Free Moonflower by Leigh Archer Page A

gently kneading his scalp as he dipped his
mouth to her belly, sipping from her, licking the sensitive skin,
soft sucking motions that made Sophie cry out. And still he kept
moving lower and lower. Burying his nose in her copper curls,
breathing her in.
    ‘ Please, Reuben,’ Sophie gasped. ‘You’re driving me mad. I’m
ready now.’
    But he
would still not give her release, only drop his mouth to her soft
folds, the lightest flicking of his tongue against her hard pebble
that sent lightning flashes of sensation through her. And just when
she felt herself moving to the very peak of her arousal, he lifted
his head, shifted between her legs, but he still did not enter her.
He moved his head to her breasts, teasing one nipple between gentle
teeth, then the other.
    Beyond
reason, Sophie raised her hips, opening herself wide, small wild
cries escaping swollen lips as she felt the tip of him against her.
She writhed and clawed at his buttocks, nipping at his chest,
trying to force him deep inside her.
    ‘ Wildcat!’ Reuben growled at her, as he dropped his hips,
thrusting forward and up until he’d buried himself deep inside her.
Sophie cried out. A deep, throaty primeval cry of triumph. The call
of possession. This man, this masculine force of nature was
hers.
    Sophie
curled long arms under his armpits, up round his shoulders and
clung to him as he shivered for a moment inside her. She was
overtaken by a deep tenderness as he began to move out of her, then
in again. With hips thrusting upwards to meet every stroke, she
muttered words of encouragement as he moved faster and faster,
strokes becoming shorter, quicker.
    And in a
moment, Sophie felt as if she’d leapt off a mountain, her stomach
twisting and turning. Her paraglide finding an upwind as she
spiralled up and up until it was as if she’d reached the sun and
had flown straight into its mad convulsions of blinding light and
heat that threatened to burn her to ashes with its
intensity.
     
    They
didn’t move for the longest time. Reuben was utterly spent. He had
never in his life felt so deeply satisfied, so drained, empty,
contented, happy.
    Eventually, he withdrew from Sophie, but only because he was
worried that his weight might become too much for her.
    ‘ You don’t have to,’ she said, holding onto him.
    ‘ Problem is, if I don’t pull it together, I’m going to stay
here far longer than I should,’ he said, reaching down and running
fingertips over her belly.
    ‘ Mmm,’ Sophie breathed. ‘And you’d be only too
welcome.’
    ‘ I knew I was dealing with a wild one,’ he said, his hand
slipping between her thighs. ‘But I must say, I’ve been pleasantly
surprised, Ms Kyle.’ Reuben smiled delightedly as a blush spread
across her cheeks.
    But this could be a problem , he
thought, burying his face in the sweet scent of her hair. He’d said
all he could promise her was here and now, and she’d accepted him
on those terms. But he’d never expected to be so utterly completed,
sexually, by a bubbly, inexperienced twenty-four year old. He was
still reeling. Surely they could enjoy each other here, like this,
then simply walk away, back to their real lives, a continent
apart?
    So, why
then did the thought of life without Sophie start a panic in the
pit of his stomach?
     

Chapter
Six
     
    Labour’s
End was a hive of activity on Sunday. Reuben had welcomed the first
batch of friends and business associates to the farm that morning
and an orderly state of chaos permeated each room.
    Sophie
marvelled at how Sara and Rolf kept track of the mountains of
expensive luggage while steering guests to the correct rooms and
noting requests that ranged from anti-inflammatory foot ointment to
cold drinks.
    She
helped where she could, putting her foot down only when a florid,
sweating man with pale red hair and freckles ordered her to carry
his enormous suitcase up to his room. He had an imperious manner
about him and never looked at Sophie when he spoke. Perhaps