Her Wicked Proposal novel Chapter 24

Cedric caught Anne's lips with his, invading the silken recesses of her mouth, questing for her timid tongue.

Every touch, every stroke, each delicious sensation and taste was all he had in the darkness, but it was glorious. Anne was glorious. Experiencing such passion as this with her was different from anything he'd ever expected. How was it possible that it was better than even his darkest fantasies had promised?

Never enough... Cedric tensed with his own need to come as Anne climaxed beneath him. Caged in by his arms, she shook with the aftermath of the moment and then buried her face in the groove of his neck. The intimate gesture, the silent communication, warmed his entire body with something that had nothing to do with the physical pleasure he'd just experienced.

Her hot breath, coming out in tiny pants, only heightened the pain in his groin. He would have none of his own pleasure, not tonight. But this was progress. He'd achieved the feat of truly pleasuring her, something he was certain no man before him had ever accomplished. There was a primitive sense of satisfaction from knowing that he was her first in that regard.

Cedric eased his weight off her. "Are you all right, my heart?" He could feel her start to pull away, but he caught her waist and tugged her against him as they both sat up.

"I don't know. Is that how... Does it always..." Anne seemed unable to find the right words. He could only imagine the confusion she must have felt at experiencing a climax for the first time. La petite mort could be frightening but also exciting for a young lady who didn't know what to expect, or so he'd been told.

"If done properly, then yes. And I do believe I know what I am doing when it comes to this sort of thing." Cedric wished he could have seen her face. It was the one thing he'd loved most when in bed with a woman. There was something stunning about how a woman's face lit up with ecstasy and joy as she came apart in his arms.

I will never see such joy on Anne's face.

"What if someone had come upon us?" Anne asked, her body stiffening in his loose hold.

"They didn't. And even if they had, we are engaged, and in a week we will be man and wife and it will no longer matter. Besides, no one under this roof would judge us." Cedric brushed his knuckles over her cheek. Anne leaned away from his touch.

That one small action sliced his heart. Would she always pull away from him? He could not marry a woman who fought him at every turn. He wanted, no, he needed someone who would not shy away from his touch. Cedric dropped his hand with a heavy sigh and let go of her waist.

"You should go. I wish to be alone."

Anne didn't move.

"Please leave me," he said more loudly.

"Why?" Her surprise sounded genuine.

"Anne, stop. Your due diligence is appreciated, but you never wanted to be here with me. Just go back to the others. I would hate to further disgust you with my advances." Cedric rose from the settee and turned his back to where he believed her to be. He was still hard and it angered him that he wanted her so much even when he was as upset as this. He desperately wanted to bed a woman who hated his very touch, and touch was the one sense he most relied on now. The irony was almost laughable. Almost. His only advantage was to use her inexperience with passion to overwhelm her.