The Vacant Chair (20 page)

Held tight in her future husband’s arms, Brianna held her face up to the sky as the snow drifted down, brushing her smiling face like the caress of an angel’s wings.

Chapter Twenty

He was a married man.

It still seemed surreal. Mere hours ago, Justin had stood at the altar beside Brianna and taken his vows. She’d been so beautiful in the lavender gown someone had loaned her for the occasion, her happy smile so full of love it humbled him. He’d placed the sapphire ring he’d bought that morning on her finger and taken her as his wife, then kissed her in front of the pastor, Williams, and the landlady of the boardinghouse. Coming out of the church, he’d stopped dead at the sight of his entire regiment mounted and waiting in formation. They’d given a raucous cheer and paraded past to salute them. The gesture had touched him deeply.

Afterward, the officers threw them a dinner, and the Brigade band was there to play. All night, while he’d fed Brianna tidbits from the banquet and twirled her in his arms across the dance floor, all he could think about was pulling off that lavender gown and pressing her deep into the nearest bed while he made love to her until she came apart beneath him.

But now that he was here outside their hotel room, he was stalling.

He wanted to throw the door open, stalk across the room and kiss her until she couldn’t breathe or think, strip her naked and have her panting underneath him while he pleasured her with his hands and mouth.

A niggling doubt kept him from opening the door.

She might not be ready. They’d only just reunited yesterday after spending months apart, and part of him was still surprised that she’d agreed to marry him so soon. He paused, hand tightening on the doorknob. His heart pounded as though he was about to face a firing squad.

She’d already had a wedding night with a man she’d loved.

This first time set the tone for everything. She was a woman; she’d have certain expectations for their wedding night. He needed to get it right. The last thing he wanted to do was walk in there and fall on her like a ravenous animal, but that was exactly what he was afraid might happen. She was a sensual woman already aware of the pleasures of the marriage bed, and they’d been apart for too long. He wasn’t sure he could control the need driving him.

But he was sure as hell going to try.

He twisted the knob. Entering the room and closing the door behind him, Justin took one look at his beautiful wife and his mind went blank.

Crouched in front of the fireplace wearing nothing but a filmy white nightgown, Brianna smiled at him over her shoulder. His mouth went dry. Her thick mahogany hair spilled to her waist in waves as she stood, the flickering flames turning the material transparent enough for him to see every line of her delectable body. Oh yeah, she was definitely naked under there. He went rock hard in his dress trousers and had to shift his stance.

“Hello.” She rose and walked toward him with a pronounced sway of her hips.

“Hello,” he echoed, fighting the urge to take her down to the rug and pin her beneath him. Jesus, she was gorgeous. His heart thudded in his ears as he tried to gauge her mood. She didn’t seem nervous. In fact, she looked rather…hungry. He suddenly couldn’t get enough air.

She stopped inches away from him, close enough for him to breathe in the spicy sweet scent of her, her exquisite silhouette exposed through the thin gown. He dragged his gaze from the hard points of her rose-tinted nipples that pressed against the fabric. Her hair looked so shiny and soft. He reached up to skim his fingers through a lock of it.

“You all right?” she asked.

“Yes.” Damn it, he was botching this whole thing. He should have opened the door and swept her up in his arms—

“You seem a little…unsettled.”

Maybe because he wanted to take her so badly he was shaking.

A soft smile curved her mouth. “You’re not having second thoughts about marrying me, are you? We’ve only been man and wife for a few hours, so I couldn’t have done anything too awful yet, could I?”

The teasing light in her eyes made him feel like an idiot. He didn’t have the faintest idea what to say. Plus his tongue felt like it was glued to the roof of his mouth.

Brianna smothered a laugh and closed the space between them, twining her arms around his shoulders. He slid his around her waist, his hands flexing on her firm flesh. He wanted to lay her on the bed and hold her to it while he kissed and licked every part of her. Until she writhed and sobbed with the need for release.

“Not at all.” He forced the raging hunger down, fighting the primitive need inside him.

Her eyes laughed up at him. “Justin, are you nervous?”

“No.” Just because he was standing there with his boots nailed to the floor didn’t mean he was nervous.

Her lips quirked in amusement. She lowered her voice to an intimate whisper. “You realize I’ve already seen you naked, right?”

“I’m extremely aware of it.”

Her eyes twinkled as she took his hand and tugged him toward the bed. “You don’t need to worry. I’ll be gentle.”

He laughed at that, and the band around his chest loosened. Judging by the seductive glow in her eyes, coaxing her was the last thing he needed to worry about tonight. Damn, she was breathtaking. He stopped her next to the bed to drag her against him, savoring the pressure of her unrestrained breasts pressed to his chest. The warmth of her skin radiated through the thin fabric of her nightgown as he slid his hands up her spine to hold the back of her head. “I love you,” he whispered.

She smiled in answer. “Show me.”

With pleasure.

He bent his head and took her mouth, absorbing the heady sigh she gave. She leaned into him, her body wrapped in that flimsy layer of material, making him half-crazy with the need to get her naked. He held her still and kissed her deeply, exploring her mouth with his tongue. Brianna was just as eager as him. She undid the buttons of his dress coat and helped him shrug out of it, then his waistcoat. When she opened his shirt beneath it and laid her hands on his bare chest, he let out a ragged groan, his cock hard and pulsing.

The kiss turned hungry, almost frantic. He let one hand trail down to lock on the curve of her hip. She felt incredible, firm yet lushly feminine. His breath was unsteady when he lifted his head to gaze at her. Her eyes were dilated with desire, black swallowing gray. Her lips were swollen and glistening from his kisses.

Impatient, she pushed the shirt off his shoulders and hummed in approval as she nuzzled his skin with the tip of her nose. His hands tunneled into her hair when her lips trailed across his chest, following her fingers when they moved down over his ribs to the healed wound she’d sewn up. She pressed hot kisses to the length of the scar, ran her tongue over it. The gesture turned his heart over and enflamed him at the same time. He growled low in his throat and tugged her upward to meet his kiss.

Her hands closed over the waistband of his trousers, undid the buttons and slid them down his thighs with his drawers. Making a soft sound of need into his mouth, she moved one silken palm over the naked length of his erection.

God.
His whole body jolted as he sucked in a breath. “Bree…” He was a heartbeat away from ripping the gown off her and throwing her onto the bed. His hands contracted on her hip and hair as he battled the fog of lust engulfing him.

“I’ve dreamed of this for so long.” Her grip tightened around his aching flesh and she flicked her tongue over the pulse point in his throat. His eyes closed in ecstasy. “Lie down so I can enjoy you,” she whispered.

Kicking off his boots and trousers, he grabbed her and laid her on the bed on her back. Her eyes glowed up at him in invitation. He set one knee on the mattress and reached for the buttons at her neck but she evaded him and pushed his hands away before hiking up the hem of her nightgown to kneel before him. She ran her hands over his shoulders and chest and drank him in with her gaze, which settled on his engorged cock, making the relentless throb worse. He let her look her fill and reveled in the feel of her hands roving over his heated skin. She made him writhe and arch as she petted him everywhere but the aching erection throbbing against his belly.

“I imagined doing this to you while you were at the hospital,” she whispered, her focus on the way her fingers trailed over the twitching muscles in his abdomen.

Damn, was she trying to kill him? He ached so badly it was all he could do not to wrench the gown up to her waist and roll her beneath him. Somehow he held back and let her explore his body. He could barely breathe for the sensual hunger on her face. “Take off your gown.”

Instead she angled her head and kissed him deeper, her tongue twining around his, and at last closed her hand over his aching length. He gasped and grabbed her waist. His muscles trembled as he battled back the tide of dark need demanding he take control. She stroked him experimentally, her palm smooth and cool against his raging hot skin. Justin moaned and lifted into her touch, thrilled that she was so uninhibited. Sweet God, it was so good… He’d dreamed of this so many times—

She pulled her hand away.

Breathless, he watched as she lifted the hem of her gown over her head and let it drop to the floor. “Brianna,” he rasped, forcing it out of his tight throat. She was even more stunning than he’d imagined. Unbelievably beautiful. Her smooth, creamy skin and high, round breasts topped by deep pink nipples. Her stomach was flat, the dark curls between her thighs already glistening with her arousal. His erection pounded in agony.

Helpless to stop himself, he reached out and cupped her breasts in his hands, fascinated at the way her hard nipples responded to his slightest touch. She made a purring sound and arched her back, letting her eyes close. He feathered his thumb across one tight peak, and was rewarded by her quick intake of breath as the sensitive flesh drew taut. Spots of color rode high on her cheeks, her lips parting in pleasure.

Justin set his hands at her waist and lifted her to straddle him, then cradled her breasts in both hands and bent to take one rigid tip into his mouth. Brianna moaned and whispered his name, her hands sliding into his hair to hold him closer as he sucked her. Her skin was so warm, smelled of spices and soap. God, he could do this forever, pleasuring her while she writhed in his lap. He flicked his tongue over her captive flesh and sucked harder, rolling the other between his thumb and forefinger. Her soft cries filled the room, testing his restraint.

Brianna shifted restlessly and wriggled closer until the dampness of her sex pressed against his throbbing erection. The contact wrenched a groan out of him. Needing to watch her climax for him, he slid one hand down between them to caress her belly and the inside of her thighs until she arched into his touch. Between her thighs he brushed his fingertips against her tender pink folds in a teasing caress, finding her soft and slick. She whimpered and clutched his head tighter to her breast, rocking her hips against his searching fingers.

He could feel the need in her, the same desperation that tormented him. Justin switched to her other breast. He sucked as he stroked the slick petals of her sex, rubbing around the swollen nub of her clitoris. She opened her thighs wider for him, the muscles in her legs trembling. Justin curled his tongue around her nipple, pressed a finger against her opening and eased it inside. Her body clenched around him, so hot and wet he almost growled. He held his finger there for a few seconds then slowly thrust in and out, placing his thumb over her swollen bud to give her the contact she sought.

Crying out, Brianna rocked against his hand and held his face against her breasts. He was frantic to be inside her. Her body quivered in his grip, her head tipped back, gorgeous hair flowing to her waist.
“Justin.”
Her voice was raw, his name a hoarse plea for more. For release.

The primal side of him took over. He rolled her beneath him and covered her with his weight, settling between her splayed thighs. Immediately she wrapped them around him, digging her heels into his flanks. Justin braced his weight on one forearm and bent to torment her stiff nipples with his mouth while he continued to stroke between her legs. Brianna sighed and opened her eyes, heavy lidded and dark with pleasure.

Unable to help himself, Justin rubbed his erection against the smooth skin on her thigh. She was wet and willing, more than ready for him.

Slow down. Make it good for her.

He raised his head from her breast to flick his tongue across her lower lip, and stole inside a moment before retreating. She murmured against his mouth and lifted up for more, legs tightening around him, trying to pull him inside. Justin couldn’t wait another moment. He pulled his hand from her body, grasped his swollen cock and positioned himself at her entrance.

His free hand tunneled into her hair. He kissed her hard, deep, and slid the head of his erection against her, making her slick and desperate for him. Her spine arched in a silent plea, but he merely slid his mouth over her jaw and down her throat, nibbled and nuzzled his way to her breasts. She gave a breathless cry and gripped him tighter, urging him to enter her.

“Justin…”

The stark plea in her voice made his heart pound. He was dying to push into her. But he wanted to hold her like this, stroke and kiss her all over, stare down into her face as he made her climax first without the distraction of his own pleasure.

He shifted his weight and trailed his hand over her stomach to her hip, down one silky smooth thigh. Back up the inside of it. “You’re so soft,” he whispered reverently against her breast. His fingers stroked with a feather-light touch over her slick heat.