“Anything for you, my love. Anything.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I have one secret to confess, one I should have revealed sooner. Our mothers conspired to bring us together here. For different reasons than our fathers, I think, but a conspiracy nonetheless. Does this change how you feel about us?”
“I already know, and I cannot fault them. They love us both very much and only want to see us happy.” Her lips parted as she gazed up at him, and without even realizing it, she willed him to kiss her. To take her mouth and shape it to his own. To own her breath and breathe his into her lungs. To claim her soul, body, and heart.
“I hope you agree an elopement is in our immediate future.” He kissed Lauren so softly it wrung a moan from deep within her chest. “If I could marry you this very moment, I would.”
“Will you kiss me instead, Theo? Will you make love to me?”
A wicked grin curved Theodore’s lips until he resembled a hungry wolf. “When you are in truth my wife, we shall make love until we both collapse.”
“I do not want to wait. I want you now.”
“Unwise, my love.” He chuckled at her eagerness, and Lauren wanted to stomp her foot that he wasn’t taking her seriously.
“Make love to me tonight and marry me tomorrow,” she demanded. “The mistletoe is supposed to make you compliant.”
Sobering, Theodore smoothed a stray wasp of hair from her brow and tucked it behind her ear. “I am easily commanded by you. Always. But I won’t dishonor you before we wed.”
“And if I demand a truth, a favor, or a kiss?”
“I would grant all three.” Cupping her stubborn chin, he brushed his mouth over hers.
“Then let us begin with a favor,” Lauren murmured. “Remove your clothing.”
Chapter 17
Theodore shook his head.
“I’ll not take your virginity here, and not before we are man and wife.”
Lauren’s head tilted. “A momentary bit of pain. A spot of blood. I am already yours in my heart. The time and place matters little to me with the exception that it be here and now, Theo. If you worry that you may hurt me, you do so needlessly. I know what to expect.”
“So, now you attempt to ease my apprehensions,” he mused. “How can you possibly know the full extent of what I will do if your demands are met?”
A tiny smile lifted the corners of her lips. “Mother provided some details during the time we were engaged. Penelope answered even more of my questions earlier tonight.”
Theodore was slightly stunned Lauren’s cousin would knowingly contribute to her deflowering under the viscount’s roof. But then again, Penelope and George had their own rather scandalous beginning to their marriage. After carrying on a secret love affair under the very nose of Penelope’s uninterested fiancé and her parents, the two of them had eloped to Gretna Green.
Lauren sensed his wavering resoluteness. Moving closer, she brought her arms up so they looped around his neck. “This is what I want, Theo. It is what you want, too.” Her eyes, so warmly grey like the summer sun flashing on water, held his until he wondered if he might drown in their depths. “After everything, after all these months apart, isn’t our love worth what we want?”
Her fingers caressed his nape, lightly grazing the flesh, sifting through the strands of his hair, their mouths so close that his breath caught and mingled with hers. Theodore could not conceal the shudder of desire that raced through his body.
“Lauren…”
His shaky whisper was answer enough. With aching sweetness, Lauren closed the distance between them, her lips touching his gently at first and then with a growing hunger. Her tongue slipped into shy contact with his, retreated, then returned until Theodore met her plea, their mouths mating in an ancient dance.
It was a kiss so passionate, so heart-stopping and possessive, and so beautifully raw, it was quite possible that time stood still.
When the earth resumed its rotation, Theodore discovered his shirt had been unbuttoned by quick, nimble fingers, and warm, feminine hands were smoothing the fabric off his shoulders.
He never released her mouth while tearing the shirt free from his body. Once that was accomplished, his hands gripped Lauren’s tiny waist, pulling her against him. Crushing her to his broad chest so he could feel her firm, high breasts burning his skin even through the thin, satin nightdress.
“I’ll be gentle,” he murmured when he finally took a breath, kissing the slender column of her neck, delighting in the scent of roses and the taste that was uniquely hers. “I’ll try, at least.”
“I know you will. I’m not afraid.” She angled her chin higher, letting him devour her as he liked, gasping when he moved lower and nipped her shoulder. When he chuckled at her response, she turned her head and licked the spot just below his ear before taking an earlobe between her teeth and worrying it gently.
“Little minx,” he groaned in surprise at her playfulness. “You’ll be the death of me. You know that, don’t you?”
Lauren laughed softly, running her hands over his chest as if awed by the sharply chiseled muscles rippling beneath the skin. “You are so wide. So hard and strong.”
The words were followed by soft lips skating over the flesh her hands just touched, hovering for a brief second above his flat, disc-like nipples. Then… a lick, a languid swirling of her tongue across the turgid flesh, an experimental taste before her teeth closed over each one in turn to give a teasing bite.
The slight pinch of pain only heightened Theodore’s arousal, to the point he thought he might explode with the need to bury himself deep inside her.
“Christ, Lauren,” he choked out while her hands maneuvered even lower until they rested on the button placket of his trousers.
“The rest of your clothes, Theo. Shouldn’t they be removed for this to work properly?”
She blinked up at him, innocent and flushed, her eyes dark silver with arousal, and all that silky brown hair flowing around her shoulders. The shadowy vee of her breasts, decadently exhibited by the nightdress’s neckline, demanded he run his tongue over the exposed silky flesh. But he wanted more than just that little sliver. He wanted all of her. Now.
Rising from the bed, he quickly stripped free of his remaining garments and boots and returned to her. Intending to tug the gown over her head, he reached for the hem, but she grabbed his hands, halting his motion.
“Wait.”
Theodore froze. He recognized the unsure quality of her voice. The slight tremor of fear it contained. Her eyes were glued to the area of his groin.
Dread seized his heart and bottomed out in his stomach.
“My love… I’m sorry. I’ve frightened you with my impatience, my roughness—”
Lauren gave a shaky laugh. “No, wait. I only want—I want to look at you.” Her gaze traveled his body, from neck to thigh and all gorgeous slabs, edges, hollows, and bulges in between. “Oh, Theo. You are so beautiful. So… amazing.”
Her eyes lifted to meet his, shy but bold. Curious, but hesitant. Because this might not be acceptable behavior between a man and woman, and she was new to all of this, and only he could teach her.
“A truth, Theo.” At his nod, Lauren’s lips parted slightly with anticipation. She licked them, a slow swipe of her tongue passing over the pouting top lip first, the lush bottom one last. “May I touch you? As you touch me? Do you… want me to touch you?”