and held—and then collapsed, soft and spent upon the chair.
Her glassy eyes stared at him for a moment and then drifted closed, a look of perfect satisfaction marked her face.
His cock stretched hard along his leg. God, he wanted to push her back and sink deep into her, to bury himself until all thought abandoned him and there was nothing but pleasure and need, but even more he wanted to crow his own joy. No completion he had ever known was equal to seeing that sated look upon Ruby’s face. Her pleasure was his pleasure.
And, he admitted after her earlier teasing, it was good to know that yes, he knew how to make a woman happy.
Chapter 5
It was tempting to close her eyes and drift away. There wasn’t a muscle in her body that ever wanted to move again. The orgasm had flashed through her more powerfully than any she had ever known. Now all she wanted was to stay in this moment, this second, this minute.
She knew it must end sometime, but surely not now.
Derek’s bristled cheek brushed her inner thigh, sending another wave of shivers through her, smaller, gentler—but still too much.
And yet…
Opening her eyes, she glanced down at the dark head resting against her leg, the soft whisper of his breath still caressing her intimate places. Not being able to see his eyes offered a certain respite. Her feelings ran in a tangle of directions, and she was not sure where one began and the next ended. It had all seemed so simple earlier, a quick, hard fuck, the satisfaction she’d been needing for months, a lover for the few nights he’d be in London, and that was all.
Now she was not as sure. What did she want from her handsome captain?
And why was she afraid to seek the answer?
She was not afraid of anything—or anyone.
Madame Rouge ruled here in this house.
Only, what if her thoughts went beyond this room, beyond these walls?
An ache that no passion could fulfill took root deep in her chest.
Nonsense. She’d wanted things she could not have before. This life, this fragile world was what she could have and it was a good life, a far better life than she’d believed possible when she left her mother’s home.
If this room, this night, was all she could have, then she would be satisfied with that—and make the most of it.
Pressing her feet into the floor, she placed a hand upon the hard shoulder that pressed against her thigh. “I think it is time for me to see the dragon.”
His chuckle vibrated through her. “You did seem to like the poor fellow on our last meeting.”
“Stand.” She once again filled her voice with command.
“So the game goes on?” He lifted his head and stared up at her, question in his eyes.
A question she was no more willing to answer for him than for herself.
Leaning to the side, she grabbed the blunt sword that had been forgotten on the floor, along with her feathered hat. She lifted the sword and looped it lazily through the air, glad that it was far lighter than the real weapon would have been. “I don’t believe the game ever stopped. It would be wise to remember that.” She brought it around so it tapped against his chest, just below the beat of his heart. “Now, stand.”
Frowning at her, he rose to his feet. She refused to consider that it might be disappointment she saw glinting in his eyes.
Not wanting her thoughts to wander that path, she dropped her eyes to his chest, where sweat dampened the light smattering of hair over the firm, rippling lines of his muscles. She’d always thought she preferred a more refined man, but his sheer solidness had her thighs clenching once again. The man looked like he could lift her with one arm. For a moment her current fantasy faded, and she pictured herself the captive, held at his mercy. He wouldn’t even need ropes to restrain her. One of those large hands could easily hold both her wrists, pull them tight, lift her…
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
She did not look up, did not meet his gaze. “Merely
Her glassy eyes stared at him for a moment and then drifted closed, a look of perfect satisfaction marked her face.
His cock stretched hard along his leg. God, he wanted to push her back and sink deep into her, to bury himself until all thought abandoned him and there was nothing but pleasure and need, but even more he wanted to crow his own joy. No completion he had ever known was equal to seeing that sated look upon Ruby’s face. Her pleasure was his pleasure.
And, he admitted after her earlier teasing, it was good to know that yes, he knew how to make a woman happy.
Chapter 5
It was tempting to close her eyes and drift away. There wasn’t a muscle in her body that ever wanted to move again. The orgasm had flashed through her more powerfully than any she had ever known. Now all she wanted was to stay in this moment, this second, this minute.
She knew it must end sometime, but surely not now.
Derek’s bristled cheek brushed her inner thigh, sending another wave of shivers through her, smaller, gentler—but still too much.
And yet…
Opening her eyes, she glanced down at the dark head resting against her leg, the soft whisper of his breath still caressing her intimate places. Not being able to see his eyes offered a certain respite. Her feelings ran in a tangle of directions, and she was not sure where one began and the next ended. It had all seemed so simple earlier, a quick, hard fuck, the satisfaction she’d been needing for months, a lover for the few nights he’d be in London, and that was all.
Now she was not as sure. What did she want from her handsome captain?
And why was she afraid to seek the answer?
She was not afraid of anything—or anyone.
Madame Rouge ruled here in this house.
Only, what if her thoughts went beyond this room, beyond these walls?
An ache that no passion could fulfill took root deep in her chest.
Nonsense. She’d wanted things she could not have before. This life, this fragile world was what she could have and it was a good life, a far better life than she’d believed possible when she left her mother’s home.
If this room, this night, was all she could have, then she would be satisfied with that—and make the most of it.
Pressing her feet into the floor, she placed a hand upon the hard shoulder that pressed against her thigh. “I think it is time for me to see the dragon.”
His chuckle vibrated through her. “You did seem to like the poor fellow on our last meeting.”
“Stand.” She once again filled her voice with command.
“So the game goes on?” He lifted his head and stared up at her, question in his eyes.
A question she was no more willing to answer for him than for herself.
Leaning to the side, she grabbed the blunt sword that had been forgotten on the floor, along with her feathered hat. She lifted the sword and looped it lazily through the air, glad that it was far lighter than the real weapon would have been. “I don’t believe the game ever stopped. It would be wise to remember that.” She brought it around so it tapped against his chest, just below the beat of his heart. “Now, stand.”
Frowning at her, he rose to his feet. She refused to consider that it might be disappointment she saw glinting in his eyes.
Not wanting her thoughts to wander that path, she dropped her eyes to his chest, where sweat dampened the light smattering of hair over the firm, rippling lines of his muscles. She’d always thought she preferred a more refined man, but his sheer solidness had her thighs clenching once again. The man looked like he could lift her with one arm. For a moment her current fantasy faded, and she pictured herself the captive, held at his mercy. He wouldn’t even need ropes to restrain her. One of those large hands could easily hold both her wrists, pull them tight, lift her…
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
She did not look up, did not meet his gaze. “Merely
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