Page 60 of To Dare the Devil

She sighed, staring down at him.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he pleaded, the desire to touch and kiss her an insistent ache beneath his skin. “You make me want to do wicked things.”

“Show me what it’s like to be just a little wicked, Max,” she whispered. “Just a taste.”

“No, Kathy,” he said, fear slithering in his gut at the idea.

Kathy stared at him, considering. “Would you ever force yourself on me?” she asked, the question startling him so much he almost shouted his response.

“No! Damn it, Kathy, how could you think it? Even at my worst, I would never have done that. Never!”

“I didn’t think it,” she replied, apparently unphased by his outburst. “But if I persuaded you to make love to me, would you refuse to marry me afterwards?”

Max stared at her in horror, crushed that she could ask him such a thing after everything. Though why should she not doubt him? After all, he’d done it before. But had he really changed so little? Did she think he was that same vile creature?

“No!” he said again, unable to keep the distress from his voice.

“And do you want to kiss me?”

“More than anything,” he growled, growing frustrated now.

“And so why can you not take me in your arms and kiss me, Max? I know you would never hurt me or treat me with such disregard. I trust you. Why don’t you trust yourself?”

He only saw the trap once he’d walked into it and sighed, a raw place in his heart healing over as he realised she’d been making a point. “I just… I want to treat you with respect. As you ought to be treated.”

“Then perhaps,” she whispered, leaning into him, careful to remain on his good side, away from the knife wound. “Perhaps you ought to respect my intelligence, and my own desires, as well as your own honour. That’s the greatest respect you could give me.”

Max stared at her in wonder. “I’m never going to deny you anything, am I?” he said with a sudden glimpse of their future.

“Doubtful,” she replied gravely, though her eyes twinkled with amusement, and then she pressed her mouth to his.

Oh, the devil take him, he was trying to be good, but he could not resist her, not when they both wanted the same thing, to be close to one another.

She leaned into him, and Max’s arms slid about her slender waist, holding her carefully as she kissed him. He let her lead the way, laying passively beneath her though every fibre of his being demanded he take control of the kiss, that he turn her onto her back and slide his hands under her skirts and… and this was for Kathy, so she would set the pace, she would decide what she wanted, and Max would oblige her, even if it killed him.

“Is this comfortable, Max? I’m not hurting you?” she asked earnestly.

“Fine,” he gritted out. She wasn’t hurting the wound on his back, which he’d frankly forgotten about, but his cock was throbbing uncomfortably, eager for attention. As if she’d read his mind, she hoisted her skirts up and clambered over him, straddling his lap. She sat then, her sex nestled against his hardness, and all the breath left him in a rush.

“Kathy,” he murmured, closing his eyes and savouring the feel of her.

“Am I dreadfully bold, Max? Are you shocked?” she asked, her voice quavering but laced with amusement.

“Dreadfully. Shocked to my bones.” The words were strained as he gazed up at her, determined to endure this wonderful torture for as long as she wanted him to.

She laughed and shifted closer, and he bit back a groan.

“Your eyes have gone all dark,” she said, watching him with interest. “You look like you want to eat me in one bite.”

“Accurate,” he said through his teeth.

“Help me, Max.” She leaned in and nuzzled at his throat, pressing little kisses along his jawline. “Show me what to do.”

Max swallowed. “Well, j-just for a moment. But then we are going to visit your parents and I will try to persuade them to allow us to marry. Because if they say no….” he said, trying to act upon some remaining shred of good sense and proper behaviour.

“They won’t say no. Not when they realise you make me happy. Papa and Hart just might make you sweat a bit, that’s all.”

He was sweating now, but he refrained from mentioning that as she kissed him again. Oh, and she was getting the hang of this now, her tongue sliding against his, sleek and curious. Max’s hands went to her waist, holding her there for a moment before dropping to her bottom. There were far too many layers of skirts and petticoats between him and that glorious part of her anatomy, but he pulled her closer and rocked his hips into her. She gasped, breaking the kiss to stare down at him.