Page 30

T here are three very good ways to wake up.

The first one, Richard knew, was to wake up precisely where you expected to be. That was the most common experience, but you did not realize just how special and important it was until you had woken up quite to the contrary.

The second one, Richard thought hazily as he started to come out of dreamland and into consciousness, was with a woman beside you. Preferably one who was not going to ask too many questions and had been a delight the evening before.

The third way was, he was now discovering, in a pile of blankets and furs with Lady Evelyn Chance wrapped around you, entirely naked save for silk stockings.

Richard had to blink a few times to ensure he was not dreaming.

The memories flooded back.

“Are you certain?”

“More certain about this than anything.”

It was all he could do not to jerk himself to a seated position as the remembrances startled parts of him—very specific parts of him—to life. But he did not want to wake her. He needed time to think.

“I never thought my breasts and… and my secret place would bring anyone to their knees.”

Well. Right. So that had happened and had not merely been a delicious fantasy he had permitted himself to indulge in.

Carefully, without moving more than an inch, Richard peered down. Evelyn was utterly nude, delightfully soft, and curled into his arms as though there were nowhere else she would rather be.

Richard swallowed. Right .

It was an entirely new experience. Oh, not waking up and discovering a woman in his bed. That had happened before, though not for a long time.

No, it was the twin knowledge that he had not only taken the innocence of a woman, but that he had not been very careful about it.

His pulse throbbed in his jaw. Not very careful at all. There in the pocket of his trousers, which he could just make out in a pool of fabric on the floor about five feet from him, was a preservative. A French letter, one he had used once before, carefully washed, and replaced for future use.

Future use like last night, for example.

Hell and all its inhabitants.

Evelyn’s movements had changed. Richard held his breath, but it appeared she was still dreaming, for she twisted in his arms as though seeking a more comfortable position. That was, apparently, lying against his chest with her spectacular breasts facing the ceiling.

Richard swallowed. Do not get ahead of yourself, man , he thought desperately. For all you know, the wild, passionate artist you bedded last night will wake up as Lady Evelyn Chance and greatly regret the favor she bestowed upon you.

And what a wonderful favor it had been.

Lost for a moment in happy memories of thrusting himself into her warm, welcoming folds and just how striking she had felt, tensing around his cock as she had climaxed, Richard only realized his mistake too late.

Oh, hell.

His manhood was erect, standing upright in search of pleasure… and it was jutting right into Evelyn’s hip.

Right, this was fine—he could move ever so slowly, and—

“Good morning,” mumbled Evelyn sleepily, her eyes still shut.

Richard froze. What was he supposed to do now?

Because the trouble was, he had no regrets about the preceding night. What man would, when he’d spoken to a woman’s father, gained his permission in a roundabout way, then discovered to his delight that said woman had wished to be ravished?

Oh, the way she had slowly removed her clothes…

This isn’t helping!

But Richard could not pretend he had not done something incredibly serious. Bedding an innocent was something men like him simply did not do. He was supposed to be smarter than that.

But it had been Evelyn.

His Evelyn.

“You are awake, aren’t you?”

Richard managed to garble something that sounded a lot like “Yes,” even though it was cut a tad short by the flicker of need spilling from the end of his manhood.

Damn it. If he didn’t find satisfaction soon, or depart quickly and thrust himself bodily into a cold body of water, he was going to have difficulty.

“Oh,” said Evelyn muzzily, opening her eyes and looking down at the flesh prodding into her hip. “Oh, I see.”

Richard tried not to sigh. It truly was too bad of his body to utterly betray him. When was the last time he had been so entirely out of control? Ten years ago?

Evelyn turned to press her breasts onto his chest, her head resting on her hands. “I see you desire me just as much now as you did last night.”

Richard attempted a “Yes” again but could barely manage the single syllable.

As it turned out, that appeared to be well received. “You know,” Evelyn said, her cheeks pinking, but her eyes defiant, “you kissed me down… down there yesterday. I suppose it is possible for a man to be kissed in a similar fashion?”

Richard groaned. “Yes! I mean, you don’t have to.”

“I know I don’t have to. I don’t have to do lots of things,” Evelyn said quietly, pressing a kiss on his cheek. “But I want to. Will you teach me?”

Just for a moment, Richard closed his eyes. Dear God, had he awoken in a nightmare or a dream? This was too much. How was he supposed to restrain himself?

“Do—Do you not worry that someone will come looking for you?” he said quickly.

Coward!

“Not at all. I frequently stay out here all night then meander in at luncheon. Laurent doesn’t even expect to help dress me every morning,” Evelyn said softly, a slow smile creeping over her face. “Are you saying you don’t want me to?”

Richard’s manhood was crying out for attention, for Evelyn’s fingers, for her mouth, and unfortunately, that made it difficult to speak. “Christ, yes, but—”

“Right. I’m ready to learn,” said Evelyn in a far-too-businesslike manner for Richard’s liking. “Where do I start?”

He swallowed. Where, indeed?

It was one of the few fantasies he had ever permitted himself to indulge in. Oh, the very idea that there would be a woman willing to obey his every request as she took him into her mouth…

And now here he was, a naked Evelyn kneeling between his parted knees—when had she done that?—looking down at his manhood as though she were examining a new paint color.

Richard groaned and his manhood twitched.

“You really do want me, don’t you?” murmured Evelyn with a wry smile. “Well, I’m willing. All you have to do is ask.”

Trying desperately to concentrate and giving up almost immediately, Richard said in a low voice, “Wet… wet your lips.”

He almost exploded immediately—not at the way she did it, her tongue darting out and leaving a trail of wetness across those perfect lips—but at the way she so swiftly obeyed.

Such a good girl…

“ Really wet them,” Richard said more urgently as he pulled a fur toward him and rolled it up as a pillow. He wanted to see this. “Now… Now kneel lower. Lower, so that your mouth is right—there.”

Evelyn did so, her attention seemingly transfixed by the inches of flesh springing up from his curls.

And Richard hesitated. Should he have been doing this? Teaching a lady of Society precisely how to pleasure him?

“If you’re not going to teach me,” said Evelyn sharply, looking up, “then—”

“Fine, fine,” said Richard hastily. Anything to please her. Anything to be pleased by her. “You… First, you kiss my tip. L-Lick it. Taste me.”

The last few words were a whispered cry, almost begging, and Richard could say no more. Evelyn had obediently lowered her head and pressed her wet lips to his tip, her tongue darting out to taste the trickle of need that had escaped him.

Richard fought off the desire to thrust up into her mouth, but only just. God in His heaven, but she was sweet. Eager to please. Inexpert.

Though not for long.

“Now… Now I want you to use your tongue,” Richard managed, fisting the blanket he was lying on as he tried desperately not to reach forward and force her head down over his cock. “You need to get me wet. All of me.”

“Like this?”

Evelyn did not waste time. Her tongue darted out, lathering him so completely that Richard had to close his eyes for a moment to focus on not exploding over her lips.

No, he wanted more. So much more.

The pleasure was not subsiding, scalding him as he managed, “Yes—oh Evelyn, yes. Now… now take me in your mouth, a-as much as you can and… and suck. Suck me. Suck me, please!”

He was begging now, but Richard could not help it. The moment he had first said, “suck,” Evelyn had done precisely what he wanted: placed both hands on his hips and slowly parted her lips over his tip and swallowed him down.

Oh, dear God, I am in paradise.

Richard tried to remember to breathe as Evelyn slowly lowered herself over his cock, her wet tongue tasting, exploring every inch of him, the gentle sucking making his head spin.

And then she stopped. “And is that it?”

“‘It’?” Richard could barely speak. ‘It’? “Now… Now do all of that while moving up and down my length. Don’t—just don’t stop, please.”

Any thoughts of decorum, that at any point they could be interrupted, that he was ruining one of the most beautiful and precious women in the world—all thoughts disappeared as Evelyn grinned.

“Good,” she said quietly. “I don’t intend to stop until you climax in my mouth.”

It was all Richard could do not to climax immediately, but he was rewarded for his forbearance. Evelyn was as good, or as bad, as her word. Licking, tasting, sucking, she lost herself in servicing him and Richard felt his body stiffen and tauten as he grew closer and closer to ecstasy.

“So close,” he panted, watching Evelyn’s head bob up and down over his cock and knowing he wanted to give her a taste of what she was working within him. “So—So close. Please, please don’t stop, don’t—Evelyn!”

He had never lost control like that before. Never realized how liberating it was to give into the pleasure. Never wanted to weep as he did while Evelyn sucked on him at his peak, lapping up his pleasure and swallowing it down as though she could not get enough.