Free All's Fair in Love and Seduction by Beverley Kendall Page B

himself. That wouldn’t do at all for he needed to remain in control.
    Somewhere between arriving at the house and standing in front of the bedchamber door, his conscience could no longer be smothered or shushed. And Derek found he couldn’t so callously seduce her and take her virginity. So instead, he’d challenged her, taunted her, certain her offended very proper virginal sensibilities would send her running pell-mell from the place.
    But she hadn’t. Which had surprised him. And then he’d been painfully aroused.
    Her hands hesitated on the band of her drawers, her nervousness betrayed by a discernible tremble. She inhaled and his gaze was instantly riveted to the thrust of her breasts, firm, full and rose tipped. His breath suspended and his cock felt as if it would explode.
    Then she was pushing the offending garment to the floor. Derek took in the cluster of brown curls at the notch of her thighs and wanted to groan at the unfairness of it. A haze of lust blinded him to everything else but her.
    “Come.” This time he could do no more than grunt.
    She came to him all sultry innocence with her gently rolling hips, on long slim legs and he wanted nothing more than to spread her on the bed, free himself from the constraint of his trousers and sink himself as far into her as he could go. But he could not. He would not take her virginity. He would not risk getting her with child. But by God, he’d take some pleasure with her. That much he’d allow himself. That much he was owed.
    “Lean forward.” Another dark throaty command.
    She did as she was told, stepping between his splayed legs and bracing her hands on his shoulders. Her breasts were where they should be, level with his mouth. Derek flicked the red nub with his tongue. Her skin held the subtle fragrance of some wildflower and tasted…indescribably good. A taste that could easily become addictive.
     Her nails dug through the wool of his overcoat into his upper back. That was soon followed by a ragged whimper. He treated her ruched nipple to another swipe of his tongue. Her legs gave away and she sagged into him.
    Circling his arms about her waist, he dragged her still closer, keeping her upright as his hands cupped the rounded cheeks of her bottom. He squeezed and kneaded, savoring the feel of delectable, pale, female flesh, so firm and soft. 
    “Oh,” she said on a choked gasp of wonder.
    He liked the sounds she made. God, he could not remember wanting a woman more.
    Derek didn’t know precisely when it occurred. When need obliterated all judicious thought. Gone were the many reasons he could not—should not—take what they both wanted. Lust replaced logic, belated honor lost its valiant fight. 
    He broke away long enough to divest himself of his clothes. He yanked off his coat, waistcoat and shirt in a frenzy of movement. Frantic fingers made quick work of his trouser buttons. And then finally, thankfully, he was dragging the trousers down over his hips, freeing his erection. Forest green wool crumpled at his ankles and he hastily kicked it off.
    The savage in him wanted to part her thighs and sink endlessly into her. But in some lucid functioning part of his brain, he remembered she was a virgin. He had to take it slow.
    He groaned into the lower curve of her breast when his cock brushed the sheltering hair between her thighs. He could almost feel her tightness wrapped around him, taking him deep, squeezing him.
    Her pants came more rapidly now. She inched her legs apart and he gently pressed them wider as his lips coasted down from the tip of her breast over the peach warmed skin of her belly. Her breath stuttered when his lips reached the tender skin above her sex. With his shoulders, he forced her open to him.
    “No, you mustn’t.” She was staring at him, her expression stricken with embarrassment. “I’m wet.” The two words were pained, barely audible. It must have cost her the Earth to utter them.
    “That’s alright,” he