Benedict's Challenge - Carole Mortimer Page 0,16

of the floral soap she had washed with and a female musk that grew stronger as her arousal deepened.

It was the same arousal which now held Benedict firmly in its grasp.

His hands seemed to move of their own volition, fingers spread wide when they clasped Chloe’s bare hips so that he might pull her toward him. Their bodies, his fully clothed, Chloe wearing only her chemise and unfastened drawers, now touched chest to breast.

Benedict gasped as Chloe held his gaze, and he watched her swing one of her legs across his thighs before she settled down on them. The throbbing hardness of his cock now nestled against the heat of her mound.

“Would you kiss me?” Chloe requested achingly.

Benedict gave a low groan, one of longing rather than protest. His gaze held Chloe’s as he slowly lowered his head and his lips claimed hers, giving her time, if she should need it, to change her mind.

Instead, he saw only certainty and desire.

Chloe’s lids fluttered closed at the first touch of Benedict’s warm lips against hers. Lips that were both firm and demanding and yet also coaxed her into returning his passion.

The parting of her lips allowed him to deepen the kiss. The two of them were breathing heavily as her arms moved up over Benedict’s shoulders and her fingers became entangled in the hair at his nape and she held him closer still.

His hands first moved to gently cup her abused bottom, fingertips softly stroking before they moved upward to caress the slenderness of her back.

Chloe broke the kiss to gasp, her neck arching back and her eyes closing, when one of those large and slightly calloused hands moved forward to cup and squeeze the bareness of her breast against her camisole.

She had never known pleasure like this, so hot it was as if flames licked against her flesh. She longed for Benedict’s lips to touch and taste her with that same fire. For them both to be naked on the bed as they kissed and touched, learning and pleasuring each other’s bodies until those flames grew so high, they consumed them both.

“Benedict…!” Chloe cried out as he pushed her camisole up and out of the way, and the moist heat of Benedict’s mouth closed over one of her nipples.

“Let me,” he pleaded raggedly, his breath hot against her swollen flesh. “For God’s sake, let me at least have this!”

Chloe had no idea what Benedict meant by that, but she would happily give him all that she had to give. Whatever Benedict wanted from her, he could have. Anything. Everything.

She arched her back, pushing her breasts forward as, with a groan, Benedict once again suckled her nipple. He sucked and licked that sensitive bud until it was full and throbbing, before moving to lavish that same attention on its twin.

Benedict had never tasted such sweet and succulent flesh, and Chloe’s pink nipples became a deeper rose as he continued to suckle and lave them with the rough moistness of his tongue for long and enjoyable minutes.

By which time his aching cock was hard and leaking pre-cum inside his drawers, wanting more, demanding he take more. Demanding that he take all Chloe had to give. That he suck her dry and take all her goodness for himself.

Benedict had never before experienced such feelings of possessiveness for any woman. Not for anyone or anything, truth be told. It shook him now to realize how deeply that possessiveness went, to know he was capable of harming anyone who tried to take Chloe away from him. Quite what—

Benedict tensed as a knock sounded briskly on the bedchamber door.

Chapter Six

“Yes?” Chloe responded, but her heated gaze remained locked on Benedict, her cheeks flushed, her lips red and swollen from the kisses and intimacies they had shared. Some of her hair had escaped the pearl pins and now cascaded in loose curls down the length of her spine.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m feeling a bit uncomfortable sitting down there in the dining room on my own, with only a silent butler for company,” Jimmy answered her dryly.

“I will join you shortly,” Chloe assured.

“Do you know where His Lordship is?”

Chloe gave Benedict a panicked look. “I— Yes, I— He—”

“I will join you in a few minutes, Jimmy,” Benedict cut across her stumbling reply, while once again noting Jimmy had forgotten to use his Cockney accent.

There was a brief pause. “Oh. Right. I’ll see you both downstairs, then.”

Benedict waited until the younger man had gone down the