The Bride Thief

He would arrive in less than two hours. The man who would be her lover. And she would embark on the most thrilling adventure of her life. With a man who had unquestionably become very… important. A man she undeniably… cared for deeply.

Her eyes drifted closed, and her heart beat a wild rhythm as it had all day. What would it be like? Wonderful. Like everything you've already shared with him, only more. Heat shimmered through her as she recalled his touch, his kiss, the way he looked at her. A long sigh drifted from her lips. He'd already made her feel things she'd never known existed, and by doing so had awakened her hunger for more. She could only hope that her inexperience would not tarnish their liaison for him.

She wandered to her favorite area, a small private cove secluded by an outcropping of rocks and an abundance of tall hedges. Lowering herself onto a large, flat-topped rock, she trailed her hand in the water. The coolness felt like a welcome balm against her heated skin.

She slipped off her shoes, then rolled down her stockings. When she couldn't stand pacing in her bedchamber another moment, she'd grabbed an extra chemise, then made her way to the lake, knowing nothing soothed her like a dip in the water. There was plenty of time to dry and redress before Lord Wesley arrived.

She shimmied out of her gown, then folded it carefully on the rock. She removed her spectacles, placing them inside her shoe. Dressed only in her chemise, she waded into the cool water until it lapped at her waist. She breathed in the scent of moist earth, and blew out a contented sigh. Trailing her hands through the glasslike surface, she closed her eyes and turned in slow circles, allowing the quiet stillness to relax her muscles, soothe and calm her.

A twig cracked. Her eyes snapped open, and she squinted toward the sound. A blurry blob stood on the shore. Her heart jumped, but before she could say a word, his deep, smooth voice reached her ears.

'It appears we're both early.'

Eric stood frozen in place at the sight of her, standing in the privacy of the secluded cove, waist-deep in the water, dressed only in her chemise, moonlight reflecting off her shoulders. He'd come early, unable to remain in his empty house, thinking about her, wanting her. He'd hoped she might arrive a few minutes early, but he hadn't dared to hope for… this. It was as if the gods had placed his fantasy before him, like a banquet feast.

Without moving his gaze from hers, he removed his jacket, allowing it to fall to the ground. Next he untied and removed his cravat. Then, without the slightest hesitation, he walked into the lake, not stopping until he stood directly in front of her. She stared up at him with a dazed, startled expression.

He took her hands, entwining their fingers, then lowered his head until their foreheads touched. 'I trust I am no longer blurry.'

She shook her head and their noses bumped. 'No. But you've ruined your clothing. Your boots.'

'I have others.' He leaned back, drinking in the sight of her. A simple ribbon held her hair back from her face. Her eyes appeared enormous, filled with a nearly heartbreaking combination of longing and trepidation. Her mouth appeared to tremble, and the need to touch her, kiss her, slammed into him with such intensity he nearly groaned.

He placed her wet hands against his shirt, pressing her palms to his chest. 'Someone told me that you swam in this lake,' he whispered.

There was no mistaking the embarrassment that passed over her features. 'The gossips often remark upon what they consider my eccentric behavior. I'm certain you were properly scandalized.'

'No. I was fascinated.' His gaze wandered down to her breasts which pushed against the thin material of her chemise. 'You cannot know how many times I've imagined you like this. Wet. Waiting. For me.'

'You have?'

'Yes.' Almost constantly. Reaching out, he trailed a single fingertip slowly across her cheek, over her jaw, down her neck, watching the play of emotions flare in her eyes. Any questions he might have entertained regarding her still wanting to follow through with their plans evaporated by the desire he read in her eyes.

His hand continued its lazy journey, brushing over her collarbone, then slipping downward to caress the swell of her breasts. When a tiny gasp escaped her, he cupped his hands in the water, then drizzled a trail of cool water over her shoulder. A thin wet path meandered down her chest. Entranced, he repeated his action several times, allowing ribbons of water to drip off his fingers onto her moonlight-dusted skin.

'Everywhere the water touches you,' he said softly, 'your skin gleams like silver.'

She clutched at his shirt. 'Newton's law,' she murmured in a breathless voice. 'To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.'

'Ah. So when I touch you like this…?' He filled his wet palms with her full breasts. 'What is your reaction?'

'I… shiver.'

'And when I do this…?' He caressed her nipples through her wet chemise, tugging gently as he molded her soft flesh to his palms.

'Oh, my.' Her head tipped back and a long moan escaped her. 'I tremble. Everywhere.'

'And this?' He slowly slipped the thin cotton straps down her arms, exposing high, rounded breasts topped with aroused nipples.

'I… I forget how to breathe.'

Desire, sharp as a knife, stabbed him. With a low groan, he dipped his head, circling first one aroused peak, then the other with his tongue. She squirmed against him, still clutching his shirt as if it were a lifeline. Slipping one arm around her hips and cupping her head with the other, he leaned her back, drawing a plump nipple into his mouth. His lips and tongue caressed her, tasting her satiny, honey-scented skin, reveling in her quick intake of breath, followed by an earthy moan that aroused him beyond bearing. His hand slipped down to her rounded buttocks, and he pulled her tight against him, her feminine softness pressing against his hardness.

An inferno of need suffused him, and he lost all sense of time and place. Mine, mine, mine echoed through his mind as his teeth tugged her chemise lower. His wet fingers traced over her revealed skin as he trailed a hot path of kisses up to her neck, then fused his mouth to hers.

Blood rushed through him so hard that he felt it pounding in his ears. No woman, ever, had tasted like this. So sweet. So hot and silky. So delicious that he felt as if he could kiss her for days and still not have satisfied his hunger for her. He explored all the warm secrets of her satiny mouth, memorizing each tantalizing texture, as his hands wandered with increasing urgency up and down her back.

He needed to slow down, to savor each of her moans, but as she'd done before, she robbed him of his finesse. He hadn't planned to make love to her for the first time standing in the lake, but he couldn't seem to stop. Hell, he couldn't even slow down. His heart slammed against his ribs like a hammer. He felt as if his skin had shrunk two sizes, all but strangling him. He wanted, needed, her hands on him.

Breaking their kiss, he drew a ragged breath into his lungs. 'Touch me, Samantha. Don't be afraid.'

Uncertainty glimmered in her eyes. 'I don't know what to do. I don't want to displease you.'

He would have laughed if he'd been able. 'There's not much chance of that.' With one hand, he quickly unfastened his shirt, then glided her palm across his chest. A low growl rumbled in his throat. Releasing her hand, he said, 'Do it again.'

She brushed her hand across his chest, and his muscles contracted under her light touch. 'Do you like that?' she asked, splaying her fingers against his skin, her eyes alight with wonder.

'God, yes.'

Growing bolder, she lifted her other hand to his chest, and slowly eased her fingers downward, over his ribcage. 'What is your reaction when I do that?' she asked.

It took every bit of his concentration to remain still and allow her to explore. 'My heart pounds.'

She ran her hands upwards, brushing over his nipples. 'And that?'

He moved slightly, rubbing his erection against her. 'It arouses me.'

Her eyes widened. Taking one of her hands, he slid it down his chest, over his abdomen, then slipped it under the water. He pressed his rigid arousal against her palm. 'You arouse me. Undeniably. Unequivocally. In a way that is nearly unbearable. So many 'u' words to describe what you do to me.'

Her fingers closed around him, and his teeth clenched against the pleasure. He stood in an agony of sweet torment while she ran her fingers up and down his rigid length, learning him through his breeches. Her gaze