Blame It on Bath Page 0,51

said nothing. She was nervous, and if darkness reassured her, so be it.

He stepped out of his trousers and drawers as she put out the last lamp. The room was plunged into darkness, the fire having died down to coals. Her white nightdress stood out as his eyes adjusted, and Gerard caught her when she would have hurried past him to the bed. “Don’t be afraid,” he murmured. He slipped one arm around her waist and threaded the fingers of his free hand into her hair. “Trust me.” And he kissed her.

Katherine’s heart nearly burst. He was naked—naked!—and holding her against him as he kissed her. She felt light-headed, shaky on her feet, but there was nothing to steady herself on except Gerard, and he was naked—completely, shockingly, utterly naked. Her hand brushed against his bare thigh, and she quickly raised her hands to his arms. That seemed safer, until he made a rough noise of satisfaction in his throat and gathered her even closer. His skin was hot, so much warmer than hers. She could feel the heat of him through her nightdress, especially his male organ, which pressed against her belly, growing harder by the minute. It gave her a thrill of both panic and delight. He was aroused—by her. She still desperately feared being a disappointment, but for now, perhaps, there was hope.

Gradually she relaxed into his kiss. It was just as lovely as the others had been. When he nipped at her lower lip, she let him in, his tongue sweeping sensuously over hers. Hesitantly she tried to reply in kind, and he growled again. The muscles of his arms grew taut under her palms, and without breaking the kiss, he somehow managed to lift her in his arms and carry her to the bed. He set her down on her feet, and Katherine swayed and almost fell. If he kept kissing her like that all night, he could do anything he liked to her.

“Shh,” her husband murmured in his low, rumbling voice. Somehow he undid all the buttons down the front of her nightdress in the blink of an eye and tugged it down. Katherine clapped her hands to her bosom in alarm as the fabric slid over her shoulders, but he calmly brushed them away, slipping the garment down until it dropped into a puddle at her feet.

For a moment he just stood there, his head bent as he looked at her—or so she thought. The fire had almost burned to ash, and she could barely make out his form in front of her. Without physical contact, both her head and her skin cooled rapidly. Her hands balled into fists as a chill rippled over her. What was wrong? Had he changed his mind?

She jumped when his fingertips brushed her hipbone. He stepped closer, making that quiet shushing sound under his breath as both his hands wandered over her. He stroked the curve of her waist. He drew his hands up her ribs to cup the slight swells of her breasts. Like the touch of a hot iron, it recalled the easy way he had fondled her that morning, and her nipples tightened at the memory. He seemed to like it; he circled his thumbs over the hard buds, his breathing gone deep and harsh. She was trembling. He was making her stomach flutter, and she shifted her feet, squeezing her legs together as something seemed to melt there.

“Touch me,” he breathed, abandoning her breasts to run his fingertips up her spine. Katherine’s back arched involuntarily. She could almost hear him smiling his slow, wicked grin as he did it again, then again, until she made a gasping squeak of pleasure. “Touch me,” he whispered. “I want to feel your hands, Kate . . .”

She grabbed his arms, and his hands flattened on her lower back, urging her against him. Katherine collided with a wall of solid male flesh that seemed to sizzle where it touched hers. It was shocking and wonderful at the same time. She rested her cheek against his chest, marveling at the muffled thump of his heart and the tickle of hair against her temple. He was still just running his hands up and down her back, as if he were as content to hold her as she was to be held. This wasn’t frightening or demanding. It was wonderful, really, and she let her fingers wander over the solid bulge of his biceps.

His hold tightened, and he lifted her