Moonwitch by Nicole Jordan Read Free Book Online

quickened against her throat as he surrendered to a primitive, powerful need. He drove into her more forcefully, more deeply, though still his instinctive care for the weaker sex kept him from being as rough as he might. In a moment his great body stiffened, then contracted, pouring into her with tremendous pulsing spasms.
    As he collapsed on her, bathed in perspiration, panting, the hot, spiraling world that had caught Selena in its grip slowly faded, leaving her unsatisfied and unfulfilled. Her position was extremely uncomfortable, trapped as she was beneath Kyle’s sleek, heavy body. Squirming, she wedged her hands against his powerful shoulders to keep him from crushing her further.
    Weakly, Kyle pushed himself up on his elbows. “I’m sorry, Moonwitch,” he said hoarsely. “It was too fast for you. I’ll make it better next time, I promise.”
    “No.”
    He found her lips again and kissed her with repentant tenderness before Selena managed to turn her head away. “I said
no.
Once was quite enough.”
    Drawing back, Kyle peered down at her with a frown, trying to read the quicksilver light in her eyes. “Did I hurt you?”
    Selena hesitated, considering his question. Her body was limp and aching and still throbbing with a strange sort of tension. But she
had
asked Captain Ramsey to make love to her, after all. And he had granted her request—quite thoroughly. At least thoroughly enough to prevent her wanting to repeat the experience. “No, Captain,” she dissembled. “You didn’t hurt me. Now, will you please let me up? I should like to breathe again.”
    For a moment she thought he might not comply, for he was studying her intently, his heavy brows drawn together in puzzlement. But then he untangled his body from hers and rolled off her, rising to his feet with the easy grace of a practiced athlete as he adjusted his breeches.
    Selena rose more slowly, cautiously testing her weak legs to ensure they could support her weight. Acutely embarrassed now by what she had done, she avoided looking at Kyle as she fastened the buttons at her bodice with shaking hands.
    “I will pay you in the morning,” she murmured, brushing at the damp skirt of her nightdress, trying to wipe off the sand.
    “Keep your money, Miss Markham. It was worth it.” His tone sounded dry and somewhat biting as he came up behind her. “Besides,” he breathed in her ear, “I haven’t yet finished.”
    Somewhat nervously, Selena looked around for her horse. But then Kyle bent to lift her into his arms, and she suddenly found herself clutching desperately at the corded muscles of his shoulders as he cradled her against his naked chest. “What are you doing?” she gasped.
    “What I should have done from the first. Take you to bed.”
    She struggled without success. “Put me down! I demand you release me!”
    “Uh-uh. I don’t like to leave a woman unsatisfied. I have my pride to think about, after all.”
    Selena glared up at him as he strode determinedly along the beach, noting that the slashing dimples had again creased the hard planes of his cheeks. He was finding this amusing! “Captain—” she began with strained patience.
    “I told you to call me Kyle.”
    “Kyle, then. I have no intention of going to bed with you.”
    “Then we’ll talk. I’m just the least bit curious why you were trying to drown yourself.”
    “I was not trying to drown myself! I was merely going for a swim.”
    “Sure. And I’m a mermaid.”
    Selena clenched her teeth. When she saw an imperial row of palms illuminated by moonlight, she realized he was taking her to the Five Islands plantation house. The captain carried her up a flight of steps and across a wide veranda into the house before setting Selena on her feet. She heard the clink of a glass chimney as he lighted a lamp, and when the flame flared to life, she could tell from the book-lined shelves and comfortable leather chairs that she was in the library.
    But it was Kyle Ramsey who