“I don’t want to talk. I want to kiss.”
And they were embroiled in another kiss, one that made him lose track of time and place. More so as her legs enveloped him, and her body pressed to his painful tightness. Sensation flared through him, and he was scared of dropping her, at the same time not being able to stop this from going too far. She wasn’t giving him a chance to.
“Octavia, please take care. I’m not made of steel, and my control flags when I’m with you.”
“I want to see you when you don’t have control. We’re engaged. It’s understandable.”
“I don’t think anyone agrees with you.” Pausing, he held her close and kissed her forehead. He held her so tight, she couldn’t move, just to give them a moment to pause. But then the excitement of it all threatened to overwhelm him. They were going to marry. There was this whole future ahead of them now, and he was trying to think of it all at once. Although she was getting a little frustrated with his grip, so he looked down on her lovely face and exhaled deeply. “I have to go see your father.”
“I suppose he would appreciate that.”
“You don’t suppose he would be disappointed after hopes for a loftier match?”
“As with so many other things, my father doesn’t have much regard for royalty. He quite likes you, though. I have no idea why.”
“That’s encouraging, I suppose.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll marry you anyway.”
“Yes, well, let’s not tell him that.”
“He wouldn’t be surprised.” She smiled and it just about undid his control.
“So I cannot induce you to go home right now?”
She shook her head, and then watched him expectantly, wanting another kiss. Well, if she insisted. Leaning down, he claimed her lips again. Sweetness suffused his mind.
Chapter 36
OCTAVIA WANTED TO DO everything at once. No, that wasn’t true, she wanted to kiss Fortescue, more than the normal chaste kiss she would allow anyone. She wanted to explore this hunger, the hunger she’d at times seen in Eliza when she looked at her husband. It was thrilling and exciting beyond anything else.
As far as she saw, there was no reason not to. They were engaged. They would be married very soon, and she had no concern in that regard. Fortescue was a man of his word, and she trusted him implicitly, which was something she’d discovered along the way. And any qualms she’d had about his feelings had melted away too. Perhaps her concern had been based in fear, or some notion that this was too good to be true.
It was real. This was her husband, and she was so very excited about it. More so because this wasn’t a man she could simply walk over. He met her and they debated fiercely. The thought made her smile. Maybe she’d been searching for the man who didn’t simply just agree with her. Even the prince tended to agree with her, along with trying to impress her.
And when Finn kissed her, the world just melted away. Nothing existed outside the kiss and the heady desire that came with it. Her body burned and her hands itched to touch him, to feel his solidness, the warmth of him, and to feel his body along hers. Every part of her wanted more. Especially the curious heat inside her that just grew stronger. This was desire and she felt it so very strongly. She wanted to know the full extent of it.
She’d also discovered that it was his weakness. He was so strong with everything else, but when she touched him, he wavered. And she loved how he did, how he responded to her with his very body. And she also knew he was ready—she could feel it. Enough of the basic mechanics had been told to her. How much of what she’d been told was true, she wasn’t entirely sure. But the hardness went inside her and it was akin to magic.
Reaching her hand down, she felt him through his breeches and his eyes utterly lost focus with the touch. The magic definitely worked for them, but his hand clasped around her wrist. “I won’t be able to stop.”
“I don’t want you to.”
He blinked and regarded her, and she had never felt so wanted before. Everything about him was attuned to her. If anyone said this wasn’t magic, she couldn’t agree with them. All she wanted was to touch his skin, but she had to access it. “I want all of you,” she said, pleading that he didn’t stop this out of some notion of propriety. Everything inside her needed more.
His arm slipping around her pulled her to him and he carried her into the next room where they sat down on the sofa. She straddled him, felt him beneath her, felt him pressed to her. They kissed again, but the sensations were so much more complex now. When she moved, the friction intensified everything. And that friction was exquisite. It almost seemed to hurt him, but she couldn’t stop. It just felt so good.
Reaching up her back, he undid the buttons of her dress, and cool air met her as he pulled it down around her, along with her chemise. She'd never been so exposed, and she loved it because it was with him. Her nipples ached painfully, and as he drew her near, he took one of his mouth. Fire flared inside her and she didn’t know what to do with herself. Her insides tightened painfully.
Finally releasing the tortured bud, she felt the coolness of the air on it.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “We can stop now.”
“No,” she said breathily. “Don’t stop, I mean.”
Shifting her to the sofa so she lay on
