Page 108 of A Story of Love

“I want to see all of you,” she shot back, reaching for his coat, her fingers fumbling slightly with the buttons.

“I suspect that could be arranged,” he said as he began to pull the pins from the elegant coronet of hair. “I like this style a great deal more than the one you wore the last time,” he murmured, unraveling the thick plait and running his fingers through the strands until they fell in a wavy black curtain to her hips. He buried his nose in a fistful of it. “It smells better, too.”

She laughed. “It took two washes to rid it completely of that horrid rose scent. Now, step back,” she ordered, shrugging out of his grasp so she could push his coat and waistcoat from his shoulders.

“So impatient,” he chided, amused by her intent stare and urgent hands.

When he reached for the buttons on her gown—the practical sort that fastened up the front—she pushed his hands aside. “No. I want to undress you, first.”

“As you wish.”

She cut a quick glance up at him and snorted.

“What is so amusing?” he asked, turning his wrists up so she could remove his cufflinks.

“You don’t look at all shy at the prospect of being nude.”

“Should I be?”

She ignored his question. “How many women have undressed you?”

Fast took her hands in both of his and stilled them. “Look at me,” he said when she stared down at her feet, her jaw clenched. “Lorelei.”

Her head whipped up. “You enjoy using that bossy tone with me, but I’m not one of your sailors.”

“Believe me, sweetheart, I have never mistaken you for one of my men. As to the other matter, I have been with a great many women. But right now”—he transferred her wrist to his other hand, easily holding both her arms with one hand so that he could cup her face. “Right now, I’m only thinking of one woman—and that is you.”

She glared for a moment, but then jerked a nod.

***

Lori couldn’t believe that she was stripping Lord Stand Fast Severn naked.

And he was letting her.

You should put a stop to this now. You will be devastated when this is over…

The joy she’d been feeling began to shrivel.

“What is it?” a deep voice rumbled beneath her fingers. “You look as if you swallowed a fly, Lorelei.” He stilled her hands. “Look at me,” he ordered yet again.

“What?” she retorted, not caring how rude and petulant the word was.

“We don’t have to do this. You can change your—”

“I don’t want to change my mind.”

“Then what made you look so dejected?”

“I wasn’t dejected,” she lied. “I was just thinking.”

“About?”

“It’s a bit embarrassing to engage in love making when a person knows so little about the matter. I’m bound to be a disappointment after all your experience.” It wasn’t what she’d been thinking about, but it wasn’t a lie, either. She might have lain with Dorian a half-dozen times, but she’d taken nothing away from the rushed, furtive encounters.

“Hush,” he murmured, pulling her closer. “You couldn’t disappoint me if you tried.” He claimed her mouth with one of his wits obliterating kisses, his strong hands stroking her back in a soothing way while his lips and teeth and tongue slowly broke her into a thousand little pieces.

When he began to withdraw, she chased his retreating tongue, first sucking him into her mouth and then exploring him the way he always did her.