She softly kissed her way from the corner of his mouth to the center of his firm bottom lip. A shudder ripped through his big body. Steel hands came up to frame her face, then he kissed her back, his mouth so gentle and slow that she wanted to cry from the sweetness of it.
Her husband. Her man.
Her breath hitched. Immediately, he pulled away.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Georgie,” he said hoarsely.
“You won’t.”
Through the shadows over his eyes, she saw that he wasn’t convinced. But he was not the only one responsible for their happiness. She was, too. And when necessary, she would see to a task herself.
“May I touch you, then?”
His brows drew together in a dark line. “Me?”
“Yes.” Smiling, she smoothed her palm along the heavy muscles atop his shoulder, marveling at the seamless meld of hot skin to cool steel. “When you were with fever, I washed you down with ice water, and saw more of you than at any time since we’ve married. And I was so worried then, I didn’t think of how appealing you looked—but now I cannot stop thinking of all that I saw. Of all that I’d like to touch now that you’re well. And how I want to kiss you again.”
Expression torn by desire and worry, his face darkened in the silvery light. But he didn’t deny her. “Anything you want of me, Georgie.”
His mouth, first. This time, he didn’t hesitate before kissing her back, half rising to meet her. Not so sweet now, but hot, his mouth opening against hers to suck lightly at her upper lip before moving to the lower, gentle tugs that pulled at a painful need inside her. Heart racing, she couldn’t seem to catch her breath, though she could feel the air coming and going through her parted lips, sharp little pants heated by Thom’s mouth.
Her fingers fisting in his hair, she pushed closer. A gentle lick against her bottom lip sent pleasure bursting into a desperate ache. She whimpered low in her throat, wanting more and more.
Thom dragged his mouth away. “Am I hurting you?”
“No. You can’t. Please, Thom.”
Lying across his heaving chest, she pulled him back into the kiss, wanting him to feel what she had, licking and tugging at his firm lips.
With a groan, his hands gripped her hips. He hauled her fully on top of him, her thighs straddling his abdomen, her chemise sliding up past her knees. His mouth opened under hers and suddenly there was the more she’d wanted, in the steady pressure between her legs and the thrusting penetration of his tongue, but they didn’t ease the ache, only made it sharper and harder.
Deep and hungry, each kiss drew more whimpers from her throat, started the rocking of her hips. His bare skin so hot between her thighs, and the ridged muscles of his stomach so hard, she couldn’t keep herself from rubbing against him, where she felt so empty and needy and . . . wet.
Oh.
Face suddenly hot, she made herself stop moving. Thom’s kiss slowed, then he eased back to look up at her.
“All right?”
“Yes.” Just embarrassed. And she couldn’t hide it. Her skin felt so warm that he could probably see her blush, even in the moonlight—and he had to feel the wetness all over his stomach.
But she didn’t want to move. It had all been so wonderful. Was still so wonderful. Even though her lack of control was completely mortifying.
Thom studied her for a long second before he nodded. “Sit up, then. Let me see you.”
She did, forcing herself to hold his gaze instead of turning away while he looked. It was so unnerving. Georgiana knew herself to be an attractive woman, but this wasn’t like being judged and found pretty or wanting. She felt exposed. And even in her chemise, she felt bare. Nothing could be hidden. Her lips felt swollen and hot. Her stiffened ni**les stood at attention beneath the cotton, the moonlight exaggerating their shapes with long shadows. Her legs were opened wide across his abdomen, her skin visible from the middle of her thighs to her feet.
She didn’t know where to put her hands. To stop their trembling, she braced them against his chest.
Steel glinted in the dark. Thom’s fingers hooked beneath the straps of her chemise. Slowly, he dragged them down her arms, smooth metal gliding over skin. Cool air kissed her br**sts. The pink flesh around her ni**les puckered and tightened.
Oh, she couldn’t bear it. She squeezed her eyes closed.
They flew open again at the rough sound of his voice. “I’ll never be able to stop thinking of seeing you like this, Georgie.”
Just as she’d told him, only moments ago. When he’d been uncertain. When she’d been trying to persuade him that he needn’t be.
Oh, God. How she loved this man.