The Matter of a Marquess - Jess Michaels Page 0,39
made a soft sound of pleasure against his lips as he kicked the door shut behind them. His cane hit the floor with a clatter and he gripped her hips to balance himself as they backed across the room toward his bed.
And nearly tripped over his dog. Fortescue was curled up at the foot of said bed, watching the two of them through a slightly annoyed and sleepy gaze.
“Christ, dog,” Nicholas said, pointing toward the adjoining room. “Bed.”
Fortescue grumbled as he got up, stretched his back languidly and then padded from the room with just one last look toward Aurora, as if to ask for her help managing Nicholas. He shot her an apologetic glance and then followed the dog, shutting the door behind him to give them privacy once more.
As he pivoted back, he couldn’t help but smile at Aurora’s sympathetic gaze toward the place where Fortescue had been lying. “I feel bad for him having to get up,” she said.
He shook his head. “He has a very nice bed of his own in the dressing room,” he explained. “And a giant bone the cook was kind enough to share after that roast yesterday.”
That seemed to appease her, for she nodded. “Then he’ll be happy. I feel a little better.”
He eased back across the room to her, slowly, both to adjust to not having his cane and also because he needed to take his time before this exploded out of control. “Aurora, do you really want to talk about my dog right now?”
She shook her head. “No,” she whispered, and reached for him, drawing him back to her arms, to her lips, where he drowned all over again, only this time slower. With less desperation.
He supposed he’d have to find the dog another, even better bone as thanks for that. He angled his head, deepening the kiss, slowing it, at least for a short time. He wanted to savor every moment of this.
He never wanted it to end.
But desire was an insistent mistress, and eventually the pulse of it drove him harder. Faster. And he wasn’t alone in that, apparently. She pulled away after what seemed like forever, her breath short, her dark eyes almost black with desire. Her shaking fingers found his cravat and she struggled to loosen it. He dug his fingers into her hair, sending pins to dance across the floor. Blonde, perfumed silk fell around them, wrapping around his fingers, covering her shoulders. He breathed it in, breathed her in, and marveled at how much more beautiful she was with her hair down. He’d never seen her like this before, at least not since she was a very little girl. They’d never come this far.
She finally got the cravat loose and unwound it, then tossed it over her shoulder. She lifted into him, demanding another kiss as she shoved at his jacket, pulled at his buttons. She was desperate, she was hungry, and he loved it. But he still pulled away.
“Please don’t rush this,” he said.
That brought her up short and she lowered her hands. “I…it’s just that we’ve waited so long. I’ve wanted nothing but this for so bloody long.”
He drew a shaky breath. “You do test a man.”
That elicited a smile from her lips. “I’m trying to test you.”
“So I see.” He caught her hands and gently tugged her glove away before he lifted her palm to his lips and kissed it. She shivered as he sucked gently, harder, licked as he turned her hand over and pressed another kiss to her knuckles. “But because I’ve waited so long, too, I don’t want this to be some fast, hard fucking.”
She didn’t flinch at the crude word. “What do you want it to be?”
Forever was the word that flickered through his mind. Forever was the most dangerous word of all when it came to her. He pushed it away.
“I want it to be worth the wait. I want it to be everything.”
She nodded slowly as she threaded the fingers of her bare hand into his. “It already will be.”
He tended to believe her. He dug his fingers into her hair, tilting her head back, and kissed her again. This time he went slowly, tracing her lips, sucking her tongue, devouring her like he would his last meal. She gave a full-body shudder and he smiled against her. At least he knew how to make this night good.
He wanted it to be, just in case he never had another with her.