Twelfth Night with the Earl (The Sutherland Sisters #3)(38)

And then he was there, his lean hips between her legs, his hard cock nudging at her entrance. “Stay still, sweet. I want you so much, but I don’t want to hurt you.” He dropped a sweet kiss on her lips, then grasped her hips and held her steady

Thea let out a faint cry, surprised at the quick, sharp sting as he pushed into her with one powerful stroke. She stiffened instinctively, but he didn’t move, and after a few moments the ache faded, and her body eased around him.

Ethan was still frozen above her, his neck straining and beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he struggled to hold back. “I’m sorry, love.” He leaned down to take her mouth again, his lips tender.

“Shhh.” She cupped his face in her hand and stroked her thumb over his cheekbone. “It’s all right.” It had hurt a bit, but the pain was already fading, and it was nothing compared to the joy of being this close to him.

He reached down to stroke her again, his fingers careful but insistent between her legs, and after a moment her body began to relax. When she grew accustomed to the feel of him inside her she gave a tiny, experimental thrust with her hips.

Ethan groaned and pushed his hips forward, as if he couldn’t help himself, but in the next instant he stilled, waiting for a sign from her. “Thea?”

“I want you, Ethan.” She moved her hips against his again, and it felt even better this time.

He let out a shaky laugh. “Thank God.”

He began to move inside her, slowly at first, his hand still stroking between her legs. The sensation of his fingers moving over her tender bud while his hard length filled her dragged a moan from Thea’s lips, and Ethan quickened his thrusts, but she could sense he was still holding back, afraid of hurting her.

She wrapped her legs around his hips and leveraged herself up to bite his neck. “I want all of you. Now, Ethan.”

“Ah, God. Thea.” He threw his head back with a groan, and then he went wild, his hips hard against hers as he drove into her again and again. “Come for me, sweetheart.” He brushed the damp hair away from her face and then crushed her lips under his own.

It might have been his kiss, or his fingers still working between her legs, or the delicious friction of him thrusting inside her, but without warning her hips were rising to meet Ethan’s, sending her higher and higher until the astonishing pleasure took her again, and she tipped over the edge with a breathless scream.

Ethan tensed above her, going still for a breath before he threw his head back with a hoarse cry and followed her over the edge, his body rigid with his release, and her name on his lips.





Chapter Ten


January 3, 6:00 a.m.

“Wake up, sweetheart.” Ethan kissed Thea’s temple, then buried his face in her hair, a low groan escaping him at her delicious scent. Sugar and vanilla, a hint of apple, and something else, something new that made his cock jerk with need.

Him.

He wanted her again. He’d lain awake for what was left of the night after Thea fell asleep, struggling against the need to bury his face between her legs until she woke so he could take her, but she’d looked so beautiful and peaceful with her dark lashes resting against her cheeks he hadn’t been able to bring himself to disturb her.

And after all, they had a lifetime of mornings ahead of them.

“Your bath will get cold, love.” He nuzzled her neck until she stirred with a protesting groan.

“Bath? Oh, that sounds heavenly.” She pressed a sleepy kiss to his bare chest, but in the next moment her body stiffened and she shot up straight in the bed. “You ordered me a bath? But the servants will have seen me in your bed! Becky and Peter can’t know—”

“Shhh.” He tilted her face up to his and brushed the tangled locks of dark hair back from her forehead. “They didn’t see you. I had them light the fire in the sitting room and bring the bath there.” He waved a hand at the connecting door between the rooms, which was closed. “Becky has orders not to disturb you this morning.” He grinned down at her. “I told her you were up late last night, baking.”

A shy smile drifted over her lips. “Baking? What a shameless falsehood.”

“Well, there was a great deal of heat involved, and I remembering tasting something sweet.” He eased her back down on the bed, onto her back, and pressed his open mouth to the soft skin between her breasts. “Ah, yes, here it is. Delicious.”

He licked and sucked at her until they were both breathless, but then he pulled away with a groan, threw back the covers, and dragged himself from the bed.

“Ethan!” She squealed with surprise when he swept her up into his arms. “What are you doing?”

“Showing incredible restraint.” If they didn’t get up now, he’d keep her in his bed all day, and there’d be no explaining that to the servants.

She gave him a teasing frown. “Now you decide to show restraint?”

He wanted to kiss that pout right off her lips. “Rather late, isn’t it?” He carried her across the room and through the connecting door. “But you did say you wanted a hot bath.”

He set her down on her feet, but she clung to his neck, pressed her body close against his, and nipped his earlobe before whispering in his ear, “I want more than just a bath.”

A pained groan left Ethan’s lips. He’d loved her hard last night, and he’d meant to leave her alone to recover this morning, but she was flushed, and all creamy skin and pink lips and nipples, and his resistance crumbled.