But Sebastian’s touch was tender, gentle, a careful exploration as he learned what she liked and what made her shy away. “It’s all right,” he whispered between kisses. “Just relax.”
“Something’s wrong,” she told him fretfully. “Am I... bleeding?”
He shook his head, his gaze tender. “No, darling. Nothing’s wrong. This moisture is your body’s way of preparing you for making love. It’s supposed to be this way when you’re enjoying it.”
“Ohhhh,” she said, embarrassment rushing through her as she realized how little she knew her own body.
Then he found a spot that made entire brain seem to shut down, indeed giving her the escape she’d wanted. His every touch there was exquisite, and she found herself straining against him, wanting more, reaching for something she couldn’t even name.
As he continued to stroke that sensitive spot with his thumb, he gently inserted his forefinger inside her, and the combined sensation was more than she could bear. Her entire body contracted, waves of indescribable pleasure racing through her until she sank against the back of the couch, her legs still spread, her skirts lifted wantonly, feeling more at peace than she perhaps ever had in her life.
Slowly, he eased his hands out from under her skirts, then went about straightening them, at last leaning forward and wrapping his arms around her waist. “How do you feel?”
She sighed and buried her hands in his hair, idling twirling the dark strands around her fingertips. “I never knew it could be like that.”
“That’s a shame.” He looked up at her, those blue eyes so earnest it took her breath away. “You deserve to be loved this way, Jocelyn. That bastard you were married to should have taken his time. Made it good for you.”
A bitter laugh escaped her. “He didn’t care if it was good for me. He didn’t care about me past my ability to give him an heir.” Suddenly, she frowned. “You didn’t get any pleasure from this at all, did you? You didn’t... find your own release?”
He smiled and eased away. “I loved every minute of it. And finding my own release was not what this was about. As I said before, I just wanted to give you a little escape from the heavy thoughts weighing you down right now.”
His words did little to ease her. She wasn’t comfortable with being strictly on the receiving end of things. “But... I feel like I should do the same for you.”
He gave her a quick, passionate kiss, then pushed to his feet. “Some other time, perhaps? I’m really hoping this is just the beginning. Besides, I need to get back to work. I’ve stayed with you far longer than I should have when I have to find your missing sister.” He stood there for a moment, looking down at her with an unreadable expression on his handsome face. “I don’t think you have any idea how beautiful you are, Jocelyn. But I hope you’ll give me the chance to show you.”
His words lingered in her mind for a long time after he exited the room, and she couldn’t stop the satisfied, infatuated smile on her lips.
I have a lover.
She’d never thought she’d say those words, not even to herself. She’d certainly never thought any man could make her feel the way he just had. If he could make her feel that good with just his fingertips, while they were fully dressed in her drawing room, she couldn’t even imagine what other pleasures he might show her. And she suddenly had a fierce desire to learn how to make him feel that good in return.
Allison would know...
Part of her wanted to leap to her feet, order a carriage, and go directly to her friend’s house to talk about all the conflicting emotions she was feeling, but immediately on the heels of that came the realization that Evelyn was still missing. How could she allow herself to feel this good about anything until her sister was found?
Even though it was seeming more and more likely that she never would be.