Chapter 9

Elizabeth felt as if she had stepped off a high cliff and was endlessly falling. James's mouth was spicy and sultry, flavored with a woodsy hint of whisky. Every sense felt heightened, and her skin quivered with almost unbearable sensitivity. The muted strains of the orchestra and laughter faded. All her awareness was contracted to the sensual softness of his mouth against hers, the sinuous, slick dance of their tongues evoking a molten heat between her thighs and sparking flames under her skin.

She clutched at James's shoulders, moaning her delight. He swallowed the sound, thrusting his fingers in her hair, kissing her even deeper. Elizabeth was aware that one of his hands still spanned her throat, and there was something deeply … erotic yet perilous about the way he held her. He broke their kiss, and she lifted trembling fingers to her mouth, which felt bruised.

Oh, God, this is happening.

Her entire body shook with nerves, alarm, and anticipation. It felt wild and reckless and something entirely forbidden. Young ladies did not act so with men known to be rogues and rakes. Only Elizabeth had never felt like this, and she wanted this moment to stay with her, for within the storm of chaotic sensations, she felt gloriously alive. Something about the Duke of Basil filled her with an aching sense of breathlessness and apprehension.

"You are dangerous to a lady like me," she said shakily.

"Of course I am."

She lifted her fingers and touched the corner of his mouth. "No denial or subtle persuasion to say otherwise?"

"I deplore deception."

The breath hitched inside her throat. "That is to say you will always be honest with me?"

"Yes."

"I will be honest with you as well, James." Elizabeth was silent for a few beats, then she said softly, "I wanted you to make me feel fireworks."

"You remembered our conversation?"

"Yes," she said, her voice achingly soft.

He made no other reply, and when he spanned her waist, lifted her, and walked deeper into the hidden alcove, Elizabeth lowered her forehead to his chest. She clasped James's shoulders, gasping when he leaned her against something cool, a stone sculpture perhaps, nudged her legs indecently wide and lowered her so she straddled his body. Elizabeth could feel the muscle of his thigh against her sex, and the piercing sensation that he provoked pulled a restless sound from her throat. "James …" she breathed softly.

"Have you taken a lover before, Elizabeth?"

"You sound hopeful that I might have."

James brushed his fingertips along the curve of her throat, that feel of his fingers sliding over her skin sent her pulse racing.

"I badly want to spread this sweet cunt of yours open with my cock."

Sharp spikes of sensation shot down to her core, all because of his low, evocative words.

"However, I am not the kind of lover for an innocent," he said with soft regret, gently touching the corner of her mouth with a thumb.

Elizabeth's thoughts raced, and she shifted her legs to hook them behind his calf muscle lest he thought about moving away.

"How do you know it is sweet?" she whispered, knowing she had to be provocative, or he might resist her.

A charged stillness followed, and then he laughed, the sound low and appreciative. "It?"

She bit her bottom lip, understanding what he wanted. Her blushes and shyness would serve no purpose between them. Elizabeth wanted something inexplicable, and somehow, she knew it would only be found with the Duke of Basil. She slipped her hands up his shoulders and around his nape. He gripped her hips and dragged her along his thigh until they were almost positioned hip to hip. Weakness invaded her limbs, and her entire body heated. She could feel the pulsing hardness of his erection.

"My cunt, James, how do you know it is sweet? Should you not find out for yourself?"

He slipped a hand over her throat in another tender clasp, arched her neck and dragged his mouth over her exposed skin, sucking at her flesh. Hot thrills of pleasure scythed through her body.

"Know what to expect of me as your lover," he murmured. "If it is too much for you, say no. I will step back and discreetly escort you inside. Do you understand, Elizabeth?"

"Yes."

She barely saw his outline as he tugged off his gloves and dropped them to the grass. He pressed his fingers into the soft flesh of her neck. James then traced the outline of her mouth with a finger.

"Open."

The sensual command tightened her nipples. She parted her lips, and he stroked his finger inside. Acting on instinct, Elizabeth curled her tongue over his finger and sucked. He made a low sound of hunger in his throat and pushed his finger deeper.

"I am going to fuck your mouth, coaxing you to take my cock to the back of your throat."

Her breath audibly hitched when she recalled the thickness she'd felt.

As if he sensed her thoughts, he stroked his finger deeper and wickedly said, "When you gag, I'll only massage your throat until you take all of me."

He removed his finger, and the soft brush of his thumb against her bottom lip made her whimper. His touch was warm, and even though it was light as a butterfly's wings, it sent a shock of heat between her legs. Or was it his words that provoked the sensation?

"There are times I will eat your pussy until you release on my tongue over and over. Even when you beg me to stop … I will not stop."

Elizabeth swallowed tightly.

"I will not be mindful of any delicate sensibilities. I'll place you on your belly, a pillow under your hips so that your pussy is canted upwards, spread and waiting for me. I'll fuck you like that, hard and deep."

Oh, God. That desperate feeling pierced her low in her belly once again. His teeth raked over her madly fluttering pulse.

"Your pussy will hurt because the fit will be so damn tight, but I'll make it feel good, too. So damn good. I'll not stop fucking it even if you beg," he said with sensual ruthlessness. "In truth, there will be times I take your pussy so long and hard you'll be sore for days afterward, but you will enjoy it. That is the kind of lover I am, Elizabeth."

She could only shiver as wet heat scalded her neck from the open kiss he placed there. A breath shuddered from her, and Elizabeth was almost mortified by how wet she was getting. He shifted in the dark, dragging her ball gown up until it reached her thighs.

"James," she moaned softly, arching into his fingers that trailed up to her inner thigh with carnal intent, and then his fingers were there, where she ached. He slid a hot, probing finger through her curls, dipping low until he teased the entrance of her sex.

His damp finger moved around to her buttocks, and her eyes widened when he ran his knuckle up the cleft of her arse.

"I am going to spank your ass until it blushes red, then eventually, I will be sliding my cock up this ass of yours."

Shocked at the depraved carnality in his words, an overwhelming weakness quivered through her. Elizabeth tried to imagine his powerful male body pinning her down from behind and that thick cock parting her back entrance, and to her mortification, her pussy grew wetter.

He licked along her lips, his scent rousing and evocative.

"I need you so damn wet you'll soak my cock because I am not a small man. I'll prepare your cunt with my tongue and fingers … two or three stretching you wide … maybe four fingers. I've shared my lovers with my friends," he said with possessive sensuality, "but not you, never you."

"James," she whispered, her heart thrilling.

"Hmm?"

"Kiss me."

"Ah, Elizabeth, you are not running," he groaned. "You should be running."

"The place I want to run is into your arms, James, not away from it."

An inarticulate sound slipped from him; he stroked that hovering finger deep inside her sex, dipped his head and claimed her mouth in a scorching kiss. Elizabeth became lost in his taste and marauding mouth, surrendering to the raw, physical responses swamping her senses. He kissed her mouth until her lips felt bruised. He released her lips and kissed her all over, trailing his mouth over her neck, collarbone and down the valley of her breasts.

"Drag down your gown; let me taste your pretty nipples."

She complied, wrenching the material down to bare her breasts to the cool night air. His finger plunged in and out of her body, stroking her arousal until it felt as if lightning struck her low in her belly. She gasped, clutching his head when he licked her nipple. His breath feathered over her bare skin, nips and soft bites over her nipples and the undersides of her breasts, eliciting hot, wanton shivers through her body. His mouth closed around her nipple, sucking on it with hard, rough pulls of his mouth.

A strangled moan escaped her as exquisite tension twisted in her belly. James eased her from his body, lowering her feet to the ground. She sensed that he kneeled before her. He kissed her shin, the top of her knees, the sensitive spot on her right thigh.

"Lean back on the sculpture and widen your legs."

Her heart slamming against her chest, Elizabeth complied. He slid his hands under her ball gown, cupped her derriere and pulled her sex onto his tongue. The stunning pleasure of his tongue lapping at her, thrusting inside her, licking the sensitive walls of her sex had her whimpering. Elizabeth leaned weakly against the sculpture, slapping a hand over her mouth. Her thighs trembled as he lasciviously licked her, curling his tongue over her clitoris. Pleasure raced over her skin and down to her belly, drawing it into a tight knot of agonizing need.

Over and over, he licked and sucked until sweat slicked her skin, and her entire body quivered. Her body reached for something, but it eluded her. Desperate, she reached down and gripped his head, wantonly pushing her pussy against his mouth. A low hum of approval vibrated against her mons.

"James, please," Elizabeth cried, her voice cracking. She arched into his motions, growing desperate for more. "I … I need something."

His fingers found her wet heat and glided over her folds. Elizabeth's moan turned into a sob of raw need when he thrust two fingers inside her quim, stretching and rousing her body. He nudged her legs even wider, and a third finger surged inside her sex, lashing her with a bite of pain and pleasure. He sucked her nub into his mouth, stroking it with his tongue while working her pussy with his fingers.

Oh, God!

Heat bloomed through her body, spreading from the aching tip of her nipples down to contract in a tight ball low in her belly. Provocatively deeper and harder, he moved his fingers, at times opening them to stretch her. She sobbed, gripping his shoulders. All her senses were centered on the feel of his fingers inside her pussy, stroking over the sensitive tissue, stretching her snug channel.

The sensation low in her belly tightened until it splintered. Piercing pleasure washed over her senses, and wetness gushed from her. Elizabeth moaned weakly, her body shaking from the overwhelming bliss. James placed soft kisses on her inner thighs before he stood, lifted her with easy strength, and spread her legs indecently wide.

"Grip the trellis over your head," he commanded, his voice rough with lust.

She reached back, feeling the twisting vines and gripped them, thankful she had kept on her gloves. Elizabeth bit her bottom lip when he reached between them, tucked his cock against the tender opening of her core, and started to invade her body. There was a tight stretch, painful, that wrenched a whimper from her throat.

That soft sound of alarm did not stop James. He pushed past her resistance despite her broken moans and the tautness of her muscles. Elizabeth fought to accept his girth, sweat slicking her skin.

"James," she whimpered, gripping the trellis until her fingers ached.

He leaned forward slightly and pressed a hot, open-mouthed kiss to her throat. "What did I tell you earlier?"

Oh, God. "That my … my pussy will … will ache …"

He kissed up to the corner of her mouth. "I know your tight little cunt is hurting … am I going to stop?"

"No," she whispered, gasping when he pushed his cock a bit deeper.

Her lover pressed another hard, wet kiss to her lips. He held her hip with one hand and pressed the thumb from the other hand to her nub. James rubbed her clitoris with his slippery thumb, pressing and rotating until the pleasure grew excruciating. The harsh friction against that tender flesh was almost unbearable, and her arousal grew so intense her thighs shook. He worked her clitoris, rubbing, pinching, over and over until she was shaking.

"James," she wailed, sensing another climax hovering.

Only then did he shove his cock to the hilt.

Elizabeth cried out at the shock of pain that mingled with the pleasure. He drew a deep, shuddering breath. James held himself still and lowered his head to press soothing kisses over her breasts. He started to move, keeping his rhythm slow but deep and heavy. A soft misting rain started to fall, dampening their bodies, but James did not stop his sensual ride between her splayed legs.

The pleasure was breathtaking.

He plunged over and over until a sweeter, even more intense, wicked ache trembled low in her belly, gathering in intensity. Elizabeth reached for the pleasure sucking her under until it expanded through her body. She cried as ecstasy swept through her in a hot, unrelenting rush. James kissed her, his groan vibrating into her mouth as, with a few deep, heavy pumps of his hips, he reached close to his own release, pulling from her body to spend against her quivering belly.

They held each other for several beats before he tenderly kissed her forehead. His actions surprised her, and then an ache rose in her throat, for a part of her realized she needed this gentleness. There were a few rustles, and then he cleaned away her thighs, still covering her belly with what felt like a silken handkerchief. Then he placed something over her head, and she realized it was his jacket and he was protecting her from the light drizzle of rain. James allowed her gown to fall at her feet, and then he swept her into his arms.

"Where are we going?"

"I am taking you home. Any regrets?"

She felt warmth rush through her body. "I have no regrets," she whispered.

Elizabeth rested her head against his chest, feeling the rapid beating of his heart beneath her ear. Gradually, the pounding softened to a steady, comforting rhythm. As Elizabeth's eyes closed, a realization washed over her—she trusted James to take her home discreetly and safely. Without fully intending to, she had let him into a part of her heart.