know.”
“I don’t want a horribly wealthy man. Or a prince.” She
pulled away so he would have to look at her. “I just want someone to love me.
Is that so much to ask?”
He said nothing, just stared at her. Beneath her palm his
heart thrummed.
“It’s so unfair that men can do anything and girls can do
nothing. You have adventures and wild love affairs and no one says a word. If I
so much as kiss a man in public, I become his slave for life.”
“Hardly a—”
“It’s simply unfair that you can know what passion tastes
like while we all shrivel up and die.”
“You’re hardly shriveled,” he assured her in a soft voice.
“But I’ve never known passion.” Never, but in one kiss.
“This is as it should be, Sophia. It’s the way of the world.”
She frowned. “It’s the way of society, Ned. Not the world.”
She was well-versed in the way of the world. And, generally speaking, chastity
was not a part of it. “Would it be too much to ask you to show me?” This, she
asked in a small voice.
Still, he winced. “Too much?”
“For you to touch me the way I touched you? To let me feel
what you felt?”
“Too much?” A squawk.
“It really doesn’t seem like so very much to ask.”
“You ask for my life.”
“Nonsense.”
“Your brother will take it. In a very unpleasant way.”
“I already told you, he will never know. Honestly, Ned, why
are you always so intransigent?”
“Intransigent?”
“I’m asking for a kiss. A touch. A taste of what I gave you.
Unless…” She tipped her head and studied him.
“Unless what?”
She patted his chest. “I understand, Ned. Never mind.” And
then she rolled over and fitted herself against the wall once more.
“Understand what? What do you understand?”
She sent him a pitying glance over her shoulder. “I
understand if you don’t…” She lowered her voice and whispered, “Know how.”
He blanched. “I know how.”
“You do?” She looked him up and down. “Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure.”
“Because you kissed me once and it was a very nice kiss. But
I didn’t get the sense you knew what you were doing.”
“I know damn well what I’m doing.” His hand was heavy on her
arm as he whipped her back over.
“If you say so.”
“Damn right, I say so.”
“Because I’ve heard tales of men who, well, cannot please a
woman. I’m not sure if it’s because they are unable, or unwilling, or if they
simply don’t have the—”
He silenced her. With a kiss.
Not a sweet kiss, like the one they’d shared so long ago. A
wild kiss. A mad kiss. A hungry, raging, scorching kiss. It was everything she’d
dreamed a kiss could be. As his lips ravaged hers, his hand clenched her hip,
holding her still, but then it raked upward beneath the linen of the shirt. Her
skin skittered at the feel of his warm palm. It was delicious, delightful.
Dizzying. She reached for him, held him close, and when her arm lifted, he
claimed her breast.
Never before in her life had she known such pleasure as when
he scraped over her hard nipple. She groaned into his mouth and he groaned
back. He circled that turgid nub, teased it, then plucked at it until she was
writhing. His mouth moved from hers and he nibbled his way across her cheek to
nest in her neck. She’d never expected such incredible sensations there either.
It was as though, at his touch, every nerve awoke and sang.
“Ned,” she gasped, clutching him closer, her nails scoring
his scalp. She wailed in desolation when he wandered away from that delight,
but she soon discovered he had something else in mind. He kissed his way over
her breastbone and down, unbuttoning as he went. Then he opened the lapel of
the shirt and stared at her.
“Oh God.” A garbled moan. He took her breasts, one in each
hand, pressed them together and buried his face, breathing deep. “God.”
His mouth, hot and insistent, closing on her nipple, sent a
rage of hunger through her. As he feasted,
“I don’t want a horribly wealthy man. Or a prince.” She
pulled away so he would have to look at her. “I just want someone to love me.
Is that so much to ask?”
He said nothing, just stared at her. Beneath her palm his
heart thrummed.
“It’s so unfair that men can do anything and girls can do
nothing. You have adventures and wild love affairs and no one says a word. If I
so much as kiss a man in public, I become his slave for life.”
“Hardly a—”
“It’s simply unfair that you can know what passion tastes
like while we all shrivel up and die.”
“You’re hardly shriveled,” he assured her in a soft voice.
“But I’ve never known passion.” Never, but in one kiss.
“This is as it should be, Sophia. It’s the way of the world.”
She frowned. “It’s the way of society, Ned. Not the world.”
She was well-versed in the way of the world. And, generally speaking, chastity
was not a part of it. “Would it be too much to ask you to show me?” This, she
asked in a small voice.
Still, he winced. “Too much?”
“For you to touch me the way I touched you? To let me feel
what you felt?”
“Too much?” A squawk.
“It really doesn’t seem like so very much to ask.”
“You ask for my life.”
“Nonsense.”
“Your brother will take it. In a very unpleasant way.”
“I already told you, he will never know. Honestly, Ned, why
are you always so intransigent?”
“Intransigent?”
“I’m asking for a kiss. A touch. A taste of what I gave you.
Unless…” She tipped her head and studied him.
“Unless what?”
She patted his chest. “I understand, Ned. Never mind.” And
then she rolled over and fitted herself against the wall once more.
“Understand what? What do you understand?”
She sent him a pitying glance over her shoulder. “I
understand if you don’t…” She lowered her voice and whispered, “Know how.”
He blanched. “I know how.”
“You do?” She looked him up and down. “Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure.”
“Because you kissed me once and it was a very nice kiss. But
I didn’t get the sense you knew what you were doing.”
“I know damn well what I’m doing.” His hand was heavy on her
arm as he whipped her back over.
“If you say so.”
“Damn right, I say so.”
“Because I’ve heard tales of men who, well, cannot please a
woman. I’m not sure if it’s because they are unable, or unwilling, or if they
simply don’t have the—”
He silenced her. With a kiss.
Not a sweet kiss, like the one they’d shared so long ago. A
wild kiss. A mad kiss. A hungry, raging, scorching kiss. It was everything she’d
dreamed a kiss could be. As his lips ravaged hers, his hand clenched her hip,
holding her still, but then it raked upward beneath the linen of the shirt. Her
skin skittered at the feel of his warm palm. It was delicious, delightful.
Dizzying. She reached for him, held him close, and when her arm lifted, he
claimed her breast.
Never before in her life had she known such pleasure as when
he scraped over her hard nipple. She groaned into his mouth and he groaned
back. He circled that turgid nub, teased it, then plucked at it until she was
writhing. His mouth moved from hers and he nibbled his way across her cheek to
nest in her neck. She’d never expected such incredible sensations there either.
It was as though, at his touch, every nerve awoke and sang.
“Ned,” she gasped, clutching him closer, her nails scoring
his scalp. She wailed in desolation when he wandered away from that delight,
but she soon discovered he had something else in mind. He kissed his way over
her breastbone and down, unbuttoning as he went. Then he opened the lapel of
the shirt and stared at her.
“Oh God.” A garbled moan. He took her breasts, one in each
hand, pressed them together and buried his face, breathing deep. “God.”
His mouth, hot and insistent, closing on her nipple, sent a
rage of hunger through her. As he feasted,
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