She leaned back into him, tilting her head to the side to provide him with better access. She really shouldn’t be doing this, and yet…
“What was that?”
Something sharp and prickly prodded the side of her head, and when she turned to try to see just what it was, she was only rewarded with another poke to the face.
“Ouch.”
“It’s the Christmas tree,” Duncan said with some bitterness, and Jane had to laugh at how fervently he hated it. She actually quite enjoyed the greenery in the house. It took up a great deal of space, but reminded her of home.
All of those thoughts, however, soon fled as Duncan’s hands rose higher, cupping the underside of her breasts, and Jane inhaled sharply.
“Duncan…”
“You shouldn’t have roamed this house wearing just your night rail, you know that, do you not?”
“I now see what perils there are in doing such a thing.”
He chuckled lowly into her neck, and she turned in his arms. When she did so, he brushed his thumbs over her nipples, and she physically shivered at the touch.
She lifted her mouth, meeting his, and this time she was the aggressor, seeking entry and torturing his tongue with hers.
He finally wrenched his mouth away from hers with a groan, dropping his forehead against hers.
“Oh, Jane,” he muttered. “This is a mistake.”
“What?” she lifted her head from his. “How can you say such a thing? I thought you—that is—” she pursed her lips. “You were the one that started this.”
“You’re right,” he said, running a hand over his face. “I did. But the problem is… if we go any further, I don’t think I will be able to stop.”
“Then don’t,” she said, both her voice and her breathing ragged, and he stiffened in her arms, his hands resting around her ribs.
“You don’t know what you’re asking.”
Jane snorted. “I am the daughter of a physician and have spent a great deal of time assisting a midwife. I know perfectly well what I am asking, although this was not quite how I had thought to discover such a thing. Now…” She could hardly believe she was saying the words, but her desire seemed to overcome every hint of shyness that lurked within her, “shall we return to my chamber or to yours?”
He hesitated for a moment, until he replied with his gutted words.
“Yours.”
She took his hand in hers before he changed his mind, and quickly they navigated around the Christmas tree, up the staircase, and down the corridor to her chamber.
“How close are you to Billy and Mary’s room?” he murmured, and Jane answered that they were just down the hall. So he would have to ensure they remained as quiet as could be, he reasoned, already hardening just thinking of his time with her.
Oh, he really shouldn’t be doing this. But he could no more drag himself away from her than he could return to Scotland leaving both Campbell sisters behind him.
The moment they were through the door and she had shut it softly behind them, he spun her around and trapped her against it, pinning her there between his arms. He bent his head and tasted her once more, caught up in everything that was so uniquely Jane — her size, her shape, her scent, and her taste. He lifted her up, spinning her around and walking her toward the bed. It was not particularly large, certainly meant for just one person, but it would do.
He allowed her feet to touch the floor once more, her calves pressing into the bed behind her. Her knees bent as she stretched out backward over the bed. Duncan covered her, which wasn’t overly difficult as she was so slight and small. A surge of protectiveness for her overcame him, and he wanted to wrap her up in his arms and never let her go.
She nuzzled her face into the side of his neck and when a low mewling sound came from the back of her throat, he nearly sighed in wonderment.
It didn’t take long to divest of her of the night rail that hadn’t been enough to hide her from him and his desires, and soon she was sprawled backward on the mattress, her dark hair shimmering on the pillow around her, her beautiful breasts waiting for his attention.
“Are you…” she stammered when he did nothing but stare down at her, “are you going to… do anything?”
He would have laughed was he not so focused on maintaining a sense of control, and he grinned wolfishly at her.
“I am enjoying the view.”
Jane’s eyes widened in shock, and when Duncan leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, she kissed him back with a ferocity that would have knocked him off his feet. She kissed him with a passion unlike anything he had ever felt from another before, and he knew he had to do something before this ended far earlier than he would have liked.
He slid down her body, pausing to attend to each of her breasts, to which she moaned in pleasure. He continued on until he settled beneath her legs, tracing his fingers over exactly where she wanted him. When she lifted herself to him, he tasted her, and she cried out. When she was finally trembling in wait for him, he knew she was ready, and he lifted his head. He raised himself onto his knees, but before this went any further, he needed one more thing.
“Jane,” he ground out, more urgency in his words than he had intended, “look at me.”
She followed his command, her eyes hooded in desire.
“Do you still want this?” he asked, needing to hear the words one more time. “Do you want me?”
“I’ve never wanted anything more,” she said, the words a hoarse whisper.
And with that, he leaned down, placed his hands over her hips, and slowly pushed into her. It took everything within him to pause, until she was the one who began to move, and he answered her in kind.
He met her gaze, her dark blue eyes soulful and seemingly staring right through him, learning his every thought. They had come together now, but in more than just the physical sense. He couldn’t describe it, but he knew that nothing between them — or within him — would ever be the same.
She lifted her hands and began running them up and down his arms, her touch featherlight, and for a moment he would have sworn that he felt buoyed and more whole just from her ministrations.
Until her fingernails bit into him as she tightened around him, and all thought fled as Duncan became lost in her. Her breath was quick, short, and Duncan began to pump feverishly as he tended to her breasts. She lifted her legs higher around him, and he twined his fingers into her silken hair as she exploded around him, which sent him following quickly, until he was hurtling over the edge and into her arms.
It took him more than a moment to recover, and suddenly the best feeling he had ever known was replaced with panic.
“Are you all right, Jane?” he asked, looking down at her, seeking an answer. “Did I hurt you?”
She shook her head and he rested his forehead against hers.
“That was magnificent,” she whispered.
“No, Jane,” he said, shaking his head. “You are magnificent.”
Chapter 11
Duncan had wrapped one arm around Jane, pulling her closer so that she could lay her cheek on his chest to sleep. He wasn’t sure how long he lay there watching her, but he was just beginning to doze off when a sharp rap sounded on the door, followed by the call of Billy’s voice.