A Marquess for Christmas (14 page)

“You
are full of contradictions,” he said, kissing her crown. “One minute you are
sensible and demure, the next you spark like a raging fire, and then you’re
soft and pliant like a puddle.”

She
was too comfortable in his arms to do anything but let him hold her. What was
wrong with her today? She’d slept with a man she’d only known for weeks and in
the broad light of day. She’d taunted him and teased him then let him spank
her! Now, here she was, behaving like a helpless child.

What
was it about him that raised all her defenses, then ravaged them to pieces?

“Your
mind spins like the wheel of a phaeton at top speed. Do not think so much,
darling. Your head will combust.”

A
half-chuckle was all that she could manage. Something was breaking inside of
her and she did not know what it was. Where was her strength? The resolve she’d
had only moments ago?

“I
am fine now.” She had to be. Violet took a deep breath and returned to a
sitting position.

“Are
you sure?”

No.
“Surely I am just famished. Once I take a few bites, all will be well.”

To
her surprise, he spooned up the soup and gripped her chin so that he could pour
the now tepid liquid into her mouth.

“That
is not necessary. I can go to my own plate.”

His
fingers were soft as he pulled her mouth open again. “You said you needed food.
I am giving it to you.” Another spoonful of liquid poured down her mouth.

When
was the last time someone had ministered to her? Violet was always the one who
cared for the sick. The last time she remembered someone doing this for her was
Avery, years ago.

“Would
you like a taste of the mutton?” Kit asked. “Or more soup?”

“Soup.”

He
repeated the process, but when a little trickle spilled at the corner of her
mouth, he kissed her. It was firm, but without command, and it ended a moment
after it began.

Another
spoonful appeared and she let him feed her, though her gaze kept venturing back
to his lips.

“If
you keep watching me that way, I shall forget about my promise to behave.”

“Who
told you to behave?” She smiled.

The
look in his eyes made her insides turn to butter. “You.”

Should
she do what she wanted and forget about the servants outside this room, forget
about her responsibilities and take what he offered? Or should she show him
that her resolve was still strong, despite her momentary lapse in sanity?

“You
tempt me far more than the devil could,” she whispered.

He
traced a finger along her cheek. “And you burn hotter than the pits of hell.”
He put her hand on his chest. “I should like to be scorched.”

“Our
dinner is getting cold.”

“One
touch from you will warm it up.”

“Another
kiss and then we eat. After that…” Her seductive voice trailed off.

“You
will set my body on fire.”

Violet
grinned sheepishly. “Something like that.”

She
tested him. First with her words, then with every sumptuous bite of food.
Watching her take pleasure in every morsel, every sip only made him envious. He
would love to be devoured by her mouth, consumed by her touch.

Violet
enchanted him, and it was more than her delicate face. She always had a witty
remark, a sensuous look, a tart challenge for him. He could not get enough of
her.

He
wanted to savor every moment with her. Each day he felt stronger and more of
his memory returned. The time was coming when he’d have to leave
Welbury
Park. He wanted to delay it for as long as
possible. The thought of leaving Violet was a sharp knife at his throat.

As
soon as he finished his last bite, he set down his tray and threw off the
blankets. Violet’s wild eyes watched him and he could see her long fingers
gripping the table.

“Dessert,”
he said.

“Bread
pudding?”

Vulgar
replies raced through his mind, but he did not voice them aloud. “No.” He held
out his hand. “Come here.”

Something
about her arm wrapped in his made him feel powerful. It wasn’t that she was
weak and needed him to protect her. It was that she was strong, but she yielded
to him anyway.

“Kiss
me,” he said after he sat her on the bed. He stood between her legs, leaning
against the mattress.

There
was the rustle of fabric as she untied his dressing gown. She removed his shirt
and unbuttoned his trousers. Then her lips were on his abdomen, soft and hot.

His
body clenched in response. Long, delicate fingers tore at his clothes, yanking
them down and freeing his growing erection. She circled a finger around his
girth, spiraling it from the base to the head. He let out a hiss.

Violet
leaned in close and caressed her cheek over his prick and licked the tip before
stroking her cheek along the other side. When she swallowed him whole, he had
to grip the bedpost to keep hold of his control.

She
loved him with her tongue, kissing and sucking him as her fingers squeezed the
base of his cock. There was no trembling, no hesitation, no dissembling. Most
ladies required a bit of coaxing and cajoling to suck a man like this. Not
Violet.

He
could come like this. He could pull her hair and fuck her mouth the way he
wanted to fuck her pussy. But there was so much more that he wanted from Violet
than a willing mouth. Her body was an uncharted territory and he wanted to
learn every river, every valley. Earlier, he’d had a taste of her pleasure, but
now he wanted to drown in it.

“Lie
down on the bed.”

She
ignored him, still kissing and stroking him. Her fingers stroked his balls,
which were sore and tight.

“I
said, lie down, Violet.”

Her
eyes flew open and a little moan signaled her protest.

Sliding
his hand into her hair, he pulled hard until she opened her mouth. The sight of
her wide mouth around his throbbing erection made him twitch. She was too
appetizing, too alluring for her own good.

“Scoot
back on the bed and spread your legs for me.”

There
was fire in her eyes as they shifted from green to yellow. “I cannot move
without your hand tearing out my hair.”

“You
have a smart mouth.”

“Do
I?” she asked, fingering his cock again. “If it was so clever, why did you pull
away?”

“Because
when I fuck you, I want you to feel it everywhere, not just your saucy lips.”

If
he’d expected her to flinch at his foul language, he was mistaken. She merely
resumed fondling his sac, kneading him so well he had to hold the bed post
again.

“Do
you ever follow instructions?” The words were barely out of his mouth when he
realized he must have loosened his grip on her hair because the next thing he
knew, her mouth was on his balls, her tongue following the trail her fingers
had left.

“You
will kill me,” he said. Absently, his fingers stroked her neck. “That is, if I
don’t kill you first for your insolence.”

“
Mmmm
-hmmm,” she murmured. She kissed her way to the
underside of his cock, then licked the length, before sucking the head again.

“You
think I do not mean it?”

She
looked up at him. “I believe you do. But, maybe, sir, just maybe, I do not
care.” Her fingers teased his prick and he jerked into her hand. “If I should
die, I think this would be the best way to go.”

“There
are a few other things I should like to do before meeting my maker.”

When
she raised her eyebrows, he knew he had her. “Such as?”

“Do
as I instructed you and maybe I will show you what they are.”

He
watched her face as she deliberated. The discreet way she moistened her lips
and bit down made him want to kiss her. Though his prick was aching, he waited,
forcing his breathing to remain even and relaxed. She needed to trust his
authority.

“Very
well, my lord,” she whispered. Her breasts bounced as she slid back on the bed.
When she parted her legs, she lifted the hem of her dress and he watched,
enthralled, as the gilded fabric and petticoats skimmed their way up her creamy
thighs.

“Are
you sure you are not a courtesan?” he asked, placing his hands on her knees and
spreading her legs farther open. “Or an actress in the theatre? You certainly
know how to put yourself on display.”

He
kissed her right thigh, then trailed kisses down her calf. With care, he pulled
off her silken slippers and stockings and lifted her leg to kiss her ankle. The
tender lick along the bone made her sigh and sink into the mattress. Kit
massaged her foot for a few minutes before switching to kiss her other leg. He
repeated the same process, rubbing her ankle and kissing and licking it before
massaging the heel and arch of her foot.

He
pressed his knee into the mattress and climbed up to rest between her parted
thighs. Parting the petals of her sex, he thumbed the hood, teasing the little
nub.

Her
gasp encouraged him. Taking his time, he played with her clit until she moaned.
“Would you like me to stop?”

“No.”

“Are
you sure?” He blew on the spot, swirling his breath around it. A shiver was his
reward.

“Yes.”

“Yes,
you are sure or yes, you’d like me to stop?”

As
he peered over her body, he could see her glazed eyes. Lazily, he circled the
nub again.

“Don’t.
Ahh
.”

“Hmmm?
Speak up, Violet.” Of course, he’d make it that much more difficult for her.
Bending down, he gave her clit one thorough lick.

“Oh,
God.”

“What
was that?” He scored the delicate skin with his nail, careful not to scratch.

Her
cry was a temptation that was too hard to resist. He took her clit in his
mouth, sucking. Then he stopped and watched her.

When
he didn’t resume his attentions, she lifted up and stared at him. The unfocused
look in her eyes made him smile.

“Why
did you stop?” Her breathy voice made his skin tingle.

“Oh,
did you want me to continue? You did not say.”

“You
bastard.”

“Be
careful what you say when I have your body under my command,” he warned.
Tenderly, he took her clit in his teeth. Violet’s body jerked and thrashed.

“God,
Kit.”

“Hmmm.
I think I like the sound of that. God Kit. Shall I send off a letter to Mount
Olympus to request admission to the pantheon?”

“Evil
man.”

That
was enough teasing. He resumed licking the hood as his fingers opened her
swollen lips and stroked her wet sex. Her slick arousal drenched the tips of
his fingers. She was almost ready.

With
his thumb, he penetrated her opening, teasing and circling his way in. She was
salty under his tongue. With wide sweeps of his tongue, he licked the hood and
lips and let his mouth go deeper into her pussy.

As
her desire grew, the scent of her arousal washed over him. It mixed in with her
sweet floral scent, reminding him of a craggy beach in the midst of a storm.

He
slid two fingers into her sex, loving the way the walls of her cunt closed over
him. When Violet’s hips rolled toward him, he pumped faster.

Though
she was close to release, he wanted so much more. How many times could he make
her come before her body gave out? Though he knew that soon his own need would
be too great to hold back.

He
licked her thigh and bit down on the tender skin as he thrust his fingers
deeper.

Violet
cried out. He bit her calf, harder this time, knowing the skin was stronger
here. “I-I-”

“I
know,” he said. She wanted to come.

He
debated on whether to give in to her request. He could let her have it now and
deny it later, until she was drenched and aching, mindless with the need to be
fucked. Or, he could wait and push her so far past control that when he finally
took her, she would shatter like glass.

Either
way, he would enjoy every minute of it. So would she.

Violet
needed a strong hand. She was too used to controlling everything. She needed
someone to hand the reins to, someone to break down the walls and then put her
pieces back together.

He
eased his fingers from her body and climbed up her body until they were face to
face. They stared at one another and he put his wet fingers to her lips, daring
her to taste herself.

When
her lips parted, he could have groaned. She sucked, licked his fingers with
eagerness.

Their
kiss was hot. Slow. Her hands glided over his shoulders and back, caressing the
taut muscles. His nipples brushed over the scratchy gold threads of her dress.
He liked it. Maybe he would do the same to hers, to tease them mercilessly,
without even touching her skin to skin.

“Why
did you stop?” she asked when they came up for air.

“Anticipation
will heighten your pleasure,” he said. “Trust me.”

She
did not reply and that was as good as acquiescence. The rough pads of his
fingers skimmed over the decadent swell of her breasts. He buried his face in
the valley for a moment, losing himself in the scent of her skin. As he kissed
his way across one mound to the other, her legs wrapped around his.

“I
could spend days here,” he said before bending down to suck on her savory skin.
He palmed her breast, kneading it. Her body responded so perfectly to his.

He
pulled the fabric down to release her nipple. “
Mmmm
.”
With his index finger, he traced her areola, around and around again, until the
bud screwed up tight. Kit lost himself, his mind going still and blank as his
fingers stroked her skin. There was nothing he had to be, nothing to do but pay
homage to her body.

As
he circled her other nipple, the stillness increased. Even the sound of her
breathing faded into the background. It was just him, worshiping her in a
silence he could only describe as peace.