Chapter Eleven
Royal released Lovey’s hand and slid the straps of her suspenders slowly off her shoulders. The straps drooped to hang next to her thighs as she pulled her shirttail loose from her trousers, then unhurriedly began to unbutton her white shirt before tossing it across a nearby chair. Lovey watched the entire tantalizing display with rapt attention, her throat suddenly dry.
She had not spoken in the last few minutes, but Lovey felt Royal communicating volumes with the steamy look of desire that darkened her blue eyes. Lovey exhaled softly as Royal moved toward her. She took a step back, bumping up against the table’s edge.
Royal was still wearing the thin, tank style undershirt that she’d had on beneath her long-sleeved shirt. The tight-fitting garment hugged the contours of her small, firm breasts and flat torso.
Royal didn’t touch Lovey. Instead she stood very close. They were so close that Lovey could feel the heat coming off Royal’s skin.
“You smell really good.” Royal whispered the words with her eyes closed.
“Are you trying to seduce me, Royal Duval?”
“Maybe. Or should we call this an exploration?”
If this were an exploration then Lovey wasn’t certain she could survive an actual seduction. Her heart was thumping in her chest. She knew her cheeks must be flushed from the increased blood flow, and she was feeling other things. Things in places she’d never felt them before. Her eyes were closed but flew open when she felt Royal’s touch.
Royal’s gaze was focused on the fingertip that she was using to lightly trace Lovey’s jawline, down the outside curve of her neck and then across her collarbone. She repeated the route on the other side, but this time she was looking directly into Lovey’s eyes as she followed the same path with her fingers. The room was warm, despite air circulating from an open window. Lovey could see the slightest sheen of perspiration along the crest of Royal’s shoulders.
Royal moved her fingertips up and slowly swept them over Lovey’s lips.
Hesitation. For a moment, time seemed suspended.
Royal lightly placed her lips on Lovey’s. As she deepened the kiss between them Lovey felt the weight of Royal press against her. Royal kept her palms pressed against the small of Lovey’s back.
Lovey was unsure what to do with her hands. Tentatively, she placed them at Royal’s waist, and then as the kiss continued to intensify, she fisted the light fabric of Royal’s undershirt, pulling it free from her trousers so that she could feel the smooth skin underneath. She felt Royal inhale sharply against her mouth.
What now? Lovey had no idea. She was completely under Royal’s spell at this point, barely keeping her feet on the floor. It was as if the room had dropped away and the two of them were floating above a dark, inviting abyss.
She felt Royal pull her into the center of the room. Her bones had softened to the point she wasn’t sure she could keep standing, let alone walk. Royal released her mouth and moved behind her. Lovey opened her eyes just as Royal tossed the undershirt to the chair where her other shirt lay. Lovey realized that Royal was now wearing only the trousers, and her heart rate spiked despite the fact that she couldn’t actually see Royal in this state of partial undress. She was about to turn around when she felt Royal step close behind her and begin to unzip her dress. As Royal pushed the fabric apart to reveal the slip underneath, she kissed the back of Lovey’s neck and then her shoulders, sending chills down Lovey’s arms. Once the dress had been pushed off her shoulders and down to her waist, the slip was next. Royal kissed her shoulders as she slipped the narrow satin strap off to the side and swept it down her arms. Lovey pulled her arms free from the top of her dress and the slip that was gathered at her hips. She reached behind, over her shoulder, she placed her hand at the back of Royal’s head, pulling her lips against her neck again. She felt Royal’s firm nipples against the bare skin of her back and shuddered.
The place between her legs throbbed as she felt Royal’s arms encircle her waist and Royal’s strong hands move up her stomach to cover her small aching breasts. Lovey collapsed against Royal as she felt her tease and massage each breast through her bra, causing the need deep in her center to increase.
“I’m not sure how much more of this exploration I can stand,” said Lovey.
She felt sure she could feel Royal’s lips curve into a smile against her bare shoulder. “Me either.”
Lovey reached behind her to unclasp the bra and then tossed it onto the chair with Royal’s shirt. Royal’s mouth was hot against her neck. She covered Royal’s hands with hers as they covered her breasts.
Temptation. Lovey had heard her father speak of it from the pulpit numerous times and never fully understood it until now. The vices that seemed to tempt others beyond their ability to resist things like cards or whiskey had never held any sway over her, so she’d wrongly assumed that temptation was a problem for others. No one warned her that temptation would smell this incredibly good, feel so exquisitely satisfying, or burn as hotly across her tender flesh as this did.
As Royal caressed her with the lightest of touches, Lovey visualized herself in the Garden, naked before God. She was standing under the tree of knowledge, looking up into its laden branches, and she knew with certainty the only fruit she wanted to taste was Royal. She wanted to feel the sweetness of it on her tongue, feel the weight of it in her hand. As Royal traced the outside edge of her arm with tender fingertips, Lovey was struck full in the chest by the knowledge that the one forbidden thing was the one thing she desired most.
Royal
