Free The Accidental Courtesan by Cheryl Ann Smith Page B

night, warred within her mind. He was too close, too perfectly male.
    His mouth curved up at the edges, his confidence overflowing. It was as if he knew her struggle. Knew how much she wanted him. He’d give her everything she wanted, and more. All she needed to do was ask.
    Alarmed, she stepped back and hit the wall behind her with her shoulder blades. In perfect synchronization, he followed, his body forcing her to press against the wall in an attempt to keep from touching him. He was so close she could feel his heat and the rough homespun of his shirt brushing her uplifted hands.
    â€œI c-came to remind y-you once again of your m-mistake.” She stammered like a child caught stealing a cookie by a stoic-faced nurse. “Y-you must stop saying s-such things. Until the Tipton party, we’d never met. Your confusion has left me rattled. I am not, and never have been, a courtesan. To call me such is an insult.”
    The words came without bite, and he chuckled softly under her weak protests. It seemed that with each heartbeat, he drew closer to her, until she was forced to place her hands flat on his chest to keep him from pressing against her.
    â€œMister Blackwell, please! You must stop this at once. I did not come here to be manhandled again. Surely you have some manners?”
    â€œManhandled?” He looked down to her hands resting on his body. “It appears it is you, My Lady, who has your hands on me. I am the one molested.”
    Exasperation welled in Noelle. He was finding joy in her discomfiture. The only thing she could do was use her limited strength to keep a modicum of space between their bodies.
    His hands moved to capture her hips and shift the lower half of his body against her. The act put her in intimate contact with his thighs. Her core pulsed, and her eyes widened in shock. Only his grip was keeping her upright. Somewhere deep in the back of her throat her breath lodged, causing her head to spin. She could do nothing but watch helplessly, and breathlessly, as his smiling mouth descended toward hers.
    This time she managed a strangled whimper as his perfect mouth brushed her lips. His tongue pressed the seam. Then, without a moment of hesitation, she opened up to his exploration and he plunged his tongue inside her ready and eager mouth.
    The floor fell away beneath her feet, and she momentarily clung to his shirt to get her balance before sliding her hands up to lock her fingers behind his neck. Desire raced through her. Noelle boldly lifted to her toes for a better fit, aching to feel his body against her in its entirety.
    There was nothing outside his heat, the way he felt, his hands, his mouth. This man, this American-Englishman, fired something inside her that she found impossible to fight. She kissed him with everything inside her, wanting everything he had to give.
    And more.
    Gavin dug his fingers into her hips and ground her against his hardness. Noelle felt wild, untamed. The smell of the sea and the musty room added to her excitement and sent her imagination soaring. The adventuress and the ship captain were lost at sea in a storm, the raging swell matching the ferocity of their blinding passion.
    She smiled for the briefest moment before realizing he was turning her around and backing her toward the narrow bunk. With the rush of reality came crushing disappointment. She’d refused to become his courtesan, and yet she was moments away from becoming what she denied. Once he took her innocence, there was no taking it back. She would be ruined.
    Noelle broke the kiss. “I cannot,” she begged, and twisted to free herself. His hold was too strong. He leaned to nuzzle her neck with hot kisses. She moaned weakly, unable to fight his powerful draw.
    â€œMy beautiful lady courtesan,” he breathed against her skin, and ran a hand up to caress her breast. Her nipple hardened beneath his touch. “I cannot resist you. Come to my bed.”
    â€œNo!” she