His Perfect Bride(18)

"I'm on my way to prepare for your guests. There is no reason to be upset."

"I'll order you a bath immediately. I can't imagine what you were  thinking being down here like that." She waved her hands at him in  disgust. "Go. Some of the guests have arrived. What if one of them  caught you in such a state?"

"I don't intend for that to happen." Richard turned and made his way to  his bedchamber. He knew his mother was anxious to see him married, but  he imagined the ladies would not care about his appearance; it was his  title they craved. In any case, he had already decided who would become  his marchioness, and her opinion was the only one that mattered.

Soon he was in the safety of his bedchamber without having run into any  guests. Before long, the bath his mother had ordered arrived and, once  alone, he thankfully stripped off his clothes. Sinking into the inviting  warm water, Richard allowed the tension to drain from his body.

Feeling more relaxed, he cleansed his body and tried not to dwell on the  upcoming events. Keeping his mind clear didn't last long, for soon  visions of Brianna flashed into his thoughts. As usual he could feel his  body reacting to her. He debated waiting for the water to cool to take  advantage of the effects of a cold bath, but decided against it. Due to  his exhaustion, he would fall asleep, and his mother would not forgive  him if he were absent for her gathering.

Stepping out of the tub, he stood, allowing the drops of water to fall  down his body. The sound of a feminine gasp alerted him. He spun around,  unsure of who would dare enter the marquis' chambers unannounced,  particularly on a day when he was in residence. The rebuke he prepared  died on his tongue when he saw Brianna standing before him. Unable to  comprehend her presence, he remained frozen until he realized upon which  part of his anatomy her eyes were resting.



Her face was flushed and her eyes were wide. He watched as she licked  her lips, and his member swelled to a greater size. As the corners of  her mouth turned up slightly, he pulled himself out of his preoccupation  with her reaction.

"What the devil are you doing here?" he demanded, grabbing a towel and  wrapping it around his waist. "Regardless, you must leave now."

She blinked, but her eyes only rose enough to rest on his chest. The way  she was staring at him made him wish he was not standing in his  undressed state, or rather that she too was similarly clothed. When her  eyes slowly traveled to his lips, her mouth curled up in a full smile.

"I remember you promising me a kiss upon our next meeting." Her  breathless voice made his chest tighten in anticipation. "I wish to  collect it now."

She sauntered toward him, and his mouth went dry. This was wrong, but he  was powerless against her. When she was within arms distance, he fought  the urge to drag her against him.

"Stop," he rasped. "I promised you a kiss, and you shall have it, but not now."

"Why not? There is no one around to catch us. I think now is a perfect  time." Closing the distance, she boldly placed her hands on his bare  chest.

The feeling of her warm hands upon him nearly destroyed his resolve, but  he refused to give in to her. His body ached and having her here in his  bedchamber tested his control. As she looked into his eyes, she rubbed  her hands up his chest until her arms encircled his neck. Her body  pressed against his, and he could feel every delightful inch of her. The  sensation was almost too much to bear.



"Brianna, I, we, can't do this now."

She ignored his plea and pressed her mouth against his. Groaning in  defeat, he wrapped his arms around her in surrender. He may have lost  this battle, but it felt like a victory as pleasure flowed through his  veins. She rubbed her body against his, and he vehemently kissed her  mouth in response. His resistance melted in the presence of her  willingness, and he could not stop his hands from running across her  back and cupping her bottom.

Richard's body hummed in gratitude and frustration when Brianna drew  back from him. He knew he lacked the willpower at the moment to  accomplish such a feat. Due to his desire for her, his body had grown  hard, causing him physical pain, and all he could think about was the  big bed looming before them.

They stood there breathing heavily, only inches apart. She had a strange  look in her eyes, a mixture of determination and something else he  could not place. Regardless, the look would not bode well for him.

When she took a step back, Richard cursed under his breath. Realizing  his lack of restraint mixed with his unclothed state had scared her, he  took a step back as well. She didn't speak, but took another step away  from him. He was grateful for the distance, yet angry at the need for  it. Her eyes never left his as she continued to back up until she almost  hit the bed. He cursed again as he struggled against the compulsion to  follow her.         

     



 

"Brianna, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to . . ." The words stuck in his  throat as Brianna's hands moved to the front of her dress. He watched in  enthrallment as she began unfastening buttons and exposing the creamy  white skin beneath. His hands itched to help her, but he knew he needed  to find his voice to stop her.



"What are you doing?" he finally choked out.

"I believe it would only be fair if we were similarly dressed." There was only a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

What should he do? He desperately wanted her, and she was willingly  offering herself, but he knew making love to her would be wrong.  Although determined to have her as his wife, traditionally the  much-anticipated event occurred after the wedding. On the other hand,  nothing about their relationship had been conventional, and his selfish  side reminded him that going forward would force her to accept his suit  in the future.

Fighting with himself the entire way, Richard took the necessary steps  toward Brianna. Stopping inches in front of her, he reached out to still  her hands, unsure of how to proceed. She gazed up at him with such  emotion on her face that he could not deny her.

"Would you care for some help?" Without waiting for a response, he  captured her lips. She eagerly met him, while he efficiently unfastened  the remainder of the buttons. With anticipation clawing at him, he  pushed the dress off her shoulders. The fabric caught at her waist, so  he untied her petticoats, not satisfied until they, along with the  dress, pooled around her ankles.

When she was clothed only in her thin chemise, he drew back to survey  his prey. His eyes drank in the sight of her half-dressed body, but it  was not enough. She shivered, watching him from under her lashes.  Although she obviously tried to hide it, he could see fear lurking in  her eyes. He desperately wanted to keep going but refused to do  something she was not ready for.

"Are you sure?" he asked in a voice he no longer recognized. Holding his breath, he prayed she would say ‘yes'.

"I am." She lifted her chin as if confirming her resolve. "What about you? Do you wish to continue?"



Richard would have laughed at the absurdity of the question had he not  been trying to keep a tight control over himself. Knowing a response was  unnecessary, he scooped her up into his arms and laid her on his bed.  Hesitating, he realized he needed to distance himself, or the experience  would be over much too soon. Grabbing his trousers off the chair, he  slipped them on before discarding the towel. With a more restrictive  garment, he was able to cool a little of his ardor.

Returning to the bed, he saw Brianna lying completely still, and he  wondered if she was aware of the mechanics of what they were about to  do. Knowing she was new to this, he decided to take things as slowly as  possible. He sat down on the bed and gently ran his finger over her  cheek.

"Don't worry. I will not hurt you. I promise to bring you pleasure," he  whispered huskily, then leaned over her to press his lips to hers. Her  arms wound around his neck, bringing him closer, so he allowed himself  to stroke her soft breast through the chemise. She arched her back,  clearly enjoying the contact. Encouraged, he slipped the chemise down  and then returned his hand, loving the feel of her naked flesh. The  sound of her moan forced Richard into a frenzy. He sat up, pulled her  chemise off, and fell on top of her.

Once again claiming her mouth, he caressed her breast. Her hands tugged  on his shoulders, asking for more. Only too happy to comply, he replaced  his hand with his mouth. Brianna let out a small cry as her hands dove  into his hair, holding him to her breast. She was so sweet and  responsive Richard knew he would not be able to deny himself much  longer. His hand slowly slid down her soft body until it rested on the  place for which his body ached.

As he slowly trailed kisses up her neck toward her lips, he began to  stroke her. Breathing heavily, she brought his lips to hers as she  squirmed beneath his touch. Suddenly, she jerked back, calling out as  pleasure overtook her. Her fiery passion and her enjoyment was such a  beautiful sight Richard smiled tightly through the cloud of lust welling  up inside him.