The Formidable Earl (Diamonds in the Rough #6) - Sophie Barnes Page 0,70
the count of three?”
“You’d still be wearing your smalls, which wouldn’t be very fair.”
“I can remove both at the same time.”
Ida’s pulse leapt with wild excitement. She nodded. “All right.”
Simon dropped his gaze to her calves. “Go on then. Grab the hem.”
She did as he asked and waited for the count. Somehow, the act of undressing had turned into more than an effort to help her overcome her inhibitions. It was once again about trust and not letting each other down, so the moment she heard him say, “Three,” she pulled her chemise up over her head and flung it aside.
Heat bathed her skin from head to toe when she saw how Simon stared at her. A mixture of awe and desire burned in his eyes, and she knew it had to reflect her own. Because the way he looked, standing there like some Greek god, powerful and strong, was enough to send fiery shivers racing through her.
This time when she moved toward him, he made no attempt to stop her. And when she reached out to trace a path over his stomach, allowing the tips of her fingers to travel across every muscle, she smiled in response to the hiss he emitted.
She was only granted a few more seconds of curious exploration before he captured her lips in a feverish kiss and swept her up into his arms. One moment later she was lowered onto the bed. His hand slid over her hip and across her belly with feather light softness that caused sparks to swirl up inside her. Breaking their kiss, Simon let his mouth travel the length of her body.
“You’re stunning,” he murmured when he planted a kiss against her thigh.
“And you are incredibly skilled,” she sighed in response to the pleasure he gave with each touch.
His wolfish grin matched the devilish gleam in his eyes as he rose above her and settled himself between her thighs. “The best part is yet to come, my darling.” He wove his fingers with hers and gazed down into her upturned face. “There’ll be some discomfort at first, but once that has passed, I’ll make sure you love every moment.”
Ida could only nod. She knew she’d be foolish to put too much weight on the verbal endearment he’d used. It was probably the sort of thing most men would say to a woman in the heat of passion. But it made her feel special all the same. And it made her realize how right she’d been to fear doing this with Simon. After tonight her heart would be in peril, but that was the price she was willing to pay for the splendor of being at one with the man who had come to mean more to her than anyone else.
Distracting her with a soul-searing kiss so intense she barely registered the pain, he joined his body with hers, allowed her a moment to adjust, and then took his time teaching her how to move. It was far more natural than she would have thought and infinitely better than she’d ever imagined. There was a rightness to it that could not be explained except through experience, and then there was more – a rapid build of sensation so dense it felt as if she were absorbing the world. It was too strong, too overwhelming, and just too much. The coil inside her tightened until she was gasping for air.
“Open your eyes,” Simon gritted. “Look at me.”
She did as he asked and was shocked to see the strain on his handsome face. He shifted slightly, adjusted his position and then, just like that, she shattered in a million pieces.
“My God,” she heard him murmur as pure sensation careened through her body, lifting her up and giving her wings with which to fly. A primal groan echoed somewhere in the distance. Ida smiled as she glided back to earth, fully sated and not at all sure she’d be able to stand after what she’d just been through.
A strong arm came around her waist, pulling her up against a hard chest. Warm fingers settled against her hip. “That was incredible,” Simon whispered right next to her ear. A tender kiss followed and then, with a bit more hesitance, “I hope you feel the same.”
Rolling back into his arms so she would be able to meet his gaze, Ida told him sincerely, “It was better than anything I ever could have imagined, and I’m glad I experienced it with you.”