Secrets of Seduction by Nicole Jordan Page B

soft smile, it was all he could do to control his triumph. Lowering his head, he pressed light kisses on the fullness of her mouth as he began to move inside her.
    When he felt her inner muscles clenching around his throbbing shaft, he ached to increase the rhythm. Instead, he captured her luscious mouth more fully, kissing her urgently, plunging his tongue inside the way he wanted to do to her body.
    The wildness running through him built rapidly and his desire rose to a fever pitch. He needed her, he needed this, with a kind of desperation he’d never felt before.
    She seemed to have the same need, for her slender legs and arms wrapped around him tightly.
    Hawk knew he should go slowly, should strive for finesse, but the tight, glorious fit was driving him mad. It had been too long and he was too far gone. He burned for her, burned with the primitive need to claim her.
    His mouth devouring hers, he thrust harder inside her. In return, she clung to him, her nails scoring his back as passion flared white-hot between them.
    Then his whole body ignited with consuming heat. Hawk went rigid an instant before all his pent-up passion exploded. His climax blasting through him over and over, he found his own fierce, shuddering release.
    In the aftermath, he collapsed upon her and buried his face in her lustrous silken hair, his breath coming harshly in the quiet chamber. The pleasure he’d had with her had been shattering, Hawk realized as hebreathed deeply of her sweet, clean fragrance that was tinged with the potent musk of sex.
    She hadn’t climaxed a second time, though. Vowing to do better, he eased his weight to one side and would have rolled off her, but she wouldn’t let him go.
    Her arms were still wrapped around him, her fingers drifting lightly over his back. She was stroking his scars again, Hawk knew, yet he couldn’t bring himself to object.
    He exhaled in a weary sigh.
    Lady Skye Wilde. A paradox if he’d ever met one. A passionate, sensual creature one minute. A tender, ministering angel the next. She radiated sympathy and compassion as she cradled him to her breast, holding him, comforting him with her hot, sweet body.
    Oddly, he cherished the comfort. Even more oddly, Hawk felt a sense of peace for the first time in a long, long while.
    Peace and exhaustion. Lethargy sank over him, making all his bones feel heavy—not surprising since the explosive passion had drained him of all energy. The countless sleepless nights had taken a toll also, as had the spirits he’d drunk throughout the evening.
    Whatever the reason for his release, he was finally able to let go of the pain and dark memories.
    Giving in to exhaustion, Hawk fell asleep holding her, deeply, amazingly content.

Rays of morning
sunshine slipped beneath the window curtains into her bedchamber, allowing Skye ample light to study the earl’s slumbering form. He had slept peacefully through the night, as had she. Wrapped in his warmth, she hadn’t wanted to move.
    At dawn she’d risen to wash herself, don her nightdress, and stir the fire to remove the chill from the air. Now she was sitting on the bed beside her lover with her legs drawn up, her chin resting on her knees as she watched him.
    Her lover
. The term filled her with delight. So did her memories of his incredible lovemaking.
    Aunt Isabella had warned her what to expect, but knowing the physical principles was not the same as participating. The actual experience had exceeded her wildest fantasies. It had been like drowning in sweet fire.
    Yes, there had been pain at first, but the discomfort had quickly faded. She felt different now, Skye decided, taking stock of new sensations assailing her: The unfamiliardelicacy of her body. The unaccustomed ache between her thighs. The sensitivity of her breasts. The tenderness of her mouth.
    The stubble shadowing Hawkhurst’s jaw had scraped her skin, resulting in whisker burn, yet she didn’t mind. How could she when he’d given her the most