Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

F itz had never been the most rational of men.

That was something he was trying to change.

Eliza, however, had snapped all of the resistance he had been building within himself with her one request.

One request that he didn't have within him to refute.

He had been shocked beyond words when she had approached him with her proposition, but he thought he had managed his response well.

Until she had joined him in the water.

In nothing but her chemise.

He could feel the tips of her pebbled nipples upon his bare chest now, her chemise leaving nothing to the imagination as he kissed her with a fervor he had never known before.

It had to be because she was forbidden, even if he had been the one to have restricted her from himself.

He couldn't consider it any further, however. Not now. For now, his mind had turned off, his desire overtaking it in making all the decisions for his body. Eliza's lips were soft and yielding beneath his, a stark contrast to the heat that blazed between them, cooled only by the water that lapped around their waists. Every touch, every sigh that escaped her sent shivers down his spine, telling him that perhaps she was right. Perhaps a bad idea could become one of the very best.

For in that moment, nothing else mattered except Eliza in his arms. Fitz deepened the kiss, pouring all his longing and passion into it, tasting the sweetness of her surrender.

Her hands roamed over his chest as though she was memorizing every contour of his body with an eagerness that matched his own.

A primal urge awakened within Fitz, a need to possess and protect this woman who had dared to challenge him in ways he never thought possible. Where it had come from, he wasn't sure, but it must have been lying there, dormant, pushed down by his very best of intentions.

They broke apart for air, panting as they stared at one another, and Fitz reached out and wiped away the droplets of water on Eliza's nose that had dripped from his hair onto her face.

"This is madness," he said huskily, unable to help the need that laced his words.

Eliza's laughter rang out like music in the night air. "Madness is just another word for adventure, Fitz," she whispered, her breath warm against his skin, her eyes containing a wildness that mirrored his own.

She was everything he could ever want in a woman and yet the very last woman he needed.

Maybe she was right, however. Maybe they could have some fun without the need for anything more.

He had never been able to help how drawn he was to her and had wondered if kissing her would give him clarity and ease the need for her that had been growing so desperately in his chest.

But instead, it had the exact opposite effect, for now, that desperation had grown nearly to the point that he could no longer contain it.

"I've been trying to avoid adventure," he said with pain. "But it seems it has found me all the same."

"So, what do you think?" she asked, looking up at him through thick lashes. He knew that she had never been one to act with any contrived flirtation, and yet he had never before seen a woman so alluring. But that was just her, in her most purely natural form. "Will you do this? Will you help me?"

His laugh was more of a bark of shock, and before he knew what he was saying, he was lowering his hands.

"After that kiss, Eliza, how could I ever say no?"

The joy that lit her face was worth it all as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled her to him in an embrace, one that he was sure was meant to thank him but had far more effect on him than gratitude.

"Thank you!" she said. "I so appreciate it. You will not regret it."

Those were not the words he wanted to hear, for somehow, they almost seemed like a foreshadowing of their future. Yet the idea of a young woman thanking him for showing her pleasure? It seemed almost too good of a proposal.

Fitz would be a fool to turn down anything that would so favor them both.

So, he decided to pull her close and seal their agreement with a kiss.

As their lips met again, the world around them seemed to melt away, leaving only the two of them in this bubble where no one else could touch them. The water that surrounded them rippled in reaction to their passion as if trying to mimic the rhythm of their heartbeats.

If Fitz's was beating as hard as hers, then Eliza wondered how they weren't causing tidal waves.

She had always been one to voice her thoughts aloud, and while Fitz had not denied her, she could admit that it had hurt her some that he would think her such a poor decision.

She was determined to prove him wrong – that she could be with him and enjoy him without giving away her heart.

A thrill of anticipation coursed through Eliza as she moaned softly into the kiss, her hands roaming over Fitz's back, his muscles bunching beneath her touch.

He responded by deepening the kiss, his fingers splaying across her lower back with just the right amount of pressure to hold her steady against him, allowing her to feel his thickness jutting into the bottom of her stomach.

What would it be like to have him inside of her? To have their bodies joined together?

The thought had her pressing even closer against him.

Slowly, Fitz's hands started to move lower, tracing a line over her hip bones, until they stopped an inch above where she ached for him.

"What are you doing?" she asked breathily, gripping his upper arms.

He immediately removed his hands, which was the last thing she wanted from him.

"I'm sorry, I thought you?—"

"I was wondering why you stopped!" she said, slapping him lightly on the shoulder, which caused him to jump as he stared at her in surprise.

"Oh," he said. "I thought?—"

"I know," she said, taking pity on him. "Which is why I am telling you how I feel. Don't stop."

"This is what you truly want?" he said again. "We'll go slow, I promise. I don't want to shock you and before we take this any further, you should know what you are getting into."

"I am well aware," she nearly growled herself, as she was becoming frustrated with all of this talking. She needed more action. "Now, can our lessons begin?"

He nodded slowly, his cheeks reddening at her demands despite the cool water around them.

She stared up at him, hoping he could sense her trust in him, and he nodded, more to himself than to her. He lifted his hands from her hips, reaching toward her in invitation, and she took his palm without hesitation. He led her toward shore, his entire body bare before her, his nakedness almost seeming a point of pride rather than humility.

The shore was grassy, with dark sand leading down to the water. Fitz had come prepared, for he walked over to his pile of clothes and lifted a piece of linen from below it, which he laid out on the soft grass just away from the water, beneath the overhang of branches of the tree above them.

"Lie down," he said gruffly, his eyes running over her body, and Eliza looked down to see that even though she had not waded any further than her waist, her breasts were obvious beneath her chemise as she had been pressed so tightly against Fitz's wet chest. As for her lady parts, well, nothing was hidden from Fitz now.

Eliza was glad when he lay down beside her, for as bold as she was, she was a bit concerned by the size of him. How his manhood was supposed to fit in her, she didn't know, but her book had shown a great variety of ways it could do so.

As they lay down side by side, their bodies still touching, he reached out and traced circles on her palm with his fingers, the sensation making her shiver. She closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of his touch, noting that he certainly knew what he was doing to relax her.

Fitz must have sensed that she was giving into what he was offering, for his fingers traveled, further exploring her.

"Before we start, you best understand what you are asking for," he said, taking her hand and lifting it, causing her entire body to jolt when he placed it on his hard length.

Her eyes flew open, widening in surprise.

"Do you feel that?" he said, his voice low and seductive.

"Yes," she replied, her response barely above a whisper.

"Lesson number one. This is what happens to a man when you make him desire you."

She nodded, heat flooding her even further at the thought that she could cause such a reaction within him.

"Lesson number two?" he said, "is how I can make you feel."

He was lying on his side next to her, leaving her open and bare to him. He cupped her face once more before running his hand down her neck, over her collarbone, down her sternum until his fingers were caressing her stomach, and then over her chemise where she was open and waiting for him. He quickly left the area to continue down until he reached the hem.

He inched it upward, his palm rough against the softness of her legs as she waited for him.

"How does that feel?" he asked in a low tone.

"Good," she said, breathy with anticipation until his hand came between her legs.

He stroked her with his fingers, his thumb brushing against her entrance, causing her to shiver yet open her legs wider.

It was strange at first, to have him touch her so intimately, but as he continued, she warmed to his touch, allowing sensations of pleasure to wave over her.

"You like that," he stately smugly, and she opened one eye to look up at his smirk of satisfaction.

"I do," she said, keeping a note of annoyance in her tone at the fact he was so pleased with himself.

"Perfect," he said, "for we are just getting started."

With each stroke, his touch strengthened, and then his fingers were sliding inside of her, causing her to cry out in pleasure. He continued his explorations as he delved deeper, finding a place within her that she couldn't have led him to if she had tried.

Eliza moaned softly, her body arching into his touch, her hips moving in rhythm with his strokes. She was shocked and amazed at the sensations coursing through her, and still, she felt that her body was searching for something more, a release that she was desperate for.

"Fitz," she cried out as he leaned over and took her lips with his, making love to her mouth in time with his fingers thrusting inside of her. When his teeth nipped her bottom lip, it was enough to send her flying over the edge.

It was like nothing Eliza had ever felt before, nor anything she could ever have imagined. A wave of pure ecstasy washed over her entire body, her moans mingling with Fitz's groan as she realized, in thoughts that were outside of her body, that he seemed to enjoy this as much as she did.

She kept her eyes closed tightly as the intensity of the pleasure eventually subsided, leaving her weak and boneless, her body shaking from the aftershocks as she wondered how she was ever going to be able to stand up and walk away from him.

She could sense Fitz watching her, but she was unsure how she would ever look at him again after how she had just come completely apart in front of him.

"You did well," he whispered in her ear, his voice filled with admiration, causing her eyes to fly open.

"Is this what it is always like?" she asked, to which he grinned.

"With me? Yes. I can't make any promises for other men."

She snorted at that until she felt his hardness pressing against her, and she realized then that this was only the beginning. There was more to come.

So much more.

He took her hand and pulled her up, guiding her into a sitting position.

"How was that?"

"That was…" she paused, not wanting to stroke his ego, but she also wanted more of this, and she supposed the truth was the best way to start. "Amazing."

"Good," he said, that cheeky grin crossing his face.

"Is there a lesson three?" she asked. While she wasn't sure that her body would be able to handle anymore, it could certainly give. She knew enough from her books to be aware that this could be a two-way event.

When she met his eyes, they were dark and full of lust, but he shook his head. "That should be enough for you today."

Disappointment ran through her.

"Is there nothing I can do for you?"

"That isn't what this is about," he said with a frown.

"These are lessons, Fitz," she said, looking up at him from beneath her lashes. "I wanted to experience pleasure, but I'd also like to give it."

She looked up at him with what she hoped was a convincing smile. "Please?"

He sighed, rolling his eyes up to the sky.

"Do you ever take no for an answer?" he said, but there was no malice to his tone. In fact, he seemed rather excited.

"Not really," she said, grinning.

"Very well," he said with what she knew was supposed to be a sigh of resignation, but he was clearly not too put out by the thought.

"Lesson number three it is."