Silk and Secrets(97)

All that mattered to Juliet was that finally they were together again, and details of technique seemed irrelevant, but as she opened her mouth to protest, he drew her into his embrace. "Slow down, my lovely vixen."

Holding her motionless against him with one arm, he stroked a gentling hand down her head and back. "You're like an armful of lightning—exciting, but moving too fast for full appreciation. Though we may not have much time, at least we will have tonight. As you said, let's not waste it."

For an instant she resisted, for her body ached to join with his. But Ross was right: their reunion   demanded something more caring and more memorable than a frantic coupling that would be over in minutes. She had always loved the fact that he had the strength of wisdom and patience, so different from her own reckless temperament.

Forcing herself to relax, Juliet melted into his embrace. "If I am lightning, you are the rod that brings me back to earth and saves me from self-destruction." She pressed her lips to his throat, taking the time to savor the salt flavor of his skin, the intimate pressure of his beating pulse. With her tongue she felt the rate increase; it was gratifying to know that his control was neither effortless nor unlimited.

He gave a long sigh of pleasure before reluctantly stepping away. "The first thing to do is remove all these clothes." Deftly he unwound her tagelmoust and dropped it on the floor, then pulled the sheathed dagger from her sash. "You won't be needing this." Knife and sash joined the pile on the carpet.

Lifting her braid, he untied the ribbon at the end and ran his fingers through the bright tresses until they spilled freely across her shoulders. "This is how I thought of you most often," he said softly. "With your hair blazing across the pillow like fire. Gul-i Sarahi, the flower of the desert." He buried his face in the heavy silken mass, his warm breath caressing her throat.

"I hated my hair until I met you," she whispered. And because Ross had loved the outrageous color and uncontrollable curls, she had never cut it since they met.

He submerged his hands in her thick locks and began massaging her scalp with his fingertips. Juliet let her head fall forward onto his shoulder while sensual pleasure rippled through her. There wasn't a single part of her body that didn't love Ross's touch, and he knew it.

After a delicious interval, she decided it was time for another kiss and raised her face, but he said, "Not yet."

Since Juliet was not wearing her mantle, the next item of apparel to go was her long robe. She raised her arms as Ross lifted it over her head, leaving her standing in her loose trousers and the vest she wore to flatten her breasts.

Then he halted, his arrested gaze fixed on her chest. At first she didn't realize what the object of his attention was. Then she remembered. Her cheeks flamed and she put a protective hand over the ring suspended around her neck on a gold chain.

Undeterred, he extricated the ring from her nerveless fingers. There was no need to ask what it was, for it was Ross who had placed that golden band on her hand on their wedding day. Inside were engraved their names and the date of their marriage.

Juliet had taken the ring off several weeks after she had left him, but she had worn it on the chain ever since, except for brief occasions like the night they had dined at Serevan and she had worn a low-necked dress.

He studied the simple band, turning it in his fingers as if expecting it to vanish from his grasp. Then he raised his sardonic gaze to hers. She knew instinctively that he would not say anything; equally clearly, she knew that she must, even though the meaning of the ring was blatantly obvious.

Quietly she said, "There was much that I didn't want to forget either."

"Good." His expression both wry and tender, Ross released the ring and transferred his attention to the quilted cotton binder that covered her torso. It was fastened by four small string bows down the front. He undid the first and peeled back the fabric panels, then bent over and pressed his lips to the cleft revealed.

Juliet gasped, and her knees began feeling buttery. Without haste, Ross undid one bow after another, kissing the expanding curves as they were released. When the last fastening was untied, he slid the vest off her shoulders. Her pale skin was marked with red lines from the unnatural constriction.

He cupped her breasts and moved his hands in slow circles, murmuring, "A crime to suppress such beauty."

His expert touch stimulated the flow of blood, bringing her breasts to tingling life. Juliet caught her breath as her nipples stiffened against his palms. "It is almost worth having them bound for the pleasure of having you set them free."

Her trousers were also fastened with a bow, and his next step was to untie it. The shapeless garment immediately collapsed around her ankles. For the first time Juliet felt shyness, because of the number of years that had passed since she had been naked before him and concern that her body might have changed for the worse.