to hurt you, Miss Norman, I only want you near.” He parted her lips once more with the touch of his thumb, lowered the kiss over her full mouth.
She let out a little sound and he deepened the kiss giving her no time to protest his boldness. His arm tightened around her, keeping her so close that her every movement, no matter how slight, imprinted on him.
For a few minutes he kissed her hard, demanding, taking what he’d been afraid to even want for as long as he’d known her, and then he slowly relaxed his hold and the kiss turned soft. He expected her to pull away, but she remained where he’d put her, pressed solidly against his chest.
As he kissed her, he removed her hat and plowed his hand into her beautiful hair. Curls tumbled to her shoulders as pins tinged against the wooden floor around them. He lowered to her throat needing to taste her skin and she let out a sigh. He was drowning in pleasure. Not even his wildest dreams had been as wonderful. Miss Norman was in his arms and he had no idea why, nor any intention of stepping away.
When she finally gulped for air, he turned her around and crossed his arms just below her breasts as he pulled her back against him. This time she didn’t protest, didn’t pull away even one inch, but remained close. She seemed so soft and comfortable in his arms. He felt as if he were molding her to him, forever matching her form to his.
In the silence of the dusty room, she slowly relaxed against him, as lost in her thoughts as he was in his. The feel of another so close was too foreign to either of them to allow muscles to relax, but still he held her, letting his mouth drift along the smooth, soft line of flesh just below her ear. Then he twisted his fingers into her hair, tugging gently when he wanted her to offer her throat for another kiss. She responded to his request silently, but now and then he’d hear a soft sigh and he’d tighten his grip around her middle, letting her know he was still holding her, still hungry for her. The weight of her breasts resting atop his arm drove him slowly mad.
He’d asked her if she wanted this and she’d nodded, but he wasn’t sure she had any more idea what
this
was between them than he did. He tugged an inch of lace away from her high collar and kissed new flesh, then whispered against her ear, “I swear I’ll never hurt you. I just need to hold you awhile. When the tower clock chimes the hour, I’ll let you go. Is that satisfactory, Miss Norman?”
He felt her draw a long breath. “Yes,” she whispered. “I think it most satisfactory.”
He hugged her as the hour passed, sometimes kissing her, sometimes whispering in her ear, and sometimes simply holding her. He’d just moved her arms so that they rested on his shoulders when the clock chimed.
“When you come back, wear your hair down.” He twisted her slightly in his grip until he could kiss her one more time. “You can redo it in the room just beyond that door.” He pointed to his study. “I have to go reopen. Wait until you hear people in the store before you slip out the dressing room door. As you leave my study, turn out the light. There’s a crack between the ceiling and the wall of supplies. From the store I’ll see the light go out and know you’re gone. From that moment on, know that I’ll be missing you and wanting you like this.
“If you want to wait in there next time, I’ll know you’ve come back when I see the light.” He moved his hands down her sides as he let her go. “I’ll be waiting.”
She didn’t look back as she disappeared into his study. He wondered what she’d think of the small area, the corner reading area with a comfortable old chair, the small stove he kept burning on cold days for tea and to warm his leg that always ached worse in winter. An old bench held a dusty washbasin and empty towel rack, and back in the corner, hidden away, was the cot he’d used during the healing year when he couldn’t climb the stairs to the
She let out a little sound and he deepened the kiss giving her no time to protest his boldness. His arm tightened around her, keeping her so close that her every movement, no matter how slight, imprinted on him.
For a few minutes he kissed her hard, demanding, taking what he’d been afraid to even want for as long as he’d known her, and then he slowly relaxed his hold and the kiss turned soft. He expected her to pull away, but she remained where he’d put her, pressed solidly against his chest.
As he kissed her, he removed her hat and plowed his hand into her beautiful hair. Curls tumbled to her shoulders as pins tinged against the wooden floor around them. He lowered to her throat needing to taste her skin and she let out a sigh. He was drowning in pleasure. Not even his wildest dreams had been as wonderful. Miss Norman was in his arms and he had no idea why, nor any intention of stepping away.
When she finally gulped for air, he turned her around and crossed his arms just below her breasts as he pulled her back against him. This time she didn’t protest, didn’t pull away even one inch, but remained close. She seemed so soft and comfortable in his arms. He felt as if he were molding her to him, forever matching her form to his.
In the silence of the dusty room, she slowly relaxed against him, as lost in her thoughts as he was in his. The feel of another so close was too foreign to either of them to allow muscles to relax, but still he held her, letting his mouth drift along the smooth, soft line of flesh just below her ear. Then he twisted his fingers into her hair, tugging gently when he wanted her to offer her throat for another kiss. She responded to his request silently, but now and then he’d hear a soft sigh and he’d tighten his grip around her middle, letting her know he was still holding her, still hungry for her. The weight of her breasts resting atop his arm drove him slowly mad.
He’d asked her if she wanted this and she’d nodded, but he wasn’t sure she had any more idea what
this
was between them than he did. He tugged an inch of lace away from her high collar and kissed new flesh, then whispered against her ear, “I swear I’ll never hurt you. I just need to hold you awhile. When the tower clock chimes the hour, I’ll let you go. Is that satisfactory, Miss Norman?”
He felt her draw a long breath. “Yes,” she whispered. “I think it most satisfactory.”
He hugged her as the hour passed, sometimes kissing her, sometimes whispering in her ear, and sometimes simply holding her. He’d just moved her arms so that they rested on his shoulders when the clock chimed.
“When you come back, wear your hair down.” He twisted her slightly in his grip until he could kiss her one more time. “You can redo it in the room just beyond that door.” He pointed to his study. “I have to go reopen. Wait until you hear people in the store before you slip out the dressing room door. As you leave my study, turn out the light. There’s a crack between the ceiling and the wall of supplies. From the store I’ll see the light go out and know you’re gone. From that moment on, know that I’ll be missing you and wanting you like this.
“If you want to wait in there next time, I’ll know you’ve come back when I see the light.” He moved his hands down her sides as he let her go. “I’ll be waiting.”
She didn’t look back as she disappeared into his study. He wondered what she’d think of the small area, the corner reading area with a comfortable old chair, the small stove he kept burning on cold days for tea and to warm his leg that always ached worse in winter. An old bench held a dusty washbasin and empty towel rack, and back in the corner, hidden away, was the cot he’d used during the healing year when he couldn’t climb the stairs to the
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