Passions of a Gentleman (Gentlemen of Honor #3) - Rose Gordon Page 0,64

barest of nods.

Simon didn’t move, hesitation in his eyes.

Rae’s coy smile returned and reluctantly she removed her hands from his stomach. Covering his hands with hers, she moved them to cover her breasts.

Everything faded from around them. The only thing she could make sense of was Simon’s hands were covering her breasts, creating a warm feeling to pool in her abdomen. Rae released her hold on Simon’s hands and ran her open palm up his bare arms and to his sinewy shoulders. Simon moved his hands to the outsides of her breasts and ran the pad of his thumbs over her nipples. They hardened in a second and she shivered, a hint of mortification coming over her. What must he think of her?

“Perfect,” he rasped, banishing all doubts from her mind. He swallowed audibly then moved his fingers up to grip the thin straps of her chemise. With a marked slowness, Simon eased the straps from the tops of her shoulders to the sides, his cheeks visibly tensing with each inch he moved them. And then, he released his grip and her chemise tumbled to her feet, leaving her clad in nothing but her stockings and slippers.

Though a cool rush of air hit her the instant her chemise fell, her skin felt hotter now than before—every inch of her burned with excitement.

Simon must have felt the same excitement, for his hands flew to the flap of his breeches and worked feverishly to unfasten them. His grimace would have been comical had Rae not been just as impatient as Simon for him to undo his trousers.

He gave the chord one final yank, breaking it and loosening his waistband. He slipped his thumbs into the top of his waistband, and in one swift motion, his trousers were at his ankles.

Rae suddenly felt timid and bit her lip. Simon cupped Rae’s face and using his thumb pulled her lower lip free from her teeth’s brutal hold. Instinctively, Rae turned her face and placed a kiss on his palm. His hand lingered for a moment, then slowly he lowered it, trailing it down her neck, shoulders and chest as he went.

As unladylike as some might claim it to be, Rae could no more stop staring at Simon’s naked form then she could stop breathing. Moistening her lips, Rae reached her hand forward to settle on the slim line of hair that bisected his chiseled abdomen. Her eyes followed the line down toward his waist, her fingers not yet daring enough to follow suit.

“Please,” Simon choked.

Rae jerked. “Is something wrong?” she asked, pulling her hand away.

Simon caught her hand and placed it on his erection. “Not anymore.”

Holding him firmly with her fingers, she used her thumb to explore the underside. It was hard…yet soft.

Simon groaned.

She smiled, tightened her hand a fraction, and slid her hand from the base toward the tip, eliciting a strangled groan from her new groom.

Taking mercy on him, she released him.

“Should we?” Simon asked hoarsely, cutting his eyes toward the bed.

Rae nodded once. She quickly kicked off her slippers and stepped out of the fluffy mass of skirts and petticoats at her feet while Simon bent down and unlaced his boots. Simon lifted his foot and with a grunt pulled off one of his boots. Thump. He tossed it next to him on the floor. After a series of three more grunts, the other hit the floor with a similar thump. Simon quickly stepped out of his trousers then peeled his stockings off.

Realizing she was still standing beside the bed, Rae quickly scampered up onto the thick feather mattress then scooted over to give Simon room.

The mattress dipped beneath Simon’s weight. He moved to settle between her parted legs. Coming up on his knees, he dropped a trail of kisses from just above Rae’s waist all the way to her lips. “I love you, Mrs. Appleton,” he murmured before taking her lips in a soft kiss.

“I love you, too, Mr. Appleton.” Rae brought her hands to his back.

Simon knelt a little lower, bringing his lips to her chest. He scattered kisses across the plane of her chest, slowly making his way toward the crest of her right breast. His lips closed around her budded nipple. Rae sucked in a breath.

Simon peeked up at her, running his tongue over the tip of her breast.

Rae sucked in another breath at his action, sparks firing from her breast throughout the rest of her body.

Simon released her right breast and repeated the same action on