Now the only illumination was from the moonlight and stars. Still she hesitated.
With a quick jerk, he pulled the covers from the bed and spread them on one of the rugs. ‘‘Are you afraid of me,’’ he asked, ‘‘or the bed?’’
He dropped to his knees on the blankets. ‘‘If you won’t sleep with me on the mattress, I’ll join you on the floor.’’
She smiled and moved toward him. When she was only a few feet away, he gently put his hands on her waist and pulled her to him, resting his head at her middle.
Kora touched his hair and felt the excitement that she had before. Slowly she lowered to her knees. Without a word, he kissed her gently as he lowered her to the blankets and spread out beside her. The night was cool, but his nearness kept her warm.
Her head rested on his arm as he leaned above her, kissing her gently. ‘‘Are you sure you want this?’’ he whispered between kisses. ‘‘I still have enough reason left that I could go to the study. I promised you I wouldn’t force this role on you.’’
Kora wasn’t sure at all. What if he got carried away and held her too tightly again? She wasn’t even sure what she was agreeing to. She’d heard many women say it was something every wife had to endure. But if it was like Winter’s kisses, making love would be easy to become accustomed to. And his touch had been a taste of heaven.
His fiery need for her excited her.
‘‘I’m sure,’’ she lied.
On his side, with her pressed close, Winter watched her face in the moonlight as his hand lowered to the center of her gown. He spread his fingers out over her abdomen and felt the warmth of her flesh beneath the thin layer of cotton. He wanted to feel her skin but didn’t want to frighten her.
He kissed her on the forehead. When she closed her eyes, he lightly touched his lips to her eyelids and felt her lashes tickle his mouth.
When he reached her lips, they were full and ready for him. Opening without having to be encouraged. The knowledge that she was learning and responding to the way he liked to love made his blood warm, and awkward movements became smooth. Her mouth had the feel and taste of soft, warm honey. She remained still as he felt and tasted her mouth.
His kisses were no longer hard, almost bruising, as they had been in the orchard, but still a fire coursed through her. The feel of his hand across her abdomen moving slightly, pressing gently, made her long for him to touch her as he had.
For a long while he seemed content to kiss her. She timidly raised her hand and touched his bare shoulder. With her touch she knew that his wild, maddening need was being held at bay.
His fingers stroked her face and hair as his lips brushed hers.
Kora liked the pleasure he brought, but she wanted the passion. If she was to drink tonight, she wanted the full glass. She raised her hand and stroked his chest, trailing her fingers over his warm skin.
The kiss deepened.
She continued to explore the wall of flesh over muscle. She liked the way his body tightened with her touch and rippled beneath her hand. The sun’s warmth seemed baked into his skin.
Winter was fighting all his passion to go slowly, and she seemed to be fanning the fire with kerosene. When her fingers tickled their way down the center of his chest to the spot just below his waist where his pants were open, he couldn’t hold back a groan.
Kora laughed softly against his ear and repeated her action, loving the way she could make him react.
The third time she broke the hold on his reserve, and they began galloping at full speed. His kiss turned to liquid desire, and his hands moved over her in bold strokes. At first he’d been content to rest his hand on her; now he longed to touch her all at once.
When his fingers captured her full breast, Kora arched her back, offering more. His hold was tight as his thumb found her peak and rubbed across it back and forth with maddening pressure. The thin layer of cotton offered nothing to protect her as the layers of cloth had in the orchard. She took passion’s wave and moved, begging for more.
He no longer kissed her as he continued to explore her body, but allowed her to sigh and cry out softly in pleasure. But he couldn’t live without the taste of her. He left his mission only long enough to unbutton the buttons at her throat. When his hand returned to her breasts, he loved the way she sighed and rocked her fullness into his embrace as though welcoming him home. The roughness of his hands seemed to excite her.
With her gown undone, he could fully taste her throat. She rolled her head aside, offering him her neck from the sensitive area he’d found just below her ear to where the material parted, revealing the rise of one breast. For a moment, he stopped, unable to do anything but stare at the beauty she offered him so easily, so freely. The sight of her lying on her back with her eyes sparkling with starlight and her gown open made him feel as if his brain were exploding. He pulled the material away slightly until he saw the swell of both breasts and the inviting valley between them.
Her breasts were fuller than he’d expected, with creamy skin that begged to be touched. His gaze locked on hers as he brushed two fingers down the center of her gown’s opening, applying pressure to each breast.
Moving restlessly she silently begged to be touched. He closed his hand over the cotton covering one mound, enjoying the way she cried softly in pleasure as her eyes darkened to velvet blue. His hand molded around her, taking slow pleasure as his grip tightened over the mound.
Her lips parted in whispered cries of pleasure. He leaned over her and kissed her deep and completely.
When he rolled back beside her, she moved restlessly and her leg brushed against his need. He covered her ripe breast with his hand once more, enjoying the way she responded by moving again and once again, brushing against his jeans. He knew he could open her gown farther, but he wanted to ration out perfection. The feel of her was enough tonight, later he’d undress her completely. He brushed the thin cotton covering her peak, and her lips parted, begging him for more.
Her eyes were wide with passion and need and uncertainty. His thumb crossed her peak again as his fingers tightened around her. Her eyes turned a darker blue and her mouth opened with a sigh. He’d never dreamed she’d respond to him so, and the knowledge drove him mad. This shy woman wasn’t going to just take his loving; she was feeling his every touch with a passion that rocked him.
He answered her with a deep, full kiss. As she relaxed in his arms, he spread his hand out and felt the rise and fall of her chest.
Then his mouth lowered to her throat as one arm encircled her. She responded as she had before, allowing him free rein over her body. Her back arched as his hand pulled demandingly against her virgin flesh. His grip tightened and she cried once more with pleasure, whispering his name.
His fingers became bolder, pulling, molding as his thumb once more circled her peak roughly, then held her tightly as her body shook with pleasure. He leaned into her, wanting to feel her responding. The pleasure he brought her burned him with deeper passion.
She didn’t disappoint him. Each time his hand circled and tightened, she moved. Each time his kiss grew bolder, she trembled with a need he knew was building inside her as well.
Curling against him, she began to swim in the fire of passion, losing all her mind except the desire, the need, the longing for more. His touch was gentle one moment, begging for her, and demanding the next, taking all he wanted of the feel and taste of her.
Suddenly he placed one hand on her hip and pulled her closer against him so that he could feel her with the length of his body. His mouth returned to hers, silencing her cries of pleasure as his fingers continued to travel along her legs and over her hips. When he returned to her breasts, each touch was like the first, making her bolt with fire and need. Only now her peaks were sensitive from his first rough touch and responded to even his slightest brush.
‘‘More,’’ she whispered against his mouth. ‘‘More!’’ He’d created an addiction within her.
Win smiled. She was made for loving, his loving.
The kiss deepened as he moved above her. The wall of his chest pressed into her, giving her the pleasure his
