Page 17 of Murder in Disguise (Mary and Bright #5)

“Mmm,” she murmured then dragged her lips over his chest. The warmth and smell of his cologne—sandalwood and citrus—the rasp of the hair sprinkling his skin tickled her cheeks and nose, the solid manliness of him nearly saw her intoxicated on naught but him.

It was something she adored when they came together like this, and he had quite a good form.

As she teased one of his flat nipples with her tongue, he caught his breath.

“Do you mean to tease me this afternoon, then?”

“Yes, of course.”

“I won’t stop you.” The cheeky man let her explore, didn’t attempt to free his arms when they both knew that he could. He merely let her kiss and lick and nip and caress her fill.

How was I so fortunate to win him?

The man was hard and powerful, his skin smooth and warm, the length and breadth of him everything she’d ever desired.

More to the point, his treatment of her and the way he wasn’t afraid of showing emotion or affection left her gasping with gratitude.

She glided her fingertips over him as she revisited every dip and divot, every scratch and scar both old and new, everything that made him into the man she loved to distraction.

“You are much like a grand banquet to a starving woman.” Needing so much more from him, Mary kneeled and reached for the buttons on his frontfalls, the same time that he freed himself from the shirt.

“You needn’t…”

“Hush, Bright. I want to, and I adore giving you such pleasure.” With excitement buzzing through every nerve ending, she freed his hardened shaft from the confines of his breeches.

He was so much more impressive than her first husband had ever been.

“So delicious.” It was scandalous how much she enjoyed coupling with this man.

“Mary, please…” The words trailed off the second she took his hot, stiff length in her hand. “I want to play with you.”

“And you can… after this.” Such an adorable man.

He always tried to distract her from doing this act to him, but she knew he enjoyed it as much as she did.

His shaft continued to thicken while she manipulated it, and when she touched the tip of her tongue to its head, Gabriel jerked from the overture.

She slid one hand up the back of his muscled leg to squeeze an arse cheek while with the other, she pumped his member the same time she took the wide head into her mouth.

“I swear, love, you will kill me while doing this one of these days.” The pleasure in his voice made her grin.

“Then at least you’ll leave this world with a smile on your face.”

“Vixen.” He rested his hands on either side of her head, and when she found the rhythm she knew he enjoyed, employing her mouth, tongue, and fingers, he buried his fingers into her hair and thrust his hips, which sent that part of him deeper into her throat.

As it was with every time they did this together, Bright shared the power found in this act, which made the payoff all the headier.

Even in this, they were partners and would share pleasure equally.

As Mary applied more friction to the whole of his member, a strangled sort of sound released from his throat.

“Please stop, sweeting,” he ordered in a desperate whisper and broke their connection, stepping back from her. “I’m close to spending, and if you keep on, it’ll be down your throat instead of in your body.” With haste, he shucked out of the breeches as she stood.

“There’s no shame in it.” Mary propped her hands on her hips, grinning when he raked his gaze up and down her form. “I was enjoying myself. Perhaps next time we can employ honey or melted syllabub to your shaft…”

“I know how much you adore teasing me like that.” His eyes were dark and filled with desire as he reached for her.

“Turnabout, my dear. It is my turn to bedevil you.” Before she had time to think, he put his hands on either side of her hips, lifted her up, shuttled her across the room, and then tossed her onto the four-poster bed.

“Rogue.” Mary grinned as she found a comfortable position reclining against the goose down pillows. Seconds later, he joined her, his hard body covering hers. “Remind me why I love you so much,” she whispered and encircled his shoulders with her arms.

“Ha! I’ll wager we both know why, and it has nothing to do with what we share carnally.”

She chuckled. “Well, it has somewhat to do with that.”

“Minx.” Gabriel claimed her lips in a kiss that held a desperate edge she shared all too much. Then because he never broke a promise, the inspector set out to explore every inch of her skin with his tongue, lips, and teeth.

His attention to her breasts and sensitive nipples kept her gasping while the scrape of the faint whiskers on his chin sent her into another echelon of delight as he kissed a path down her abdomen and belly, the inside of her thighs while he caressed her skin with his talented fingers.

She furrowed the fingers of one hand into his thick, soft hair.

When he buried his head between her legs and sought out the tiny little bud at her center with his mouth, she nearly bucked off the bed as he teased and taunted.

“Bright! It’s not fair of you to continue since you made me stop prematurely while doing the same to you.” The pressure building in her belly would soon cause her to explode.

“This is different, sweeting.”

“How so?” Her limbs would soon turn to mush from his attention.

“Women have the special ability to experience release more than once, while men can only achieve it once a session.” He left off with his mouth only to replace his tongue with his fingers.

“I want you to fly, to see that pleasure on your face, and then I want to witness it again, knowing that I’m everything you need. ”

“Have I not told you that multiple times over this past year?” Of course, she was lost from everything he did to her, for he knew all the secrets of her body and how to coax out those reactions to his best advantage.

A wave of pleasure crashed into her so strong she cried out in elation.

Her toes curled as intense sensation throbbed through her insides. “Good heavens, that snuck up on me.”

Gabriel’s chuckle renewed her awareness of him all over again.

“I like to keep you guessing.” He claimed her mouth again and this time deepened the kiss until she writhed beneath him, sliding her fingers along his back.

“Mmm, it’s almost as if you want me to get to the rest of it,” he murmured against her neck.

“Unless you want my mouth on your shaft again?” She drew a hand down the length of his back.

“Not today, but I retain the offer for another time.”

“Now who’s cheeky?” When she bumped her hips and jostled his rampant shaft, she giggled, and he grinned.

His eyes darkened with the same desire flowing hotly through her veins. “I suppose I’ll indulge you, then.” Gabriel encouraged her legs wider and then settled himself between them, his hot, hard length heavy at her thigh. “Too bad it’s not raining.”

“Why?”

“That would have drowned out the sound of your enjoyment when I send you into the heavens.”

She could hardly think with his weight on top of her. Heat infused her cheeks. “There is no one like you, Gabriel.”

“Damn right.” With a chuckle that tugged at her heart, he fit his tip to her opening, and with a quick flex of his hips, he penetrated her passage, filling her with familiar pressure.

Their moans blended. Mary wriggled beneath him .

“Oh, yes, quite satisfying.” Unable to remain parted with him, she pulled him down and kissed him.

Then he moved, slowly at first with long, leisurely thrusts that managed to hit every sensitive part of her, which sent the most wonderful shivers of pleasure through her lower belly.

When she easily matched the rhythm he set, the inspector increased his pace.

His strokes became short and fast and so deep that her eyes crossed, and she didn’t believe she could remain cognizant for much longer.

Never would she tire of this.

“Give me more.” She clutched his shoulders, wrapped her legs about his in an effort to be as close as she could to him.

“Don’t I always?” He didn’t slow, but he did peer into her eyes.

“Yes… yes you do. It’s one of the reasons I love you.” Then her capacity for talking completely left her, and she surrendered fully into his care.

The dam holding back the coiling, building sensations broke and Mary shattered.

Pleasure swamped her; she threw back her head into the pillows and screamed out his name while vocalizing her satisfaction.

While contractions shivered through her core, Gabriel continued to thrust. Then he found his own bliss, and with a muffled shout, he ground his hips into hers.

Finally, he collapsed on top of her body.

“Damn, woman, you wear me out.” The warmth of his breath skated across her cheeks.

“In the best of ways, though,” she couldn’t help but add.

“True.” Then he wrapped her in his arms, held her so close the sound of his rapid heartbeat echoed in her ear, and the sense of protection—of safety, and of love—fell around her like being wrapped in a worn quilt.

For long minutes, they remained entwined, their limbs tangled, nearly sharing breath, before he rolled off her to lay on his side. A pleasant lethargy worked its way through her body, and she smiled.

“I have not been disappointed since we met, Bright.” After a stretch, she snuggled into him, and as his arms came around her, a sigh of repletion escaped her.

“That is good to know.” But there was a smug pleasure in his tone that amused her.

Then his stomach growled, and she laughed out loud.

“I suppose we should go investigate that tea, hmm?” As he moved away, the next sound he made was a groan.

“And I hope the housekeeper put that salve I like on the tray as well. My damned muscles are protesting getting my arse kicked by a younger man.”

Mary snorted. “You poor thing. Surely better days are ahead.” And just like that, the worry returned to steal a piece of the joy she’d just claimed with him.

Please let us solve this case, and soon, for all our sakes.