuddering bliss.

“That’s it, Raine,” he urged against her skin. “Let me please you.”

Raine thought if he pleased her any more she might actually scream. There could surely be nothing better than this?

He taught her that she was mistaken as his hands skimmed down the curves of her body. Wherever they traveled they left behind a shimmer of excitement, like tiny fireworks flaring over her skin.

Her breath caught and held in her throat as his hands reached her legs and gently tugged them apart. Just for a moment she resisted, uncertain what he was demanding.

“Let me touch you,” he muttered, his mouth moving to tease the hollow between her breasts. “I want to feel your heat.”

Ever so slowly her legs parted and his fingers stroked the inner skin of her thighs. Raine clenched the blanket beneath her as the roaming fingers found her moist parting and stroked between the tender folds.

“Philippe,” she gasped.

His head lifted to watch her with eyes that smoldered with such heat that she nearly gasped.

“You are ready for me, meu amor. So warm and wet.”

Raine blushed as she realized that there was, indeed, an unaccountable dampness between her legs as his clever fingers continued to stroke and tease her. Her embarrassment, however, was no match for the swelling tension that clutched her body.

There was something just out of reach. A beckoning enticement that made her shiver and twist beneath his touch.

“Shh,” he murmured, “I will ease what ails you, sweet Raine.”

With her eyes squeezed shut she heard the rustle of Philippe removing the last of his clothing, and then shockingly she felt the warm weight of his body as he covered her.

His mouth touched her parted lips as he settled between her thighs, and her arms instinctively lifted to wrap around his neck. She felt the brush of his enlarged shaft against her thigh before it was at her entrance.

She had the briefest moment to consider just what he intended to do before he was pressing into her dampness with a relentless thrust.

Lost in the pleasure, Raine was unprepared for the sharp sting that stabbed through her body, and digging her nails into his back, she gave a muffled gasp.

Philippe stiffened, his head jerking back to regard her with a stunned expression.

“Meu Deus. Why did you not tell me?”

“Would it have stopped you?”

A mixture of emotions flickered over his face, all too swiftly for Raine to decipher. Then, with a low hiss, he was slowly pulling himself out of her.

Raine breathed out in relief, only to stiffen in surprise when his head dipped and he began scattering kisses along her throat, over her breast and down her stomach.

Her pain was forgotten as his lips expertly coaxed her passion back to life.