The sight of him took her breath away. Colin had obviously just had a bath too, for his hair was still damp. He wasn’t dressed, but wore only a pair of black pants. They weren’t buttoned.
He had a powerful build. His skin was beautifully bronzed and the bulge of sinewy strength hiding under the sleek exterior reminded her of a panther. The roped muscles rolled ever so slightly when he moved. His chest was covered with a thick mat of dark curly hair that tapered to a V at his waist.
She didn’t look any lower.
Colin leaned against the doorframe, folded his arms across his chest, and smiled at her. A faint blush stained her cheeks. She was folding and refolding the sheet of paper in her hands and desperately trying to act nonchalant, and he knew he was going to have to take it slow and easy with her in order to help her keep her fear at bay. It was going to be a difficult undertaking, because Colin had never taken a virgin to his bed before and the sight of Alesandra in her white gown and robe was already sending heat coursing through his body. He was getting aroused just looking at her. His gaze was centered on her mouth and he was thinking what he would like her to do to him with those sweet, full, pouting lips.
“Colin, what are you thinking?”
He didn’t believe it would be a good idea to tell her the truth. “I was wondering what you’re doing with that paper,” he lied instead.
Her concentration had become so scattered from her nervousness she had to look down at her hands before she understood what he was asking her. “Notes,” she blurted out with a quick nod.
He raised an eyebrow. “Notes?”
“Yes. I thought I would take notes during your explanation so I won’t forget anything important. Is that all right, Colin?”
The worry in her voice cut through his amusement. “How very organized of you,” he said.
She smiled. “Thank you. My father was the first to teach me how important it is to be organized. Then Mother Superior took over my training.”
Dear God, she wished she could quit rambling.
“How old were you when your father died?”
“Eleven.”
“Yet you remember . . .”
“Oh, yes, I remember everything he taught me,” she replied. “It was my way of pleasing him, Colin, and I thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent together. It made him happy to talk about his business transactions and it made me happy to be included.”
She’d turned the sheet of paper into a wrinkled ball. Colin doubted she was aware of what she’d just done. “I’ll only write down key words,” she promised.
He slowly shook his head. “You won’t need to take notes,” he assured her. “You’re going to remember everything I tell you.”
He was feeling damn proud of himself. The urge to laugh had almost overwhelmed him, but he’d been able to contain himself.
“All right then.” She turned back to the desk, started to put the sheet of paper back, and only then realized the mess she’d made. She tossed it into the trash basket, then turned back to stare at him.
The warm glint in his eyes made her shiver with pleasure and that wonderful lopsided grin of his made her heartbeat become quite frantic. She took a deep breath and ordered herself to calm down.
Dear God, he was beautiful. Without realizing what she was doing, she blurted that thought aloud.
He laughed in reaction to her praise. His amusement didn’t upset her, though, and she found herself smiling back. “For a dragon,” she teased.
The way he was looking at her made her feel as though butterflies were gathering inside her stomach. She needed to give her hands something to do, she decided, and immediately folded them together. “Are we going to have our talk now?”
“First things first,” he announced. “I just realized I didn’t give you a proper wedding kiss.”
“You didn’t?”
He shook his head. Then he crooked his finger at her. She slowly walked across the room to stand directly in front of him.
“Are you going to kiss me now?” she asked, her voice a breathless whisper.
“Yeah.”
He’d drawled out that admission. He slowly unfolded himself from the doorway to tower over her. She took an instinctive step back. She immediately stopped herself. She wasn’t afraid of Colin, she reminded herself, and she really did want him to kiss her. She moved forward again. “I like the way you kiss me,” she whispered.
“I know.”
His grin was arrogant. He knew she was nervous, too. She didn’t have any doubt about that. And he was enjoying her embarrassment, too.
“How do you know?” she asked, thinking to give him some clever reply once he answered.
“The way you respond to me tells me you like me to touch you.”
She couldn’t think of anything clever to say to that fact. In truth she was having trouble holding on to any thought. Colin was fully responsible for her condition, of course. The warmth in his gaze was making her stomach quiver.
She felt his hands on her waist, looked down, and watched him untie the belt to her robe. She tried to stop him, but before she’d even placed her hands on top of his, he was easing her robe off her shoulders.
“Why did you do that?”
“You look warm.”
“Oh.”
The robe dropped to the floor. Her gown was transparent enough for him to see the soft curves of her body. She tried to pull the folds of the garment close around the front of her. Colin didn’t give her time to shield herself. He pulled her tight against him. “Put your arms around me, Alesandra. Hold me while I kiss you.”
She wound her arms around his neck just as he leaned down and began to nibble on her lips. His tongue traced the inside of her lower lip, sending shivers down her spine. She tightened her hold and leaned up on tiptoes to try to deepen the kiss. Her breasts rubbed against his chest and she let out a broken sigh over the strange feeling of his skin against her. Her breasts suddenly felt heavy, tight, and her nipples hardened. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, just strange and wonderful. She deliberately rubbed against him again, but ever so slightly so he wouldn’t know what she was doing. She didn’t want him to think she was bold. She wanted to be bold, though, for the heat from his hard body affected her like an aphrodisiac and she couldn’t seem to get close enough to him.
He was driving her crazy teasing her lips with his tongue, his teeth. She couldn’t put up with the gentle torment long. She tugged impatiently on his hair, telling him without words that she wanted more.
His mouth finally settled on top of hers in a gentle caress and his tongue eased inside to stroke hers. He acted as though he had all the time in the world. He was slow, deliberate, exerting only scant pressure as he nudged the fires of passion inside her.
Her soft moan told him how much she liked what he was doing to her. He pulled back, saw the passion in her eyes, knew it was mirrored in his own, and let out a low groan of his own. “So sweet,” he whispered against her mouth. “Open up for me,” he commanded in a rough whisper.
He didn’t give her time to comply with that order but used his thumb to force her chin down. His tongue thrust inside, then retreated before penetrating again. She went all soft and willing on him, and that innocent response made him forget about going slow. He was suddenly so hungry for her he couldn’t control his pace. His mouth became hard, demanding. The love play between their tongues—his bold, hers timid—made both of them shake with desire. She was too overwhelmed by the fire Colin was spreading inside her to be afraid of what was to come. She couldn’t think, only react. She moved against him restlessly, unaware of what she was doing now, or what she was doing to him. Her fingers threaded through his hair, and his control almost snapped when she began to whimper and move so enticingly against his hard arousal. The kiss turned carnal, ravenous. Passion ignited into raw desire as his mouth slanted over hers with primal ownership. His hunger stroked her own.
The kiss seemed unending and yet over all too soon. When Colin pulled back,
her mouth was rosy and wet from his touch. The taste of her was on his mouth now, but it wasn’t enough for him.
She collapsed against his chest and tucked her face under his chin. Her breathing was choppy against his collarbone.
Colin lifted her into his arms and carried her into his room. He gently placed her in the center of his bed and then stood by the side, staring down at her. His hot gaze warmed her and made her shiver at the same time.
She felt drowsy from his kisses. Her mind cleared when he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his pants and began to pull them off. She closed her eyes and tried to turn away from him. Colin was quicker than she was, however. He’d stripped out of his pants and joined her in the bed before she’d even made it to the other side.
He caught her by her nightgown. The fabric ripped when he pulled her back to him. She only had enough time to gasp before the gown was completely discarded and Colin was covering her with his body.
She became as rigid as a board. He gently pried her legs apart with his knee and then completely stretched out on top of her just the way he’d fantasized in his dreams since the moment he met her. His hard arousal pressed against the soft curls at the junction of her thighs, and it felt so damn good to him he let out a low growl of satisfaction.
Reality was better than fantasy, however, for he hadn’t been able to imagine how incredibly soft and smooth her skin would feel against him. Her breasts were much fuller than he’d fantasized, and he hadn’t been able to capture the intensity of his reaction to having her trembling underneath him. It was as close to heaven as he thought he’d ever be.
“Colin, shouldn’t we have our talk now?”
He leaned up on his elbows to look at her. Worry was evident in her eyes; victory was evident in his.
“Absolutely.” He cupped the sides of her face to hold her still, then kissed her long and hard.
He made her shiver with desire. She couldn’t resist putting her arms around his waist to draw more of his warmth. Her toes curled against his legs and it suddenly wasn’t enough to simply hold on to him. She needed to touch him, stroke him. Her hands moved up his back, then down the sides of his arms.
Her touch was as light as a butterfly’s wings against his skin and yet it was the most erotic caress he’d ever received. He turned his attention to her neck. She turned her head ever so slightly to give him better access. His teeth gently tugged on her earlobe, sending jolts of pleasure cascading all the way down to her toes, and, dear God, his tongue was making it impossible to think.
She started moving with silent demand for more. Colin shifted his position and kissed a line down her throat. He moved lower and kissed the valley between her breasts. She smelled like roses and woman. It was a heady combination. Colin inhaled her sweet scent, then used his tongue to taste her.
He was taking entirely too many liberties with her body. She thought she would die if he stopped. His hands cupped her breasts and they immediately began to ache for more. She didn’t understand the frustration building inside her. She felt as though she was made of seams and they were all splitting apart on her. Then Colin’s tongue brushed across her nipple. She almost came off the bed. She cried out in fear and pleasure. The feeling was almost too intense to endure, yet it was exquisitely wonderful, too. Her hands dropped back to her sides and she grabbed fistfuls of the sheets in an attempt to anchor herself against the storm of emotions flooding her.
“Colin!”
His name came out with a sob and she began to writhe against him when he took her nipple into his mouth and began to suckle. He was driving her beyond control. His hands stroked her everywhere. She drew a deep, ragged breath and began to whimper. His mouth captured hers again just as his hand slid into the soft curls shielding her virginity. She tried to stop him, but he wouldn’t be denied. His fingers slowly penetrated the tight, slick opening, then withdrew. The pad of his thumb rubbed against the very spot he knew would drive her wild.
He made love to her with his fingers until she was mindless to everything but finding fulfillment. Colin had never had a woman respond to him with such honesty. It made it impossible for him to hold on to his own discipline.
“Baby, you’re so tight,” he whispered, his own voice a harsh whisper.
She could barely concentrate on what he was telling her. “You’re making me ache. Please . . .”
She didn’t know what she wanted from him, only knew she would go mad if he didn’t do something to ease the sweet torment.
He hoped to God she was ready for him. He pulled her hands away from the sheets and wrapped them around his neck. His knee nudged her thighs wider and then his hands slid under her hips to hold her close. The tip of his arousal was surrounded by her liquid heat. He slowly pressed inside her, paused when he felt the barrier of her virginity, and then tried to gently push past the obstacle. The barrier wouldn’t give. Colin’s jaw was clenched tight and his breathing was as ragged as though he’d just run a mile, for the pleasure was already so intense he could barely hold on to what little control he had left. He knew he was hurting her. She cried out against his mouth and tried to push him away at the same time.
He soothed her with honeyed words. “Sweetheart, it’s going to be all right. The pain won’t last long. Hold on to me. Oh, baby, don’t move like that . . . not yet.”
Trying to be gentle was only prolonging the pain for her . . . and it was killing him. His forehead was covered with perspiration and he knew he would go completely out of his mind if he didn’t bury himself deep inside her.
He shifted his hold on her, lifted her hips, then thrust deep with one powerful surge. She cried out, her pain as intense now as his pleasure, and tried to push away from him again. His weight wouldn’t allow any movement. His possession was complete and, dear God, she fit him like a second skin. He fought the urge to partially withdraw and then thrust back into her, for he wanted to give her time to adjust to him. Her nails scored his shoulderblades and he knew she was trying to get him to let her go. Colin tried to capture her mouth for another searing kiss, but she turned her head away from him. He kissed her ear instead, then her cheek, trying his damnedest to hold on to the remnants of his control long enough to rekindle the passion inside her. Tears streamed down her face and she let out a little broken sob.
“Sweetheart, don’t cry. I’m sorry. God, I had to hurt you. It’s going to get better in just a few minutes. You feel so damned good. Hold me, baby. Hold me.”
The worry in his voice soothed her far more than his words. Pleasure warred with pain. She was so confused by the conflicting feelings, she didn’t know what to do. She wanted him to stop and yet she wanted him to stay joined with her too. His breath was hot against her ear. Harsh, too. The sound excited her. She didn’t understand what was happening to her. Her body was demanding release, but release from what? She didn’t know. The urge to move was suddenly there, and every nerve inside her clamored in anticipation.
“I want to move.” Her voice was a bare whisper of confusion.
Colin leaned up on his elbows to look at her. Her eyes shimmered with passion, but more important to him, she’d quit crying.
“I want to move, too. I want to pull out, then sink deep inside you again.”
His voice was rough with emotion. She instinctively squeezed him tight. She decided to test just to make certain it really had gotten better. She’d felt as though he’d torn her apart a minute ago, but now the throbbing wasn’t as intense, and when she moved restlessly against him, pain didn’t result. The touch of splendor caught her by surprise.
“It’s starting to feel . . . nice.”
It was all the permission he needed. His control snapped. His mouth covered hers in a ravenous kiss. The hunger inside him raged out of control. He slowly withdrew from her, then thrust deep inside. The mating ritual consumed him, and when she tightened around him again and lifted her hips up to meet his thrusts, he buried his face against the side of her neck and let out a raw groan. The pressure bui
lding inside him was excruciatingly beautiful. Colin had never experienced anything like this before. Alesandra was like fire in his arms, and her wild, uninhibited response shook him to his very soul. She held nothing back, and that selfless act forced him to do the same. The bed squeaked in protest as he thrust inside her again and again. He was mindless to everything but giving both of them fulfillment.
It came upon them in a rush. She found her release first and when she instinctively squeezed him tight and arched against him, he gave in to his own orgasm.
It took her a long while to come back to reality. She clung to her husband and let the waves of blissful surrender wash over her. A part of her mind understood that as long as she was holding Colin, she was safe. She didn’t have to worry about control. He would take care of her. Alesandra closed her eyes and let the wonder of their lovemaking consume her every thought.
She had never felt this safe, this free.
Colin was experiencing the opposite reaction. He was shaken by what had just happened to him, for he’d never allowed himself to completely abandon his control. Never. It scared the hell out of him. Her silky thighs had squeezed every thought out of his mind. She was the innocent, he experienced, and yet she’d been able to strip him of all his defenses. He hadn’t been able to hold a part of himself back and toward the end, when they were both reaching for their fulfillment, he had been as much at her mercy as she at his—and, God help him, it had never been this good before. It scared the hell out of him.
For the first time in his life he felt vulnerable, trapped.
They were still joined together. Colin slowly withdrew before the feel of her made him hard again. He gritted his teeth against the pleasure that movement caused. He didn’t have the strength to move away from her yet, but he knew his weight was probably crushing her. Her arms were wrapped around his neck. He reached up and gently pulled them away. He leaned down to kiss the base of her throat, felt her frantic heartbeat, and found arrogant male satisfaction then, for he realized she hadn’t completely recovered either.