saffron muslin gown she seemed a ray of sunshine herself.
As though she only now grasped his meaning, her gaze fell demurely, and it was all he could do not to lean forward and kiss those soft lips as he craved to do.
He had to remind himself she was not some dockside miss to be mishandled. For most every second of the last two weeks he’d fantasized about seeing her again, kissing her—a new experience to him, this idle daydreaming. He decided it had been much too long since he’d lain with a woman, for even now he found himself helpless to follow his baser instincts. Her sweet innocence fed his lust; like kindling to burning coals, it set him afire, brought him to a full and painful arousal. He wanted to make her smile, he realized. He didn’t relish seeing her this way.
“Jessie,” he said, “I’m sorry if I’ve neglected you these past weeks... I wanted to come. I swear I did. I simply couldn’t.” And it was the truth, nothing but the truth. “Forgive me?”
Jessie wanted to believe him, she truly did.
He’d still not released her hand, she realized. She nodded at last, unable to deny him the words he wished to hear when he looked at her so affectionately. “Yes,” she confessed softly, and her heart quickened painfully as he lowered his face to hers suddenly. “Yes, I do…”
He smiled. “Thank you,” he said. “’Tis the truth that I thought of you every moment.” He stared deeply into her eyes. “May I kiss you again, Jessie?”
Her heart lurched, and she stammered, “Y-You wish to...”
“Kiss you,” he finished, nodding. “Very much so, Jessie.”
The sound of her name on his lips gave her heart a jolt. He drew away a fraction, watching her with smoldering eyes and his covetous expression was her undoing. If she’d harbored even a thought of resisting, it was gone now. His gaze flicked provocatively to her lips, and he came forward once more, his hand touching her cheek as their lips met softly.
“I’ve craved this every moment we’ve been apart,” he murmured.
God help her, but so had she...
For a few seconds, Jessie ceased to breathe at all. The shock of his lips as they touched upon her own prompted her to clamp her lips tightly shut. He made a sound, part chuckle, part groan, as though her absurd reaction had somehow pleased him, and then he cradled her face within his hands, pecking one corner of her mouth first, then the other, ending with a kiss on the bridge of her nose.
Breathe! Jessie commanded herself. Breathe!
But she couldn’t, and then as his mouth lifted and descended once again, grazing hers, moving seductively over her trembling lips, molding insistently with her own, her uncertainty vanished. With subtle but coercive pressure, he coaxed her lips apart, and liquid fire spilled into her mouth. Never in her life had she been kissed so exquisitely, so thoroughly. Indeed, never in her life had she been kissed at all… except by him.
“God... you are lovely,” he whispered into her mouth.
Jessie shivered as his tongue slipped boldly between her lips once more, the feel of it as erotically soft as warm, wet velvet upon her bare flesh.
She knew she should protest.
It was the right thing to do.
She opened her mouth to speak and he whispered into her mouth. “Hush, Jessie… don’t deny me this... a kiss and no more…”
Chapter Seven
H eaven help her.
Jessie wanted this too.
A kiss and no more.
Jessie was helpless to do anything but nod weakly as his tongue dove within the depths of her mouth. It was the most tender moment of her life. She was completely powerless to do anything but wrap her arm about his waist and hold on lest she melt from his embrace into a pool upon the ground. She could feel his warmth even through his coat.
Abashedly she realized that her hand was exploring the breadth of his back... and worse, she was trembling.
Mortified, she tried to still her quaking by pressing her hand more firmly against him. She was startled
As though she only now grasped his meaning, her gaze fell demurely, and it was all he could do not to lean forward and kiss those soft lips as he craved to do.
He had to remind himself she was not some dockside miss to be mishandled. For most every second of the last two weeks he’d fantasized about seeing her again, kissing her—a new experience to him, this idle daydreaming. He decided it had been much too long since he’d lain with a woman, for even now he found himself helpless to follow his baser instincts. Her sweet innocence fed his lust; like kindling to burning coals, it set him afire, brought him to a full and painful arousal. He wanted to make her smile, he realized. He didn’t relish seeing her this way.
“Jessie,” he said, “I’m sorry if I’ve neglected you these past weeks... I wanted to come. I swear I did. I simply couldn’t.” And it was the truth, nothing but the truth. “Forgive me?”
Jessie wanted to believe him, she truly did.
He’d still not released her hand, she realized. She nodded at last, unable to deny him the words he wished to hear when he looked at her so affectionately. “Yes,” she confessed softly, and her heart quickened painfully as he lowered his face to hers suddenly. “Yes, I do…”
He smiled. “Thank you,” he said. “’Tis the truth that I thought of you every moment.” He stared deeply into her eyes. “May I kiss you again, Jessie?”
Her heart lurched, and she stammered, “Y-You wish to...”
“Kiss you,” he finished, nodding. “Very much so, Jessie.”
The sound of her name on his lips gave her heart a jolt. He drew away a fraction, watching her with smoldering eyes and his covetous expression was her undoing. If she’d harbored even a thought of resisting, it was gone now. His gaze flicked provocatively to her lips, and he came forward once more, his hand touching her cheek as their lips met softly.
“I’ve craved this every moment we’ve been apart,” he murmured.
God help her, but so had she...
For a few seconds, Jessie ceased to breathe at all. The shock of his lips as they touched upon her own prompted her to clamp her lips tightly shut. He made a sound, part chuckle, part groan, as though her absurd reaction had somehow pleased him, and then he cradled her face within his hands, pecking one corner of her mouth first, then the other, ending with a kiss on the bridge of her nose.
Breathe! Jessie commanded herself. Breathe!
But she couldn’t, and then as his mouth lifted and descended once again, grazing hers, moving seductively over her trembling lips, molding insistently with her own, her uncertainty vanished. With subtle but coercive pressure, he coaxed her lips apart, and liquid fire spilled into her mouth. Never in her life had she been kissed so exquisitely, so thoroughly. Indeed, never in her life had she been kissed at all… except by him.
“God... you are lovely,” he whispered into her mouth.
Jessie shivered as his tongue slipped boldly between her lips once more, the feel of it as erotically soft as warm, wet velvet upon her bare flesh.
She knew she should protest.
It was the right thing to do.
She opened her mouth to speak and he whispered into her mouth. “Hush, Jessie… don’t deny me this... a kiss and no more…”
Chapter Seven
H eaven help her.
Jessie wanted this too.
A kiss and no more.
Jessie was helpless to do anything but nod weakly as his tongue dove within the depths of her mouth. It was the most tender moment of her life. She was completely powerless to do anything but wrap her arm about his waist and hold on lest she melt from his embrace into a pool upon the ground. She could feel his warmth even through his coat.
Abashedly she realized that her hand was exploring the breadth of his back... and worse, she was trembling.
Mortified, she tried to still her quaking by pressing her hand more firmly against him. She was startled
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