Dreaming of You (9 page)

The relief he felt at her response was nearly overwhelming.  Gavin rolled toward her slowly, and then resting his weight on his forearm, he raised his other hand, finding her face and brushing his thumb across her cheek in a feather-soft caress.  “Have you ever been kissed?”
 

She thought back to her wedding day and of the quick peck on the lips Charles had given her after they had been pronounced husband and wife.  “No.”
 

Though no longer a virgin, she is still so innocent, Gavin realized.  He moved his thumb to her mouth then, sliding it softly across her lower lip.  
 

Melody drew in a long, quivering breath as his thumb traced the shape of her lip.  Though she still felt a prickle of apprehension, it was quickly being replaced by another emotion, anticipation.  
 

He waited for her to react, giving her a chance to pull away.  She didn’t.  After a moment, he lowered his head, pressing his lips to hers with the slightest of pressure.   
 

The feel of his lips, soft and warm against hers, caused a tiny flutter in her chest.  It felt,
nice
, she realized.  
 

Gradually Gavin deepened the kiss, gently molding his mouth to hers, pressing his lips more firmly against hers, moving them with a practiced expertise.  He didn’t rush, coaxing patiently instead, guiding her, teaching her.  Before long, he felt her lips move beneath his, tentatively at first, following his lead.  He kissed her like that for a time, lightly stroking her cheek with his thumb, and then moving it to trace the line of her jaw.  Her skin was soft and unbelievably smooth.
 

With a trembling hand, Melody lifted her fingers to his face, touching his cheek.  He made a sound of encouragement as she moved them lightly along his cheekbone and down to his jaw.  He was still clean-shaven, his skin smooth and warm, and he smelled of soap, the scent crisp and clean.  Unable to see, she used her fingers to learn the shape of his face, following its contours with delicate strokes.
 

“Open your lips,” he murmured softly against her mouth.  She complied without hesitation.  He traced her lower lip lightly with the tip of his tongue, prepared to draw back if she balked.  She didn’t.  He coaxed her lips further apart, gliding his tongue along their fullness, gently nipping her lower lip with his teeth.
 

Melody shuddered, but not in revulsion, quite the opposite in fact.  His kisses were causing an unfamiliar sensation, a
pleasant
sensation, to course through her body.  It was a feeling she couldn’t quite define, but she liked it.  She opened her mouth to the gentle invasion of his tongue, catching her breath as it brushed against her own.  Yes, she definitely liked it.
 

Gavin slowly caressed the warm, inner recesses of her mouth.  He tasted a lingering sweetness and tried to identify the flavor.  Cinnamon?  Honey?  He wasn’t sure.  It was delicious, she was delicious.  He hadn’t expected that.  He hadn’t expected to find such pleasure, such delight in kissing her.  He groaned in satisfaction as her tongue began to parry with his, the movements tentative at first, then becoming increasingly bolder.  She was a quick learner.
 

As their kiss became deeper, more intense, Melody’s hand moved instinctively to his neck.  Her fingers brushed against the hair that curled softly at his nape, and then, of their own accord it seemed, they moved back along the base of his skull to delve into its softness.  He kissed her for a long time then, until she grew breathless beneath him.  She didn’t want him to stop.
 

Eventually Gavin’s hand dropped from her face, moving downward along her neck to the base of her throat, his thumb moving in rhythmic circles as his fingers drifted along the thin fabric just below her collarbone.  Ever so slowly, he allowed his hand to move lower until he felt the satin ties of her chemise.  She gasped softly when he grasped one end, pulling it free.  “Don’t be afraid,” he whispered against her lips, as his fingers worked to separate the thin ties.
 

“I…I’m not afraid,” she murmured, realizing it was true as his lips left hers to trail along her cheek and down her jaw.  She wasn’t afraid.  She had made her decision, for better or worse, and there was no turning back.  She didn’t want to turn back.  
 

Pushing aside the thin covering, Gavin placed gentle kisses along her throat as his thumb stroked lightly across the top of her breast.  Then, moving ever so slowly, he slid his hand beneath the delicate linen, his fingers gliding softly across the smooth, supple texture of her naked flesh.  Her breast was supple and full, fitting the curve of his palm perfectly.  He caressed it gently, his thumb continuing its feather-light strokes as it drifted across the plump mound.  When it brushed lightly against her nipple, he felt her quiver in response.  
 

Melody was shocked at her body’s immediate reaction to the delicate caress.  She had never imagined that her breasts could be so sensitive.  She sucked in her breath, holding it as her nipple hardened and grew taut beneath his touch.  
 

“Breathe,” she heard him whisper against the hollow of her throat.  She complied, her breath escaping her lungs in a long, drawn-out sigh.  Her fingers freed themselves from his hair and moved to his chest, moving lightly across its naked planes, seeking, exploring.  It was broad and muscular, sprinkled with only a light dusting of fine, silky hairs.  She continued to explore, and when her fingertips grazed lightly across his nipples he groaned softly in response.  He enjoyed her touch, she realized, inordinately pleased by the thought.
 

Encouraged by her touch, Gavin moved his lips to her breast, planting a half dozen feathery kisses along the sensitive flesh, before finding her nipple and drawing it into his mouth.  He was rewarded as her body arched in response.  She liked it.  He toyed with the tiny peak for a while, swirling his tongue around it, suckling gently and then more vigorously as he felt her hands slide upward to his shoulders, her fingers pressing, clutching, holding him to her as her body quivered.  
 

Dear lord, what was he doing to her Melody wondered as a delicious fire, a warm liquid heat raced throughout her limbs.  She closed her eyes, concentrating, focusing on the incredible sensation.  A tiny part of her was shocked and a little embarrassed by her body’s reaction, but it was quickly overshadowed by something stronger.  It was something new, something she’d never felt before.  What was it that held her in its thrall?  Was it passion, desire?  Yes, she realized, it was both of those and more.
 

Gavin hadn’t expected that it would be quite so easy to arouse her passion, but she was even more responsive than he’d hoped.  He smiled internally.  He was right to have done this, to awaken this part of her, a part she might never have known otherwise.  Who knew how this experience would affect her, her future.  Would days, weeks of lying cold and still beneath a nameless, faceless stranger have altered, perhaps even destroyed her ability to enjoy a man’s touch?  Would it have affected him as well?  Would memories of his time spent here in this dark room have altered his own ability to enjoy the art, the simple yet utterly profound pleasure of making love to a woman?  He shuddered at the thought.
 

Melody moaned low in her throat, an unconscious sound of encouragement as his mouth moved to lavish attention on her left breast, while his fingers caressed the other.  He lingered for a while, before lifting his head.  She opened her eyes, wishing she could see the face of the man who was bringing her body to life with his touch.
 

Gavin turned his attention back to her lips, devouring their sweetness as his hand moved across the flat plane of her stomach.  He gripped the hem of her chemise, tugging it upward as he distracted her with his kisses.  Would she shy away he wondered, when he touched her there?  She was still innocent in so many ways.  He moved slowly, sliding his hand little by little to the top of her thigh.      
 

Lost to the overwhelming pleasure of his kisses, Melody was only vaguely aware of his hand as it worked its way downward.  She noticed though, when he lifted her chemise, the soft fabric drifting upward
like the brush of a feather across her naked skin, and felt a momentary flicker of panic.  He seemed to sense the tiny glimmer of fear, soothing her with soft, gentle kisses along her cheek, below her ear, and down her throat, as his hand made its way unerringly along her thigh.
 

His fingers moved to caress her inner thigh as he coaxed her legs apart with the gentle pressure of his hand.  He continued the light, unhurried caress, making tiny circular motions with his thumb, moving ever so slowly upward, toward the center of her womanhood.  “Open your legs,” he whispered against her ear.
 

The soft, sensual command sent another shiver racing down Melody’s spine.  Trembling slightly, a result of both nervousness and anticipation, she did as he instructed.
 

When he reached the soft tangle of her curls, he felt her muscles tense reflexively beneath his hand.  “Relax,” he murmured, his tone calm and reassuring, as he explored her silken curls with a practiced hand.  “Trust me.”  Under different circumstances, he might have soothed her with sweet, tender words, assuring her of her beauty, praising the perfection of her body, a woman’s body, perfectly designed to give and receive pleasure.  But here, shrouded in the inky darkness, the words would seem contrived.  Here, he could only see her with his hands.  Here, he had to
show
her that she had nothing to fear, nothing to be embarrassed or self-conscious about.  With his hands, with his touch, he would show her that she was beautiful and perfect, that her body was made for this.   
 

As his fingers drifted across her curls and along the outer edges of her cleft, the heel of his palm pressed downward, exerting a gentle pressure that made her want to arch her hips against his hand.  Whatever lingering bit of trepidation she had fell quickly by the wayside as pure, unadulterated pleasure flowed throughout her body.  “Trust me,” he’d said, and she did.
 

Gavin’s lips curved into a delighted grin against her throat when her legs opened further, an unconscious invitation.  Needing no further encouragement, he slid his finger along the center of her cleft, moving it back and forth, again and again as she grew moist and slick.
 

Melody noted the moisture between her thighs and that his fingers now slid against her delicate folds without the slightest friction.  It felt good, unbelievably so.  And when she felt his finger slide gently into her, she nearly cried out.  She’d never dreamed anything could feel so wonderful.  She arched her neck, pressing the back of her head into the soft pillow as he began a steady, rhythmic motion.  She bit her lip to keep from crying out under his skillful manipulation.  She could focus on nothing but the exquisite sensation between her thighs.  The fire within her seemed to grow and build, escalating with each passing second.  
Please, please
she cried mentally, silently begging, reaching for something she didn’t fully understand.  It played havoc with her senses.  Her hips moved of their own accord beneath his touch.  She wanted more.  She wanted, what, what was it that her body now craved so desperately?  It was driving her mad, and as such, she couldn’t contain the low, almost desperate moan that slipped from her lips.
 

“Relax.  Just let it happen,” Gavin murmured, his voice whisper soft against her cheek as he increased the tempo of his strokes.  
 

“I…I don’t know what…” her voice trailed off, her breath catching in her throat as she reached anxiously for, and then suddenly found exactly what she’d been yearning for.  It hit her like a lightning strike, a pleasure so intense it scattered her thoughts, fragmenting them into a thousand different pieces.  
 

Gavin felt her muscles tighten and clench, her pelvis thrusting upward against his hand as she found her release.  He wished he could see her face, see the wonder in her eyes as she discovered the ultimate meaning of pleasure.
 

“OH,” Melody sighed a moment later, when she was finally able to breathe again.  Her body suddenly felt limp, now that the earth-shattering spasms had stopped.  She’d never imagined anything could feel so incredibly wonderful.  It was a profound revelation.  Suddenly she understood the whispered conversations, the overheard comments and the blushes that pinked the cheeks of those women fortunate enough to have experienced such pleasure, as they’d gossiped with one another in hushed tones.
 

Gavin chuckled softly against her throat, placing a dozen more feather-light kisses upon her silken skin as his lips moved to her ear.  He gently nipped the soft lobe before whispering in her ear, “
That
is just the beginning.”
 

Just the beginning?
  Melody shivered as his breath blew lightly against her ear.  There was more?  How could that be?  She felt incapable of movement, her body completely sated and utterly drained from the intensity of the last few moments.  He rolled over her then, resting his weight on his forearms, moving his mouth to her lips, kissing her deeply as his naked body settled over hers.  She couldn’t speak, couldn’t tell him to wait, that she didn’t think she was ready to…  The thought trailed off as his tongue invaded her mouth, ravishing its inner depths, drawing her focus from the ridged shaft that pressed heavily against her pelvis.  
 

With his knee, Gavin gently nudged her legs further apart, settling himself between them.  She was still slick and wet and he slid into her easily in one smooth, unhurried motion, sheathing himself to the hilt.  
 

Melody gasped as she felt the entire length of him slide into her.  It was smooth and effortless, so different than before when he’d had to ease his way into her dry passage ever so slowly, inch by inch.  And unlike before, when she’d purposely let her mind drift, trying not to think about what was happening, her body little more than an empty shell, this time she was completely and utterly focused.  Now her thoughts were centered on every inch of the long, hot shaft that pulsed and throbbed inside of her.  Though she lay limp beneath him, weak and spent, she was no longer just a shell.  Despite her sudden lethargy, and unable to imagine that anything could possibly feel as good as what she had just experienced, she thought of his words,
just the beginning
, and a tiny shiver of excitement once again raced through her body.