A Taste of Temptation (29 page)

He wanted to give Olivia all the pleasure she had experienced last night and more.

While their mouths continued to mate he backed her up until his hands found the door knob. He didn’t know how but he managed to open it without letting go of her or without breaking their kiss.

Once inside he kicked the door closed behind them. He shoved his hands between them and slipped her gown far enough down her arms that he could free her breasts from her undergarments. A whisper of satisfaction eased past his lips and into her mouth as he cupped, lifted, and firmly squeezed each breast, feeding his insatiable desire to touch her with all the hunger he was feeling.

In seconds, her nipples swelled and hardened beneath his gentle tug. The soft, feminine sounds of delight she made elated him and added to his own enjoyment.

“Does that pleasure you, Olivia?” he mumbled against her lips, not wanting to stop kissing her long enough to speak clearly.

“Very much so. I don’t understand why it feels so bliss-ful, why I can hardly breathe, but I love the way you make me feel.”

He chuckled into her mouth. “I can hardly breathe myself,” he whispered.

He continued to massage her breasts, loving the feel of their soft, firm weight in his hands. Just touching her helped ease the intense hunger inside him and gave him such pleasure that he never wanted to stop. A burning heat surged through his loins and a longing filled his heart. He wanted to completely possess her as his wife without any doubts or reservations.

“My sweet Olivia. There is so much more about loving to teach you than what you’ve experienced so far.”

“Teach me, my lord, teach me.”

With eager hands he took hold of her gown and with a few pulls lifted it over her head and threw it aside. He reached around her and untied the stays, then raked the shift off her shoulders, down her arms, past her waist, leaving the flimsy material to glide down her legs and puddle at her feet. Taking great care, he untied her garters and rolled her silk stockings down her legs and off her slender feet.

Andrew quickly disposed of the rest of her undergarments in the same efficient way, and then he ran the palm of his hands and tips of his fingers over her naked shoulders and breasts, down to the slender curve of her waist and back up again. All the while he gazed at her gorgeously shaped body.

He took in her beauty knowing that she could see his great craving for her in his eyes. He wanted her to know just how deeply he ached for her.

“I want you so desperately I find it difficult to maintain control.”

“Is that good or bad?” she asked and reached up and untied his neckcloth.

Huskily, he said, “Very good. I want you on the bed beneath me, but I’m going to wait and take my time at pleasing you first, God willing.”

“Then you better help me undress you,” she said with a smile.

Andrew helped her make short work of removing his clothing and shoes, dropping them near hers on the floor.

When he stood naked before her she reached out her hands and rubbed her palm tantalizingly slowly over his chest, lightly scraping his tight nipples, making him groan with enjoyment. Her gossamer-light caress teased him and offered no mercy to the pure torment she inflicted on him.

Andrew trembled with wanting, willing her with his thoughts to go lower and touch his hardness, feel its thick-ness, its weight in her hands.

“Your body is magnificent,” she said, “so big and strong.”

“I fear you are stretching the truth, Olivia, but I do like hearing you say it.”

“I speak with all honesty.”

He smiled down at her. “And you, my wife, are more beautiful than Venus.”

Andrew reached up and pulled the pins from her hair and dropped them to the floor. With gentle hands he slid his fingers into her hair and shook it free of the bun that held it off her neck. He crushed its lush length into the palm of his hands before he let it tumble down to her back. It was so long that it reached to her breasts. He quickly pushed it to her back so it wouldn’t cover her beauty.

“I don’t want anything hiding your loveliness from me, not even your glorious hair. I don’t want to stop looking at you or touching you.”

“I like looking at you, too,” Olivia said as she let her open palms glide down his chest to his waist, to his abdomen, to his manhood.

Gently, she took hold of him. Andrew closed his eyes, threw back his head, and sucked in his breath at her tender, unexpected touch. His muscles contracted in sweet pain at her bold action.

His body ached to possess her, but he was determined to take their love making slower than his body wanted him to go so he could completely satisfy them both.

“You are so big and hard,” she said as she stroked the length of his shaft.

“For you, yes,” he whispered, enjoying her touch, yet hurting from having to hold himself in check.

Olivia leaned in close to him and kissed his chest, pulling his small nipple into her mouth. Andrew’s legs went weak with need. One arm went around her and he cupped her head and helped guide her while she sucked his nipple into her mouth. His other arm snaked between them and he covered her hand with his and showed her how to hold him and stroke him to give him the most pleasure.

But he could only allow this foreplay for a few moments. It felt too good to continue.

“I want to feel your skin next to mine. I want to feel your body inside mine,” she whispered as she reached up and pressed her lips to his.

She must have read his mind. He was slipping over the edge of his endurance. He gently took hold of her hand and moved it up to his chest.

With no thought of pillows or coverlet, he reached down and scooped her up and laid her on top of the soft, luxuriously feminine bed. He stretched the length of his naked body on top of hers, and he groaned with indulgence from the sheer thrill of having her soft body beneath him once more.

Andrew wanted immediately to enter her, but knew if he did he would spill his seed before he had given her pleasure. He had no desire to leave her wanting. He wanted to fill her and satisfy her completely before he gave in to his own gratification.

His fingers feathered the outline of her face as he looked down at her and whispered, “I’m glad you’re mine, Olivia.”

“Always want me, Andrew. I need you to always want me to be with you,” she whispered.

“I will, my love. You know I will,” he answered with a deeper feeling than he thought possible.

He bent his head and kissed that warm soft spot behind her ear. For a moment he rested his face in the crook of her neck. He breathed deeply, drinking in her warm, womanly scent. He kissed her soft feminine skin. He inhaled the scent of freshly washed hair. She was so warm.

With tenderness he kissed his way down her neck, down to her breasts, taking first one and then the other into his mouth, moving slowly as if he had all the time in the world.

For the first time in his life he wanted to do more than just satisfy a woman, he wanted to make Olivia feel treas-ured. He wanted her to know she was more important to him than any other woman had ever been. He didn’t know why or what exactly he was feeling but he knew he wanted something more than just gratification from Olivia.

Leaving her breast moist from his tongue, he brushed her lips with his, easing over them with the lightest contact.

She opened her mouth and playfully caught his bottom lip with her teeth. His tongue thrust in deeply, sipping from her mouth. They teased each other with nips and kisses.

With a loving hand, he raked his fingers down her breast, over her slim womanly hip and shapely inner thigh.

Andrew moved his hand back up and caressed the warm skin of her stomach and up to her breast again, before inch-ing his hand lower until he found the softness between her legs. There, he cupped her gently for a moment before finding the center of her desire with his fingers. He caressed her with a soft, circular movement.

Within moments, she gasped and arched toward him.

“Oh, yes, Andrew. That is where it feels best,” she murmured, dragging her lips away from his.

“Tell me more.”

She kissed his chin, his neck, and moved back up to his lips. “That is where I hunger for you.” She trembled beneath his loving caress.

Andrew smiled. There was immense satisfaction in the way she responded to him. He relished the sensations touching her gave him.

He didn’t want her excitement to end too soon, so he stopped stroking her center and positioned himself at her opening and pushed to enter her.

Olivia was so tight his body trembled.

Her arms went around his back and she hugged him to her. Using easy thrusts he pushed himself in and out, going deeper each time.

“Open up and take all of me, Olivia. Move with me,” he whispered into her ear as he kissed the warmth of her neck.

She raised her hips and matched his movement until they were moving as one. As soon as she joined him their tempo increased until Olivia cried out in passion. Andrew felt her body relax beneath him.

Andrew allowed his body to release hold and he gasped with ecstasy as his body settled softly upon hers. He didn’t know if he had ever felt so complete.

Lying with her, he realized he didn’t give a damn if she had forced him into marriage. Not one damn. She was the woman he wanted forever in his life.

Forever?

Did that mean he loved her?

Andrew lay quiet and still on top of her as he thought about that possibility. He no longer had pleasure in the things that used to amuse him. He wanted to be home with Olivia. He enjoyed looking at her, talking to her, and just being with her.

He especially loved the way she challenged him at every turn.

Did all that equate to being in love with her?

He rose on his elbows and looked down at her. She smiled up at him and his heart fluttered. Could what he was feeling for her be love? He certainly hadn’t planned on that happening.

Olivia opened her mouth as if she was going to say something but he put a finger to her lips and silenced her.

He didn’t want this time with her to end and he wasn’t ready to talk about what he was feeling.

“I’ve not had enough of you, Olivia. Not nearly enough.”

“Then kiss me, Andrew,”she said from beneath his fingertips. “Kiss me and show me more of what you can teach me.”

And he did.

8

O
livia’s eyes popped
open to the semidarkness of her room and she blinked rapidly to adjust her sight. Something had awakened her. Andrew lay facing her, his arm thrown over her waist. His even breathing told her he was sleeping peacefully.

But her sixth sense told her there was something wrong.

She had that odd feeling again as if someone was in the room with her, watching her, yet she felt no sense of danger from the feeling.

She recognized it as the same feeling she had had her first night in Andrew’s house. She listened but didn’t hear anything other than Andrew’s soft breathing and her own breath. Without moving Andrew’s arm from her waist she rose slowly up on her elbows and looked toward the door and gasped.

The shadowy figure of a man was going out her door.

The same man she had seen on her wedding night.

Olivia bolted up in bed.

Andrew stirred. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I saw that man again. He just went out the door.”

“What?” Andrew said, coming instantly awake. He sat up quickly and looked at the door.

Olivia scrambled off the bed and ran to her wardrobe for a wrap. “I saw him. It was the same man who was in my room before.”

In one fluid motion Andrew rolled off the bed and picked up his trousers, stepping into them as he hurried to the door. Olivia met him there and he jerked it open.

They stepped out into the corridor. It was quiet, dark, and empty.

“Are you sure you saw someone?” Andrew asked as he buttoned the flap on his trousers.

“Yes, but—” Olivia hesitated as a chill swept over her.

“Do you smell smoke?”

Andrew sniffed. His eyes widened. “Damnation! Get down the stairs.”

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Nineteen

8

A
ndrew grabbed Olivia’s
hand and they raced down the stairs. The smell of something burning grew stronger with each step they took. By the time they reached the bottom of the stairs Olivia saw a small plume of smoke floating out of the parlor. The fire couldn’t be too big with so little smoke.

“Get the servants and get out of the house!” Andrew exclaimed as he let go of her hand and quickly disappeared into the smoke.

Olivia looked at the front door and then back at the entrance to the parlor. She didn’t want to wake anyone until she knew how big the fire was. And she certainly couldn’t run out of the house and leave Andrew to fight the fire alone.

With no idea what she would see or do once inside, she entered the parlor. She immediately put her hand over her mouth and nose to keep from breathing in the smoke.

The draperies covering one window were the only things burning. No one in the house was in immediate danger so she didn’t yell “fire.” She watched Andrew yank the flam-ing fabric from the wall to fall on the floor. He turned to grab a pillow from the settee and saw her.

“I told you to get out,” he shouted as flames shot up at him.

“No, I’m going to help you put out the fire,” she insisted and looked around the room.

“Your hair and robe are too long. You’ll catch fire,” he said and began to beat the leaping flames with the pillow.

But Olivia was already racing toward the far wall where she saw a small tapestry. She jerked it down from the rod where it hung and hurried back over to the fire. Throwing her hair to her back and catching her robe between her legs, she helped Andrew smother the fire until all that remained was the smoldering fabric crumpled on the floor.