A simple tug of the red ribbons securing her cloak hardened the muscles in his abdomen. When the garment slipped from her shoulders to pool on the floor, his cock twitched in response. Never had he been so hard for a woman.
“Let us see how nimble your fingers are when working in the cold.” She turned around to offer him
the neat row of buttons running from the neckline of her fetching blue gown.
“Am I not a humble woodcutter and this my meagre abode?” He slipped the first button free with ease. “Do I not make a living using my hands?” With three more buttons undone, the material gaped open. The glimpse of creamy white skin above the low neckline of her petticoat commanded his attention. He bent his head, unable to fight the need to press his lips to her bare flesh.
“Hmm.” She hummed a sweet sound of satisfaction when he kissed the sensitive spot at the base of her nape. The fact she cocked her head told him she wanted more.
Indeed, he unbuttoned her to the waist while nipping and sucking her neck. Lust flamed as hot as the logs burning in the grate. He pushed her dress off her shoulders while she yanked at the sleeves. Hell, he couldn’t stop his hands exploring every lush curve, and so drew her back against his chest, and cupped her soft breasts still confined in stays.
“Get me out of these clothes, Hugo.” The lady hummed again when he pressed his erection against her buttocks. “Hurry.”
“As you command, my love.” He couldn’t resist one last suck of her earlobe.
With his assistance, and the sensual wiggle of her hips, the dress sank to the floor. The petticoat followed. With surprising dexterity for a man whose blood pumped too quickly, he unthreaded the ties preventing him from lavishing her pert nipples.
“Unlace my boots.” A nervous edge coated her voice. Perhaps because nothing but her chemise hid her nakedness.
Hugo dropped to his knees and removed both boots. She hissed a breath as his hands slid under her chemise to remove her stockings. A moan escaped her when his fingers stroked higher up her thighs and grazed her sex.
She swung around to face him, pulled the pins from her hair and shook out the mass of rich brown tresses. Offering a coy smile, she moistened her lips in invitation, while he stood engrossed with thoughts of exploring every inch of her delectable body.
“Well, husband,” she said, joining him in this little fantasy they’d created. He liked the way the word sounded on her lips. “I believe it’s my turn to strip you naked.”
Nerves pushed their way through Lara’s bravado. Removing a few items of clothing from an inebriated relative was hardly the same as undressing a lover. Then, frustration made one huff and puff and make minimal effort. Now, knowing that beneath his shirt and breeches stood a Herculean specimen of a man, her fingers trembled with anticipation.
The chill in the air brought goosebumps to her skin. The ravenous look in the earl’s eyes brought her aching nipples to peak. “Let’s move to where it’s warmer.” Lara took hold of Hugo’s hand and drew him closer to the fire.
“Love, my skin burns for your touch.” His heated gaze journeyed languidly from her mouth to her toes. “Nothing would make me happier than making love to you before this roaring fire.” He paused. “But if this isn’t what—”
Lara pressed her finger to his lips to silence him. “It’s the only thing I want.” He could ask his question once they had consummated their love. And she would answer with her heart. Perhaps he needed reassurance before claiming her innocence. “I’ve fallen in love with you.” She smoothed her hand over his silk waistcoat and set to work on the gold buttons bearing his crest. “As a Bennett, I know never to let love slip through my fingers. I shall take you into my body tonight and show you what that means.”
His blue eyes widened, and his sudden breathlessness caused a pulsing in her core. The air vibrated with an urgency to join their bodies, fuse their souls. She had no time to consider the knot in his cravat or how she might tackle the buttons on his breeches.
Hugo slid his arm around her waist, squeezing and moulding her buttock in his palm as he plundered her mouth in a kiss that sent her temperature soaring. The wild way they drank from each other was almost feral. The need to touch, to taste, to sate their desire saw them frantically strip off every stitch of clothing until they were naked.
Lord, when his erection sprang free, she gulped down her shock. Everything about the Earl of Denham was large and impressive—the muscular expanse of his thighs, the broadness of his shoulders, the thick girth of his manhood.
“Trust me. We will fit perfectly well to—” He sucked in a sharp breath when she wrapped her fingers around the solid length, eager to know if it felt as hard as it looked. “Love, you could have given me some warning.”
Lara slid her hand back and forth, amazed at the sheer strength beneath her fingers. “Did you not just ask me to touch you?”
“I said … hell, that’s so good.” He closed his eyes, groaned with satisfaction and jerked his hips to encourage her to quicken her pace. One hand found her breast to stroke and caress.
“Your body is spectacular,” she breathed. What amazed her more was how empowering it felt having him at her mercy. Indeed, she might have pleasured him until he cried her name and begged for his release, just as she had done in his study. But he grasped her wrist and shook his head.
“Wait. I need to be buried inside you.”
His sinful words sent a bolt of desire straight to her sex. Still, she couldn’t risk one more stroke before releasing his throbbing erection. “Then join with me now.”
“I’ll not make love to you in that bed,” he said, casting a quick glance over her shoulder. “But I’ll make arrangements for a new mattress. Hell, I’ll have the whole place refurbished just for us.”
Lara couldn’t help but smile at the thought that their escapades might be a regular occurrence. Unabashed by her nakedness, she drew the coverlet off the bed and spread it out on the floor near the fire. “This should suffice.”
Admiration flashed in Hugo’s eyes. He took her hand and lowered her down. The feel of his hard body pressed against her, the heat and earthy essence of his skin, sent her head spinning.
One minute Hugo was shielding her, rubbing his erection against her thigh until it almost drove her insane. Whispering erotic words about how hard he was for her, about how he wanted to feel her muscles pulse around him. The next, he was between her legs, licking where his fingers had strummed a pleasurable tune.