The Marriage He Must Keep(48)

“I should tell you,” she murmured, self-conscious, but unable to keep from caressing his chest, tracing the pattern of hair and splaying her hand down his waist. “The books said it might hurt at first, so, um, can you be careful?”

He drew back. “I thought we were just fooling around. It hasn’t been six weeks.”

“It’s close enough,” she grumbled. “That was just a recommendation. The doctor said if I felt like it sooner, I could, but to use condoms. There are some in the drawer.”

His brows went up and he rolled away to look, almost as if he didn’t believe her. When he came back with the little square in his hand, his eyes were pure green and brilliant with desire. “If I’m dreaming, I’d better not wake up.”

She smiled until he kissed her again, then she couldn’t do anything but respond to the deep, drugging way he made love to her mouth. They kissed for a long time, as if this was all they were planning to do. He wove his fingers into her hair and she traced light fingertips over his throat and shoulders and up to where their lips devoured each other.

She loved that he wasn’t rushing her. In fact, it was as though he was returning to a place he’d almost forgotten and had to make a point of touching each inch of her skin, inhaling deeply near her ear, licking at her neck and backing off to watch as he stroked his hands over her. He was focused wholly on her, bringing her hand to his heart, kissing her temple and collarbone, then the inside of her elbow. He glanced to see if she liked his lips on the underside of her breast, against her scar, on her inner thighs and against the lace of her panties.

She swallowed, moved and aroused, trembling as she met his gaze, so steady and yet so emotive. She’d thought him adept. A playboy. A practiced seducer. He was, but this wasn’t a routine. He wanted to pleasure her. She saw earnestness in him. A desire for forgiveness.

This was more than a physical reacquainting. It was reconciliation.

She touched his face, memorizing his features with her eyes and her touch. He pursed his lips against her thumb pad, seeming in agreement that they had time, lots of time. That reassured her in a way nothing else could.

When he started to peel her panties away, she lifted her hips, modesty tossed away with the blue silk. Unashamed as he admired her.

Kneeling between her legs he pushed off his boxers, sending them to the floor before he covered himself and lowered to settle over her. She lifted again, seeking and inviting his penetration where she was wet and so needy.

He groaned as he kissed her and started to press into her.

“Oh!” she said, startled by the sting.

The noise he made was pure, maddened pain. He rolled away and threw his arm over his eyes.

“Sandro—”

“Give me a minute, cara,” he said, voice tight.

“I was only going to say it’s not that bad. I want to. I want you.” She splayed her torso over his, sliding against him in a full-body caress. “Please.”

He made another agonized noise and said, “I’m the one who wants to beg, cara. Like this then.” He dragged her to straddle him. “You do it. Go as slowly as you need.” He spoke through his teeth, not even opening his eyes, and reached up to catch his hands under the edge of the ornate headboard.

She took a moment to admire the taut strip of muscle he made, straining beneath her, nipples hard and jaw clenched. Then she guided him and took a few careful inhales and exhales as she brought him into her. When she was seated right against him, his thick shape filling her like the pulse of her own heart, she gloried in the perfection of it.

She stroked her hands over his hard chest and his rib cage swelled under her touch, breath moving through his teeth in hisses of tested control.

It made her smile. So much man. So much discipline held so very, very tightly.

So unwilling to let himself let go.

Bracing her hands on his chest, she scraped her nails into his hard pecs, liking the way he shivered like a stallion feeling spurs. Could she crack his restraint?

“You’ve always been the one to call the shots,” she mused, moving experimentally. So much pleasure sparked through her, she gasped and almost lost the plot.

His eyes opened in glittering slits of green. “You’re enjoying this,” he gritted out.

Her smile widened. “That’s the point, isn’t it?” She moved with more purpose, teasing them both, arching as another streak that was even more intense went through her.

His nostrils flared and he brought his hands to her hips, fingers flexing in with warning, abdomen sucked tight as he cautioned her to take care with her movements. “Dio, you’re beautiful, riding me like this.”