Page 71 of What a Lord Wants

“Eve.” His hips moved fast and hard against her, as if he needed to bury all of himself inside her and was working to do just that.

No—he wasworshippingher, as if she truly were a goddess from one of his paintings. The realization bloomed such happiness through her that she gave a silent sob against his shoulder. She clung to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, never wanting to let go. She wanted him inside her like this always.

He slipped his hand between them, to stroke at the place where their two bodies joined. But she felt no shame, willingly giving herself over to whatever pleasures he wanted to bestow. “Now,mia bella.”

Her feminine lips were stretched wide around his thick girth, her most sensitive spot exposed. When he rubbed his knuckle tantalizingly against it, her hips bucked.

“Come now,” he repeated the hoarse order and rubbed at her again.

She moaned as the spasm of pleasure gripped her, her body clenching tightly around his.

“I need you now.” He shook uncontrollably as his hips continued to thrust hard against her even as his fingers worked between them to push her over the edge. “I can’t hold back much longer.”

But she didn’t know what he wanted her to do. She couldn’t have controlled herself at that moment even if she’d tried. Her thighs quivering around his hips, her breasts rubbing against the hard planes of his chest with each delicious stroke of his body into hers—all she could do was cling to him andfeel.

“Surrender to me.” He groaned as her body tightened around his. “Let me have you,mia bella…in every way.”

She broke. The rush of pleasure raised a soul-shattering cry from her as all the aching tension he’d stoked inside her vanished beneath a flood of bliss. She quivered around him, unable to do anything more than remember to breathe as the delicious sensations crashed over her.

“Eve,” he murmured, surprise lacing his voice at the intensity of her release.

His large hands slid beneath her and grasped her bottom, to pin her hips against his as he plunged into her. When he ground his pelvis into hers, there was no restraint, no hesitation. There was only raw need pulsing from him and the drive to satiate himself in her.

He thrust again, this time holding himself as deep within her as possible. His hands squeezed her buttocks as he jerked inside her, and he poured himself into her with a groan. He released her bottom, then squeezed it again with a murmur of pleasure when her sex clenched around his flaccid length to milk every drop of his essence from him. She wanted all of him, to carry every bit of him inside her.

Spent and shaking, he collapsed onto the bed beside her and gathered her into his arms.

They said nothing as they both fought to regain their breaths and enjoy the last traces of lingering pleasure that shivered through them. For the first time in her life, she felt wholly and completely awake.Alive.All of her body tingled with electricity, all of her soul soared—

All because of Dom.

She placed her hand against his cheek and tenderly kissed him. He opened his eyes to gaze down at her, with an impossible expression of disbelief and happiness that she was certain mirrored her own.

“Are you all right?” he asked, his voice thick with equal parts satiated desire and concern.

Nodding, she brushed her fingertips through the silky hair at his temple. “Are you?”

For one heartbeat, she sensed hesitation in him.Grief.She stared at him, unable in her happiness to fathom it.

Then it vanished, and he was kissing her again, slowly…tenderly…with unspoken gratitude and so much affection that her heart nearly burst from it.

He pulled the counterpane around them. Then he lay on his back beside her and tucked her into the hollow between his arm and his chest.

She nuzzled her cheek against his neck. The faint growth of his midnight beard scraped gently against the smoothness of her skin, and she couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to have that scratch of beard against her inner thighs. Before the night was over, she was certain she’d know, because already she wanted to make love to him again. And again in the morning, when his skin was freshly shaven and smooth. Also in the afternoon, when the day was warm and lazy. And every day and night for the rest of her life.

He silently outlined her lips with his fingertip, as if drawing her. Perhaps hewasdrawing her in his mind. Heaven knew she’d done the same in hers, etching him there, to remember this night. Always.

She’d wanted to bring him passion equal to his muse, wanted to meld herself so thoroughly to him that he wouldn’t be able to tell where she ended and he began. To make it impossible for him to keep her away. To make herself part of his soul.

The new affections blossoming between them were still so very fragile. She had to tread carefully and couldn’t yet say what her heart was singing, for fear that he wouldn’t say it back…I love you.

But he did care for her, she was certain of that. Every affectionate touch and kiss he’d given her tonight, the way he’d made certain she found her own bliss in their joining—he couldn’t make love to her that tenderly and not care.

She let that be enough. For now.

“Go to sleep, darling.” He shifted to bring her against him as he lay on his side, her back to his front. “I’ll be right here when you wake.”

She closed her eyes but was unable to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside her. Only much later, after she felt Dom slip into unconsciousness with his arms still around her, his breathing deep and steady, did sleep finally overtake her.