Surrender (32 page)

She answered his gentle, sensually teasing

smile with one of her own.
 
In that case,

I will never have cause to remove it. I

cannot imagine not feeling about you the

way I do now."

 
Remember that, hmmm?" He brushed

his knuckles lightly across her cheek before

reaching down to open his breeches.

He stepped out of the remainder of his

clothes, revealing a hard, aroused male

body. But Victoria noticed nothing else

about him in that moment except the

wide, ragged scar on his thigh.

 
Dear God," she whispered.

 
Does it bother you?" He stood waiting,

his breeches still in his hands, his eyes

unreadable.

She reached out to touch the ruined

flesh with gentle, soothing fingers.
 
Bother

me? Of course it does not bother me. Not

in the way you mean." She looked up at

him, stricken.
 
But how it must have hurt

you. I cannot bear the thought that you

suffered such agony, that you came so

close to death."

 
Hush, Vicky. Do not fret about it.

It was a long time ago and I assure

you right now it is not bothering me in

the slightest. I have far more important

things on my mind and none of them

have anything to do with death. They are

all matters of life." He caught her fingers

in his hand and kissed them.
 
Do you

know I didn't think it would upset you

too much. There are women who would

have recoiled in shock and revulsion. But

somehow I rather thought you would not

be put off by it. You are a most unusual

woman, Victoria."

 
Not really, but I
  
She broke off as

she finally noticed the rest of him.
 
Oh,

my." Victoria gazed at him, mesmerized.

He was hard and swollen in a state of

full arousal and his masculinity appeared

overwhelming to her inexperienced eyes.

 
Well, at least your mind is off that

damned scar," Lucas observed with wry humor

as he tossed his breeches over

a chair.

 
You are very
 
." Her tongue seemed

to grow awkward in her mouth. She

moistened her lips and tried again.
 
You

are quite magnificent, my lord. Rather

large, in fact. Bigger than I had imagined."

She felt herself turning red as he quirked

a brow.
 
Not that I was quite certain just

what you would look like, but I am
  
that

is, the plain fact is that I was not expecting

quite so much of you."

Lucas muttered an exclamation that

was half laugh and half groan as he

came down beside her and slid under

the covers.
 
Vicky, my darling, you say

the most delightfully honest things at the

most amazing times. God, but you are

sweet. I wonder how I waited this long

to have you near me like this."

He pulled her close, his hand closing

around her bare buttocks to urge her

against his strong thighs. He used his

foot to gently pry apart her legs and she

suddenly realized she had been clamping

them together. Fully intending to force

herself to relax, she wound up squeezing

her knees even more tightly shut.

Lucas's smile was deeply sensual.
 
I must

tell you, sweetheart, that this particular

aspect of our intellectual inquiry cannot

proceed much farther if you keep your

knees locked together."

The comment broke through her nervousness

and elicited a small gurgle of

laughter from her. Victoria put her arms

around his neck and smiled up at him.
 
Is

that right, my lord? I would never have

guessed. I shall rely upon you to keep

me informed of the small details of this

experiment."

 
Very well, here is one small detail that

most certainly must not be overlooked."

He bent his head and sipped one nipple

carefully between his strong, white teeth.

 
Lucas." Victoria gasped and closed her

eyes at the thrill that shot through her.

Instinctively she arched herself so that he

could take her more completely into his

mouth.

Lucas obliged her, and when she

was dazed with the sensations pouring

through her, Victoria felt his leg slide

effortlessly between her thighs. This time

she offered no resistance at all, opening

herself completely to his touch.

 
So soft. So sweet and soft and welcoming."

Lucas's voice was husky with his

passion. His long, elegant fingers moved

over her, exploring, searching, setting her

on fire, just as he had promised.

As she adjusted to the exquisite delights

unfolding in and around her, Victoria

slowly grew more bold. When she stroked

his shoulders and then traced the line of his

spine down to his hips, Lucas encouraged

her with dark, heated words.

 
You feel so good, Vicky. Your touch is

like none I have ever known."

He brushed himself lightly against her

thigh, letting her feel the fullness of his

manhood but not forcing her to accept

him yet.

Without stopping to think, Victoria

reached down to glide her fingertips across

the broad tip of his engorged shaft. She

gasped a little and drew back when she

encountered a bead of moisture.

 
Please," Lucas rasped against her breast.

 
Do it again." He thrust himself back

into her palm, asking silently for another

caress.

This time Victoria stroked him tentatively

with quivering fingers and was

delighted with his deep groan of response.

She discovered she loved knowing she had

such an effect on him.

Slowly he moved on top of her, settling

himself between her legs. She felt his hands

under her knees, raising them until she was

completely open to him. Then he lowered

his mouth and kissed her.

 
Lift yourself," he urged.

She drew a deep breath and did so

cautiously. He was ready and waiting for

her, She retreated instantly as she felt him

start to enter her. He was very large and

solid, she realized. There was no give to

him at all. She lifted her lashes and looked

up into his stark face.

 
I am not at all certain this is going to

work," Victoria said tightly.

 
It will work. Do not be in such a rush,

darling. We have hours yet." He kissed her

throat and nibbled tenderly at her ear.

 
Although I am quite certain I won't be

able to wait hours to show you that we

will fit together very well indeed. If I did

hold off that long, I would be headed for

Bedlam in the morning, a ruined man."

She started to laugh nervously at the

image, but just as the giggle emerged he slid

his palm down over her belly and carefully

sought the blossoming petals between her

legs with one long finger. Victoria's small

giggle turned into a breathless gasp.

Then he was doing the things he had

done to her that night in the carriage,

the things that would soon make her

shiver and cry out against his shoulder.

The fabulous spiral of excitement twisted

and condensed within her and turned her

into a wild, writhing creature of light and

energy.

As the storm within her threatened to

break, Victoria clutched tightly at Lucas,

digging her nails into his shoulders and

lifting her hips impulsively against his

hand. Her pleas began as small, frantic,

cajoling cries of delight and finally were

transformed into fierce little feminine

demands for release.

 
Do you want me now, sweetheart?"

Lucas parted her with his fingers and let

her feel the broad head of his shaft once

more.

This time she did not retreat.
 
Yes. Oh,

dear God, yes, my love."

He groaned, his whole body taut with

the effort he was exerting to retain his

self-control. Slowly he started to sink into

her.

Victoria flinched, unprepared for the full

force of his intrusion. Much of the dazzling

excitement she had been feeling vanished

as the pressure built. But she refused to

stop now. She had come this far and it

was clear that Lucas was at the end of his

tether. She could not deny him the same

release he had once given so generously to

her. She tightened her grip on his arm and

braced herself.

 
Take it easy, darling, this is not

supposed to be an act of martyrdom,"

Lucas whispered.

I'm sorry. Please, Lucas, go ahead. I

will be all right."

 
I want you to be more than all right." His

mouth fastened on hers and he withdrew

himself from her. He reached down to

insert his hand once more between their

bodies.

He teased her with his fingers, sliding

first one and then another just inside her,

stretching her gently, drawing forth the

sweet, hot honey. Soon she was once

more swept back into the grip of sensual

excitement.

This time he waited until she went coiled

and taut beneath him, waited until her

head tipped back over his arm, waited

until she cried out, waited until she began

to convulse gently and clutched at him

so passionately she left small marks in

his skin.

Then and only then did Lucas thrust

fully into her in one long, relentless stroke

that filled her completely.

He was drinking the last of her soft

cries of mingled release and erotic surprise

when his own shuddering climax broke

over him.

Victoria came slowly awake as she realized

that the unending pounding she was

hearing was the sound of someone knock

ing forcefully on her door. But that made

no sense. Nan would not dream of

knocking so impolitely and no one else

in the household except her aunt would