Wicked Heart (Brazen Bluestockings #1)

Chapter 19: Temptations

A rush of longing made Ivy shift restlessly from one leg to the other. What Sam suggested was so improper. So wicked.

So tempting.

She should run. A proper lady would run. But a proper lady never would have entered a man's room unaccompanied in the first place, so she wasn't so sure she could claim that title. She certainly didn't feel like a proper lady right then. Nor did she want to be one. She wanted to experience whatever Sam offered.

The flickering flames of the candles painted Sam's hair with fire as he watched her quietly, waiting to see how she'd react to his request. Something dark and dangerous burned in his eyes and it was mesmerising, pulling her towards him. It didn't matter that he was leaving. Didn't matter that she was finally going to London for a season. Tonight was theirs.

After another moment of contemplating the wisdom of her choice—or lack thereof—she slid her arms around Sam's shoulders and moved onto his lap. His firm hands helped her pull the skirt of her dress up far enough that she could straddle him. The feeling of his powerful thighs between her legs sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine.

Sam breathed in slowly, his lips slightly parted as his eyes devoured her. The intense scrutiny made her cheeks burn, and she shimmied a little, making him groan as she moved against him.

"You're staring," she whispered, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"How could I not?" He smiled slightly. "I have a beautiful woman on my lap."

His fingers buried in the hair at the back of her head, and a moment later his mouth was on hers, hot and hungry. Heat unfurled inside her as he kissed her with a passion matching her own. Something was different tonight, compared to their earlier kisses, though she couldn't quite put her finger on why. His movements were slower, more deliberate. As if he wanted to savour every moment they had together. She didn't mind, because so did she.

Too engrossed in the excitement of his slow, drugging kisses, she didn't realise he had undone the buttons at the back of her dress until it slid down her arms. His touch chased goosebumps across her skin above the stays until he untied them enough to trail light fingers down her spine. Her breath caught in her throat as he reached the top of her bottom before following the same path back.

Leaning forward, he placed a soft kiss below her ear, sending tingles of awareness throughout her entire body. The feeling intensified when he palmed her breast behind the loose fabric of her dress and stays. It surprised her to discover quite how sensitive she was. When he grazed her nipple with the pad of his thumb, she couldn't hold back a moan.

"It's amazing how well you respond when I touch you," he mumbled against her skin. "I could watch you for hours."

She didn't mind in the least. She loved his touch, but she was too enraptured by the sensations he aroused to answer. But when he pushed her dress and stays down to her waist, releasing her arms and chest from their constraints, she had to fight the immediate urge to cover herself. She'd always worried her bosom was too ample, just as her hips were too wide, but the way Sam's eyes darkened as he took her in made her feel confident in a way she never had before.

When he didn't speak or act for several seconds, she shifted in his lap while her cheeks burned hot.

"Ivy," he breathed. "You're beautiful."

Impossibly, her cheeks burned even hotter at the compliment. It seemed rather unfair that she was this undressed while he still wore most of his clothing. But before she could raise the issue of this injustice, Sam bent his head and licked at her nipple. Shock and excitement coursed through her. She had not even realised this was something that was done. Sam captured her nipple between his lips and sucked, licked, and nibbled until she writhed in his arms with the need to feel him closer. Every lick and nip sent another jolt through her body, converging between her legs.