It's Always Been You (18 page)

Read It's Always Been You Online

Authors: Victoria Dahl

Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #Historical, #General

BOOK: It's Always Been You
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“I’m sure I’ve had enough mystery in my life to last well into my old age.”
“Yes, I’ll have to agree with you.”
They met in the middle of the room, but instead of giving her the wine, he set the glasses on a small table and pulled her into a gentle kiss.
“You look beautiful.”
“Thank you. The maid was quite helpful with my hair.”
“I’m glad she’s useful, but I rather regret her attention to detail. You were locked in that room for a very long time.”
Coming up to her tiptoes, Kate lightly bit his lip. “I’m here now.” A pulse of heavy blood traveled to the lower parts of his body.
“You certainly are. All of you.” He leered down the bodice of her gown, making her throw back her head with another of those arousingly throaty laughs.
“Perhaps we’d better have dinner.”
“Appetizer,”
he growled, sinking to his knees before her, tugging one side of her bodice down as he went. He put his mouth to the rising mound of her breast, feeling her flesh strain against her shocked gasp. The gasp deepened, then softened to a groan when he let his hand explore the sweet curve of her calf. Dinner could wait, but he could not.
Thirty minutes later, Kate walked into the dining room on impossibly weak legs. Aidan smiled innocently when she tripped over the rug, tightening his hold on her elbow without a word.
She gratefully took the seat he offered and tried hard to hide the shaking of her hands when she touched the table. Her body was drained and limp, yet still charged with an underlying tension that likely had to do with Aidan’s burning green eyes. There was a palpable heat hovering around him, and just watching his fingers as he curled them around the wineglass sent a shiver of need through her belly.
She couldn’t tear her gaze away as he lifted the glass to his mouth, and when she saw his lips part, she licked her own.
“You’ll have to stop looking so damned tempting, Kate, or we’ll never make it through this.”
“Sorry,” she breathed, thinking of the way he’d touched her, the life he’d drawn from her body.
She jumped when he stood abruptly and threw his napkin to the table. “Forget the food—”
The dining room door swung open, and he froze like a wild dog interrupted during its feeding. Kate thought he might growl at the poor footman, but he only gritted his teeth and sat with a ferocious frown.
The linen of the napkin hid her smile when he turned the frown on her.
“Is something funny?”
She shook her head.
“I think I shall repay you for your distinct lack of sympathy later.”
When she raised her eyebrows in mock alarm and received a remarkably wolfish grin in response, her amusement faded to a curious wonder at what he planned. She couldn’t wait to see. It was obviously something worthy of anticipation.
The meal was a series of pleasant tastes in her mouth, but Aidan’s hot eyes followed her every move, distracting her from the meal, just as he intended to, she supposed. He waved the footman over and gave some quiet instruction that Kate could not hear, then he turned that wolf smile back on her.
“I’ve asked for dessert to be served in your private sitting room. Later.” He looked pleased with her “Oh” of surprise and stood, snatching a bottle of champagne from its stand. “Shall we?”
She’d enjoyed teasing him, had gloried in his tortured looks of want, but now that the time was at hand, nervousness prickled her neck. He stood, waiting behind her chair, and she fancied she could feel the tension coiled in his muscles.
“Weren’t you going to give me a tour of your home?”
He choked on a laugh as he pulled her chair out. “I suppose I could, if you’re really interested.”
“I am!” she answered too loudly.
She jumped when she turned to find him directly in her path. He chuckled, the sound tickling her skin when he leaned in to nuzzle her throat.
“Are you sure?” His mouth paid delicious attention to the little spot just behind her ear.
“Yes.” He nibbled gently. “No.”
“Don’t be scared, Kate. I won’t bite.”
A shiver set her knees trembling. She’d never even considered he
would
bite, not until he’d mentioned it with such wicked denial, practically a promise that he would.
“I’m not scared,” she protested breathlessly, wondering if it was the truth or a lie as he took her hand, looking for something in her eyes before he nodded.
Squeezing his hand with all her strength, she nodded back and followed him out of the room and up the stairs to the promise that waited above.
But she was done with waiting. It seemed she’d spent half her life waiting, so as soon as they entered her chambers, Kate shut the door and turned on her prey.
“Take off your coat,” she said past a smile.
His eyebrows rose.
When he didn’t move, she reached for him, sliding her hands up his chest to push the coat from his shoulders. Aidan let it slide down his arms and fall to the floor.
“Kate—”
“I never get to touch you,” she said.
“That’s not true.” His smile went shy again, and even though her fingers trembled, that wry quirk of his lips gave her the courage to reach for the buttons of his waistcoat.
“Not the way you’ve touched me.”
“Kate . . .” he said again, hands rising as if he’d stop her. “You don’t have to—”
“Hush. I don’t want to talk. I only want to touch you. Will you let me?”
“Will I
let
you?” He shrugged out of his waistcoat, then cradled her face in his hands. “You may do anything you like to me. Anything,” he whispered against her mouth.
Aidan pressed a gentle bite to her bottom lip, then he sucked on that tender flesh for a moment, soothing the sting, before pressing a trail of kisses to her jaw.
Kate tugged at his cravat, loving the way the silk wound around her fingers as she pulled. The scent of his soap took her over, filling her mouth and throat and lungs. God, she wanted to taste his skin, to devour him. As she slipped the cravat off, the warmth that had soaked into it seeped into her own skin and made her shiver. He was inside her. He always had been. From that very first moment they’d touched. The scandalous twining of their bare fingers as they’d snuck through a wild thatch of forest at the edge of her family’s estate. He hadn’t even kissed her that day, yet somehow he’d stolen inside her and never left.
Did he feel the same?
Her fingers tripped down the placket of his shirt, freeing the buttons until she could tug the shirt from his trousers and pull it over his head. “Ah, God,” she breathed as she finally pressed her face to his bare shoulder. As she rubbed her cheek against his hot skin, she knew she could never be close enough, and a few nights a year wouldn’t suffice. But if it was all she could have, she’d take it.
She turned to let him undress her.
By the time he got to her stockings, Kate’s breath was coming fast. The slide of delicate silk against her calf felt like a hundred trailing kisses. He rose past her shivering thighs and this time she didn’t try to hide her nakedness. Instead, she reached for the buttons of his trousers, and got him just as naked as she was.
Once his body was exposed to her, he took her hand to pull her to the bed. But he didn’t lay her down. Instead, he stretched out on his back like a primitive offering. His hand pressed hers flat against his stomach just above the dip of his navel, and he lay without a word, without any indication of his intentions.
Her legs were too shaky to hold her, so she sat, tentatively, on the very edge of the bed, teeth pressed to her bottom lip.
This was what she’d wanted, but now her heart churned with uncertainty. She wanted to have him the way he’d had her, but what was she supposed to do? Did he think she should know?
Should
she know? His hand fell away from hers and he closed his eyes . . . and she was alone with his body—her fingers shaking against skin, her hand a brand on his hard belly.
She was frozen, unmoving for long minutes, mortified by her indecision, but Aidan lay as if sleeping. She looked him over until her eyes rested on his straining cock.
Her nipples tightened even as her pulse trembled. Finally, Kate spread her fingers firmly, slowly, over the muscles of his belly, watching as they jumped beneath her touch. Her right hand rose to join the left, pressing lightly into his chest, stroking, feeling the warmth, the contrast of skin and hair.
Her taut shoulders relaxed by slow degrees as she touched him, gradually falling into fascination. Her hands wandered all over his torso, from his stomach to his shoulders, over the dip of his breastbone and the swell of his muscles. Crisp hairs tickled her palms, and skin smoothed under her fingers. She broadened her explorations to sweep her hands over his neck, his sweet mouth, then down, gliding over his ribs to his hips and thighs.
She stroked her fingers down the front of his legs, rough with hair, then up the inside of his thighs, marveling at how much softer and sparer the hair was.
At ease now, drunk with curiosity, she put her knees to the bed and climbed on top of him. A sigh floated from her when she nestled her backside against the tops of his knees. Her skin felt cool compared to his, but his warmth seeped into her again, leaching into her body through that small contact.
She shifted a little to set her palms against his thighs and the movement pressed her legs open, allowing the cool air of the room to caress the flesh between her thighs. The abrupt touch of air shocked her into a sharp gasp—she was wet, hot, burning.
A small sound answered her and she looked up to Aidan’s face to find his gaze on her, his jaw tellingly tense. A small, fast pulse beat just under his chin.
Awareness of him flooded back to her and she smiled. He did not look half as calm as he had a few minutes ago. Fascinated, she let her hands creep up an inch or two. He swallowed hard. A different sort of heat swept through her, warming her until she had to open her mouth to get enough air. Power. She could make him pant, make him cry out. That knowledge was more arousing than all of his beauty.
Kate rocked her weight onto her knees and scooted a little farther up his thighs, settling her body and her mind to his complete seduction. She spread her fingers wide and smoothed them over the front of his hips until her thumbs crept into the dark hair around his sex. Enjoying the hard twitch of his belly, she inched her right hand closer, smoothing into his hair until she held the base of him lightly in the V of her thumb and forefinger.
Eager, her breath straining at her lungs, she turned her hand slowly up and wrapped her fingers around him until the sharp hiss of his gasp filled the room. He pulsed in her hand, large and hard and so silky she wanted to dip her head and rub her cheek against him. She did not of course; even the heady rush of power coursing through her veins could not make her so daring. Still, the feel of him in her hands drew her nipples into tight pebbles, an echo of the tightness low in her belly that throbbed with each beat of her heart.
Oh, God, she felt so restless, so strong, commanding the responses of his body. A low groan vibrated in his chest as her fingers tightened around him in her excitement.
“Mm,” she grunted in pleased surprise, drawing another groan from him.
A wide, slow grin took over her face and she bit down on her lip again to keep from laughing aloud. This was heady. My God, she hoped he wanted to do this over and over again. She could spend weeks just mapping out his body like newly acquired property.
Aidan’s mouth fell open on a silent sigh as his hips jerked just a tiny bit beneath her. He was growing desperate—his need obvious in the harsh line of his face.
Curious, she stroked him and he rewarded her with a hoarse curse and an impressively restrained shudder. She stroked and stroked again as beads of sweat formed on his brow and his hands clenched, white-knuckled, at the bedspread.
She bent and laid her cheek against his belly, breathing in the hot, clean smell of his skin. Her tenderness was urgent now, as if there would be consequences to not treasuring this moment, and she trailed her fingers down his cock with slow care. It jumped at her touch. He held his breath. And Kate pressed a gentle kiss to the shaft.

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