Caversham's Bride (The Caversham Chronicles - Book One) (23 page)

“You smell like sunshine on the ocean,” he whispered.

She chuckled, saying nothing.

“What makes you laugh?”

“You,” she replied. “I do not understand how I can smell of sunshine when I’ve been cooped up in a cabin for two days.”

“Then I must do better at bringing you above for more fresh air.”

She turned in his arms, and stared at his parted lips as he spoke, longing to feel them over hers, wanting to know again the exquisite fulfillment he could give her. Before the ordeal in Genoa, sex was a passionate, glorious giving and taking between them, and had been from the first night. She wanted those feelings again. That passion. That hunger for him. She needed them.

Her tongue slid across her lips in silent invitation. He looked up at the sails a moment before lowering his head and covering her mouth with his.

His lips were firm, yet tender as he parted hers with his hot, wet tongue. She opened for him, and he plundered her depths like a man starved. Lia melted into him as burning desire coursed through her with his kiss. Her tongue tentatively touched his, and he crushed her to him. One hand slid over her back as the other still held the wheel. His arousal pressed into her belly creating a desperate need for him inside her. If she were to ask him to take her to the cabin, would it appear too forward? Would he like that?

Her tongue slid into his mouth and she tasted the sweetness of him. She explored the sharp edges of his teeth as they continued their intimate dueling. Her hands held onto his collar for stability as a wave crashed into the side of the ship, knocking them both off balance, forcing them to break apart.

“Let’s take this to the cabin,” Ren whispered huskily.

Lia nodded, and he motioned for his helmsman. Soon he was leading her back down to the main deck where he stopped to talk to Angus. Her lips still felt swollen from Ren’s kisses, and she self-consciously touched her fingers to them as she listened to Ren’s orders.

“Send a tray down immediately, and unless this vessel is on fire and you can’t put it out, we are not to be disturbed.”

“Aye,” said a grinning Angus.

Lia caught a glimpse of the old sailor as he passed a wink to Ren. She was sure Angus was pleased that all was well between them.

Ren led her back down the narrow stairwell to their cabin. He locked the door, then leaned against the table, bringing Lia back into his arms. He kissed her more, his hands roaming possessively over the small of her back and down to cup her bottom. Tearing his lips from hers, he nuzzled the sensitive, tender flesh of her earlobe.

“You drive me to madness for wanting you,” he said. His breath on her skin sent another wave of desire through her, settling in her apex. Her entire body shivered even though the room was warm. Ren’s hands burned a path to her breasts, caressing them through the fine muslin of her dress and chemise. His fingers teased the peaks of her nipples through the material, causing her sensitive flesh to harden. A soft moan escaped her.

He dropped his mouth to one breast and gently nipped at the tip. She couldn’t think, only feel, as his touch drove her insane. Ren’s lips moved to her other nipple and Lia’s head fell back as she offered herself up to him. The fevered passion he created within weakened her. If it weren’t for his arm supporting her, she surely would have collapsed.

A knock at the door broke them apart. Breathless, Lia turned away from Ren and walked to the bank of windows for air. One of the lads carried in their tray and a bottle of red wine. She knew her face was flushed and her lips kiss-swollen, but that was not why she turned away. Ren had left wet spots on the light green front of her bodice. Even more embarrassing, she knew her nipples were now hard and noticeable under the wet material. She could feel them constricting further as the breeze blew in from the open window.

A cork popped. Wrapping her arms about her, she turned back to Ren and watched him pour two glasses of wine. He came closer and handed her one.

“We will have no more interruptions.” Ren’s eyes met hers, then roved downward to settle on the part of her anatomy she tried to cover with her arms.

“Are you sure? The day is still young, the sun is still high.” She rambled, she knew, but never had a man caused her to feel so carnal. She’d witnessed some affection between her parents growing up, but never anything like this. Likely, her mother didn’t know about them.

The feelings she had for her new husband were raw, primal. The act of love they shared was nothing like what she’d heard whispered about when she gathered with her friends and their married sisters. It was said to be sinful to desire the act. If those women only knew the primal way in which she wanted her husband, they would certainly be praying for her soul.

Ren placed his glass on the table and took her hand, leading her to a chair, where he pulled her down onto his lap.

“May I sit on the bench?” she asked, trying to stand.

He held her firmly in place, and smiled. His white teeth, slightly uneven, gleamed against his tanned face. “No.” He grinned. “I find I like having you on my lap.” His voice got raspy. “Among other places.”

Ren lifted the lid to their tray, and Lia took a gulp of her wine, then another, as he stabbed a piece of choice meat with his fork. He presented it to her to take a bite.

“I’m not hungry yet, it’s still early.”

“Believe me, you should eat it while it’s hot.”

“No thank you. I think I’ll wait until dinner. Could I perhaps have more of those wonderful tiny oranges I had this morning?”

He smiled. “Ah, you liked those? Picked those up in Morocco. You may have as many as you wish.”

Lia finished her wine and set the glass on the table. She tried to stand, but Ren’s hold kept her in place.

“Stay,” he said softly. It wasn’t a command. It wasn’t a plea. He was asking.

He desired her, it was obvious, and she felt a passion with him that she knew was destined since time began. But she still needed to hear him promise her one thing—the single thing that would determine if they were to have a happy life together. They were words she had to hear before she gave herself to him fully. “I will stay with you always, be yours always, if you promise me you will not take our children from me. I need to hear you say the words.”

He held her hand to his lips. “On my honor,” he whispered, as he placed a kiss on her palm. “On my honor, Lia, I will never separate you from our children.”

She exhaled, releasing the fear and tension that had been building inside her for days, feelings keeping her from committing herself fully to this man who was now her husband. “Thank you.” She kissed his cheek, the stubble rasping her lips. Pressing her cheek against his, she said again, “Thank you.”

He reached around her for the bottle of wine, and Lia breathed in the salty-sweet smell of his neck. Overcome by the urge to taste him, she placed a gentle, open-mouthed kiss on the curve of his neck. When she lifted her head, her eyes met his and she ran her tongue over her lips.

Ren set the bottle down, without refilling her glass. His gaze never left hers. His thumb played over her lower lip. “You captivate me, Lia.”

This was what her wedding night should have been. All sweet words and gentle hands. His tender kisses, and her quivering body. She felt his desire for her evident against her bottom. She reveled in the fact that he wanted her to be the mother of his children. As a noble, he could have chosen any one of many available young ladies from among the finest families in all Europe. He chose her, even though their meeting wasn’t the least bit conventional. He chose to marry her without anything or anyone to recommend her. He chose her knowing she came saddled with a young brother.

And she was now choosing him.

Ren unfastened the row of buttons along the back of her dress, then began to untie the binding that held her braid. His fingers slid into the hair at her nape and splayed on her scalp, first massaging, then pulling her hair loose to hang in thick, soft waves down her back. When Lia stood, she situated herself between his knees, he then lifted her dress and chemise from her, dropping them to the floor.

Wearing nothing, she trembled as his powerful hands tenderly caressed her flesh. He stroked and kneaded, kissed and suckled her breasts. Every touch nurtured and coaxed the passion within her. He stood and quickly shed his own clothing, then backed her to the bed while his lips roved over the sensitive column of her neck. Lia groaned as his hands worked magic on her body, touching her in her most sensitive places. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the feel of his fingers as they nimbly moved over her, often dipping into her to draw forth moisture. Soon, she was near to bursting with the pressure he created in her. She grabbed the pillow under her head and pulled it over her face to muffle her cries, when his fingers suddenly stopped.

“No!” Lia opened her eyes, and focused on his silver gaze. “Please don’t stop!” He took the pillow from her and slid it beneath her hips, lifting her. Lia held his gaze as he moved down and covered her with his mouth. She watched as he brought his tongue out to touch her sensitive bud. Watching his head move and knowing what he was doing magnified the physical sensations until the only thing she felt was a growing, all-consuming desire to shatter. She wondered if it was possible to die of ecstasy, because she felt so close to doing so. Her hips bucked upward in an unconscious desire to bring her body nearer his. He placed his left hand on her belly, holding her steady. Occasionally he nipped her gently with his teeth, as fingers from his right hand moved deeply inside her, bringing her to the edge of sanity, where she begged him not to stop.

Until her entire body exploded into tiny pieces. Like fireworks, except
she
was the display. Of color. Of shapes. Of life. She took a ragged breath, allowing time for her body to quiet. Ren’s fingers slowly withdrew from her, creating a tingling sensation over her sensitive walls, causing a groan to escape her.

He moved over her slowly, trailing drops of fire with each kiss as he moved his way up her abdomen, then between the valley of her breasts, over her throat, and under her chin, until he reached her lips. He brought his mouth over hers, and she tasted her own musk as their tongues dueled in another passionate kiss.

Lia wanted to give to him the pleasure he gave to her. Placing her hands on his chest, she shoved him, rolling him off her and over to his back. Straddling him, she began to return, measure for measure, everything that he’d just done for her. She thought if she could make him feel just a portion of the extreme bliss she did when he loved her in that manner, then maybe he might experience ecstasy too.

She pulled her hair over to the side, as she began working her way down his body. Her tongue dipped into his mouth one last time before she went lower. Lia’s lips and tongue caressed the muscular curve of his neck. When she reached his chest, she paid homage to one of his nipples.

His hand stopped her. “You don’t have to,” he said.

“I want to,” she whispered as her fingers splayed wide over his muscular chest, playing with the curly black hairs abundantly sprinkled over it. “I am very attracted to your body. And that includes each hair on your chest.” She leaned down again and kissed him there. “And your back.” She kissed his chest again. “Your arms.” She lifted a tanned forearm and kissed it on the sensitive skin on the inside. “Your belly,” she whispered, then leaned over to kiss that part of him. She slid her hands down further, over his hips. “Legs.” Lia moved lower and kissed the inside of first one thigh, then the other.

“And all parts in between.” She wrapped her hands around his rigid shaft. Her gaze met his once more before she lowered her head to take him into her mouth.

Lia moved her mouth up and down over him, and swirled her tongue about the head. She lifted her mouth off and began to use only her tongue on the sensitive ridge on the underside of his shaft, bringing forth several drops of his sweetness. She licked them off, then took his enormous shaft back into her mouth again, taking him as deeply as she could. His groans of pleasure prompting her to continue.

Soon, he moved with her, trying once to stop her. When she wouldn’t, he relented. She wanted him to experience the same erotic bliss he had created within her, wanted him to experience a release so powerful that the world would momentarily cease to exist for him—as he had done for her. Then he would truly be hers as much as she belonged to him.

He growled her name as she felt his entire body shudder, climaxing before collapsing back onto the mattress. She lifted her head and their eyes met. His dark silver eyes were filled with wonder and awe. He reached out for her, pulled her over him and kissed her. He parted her lips with his tongue, and began the cycle of passion all over again, fanning the embers back to flame with each caress, and every playful touch.

He rolled her onto her back and drove into her. Lia rose up to meet him, wrapping her legs about his hips. She moved with him, each of his deep thrusts sending her slowly back to that pinnacle of desire—that place he could take her only when he was inside her, loving her.

Her body tensed once again, and she felt herself nearing another climax. The hair on his chest rubbed roughly over her tender nipples, as his body moved over her, and with each thrust the hair at the base of his shaft did the same over her sensitive nub. Her body coiled tighter and tighter as he continued to go faster and deeper. All these created an eruption within her, and she cried out his name as they shattered together.