Romancing His English Rose (Entangled Scandalous) (12 page)

It was only minutes later that Simon was hugging Rose with all his might at the base of the rose trellis that led to her bedchamber. When he finally let her go, she just stood there looking at him solemnly. “You will be back here in the morning?” she asked softly.

“Yes, dear,” Simon assured her. “I will return then. We will be able to think better after we get some rest.”

“I don’t care if we have to follow Caleb every day for the rest of his life; I will not stand idly by and let him kill someone else,” Rose vowed.

“Neither will I, but we know he is not doing anything tonight, so you need to stop worrying now and get some sleep.”

“Oh, Simon, I don’t see how I can stop thinking about all this,” Rose confessed.

…

Simon pulled her in for a hug. He needed to take her mind off of everything they had seen and heard that night and there was really only one way he could think of to do it.

Loosening his hold slightly, Simon leaned in to capture Rose’s mouth with his. The kiss started off slow and tentative. Frankly, he wasn’t sure how she would react to this sudden change of focus, but surprisingly she seemed eager for his affections and soon the kiss turned much more passionate and almost desperate in nature.

Within seconds, Simon realized that one kiss was not going to be nearly enough…for either of them.

The truth was, Simon had been able to think of little else these past weeks but making love to Rose. It was enough to make him think he was developing feelings for her. He needed to get her out of his system once and for all. It wasn’t as if he would be ruining her for anyone else—for all intents and purposes she was his already. He just needed to get past the mystery of her and then he could put her out of his mind and move on with his plans of a marriage of convenience.

And with that thought, Simon put his plan of ultimate seduction into action.

Chapter Fifteen

Sometimes even a blind squirrel finds a nut.

—The Duke of Lancaster

Once Simon finally released her, Rose looked up at him and whispered, “I suppose I should go now.”

“Yes, darling, it’s well past time for us to get to bed,” he replied, smiling softly.

Rose thought she saw an almost wolfish glint in his eye when he said that, but when she looked at him again, he appeared the picture of innocence. Must have been the moonlight, Rose thought, or wishful thinking, if she were being truly honest with herself.

Turning, she grabbed onto the rose-covered lattice and began to work her way up the side of her house to crawl back into her room. Rose hadn’t even had time to shut the window when she heard someone climbing up behind her. Looking over the sill, she was startled to see Simon right there, about ready to pull himself into her room.

“Simon!” she exclaimed softly, backing up as she watched him lift himself through the open window. “What are you doing?”

Simon firmly shut the window behind him and turned around to look at Rose heatedly. Rose felt herself shiver in response to the intense passion she saw smoldering in his eyes.

“I told you, Rose,” Simon purred as he walked slowly over to her. “It’s well past time we went to bed.” The last part of his sentence was said right up against Rose’s lips as he drew her tightly against him, and shortly thereafter he began kissing her ardently.

Rose sighed with pleasure and willingly wrapped her arms around Simon’s neck. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that she should not be allowing this to happen. Where was her maidenly outrage? Where was her shame? To Simon she was just another conquest, but somehow she just couldn’t bring herself to care.

Then Simon did something completely amazing with his tongue and all thoughts—shameful or otherwise—flew from her mind completely.

…

Simon knew immediately when the last vestiges of hesitancy left Rose’s body. And soon she was responding to his caresses with timid ones of her own. Her hands began to play with his hair and across his shoulders, her hips began to instinctively press against his, and when he felt her tongue begin to wrestle his, he knew that he too was lost.

Letting out a primitive growl, Simon removed her coat in one swift move. He allowed himself the pleasure of running his hands up and down her body—her every curve clearly defined in the tight-fitting breeches and the loose cotton shirt that did nothing to inhibit her surprisingly generous breasts—before he lifted her into his arms and carried her over to the bed.

Laying her down gently, Simon eased himself onto the bed beside her. He removed Rose’s spectacles and laid them on the table next to the bed. Then he leaned down and kissed her while his hands slowly began to pull her shirt free of her breeches.

Apparently not to be outdone, Rose boldly began to tug Simon’s overcoat off his broad shoulders. Incredibly aroused, Simon sat up and ripped his coat and shirt off as quickly as possible before resuming his place at her side, where he expertly unbuttoned her breeches with one hand and slid them down her long and slender legs.

As he uncovered each inch of skin, Simon caressed and tasted it. Rose was so soft and silky; he had no choice but to revel in every single part of her. He was especially enamored with the backs of her knees and the arches of her perfect little feet.

…

A chorus of wonderfully strange feelings and sensations were coursing through Rose’s body. Who knew she would feel a stab of intense pleasure deep to her very core when Simon licked and nibbled on the crooks of her knees!

Soon Rose was squirming uncontrollably on the bed and she could no longer stand to be so far away from Simon—who seemed rather content to focus his kisses down around her feet. Bolting upright, Rose reached down and grabbed Simon’s hair (the only part of him she could reach) and she tugged firmly on it in a silent plea for something…she just wasn’t quite sure what.

When Simon didn’t immediately respond to her non-verbal request, Rose whimpered, “Simon…please.”

“Shhh, love.”

“But…but…”

Simon didn’t respond again, but he did begin to move toward the head of the bed, kissing and tasting his way back up her legs. Appeased by the fact he was moving in the right direction, Rose laid back down, but she kept her hands in his hair, feeling the need to touch him in some way.

As Simon moved closer and closer to her most intimate of areas, Rose felt herself tense slightly. Everything he had done so far made her feel warm and loose and restless all at the same time, but the thought of him touching her there made her more than a tad apprehensive. Not that she thought Simon would hurt her in any way, it was just, well, a place no one had ever touched before.

Then Simon’s hand brushed over the warm thatch of hair just above the very spot she was nervously waiting for him to explore and she jerked a little in panic.

…

That was when Simon knew the haze of passion that had enveloped Rose earlier had faded and she was beginning to think too much. So he decided to abandon the soft triangle of hair—and the treasure beneath it—for now—and concentrate on getting her back to the point where she couldn’t think, only feel.

Moving his hands to encircle her waist, Simon slowly slid his way up Rose’s ribcage, taking the edge of her shirt with him. He continued to pepper any newly exposed skin with kisses, exalting over her smooth, flat stomach and nuzzling the shallow indention under her ribs.

Already Simon could tell Rose was again enjoying herself, for she was making the most adorable and enticing mewling noises and her hips were writhing instinctively against his abdomen. Taking a deep breath in an effort to control his own overwhelming desire, Simon lifted her shirt even farther up to reveal two of the most beautiful breasts he had ever had the privilege to see. Already rock hard, he became even more painfully so at the sight of her rosy tipped mounds and he reached for them almost reverently.

Just before he laid his hands on them, Simon glanced up to find Rose watching his movements as though mesmerized. Realizing he now had an entranced audience, Simon moved with deliberation and purpose. First he took both breasts in his hands and squeezed them gently. He was immensely gratified by Rose’s gasp of surprise and delight the moment his palms grazed her bosoms.

…

When Simon moved one hand to play with her nipple, Rose thought she had gone to heaven. The pleasure was so intense and seemed—however illogically—to center directly between her legs. Then Simon began to twirl the tip between his thumb and forefinger and Rose watched with amazement as the rosy nub tightened and hardened.

And then Simon did something completely unexpected. He leaned down slowly and flicked his tongue out to lick the hardened tip.

“Simon! You can’t—” Rose cried out in shock. But clearly he could and he further stunned her by then taking the entire nipple into his mouth and sucking and nibbling the tip lovingly.

Rose lost all power of speech with each new move Simon’s mouth made. Something inside her coiled tighter and tighter and when he lightly scraped the very tip of her nipple with his teeth, Rose bucked off the bed as something burst deep inside her.

“Oh my good—!” The rest of what she was going to say was swallowed by Simon when he quickly covered her mouth with his.

…

Simon would never have believed it possible, but Rose had found release simply from him making love to her breasts. At this rate she was going to wake the entire household before they ever got to the actual sex act.

“God, Rose. You are so damned responsive,” Simon growled, once he lifted his mouth from Rose’s. “I can’t wait to see how you react to the rest of what I have planned for you.”

Rose was lying there limp and looked extremely satisfied, but her eyes widened when he said that. “More?” she squeaked.

“Oh, yes, sweetling,” Simon replied silkily, “there is much, much more.” And Simon aimed to prove it to her.

Deciding there had been more than enough foreplay, as evidenced by her release and his extreme lack of one, Simon dispensed with the rest of his clothing and quickly removed the shirt still bunched up round Rose’s neck.

…

When he finally lay naked at her side, Rose reveled in the feeling of his skin on hers. She was also more than a little curious about the very evident proof of his arousal pressing insistently against her thigh.

Craning her neck slightly, Rose tried to catch a glimpse of Simon’s lower regions, but she was unable to see much before he captured her lips with his and began kissing her passionately. Soon, she forgot what she was even looking for as she began to feel a now familiar loss of inhibitions.

Rose could not get enough of Simon. His kisses, his touch, his unintelligible sweet nothings being whispered against her lips, eyes, ears, and everywhere else his mouth went. And his lips and hands seemed to be everywhere. Not one area of her body had gone unexplored by him.

Well, maybe one…Rose had noticed that since her earlier attack of nerves, when Simon barely brushed up against her, he had not yet ventured back to her now wet and pulsating core; and now, frankly, all apprehension regarding that region had fled and Rose thought if he didn’t touch her there soon she might scream with frustration.

As if reading her mind, Simon finally reached between her legs and nudged her thighs apart. With curious fingers, he began to explore beneath her small patch of curls and Rose nearly came apart.

“Ohhhh, Simon…” she moaned, arching up to meet his hand eagerly.

…

Simon would have chuckled at her enthusiasm, but he was so eager himself, he almost came right then and there. Positioning himself above her, he slowly pushed into her hot, moist core. It felt as if she were swallowing him whole and it took everything in him not to drive the rest of the way in and keep thrusting until they both exploded. Never before had making love with a woman felt so good, so right. But it was imperative that he did not rush this.

“Simon,” Rose said cautiously. “Are you all right?”

He looked at her with a strained and somewhat surprised expression. “Why wouldn’t I be all right, Rose?” he asked tightly, pushing forward a bit more. He could now feel the undeniable evidence of her innocence and more than anything he wanted to lessen any discomfort she may feel as much as possible, but he wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold back before burying himself completely inside her.

“You look as if you are in pain,” Rose replied anxiously. “Is there anything I can do?”

Simon rolled his eyes. Leave it to Rose to try and analyze the situation. “No, love. I will be fine in just a moment.”

Apparently Rose wasn’t willing to let it drop. “Perhaps if you just relaxed a little bit?” She reached up and began massaging his arms and shoulders.

Simon had to laugh at that. “I will not be able to relax until I am sure I will not hurt you any more than is necessary.”

“You couldn’t possibly hurt me,” Rose replied indignantly.

“Yes, Rose, I could…and I probably will. I have reached your maidenhead, and I am told that it can hurt the first time it is breached. However, it will only be this first time.”

Rose appeared to think about that for a moment and then she took one more look at Simon. With her mind apparently made up, Rose closed her eyes and scrunched up her face as if bracing for the worst pain ever. “All right, I’m ready,” she announced.

Simon looked at her with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. Never before had he had such a conversation with a woman and certainly not while making love.

But still, his arms were getting tired and she felt so damned good, so Simon took a deep breath and quickly plunged the rest of the way inside. Once he was completely within her, Simon was nearly delirious with relief and pleasure. They fit together like a hand in a glove and he knew that he was completely ruined. No other woman would ever compare to the woman cradling him at this very moment.

“Oh, Simon.” Rose sighed.

Propping himself up on his elbows, Simon smiled at Rose. “Was that too terrible?” he said teasingly.

“No, it wasn’t terrible at all. Just a little pinch, really.”

“So, if I do this”—Simon moved around a little—“it doesn’t bother you?”

“No-o-o,” Rose moaned.

Even if Rose hadn’t answered him aloud, Simon would have known the answer. Between her smile and the way her hips instinctively pressed up against his, it was clear whatever pain she had experienced had already faded.

Thank the Lord. The urge to move had been driving him crazy the entire time they were whispering to each other. Leaning down to deliver a tender, loving kiss, Simon finally gave in to temptation and began to slowly move within her. When Rose mimicked his movements with her own hips, Simon groaned in ecstasy and his actions became less controlled and much more frenetic and feverish.

Seconds later Rose was flying over the edge again and if Simon hadn’t anticipated her scream of pleasure and covered her mouth with his, she surely would have awakened the entire Mayfair neighborhood with her cry.

The relentless clenching of Rose’s inner muscles was all it took to bring on Simon’s own powerful release. He buried his face in Rose’s shoulder as he growled out his own pleasure. The orgasm was the longest and most intense he had ever experienced and he could scarcely believe it was really happening—and more importantly, that it was happening with the woman he was supposed to marry.

“God, I love our parents,” Simon said, once he regained the ability to speak.

“Pardon me?” Rose said, with more than a little astonishment.

“Oh, I will be forever grateful that our parents had the foresight to insist we marry. I must have done something really right in my life to be allowed to do this with you whenever I want. Once we, er, wed of course.” He kicked himself mentally. He was letting their obvious chemistry muddle his intentions.

Rose giggled. “So, love-making isn’t always quite this…er…” she trailed off, clearly unable to find the words to describe this momentous occasion.

“No, this was definitely much more than one would, ah, normally expect.”