voluptuous body was always tightly corseted, her long legs concealed by the draped layers of her skirts. Her bountiful breasts were modestly covered, for there was no need to make an impressive display. The lushness of her bosom spoke for itself.
Suddenly realizing she was being observed, Iris turned with a start. Her ruddy brows inched up her forehead. “Darling. You were so quiet I didn't hear you. What are you doing here?”
“Surprise visit.” Pushing off from the doorframe, Luke approached her lazily. “Hello,” he murmured, and kissed her.
Iris pressed up against his mouth with a sigh of delight. Her arms climbed around his hard shoulders. “A surprise indeed,” she said when their lips parted. “As you can see, I'm dressed for the evening. I'm going out.” She shivered at the way his teeth closed gently on her neck. “Dinner party,” she managed to say.
“Send your regrets.”
“If I don't attend there'll be an odd number. And they're expecting me.” She laughed as she felt Luke unfasten the top button of her gown. “Darling, no. What if I promise to leave early and hurry back to you? Will that satisfy you?”
“No.” The second button slipped free. “You're not going at all.”
Iris frowned at him, even as her breath quickened. “You're the most arrogant man I know. And you have a definite problem with compromise. I'm not saying you don't have your good points, darling…but we must work on your temperament.”
Luke tangled his fingers in her upswept hair, ruining the elaborate pile of curls. “It's taken centuries of selective breeding to achieve a specimen like me. You should have seen the early Stokehursts. Nothing to brag about, believe me.”
“Oh, I do,” Iris purred. “I'll bet they were complete savages.” Her eyes widened as he jerked her against his aroused body. His mouth toyed gently with hers, then sealed over it. Iris groaned softly, all thoughts of the dinner party dissolving. She pushed herself against him, eager for his possession. Luke was an experienced and generous lover, knowing how to bring her to the edge of insanity. He liked to tease, to make her beg, to leave her sore and exhausted and satisfied. “At least let me take my corset off,” she whispered. “I nearly fainted the last time.”
Luke smiled, a movement of bristle and warmth against her cheek. “That's because you stop breathing at the important moments.” He finished the row of buttons, and the dress fell to a heavy heap on the floor. The sharp edge of his hook caught the tapes of her petticoats and the strings of her corset, until her sumptuous body burst from its tight bindings.
“You should have to wait like other men,” Iris said with a shiver of excited laughter. “It isn't civilized to go around ripping off women's garments, like some ruthless pirate.”
“You can rip mine off,” he said diplomatically.
“Oh, how very generous. How very…very…” The rest of her words were smothered by his demanding kisses.
Hours later they lay entwined in the darkened bedroom, while a few lit candles touched the air with a soft glow. Iris stretched in contentment as Luke traced the rich curve of her waist and hip. “Darling,” she murmured, rolling toward him. “I want to ask you something.”
“Mm.” Luke kept his eyes closed, letting his fingers drift across her skin.
“Why won't you marry me?”
Luke turned his head, giving her a thoughtful glance. Through all the years of their acquaintance, he'd never considered marrying Iris. They had separate lives, never needing each other in more than a superficial way. There was friendship, and passion, just enough to make everything pleasant.
“Don't you care for me?” Iris wheedled.
“Of course I care for you.” He patted her round hip and stared into her eyes. “But I'm not going to marry anyone, Iris. You know that.”
“We're very good together. There's not a soul in the world who would begrudge us this marriage. And no one
Suddenly realizing she was being observed, Iris turned with a start. Her ruddy brows inched up her forehead. “Darling. You were so quiet I didn't hear you. What are you doing here?”
“Surprise visit.” Pushing off from the doorframe, Luke approached her lazily. “Hello,” he murmured, and kissed her.
Iris pressed up against his mouth with a sigh of delight. Her arms climbed around his hard shoulders. “A surprise indeed,” she said when their lips parted. “As you can see, I'm dressed for the evening. I'm going out.” She shivered at the way his teeth closed gently on her neck. “Dinner party,” she managed to say.
“Send your regrets.”
“If I don't attend there'll be an odd number. And they're expecting me.” She laughed as she felt Luke unfasten the top button of her gown. “Darling, no. What if I promise to leave early and hurry back to you? Will that satisfy you?”
“No.” The second button slipped free. “You're not going at all.”
Iris frowned at him, even as her breath quickened. “You're the most arrogant man I know. And you have a definite problem with compromise. I'm not saying you don't have your good points, darling…but we must work on your temperament.”
Luke tangled his fingers in her upswept hair, ruining the elaborate pile of curls. “It's taken centuries of selective breeding to achieve a specimen like me. You should have seen the early Stokehursts. Nothing to brag about, believe me.”
“Oh, I do,” Iris purred. “I'll bet they were complete savages.” Her eyes widened as he jerked her against his aroused body. His mouth toyed gently with hers, then sealed over it. Iris groaned softly, all thoughts of the dinner party dissolving. She pushed herself against him, eager for his possession. Luke was an experienced and generous lover, knowing how to bring her to the edge of insanity. He liked to tease, to make her beg, to leave her sore and exhausted and satisfied. “At least let me take my corset off,” she whispered. “I nearly fainted the last time.”
Luke smiled, a movement of bristle and warmth against her cheek. “That's because you stop breathing at the important moments.” He finished the row of buttons, and the dress fell to a heavy heap on the floor. The sharp edge of his hook caught the tapes of her petticoats and the strings of her corset, until her sumptuous body burst from its tight bindings.
“You should have to wait like other men,” Iris said with a shiver of excited laughter. “It isn't civilized to go around ripping off women's garments, like some ruthless pirate.”
“You can rip mine off,” he said diplomatically.
“Oh, how very generous. How very…very…” The rest of her words were smothered by his demanding kisses.
Hours later they lay entwined in the darkened bedroom, while a few lit candles touched the air with a soft glow. Iris stretched in contentment as Luke traced the rich curve of her waist and hip. “Darling,” she murmured, rolling toward him. “I want to ask you something.”
“Mm.” Luke kept his eyes closed, letting his fingers drift across her skin.
“Why won't you marry me?”
Luke turned his head, giving her a thoughtful glance. Through all the years of their acquaintance, he'd never considered marrying Iris. They had separate lives, never needing each other in more than a superficial way. There was friendship, and passion, just enough to make everything pleasant.
“Don't you care for me?” Iris wheedled.
“Of course I care for you.” He patted her round hip and stared into her eyes. “But I'm not going to marry anyone, Iris. You know that.”
“We're very good together. There's not a soul in the world who would begrudge us this marriage. And no one
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