Free A Whisper of Desire by Bronwen Evans

her.
    She clung to his broad shoulders, swept along by the sensations his tongue created as it conquered the inside of her mouth.
    Marisa was soon lost in the kiss, bombarded by his fresh sandalwood fragrance and his ruthless lips, which demanded her submission. A groan rumbled deep within his throat, echoing the cry she held back; she badly wanted to let the sounds escape.
    The fire began to flame through her, coaxing her to press closer and run her hands down the defined muscles flexing in his back. She wanted to touch his skin. Would her touch set his skin aflame as hers surely was? Impatience was her middle name, and she quickly worked her hands between their bodies and pulled at the tie holding his robe closed. The idea of running her fingers down his back disappeared when she realized the open robe gave her access to the placard of his breeches. Curiosity was her worst sin, her mother had once told her when she’d been caught trying to peek at Sebastian and one of the girls from the village. She couldn’t imagine what they did every day in the hayloft. It was hot and itchy in there. Now she understood perfectly what the pair had been doing, and she wished she’d seen far more before she’d been caught. Perhaps then she’d know what to do now.
    Instinct was a fine thing, but it took a young lady only so far. She ran her finger down the bulge beneath his breeches and heard his hiss of indrawn breath. He obviously liked that.
    She grew bolder and slipped her hand through the flap she’d managed to pry open. It had been a long time since she’d felt like a gauche girl, but her lack of experience was very off-putting. She was so preoccupied with her exploration, she did not notice that Maitland had stilled. Their mouths remained joined, but he wasn’t moving his lips over hers.
    Her hand halted its tentative exploration of his raging erection. It was as impressive in size as her husband. His lips left hers and she slowly dragged her gaze from his groin up to his face. His eyes were like molten pools of lava, so hot they scorched her skin where they observed.
    “I want our joining to be everything you could possibly desire. Are you brave enough to give yourself over to me, to trust I’ll make this unbelievably special for you?” Those seductive words ignited a burning in her all over again. This is the man she had met in the alcove, not the contained, standoffish friend of her brother’s—gosh, was it only last night she’d been in his arms, feeling that fire?
    She merely nodded, her mouth dry.
    “Will you allow me to instruct you?”
    She pressed closer, purring like a kitten. “I did swear to honor and obey.”
    He stepped away, putting her at arm’s length, but his answering, slow-burn smile sent her insides aflutter. She’d do anything to feel his hands on her bare skin again.
    “Remove your night rail.” The words were gruffly spoken but held such want and need, she hardly realized that by complying she’d be laying bare her body and probably her soul.
    The flimsy silk fell from her shoulders and she felt a moment’s uncertainty before she let the scrape of material drift through her fingers and down her body. The only thing that stopped her from trying to cover herself was the look in Maitland’s eyes.
    “You are so beautiful, it hurts just looking at you.” He moved toward her slowly, his bare feet making no sound on the plush Persian rug. With a soft sigh he put his hands on her bare skin and bent to kiss the curve of her neck where it met her shoulder. His lips on her skin, in a place no man had ever touched her, branded her his more than her wedding band. His hands slipped down and under her breasts, carefully lifting them in his palms. They swelled, filling his hands. She shuddered, overcome with sensations from one simple touch. Her head fell backward as he traced a warm path with his tongue from her shoulder to the hollow of her throat. His featherlike lips left promises of more to come,