The Sherbrooke Bride - Catherine Coulter [95]
“I venture to say that you will be responsible for teaching her many new things, cousin,” Tony said, and rose, bowing to Alexandra, then saying his good-nights to the remaining company.
Alexandra actually sighed once she and Douglas were mounting the stairs.
“It was a long evening, I’ll grant you that.”
“Yes,” she said, her voice suddenly clipped. Oh dear, would he insist upon coming to her again? Her step lagged.
Douglas stopped in the middle of the long corridor, took her shoulders in his hands and said very clearly, “Let me make this perfectly clear to you so you don’t have to sigh again. You only have one choice. Do you wish to be in my bed or shall I be in yours?”
And even then, he took the choice from her. He lightly shoved her into his bedchamber, then closed and locked the door. He stood there watching her, his look brooding in the sluggish firelight.
“I will not frighten you tonight. I will be calm and subtle. I will control your pleasure just as I will control my own. I am an experienced man, a man of the world. I will be as tranquil and placid in my movements as that fire. Do you understand?”
She stared from him to the fire and back again.
“Say you understand, dammit.”
“I understand.” Then, she held out her arms to him, an unplanned gesture, and in the next instant, he’d lifted her and was carrying her to his bed. He came down over her and his hands were wild on her gown, pulling and jerking and ripping it to shreds. “It doesn’t matter, dammit!” Then there were no words for he wouldn’t stop kissing her. When he bared her breasts, his eyes blazed and he moaned even as he nuzzled her with his mouth, even as he suckled her. He was trembling, lurching over her, trying to cover her with his mouth and hands, all of her, even as he was jerking away her clothes and his.
And when she was naked beneath him, he had to rise to get off his trousers. He wasn’t very graceful; he was frantic and ripped his britches. Then he was naked, splendidly naked. His body glowed in the firelight and she said, “You are so beautiful, Douglas.”
“Oh no, no,” he said, but he didn’t fall on her this time. He pulled her legs apart and came down between them and lifted her to his mouth. “I won’t allow you to hold back from me this time. No, I won’t allow it. Do you like that, Alexandra? Dear Lord, you’re hot. Yes, you’re trembling. Please, tell me what you’re feeling.”
She moaned and dug her fingers in his hair, pressing him closer and closer still and she felt his warm breath on her flesh and it was too much. She screamed, her back bowing off the bed.
Douglas felt her nails digging into his shoulder, felt the frantic clenching of her muscles, and he was drawn into her pleasure, deep and deeper still. He didn’t wait for her to calm. He thrust into her, lifting her as he rose. “Wrap your legs around my waist,” he said once, then again, for she was oblivious, held in pleasure and surprise.
Her arms were around his neck and her mouth found his and as he came sharply up into her, his hands big and warm on her buttocks, she kissed him again and again, moaning softly, wringing all semblance of control from him.
He carried her to the large carpet in front of the hearth and just as he knew he would soon be lost, he also knew that he wouldn’t be able to stand with the force of it, he lowered her to her back and came so deeply inside her he touched her womb.
When he came to his release, Alexandra was beyond anything in her experience. He heaved in her arms and she stroked him, feeling powerful and warm and she said without thinking, “I love you, Douglas. I’ve loved you forever.”
He groaned, then fell to the side, drawing her against him. She felt the heat of the dying fire against her back and legs. She felt the strength of his arms around her waist. She felt the warmth of his breath against her temple.
But she felt cold in the next moment, for she realized what she’d said to him. She realized that he had remained quiet. She realized the power she’d given him. She felt his seed, wet on her thighs, and tried