Page 196 of Snowbound Surrender

Did she trust him? She would have followed him to the moon and back.

Unable to put her feelings for him into words, Anne nodded.

With another growl that sounded almost animal, Maxim lifted her up and carried her over to the bed, throwing her onto it. Anne felt the softness of the linen beneath her and looked up into the face of the gentleman that she would give anything to. She wanted him. She loved him.

“I have wanted to do this from the moment I first met you,” Maxim whispered, his eyes not leaving hers as his hands pulled at the buttons on his shirt. “I promise you, we will make love afterwards – but first…”

His voice trailed away as he unbuttoned his breeches and pulled them off.

Anne gasped. What was she doing? Lying here, on Maxim’s bed, in the middle of St. James’ Court – and she did not need any further explanation of what was standing before her.

Maxim smiled. Was there a hint of nervousness there?

“You can tell me to stop at any time,” he said quietly, reaching for something in a chest at the foot of the bed, utterly naked, and then pulling on a preservative over his manhood. “You know that, Annika? At any point, and I will stop.”

Anne nodded. She did not trust her voice. She was about to experience something incredible, and hopefully a little pleasure.

But she could never have predicted what came next. Maxim kicked aside the chest, and grabbing her ankles, pulled her towards him. Anne gasped as her skirts, caught on the bed linens, were pulled up to her knees – but they did not stop there.

Maxim’s dark eyes did not leave hers as his strong hands pushed her skirts further up, his fingertips grazing the inside of her thighs. Anne moaned, she could not help herself, and once again her vocal pleasure pushed him over the edge.

Pulling her undergarments off, Maxim seemed to hesitate. He was looking at her as though she was a delicate flower.

“I am ready,” she breathed. “Trust me.”

He swallowed. “You are an innocent, I do not want to hurt you.”

Anne tried not to smile. “You won’t. Damnit, Maxim, make love to me.”

Something flickered over his face, pushed her legs apart roughly and in a swift moment, plunged his manhood inside her.

Anne screamed with the intensity of the ecstasy and he froze.

“I have hurt you?”

Anne looked up with desire hazed eyes. “More. Harder.”

He did not need further invitation. Reaching out, he pinned her hands by her head and took possession of her lips with his own as he plunged himself into her, slowly at first, building the pressure inside her.

Anne writhed, the sensual ecstasy rising in her, that heat in her stomach moving lower, her whole body on fire for him.

“I want to see you come,” Maxim whispered, tearing his lips from hers and gazing deeply into her eyes. “First I ride you, then I will make love to you. Lose yourself in the pleasure, Annika…”

And she did. Anne closed her eyes as the bliss built to such a pitch she could not think, only feel, and her whole body rocked as the pleasure exploded around her.

Maxim immediately stopped, panting heavily and grinning when she opened her eyes. “My my, Annika, you know what you like. I had to be careful there. Now – ”

“Now,” interrupted Anne, breathlessly, hardly able to believe what she was about to say, “you have ridden me. It’s time that I rode you.”

With a strength she never would have believed, she tipped Maxim over so he was lying on the bed and she was straddling him.

Anne swallowed. She had never done this before, but how difficult could it be? She had ridden a horse, hadn’t she?

Maxim’s eyes widened. “R-Ride?”

Anne did not answer. Instead, she lowered herself onto his hot manhood, preservative still thankfully intact, and moaned as she felt him fill her up.

“Khristos zhiv,” Maxim murmured. “Christ alive, Annika, you know what I want.”