things to me, Ms. Prescott."
Sliding his arm around her more tightly, Cole cuddled her close, their waltz becoming more shuffle than step.
Elinor stared up at him, her eyes wide in her dazed state. Every nerve ending in her body danced to Cole's tune, and caution had long since been thrown to the winds.
His long fingers stroked her bare arm as they swayed together. Elinor's eyes closed as his touch washed over her. She felt him brush a kiss against her temple, a tantalizing caress.
Still, they swayed, Cole directing their movement as his hands stroked her back and arms. A subtle, powerful hunger vibrated in his body. She felt it in the bunched muscles of his shoulder and heard his swiftly indrawn breath when he pulled her against him.
They rounded the house again, once more on the uninhabited side near the dark pool. In a sudden fluid motion, Cole moved away from the house, toward the edge of the gallery. Elinor felt the cool hardness of column behind her back just as he bent his head to hers.
There was nothing gentle in this kiss. Pure hunger drove them along with an aching, desperate need. The emotions between them held such power, and yet stood on such shaky ground. She felt it in the flavor of his kiss, his recognition of their tenuousness. Elinor tasted determination, too, a bull-headed persistence in the sweep of his tongue against hers.
Cole wasn't used to losing battles.
Elinor arched her neck, lifting her hands up to slide through his hair. She needed to be in his arms, to feel his powerful craving for her.
Kissing hungrily, their hands roamed, fondling, caressing longed-for flesh. Cole urged her arms up closer around his neck, his bent elbows caging her breasts against his chest. He moved against her, groaning in his throat with deep pleasure. With his movement, she felt the evidence of his desire.
He lowered one hand to cup her, his splayed fingers molding her breast gently through the fabric of her dress. Elinor's head dropped back against the pillar that bolstered her. Cole's hand circled her breast, fondling the orb with an elemental intensity as if her flesh were riches.
She felt herself burst into flames, the liquid heat at the juncture of her thighs a conflagration. Cole held her, one arm bracing against her back, as she allowed him his way with her body.
After long, hot moments punctuated by breathless matings of their mouths, he pulled away, staring down at her in the dim light.
"Come on," he muttered abruptly, tugging her bodily away from the column where she leaned.
Still gripped with paralyzing passion, Elinor allowed him to drag her toward the shallow gallery steps. Cole led her down the steps and across the lawn, the cool, thick grass tickling her sandal-clad toes.
As he towed her down the jungle-dark path to her cottage, his long strides ate up the distance, her wrist still imprisoned in his grip.
Hurrying to keep up with him as he strode through the night, the thick haze of passion began to drop away from Elinor. Her reservations about Cole came rushing into her clearing head.
How could she want him this bad when she didn't trust him? The thought shocked her into reality. He might have been plunging through the overgrown lawn planning on spending the night in her bed, but she knew it wouldn't happen.
His drive for more success, more money, put him in the same class as her grandfather and father. And she wouldn't let money govern her life as it did Cole's.
They reached the cottage in record time, Cole loosening his grip long enough to guide her onto the gallery step. Settling his hands on her shoulders, he looked into her eyes.
"Elinor, you make me wild. Too wild to trust myself. I don't want us to do something you're not ready for." His splayed fingers slid up her arms. "And I sure hope to heck I get credit somewhere for my sacrifice."
She stared at him in confused disbelief. He wasn't planning on sleeping with her?
He leaned forward to deliver a chaste kiss to her forehead.
Sliding his arm around her more tightly, Cole cuddled her close, their waltz becoming more shuffle than step.
Elinor stared up at him, her eyes wide in her dazed state. Every nerve ending in her body danced to Cole's tune, and caution had long since been thrown to the winds.
His long fingers stroked her bare arm as they swayed together. Elinor's eyes closed as his touch washed over her. She felt him brush a kiss against her temple, a tantalizing caress.
Still, they swayed, Cole directing their movement as his hands stroked her back and arms. A subtle, powerful hunger vibrated in his body. She felt it in the bunched muscles of his shoulder and heard his swiftly indrawn breath when he pulled her against him.
They rounded the house again, once more on the uninhabited side near the dark pool. In a sudden fluid motion, Cole moved away from the house, toward the edge of the gallery. Elinor felt the cool hardness of column behind her back just as he bent his head to hers.
There was nothing gentle in this kiss. Pure hunger drove them along with an aching, desperate need. The emotions between them held such power, and yet stood on such shaky ground. She felt it in the flavor of his kiss, his recognition of their tenuousness. Elinor tasted determination, too, a bull-headed persistence in the sweep of his tongue against hers.
Cole wasn't used to losing battles.
Elinor arched her neck, lifting her hands up to slide through his hair. She needed to be in his arms, to feel his powerful craving for her.
Kissing hungrily, their hands roamed, fondling, caressing longed-for flesh. Cole urged her arms up closer around his neck, his bent elbows caging her breasts against his chest. He moved against her, groaning in his throat with deep pleasure. With his movement, she felt the evidence of his desire.
He lowered one hand to cup her, his splayed fingers molding her breast gently through the fabric of her dress. Elinor's head dropped back against the pillar that bolstered her. Cole's hand circled her breast, fondling the orb with an elemental intensity as if her flesh were riches.
She felt herself burst into flames, the liquid heat at the juncture of her thighs a conflagration. Cole held her, one arm bracing against her back, as she allowed him his way with her body.
After long, hot moments punctuated by breathless matings of their mouths, he pulled away, staring down at her in the dim light.
"Come on," he muttered abruptly, tugging her bodily away from the column where she leaned.
Still gripped with paralyzing passion, Elinor allowed him to drag her toward the shallow gallery steps. Cole led her down the steps and across the lawn, the cool, thick grass tickling her sandal-clad toes.
As he towed her down the jungle-dark path to her cottage, his long strides ate up the distance, her wrist still imprisoned in his grip.
Hurrying to keep up with him as he strode through the night, the thick haze of passion began to drop away from Elinor. Her reservations about Cole came rushing into her clearing head.
How could she want him this bad when she didn't trust him? The thought shocked her into reality. He might have been plunging through the overgrown lawn planning on spending the night in her bed, but she knew it wouldn't happen.
His drive for more success, more money, put him in the same class as her grandfather and father. And she wouldn't let money govern her life as it did Cole's.
They reached the cottage in record time, Cole loosening his grip long enough to guide her onto the gallery step. Settling his hands on her shoulders, he looked into her eyes.
"Elinor, you make me wild. Too wild to trust myself. I don't want us to do something you're not ready for." His splayed fingers slid up her arms. "And I sure hope to heck I get credit somewhere for my sacrifice."
She stared at him in confused disbelief. He wasn't planning on sleeping with her?
He leaned forward to deliver a chaste kiss to her forehead.
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