The Marquess Tames His Bride

She panted and moaned, and pressed herself up against him whenever he wasn’t removing another layer of material. Whenever she wasn’t clawing away the clothes he was wearing. She was naked well before he was. But then he had far more experience at getting females out of their clothes than she did at undressing men.

For a moment, that reflection dimmed her pleasure. But as if he sensed her withdrawal, he set his mouth to her neck and suckled on the tender spot beneath her ear that always made her knees turn to jelly.

And then he lifted her and…

Instead of carrying her to the bed, he coaxed her legs about his waist and slammed her up against the bedroom door.

Goodness. Could he possibly mean to…?

Yes, he did. He cupped her bottom and slid into her with a shocking proficiency that made her gasp. In shock, she told herself as she grabbed his head and speared her fingers though her hair. Not excitement.

Not excitement.

Not…

‘Oh!’

Her fingers clenched into his hair and her legs tightened round his waist, as pleasure ripped through her like an explosion.

He groaned. Thrust into her just once more and experienced his own explosion of pleasure.

No, no, it couldn’t be all over so quickly. He was going to put her down and go back to his own room. And leave her alone.

And it wasn’t even fully dark outside. She could have wept.

‘Clare,’ he breathed into her neck. ‘Don’t tell me you regretted that. Admit it, you needed it as much as I did.’

‘I…’ She swallowed. ‘Yes, I did,’ she admitted. ‘I am just…’

‘Was I too rough? I thought you came to a spend?’ He leaned back a little and looked into her face with a touch of what looked very much like concern.

‘You weren’t too rough. And I did…’ She faltered, completely unable to use the words he could employ so easily.

‘Thought so,’ he said, his expression of concern turning to one of smug satisfaction.

She turned her head away. She felt so exposed, having a conversation with him while he had her pinned to the door with her legs wrapped round his waist.

‘Do you think you could put me down now?’

‘Absolutely not,’ he said, taking a step back and walking across to the bed, with her still wrapped round him like coat.

Where he manoeuvred them both down on to it, still locked together. ‘There,’ he said, flexing his hips against hers. ‘Isn’t this better?’

‘I…’ She felt a blush heating her cheeks. Because he was still quite firm. ‘I thought you…’

‘Oh, I did. But now I find I’m ready for more. Are you not?’ He teasingly ground his hips against hers.

Well, she hadn’t wanted him to leave. And if this was what it took to keep him in her bed, then…

Oh, who was she fooling? She wanted more, just as much as he did. Shutting her eyes, she ground back up against him and dug her heels into his bottom.

‘I shall take that as a yes,’ he growled.

And this time, he took it much more slowly.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

She fell asleep immediately. Which meant he didn’t have to explain anything.

Which was perfect, as far as he was concerned.

He could just cradle her in his arms while she slept. Gaze down at her piquant little face and commit every plane, every curve and every freckle to memory.

She stirred in her sleep once or twice, and he let her wriggle round until she’d found a more comfortable position. And then, when she’d settled, he hooked one leg over her to prevent her sliding away from him should he happen to doze off himself.

But she didn’t slide away while he slept. Instead, when he woke, it was to find she’d snuggled closer, as though unconsciously seeking his warmth, though it wasn’t a cold night. He blessed the moonbeams that were streaming in through the window, since nobody had got round to drawing the curtains, for they’d woken him to a moment he would always treasure.

Her, snuggled trustingly against his chest as though…

The moment shattered. Something woke Clare, the moonlight striking their shared pillow, or some subtle movement of his, he couldn’t tell.

What he did know was that she was now as tense as a plank within the circle of his arms. As though wondering what on earth he thought he was doing, holding her so tightly. And what she was going to do about it.