A Lesson In Pleasure by Crystal Jordan
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental. A Lesson In Pleasure COPYRIGHT © 2007 by Crystal Jordan All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. Contact Information:
[email protected] Cover Art by The Wild Rose Press The Wild Rose Press PO Box 706 Adams Basin, NY 14410-0706 Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com Publishing History First Scarlet Rose Edition, March 2007 Published in the United States of America
Dedication For Loribelle Hunt, who suffered through the pangs of writing her first historical right along with me. And for Lillian Feisty, who read this one and said it was JUST hot enough.
England, 1192 “Sir Gavin returns this eve, my lady.” Eleanor’s heart tripped at the words. Her hands shook as she busied herself spreading fresh rushes over the hearth in the great hall. There would be a feast to celebrate her husband’s return from the Holy Lands. So long. So long since she had seen him, kissed him, felt his hands upon her skin. Her thighs pressed together to temper the rising heat between them, and she shivered at the memories. They were all she had to warm her bed these three years past. King Richard had taken so many young men with him, and so few were returning home to their kin. Gratitude bubbled up in her chest. God’s knees, she had missed him. She brushed at her long skirts, hoping she looked presentable. So much time had passed since Gavin had seen her, would he even recognize her? She patted her braids, tucking a few strands of pale brown hair back. Catching her reflection in a polished silver platter Gavin had sent home from the Crusades, she pinched her cheeks and tried to bring color to her pale skin. This was not the only thing Gavin had sent to her. Spices, intricately woven wool tapestries, oils…and one other special item. A book. She flushed just thinking about it. This was no ordinary book. Each page depicted a couple in the throes of passion. Different positions on every page. Moisture flooded her sex as she thought of Gavin loving her in such exotic ways. Some of the things in that book she had never imagined in her wildest dreams, and she’d had many nights alone to fantasize. Which positions would he prefer? Had he thought of all the ways he could take her when he’d first looked at the pages? Her green eyes looked over-bright and shone with 1
Crystal Jordan excitement. She turned away from her reflection. A smile curled her lips. Gavin was coming home! The trumpeter at the gates blew his horn to signal the arrival of the cavalcade. Gavin. “Oh, God.” She pressed her hands to her chest, covering the pounding of her heart. Snatching up her skirts, she ran for the courtyard. She cared not if it was unseemly; she had no shame in her need for her husband. Unlike her four sisters, her marriage was a love match. From the first moment she had seen him, she had known her heart was his and his alone. Men and horses already flooded across the drawbridge and through the gates when she reached the inner courtyard. Their hooves clattered on the flagstone, and the shouts of joyous reunion echoed off the high castle walls. The dust they kicked up tickled her nose, and she fought a sneeze. “Lady Eleanor!” Gavin’s best friend, Christopher, favored her with a broad smile as he dismounted his massive destrier. She grinned at him as she scurried past to look for the distinct white markings on her husband’s horse. There. Her heart seized at the sight of him, strong, tall, his long golden hair curling to the nape of his neck. His muscular leg swung over the back of his mount, and he landed lightly on the ground. He was here, and he was whole. Tears welled in her eyes, and she blinked them away. This was a moment of sweetness, not a time for weeping. “Gavin.” His name rushed out in a breathless whisper. He couldn’t have heard her, but he turned, and his blue gaze locked on her. The world faded to nothing— the noise, the people, they were all gone. Only Gavin remained. “Elle.” Two long strides brought him to her, and his gloved hand rose to stoke her cheek reverently. She leaned into the touch, placing her palm against the cool armor that protected his broad chest. His fingers bracketed her jaw, and he tilted her chin up. He bent forward and brushed his lips against hers. 2
A Lesson In Pleasure Passion exploded in her veins, flooding her body with heat. Her nipples peaked to hard points and rubbed against the bodice of her dress. She swept her tongue out to taste him, to deepen the kiss, but he pulled away. Confused, she swayed. He caught her shoulders to steady her and stepped back. “My lord?” He didn’t look at her but turned to embrace his younger sister. The cold rush of his rejection slapped across her face. She flushed in humiliated shock. What was wrong? When had Gavin ever turned away from her touch? He had always sought her again and again, loving her fast and hard or slow and sweet. Always. With a bitter twist, she noted his sister received a more enthusiastic greeting than his wife. She forced a smile to her lips as she greeted their guests. She was the lady of this keep, and she would act the part, even if it appeared her husband was less than overjoyed to reunite with her. Pain stabbed in her chest, twisted until she could scarcely draw breath. Still, she smiled so wide her cheeks ached. Duty kept her standing in the courtyard instead of rushing to the stables to mount her mare and race the wind across the fields. Countless hours had been spent preparing for this feast, for the many men who would remain with them nearly a fortnight before they journeyed on to London. How had her celebration crumbled around her so suddenly? The tears that gathered in her eyes would be seen as joyful, so she didn’t bother to wipe them away as they slipped down her face. She raised her hands. “My lords! Your war has ended, and now we make merry with a fine feast. Welcome home!” A roar met her announcement, and she led the way into the great hall. Gavin matched her stride yet did not take her arm. Her heart shattered at his cold indifference, but she hid the pain behind a cool, ladylike smile. **** Eleanor hadn’t had a moment’s reprieve all evening. Everyone wanted to dance, laugh, feast until they burst. She saw to her servants as they scurried back and forth from the kitchens with more food than she’d ever seen 3
Crystal Jordan consumed. Sometime during the feast, Gavin had slipped away to remove his armor and don a fresh tunic and hose. Had he seen the book on their bedside table? Her heart squeezed at the thought, yet slow anger sparked in her chest. If he thought her so repugnant, had thrown her over for an infidel woman, why had he sent her the book? To taunt her, toy with her? The Gavin she knew would never have done such a thing. But the Gavin she knew had never been one to keep his hands to himself where she was concerned. Yet he’d scarce looked at her all eve. So engrossed in her thoughts, she slammed into a tall man when she entered the great hall from the kitchens. “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Her eyes snapped up to meet Christopher’s. She relaxed and smiled. Her first genuine expression in many a long hour. She was exhausted. The emotional and physical toll of her day dragged at her very bones. She wished for nothing so much as her soft bed. But the thought of her bed made her think of Gavin. She glanced at him again and saw that he entertained their neighbor, Lord Hugh. Both of them laughed, and she bit back a wistful sigh. She did not want to be the center of his focus; she simply wished to be included. Christopher’s concerned gaze flicked from her to Gavin and back again, an uncharacteristically serious expression on his countenance. “Give him time, Lady Eleanor. He is just returned from a war.” “Of course.” She swallowed. Her mind knew Christopher spoke the truth, but her heart bled just the same. She straightened her spine and scolded herself. How many Englishwomen would give their soul to have their men home and whole from the Crusades? She drew a deep breath. “I was sorry to hear of your father’s death, Sir Christopher.” “The title doesn’t quite suite me, does it?” He flashed a self-deprecating smile. “What news of your family and home?” A deep sigh swelled his chest. “An arranged marriage awaits me at home.” “I wish you all felicity in your match.” He barked out a laugh. “The lady in question is not 4
A Lesson In Pleasure one I would have chosen for myself. Nor am I a man she would have welcomed as her husband.” “You’ve not seen her in three years. Time can change a person.” Was that not the case here? In the very blink of an eye, all she knew had disappeared without so much as a whisper. A wicked little grin pulled at Christopher’s lips, his handsome face made more so by his merriment. “Promise me you won’t be angry with me, my lady?” “Why ever would I be angry with you?” She chuckled, and her spirits lifted. Christopher had the ability to make even the most pious of priests laugh until his sides ached. With a nimble leap, he landed squarely in the middle of the nearest trestle table. He raised his fists for silence, and then swept a courtly bow to the assembly. “My lords and ladies! Sir Gavin has made a long and arduous journey to return home to his lovely wife. I believe he needs his rest, don’t you agree?” The crowd hooted and banged their goblets on the tables, enjoying the game. Eleanor’s face burned with a fierce blush, and she sent up a fervent prayer that the stone floor would open beneath her feet to swallow her. Christopher continued above the laughter. “Please, my lord. Don’t let us keep you from your bed. We would never be so selfish, would we? Lady Eleanor, remind him of the way. He is so long from home it is doubtful he recalls.” The shouts of agreement and encouragement echoed off the high stone walls in a wild cacophony of noise. Rising with the masculine grace of a trained warrior, Gavin groaned in protest, and the crowd roared. They thought he was in jest, but Eleanor wasn’t so certain. God, just let this night be over. She wanted to sleep. Tomorrow was soon enough to pick up the pieces of her dreams. Gavin approached Eleanor and bowed with a flourish to his friend. His smile didn’t reach his eyes. She had a feeling Christopher would take a beating on the practice field tomorrow. “Enjoy, friend. I would give much to be in your place.” Christopher hopped to the floor, clapped Gavin on the shoulder and strolled away. 5
Crystal Jordan Eleanor shook her head at his retreating back until Gavin stepped into her line of sight. He offered his arm, but there was no warmth in his expression, just a cool, blank mask. His muscles tensed beneath her fingers when she laid them on his forearm. Just touching him made her body flood with heat, her heart flutter. She couldn’t help her reaction to him any more than she could help his new indifference to her. She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath, praying for calm. God help her. **** As soon as they cleared the great hall, Gavin dropped his arm and stepped away from Eleanor. They continued in awkward silence toward their bedchamber. She fought the urge to wring her hands. He opened the heavy wooden door to their room and swung it wide for her to precede him. She paused for a long moment and stared at the door as though it led up the steps to a hangman’s gallows. “Eleanor?” He frowned down at her, impatience radiating from him. She stepped forward, and the sound of the door closing echoed like a death toll. The death of her loving marriage? She shivered. The book lay on the bedside table where she’d left it the night before, and sudden anger welled in her breast. Why had he sent the blasted thing if this was the icy greeting he meant to give her? She had to know. The words wouldn’t be kept in. She turned and started towards him. His jaw clenched. His hands fisted at his sides, causing her to stop. She held tight to her courage regardless of his obvious wish that she not touch him and squared her shoulders. “I understand that you don’t want me any longer, Gavin. But, if the prospect of returning to me was so hideous, why did you send the book?” Blond brows drew together, and shock flashed across his handsome face. His mouth flapped open and closed several times before words emerged. “What nonsense is this? And what book do you speak of? I sent no book.” Now she felt the fool. Had he never thought of her while he was away? So many nights she had lain awake, wanting him. Her body cried out for the feel of his 6
A Lesson In Pleasure calloused fingers on her naked flesh, for the thrust of his hard cock inside her weeping sex. She’d thought the book was a gift from him, a reminder of his passion for her. She swallowed and nodded to the table beside their bed where the book lay. “It was tucked betwixt the textiles you sent.” His hand closed around the worn leather binding, and she turned to stare into the blazing fire. Would he be disgusted by her lust? Before now, he’d encouraged her carnal side and pushed her to dizzying heights of passion. What had happened to change that? Was he so scarred by the war that the thought of her now sickened him? Had she become so unattractive to him? Had an exotic heathen woman stolen her place in his heart? That thought cut the deepest, and she bit back a sob. He cleared his throat. She dreaded meeting his gaze, but she was no coward to slink away from a challenge. Lifting her chin, she turned back to him. A lopsided grin lilted his sensuous lips. Her chest squeezed at the sight of it. She loved his smile, rare even before he’d left. “Khalid. A Moorish lord I traded with would have sent this. As a gift to encourage me to celebrate my homecoming.” “I see.” She turned back to the fire and let a small sigh escape her. Her shoulders bowed, and she hugged her arms around herself. “I’m going to ensure the kitchen staff has everything they need before I retire.” “I will accompany you.” “No, my lord. You have had a long and no doubt tiring journey. You’ve earned your rest.” With any luck, he would be deep in slumber before she returned. She kept her smile bright, and she didn’t quite meet his gaze as she spun toward the door. Her hand closed over the latch. “Stop.” She froze at his command, his deep voice skittering over her nerves. He’d used that tone with her before when he controlled her pleasure, wringing it from her with exquisite care. Why must she torture herself with these memories? Don’t think about it, Eleanor. That was the past. Face the kind of future your sisters have always known. Don’t think. Don’t speak out of turn. Provide heirs. 7
Crystal Jordan Wait upon your husband, your lord. Be obedient. She had always thought she had more with Gavin. But she was wrong, and that was what hurt the most. “I have my duties, my lord.” “Gavin. My name is Gavin.” “I know your name.” “Then use it.” He ordered, his voice a harsh rasp. She heard him take a step toward her, and his tone dropped to a low rumble. “Where is my wild Elle? When did you become the proper lady?” Perhaps when you stopped wanting me. She held the words back and turned to face him, her hands clasped before her. “What do you desire of me, my lo—Gavin?” He snorted. “Do you even need to ask, my lady? You show me this and then you run away?” “You haven’t looked at me all evening. You didn’t even wish to kiss me.” Tears smarted at her eyes at the mere thought. Her chest squeezed tight, and she felt more desperately alone than she had in the years he’d been away. He dropped the book back on the bedside table, and she saw him approach through a wash of tears. She blinked to try and clear her vision. A heavy frown pulled at his brow as he stopped before her, his shoulders tight, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “I thought you might not enjoy being mauled before our guests.” “Mauled?” Nothing he could have said would have shocked her more. What was he talking about? “Have you gone mad?” His hands closed over her shoulders, and he pushed her up against the hard wood of the carved doors. His fingers slid up to fist in the long strands of her hair; he pulled her head back until she met his gaze. Tension and frustration radiated from his body. “I was being considerate of your needs.” She snorted, disbelief that there could be so simple an explanation for his behavior rippling though her. “My needs are more likely to be met with the contents of your Moorish book than the chaste kiss you bestowed upon me this day. I have seen more passion in the way a man might kiss his mother.” “Really, Elle. You will kill this…mood.” His hips 8
A Lesson In Pleasure pressed to hers, his hardened cock riding against her lower belly. “Don’t let me stop you.” The fear and pain of the day balled in her chest, made it hard for her to believe this was real. Too much emotion had rushed through her this day. She swallowed. His lips grazed hers, but she remained still beneath his probing touch. Longing exploded in her veins, but she held herself in tight control. She feared the rejection she might receive again by deepening the mesh of their mouths. His fingers threaded through her hair, tugging the heavy locks from their bindings. She shivered as her hair tumbled around her shoulders to brush her hips. The ever present lust she felt for him built in her belly, dampening her sex. She wanted him inside of her, thrusting deep and hard and fast. Squeezing her thighs together, she attempted to quell the rising tide of passion within. He slid his tongue along the seam of her lips, suckling on the bottom one, pulling her flesh between his teeth to graze the sensitive tissue. Her lips parted as she moaned. He delved into her mouth to caress her tongue and coax her into returning his caress. She curled her fingers around his arms to hold him closer. His lips broke away from hers to spread sucking kisses down the column of her neck. Her head tilted back against the door to allow him access. “I want you so badly.” His nimble fingers shook as he wrenched at the fastening of her dress. She ripped at the tunic covering his wide chest. She was desperate to run her fingers over his smooth muscles. He pulled back to strip down to nothing. God, he was a beautiful man, all strength and sinew. Her heart pounded hard and moisture gathered hot between her legs. He’d scarcely touched her, and she panted already. She fumbled with her clothing, watching his bare skin come into view. Her body burned for him. She managed to pull her gown over her head and dropped it in a heavy heap on the floor. He reached out to jerk at her chemise, pulling it up to bare her legs. A rip sounded in the wide chamber as he gripped the bottom hem and tore it to the top. He pealed the cloth away to bare her breasts. Her nipples peaked tight in the evening air that 9
Crystal Jordan filtered in from the narrow windows. “Gavin, please—” Her fingers dropped to stroke the length of his hard cock. He groaned low in his throat, his eyes glittering as they gazed upon her naked body. She arched toward him, and he dipped to draw her nipple deep into his mouth. She cried out at the hot feel of his tongue on her beaded flesh. Her fingers fisted his hair, tugging on the tawny locks. His hands cupped her hips, fingers digging into the soft skin as her held her still. His lips and teeth and tongue worked her flesh until she whimpered with her need. He pulled back and lifted her against the door. “I can’t be gentle, Elle.” She wrapped her legs tight around his lean flanks, bowing her back sharply as she had seen the female do on the first page of the pleasure book. “Don’t be. I need you now. Please. Now.” His cock rubbed against the heated flesh of her sex. She moaned low in her throat. He filled her, opened her, and spread her wide for his long anticipated thrusts. His big body shuddered against her, and he stilled, his fingers biting into her flesh to keep her from moving as well. Confusion flooded her. How could he stop now? Her body clamored for him, her blood heating to a boil. “Gav—” “A moment, Elle.” His fingers tightened on her hips, and he pinched his eyes closed. Was she so poor to look upon now? Did he crave the dark-skinned beauty of another woman? Doubt clenched her belly even as her body wept with juices. Without warning, his cock slammed home, and then withdrew again. She gasped and arched into him. Her breasts flattened against his chest, and her nipples puckered tighter. She wanted more, needed him closer. He seated himself to the hilt within her, rocking his hips. The slight pain of long abstinence was nothing compared to the sweetness of having him as close to her as he could physically get. Still, it was not enough. Her body longed for him, but her heart was breaking. He did not say the words that had once come so quickly to his lips. Words of love, of the 10
A Lesson In Pleasure pleasure he found with her. She wanted those words again so badly it was a physical pain not to hear them. A sob caught in her throat as she pushed away the emotion and concentrated on the feel of him against her. The passion was all that remained of their relationship, and she clung to it fiercely. His thumbs brushed away the tears from her cheeks. His hands shook when he touched her. “Do not cry, Elle. I cannot bear it.” “Do not stop, Gavin. Harder. Faster.” To make her forget that nothing had turned out as she had hoped. She closed her eyes tight to hold back more tears. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, and she moved with him. Their harsh breathing mingled in the silence, and he dropped his forehead into the crook of her neck. The damp pants of his breath caressed her skin. He groaned, his arms cradling her closer, pulling her tighter to him. She wanted it to mean he still loved her, still cherished her. But it did not. It simply made her a convenient bedmate. A tear slipped down her cheek; grief and pleasure became one, twisting together inside her. The heavy door thudded in its frame with every hard, driving push into her wet sex. The muscles in her thighs burned and pulled as she worked herself on his cock. Powerful sensation built upon intense emotion, and she shuddered under the impact. It was too much, and it would never be enough again. Her wits went begging, her world came down to this moment, this heartbeat. Heat bubbled up inside her to race along her skin. Gavin pushed her higher, faster, further than she’d ever been. Nothing had ever felt so wonderful as this. He ground his hips into her, stimulating her hard, throbbing nub. She choked, her head rolling against the door. Her eyes slammed shut, and starbursts exploded behind her lids. Her hips twisted, and she exploded, fire streaking through her body in harsh, pounding waves. Her sex fisted around his cock, and for a moment the world went dark. She returned to conscious thought in degrees, small shocks of pleasure still shimmering through her. His cock was buried deep within her and harder than a pillar of stone. Uncertainty crashed through her. Was she so 11
Crystal Jordan incapable of pleasing him now? Her belly knotted and she pressed her lips together for a moment to still their shaking. “You didn’t...” He held himself quiet inside her, but she felt the girth of him throb and twitch. His blue gaze caught hers, and the hard lust in their glittering depths mesmerized her. His jaw clenched, and he bit out a sharp question through clenched teeth. “Did you think of me when you looked at the book?” Her breath caught, and her eyes widened at the question. The book? All the hopeless longing she’d attributed to the gift shamed her. Did he mean to humiliate her now by forcing her to confess her stupidity? That was not the Gavin she knew. He was not a man to taunt a fallen opponent. And she had fallen too hard. She was uncertain her heart could ever recover from the loss of her Gavin. God help her. His fingers bit into her flesh to prod her answer. She closed her eyes for a moment and rolled her head against the wooden door to look away. “Yes.” “Which was your favorite position, Elle?” Her gaze flashed to his face. A slow, wicked grin tugged at his lips. “Gavin, I…” He drew a sharp breath, and dropped his forehead against hers. “Do you know how many nights I prayed to return to you? I asked God for just one more chance to love you, to hold you like this. But I was wrong.” “You were?” She swallowed the emotion that lumped in her throat. Hope began to hammer in her chest. What was he saying? Could he mean it? “Once could never be enough. Not with you. I crave you. Always have. Always will.” His hips rolled, shoving his cock deeper inside her. “Can you feel my passion for you?” “Yes.” She moaned, arching closer. The desire rekindled within her, and more wetness gathered between her legs. His strong voice shook with suppressed emotion. He stroked gentle fingers up her ribcage to cup her breast. “So long I’ve dreamt of this moment, of saying all the things I’d saved for so many years to tell you. And now that it has come I find myself speechless. God, how I have 12
A Lesson In Pleasure needed you.” Tears filled her eyes again for an entirely different reason. After all the doubt and uncertainty that had washed through her this day, she was almost afraid to believe it could be true. They had waited so long for each other, endured so much without the other’s support. He cleared his throat and pulled back a bit. His blue eyes crinkled at the corners. “Where were we? Ah, yes. The heathen book that made my Elle dream of me…which page was your favorite?” She blinked at the abrupt change in topic. Blinked again when she realized what he was asking. A hot blush washed into her cheeks. To think it, to dream it was one thing. To speak her wicked longings aloud was another. “I…I…” He rotated his hips against hers, and want flashed through her. His fingers dropped to caress her slick sex, teasing the lips that stretched wide on his cock. “Which page, Eleanor?” Her eyes squeezed closed. “Th-the last page.” “Mmm…I did not get that far. Tell me what position is there.” “Gavin.” Her breath escaped in soft little gasps. “Tell me, Elle. I want to hear you tell me what you need.” She whimpered and twisted in his arms. Her hips moved against his probing fingers, working herself toward the tumult of pleasure. “The woman is bound. And—and the man is behind her.” “Behind?” She moaned a protest when he pulled out of her. Her eyes popped wide as he spun her to the bed, bent her over it, and placed his palm in the middle of her back to press her into the bed coverings. His hand stroked over her bottom, cupping the cheeks, lightly squeezing her flesh. She shuddered when he parted her buttocks and pressed the tip of his cock to the tight pucker of the untried entrance between the globes. “Like this?” “Yes,” she gasped and arched against him. Strong fingers of one hand snapped around her wrists, pulling her hands behind her back. “Like this, my lady?” 13
Crystal Jordan “Yes. Oh, yes.” Dark, forbidden pleasure spun inside her. It was just like she imagined it. Only better. “Oh, God in heaven. Gavin.” He thrust into her body slightly, and she stretched to accommodate his thick head. He groaned as he entered her, and her muscles bore down on him. He retreated and thrust again, but deeper this time. Deeper and harder. She hissed at the pain of his entry, but the pleasure of it outweighed the discomfort. She pushed back against him, aching to be filled. Her spine bowed as he slid into her to the base of his cock. Hot tingles erupted over her flesh, and she moaned her need for him. She pulled at her wrists, wanting to move in wild abandon, but his grip tightened. He held her, caged her, and it made her burn hotter. Tears slipped down her cheeks, and she shuddered with each slapping thrust. He drove her hard, rode her into the soft feather bed. “Shh…just feel it, Elle. Don’t fight.” His fingers danced up her spine, smoothing over her flesh reverently. “Feel how we are together, my love. Remember how good it is. Always, I told you. Always.” He pushed deep inside her again and again. He was right—he had always brought her fantasies to life. And he was here, doing it again. For her. Just as she had dreamed of during so many nights alone, but the reality of it was better, and it finally broke her. Tears welled in her eyes again and spilled over her lashes. It was going to be all right. They were going to be all right. Rising passion mingled with sweet, heady relief, and a sob tore from her throat. “I love you, Gavin. I’ve missed you so.” “And I, you. Never doubt it, my love.” His deep voice rang with pure conviction. “We will never be parted again.” “Oh, Gavin.” She closed her eyes, twisting her wrists in his grip as he pressed into her from behind. “I love you, Elle. Love you, crave you, need you.” The phrases matched the tempo of his thrusts, and the words drove her passion to new heights. Desperate longing built inside her. Her muscles drew tight around him. She twisted beneath the wicked lash of 14
A Lesson In Pleasure pleasure. His free hand massaged her bottom before drawing away. She moaned a soft protest at the lack of contact when his palm came down in a hard, stinging smack. She screamed as the tight ring of muscles he pushed into involuntarily fisted on his cock. “Oh, God.” His breath hissed out, and his rough voice sounded behind her. “I’ve never taken a woman this way before, Elle…never thought you’d want to.” Nothing but the sound their sweat dampen flesh slapping together and their heavy panting filled the room. Her breath bellowed out as she struggled to speak past the heavy pleasure rising within her. “I—I never knew it was possible until—until I looked at the book. I never knew…I wanted…Gavin.” Ecstasy flooded her veins, and she sobbed out her orgasm in his arms. He jerked and shuddered, spilling his seed inside her. She closed her eyes, and sank into the bed, her muscles relaxing slowly. He pulled out of her body, and she shivered as an echo of deliciously sinful pleasure rippled over her skin. A sigh slid past her lips, and she felt his arms encircle her, lift her, and lay her beneath the coverlet. He settled beside her, flopped onto his back with an arm flung over his eyes, and panted as though he meant to expire on the spot. She snuggled against his side and laid her hand over his pounding heart. “I think you’ve killed me, my lady. Accomplished what the savages could not.” He rolled onto his elbow to look down at her. “Are you satisfied, Elle?” A lazy grin pulled at her lips. “Most assuredly. I can’t believe you wouldn’t touch me—” “Believe it. I have been so long without you, my Elle. I almost took you in the courtyard the moment I touched you, witnesses be damned.” Laughing, she arched against him. She grinned and flicked a glance at the book. With a low chuckle, he scooped it up from the side table. He laid it open across her belly and rifled through a few pages. His blue eyes danced and heated as his gaze met hers, and he trailed his fingers from the book to her flesh, lower, until he reach her wet sex. She arched into 15
Crystal Jordan his caress, her thighs falling open to allow him to stroke her at his leisure. Pleasure surged around the swollen nub, and her hips twisted on the linens. “More,” she sobbed. “Please, Gavin.” She moaned when he nudged the book aside with his nose to kiss the swell of her stomach. Her fingers threaded through his soft hair and clenched when his teeth caught her navel and tugged lightly. He hummed against her skin. “And what lesson shall we learn next? What is your pleasure, my love?” “You are, Gavin.” She gasped out the words that spilled from her heart, knowing that the truth of them was all she’d ever need. “My pleasure. My love. Always.”
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