Master of Her Virtue - By Miranda Lee Page 0,31

decadent-looking bed.

Suddenly, she wanted Leo to close those curtains again. After all, there were tall buildings across the way, all with windows and some with balconies. What if there was someone there with a telescope, or a camera with one of those new powerful lenses which could zoom in on things hundreds of metres away? Gavin had been given one such camera for Christmas so she knew first-hand what they were capable of.

‘Please, Leo,’ she said in a shaky voice. ‘Could we possibly shut the curtains?’

He frowned, then moved over, to close not the opaque gold curtains but a set of gauzy curtains which she hadn’t noticed and which was obviously used by guests who wanted privacy without totally destroying the view.

‘Will this do?’ he asked once he’d drawn them into place.

‘I...I suppose so.’

‘Try not to be nervous.’

She let out a great rush of air. ‘That’s easy for you to say.’

Leo smiled. He couldn’t help it. Did she have any idea how nervous he was? How conflicted? He’d promised her gentleness, yet all he wanted to do was rip off that sexy black dress right now and ravage her silly for hours on end. He’d promised her pleasure. But it was the prospect of his own pleasure which was firing his blood up at this moment. It would take a supreme effort of will to suppress his own driving needs and concentrate instead on hers.

But it would be worth it in the end, Leo believed as he crossed the room, confident that giving Violet pleasure and satisfaction would ultimately increase his. Taking her bag from where it was clutched tightly between both her hands, he threw it aside then drew her trembling body into his arms. Her eyes were wide on his, closing when his head began to dip.

He kept the kiss soft, not wanting to rush or frighten her. He didn’t crush her lips as he secretly wanted to. He sipped at them. Licked them. Nibbled. Patience was the key to success here; Leo constantly reminded himself it was imperative that he didn’t unleash the passion which had been building up in him all day, not till she was ready for it.

Which could take some time.

When her lips gasped apart on a raw, sensual moan, he almost lost it for a moment, almost plunged his tongue deep into her mouth without thought or care. His arms did tighten around her as he battled the urge to just let rip, fighting with all his might to contain the wild urge to ravage her mouth as he wanted to ravage her.

Finally, he dared to let his tongue slide forward, moaning himself when he encountered the delicious heat of her mouth. Perhaps if she’d remained passive in his arms he might have been able to sustain his promised gentleness. But she was anything but passive, her own tongue snaking around his, her arms doing the same to his body as she pressed herself hard against his already painful erection.

To keep on kissing her would be courting disaster, Leo quickly realised. He had to radically change his seduction technique, at the same time giving himself a much-needed breather.

Violet could have cried when Leo suddenly stopped kissing her.

‘Sorry, sweetness,’ he said, something like regret in his beautiful blue eyes. ‘But we need to slow things down here or you might not enjoy your first sexual experience as much as you deserve to.’

Relief swamped Violet that she hadn’t done anything wrong.

‘Now, first things first,’ he went on, having disentangled himself from her embrace. ‘Do you need to freshen up? The bathroom is just that way.’

Now that she thought about it, she did need to use the bathroom. Quite badly. How come she hadn’t felt that a moment ago when he was kissing her? Violet swallowed, then nodded.

‘I’ll make us some coffee.’

Violet scuttled off to the en suite bathroom, shocked when she discovered how wet her new black lace panties were. Best she leave them off. But how could she possibly go back to Leo without her panties on? Would it be better to take everything off, the way Lady Gwendaline had after Captain Strongbow had made it clear he was going to take her that night? Violet had been startled but thrilled when her heroine had done that.

Dared she do the same?

Violet doubted it. To walk out of here stark naked was not within the realms of her capabilities or courage. Maybe if she had something to cover herself with...

Her gaze lifted to the shelf