Summers, Jordan (14 page)

Lily’s mind strayed to the rumors of his lovemaking
abilities. What would it be like to have him make love to her? If it was
anything like last night’s dream, would that be so bad? Lily’s clothing felt
suddenly constrictive. She wasn’t sure what exactly making love entailed, but
she lived at the country manor long enough to witness the animals in the frenzy
of mating. Watching them had left her fevered and quite out of sorts, like in
her dream…

Her skin heated at the thought of Richard’s large hands
caressing her, palming her breasts, playing with her mons. Lily blushed
furiously, praying she wasn’t as pink as she felt. Her only consolation was the
fact it was dark and he couldn’t really see her. She had no business thinking
such things. It was not proper in the least. She had to get that dream out of
her mind and quickly, before she did something foolish—like act upon it.

She glanced up into his face. He appeared enthralled.
His eyes locked to hers. His lips were slightly parted and his breathing had
deepened. His gaze roamed from her face, down the front of her pelisse and over
her gown. Lily felt warm as if he’d physically caressed her. Her breath caught,
as her nipples throbbed beneath her chemise.

His gaze flicked to her breasts as if he could see
through her clothing. Lily bit her lip to keep from groaning. Richard tapped on
the coach roof and the carriage turned again. He slid from his side to the seat
beside her. Lily’s heart leapt. She clenched her fingers together, to keep from
reaching for him. His spicy scent assailed her nostrils, surrounding her,
seducing—more overpowering in person than in her dream. Lily attempted to
gather her wits. She gasped when she felt his hand slide around her wrists,
turning her toward him.

“What are you doing?” Her gaze fixed on his face, then
dropped to his firm lips.

“Kissing you.” He closed in as the last syllable left
his mouth, pressing his firm lips to hers.

Lily sank into his embrace, welcoming it, needing it,
desiring it beyond all reason. She knew she should protest or struggle. This
was only encouraging him, but she couldn’t bring herself to do more than enjoy
the scorching embrace. His moves were patient and beyond practiced, like they’d
been that night on the balcony and last evening in her dream. He teased her
lips, coaxing out a response breath by breath. Lily moaned and he captured the
sound, taking it deep within his lungs. His mouth tasted of mint and wildness,
like a creature untamed by the rules of man.

He licked her bottom lip and she opened for him. His
tongue darted in, swiping at hers until they danced in a rhythm all their own.
Lily’s skin heated to incendiary. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath under
his sensual assault. Her lids dropped of their own volition and she twined her
hands around his nape, sinking her fingers into his silky hair. She felt his
muscles flex, then relax, as if her touch alone affected him so. A newfound
power surged through Lily. She’d never felt in control around Richard, yet at
this moment she knew she held the reins firmly in her small hands.

She pressed impossibly closer, as if by doing so she
would stave off the hungry ache in her body. It was Richard’s turn to groan.
His hands tightened on her forearms, then slid to her face and neck, holding
her to him. He kissed her thoroughly, deeply, taking her on a journey of
newfound discovery. Hard against soft, moist and giving, they melded together.

Lily felt his fingers follow a fiery trail to the front
of her pelisse, deftly undoing the buttons holding it together. He swiftly
pushed aside the blue silk covering her chest, slipped the buttons, running the
length of her back, from their eyelets, then slid his hand inside her dress
until he could cup her breast.

The second his palm closed around her sensitive skin,
Lily was lost. Tingles shot through her body. Her nipple sprang to life beneath
his fingertips, aching to be touched. Her breath rasped out against his mouth
in curious pants, causing her head to spin. Even through her chemise his touch
scalded, just as in the dream. He circled her nipple, plucking at the marbled
nub, like a musician fine-tuning an instrument. Lily moaned and he released her
mouth to nuzzle her ear.

Richard was consumed by flames of desire. Her body’s
response was everything he’d hoped for and more. He longed to lay his lips upon
the tight berry his hand caressed, taste its sweetness once again, but the back
of the carriage was not the place, nor was this the appropriate time. He didn’t
want the lines between dream and reality to blur, at least not yet.

He palmed her full globe, enjoying the weight of it in
his hand, teasing the peak until it stabbed at his fingertips. He dare not move
past her ear for fear his hunger would take on a life of its own. It was hard
enough listening to her heart pound in her chest and the humming noise of her
blood as it passed through her veins.

Richard fought to keep a grip on his desire. Having her
so near, so willing… so innocent. The last thought was the ice water he needed
to pull back and grasp control once more. His lips found hers once again as he
put her clothing back in place.

They’d circled the same block over five times now. He’d
caught the odor of the same blood in the nearby houses repeatedly as they passed.
By the time, Richard pulled away from the kiss, Lily was back in order, except
for the dreamy look upon her flushed face, and the swollenness of her ruby
lips. He kissed the tip of her nose. Her normally crisp blue eyes glazed with
passion as she looked at him.

“I’d better get you back, before this goes any further.”
He heaved air in his lungs, trying to catch his breath. Not that he needed to
breathe, but he felt breathless nonetheless from her sweet embrace. It was time
to act the civilized gentleman.

Lily stared at Richard, her breath laboring like his.
The creamy peaks of her breasts rose and fell in the darkness taunting him to
return to her forbidden slopes. Her lashes lowered to half-mast. The same thing
had occurred last night when he’d visited her in her bedroom. He breathed
deeply, scenting her. He could detect her feminine musk and knew without doubt
moisture pooled at her opening. Perhaps if he touched her there again, the
cloying need he now felt would subside.

What was he thinking? A dream was nowhere near reality.
She wasn’t about to accept his touch. One scorching kiss and he’d turned
ravenous.

Lily broke his gaze. Her face heated as she realized
what she’d allowed him to do to her body. She waited—waited for the shame to
swamp her, but it never came. Instead there was a strange thrill sweeping over
her senses, an insatiable curiosity that had been awakened by his touch.
Whether the dream was to blame or there was something else at work here, she
wasn’t sure. Lily just knew she felt hungry for more of the same. The thought
both frightened and titillated her.

Despite her resolve not to like Richard Stuart, the
sixth Earl of Lyon, he’d managed to bring out something inside of her no other
man had managed to see, much less, captivate. She was intrigued. Although he
hadn’t exactly acted like a perfect gentleman tonight, she hadn’t exactly been
a proper lady. If she had, she’d never have gotten to experience the excitement
of his deft fingers upon her flesh. Thinking about it again stirred feelings in
Lily she had no way of dealing with.

They arrived back at her home a few minutes later. The
driver jumped down from his perch and opened up the carriage door after giving
a quick look up and down the deserted street. Lord Lyon stepped from the
carriage, then handed Lily down, escorting her to the door.

“Until tomorrow.” He inclined his head, his lips once
again brushing the back of her wrist, before releasing her to slip inside.

Richard strode away from Lily with as much speed as he
could muster without drawing attention to his actions. Hunger beat at his
chest, demanding—insatiable. He knew beyond a doubt he’d visit her again
tonight, even though warnings clanged loudly in his head. Her desire simmered
below the surface, not nearly as consuming as his own, but there nonetheless.
Hurley’s gray eyes flashed as he approached. He quickly threw the carriage door
open for Richard to step in.

“Tonight, my friend, I believe I’ll take the air with
you.” Richard climbed up to the driver’s bench and seated himself. Hurley
followed, trying to hide the smile on his face.

“That woman will be the death of me.” Richard grinned.

This time Hurley laughed. “It appears, my lord, that
you’ve finally met your match.”

Richard glanced at his friend’s weathered face, and
then laughed, too. “Let’s hope you’re right, my man. Let’s hope you’re right.”

Hurley picked up the ribbons and guided the carriage
back out into the lane.

“Take us home, Hurley.” Richard clapped the man on his
back, taking care to temper his strength. He didn’t want to snap any of his
trusty valet’s bones. He’d need him more than ever in the days to come if he
was going to reel in a bride.

See you tonight, my love.

Chapter Seven

Lily told herself she would not be taking another
sleeping draught for sometime to come. The innocuous potion wreaked havoc on
her good sense and her emotional stability. Tonight she’d let Richard take
liberties that she’d never considered before in her life.

She counted the reasons why it was best she keep her
mind clear as she paced before the hearth in her bedchamber, the least of which
being able to ward off Lord Lyon’s sensual attacks. But the second Tildy showed
up at her door with the tonic, Lily snatched it up like a greedy child in
search of candy. Except in her case she was not after candy, but a certain man
in her dreams.

* * * * *

Richard arrived at Lily’s window a few hours later. He’d
waited as long as he dared. His mind whirled with the sights and sounds of the
night. Winged creatures dipped through the air, swirling and diving for their
evening’s meal. In the distance he heard the clanging of carriages as they made
their way from ball to ball. The cool air caressed his equally cool skin like
an old friend cloaking him.

All that ended the second Richard entered Lily’s bedroom.
His gaze lazily absorbed the warm glow of the hearth, before tracking slowly to
the drawn curtains of her bed. He strolled with a patience he did not feel,
making his way to the side table. Once again he saw a glass and knew without
sniffing what it would contain. Richard made no effort to hide his pleased
smile.

So she’d anticipated his nocturnal visit. His brows
furrowed for a moment. It wasn’t exactly him she’d anticipated, but the dream.
He told himself since they were one and the same it should not bother him, but
it did. Richard shrugged off the jealousy threatening to settle in the depths
of his gut. It wouldn’t do to be jealous of oneself. But deep down he wanted
Lily to want him, desire him—only. Not a figment of her imagination.

Richard reached and pulled back the navy curtains
concealing his treasure. The material parted with a whoosh. Lily muttered and
turned onto her side, leaving him to gape at her shapely bottom through the
material of her sleeping gown. Somehow she’d managed to kick away most of the
covers, leaving her readily accessible to his wandering gaze.

His breath caught at the sight of her loveliness.
Tonight she’d done away with the night rail from the evening before and now
wore a white lace sleeping gown, which had tiny embroidered flowers around the
neckline. The blossoms accented her purity, driving home how innocent she
really was.

Lily shifted again and the nearly transparent material
pulled taut over the ripe globes of her ass. Richard groaned. He couldn’t help
himself. She’d not only taken the sleep draught, from the quality of the
material, she’d dressed in one of her finest gowns for the occasion. He didn’t
know whether to be angry or drop to his knees before her in praise. His mouth
watered as he considered kissing each globe, nipping at the fair skin of her
bottom, until she once again writhed beneath his touch.

Richard dropped the material in his hands and stepped
forward to run his fingers over her warm skin. He pulled away, as the sensation
of her nearly singed his palm. She rolled onto her stomach, her mouth pursing
in her sleep. Richard reached down and slid the part of the gown covering her
bottom away so that he’d have an unobstructed view. He slowly removed his
clothes, once again leaving his boots and breeches on.

He started placing small kisses upon Lily’s feet, first
one then the other. He picked a leg and made his way up licking and kissing,
leaving a trail of moisture in his wake. Lily’s lashes fluttered open and she
glanced over her shoulder and smiled.

“You’re back,” she said in a sleepy voice.

Richard stopped his kisses long enough to smile at her.
“I couldn’t stay away. Did you miss me?”

It was her turn to smile. “Yes, I did.”

His heart leapt in his chest. He knew it was
ridiculous. She really didn’t know what she was saying, but that simple
admission left him floating on air. He continued on his path, stopping at the
curve of one cheek, to lave the crease. He nipped the rounded mass, taunting
the dimples at the base of her spine. Lily squealed into the pillow. Richard
smiled, returning to his original location, except this time he kissed his way
up the other leg. By the time he reached her ass, Lily was panting. Her white
knuckles gripped the linens near her head. Richard teased her with his mouth
while his other hand massaged her soft skin.

When he was sure she’d been driven close to madness he
stopped and dipped one finger inside her feminine opening. Lily’s pussy
surrounded him in warmth. Richard drew out the finger and added another,
stretching her gradually. She moaned and clamped down on his hand. By the time
he sunk his staff inside of her, she’d be able to accommodate his size.
Moisture dripped from her channel.