An imposing four-poster bed stood on a raised podium; golden drapes hung from the frame. Arched windows looked down into the private garden, the perfume of exotic blooms and the sweet spice of lemons drifting in on a midnight breeze.
But Cat could barely register any of it, her system already overloaded with sensations. The bulge of muscle and sinew beneath her bottom, the scent of his skin, salt and cedarwood, the ragged tenor of his breathing. Placing her on her feet, he dealt with the rest of the buttons on her robe in seconds and shoved the garment off her shoulders. The silk pooled at her feet.
She stood shivering in the fragrant night air, aware of the confining lingerie as his gaze devoured every inch of her flesh. She crossed her arms over her chest.
‘Don’t,’ he said, the tortured rasp torn from his throat. His gaze met hers, dark with lust. ‘Don’t cover yourself,’ he demanded. ‘You’re exquisite.’
She forced herself to release her hold on her shoulders, to bring her arms to her sides, to let him look his fill—even though it terrified her. No man had ever seen her with so few clothes on before.
But no man had ever called her exquisite before either.
She jolted, shocked by his touch as his palm covered one of her breasts, and he drew his thumb across the straining nipple. The subtle caress sent fire shooting down to her core. With a deft flick of his wrist, the front hook of her bra released with a sharp snap.
She shuddered as he peeled the lace back. He held her naked breasts in his palms, let the calloused skin cup the underside, as if testing the weight, then circled the aching tips with his thumbs.
A deep moan burst from her throat as he plucked and tugged, playing with the nipples, making the ache in her sex sharpen and spread.
‘Beautiful,’ he said. Then he bent to capture one swollen nipple between his teeth.
The maelstrom of need fired through her as his hot, avid mouth closed over the peak and suckled hard. She gripped his head, the drawing sensation too much and yet not enough, as liquid need welled at her core.
Her knees shook, her thighs became liquid. He stopped, then lifted her in his strong arms again and laid her on the bed.
He kicked off his boots. The dull thud as they hit the floor, first one, then the other, echoed in her head. She watched, transfixed as he untied the band on his tunic, let the loose pants fall over long, lean legs. The muscles in his thighs bunched, and she noticed the thick bulge beneath the cotton. Lifting up on her knees, she gathered the hem and lifted the tunic to reveal the strident erection.
He was large, and long, much larger than she had expected, even after feeling that thick ridge against her belly.
‘Can I...?’ She glanced up. ‘Can I touch it?’ she asked, hopelessly unsure.
His teeth flashed white in his face.
‘Sure,’ he said.
She trailed her finger up the swollen length, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip. Her thumb glided across the top, spreading the bead of moisture over the broad purple head.
‘Stop.’ He snagged her wrist and dragged her hand away.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘Did I do something wrong?’
He kissed the tips of her fingers. ‘The only thing you keep doing wrong is apologising for nothing.’
He climbed on the bed, supporting her as she lay down. His lips found her pebbled nipples—and her mortification dissolved on a wave of desire.
She bucked off the bed as he licked across her ribs, circled her belly button, then pressed his face into the lace covering her sex.
She wanted him to take off the tunic, she wanted to see all of him, but her voice was locked somewhere in her chest, too scared to demand anything in case she broke the spell. The clamour of need rushed through her limbs, and melted her core as he sank his teeth into the delicate lace of her panties.
The sound of rending fabric filled the room as he ripped the fabric away.
She fisted her fingers in the sheets, trying to cling to her sanity, as he cupped her buttocks in firm hands and held her open for his mouth.
‘You smell incredible,’ he said. ‘I want to taste you.’
It sounded more like a demand than a request, but still she nodded.
The blush suffused her whole body, when his deep chuckle reverberated up from her core.
And then she launched off the bed, her hips nearly bucking him off as his rough tongue swiped through the slick folds.