Surprising him, she latched onto his hips with her hands, and forced him back down to her. Just touching her center again, and he was nearly insane with need, almost all his blood rushing between his legs. Thank G.o.d for one small droplet still in his brain. He drew back, scowling at the wee temptress.

"You-you-" His voice cracked with strain. He had to wipe his forehead as sweat suddenly appeared, thanks to holding back from what he wanted so badly. "I can stand firm against your temptation forever." Again, his voice cracked and gave away his weakened stance, but he had to have an answer. "You can't play your tricks against me."

Her giggle was low and sultry. "I don't think I can hold out forever, so you have me there."

"Oh, thank G.o.d, for I really couldn't...wait! You still haven't answered me!"

Her smile widened and this time she placed both her hands on his cheeks. He felt his stubble catch on her soft palms.

"I have to shave again."

She shook her head. "I like it. Being my husband, can I force you to grow a beard for me?"

"Truly? You'd want me to grow out my beard?"

She nodded while still caressing his cheeks. "I have a weird ZZ Top thing."

"Pardon? Is that a disease from the future?"

She giggled rather loudly. "It probably should be, but, no, I'm disease free."

He smiled. "Are you relenting? Is your request for a beard a yes?"

Solemnly, she nodded. "If you really want me William Hill, then I will be yours, my mind, my heart, and my body will be yours."

He frantically kissed her then. "G.o.d, yes, I really want you, and I will be yours, Minerva Ferguson, my mind" -he kissed her again on her forehead- "my heart" -this time he kissed her over her heart. He moved back to hover over her, watching as he lowered his hips. Her lovely blonde b.u.t.terflies fluttered shut momentarily when his hardness met her hot center, and he smiled. "My body is yours, all yours."

When she opened her eyes again, she beamed up at him as she clutched onto his derriere. "Good," she whispered. "Will?"

"Yes, my darling?"

"I think it's time to rip me out of my clothes now."

"Okay."

Chapter 22.

Instead, Will kissed her again. This time he seemed to be hesitant, and Erva was almost out of her mind from her desire, from wanting him to tear off her clothes. His erection placed against her made her rock against him. She realized he was trying to be tender and sweet, but already her body remembered everything he'd done last night, and that wouldn't be enough now.

She wasn't too sure if months of making love would be enough though. Suddenly, she thought of honeymoons, of night after night-and the days too-of making love, because she wasn't too sure if she would ever get her fill of him.

Devilishly, she slid her tongue in his mouth while she swayed into him, her hands clutching his backside. G.o.d, the man had a really nice a.s.s. Just the thought of it, in her hands, so close, made her delirious. She'd never wanted anyone more. Never.

"Erva," he whispered.

She kissed and licked down his neck, making him groan and stop breathing. Anchoring his hands around her shoulders, he moved his hips against her.

"Will," she achingly whispered.

He ground against her again, and she ripped his golden frog b.u.t.tons in the front of his red coat apart. Stopping suddenly, he looked down his body.

"I'm sorry. Was the uniform expensive?" she asked.

He looked back up at her, while she tore through his shirt, but his blue waistcoat was in her way and stopped the tearing of his clothing. He started to chuckle. "You seem very sorry, indeed."

She smiled then lunged for his perfect dusty rose lips. When his tongue was in her mouth, she sucked, making him growl. He tried to shrug out of his coat and shirt, but nothing was coming off easily, especially past his wide shoulders. She already envisioned holding onto them while he rocked into her. The image was so intense and her body imagined him filling her so completely that she suddenly shuddered.

"I want you so much," she said breathily.

"I can't undress myself to save my life right now."

She giggled, especially as he adorably struggled with his coat and shirt. "Let me."

He looked down at her with a smile, then swiftly rolled both of them so he lay under her. But then he frowned. "Good Lord, Erva, what on earth was I thinking? I wasn't, that's what. We can't do this on the floor."

She found better balance by placing one hand on his iron-like chest. With her other hand, she gripped one side of his waistcoat and pulled with all her might. Cloth b.u.t.tons popped every direction. With the waistcoat shredded, she sat up more on his hardness, then pulled apart his white linen shirt.

Feeling as gleeful as a little girl in a candy shop, she nearly giggled as she let her fingers slide down his pectoral muscles and the ridges of his stomach. "You're so amazing."

He might have said something, but it came out garbled and nonsensical. Huffing, he shook his head. "You are," seemed to be the best he could say. Gently, he held onto her hips as he ground against her.

She had to close her eyes, because the way his length pressed into her, the way he made her feel, that the awkwardness of their first time was treasured and dear, was enough to make her think her o.r.g.a.s.m might be soon. That was new. Usually her climax took quite a while to, ahem, come to fruition. If she came at all, that was. But this-the careful way he touched her, the way he stared into her eyes as if she were a rare beauty, the way he seemed almost shy, but desired her more than his timidity-all of it combined made her realize she just might be one of those women she'd read about, multi-o.r.g.a.s.mic! And neither of them was even undressed. Well, she'd ripped his clothes enough to reveal his wide chest, a spattering of dark hair across it.

He suddenly sat up and kissed her tenderly. "We can't do this on the floor, darling."

Surprising her, he picked her up from their odd position. It took a few seconds, but somehow he managed to stand with her wrapped around his hips.

"I'm impressed," she said, wondering about his thigh strength to pull off such a feat.

He noiselessly chuckled as he walked closer to her four-post bed she hadn't slept in the night before. Then he froze. The smile on his face was gone, and he swallowed rather loudly. He blinked as he looked down at her, his face growing tense.

"What is it?" she asked, as she unwound her legs and stood in front of him.

"What if-I-what if I'm bad at..." He shook his head. "Lord, I haven't done this sort of thing in so long, and I want to make you so happy."

"You made me very happy last night."

"Happy enough to make you leave me." His face grew dark, and for a moment she thought she saw what he might have looked like as a boy, afraid people he loved would disappear.

She caressed one of his cheeks with her palm. "That wasn't you, honey, that was me. I was scared."

"Are you scared of me?"

She shook her head. "I never thought there could be a man in this world like you. You are so caring and considerate and kind, but also brilliant, and" -she gave him a leering smile- "so handsome. You make my legs weak when I look at you. I thought that kind of reaction was just silly and fict.i.tious. But now I know it's real. You're real. And, yes, I'm scared of that, because I dreamed of you for so long. I missed you before I knew you." She looked down for a beat, her heart stretching and becoming warmer that it ever had before. Feeling light and exuberant gave her the courage to say what needed to be said, "I'm scared, because...I've never loved anyone like this before, so completely. And we've only spent a few days together."

He held her hands and placed them over his heart. "Just think of how happy we'll be after a few years."

Tears came to her eyes again, but she batted them away as she smiled and nodded. And oddly, as if she knew her future, she knew she would only get happier and happier with Will. So when the muses came for her, she'd simply explain her heart, and they'd leave her with him. She hoped.

At that second, though, she didn't want to think of the muses, because when she did, she feared that in two days' time, Will was going to die. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she lifted up on her toes and kissed him. Pressing her lips and body against his made the thoughts of his death blur, and when he slid his hands down to her rear and pulled her up against his erection, the thoughts diminished into a wisp of smoke, then evaporated.

"Will you tell me what you want me to do? What makes you happy?" he asked.

"As long as you do the same."

He kissed down her neck. "Should I get scissors this time?"

She arched her back to bow with his body, loving when he talked, his deep voice tickling her interiorly. "I dressed myself with pins today."

"Ah," she heard him say as he kissed along her collarbone.

Her dress suddenly felt looser around the bust. Briefly glancing down, she noticed Will taking out her pins, one by one around her stomacher. He kept them in the palm of his other hand, then carefully placed them on a nearby table. As if knowing her mind and his intentions, her dress slid down and caught at her wrists. Easily enough she shook herself out of it, smiling at Will as he studied her petticoats.

"Perhaps tearing off your clothes would be faster."

"Yes, please."

He glanced into her eyes and smiled down at her. "Does my lady like her clothes being ripped off, as if I'm some brute about to devour her?"

His words mixed with the remembrance of what he'd done last night made her tremble in antic.i.p.ation. She liked it when he was raw with desire for her, unhinged, and unpolished. Slowly, she nodded.

He lunged for her, kissing her lips in a firm embrace, simultaneously his hands scrambled at her petticoats and one by one tore them from her. Then her stays burst from her body, and she loved the way he growled as he cupped her b.r.e.a.s.t.s through her shift.

"Oh." She could only respond.

He growled again, rolling both his thumbs over her nipples. Swaying into his touch, Erva felt her body escalate with fire. She could hardly touch him enough. Sweeping her hands over his wide shoulders, she couldn't comprehend how he was so big, so muscular, so hers. Taking her shift with both his hands, he tore it in a wholly satisfying noise that resonated within her body.

Feeling as if the shift were her last ounce of cynicism, she let it flutter to the floor in shreds. He bent and hurriedly unlaced her shoes, then looked up at her as he knelt before her. His smile could have melted a glacier. He glided his fingertips to her knee, lifted it, and flung one of her shoes over his shoulder. Placing her foot down, he did the same trick with her other shoe, but instead of letting her foot back to the ground, he gave her another wicked grin, then lifted her knee over his shoulder while he leaned forward and licked her c.l.i.toris.

Breathing became unbearable as he leaned forward again and slid his tongue over the center of her desire. He wrapped his hands around her hips, helping steady her on her one leg, while he proceeded to continue licking her until she gripped his hair with her hands.

"Sorry." She panted. "Did I hurt you?"

He shook his head as he chuckled against her s.e.x. And she thought when he'd talked against her neck had been erotic. G.o.d, when he quietly laughed like that, it nearly brought her over the brink. Almost too slowly, he untied the black ribbon in his hair, all the while looking up at her. Achingly, he leaned forward again, and began where he'd left off. Only this time, he seemed intent to make her come undone. His tongue was quicker and he kept applying the perfect amount of pressure.

Almost there, she broke free from his tongue and his hold on her.

"That's it," she said in a weak whisper.

He looked confused and stood quickly. Before he could ask, she pounced on him, feeling like a tigress attacking her prey. She tore at what she'd tried to rip off and decisively succeeded. Finally clear of the coats and shirt he'd worn, he chuckled again, but then stopped when she found one of his flat nipples with her mouth and sucked the small pebble.

"Oh." He sounded surprised, but when she looked up, his face had grown from wickedly mischievous to as desperate as she felt.

She lightly pinched his other nipple, wondering if any woman had ever done this for him. He had looked so shocked, it made her think so. Something about touching him in a new way, at least new to him, made her feel heavenly within her own body. Already she was drenched, her s.e.x hot and liquid for him, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s aching for every touch he would give them, her skin so sensitive it seemed about to burst. G.o.d, this felt so good.

Reaching down, she carefully rubbed his erection through his breeches. He m.u.f.fled a sound into her hair, as his hands found her arms and held her still.

She looked up. "Please," was all she could think to ask.

He huffed, but his grip loosened. His eyelids closed and he arched his head back as she felt the length of him down then up, then all over again. Swallowing, he slowly gazed down at her.

"Please," he whispered.

She found the external b.u.t.tons of his breeches, then the internal ones too. But it wasn't exactly easy work. The internal b.u.t.tons seemed h.e.l.l bent to stop her. With a huff, she thought about giving up and tearing through the cloth, but was afraid she'd somehow hurt him if she were too hurried. So she continued, and finally slid his breeches down, only to find another pair of something like boxers.

"I'm going to tear these off," she said.

"I'll just-mayhap I'll take them off myself."

She chuckled as he unlaced a tie, but then stopped when he held onto his undergarment. Looking up, she caught him grimacing.

"I'll take off my boots too."

She thought of doing something like he'd done for her, but too late he kicked off his black boots, tore free from his white hose, and stood as his last piece of clothing was removed too. He looked at her as if worried.

Erva had never seen a more beautiful man. He was so broad, powerful, and his skin seemed golden and radiant, like a painting. Her mouth watered, but then dried. And she couldn't help but reach out for his hardness, pointed right at her. Wrapping her fingers around him, he stopped breathing. She shifted closer, until she felt his jawline on top of her head. Keeping enough room between them to stroke him, she let her other hand explore his big body. He was plains of muscular strength with small valleys to distinguish between each muscle.

Very gently he feathered her hips with his fingertips, as he groaned and bucked into her hand. She took a step back and looked up into his eyes. His jaw line kicked, but he tried to grin for her. And she loved it. She released him long enough to take him by the shoulders and guide him to fall back onto the bed, then climbed up, straddling his taut body. Thinking that soon she would feel him inside her made her shake all the more, but she placed her hands on his chest and sat on him until she could feel his erection against her.

He closed his eyes and moaned.

She smiled as she glided up his hardness, watching the tendons in his neck pop out. Sliding down again, she shuddered as the head of his p.e.n.i.s rubbed against her c.l.i.toris. She did it over and over again, until he opened his eyes and clutched his hands around her hips. She was torturing him, but it was sweet agony for her too. He smiled and stopped her. She thought he would take control, finally push himself inside her, but his grin waned.

"Lord, you're beautiful, Erva."

"So are you."

"I'm glad I told you before, for I'm going to say it repeatedly in the next few moments, but I love you. I love you so much."

She would have never thought her heart could expand more, but it did. In poured intense warmth and light, and she'd never felt more lovely in all her life. Leaning down she kissed him, at the same time she tilted her body just so, letting him enter her.

"I love you, my darling," he said against her lips.

"I love you."

She slid down his shaft, feeling him stretch her, fill her. His breath caught, and he held her still with his hands. Their mouths met yet were still as they felt each other's body. For a long moment, Erva remained motionless. Nothing had ever felt this good before. There was nothing to compare this to, and that thought alone shocked her, making her realize that she truly did love him.

Taking her time, she slowly lifted enough to feel him move inside her. Then, she descended. He kissed her. His tongue slid into her mouth, exploring and at the same time devouring her control. She found a rhythm and soon she couldn't go fast enough for what she wanted. Reaching up, he cupped one of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, caressing, then rolling over her nipple. It only added more fuel to the fire.

s.e.x before Will had been a performance. It had been about trying to make the man Erva had thought she'd loved, love her in return. She hadn't meant it to be manipulative, but it hadn't been about her own needs and desires. Maybe that was why she'd never felt as good as she did now. Uninhibited, she found her rhythm escalate and escalate. After kissing him longingly, she sat up, balancing against his strong chest. She felt beautiful and graceful, and reached for her own hair, feeling the soft waves roll over her shoulders and bounce around her. Will smiled and fisted her tresses, forcing her back down to kiss him. It was a long kiss, and she couldn't help but pull away again, sitting up on him. Her body was beginning to demand attention to one area, one need.

As if he knew, he placed his hand low against his stomach and rubbed her c.l.i.toris with his fingers. Her body reacted immediately and tensed, yet her hips kept moving of their own accord. He accelerated.