mouth closed gently over her breast and he sucked. She arched on a moan and he bit with exquisite care.
His control nearly broke at the soft scream, but he hung on. This time she was going to have everything he could give her before he took her. Every pleasure, every delight. Slowly, he released her breast, eased back, straightened.
Her eyes opened, and she looked down at his hand, tanned against the cream silk of her breast, his fingers gentle on the damp pink nipple.
‘May I touch you?’ she asked softly.
His lungs locked at the husky tone in her voice. ‘Please.’
One small hand reached out, and she traced the curve of his shoulder, trailed her fingertips along his biceps, igniting fires in their wake. He gritted his teeth and hung on to his sanity while she discovered his chest. One finger circled a nipple, and he groaned as it tightened.
‘Ash?’ Uncertainty quivered in her voice and the fingertip slowed.
‘Don’t stop,’ he told her. He didn’t care if it killed him.
‘Oh.’ The fingertip took up its travels again. ‘You kissed me. There.’
His mind blanked. That probably would kill him. ‘I’d like that, too.’ And he took a death grip on his control as her wet, warm mouth closed over his nipple. She bit very gently and he groaned at the fierce pleasure.
‘Is there anything else you’d like?’ she whispered against his hungry flesh.
Aching, he grasped her hand, led it lower.
‘There?’ she whispered.
‘Oh, yes,’ he breathed. And then stopped breathing as she stroked his straining length, explored him with a shy curiosity that nearly unmanned him.
Shaking, he closed her fingers around him, showed her how to reduce him to burning, savage need.
‘Enough,’ he said at last, and eased her hand away, clamping down on the urge to tumble her back and simply take her.
Instead, he slid to his knees before her and tugged gently at the nightgown still caught under her bottom, his eyes never leaving hers. ‘Lift up for me, Maddy.’
She obeyed, and he slipped the nightgown from beneath her. It fell to the floor, God knew where. He had eyes and thought only for the delight before him.
He set his hands to her knees and, ignoring her gasp, pressed them gently apart, exposing her fully to his gaze.
‘You’re looking at me,’ she said in a high, shocked voice.
‘Yes.’ His whole body was an aching mass of need, but he reined it back. ‘And I’m going to do a great deal more than look.’
Not giving her time to think, let alone ask questions, he leaned forward and kissed her belly. The soft skin flickered and bunched under his caress, and he slid a finger into the dimple of her navel, probing gently.
* * *
Maddy couldn’t think, only feel, as that finger played in her navel, the movement matching the pulsing ache between her legs so that her body shifted in restless need. His hand shifted away, lower, and was replaced by his mouth, his tongue, swirling wet, hot circles on her quivering flesh. Fire danced and burned along each nerve at the wet probe of his tongue as his fingers slid over her inner thighs, teasing, seeking. All strength fell from her and she collapsed back onto the bed as his tongue left her navel, as he bit gently at her shivering belly and his coaxing fingers found the damp secrets between her thighs. His fingers stroked, teased and seduced.
Shock seared every nerve, every fibre, as his warm breath drifted along her thigh. His breath, the nip of his teeth and the sweep of his tongue, traced the path his teasing fingers had blazed, and where they stroked now...
He wasn’t... He couldn’t... He did, and her mind fractured as his mouth closed over her in the most shockingly intimate kiss. Heat speared her—dark, demanding heat—as his mouth and tongue ripped the world away. One arm lay in heavy possession across her waist, holding her there helpless while he pleasured her.
Slowly, carefully, he penetrated her with one finger, and she tightened around him, frantic, urgent. Another finger and her body bucked against the searing delight. He pressed up and found something inside her, something that exploded fireworks behind her eyelids, drove pleasure through her body, forcing her close to a beckoning, terrifying edge.
His mouth left her and he surged up her body, his hand still buried between her thighs. She cried out as his mouth closed over her breast once more and he suckled fiercely in wicked concert with the rhythm between her legs.
She broke, simply broke apart, her world consumed in fire as she fell, sobbing, from the precipice, felt his arms close about her and hold her safe, heard his voice soothing her as the firestorm ebbed.
* * *
Ash drew back, looked down at Maddy, his bride, his innocent bride, spread before him in delectably wanton abandon, her body still trembling in the aftermath of pleasure, her legs hanging limply over the edge of the bed. He caressed the slick, sensitive flesh and she gasped, shuddering, so sweetly responsive. And his. All his.
‘Ash?’
‘Yes, love?’ Lord, when had he ever said that to a woman? Called her that?
Her eyes opened, dazed and vulnerable. ‘Was that what you meant by improperly?’
Despite the savage need ripping at his guts, a chuckle shook him. ‘Oh, we’re getting there.’
He set his hands to the tantalising swell of her hips and murmured, ‘Roll over for me.’ She didn’t resist, but her body was so limp with pleasure that he ended up doing it for her. His hands tightened, curving over firm, smooth globes.
‘Ash...?’
The nervousness in her voice, the uncertainty, had him hardening even more with the need to take her. Make sure she knew she was his. Always. And that there was nothing at all ‘convenient’ about it.
‘Yes?’ Very gently he opened her thighs, stepped between them and pressed against the pale curves of her bottom, caressing her hips, the suppleness of her waist.
‘What...what are you doing?’
Leaving one hand on her hip to steady her, he reached between her thighs from behind, found the soft, wet heat and stroked, holding her still, leaning over her until his mouth was close to her ear. He licked, nipped gently, and felt her body shudder, heard the little moan as he teased the damp, sweet secrets.
‘I’m going to tup you, Maddy.’ He wrapped one hand around his erection, guiding it to where she was so tight and hot, and rocked, barely penetrating her. She was all eager, wet, quivering silk. Ready for him, but he wanted her more than ready. He wanted her frantic, desperate, begging for him.
* * *
Maddy’s lungs seized as he pressed in, no more than an inch, and rocked there. I’m going to tup you... Understanding sent a bolt of need flashing through her. She wanted more, needed more, but he held back.
‘Ash!
