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“Look at ye, so fooking perfect,” he whispered, his voice rough with need. “Ye…ye feel incredible, Gabby. ”

His words sent a thrill through her and she moved faster, chasing the pleasure that was just beyond reach. Cassian's hands roamed over her body, his touch gentle, praising her with every caress.

And through it all, he watched her. Gabby had to resist the urge to close her own eyes, to glory in just the sensations coursing through her, because she didn’t want to miss one glance, one twitch of his lips.

“That’s it, love.” His hips rocked gently beneath her, matching her pace. “So fooking beautiful. Take what ye need from me.”

Is this what she needed? The pleasure was so heightened now, Gabby thought she might go half-mad with need—but he was watching her so tenderly, his touch so temptingly perfect…how could she look away?

“Cassian,” she breathed, her thumb tracing his jaw. “I…”

She was so close, so close . A muscle ticked in his jaw, as if he were holding himself carefully in check. His hand closed around her breast again before he tugged gently on her nipple.

“Come for me, sweetheart,” he urged, his voice a low growl. “Let me feel ye come undone.”

His words, his knowledgeable touch, combined with the intense pleasure building within her, pushed her right over the edge.

“Cassian!” she blurted out as her core spasmed, her body trembling as waves of ecstasy washed over her.

Oh God, had she thought her earlier orgasm remarkable?

Just because it had been his fingers inside her instead of her own?

Well this one was even better, his cock the most amazing thing to come upon, the pleasure seeming to be unending.

Oh God oh God oh God ? —

And Cassian watched, his own breath ragged, pupils dilated, until her muscles began to relax, the spasms slowing, the pleasure slowly fading to a dull sort of throbbing glow she felt throughout her body.

Only then did he exhale and reach between their bodies, pulling his cock from her core.

She felt a twinge of disappointment then, as if she’d lost a part of herself.

Cassian’s eyes finally—finally!—fluttered closed as he jerked his own cock. Twice, thrice—and then with a low groan, he came, spurting thick white strands across his stomach so they tangled in his hair.

Only then did he pull her closer, pressing her to him, cementing their skin with their spend.

Gabby smiled to feel his heart beating against her cheek. She felt a contentment she had never known before, a sense of…completeness. She knew, in that moment, that she had made the right choice.

Miraculous . “I never knew it could be like that,” she whispered. “Thank you.”

He stirred, and she could feel his breath against her cheek. “Yer other lovers never?—”

“You were my first.”

Cassian stiffened beneath her. In one motion he pushed her upright again so he could stare up at her, his blue eyes dazzling with incredulity. “ What ?”

Oh dear, he was going to make her repeat it? With her lungs lacking air and her head still spinning? As she sat, nearly naked, atop him?

Knowing her cheeks were heating, Gabby met his gaze and raised her chin. “You were my first lover.” My only lover .

Cassian’s lips parted, as if he wanted to say something—likely something scolding. But his eyes…the shock changed to awe, then something like humility. When he did speak, his voice was rough.

“Thank ye , lass.”

It was the right thing to say. He hadn’t judged her for her decisions tonight, or in the past. Instead he recognized what a gift it had been, that she’d chosen him to be her first. And she hadn’t been wrong; Cassian Grey had been everything a first lover should be: kind, caring, gentle, solicitous.

And he made you come twice before thinking of his own pleasure.

Well yes, that too.

Gabby’s lips slowly curled into a grin and she leaned down to kiss him again. When she pulled back, she pressed her forehead to his. “What are you thinking?”

Beneath her hands, his shoulders began to shake. Was he crying? No—laughing!

“I’m thinking, lass, that without my foot, ye’re going to have to help me into the bed. ”

And once they’d cleaned one another, perhaps they could do this again? Gladly!

C assian woke on his side, his arm thrown over Gabby, her sweet arse tucked against his throbbing cock.

Again .

Twice during the night he found himself unable to resist touching her, bringing her to an exquisite pleasure. He’d been careful to wait until she was awake before stroking her, but her reaction each time told him she wanted this .

She wanted him .

How had he been so lucky?

This tempting woman, this bold, brilliant woman, had chosen him . Had given herself to him— her very first.

She was a terrible spy but definitely a detective, someone he should avoid. Except…if anyone in this world could help him out of his current dilemma, who wanted to help him…it would be Gabby.

Was it any wonder his chest throbbed in beat with his cock?

He wanted her, wanted more than just tonight with her.

Och, this morning .

Aye, the purple light filtering around the curtains told him dawn would be arriving soon. His lips curled. He knew just the way he wanted to wake Gabby .

Extricating himself slowly, Cassian rolled her onto her back, his lips unable to resist the lure of her skin. By the time he’d reached her glorious tits and those responsive nipples, she was already awake and squirming against his touch.

When his mouth found her curls, her fingers twined through his hair, holding him firmly in place.

And when he licked her for the first time? Gabby gasped his name, and he grinned against her swollen clitoris.

As before he made love to her slowly, gently. Sensuously, because that’s what a woman deserved. To be explored . To be worshipped and revered.

How did he get so lucky?

Already knowing what she liked, Cassian curled his fingers inside her as he stroked, his tongue teasing her cleft and her clit. In such a short time he knew her, knew her body, knew her needs and desires.

And would obey.

“That’s it, love,” he whispered against her skin, pressing kisses to her inner thighs. “Let it go.”

Gabby was close, judging from the way her breathing had changed and how she squirmed and pulsed beneath him.

His fingertips found the rough patch behind her clitoris as his lips closed around the bud of her pleasure…

and when he sucked she stiffened, her inner muscles clamping around him as her thighs squeezed his head—and she came, hard, on his face.

“Cassian,” his woman whimpered, her body convulsing around him as his tongue caressed her throbbing core. “Oh God, Cassian!”

He continued to reverentially lick her long after her spasms had subsided, until she tugged on his hair and he crawled up her body. Tugging the sheet with him. He loomed over her, bracing his weight on his palms as he licked her spend from his lips.

“Good morning, Miss Butcombe.”

Chuckling—Christ, she had the most arousing chuckle, didn’t she?—Gabby smacked his chest, then pulled him closer. He collapsed beside her, his cock pressed against her hip.

“Good morning,” she hummed, eyes closed as she stretched. “Do we need to do something about that ?”

He grinned. “Nay, this was about ye. I’ll be?—”

His words—whatever he would have said—bit off as the door was flung open.

“Father!” Gus bellowed, stomping into the room without knocking. “Father, are you ready for our ride?”

Cassian had frozen, half-blocking Gabby from his son’s sight. But he should have known it was hopeless—the lad was smarter than him.

In fact, he saw the precise moment Gus’s gaze landed on Gabby, saw the moment his own bright blue eyes widened, saw the moment his lips formed an embarrassed little “oh” of shocked understanding.

Or perhaps not embarrassed .

Because the next thing that happened was Gus smiling, his grin turning knowing—and more than a little conspiratorial—as his gaze flicked between them. “Oh. Good morning, Gabby.”

The lad’s unconscious echoing of his father’s words had Cassian sitting up in bed, grateful for the sheet that covered them, although Gabby lunged to keep the damned thing pulled up to her chin as she began to laugh.

“Gus!” Cassian roared in his own embarrassment. “Get out!”

Fook. Should have known his son would ignore him.

“Gabby, do you want to come with us on our ride? Looks like Father wouldn’t mind.”

Gabby laughed all the harder, and Cassian glanced between his son, grinning cheekily, and the woman who had been limp in his arms a moment ago.

“Are you—oh Heavens,” Gabby managed, pressing her fingertips to her lips to quell her chuckles. “Are you certain you would not prefer the time alone with your Da, Gus?”

The lad was already backing toward the door and now shrugged unrepentantly, his smirk still bold. “If he falls off his horse, I’m going to need help getting him back up again?—”

Gabby burst into chuckles again, muffling them against Cassian’s shoulder, and he knew she’d heard the unintended double entendre there.

Although, as quickly as Cassian’s cockstand had deflated at his son’s uninvited entrance, he would need some help getting it back up again .

“Christ Almighty,” he groaned at their teasing, which only caused Gabby to giggle harder. He fixed a glare on his son. “Ye will no’ speak to anyone of this, do ye understand?”

“Of course, Father.” Gus’s tone was still irreverent, but his expression turned serious. “I understand these things—I don’t want to hurt Miss Gabby any more than you do.”

With that, he slammed the door behind himself, and Cassian slumped back against the pillows.

When had his son grown up?

Not just to understand why Gabby was here with his father, but to know how hurtful it could be to her reputation?

“I’m going to have to have a talk with the laddie about discretion ,” he grumbled.

Gabby, who had her humor—or perhaps nervous laughter—under control, pressed her cheek to his shoulder. “He did not appear traumatized.”

“Nay,” Cassian grunted, snaking his arm around her. “If anything, I suspect he likes me more now, kenning that ye approve of me.”

She was quiet for a long while, and he wondered if she was thinking on his words.

They hadn’t been wrong; since her arrival, Gabby and Gus had become surprisingly close. He’d assumed it had something to do with his son’s love of Sir Dickie’s menagerie, which Gabby also seemed to know quite a lot about. The lad not only liked her, he respected her as well, which was important.

It was how Cassian himself felt about her .

How’d he get so lucky?

At long last, Gabby pushed herself up to kiss his cheek. “You have a smart and caring son, Cassian. I would be honored to spend the morning with you both, if you are willing to have me along.”

His hold on her tightened, and he told her nothing but the truth. “I can think of nothing I want more, Gabby.”