A Little Bit Scandalous Page 0,69

in a smile. She was fascinating, he couldn’t deny that. Sweet, smart, and lovely Caroline, and she would be his. His want for her surged through his veins. He needed to keep his desire in check. She wanted to seduce him, and he would allow her to do so. He dealt the cards, then checked his own hand. He flipped both cards over to show her.

“Perfect hand. Guess I win,” he said with a grin.

Her lips parted, then she looked from his cards to his face. “I don’t have much else to take off.”

“The shirt.” He knew it would leave her in nothing but the linen binding her perfect breasts.

Her pink tongue darted out to wet her lips and his abdomen tightened in response. She took a deep breath and stood to her feet. With painfully slow precision, she undid each button. The shirt gaped first at her shoulder, then down to her flat stomach, and then it slid off her and fell in a heap on the floor. That scrap of linen hid her breasts from his view, but the rest of her was gloriously illuminated by the firelight behind her.

“This might be my favorite way to play this game.”

She tilted her head. “I’m not certain it would go over well at Rodale’s.” She gave him a grin, but made no move to return to her seat. Instead she stood before him, a goddess come to life.

“Yes, and I have no desire to see those men without their trousers.”

“Oh, I don’t know, Lord Drake seemed as if he might have a nice pair of legs,” she said.

“Come here,” he said, holding his hand out to her.

She walked to him, and her beautiful brown hair fell down her back in a cascade of silk. It framed her face, teased at her shoulder, and no doubt tickled the top of her bottom. She took his hand.

“Take that off,” he said motioning to the linen covering her breasts.

She did as he bade, slowly unwrapping the fabric. When it fell away, he could clearly see the indentions in her flesh from the tightly wrapped material.

“This simply won’t do,” he said. He pulled her to him and she straddled his lap. He smoothed a finger over the mark on her skin. “Promise me you’ll never bind your breasts again. It is such a pity to hide such beauty.” He leaned forward and kissed the mark. He followed it across the top of her breasts.

He grabbed her legs and pulled her forward so she was further on his lap, his erection pressed against his trousers, and he knew she could feel the hard ridge of him beneath her. She moved against him, her eyes widening, her lips parting.

She leaned forward and kissed him. He could turn away from her, hurt her once more and prevent himself from hurting her again and again as his wife. But damn, she felt so good pressed against him and frankly he’d never been much for convention. Perhaps he would disparage his father’s memory by becoming a good husband. With that thought he threaded his fingers through the back of her silky soft hair and pulled her closer. He deepened the kiss. She opened her mouth to him, and their tongues molded against each other.

Lust forged through him.

Her fingers dug into his arm, and she released small sounds of pleasure as she continued to grind herself against him. Still they kissed, their lips melded together, their tongues intertwined. She drove him wild. Her touch, her taste, the feel of her on top of him. He wouldn’t be able to stand her sweet torture much longer.

He left her mouth and kissed the column of her throat, her pulse leapt beneath this tongue. She moaned again. He slid his hand up her torso and cupped her breast. Her nipple beaded between his fingers. Caroline arched into his touch. He kissed her again. Her hands gripped at his shoulders, pressing herself further onto him. She wanted him. The notion was heady and intoxicating. He reached down between them. He brushed lightly across the apex of her legs, and she released a primal groan of desire. His own need poured through his veins and settled heavily in his groin.

He found his way to her entrance, where her flesh was hot and slick with her need, and she trembled when his fingers brushed against her. She continued to moan softly. He continued his exploration.

He slipped one finger inside her and slowly began his rhythm. Her