As the Devil Dares (Capturing the Carlisles #3)(98)

With her hands planted on the mattress, she pushed back, meeting each hard movement thrust for thrust.

Joy flooded through him. That she enjoyed letting go of her inhibitions and giving herself over to her desire made him shake with sweet satisfaction. She was shamelessly demanding her own pleasure from him, and he would gladly give it. He thrust into her fast and hard, driving them both on, and each thrust of his hips made a slapping sound against her buttocks as their bodies met.

He felt the tension curl inside her like a coiling spring, in the way her folds began to quiver and flex around his cock, and in her frustrated whimpers as her body strained to reach for its release. He bent over her back and wrapped his arms around her. One hand fondled her breasts through her loosened bodice as the other reached down between her thighs to seek out her most sensitive spot—

Her hips bucked as a gasping spasm of pleasure shot through her. “Robert!”

“Minx,” he returned with a possessive bite at the back of her neck.

As his teeth sank into her flesh, she shattered in his arms, and a throaty cry of pleasure tore from her as she collapsed limply onto her forearms beneath him. A heartbeat later, his own release tore from him, and he poured himself deep inside her. As the waves of release swept through her, her sex clenched and quivered around his cock, greedily milking every last drop of his essence from him.

With his spent body folded over hers, he rested his cheek against her bared shoulder where her dress had slipped away, and closed his eyes. Each racing beat of her heart beneath his cheek brought him intense satisfaction, the force of which he’d never known before.

At that moment, with bliss flooding through him, he wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his days loving her.

*



Mariah lay nestled in Robert’s arms, happier than she’d ever been in her life. What he had done—what they had done together! Oh, she was certain she’d been completely corrupted now into a life of wanton behavior and wicked pleasure.

And she didn’t regret one heartbeat of it.

“Where will we live?” she asked softly, drawing patterns across his chest with her fingertips. “I mean, once we’re married.”

“Wherever you want, darling.” He grinned and tipped her face up to kiss her. “But not with your father.”

He smothered her laughter with his lips.

He’d been kissing her nearly nonstop since they made love, as if he couldn’t get enough of her, even as she lay half-naked in his arms. They hadn’t taken precautions, and a part of her was glad. She could think of nothing more wonderful than his child growing in her womb.

But best not to terrify him with thoughts of a baby so soon. After all, it must surely be bad luck to give the groom a heart attack before the wedding.

So she said instead, “The fighting has stopped.”

He cocked his head to listen, then languidly kissed her again. “Sounds like it.”

She frowned. “Aren’t you worried about your brothers?”

“No.” He placed delicate kisses to her brow to soften it. “My attention’s needed right here.” More kisses to her eyelids, her cheeks, and the tip of her nose. “On you.”

“Robert,” she chastised, but her scolding was undermined by a silly smile on her lips and the happiness swelling inside her chest.

“Well, they’ve either won, in which case Trent is now settling up the bill with the innkeeper for destroying the furniture.” The ease with which he said that made her wonder exactly how many times he and his brothers had gotten into bar fights and ended up doing just that. “Or they’ve lost, in which case they’re dead and beyond help.”

“Robert!”

With a teasing grin, he ignored her rebuke and tugged down the neckline of her rumpled bodice to place a kiss on the swell of her breast. “Most likely, though, they’re in gaol, where they’ll keep safely until I pay their fines.”

Her eyes widened. “Gaol?”

He shrugged, unperturbed. “It’s happened before,” he murmured as he slipped his fingers beneath her stays and freed her breast from its confinement. “So there’s no hurry to leave.” He placed his lips around her nipple and gave it a soft kiss though the thin chemise. “No hurry at all.”

With a sigh of happiness, she eased down onto her back and ran her fingers through his hair as he continued to gently suckle at her breast. Already, a warm tingle stirred between her thighs. How long would they have to wait before he could be hard and inside her again, once more making love to her?

No, she decided as she ran her hands over his bare back, no reason to hurry.

“Where will we be married?” She smiled at him as he released her right breast and began the same sweet torture on the left. They had a future to plan, and discussing it brought her more joy than she thought possible.

“I’ve been thinking about that, actually.” He rested his chin between her breasts as he looked up at her with a grin. He appeared so boyishly earnest and happy that she couldn’t resist smiling at him. “How about over the anvil?”

Her mouth fell open. He couldn’t mean…“Elope?”

“Why not? We’re halfway to Scotland now. In two days we could be at Gretna Green, then married and back to London by the end of the sennight. Then we wouldn’t have to wait to be married.” He arched a brow. “Or give your father the chance to refuse my offer.”