Page 45 of Aurelia

She allowed her gaze to drift to the savage scars that truly did enhance rather than mar his bold features.

The distance between the four jagged lines was awe-inspiring. Aurelia had seen the beast, of course, but she had been captivated by its height and length, not its feet. She now realized the panther’s paw must be the size of her hand, or even larger. Her fingers twitched to touch the raised black scars and test her assumption.

“You can feel the scars, if you like. You won’t hurt me.”

His voice was low and velvety and rumbled through her.

Touch him?

Aurelia looked from his faint smile to his eye to the entrancing left side of his face.

And then she reached for him.

Part of her could not believe she was behaving so daringly. Touching another person’s bare skin—especially a male person—was not something she had ever done before. She embraced her sisters and brother, of course, but Lord Crewe was all but a stranger.

Her hand shook slightly, but she did not pull back. Instead, she spread her fingers enough that the four of them could rest on the black lines. The scars appeared harshly rigid but the skin was soft and warm.

His cheek rose slightly beneath her fingers and she saw that he was smiling.

She began to lift her fingers but his hand, quick as a snake, closed around her wrist and he held her there, gently, but firmly.

“The scars go further,” he murmured, guiding her hand around to the side of his head. A lock of sun-kissed gold hair shifted and Aurelia saw that his ear lobe was missing and the slashes carried on into his hair.

Aurelia carded her fingers into the thick warm silk, the sensitive pads easily finding and tracking the scratches, which diminished from two to one and then none.

Her gaze moved to the black line on his chin and jaw. “If it had been a bit lower—”

“Then I would not be sitting here right now,” he said, his other hand coming up to cup her cheek. “And I would have missed out on the pleasure of meeting you, Miss Burton.” His fingers caressed her lightly.

“That would have… er, I’m sure there would have been… um, more important things you’d have missed,” she babbled.

He leaned closer, his thumb caressing her lower lip. “I can’t think of any right now.” And then he angled his head and kissed her.

Aurelia had been kissed—twice—years before, but those had been, by necessity, quick and furtive, mere pecks stolen behind the shelter of a potted palm at a ton ball.

This kiss was… something completely different.

She was distantly aware that he’d released her wrist as he twisted in his chair to face her, his knee pushing between hers and parting her legs. He framed her face with his large, warm hands as his mouth explored hers. He didn’t just press his lips against hers, he teased and toyed with her mouth, first the lower lip, which he gently sucked, and then the upper, which he lightly nipped. That clever, mobile mouth of his was every bit as sensual as it looked.

Aurelia inched closer and closer to him, opening her thighs wider around his leg. The little bit of caution that remained to her fled into the darkness of the sleeping castle when his hard knee bumped her swollen sex.

She whimpered at the arousing friction and the earl made a low, approving growl, his hands moving lightly over her throat and shoulders, and settling on her waist.

Aurelia slid her hands up over his chest, marveling at the hard, solid body beneath the fine clothing.

The earl tilted her head, kissing her more deeply. And then he pulled her closer, his knee brushing against the most sensitive part of her and sending a tantalizing ripple of pleasure through her body. This time, Aurelia rocked her hips to chase the thrilling sensation, her hands dropping to his hips, bliss building in her womb with each roll of her hips until—

The earl suddenly broke the kiss, pulling his head back to stare at her with a startled look on his face, breathing heavily through parted lips.

She leaned closer, all but riding his thigh, but he cupped her face and held her immobile. “No,” he whispered, and then he gave her cheek one last caress and lowered his hand.

Aurelia wanted to grab him and yank him back—why was he stopping? But that’s when she noticed that she was already grabbing him, both her hands fisting the skintight pantaloons that hugged his thighs.

She jerked her hands back as if he were on fire and scooted back on the chair.

The earl cleared his throat, sat back, and pulled the black leather patch down over his eye. A faint smile curved his lips, but it wasn’t the usual devilish or sensual smirk. Instead, it was… wistful.

“It is late, Miss Burton. You should go to your bed before I do something we both regret.”