Desiring the Highlander (22 page)

When Cole’s mouth broke from hers, Ellenor’s heart stopped and only started beating again when his lips slowly began to trek across her cheek, lingering as he nibbled the line of her jaw, her ear, and finally her neck. His tongue swirled around the base of her throat and below.

Ellenor could not recall feeling so alive, so beautiful, in her entire life. Each time Cole touched her, she was filled with a restless yearning for more, but knew not of what.

She had known all about the physical act of making love for years, but the idea that a man’s touch could lift her to an unworldly realm was new and incredibly powerful. It was a world of passion and awe and beauty, and it could only be found and shared with one man. One Highlander.

Cole inhaled the scent of her and knew she was already moist, just as he had already become hard, so hard he hurt. With only a kiss. He knew he should stop; the pain would only increase if he continued, but he didn’t care. He needed to hold her for just a little while longer. Pleasure unlike he had never known was in his arms and he wasn’t ready to let it go. At least not yet.

She arched her back, and her thick dark golden mane tumbled behind her shoulders. His slid his fingers beneath the weight of it, relishing the silky feel. Nothing could be so soft and yet, here it was, made for him to touch and enjoy.

His hands started to explore the curvature of her spine and then her rib cage. He spread his thumbs just wide enough to barely graze the sides of her breasts. The simple touch reminded him of their perfect size and how good they had tasted. Trailing his lips to her shoulders, he slowly moved the sleeve of her gown down, exposing her skin to his mouth and tongue. She sucked in her breath and then moaned with satisfaction. It was like the sweetest music to his ears and he wanted—needed—to hear more.

Cole covered her mouth with his once again, drugging her senses, as he lifted her body so that she was stretched across his lap. His fingers found and caressed the sensitive skin at her nape before moving lower. Pushing aside the curve of her hair, he lowered her sleeves before finding the ties to her gown. He tugged at them. They parted, freeing the treasures hidden beneath their burgundy folds. Moving the lacy edge of her chemise aside, pert, perfect breasts were thrust into the air, hardening as the cool night air teased her overheated skin.

He swallowed and the aching hunger that had been driving his emotions and actions suddenly swelled to new levels. “God, Elle,” he groaned, his voice thick and husky, “you are so incredibly beautiful.”

Ellenor arched her back, twisting, her body begging to be touched. Cole complied. He bent down and closed his mouth over hers for a long, searing moment, and then unable to wait any longer, cupped her breasts. His thumbs trembled as they brushed across her soft skin. A light sigh of relief escaped her lips as her nipple tightened against his palm.

Capturing one hard little nub, he squeezed it gently, relishing how she shuddered in response. He let his fingers caress, massage, and knead the flawlessly shaped mound under his callused hand. Then he moved to the other nipple, stroking it, teasing it, until it strained for release.

Ellenor gripped his shoulders. Her body was screaming for more of his touch. His fingers were tormenting her with their light stimulating caresses. She needed his mouth on her, tasting her as he did before. “Please, Cole, touch me.”

“I am, love,” he whispered and brushed his mouth against hers, switching his massage to her other breast.

“No,” she moaned. “Touch me,” she begged, only half aware she was voicing her uninhibited request, “like you did before.”

Cole knew exactly what she wanted, what her body longed for, and reveled in the thought he could make such a beautiful, strong woman weak with need for him. “Tell me. Tell me exactly what you want, Elle, and I will give it to you. I don’t want to scare you.”

Scare her!
He was torturing her and suddenly she knew why. Even while she had forgotten her distrust of men and her fear of their touch, Cole had remembered. He was holding back. Something she didn’t want him to do. “Kiss me with your mouth,” she purred. “Here.” Reaching up with her hands, she clasped them around the back of his neck and pulled him down to her awaiting breast.

Cole took the nipple into his mouth and gently held the bloom between his lips, flicking his tongue over the sensitive flesh. It was firm and ripe and her impassioned response caused him to lose restraint. He began to suckle, drawing more of the pink bud in his mouth. She was trembling and her quakes were going through him as if they were shivers of his own. Some of them might have been. Ellenor was everything he could ever want in a woman. Spirited, spontaneous, and so passionate she set his body ablaze. And he had only grazed the surface of what she had to offer.

Ellenor’s fingers dove into his hair and then down his back. Pausing to embrace his shoulders, she could feel his muscles flexing beneath her hands. Her palms turned hot. Her heart was racing as his mouth continued to weave its magic spell.

“I never thought,” she moaned, “it could be like this. I thought I would never…I didn’t know I could feel this way…” Cole covered her mouth with his own, preventing her from further speech in another soul-scorching kiss. In one effortless move, he swung her up into the air and removed the rest of her gown. Then, he unhooked his own belt, letting his kilt fall to the floor as he headed toward the bed.

She whispered his name, a sound so full of longing his heart ached in response. He was teetering on the biggest mistake he would ever make and it would be days before the building pain in his loins would ease, but it would be worth it. Tonight would have to last a lifetime. Ellenor would learn just how beautiful it could be between a man and a woman, and he would have the memory of sampling heaven, even it was only a piece. To know more would force her to be a part of his life. He was not fit for any woman, especially her. He had committed himself long ago to another path. She knew that, but still she trusted him, wanted him, and it was driving him over the edge.

Easing her back against the pillows, he traced her lips with his tongue, trying to be reassuring, calming her in case she was scared. Ellenor ignored the soft touch and leaned forward, kissing him with a kind of abandon that let him know she trusted him, completely, totally. He could go wild with this woman and she would go with him, even help him to get there.

Cole felt his leine move upward and realized just in time that she was tugging at it, trying to get it off him. He captured her fingers in his own and said, “No, love, tonight, is just about you.”

Ellenor squirmed. “I want to touch you, feel you. Please, Cole, let me…” she whimpered. Her green eyes had turned translucent, and for a brief moment, he wondered if he was going to be able to withstand the pain of never having this again. Then he didn’t care.

He swung his leg over hers and leaned down, his mouth finding the sweet, scented curve of her breast. He teased the already taut dusky pink nipple until she called out with pleasure. He smiled against her skin and, with a deep groan of satisfaction, whispered, “Love, you haven’t felt anything yet.”

The sensations rippling through Ellenor were on the verge of overwhelming her—there were so many of them. One hand held both of hers above her head, his thumb tenderly circling her wrist. It was a gentle caress and yet it said so much. His mouth was the opposite. It was voracious, plucking at one nipple, holding it, sucking until she was writhing with the need for more. Her lower body was on fire, aching to know his touch. Then, his fingers started stroking her inner thigh, softly, creating waves of both pleasure and agony.

Up and down his fingertips went. First one thigh and then the other, each time getting closer to the heat of the fire that threatened to consume her. She was begging him to stop and yet crying for him to continue. She was shaking as his hands finally drifted higher, brushing her hair. Then finally his hand covered her mound, and for a moment, time stood still.

Cole could hardly breathe. His mouth hovered above hers. His body was stretched over her with only his leine between them. The one last piece of protection to remind him he could only go so far. His other hand was where no man had ever gone before. Moisture beaded between the soft folds. This unique, surprising woman was ready for him. Her forest green eyes pleaded with him to continue, weaving a spell around them, making it impossible for either of them to back away.

Cole’s palm rubbed back and forth, and when he felt her hips begin to rock against his hand, straining for a more intimate touch, he parted her with one finger and slipped into her heat.

Ellenor heard the blood pounding in her veins. Her knees trembled. The added stimulus of his finger was almost too much, and Ellenor closed her eyes in wonder. His touch was so gentle she couldn’t believe the pleasure streaking through her. It almost seemed indecent to have a man know her this way. Almost. Her body had a mind of its own, seeming to understand what was happening and reacting naturally. Her legs opened wider and her hips arched, praying for more. One finger twirled at the entrance. It was cruel and divine and she was about to scream, when it plunged into her canal. All breath left her body. Never could she have imagined a man touching her there, being inside her, could cause such ecstasy. She was flying and he had only just begun.

Being inside her was like dipping into hot, sweet honey and Cole wanted more. Ellenor was so wonderfully responsive. She opened up to him, allowing him access to all of her. What he felt was incomparable.

He had been with many women in his life. Sometimes he just wanted to feel something other than an all-consuming hollowness. Other times he was there simply to satisfy a basic need. But nothing he had done had ever filled him emotionally as much as merely touching Ellenor. And nothing ever would again.

He needed to learn all her secrets, sear them into his memory, and never forget this moment. Gradually he moved his finger deeper into her tight channel. She moaned a soft whimper and it nearly pushed reason aside. Forcing himself to move slow, he eased his finger in farther before withdrawing it and delving in again. She was so incredibly hot, and all of it was for him.

His fingers continued to penetrate, drawing forth her wet heat, stroking the flames until she was half mad, ready for one more. Then he added a second finger and increased his tempo—in and out. Ellenor heard herself cry his name. She wrenched her hands free from his grasp and clung to his shoulders, overwhelmed, aroused, and unable to rationalize what was happening. The world was spinning faster and faster, driving her over the edge. No longer quivering, her body was shaking as it split into pieces. Desire scorched through her, igniting sensations that had no name. Stars erupted from behind her lids and suddenly every muscle went tense. A second later, her frame relaxed.

Cole held her gently, stroking her hair, murmuring unintelligible words into her ear. It was a while before Ellenor realized she was still holding her breath. The heat of the sweet, hot flame that had scorched through her could still be felt as her body continued to tremble. The feeling was unlike anything she had ever experienced.

It scared her. She had lost complete and utter control. She had given it all to Cole, trusting him without reservation. He had shown her what it was like between a man and a woman, allowing her to experience what pleasure it could bring, how it could bind two souls to one another forever. And they were bound now. She loved Cole with every fiber of her being and would until the day she died. And she was positive he felt the same about her.

That was until he sat up and raked his hands through his thick hair.

Ellenor reached up and kissed the back of his neck, letting her hands slide up and down his arms. “Where are you going?” she murmured. “Lie back down with me. It’s my turn.”

Cole knew he shouldn’t have started what he couldn’t finish, but he hadn’t been able to stop. With a supreme act of will, he shifted away from her. “No, Elle.” The deep sadness to his tone said more than anything else.

Ellenor recoiled slightly and then shifted so that she was in view, getting ready to demand exactly what he meant. Then she saw his eyes. Deep blue troubled pools filled with a hunger that matched, even exceeded, her own. That knowledge shook her. He wasn’t denying her…he was denying
himself
.

Ellenor reached out and traced the long white scar down his jawline. Cole trembled but he didn’t pull back. The man was desperate for what she had to offer. Not just her body, but her love and understanding. Stark need was etched into every line of his face, but so was the control and self-discipline that governed that need. The man was not ready yet to let go of his past completely, but he was getting closer. He just needed more time. More time to release his ghosts and come to her.

Standing up, she walked over and collected her chemise. Donning it, she moved back to the bed and sat down in front of him, hoping the simple gesture would show she had no more expectations tonight. She would put no more pressure on him to give more. That what he had offered was enough for now.

Ellenor cradled his face in her hands and said, “I love you, Cole. More than you realize, but if all you can give me right now is just a piece of your heart, then that will be enough for me.”

Cole swallowed. She meant it. She loved him. Her hazel eyes were windows into her soul, and there, spinning in an eddy of love and hope, was what she felt for him. No one had ever looked at him that way. It shook his core, and his own feelings for her began to swirl in a maelstrom. He only knew he needed to protect her more than ever, that she was the most important thing in his world.

And that protecting her meant he needed to lose her.

Cole gathered her hands and pulled them away from his face. His cheeks felt as if they had been burned with her warmth and understanding, and he didn’t deserve them. “I can’t do this, Elle. I just can’t.”

Ellenor felt as if she had just been slapped. She only wanted to give him comfort, but instead of being grateful, he was erecting emotional walls once again. He wanted to keep her out, completely out. If she had a piece of his heart, then it was a piece he had never intended for her to have. She couldn’t believe it. Not after what they had just shared. “What do you mean you can’t do this?”