of his chest, her taut, sensitive nipples, catching at the whorls of dark hair on his torso. Shamefully, she rocked her hips against him, already near mindless from the assault he’d made on her body.
Mouth not leaving hers, he brought her down with him as he sat on the sofa. Haddon’s eyes had gone the color of old pewter, glinting softly in the muted light of her parlor. He took hold of her hips and positioned her across his lap. Pulling her forward, Haddon’s thumb sunk beneath her folds, rotating and teasing.
“Trent.” A broken whisper left her.
His mouth latched onto one nipple laving the taut peak as he entered her with one hard thrust.
“Jesus.” A grunt of pleasure came from him. “Marissa.”
Marissa became a wild thing, her body writhing against him, hips rocking to meet every thrust. Haddon filled her. Absorbed her. Forced her to accept the truth.
He pushed down with his thumb, his mouth swallowing the scream of pleasure she made as she climaxed. Her body jerked, inner muscles fluttering and pulling him deeper.
A groan left him.
The pleasure was so intense, Marissa’s mind went still for a moment, something that rarely happened.
Haddon flipped her over until she lay on the sofa beneath him, still buried inside her body. He held still for a moment, nuzzling the side of her neck before crooking one of her legs over his arm and took her with full, deep thrusts. When her pleasure began to build inside her again, Haddon sensed it and smiled.
Each thrust became slower, more deliberate, as their bodies rocked together, dragging out each exquisite sensation. Haddon looked down at her as he found his release moments after she again found her own, his eyes shining like quicksilver, her name on his lips. The feeling of completion, of finding the lost part of herself, was so overpowering, Marissa almost didn’t breathe.
It was absolutely terrifying.
Haddon’s breath was warm and ragged against her neck. He shifted slightly to take his weight from her, leaving her cold and wanting him.
This is what happens. I’ll grow to need him, and then he’ll disappear.
He pulled her close, his skin heated beneath her cheek, the beating of his heart strong and fierce.
Why him? Not even with Reggie—
Marissa firmly pushed the thought away. While Haddon’s desire for her was intense at the moment, it would fade in time. One day soon he would tire of her, especially given their age difference. Most affairs ended in disinterest on the part of one partner or the other. If her three marriages and infrequent affairs had taught Marissa anything, it was that nothing was forever. She had her family. Her friends. Great wealth. If her life wasn’t blissfully happy, it was at least somewhat content. Or would be once she destroyed Lydia and her priggish son.
Yes, but Haddon—
Had to stay nothing more than a dalliance. Unfortunately. She wasn’t like Adelia who could flit from lover to lover without having her heart compromised.
Marissa touched her tongue to his skin, wanting to savor the taste of him. A tear ran down her cheek. When Haddon ended the affair, and he was bound to, it would be far worse than losing Reggie.
“Please don’t be afraid, Marissa,” Haddon said quietly, his arms tightening around her.
Horrified he’d guessed at the direction of her thoughts with so little effort, Marissa struggled to be released, feeling exposed.
A sigh of frustration came from him, but he let her go. His eyes followed as she slid along the sofa until she was behind him. Snatching the poorly constructed blanket, Marissa wrapped it around her body, hiding herself as best she could.
Haddon sat up, completely unabashed to sit naked in her parlor with her standing before him. He reached for her, lips tilting in a grin, but Marissa danced away.
The smile faded. “Who made you that blanket?”
What a thing to ask at a time like this. She grabbed the corner to wrap it more tightly around her, frowning when it unraveled in her hand. “My niece, Arabella, when she was thirteen. It was a gift to me on my birthday. One of her first efforts.”
“That explains the craftsmanship. By the way, your left nipple is popping through one of the holes.”
He needed to leave. What had possessed her to bring him here and then—
“This was a mistake, Haddon,” she said firmly. “It cannot happen again.”
“I was a dalliance, now I’m a mistake. I suppose,” he bit out, his voice frosty, “that I’m to be dismissed yet again. Now that I’ve