excitement, not alarm. She threw her arms around his neck, her lips parting to allow his tongue to search her mouth, flickering and teasing. She leaned into him, revelling in the feel of his hard, aroused body pressing against her. There was too much cloth between them. She unwound her arms from around Lawrence’s neck and began to unbutton his waistcoat. It was shed without a break intheir deep, passionate kisses and she moved on to those tight buckskins.
Breathing heavily, Lawrence broke away, but only long enough to divest himself of his clothes. At last he stood before her, naked and golden in the firelight, his body as muscled and perfect as any Greek statue.
‘Rose?’
She raised her eyes to his and slowly gathered up the gossamer folds of the nightgown, lifting them in one smooth movement. As the fine silk whispered over her head she heard another sigh, almost a groan, from Lawrence. Before the nightgown had left her hands and fluttered to the floor he had his arms around her, pulling her to him. He lowered her gently down onto the thick rug where the heat from the fire enveloped them. Her arms were still above her head and he reached out to catch her wrists, imprisoning them with one hand while the other explored her breasts. She writhed beneath his touch, uttering a little moan of pleasure when his circling fingers were replaced by his mouth. He gently teased and nibbled and sucked until she was gasping for breath, but even then he did not stop, but added to her exquisite torment by trailing his free hand down over the soft plain of her stomach, his fingers delving onwards, circling and stroking until her legs parted and her hips tilted invitingly. The long fingers continued to devastating effect; she groaned and twisted, pushed against his hand, crying out as wave after wave of pleasure burst over her. As the ecstatic spasms ceased Lawrence folded her in his arms and held her close.
‘Oh.’ She made her shuddering whisper into his shoulder. ‘I had forgotten. Thank you.’
A soft laugh shook him. She felt it reverberate against her cheek.
‘It was my pleasure.’
She struggled to sit up, smiling at him. She said, her voice warm and husky with passion, ‘And this is mine.’
Gently she pushed him onto his back, smoothing her hands over his shoulders and across his chest. The dark smattering of hair caught at her fingers as she trailed them around the hard nipples. He reached up and removed the clips from her curls, so that when he pulled away the confining ribbon, her hair cascaded down to rest upon his naked body. Rose moved her head, dragging the silky tresses across the taut muscles of his stomach. He arched his back, eyes closed. Rose climbed over him, leaning forwards to kiss the fine line of his throat while the tips of her breasts rubbed against his skin and he groaned louder, his hands reaching for her, easing her into position so that he could thrust into her. It was Rose’s turn to arch as she felt him inside her, sleek and hard. She moved against him, following the dictates of her body while his hands on her hips kept her firmly anchored over him. Excitement was building again, but this time it was centred on his pleasure. She held him deep and warm inside her, her body stroking and caressing until his grip tightened around her waist. He held her fast; she was powerless while he thrust into her hard and fast and she cried out, control swept away as he took her to new heights. One final thrust, a gasp, and they clung together until the lastwonderful tremor shuddered through their bodies and they collapsed, sated, to lie in each other’s arms before the dying embers.
Lawrence kissed her and carefully smoothed the damp tendrils of honey-brown hair back from her brow.
‘Well, madam, was it as you expected?’
‘Much, much better.’ She snuggled deeper into his arms, smiling.
‘And there’s more.’ He sat up and reached for his shirt. ‘Put this on.’
‘Why?’ Obediently she
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