The Millionaire's Proposal by Janelle Denison Read Free Book Online Page A

grinned, too, stealing her breath with those gorgeous dimples. “I’m trying to be a gentleman, and give you that option to say stop.”
    She didn’t want him to be chivalrous, not when she’d begun to ache deep inside for something more. Following her emotions, she said, “In that case, I’d like it very much if you kissed me.”
    He obliged, taking time and care with her mouth, and slowly pulling her deeper into his embrace. She went willingly, sliding her hands over the hard contours of his chest, surrendering to the heat of his lips. His own palms caressed her leisurely. He cupped her breast gently through the material of her dress, grazed his thumb over the hardened tip, and she moaned at the exquisite pleasure. Sweet, hot desire, unlike any she’d ever known, electrified her body.
    Breaking the escalating kiss, he pressed his lips to her temple, holding her close. “You’re trembling, Grace,” he murmured, his own body taut and restrained, but unmistakably aroused. “Should I take that as a good sign, or bad?”
    She closed her eyes, and considered his question—another chance for her to change her mind. Nothing had ever felt as good or right as this moment. What had begun as tension had blossomed into quivering anticipation, and a need that transcended the mere act of making love. There was an emotional connection still between them, and it pulled at her heartstrings.
    “Oh, it’s a good sign,” she reassured him, a bit of humor lacing her voice. Glancing up, she met his smoky gaze, and remembering her vow to please herself, she catered to the yearning deep within her. “Would you like to go into my bedroom?”
    His breath seemed to leave him in a quiet rush. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
    Silently, she led him to her room, stopping at the side of her four poster bed, covered in the mauve and blue quilt her Mother had made for her when she’d turned sixteen. It was a cherished heirloom, one she’d hoped to pass on to her own daughter one day.
    Refusing to think about lost dreams, she reached for the loosened tie around Ford’s neck and disposed him of it. Her hands went to his shirt, unbuttoning it with sure and steady fingers. Together, they worked to remove their clothing, which became a slow, seductive process of discovery that heightened the hunger and passion spiraling between them.
    Time lost meaning, and the night turned magical. Ford spent an immeasurable amount of time acquainting himself with the womanly changes to her body, worshiping the supple, pliant curves she’d developed with his slow hands and generous mouth. In turn, she reveled in the impressive man he’d become, with well-formed muscles, and sleek, hot skin.
    When he gently laid her on the bed and moved over her, her own flesh caught fire. Brushing her hair from her face, he kissed her, long and lazily. Finally, he lifted his head and stared down at her with eyes filled with a combination of anguish and joy.
    The poignant mixture of emotions made Grace’s breath hitch in her chest.
    “Ahh, Grace, I really have missed you,” he murmured, his voice low and deep and intimate.
    She swallowed back the tightness in her throat and skimmed her fingers along his cheek. “Me, too.”
    His expression softened. A tender smile touched his mouth, relaxing the taut line of his jaw. With one arm bracing his heavy weight above her, his other hand continued to explore, shaping the swell of her breast, stroking over her hip, and finally parting her slender thighs to fit himself more fully against her.
    She sighed, then gasped when his fingers brushed along the juncture of her thighs and dipped more intimately inside her. She arched toward him, moaning softly.
    Her uninhibited response seemed to gratify him. Immensely. But he held his own desire in check, an uncertain frown marring his brow. “I’ve dreamed of this, of you, for so long. I want it to be perfect.”
    The glimpse of vulnerability reminded her of the boy he’d once been and made