Page 16 of A Lover for Lady Jane (The Welsh Rebels #5)

“There is only one thing to ask, one thing to take into consideration. Do you want me?”

He closed his eyes like a man in pain. How could she doubt this? “I want you more than the air I breathe.”

“Well, I want you too. You’ve never bedded a virgin before. But there’s a first time for everything. We will share this first time together.”

Christ on the cross, had he ever met a more determined woman?

“You know the first time will hurt you?” Would the reminder be enough to make her change her mind?

Of course it was not. “I’m not afraid. It might not be so bad as everyone says,” she countered instantly. “Or so Sian told me.”

“You discuss such matters with your sister?”

Griffin was amazed. He’d never imagined well-bred ladies discussed what went on between men and women with such candor.

But he’d already had the opportunity to see that this woman was like no other.

One could not trust the serene, polished exterior she presented to the world. Inside lay a passionate, fiery woman.

“Sian and I have no secrets one from the other. And I know that there is pleasure to be had in men’s arms. She gets hers with Christopher. Why shouldn’t I? This morning was just a start.”

Oh Lord, she was trying to kill him. “Jane, don’t talk like this.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m trying very hard to do the right thing. And this is not helping.” Her wrist was still imprisoned in his hand. but he could feel her trying to free herself and resume her caresses.

“And just what is the right thing according to you?” she replied, her eyes sending sparks. “To save myself for someone I don’t even know yet? To wait until a man I don’t want takes by force what I don’t want to give him?”

He clenched his jaw at the picture she was painting.

Cynan, laboring over her while she tried to fight him off.

Tomos, laughing as he took his friend’s place under the eager eyes of the others, a nobleman she had not chosen taking possession of her body on their wedding night while she lay rigidly under him, enduring what he was telling her was her duty.

“It doesn’t have to happen that way, though, and you know it,” he rasped. “You could experience your first time in the arms of a husband you choose. You told me that your father loved you; surely he would not marry you to a stranger you do not desire?”

“No, he wouldn’t, which is why I’m still unmarried.

And I say a woman should be allowed to choose who enters her body, especially the first time.

I have chosen you, the man who protected me and was selfless enough to give me pleasure without expecting anything in return this morning.

Anyway, I don’t want to talk about this or anything else right now.

” With a dramatic gesture, she tore the blanket from her body and sent it flying to the other end of the barn, revealing her naked, perfect body to his gaze.

“Griffin, I want you to make love to me. I want you to be the first to possess me. I want you to give me pleasure. Please.”

He knew he would not be able to resist such a plea.

He might, just might have been able to resist his own desire, but he could not deny Jane what she wanted.

Before he knew what he was doing, Griffin had taken her in his arms and rolled her under him.

Discarding his own blanket, he settled himself where he wanted to be, over her with his manhood poised at her entrance and his mouth hovering over her nipples.

The little nubs, a perfect dusky color in the moonlight, were beckoning to him.

He drew the right one into his mouth, groaning as he started to suckle, then moved on to the next one.

This was heaven, just as good as it had been this morning, so good he would almost have been content to lap at her all night.

Almost.

This time he wasn’t sure he would be able to leave before he’d been satisfied as well.

“Now, please, Griffin.” Jane’s voice had gone hoarse. “Take me now. I can’t wait anymore.”

Neither could he. To make sure she was ready, he swiped a finger over her opening. She was wet, and hot, just the way she should be. She hadn’t lied. Being suckled had aroused her as much as it had aroused him and she was desperate.

“Open for me,” he rasped, taking his shaft in hand to guide himself inside.

When she complied, he pushed in. Determined to take it slowly, he slipped a scant inch in at first, but then the heat wrapping around his hardness robbed him of all thought.

His body took over and he pushed all the way in, seating himself deeply in the most wonderful softness he had ever felt.

There was a cry and Jane froze under him, placing her palms against his chest as if to push at him.

“Jane?” he rasped, recalled to his senses by her change in attitude.

“I-I… Wait! This is not what— Something’s wrong.

Sian told me it was little more than a pinch.

” She sounded strained, her speech was halted, like someone fighting pain and panic.

Her arms were still braced against his chest, preventing him from moving.

There was no need. The last thing he wanted was to resume his thrusting when she was in such pain.

“It’s not just a pinch. It’s much worse than that. ”

Griffin thought he might retch. He had hurt Jane; he was still hurting her, merely by being inside her.

What the hell was wrong with him? He had known this was a bad idea, and yet he had allowed himself to be persuaded, he had let what his body was telling him overrule his better judgment.

He’d suckled her first, admittedly, and ensured she was wet enough to welcome him in, but still he had pushed inside her with one uncompromising thrust. Of course she would be in pain.

“It’s all right, sweetheart, we’ll stop.” Although it was too late to save her reputation, it was the only thing to do. He could not make love to a woman he was hurting.

“No, it’s fine, I’m sure it will pass,” she whimpered, trying to hold him in.

But there was no way he would continue now, even if he’d wanted to.

He had gone soft as soon as he’d seen the grimace on her face.

Gently, he withdrew and looked at her, trying to ascertain the extent of the damage.

There was the faintest trace of blood on her pale thighs.

His heart constricted. This was his doing, he had hurt her.

He had never hurt a woman in his life before, even unintentionally, and he had never felt worse than he did now.

“Jane,” he said to himself, appalled, as he wiped her clean with a corner of the blanket he’d retrieved. “I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. You know I’ve never bedded a virgin before. I didn’t know it would be that painful or I wouldn’t have?—”

“No, you couldn’t have known, and I don’t think it’s like that for everyone.

” Thankfully, she sounded more like herself, not panicked anymore.

And perhaps she was right. After all, everyone’s body was different.

“I told you, Sian felt no more than a pinch. You didn’t do anything wrong so there’s nothing to forgive. ”

“No. Still.”

Griffin was finding it hard to focus with Jane’s womanhood exposed to his gaze, the folds all pink and glistening and perfect amidst the dark curls.

He’d gone hard again, and his mouth had started to water at the idea of tasting her most secret place, the one he’d just hurt.

This urge he would not fight. It would certainly soothe her and allow him to atone for being too rough.

“Let me kiss it better,” he growled, leaning toward the sweet temptation.

Jane lifted herself onto her elbows, a frown on her face. “What do you mean, kiss it b— ah !”

The sound she made when his lips landed on her core almost sent him over the edge.

It made no sense. What was it about this woman that called to him so?

Breathing, he focused on the feel of her heat against his tongue, slick and swollen with need, softer than anything he’d ever put in his mouth.

He would make this moment last, the pleasure would not only be for her, but for him also.

His tongue slid upward, lingered a moment over the little nub nestled between her folds, then licked a path back down, all the way to her most secret entrance.

Jane did not protest, did not do anything to stop him.

Instead, she started to pant. After a few slow, languorous circles around her entrance, he pushed past the muscles keeping her closed, determined to offer her the soothing softness of his tongue where she’d had to endure the painful invasion of his shaft.

Jane bucked so hard she sent his head reeling.

“Easy,” he murmured. “Let me do this. Keep your legs wide open for me.”

“But I’m going to die,” she whimpered.

“No, you’re going to soar.”

Having uttered the words, Griffin stopped talking.

He needed his mouth and his tongue if he was to fulfill his promise.

Jane’s fingers entwined themselves into his hair to anchor him in place.

It seemed that despite her protests, she wouldn’t do anything to stop him, quite the contrary.

Her legs had gone rigid with tension, her breathing ragged. Her release was not far.

Satisfaction swelling in his chest, he closed his lips over her most sensitive place and sucked.

It wasn’t long before she surrendered. On the fourth pull she gifted him with the most precious gift a woman could give a man.

She let out soul-wrenching moans, her body arching and writhing in pleasure.

By the time she stopped moving Griffin was out of breath himself.

The world stilled; silence descended back into the barn. Jane opened her eyes, which had gone a shade darker, and said in a breathy voice. “Thank you.”

“It was my pleasure.” Truly.

“But you… You never…”

“Hush. Forget about me.” He’d already had more than he deserved tonight. Smiling, Griffin wrapped a blanket over her, then settled himself next to her, the second blanket covering them both. “Now you need to sleep.”