The Irresistible Rogue (Playful Brides #4)(74)
“Then what’s the matter?” Her hands tugged his cravat away and then her warm lips were at the base of his throat. Jesus Christ. Rafe’s eyes remained tightly closed. If he opened them, if he saw her, saw what she was offering, there would no longer be a choice. No longer be a chance to do the right thing to send her away. “I could be killed. I might not come back,” he offered.
Her whisper was hot in his ear and her fingers slid enticingly into the hair at the nape of his neck. “All the more reason to have this one night together. Besides, we’re married, remember?” Her supple breasts pushed against his chest, all that separated them was the thin fabric of his shirt. Her nipples burned through it.
That was it. Rafe broke. He couldn’t resist her touch. He opened his eyes and allowed his gaze to scan her body. She was perfection, all creamy white skin and glorious blond hair. Her breasts were delicate and round, her waist tiny, her legs, while not long, were perfectly proportioned with the rest of her. She was any man’s dream. His dream. “I cannot make you any promises, Daphne,” he breathed.
Her lips barely skimmed his, driving him mad. “I don’t want promises. I just want one night with you.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Rafe’s eyes closed again. A muscle ticked in his jaw. But as soon as he opened his eyes, Daphne knew she’d won. His eyes were bright and shining and he stepped back and gently pushed her to arm’s length while his gaze devoured her body. “God, you’re beautiful,” he groaned.
She put a hand on one bare hip. “Does that mean yes?”
His hand rubbed across one of her shoulders. “I told you. I can’t resist you.” Rafe reached out, grabbed her fiercely, and pulled her into his arms. Then his mouth descended slowly, so slowly that Daphne wanted to cry. He was torturing her now. How quickly things changed. He kissed her, his mouth tangled with hers. Daphne strained on tiptoes to reach him, her arms threaded around his broad, muscled shoulders.
He lifted her then, under her knees, and gently laid her on the bed. She shuddered, the cool air finding all of the sensitive spots on her naked body. She thought she’d be embarrassed with Rafe looking at her so intensely without the benefit of the fuzzy head she’d had last time. She thought she’d be shy. But his blue gaze scanned every bit of her nakedness and all she felt was powerful, more powerful than she’d ever felt in her life. She sensed his leashed desire, knew he was holding himself back. But she didn’t want him to. She wanted him to unleash himself completely … on her. She shuddered. She would just have to help him lose control.
He stood next to the bed, his eyes still raking over her. He unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it roughly over his head. His breeches and stockings quickly followed and were discarded in the corner. Daphne had a chance to look at him. His body was magnificent, so muscled and strong and perfect. The muscles in his abdomen stood out in sharp relief. A smattering of light hair covered his chest. His shoulders were so squared and strong. She ached to touch them again. He was a dream. A male dream. Her gaze dipped to his member. She’d only seen his but she was certain most such appendages weren’t nearly as large as Rafe’s. She hadn’t had the chance to study it the night the Russians had interrupted them, but now she looked her fill. It was enormous. It jutted proudly from his thighs, strong and thick. She shuddered at the thought of it entering her. She remembered the unholy ache between her thighs the last time they’d been about to make love. She stared at his nakedness in fascination. Cass and Lucy had been kind enough to answer her questions, giving her an idea of what happened between men and women in bed. Of course, reality might be much different than the theories in her head, but all she could think about was how desperately she wanted to find out. Now.
“You have a bad bruise,” he whispered, tracing the spot on her cheek where Billy had slapped her.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore,” she promised, turning her cheek away from Rafe’s line of vision.
He clenched his jaw so tightly it popped. “I would rip that blighter limb from limb if—”
She pushed up on her knees and touched a finger to his lips. “Shh. It’s over. Tonight is about us.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down on top of her.
He kissed her fiercely and wet warmth pooled between Daphne’s thighs. She wanted him so much.
He lifted up on one hand and looked down at her, tracing the edge of her jaw with one finger. “Daphne, I hate to ask this, but I don’t want you to have any regrets.”
She searched his handsome face. “What is it, Rafe?”
“Nothing happened with that blond at the inn, but I want you to know—”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back down to her. “I don’t care about the blond. Lucy made me realize that it made no sense that you were coming to look for me if you had a woman in your bed.”
“I swear I never saw her before you and I walked in. I think she—”
“I don’t care, Rafe. I truly don’t. That’s in the past.”
“But I swear I—”
“Shh. This time we won’t be interrupted.” She covered his mouth with hers and kissed him again with all the pent-up longing she felt for him.
Rafe groaned against her mouth. “I want you, Daphne.”