Page 4 of The Viscount, the Blacksmith, and the Lady
“Do you think you can leave with just that?” She wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him closer. “Now, seduce me properly.”
His breath hitched ever so slightly, but she could feel the thrum of anticipation between them. The game had changed, and she knew it as well as he did.
“Is that what you want, Zee? A proper seduction?” His question was a whisper against her lips, an invitation hanging in the charged space of their proximity.
A mischievous grin touched her lips, and her heart pounded in her chest. “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t,” she retorted, eyes locking onto his with an unyielding intensity.
Before he kissed her again, Owen’s gaze met Simon’s. Being seduced by Zee wasn’t something he’d ever expected to happen. It wasn’t something they could have planned on when they agreed to never kiss her, or anything else.
He could see it in Simon’s eyes, a mental wrestling with the same turmoil that clawed at Owen’s resolve. They had sworn that neither would seek Zee’s affections, to preserve the sanctity of their friendship. Yet here she was, her eyes alight with mischief and desire, unknowingly beckoning one of them to forsake honor for passion.
The silence coiled around them tightly until Owen could bear it no longer. With a resolve that surprised even himself, he leaned into Zee. “I must ask again. This is what you wish?” He searched her face for any hint of uncertainty, any sign that she might recant and free them from this precipice.
“More than anything,” she whispered, her breath hitching with a mix of anticipation and excitement.
Her response made his groin tighten. He’d wanted this for so long, and he could have her now. No recriminations. His touch was gentle as it traced the line of her jaw before gliding down the curves of her body. The fabric of her gown was soft beneath his fingertips, and warm from her body.
His lips found hers with a hunger that startled him, and a quiet gasp escaped her as their mouths met in an urgent, heated exchange. His hand rose to find the fullness of her breast, fingers splaying to cup and caress through the layers of her gown. His thumb brushed over her nipple. Her answering whimper drove him on.
He cupped her bottom with his other hand, squeezing the soft flesh and pressing her against his groin. His cock jumped at the increased pressure. The heat of her skin seared his palms through the thin fabric of her garments, the sensation sending ripples of yearning coursing through his veins.
Zee’s body arched into his touch, her hands reaching up to tangle in the locks of his brown hair. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and her kisses trailed over his face and neck.
Simon loomed closer. With a swift motion, he grasped Zee’s arm, pulling her away from Owen’s passionate embrace. “Enough.”
Zee stumbled slightly against Simon’s chest, her eyes wide, her lips full and red from kissing. Startled, Owen could only watch as Simon cradled her face in his hands. There was no hesitation in Simon’s actions, no uncertainty. He seemed to pour every ounce of his longing into the kiss he pressed upon her, his lips descending with intensity onto hers.
It was a kiss that sought to claim, to possess, to brand her soul with the depth of his longing. He kissed her not just with his mouth, but with his entire being, her black hair falling free of its pins around them like a curtain, eyes closed in fierce concentration. Her soft moan fueled the fire within Owen’s gut.
Simon’s boldness stirred envy in Owen when his fingers traced the neckline of Zee’s gown. With a swift motion, he lowered the delicate fabric just enough to expose the soft curve of her breast to his hungry gaze. He bent his head to take the fullness in his mouth.
She gasped as Simon’s lips worshipped the tender flesh, her back arching slightly into the caress, eyes closed as if to better focus on what she felt. Her breath hitched. “Simon,” she whispered with a sigh.
Hearing her lost in pleasure, Owen desperately needed to reclaim a part in this seduction. His lips descended onto the nape of her neck, brushing aside the thick waves of her hair. His kisses were gentle, as if he sought to tame the storm of emotions raging within him.
Her skin was warm under his lips, and he could feel the subtle shivers that ran down her spine. His fingers found the laces of her gown and tugged them, pulling the garment down over her shoulders. She lowered her arms to let it drop.
“Your skin is so soft,” Owen said, as he stroked her back above her chemise.
Her response was a breathless sigh. His hands descended further, shaping the curve of her buttocks through the thin fabric.
Simon’s moves seemed possessive when he bunched her chemise in his hands and lifted it over her head. He let the fabric fall to the ground as he gazed at her naked form. “You’re perfect, Xenia, just as I imagined you’d be.” He stroked his fingertips over her hip, over her belly.
Owen’s body tensed in reaction to the soft moans that escaped Xenia’s lips. Her need for pleasure was a siren’s call, and his own desires surged. He drew back just enough to witness Simon worshiping her with his mouth, the sight igniting a primal urge within him.
Simon straightened, glancing at Owen, a wordless conversation passing between them. They’d shared a woman once, a willing barmaid in a nearby town, but this was incomparable. This was their Zee, their friend. What they were doing changed everything.
CHAPTER THREE
When Xenia felt her chemise being raised, her breath hitched. She’d never been fully naked with a man, and here she stood with the two men who had frequented her most clandestine dreams. She’d never dreamed of loving both at the same time, however. The sheer idea was overwhelming, yet she wasn’t afraid of disappointing them. And the only way they could disappoint her would be to stop now.
Simon’s face was tense with restrained passion, his eyes alight with an intensity that sent a tremor skittering down Xenia’s spine. The anticipation coiled within her, tight and insistent, as her body responded to the unspoken promise etched into his smoldering look. She could nearly feel the weight of his desire. She stole a glance to see his erection pressing against his breeches.
“Is this all right, Xenia?” He watched her with an intensity that caused her knees to weaken. Without breaking eye contact, he slid his hand down her side in a languid trail that ignited her skin. His touch was reverent as it traced the curve of her hip, then ventured toward her center, causing a hushed gasp to part her lips. His fingers whispered over her thigh.
“Oh, yes,” she sighed. A shiver raced over her bare shoulders, not from a chill in the air, but from the exhilarating sense of vulnerability.
Simon’s fingers brushed her dark curls, and her hips rocked toward him.