But he sighed deeply as he looked down at her. "We've done enough ripping. What's left has to be done slowly."
"You're not stopping-?"
"Not a chance. Believe me I'm more eager than you, Jack, but let me ease the way for you."
Gently he pushed her back down on the bed and began caressing her, which didn't ease anything and just made her want him now, right now! But she would give him a few minutes to show her what he was talking about because she felt a little too embarrassed to ask when she probably ought to know.
His mouth was so hot on her breasts that she was close to screaming. She did moan. A lot. Yet he was still behaving as if he had all the time in the world now, which was driving her crazy. But then he raised his head and gave her a sensual grin. Finally! she thought. She started to wrap her legs around him again, but he slid down her body until his head was between her thighs and . . . oh . . . my . . . God!
The very moment his mouth touched her there, she felt out of control, her pulse exploding, spreading through her, lifting her hips and leaving her trembling, melted, and so utterly amazed. So that's what he'd meant? Good grief!
"Now you're wet for me."
She was? But she was now replete. Were they really not done? But the moment he climbed on top of her, bracing his arms on either side of her head and moving his hips against hers, she gave him the most brilliant smile. She wanted him again. No, they definitely weren't done.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
DID WE SLEEP AT all?" Jacqueline wondered aloud the next morning.
Waking up wrapped alongside Damon, lying on her side pressed against his chest, had given her an instant, dreamy smile that hadn't yet gone away. He hadn't closed the drapes or turned off the lantern in the room last night. The lantern had burned out and the sun was streaming in. But the sunbeam on the wall was rather high. She had a feeling Mr. Thomson was doing a lot of yawning at the wheel, waiting for Damon to relieve him.
He had one arm across her back, keeping her close to him. His other hand was softly caressing the arm she had draped across his chest, moving from her shoulder to her fingers and back again. She could tell without looking up that he was grinning when he said, "Yes-I think."
She would have laughed about his not being sure, except she wasn't sure, either. But they must have slept a little, since she wasn't tired. She ought to be. It had been a night for education of the nicest sort. In fact, she felt quite energetic and exhilarated with him caressing her as he was doing. She decided she needed another kiss from this man and straddled his hips, grinning widely before she gave him one. He didn't hesitate to kiss her back, and before she knew it, he was on top of her, kissing her deeply, his hands stroking and exciting her in wonderfully sinful ways. Not until they lay beside each other breathless and satisfied, her not feeling a single regret-definitely her father's daughter-did she think about Jeremy and how furious he would be.
She sat up abruptly. "Is my brother going to be let out before you're on deck? The pirates might think he's escaped."
"No, Mort doesn't know about the alliance yet." With a sigh, likely due to the reminder of her brother, he got up to sit on the side of the bed. "But your brother might be wondering by now why he hasn't been let out." Damon leaned down to pick up something on the floor, then handed her a button with an abashed grin. "I'm sorry about your shirt. But I've seen you rip up clothes before, so I didn't think you'd mind."
///
She laughed. "It was yours."
"No, as soon as it's on your body, it becomes yours."
"Does that include you? I did notice you were a nice fit."
"Do you really need to ask?"
She grinned at him. "But don't expect me to be giving you any apologies in return. Nearly three weeks wasted when we could have been having that delightful time sooner if you-" Her eyes flared with sudden realization. "You weren't going to, were you? Ever?"
"Resisting you has been the hardest thing I've ever done, but I actually wanted your father's blessing-"
"Oh, good God. Now you're talking about never!" She rolled her eyes at him. "It's a good thing I forced your hand then, isn't it? So we'll have some fun for the duration, then go our separate ways afterward, and you will never think again about doing the noble with my father. Really, he's not a normal parent by any means, and I don't want you dead anymore."
He leaned over and kissed her hard before he got up and walked to the chest at the foot of the bed. "It's adorable that you think you can control my actions, Jack, but you really can't."