Redeeming the Reclusive Earl - Virginia Heath Page 0,98
it. Big brain and all.’ He bent to kiss her forehead. ‘Although to be honest, and perhaps this makes me an oddity, too, but I have always found your excessive intelligence attractive. I love your mind as well as your body.’ His finger grazed the skin of her neck before tracing the outer edge of her nipple. ‘Well, all right then...’ He sat back and bent to tug off his boots. ‘Outrageously careless it is. Prepare to be ravished, Miss Naked As The Day You Were Born.’
‘How exactly do you plan to ravish me when you are still wearing your breeches?’
He kissed her again, laughing before he finally gave her a peek under those breeches and thoroughly enjoyed watching her eyes widen as she tentatively explored the shape of him. ‘It’s a bit different from the diagrams...’
‘Book learning will only take you so far, Effie.’ His voice was unsteady. Staccato. His eyes fluttered closed and he gasped as she traced the obviously sensitive tip, then he groaned and hauled her into his arms, tumbling them both back on the bed. Then exacted sweet revenge for the way she had tortured him only moments ago by trailing hot kisses along her jaw and throat and between the valley between her breasts.
Then down over her belly. His clever lips followed the path of his hands along the curve of her hip, the sensitive flesh of her inner thigh, all the way down to her toes which he reverently kissed one by one before working his way diligently back up again.
She moaned aloud when he teased her taut nipple with his tongue, then practically growled when he finally sucked it into his mouth and did unspeakably wicked things to it. She could feel his hardness against her belly and instinctively moved her hips to receive it, only to hear the throaty rumble of his laugh deep in his chest when he purposely moved out of the way to deny her. ‘Not yet, love.’
‘But, Max... I’m ready...’ Her body was screaming for release. Aching for him. ‘So ready...’
‘Shhh...’ His touch whispered between her legs and she melted. So soft but so deadly, the pleasure so intense she was certain she couldn’t bear it. Yet each time she thought she might die from the wanting, he took her higher until she was begging him to take mercy on her and fill her body with his.
‘I’ve read about this...’
‘Of course you have.’ He was propped on one arm, staring down at her through hooded eyes as she writhed uncontrollably under his lazy, decadent touch. ‘And what did you learn?’
‘That it really didn’t feel this good when I tried it myself...’ She shouldn’t have said that, but she wasn’t thinking straight. Never should have admitted that because he stopped what he was doing to stare at her. Then the wholly male smile which slowly transformed his expression seemed more intrigued than amused. And aroused. Very aroused.
‘Then you should probably brace yourself, because I can guarantee this will feel better.’
And it did. He used his mouth and tongue to love her instead, pushing her to the edge of an invisible cliff which made her fists grip the sheets to steady herself and her hips buck as her body simultaneous welcomed the onslaught and fought against it. Then he was filling her. Slowly, achingly slowly, edging himself inside, kissing her mouth and her eyelids and whispering her name. Telling her that he loved her. That he would always love her.
There wasn’t any of the pain or discomfort she had read about, only rightness, as if she had been specifically designed just for him and him for her. With absolutely no thought at all, her body knew how to move against him and she stopped fighting the pleasure. She accepted it all, allowing it to build in waves, possess her, take control of her completely, until all there was, all that mattered, was Max and the blinding stars he showed her when they fell off that imaginary cliff together.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Five stolen kisses...
Max couldn’t wait for the day to end so he could spend another night with Effie. Unfortunately, as it was the antiquarians’ last day at Rivenhall before they left first thing the next morning,