House of Trent 01.5 - His for Christmas by Jennifer Haymore Read Free Book Online

forward and pressed his lips to hers.
    His kiss began as a tender caress. Leisurely, soft swipes of warm pleasure over her mouth, moving to her cheeks and jaw and then down her neck as he slowly divested her of her clothes. Soon, she wore only her chemise. He grasped the hem and dragged the skirt up her leg, his fingers trailing over her skin, then her hip and her side, caressing the edge of her breast as he tugged it up.
    He pulled away, his heated kisses leaving her momentarily as he encouraged her to sit then lifted the chemise over her head.
    She was naked. He’d removed his tailcoat and waistcoat before they’d eaten, but otherwise he was still fully dressed.
    She raised her chin and looked him in the eye. She refused to be outwardly self-conscious with him, but inwardly she couldn’t help it. Her stomach felt like a million butterflies fluttered about inside it.
    His gaze raked over her. He cupped one of her breasts in his hand and kissed its side tenderly. Then he lifted his face, still cupping her breast, his expression soft as he studied her. “Amelia. You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
    His tone—one of awe—settled most of the butterflies, replacing them with warm arousal and building need.
    He really did find her beautiful. He wasn’t lying to her. She could see it in the glow of appreciation in his eyes; in the thick outline of his erection against his trousers.
    He glanced down to where her gaze rested between his legs, then looked back up at her, his expression a touch sheepish. He shrugged. “I can’t help what you do to me. You’re a goddess. I wish I could carve you in marble and gaze at you all day.”
    “You’re beautiful, too,” she murmured, smiling. “But I’d wager you’d be even more beautiful if you took off that shirt.”
    “Your wish is my command, my lady.”
    In one smooth motion, he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the foot of the bed, exposing his torso.
    She sucked in her breath. It had been a long while since she’d glimpsed a man’s upper half, and this one was by far the most devastatingly handsome she’d ever seen. Wide, muscular shoulders led to a powerful chest, a chiseled abdomen, and narrow hips.
    Amelia’s mouth went dry. He was such a beautiful specimen of virility.
    “Do you like what you see?” he asked.
    She nodded and whispered, “Yes.”
    “I’m glad. Come here.” He gathered her into his arms and pulled her close. Her breasts smashed against his warm, hard chest, and a deep shudder ran through her. She slipped her arms around him and rested her cheek on his shoulder.
    His fingers ran through her hair, gently combing through the tangles as he held her. Then he was kissing her again, his velvety lips grazing her hairline, moving over her cheeks and nose, then to her lips as he laid her onto her back on the bed.
    He pulled away but remained close enough that they traded breaths. She gazed up at him in the flickering lamplight.
    “You’re mine tonight, Amelia.”
    She held onto him, her fingers tracing the hard muscles of his arms. “I’m yours,” she whispered. “Tonight, every part of me is yours.”
    “You’re all I ever wanted.”
    After so many years thinking the opposite was true, she could hardly believe his words. They went against the very core of her beliefs that had been forged that night so long ago.
    But with his words, his touches, the way he looked at her—he was beginning to reawaken the part of her that could believe. And more than anything, that scared her.
    He bent down to her breasts and focused all his attention on them, kissing, licking, kneading, before bringing his lips to her nipple. And just like that, the quickly building need eclipsed all her trepidation.
    She wanted him. More than she’d ever wanted anything in her life.
    He swiped his tongue over her nipple, his touch firm, wet, and warm, and it contracted into a hard peak, so sensitive that she gasped and squirmed the next time he