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There was simply nothing better than having his weight on top of her. His cedar and citrus scent teased her nose. She shuddered with anticipation as his hands glided over her body as he slowly, oh so slowly, drew up the hem of her skirting, shoved it out of the way.

“Damn this darkness that prevents me from seeing you.”

“There is always next time.” Yet the probability of them coming together again in this capacity was highly unlikely. The time allotted to them now was an aberration.

“Such a tart mouth you have.” There was a grin in his voice. “Perhaps I should employ it on better endeavors than talking.”

“Intriguing idea.” Just thinking about exploring his body and that part of him caused her to shiver. “Shall I tell you a secret?”

“You can tell me whatever you want, but I’m going to claim you.”

And she couldn’t wait! “When I was a child, I assumed captains and majors in the army were old, stodgy men with garlic breath, a paunchy belly, and pox.” But not Felix.

His body felt lean and muscled like the marble statues of Greek gods she’d seen at people’s homes, but he wasn’t the perfection of those men of legend.

In fact, he was better, for while he was honed and muscled, he was also imperfect too, due to his injury.

Would he show her that false leg if she asked?

“Are you disappointed I’m not that?” When he brushed his knuckles over one of her aroused nipples, he laughed as she moaned.

“I am not.” Those broad shoulders could bring her to tears, but her mouth watered at the feeling of the ridged, chiseled lines of his chest and abdomen as she swept her fingers over his skin.

“I would do many things to lick champagne from your navel.” There was no shame in the admission, for they were both here for the same reason.

“That can easily be arranged should we come together again.” He then kissed her as if he had all the time in the world.

Everywhere he touched brought out exquisite sensations or sent ripples of awareness sailing over her skin.

As best she could, she returned the favor, for she couldn’t have enough of his body.

The major was strong and hard in all the places a man should be, but soft and luscious in others.

His warm skin was a lovely contrast to the coolness of the room, and when she dragged her lips along the underside of his jaw, the trace of his stubble ignited her need.

That difference in smooth and rough had the power to see her undone.

“Already, this exceeds expectations,” she managed to gasp out before a moan stole further words.

“We have that in common.” Then he proceeded to kiss and caress every inch of her body not covered by clothing.

With each touch, lick, and nibble, she was lifted higher and higher toward a shimmering edge of something she didn’t quite understand; her mother never talked to her about this very thing, for she’d long given up on Caroline’s married future.

Felix’s hot mouth on her breasts, his tongue teasing her sensitized nipples, his talented fingers between her thighs left her moaning and wriggling with excitement.

Her body hummed in heightened need. Each time she reached to release the buttons of his front falls so she could fondle his member, he batted her hand away.

“Not yet.”

“Spoilsport.” She contented herself by trying to caress his chest, his shoulders, his back, but clothing thwarted her. It didn’t matter, for her concentration fractured; he was relentless in commanding her body. Slowly, her mind began to shatter. “I cannot survive much more of your torture.”

“Spine of steel, Miss Ives, for I am not nearly done.” The warmth of his breath skated over her skin as he kissed a path between her breasts while he kneaded those quivering mounds.

Down, down, down he went along her torso, over her stomach, through the bunched-up skirting, past her mons, kissing and licking and nibbling as was his wont.

When he put his mouth over the center of her heat where his fingers had just teased, Caroline wasn’t prepared.

She shook into a million pieces of light.

A moan mixed with a slight cry left her throat as she arched her back.

“Merciful heavens, Felix!” Would anyone hear that cry? As much as she wanted free of this horrible room, she didn’t want this moment in time interrupted.

“Hang onto something, Caro. There is more.” He ignored her cries and clutching fingers in favor of drawing out her pleasure with tongue and teeth while he worked at teasing the swollen button.

When she tugged on his hair as contractions rocked her core, he lifted his head.

His chuckle further heightened her need. “Should I stop? ”

“I, um, no…” She panted but urged his head back to where she wanted him. “There will be paybacks.” Or so she assumed.

“I don’t doubt it. Like everything else, you are quite determined.

” With a grin in his voice, Felix resumed his work.

His fingers dug into her hips, branding her, holding her steady, and on one particularly enthusiastic series of teasing with his tongue, release caught her up in an unexpected vortex.

“Ah!” She tumbled into the void of white light dappled with sparkles as pleasure washed over her body. How he’d managed to toss her over into bliss so quickly, she had no idea.

Now I know why the matrons of the ton are so desperate to keep couples apart. This… feeling is everything!

“Did you wish to say something?” The question rumbled in her chest as he came back up her body.

“I can’t think; you might have killed me.”

“Doubtful. The best is yet to come.” As he manipulated his frontfalls, his knuckles grazed her sensitive button, and she gasped. “So needy.”

“Do shut up, Major.” This time she didn’t take no for an answer as she slid a hand between their bodies.

As she wrapped her fingers around his straining shaft that was much like silk over steel, a moan escaped him.

“What’s good for the goose and all that.

” Yet she truly didn’t know how to give him the same pleasure when presented with the very real idea of his hardened shaft.

Drowning in confusion, she curled her fingers around his stiff length.

“Gently. I shall teach you later, hmm, since it’s been an age since I bedded a woman.” But he guided her hand up and down his member.

“But I want…”

“Time is of the essence in more ways than one.” When he kissed her again, all thought flew out of her mind. She left off with her torture, and as he spread her thighs wider with his knee, he then fit the head of his member to her opening. “Say you want me.” Strain was heavy in his voice.

“Goodness, yes.” She searched for his gaze in the darkness, but there wasn’t much to see. “I have been curious about you, about this, since I spied you in the pond.”

“Minx.” He threaded their fingers together, pressed her hands to the sofa on either side of her head. “I shall try to make your first time memorable.”

“Investigating murder and chasing down suspects? Now this? It already is.” And she was having the best time.

When she shifted her body, and as his shaft brushed along her sensitive flesh, she moaned.

“Finish me, Felix.” Longing coursed through her, made stronger by his delay, and enhanced by anticipation.

“Ah, Caro.” He brushed his lips over hers.

Then, with a powerful flex of his hips, he penetrated her in a long, smooth glide that didn’t stop until he was fully sheathed.

A pinprick of pain followed, and she squirmed with a quick gasp, but the discomfort soon fled.

His length filled her, stretched her, and left trembles of pleasure behind.

“Merciful heavens, you feel wonderful.” A sigh shuddered from her.

Never in her life had she experienced anything like this.

No one had told her how lovely lying with a man would be.

Desperate for more of him, Caroline canted her hips and took him deeper, and the sensation was so exquisite, another moan escaped.

She clung to his fingers. “I cannot think…”

“Then don’t. Just feel.” Felix rested on his forearms as he stroked into her, slowly at first, the thrusts leisurely and tender, leaving no part of her body unclaimed. “There is time enough for remorse should you chose that route.”

Oh, he was cheeky, but she was too far gone to answer him.

Pulling her hands from his, she looped her arms about his broad shoulders and clung to him.

Then she wrapped her legs about his waist and kissed whatever part of him she came into contact with as he increased his pace.

Over and over, he pushed, harder and harder he moved as if he wished to join them permanently. Deeper and deeper came his strokes.

The rhythm was both calming and energizing.

Gone was her fright from the enclosed space.

It was quite odd to try and describe, but each time he thrust, fractured shards of bliss streaked through her body.

With each pass, the band of need stacking within her grew until she feared she would break apart.

A muffled cry left her throat, and she wrapped her arms around him all the tighter while the major’s thrusting grew ever faster and more urgent.

“Felix!”

Release came upon her before she was ready, and it roared with ferocity through her already primed system.

Caroline tumbled and pinwheeled through a field of white, sparkling light where all sound and thoughts were absent.

There was only her and him, and it was the most glorious thing.

Would that it could last. Heated pleasure crashed over her, pulled her down beneath its waves, swept through her body until she bobbed along with it, powerless to resist, never wanting to come up for air.

She drowned in it, succumbed to the vortex swirling within and for the second time that night, she fractured into a million pieces.

Because of this one man.

Shortly after, the major spent with a muffled shout of her name.

Heat sank into her cheeks as his member pulsed.

Seconds later, Felix collapsed on top of her.

The comforting sound of his ragged breathing filled her ears, but it was the strength of his embrace as he tucked her in his arms and turned them both onto their sides that helped guide her back to reality.

“This is, by far, the best activity I have ever entered into during a house party.” The whispered statement seemed overly loud in the room.

She smiled when he chuckled and nuzzled the crook of her shoulder.

Several minutes later, when her breathing returned to normal and the tremors faded, Caroline snuggled deeper into his embrace.

“In the event you wondered, I have no regrets.”

“So you say now.” But there was a certain smugness in his tone that made her roll her eyes. “We’ll see what you’ll think tomorrow.”

The short answer was she would want him again, but since that was unlikely to happen, she would savor the memories made this day and horde the secret to her heart. “Don’t be a bigger arse than you can help, Major.”

For the moment, she would enjoy this interlude until her anxiety returned.