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It occurred to Sophia that he ht to have shocked her, that thought Instead, it drove her to a new peak of excitehtly Between her thighs, she felt achy and hot Drenched with sweat and desire
"Lift your skirts," came the hoarse command "Let me see you I have to see you"
Lost in a dark haze of passion, Sophia was past thinking, past shahs She fisted her hands in the thinher ankles Then her calves
"More Higher"
She obeyed, rucking the ainst her sensitive inner thigh
"Oh, sweet Heaven Look at you No stockings, no garters No drawers, either? Tell htly, her head lolling against the back of the chair She skih
He released a ragged sigh "No drawers, either I’ll never take you back to England now This is hoant you, always Here, in the tropical heat--no petticoats, no stockings, no drawers Ready for me at any time And you are ready for me, aren’t you, sweet? You’re so hot and wet God, hoant to taste you You’re delicious, even fro so hard, she feared it would explode Her head spun, dizzy with heat HerShe felt shameless and sensual and more boldly feminine than she’d ever felt in her life
"Touch yourself for"You know the place, I know you do Touch yourself for me"
His voice held her in such thrall, she was powerless to disobey, even if she’d wanted to But she didn’t want to She wanted to do everything he told her She wanted to be here, always, in this sultry tropical fog of desire, and let hiers brushed over the da the slick folds of her sex to find that swollen, sensitive bit of flesh
"Oh yes, sweet Do it for me I want to taste you there I want to be in you, feel you tight and clasping aroundfor me Under me On top of me I want to have you in every way known to ine it’s h her in a crashing wave She arched up off the chair, her breath caught in a strangled cry Plea sure jolted through her again and again, until she went li A blissful peace washed over her first
Followed by awareness
Then sha hands, she pushed her skirt back down over her knees She brought one hand to her still-naked breast and the other to her eyes, squeezing theh her tre lashes
"Oh no, sweet No"
He whispered so tenderly, but the sound of his voice only served as a cruel reminder that he was there He had seen The tears ca down her cheeks
"No, sweet, don’t cry" His voice was low and close to her ear "Are you--" He paused "Are you thinking of him?"
She shook her head no
"Then why do you cry? Surely you’re not eainst her hand
"Oh, sweet Please don’t Don’t cry, or I’ll cry with you You’re theI’ve ever seen in all h fingers smoothed the hair froed her hand away froertips, one by one, then turned her hand over to plant a heartrendingly tender kiss upon her palht above her at first, through a blurry haze of tears She blinked and sniffed Never in her life had she felt so vulnerable The burdenso her entire life, it seemed--had been stripped away No more deceptions, no more fantasies This was all that reirl with one hand clasped to her naked breast and the other pressed against his lips
She’d bared herself before him, in every way As she’d never dared reveal herself to anyone More truth had passed between them in the last ten minutes than any conversation could relay, and still he held her, soothed her Would his lips still form such tender words and soft kisses, if he knew the coain "Don’t cry I’d die before I’d let anything or anyone hurt you I couldn’t bear to think I’d caused you such distress" He pressed her hand against his bearded cheek She felt his lips graze her teainst her ear "You’re safe with aze locked with his His eyes--they were the purest cerulean blue, and fathoms deep She caressed his cheek with her thumb "Oh, Gray"
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
She said his naer that threaded right between his ribs to eht hiuard It hurt It sent hi; she’d been painting They’d argued over paint, discussed colors He’d teased her until she blushed, and she’d teased him back She’d touched his face Oh, how she’d touched hi the most erotic display he’d ever witnessed in his life And that included several erotic displays he’d paid good s to her Wild, depraved fantasies he’d never voiced to any wos he’d never said to any woly With sensual abandon and such sweet trust, itthat ca her to that peak of pleasure and watch her while she caood
But then she’d cried, and he’d saidto soothe her Now he stared into her red, weepy eyes, suddenly realizing how very close he’d co--and it scared hied that soft, soft thumb across his cheek, and his knees actually trembled Tre to him, but he knew that it had to be bad Very bad
Her lips were pouty and swollen with passion and just begging to be kissed, long and slow and deep His groin was still throbbing with the asps, her back arched in ecstasy Oh, Gray, she said Oh, Gray, indeed As in, oh Gray what the holy hell has come over you and what the devil do you intend to do about it?