Brant rose to his feet in one smooth motion, intent on capturing her in his arms. He seized her mouth with his own in a tenderly passionate kiss. Fingers grazed lightly over her cheeks, slow and gentle. He molded his body hard against her. The more he kissed her, the less she could resist him.
“Stop.” Della pulled away to breathe. He was naked, with only her wet gown keeping their bodies apart.
“Nay, not again,” he begged, his tone ragged and soft. He rocked his hips, pressing his hard arousal along her stomach. “Don’t deny me. My body could not take it if you did. I need to feel you. I need to be inside you.”
“Just for a moment, I cannot think when you kiss me like that.” As if to attest to the truth of her words, her dazed eyes threatened to clear.
Brant’s animalistic groan reclaimed her mouth in a slanting assault. She pitched fully against him, unable to support herself. When he broke away, he said, “Nay. Do not think tonight, Della—only feel. I can give you so much pleasure, if you but let me. I can show you things you never thought possible. I want to give you pleasure.”
Della shivered at the promise in his husky words and for once she found herself believing them. Brant’s hands wandered the length of her back, her sides and her hair. He grew frustrated as her clothes stopped his exploration.
“Take off your gown. I want to see you.”
They were still standing in the bath water. Della pushed against his chest until her own feet once again supported her.
“I cannot.” She bit her lip and looked away. A blush stained her cheeks.
“Yea, you can.” Brant touched the back of her neck. “You are most beautiful, Della. You have naught to be ashamed of.”
“That is not what I meant.” Della flushed, shyly enjoying his compliment. “The tie is in back. I cannot reach it.”
Brant smiled as his fingers found the tie hidden in the gown the same moment she said the words. He pulled at the string and the heavy linen immediately slid to her shoulders. His fingers moved over the wet, naked skin he found there. Pulling her arms from his chest, he angled them down so the gown slid completely from her to pool around her feet in the tub.
The chilled air of the bedchamber hit her naked flesh. Before she could react, Brant lifted her into his arms, one hand wrapping intimately around her naked thigh and the other winding behind her back, his fingers grazing the side of her breast to skim close to her nipple. Their bodies were still wet from the tub. His feet splashed in the spilled water as he carried her to the bed. As he walked, he kissed her jaw just below her scraped cheek. Della hid her face in his neck, but she didn’t fight him, didn’t tell him to stop.
Placing her on the warm fur coverlet, Brant crawled onto the bed and leaned over her. His eyes swept her body in a wondrous caress, devouring her hungrily. An unfamiliar pride overwhelmed her senses at his approval. Unable to keep his bold gaze, her eyes dipped underneath her lashes.
“You are so lovely, princess.” Brant cupped her breast briefly before sliding his hand down her flat stomach. She didn’t touch him in return, only lay still, letting his hand move where it will. “Your skin is so soft.”
He touched her pelvic bone, drawing leisured circles down her thigh. She saw that her body excited him and knew she should be embarrassed to be so exposed to his view. But she couldn’t be, not when he looked so approvingly at her.
“Do I look as other women do?” she whispered, hesitant. “You have seen many.”
“What an odd question.” Brant chuckled and the sound rumbled in his chest, but his laughter died when he met her eyes. Her words hadn’t been accusing or bitter, but they were serious nonetheless. “Yea, Della. Only you are the most beautiful.”
“You promised never to lie to me.” Della stiffened at his words. A slight frown marred her face. “I don’t expect you to say those things to me. I will not command any such sentiments from you. I know what I am.”
Brant looked at her intensely, but didn’t answer. He moved his hand over her stomach. The ache returned to her midsection as the fire inside her grew into an inferno beneath his touch. She wanted to grab him to her, but she didn’t know if it was allowed so she held back. His fingers lightly brushed over the soft curls intimately guarding her slick folds and she jolted in surprise as an uncontrollable shiver shot through her at the private handling.
“You like that, don’t you?” He inched his body lower, settling next to her hip to kiss below her navel.
Della arched toward his mouth. Moaning, she instinctively wanted his lips to move lower, wanted to force him more fully against her, but his kisses stayed light and teasing, dancing over her flesh. She wanted to touch him, as he did her, and she wanted something deep inside her belly.