She climbed to her bedroom, brushed her teeth, and undressed. Button by button, she removed her blouse and then shimmied out of her pants. When she had stripped down to only a black bra and matching silk thong, she glanced around the room at the dime-store art. Regrettably, Henry’s reproduction would have a similar value. How awful to lose not only a valuable piece of art, but a precious family heirloom.
Poor Henry. He was trying to do the right thing by protecting battered women and their children. He was a good man. It had been a long time since she’d met one of those. She should have gone with him when he’d asked. Not because she owed him, but because she wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anything in her life. Perhaps it wasn’t too late.
Still dressed only in her underwear, she wandered down one hall and then another to find him. Opening a few doors in search of his room, she located her destination behind the fifth or sixth door. A large cave of a bedroom. With only the hall lights illuminating the interior, Alex crept into the room with caution. She bumped into a large dresser. Her hands rubbed over the intricate carvings and smooth marble top. The shadows in the room came into focus as her eyes adapted to the light. She looked down at the dresser she’d caressed only a moment before. This baby was a Louis XVI–style gilt-bronze-mounted marquetry inlaid piece. She wanted to examine it in the daylight. Her mind flashed to Jean-Henri Riesener, the probable designer. A giggle burst out of her. She’d come here to seduce the most magnificent man she’d ever met and had been seduced by a dresser instead.
She stepped with careful footing to the outline of the bed and the lump under the covers.
“Henry?” She shook the mattress.
No answer.
“Henry?” Was he mad at her? Her heart tumbled a bit.
She could wake him, but that seemed rude and inhospitable. Perhaps this wasn’t such a spectacular idea. She sat on the edge of his bed. He wouldn’t care if she slept next to him. He’d invited her to sleep with him, sort of. After sliding under the covers, she tried to sleep, but her side of the bed was too chilly. She moved closer to Henry and his body heat. The indent his weight created in the mattress helped her roll toward him. A large arm reached out and pulled her in further. Realizing that his arm brushed across her skimpy bra, she felt her cheeks heat into a blush. The rest of her burned with a strong sexual hunger that had been stored away behind icy walls. The ice, left over from Luc’s physical and emotional assaults, had melted and now boiled.
His arm tugged her closer until they lay face-to-face. She inhaled the scent of his breath, a sexy Henry smell laced with scotch. He must have gone off for a drink after dinner, after her rejection. The faint glow from the hall provided enough light for her to see two sleepy eyes staring at her. His expression revealed both a desire for her in his bed and a hope that she leave. The ambivalence entranced her.
“Henry?”
“Hmmm?” His voice was low and reassuring.
“I want to thank you for helping me out last night. Not only did you sneak me out of the castle, but you remained a perfect gentleman all evening. I appreciate it.”
“No problem,” he whispered. He continued to stare at her.
He moved closer until their mouths touched. She reveled in the taste of him. His hand caressed her face, slanting her chin closer to him. Their kiss deepened until she was trembling in anticipation. She shifted her entire body toward his and froze.
“You have no clothes on,” she whispered.
He kissed her again, traveling from her mouth to her neck to behind her ear. “I rarely do at night. Except that strange evening when you took off all of your clothes and my trousers remained firmly zipped. And the hotel room.”
“I appreciated that.”
He tightened his grip. “I appreciate this visit more.”
“I’m sorry I’ve been so unpleasant toward you.”
“Already forgiven.” He lifted his hand and caressed the side of her face. “Are you sharing my bed tonight to torture me or seduce me? If you want my opinion, I prefer the latter.”
She did, too. “I don’t know how to seduce you, but if you help me, I’m willing to try.”
Her lips touched his. She felt awkward, but brave.
Henry moaned and pulled back. “Are you sure?”
She kissed him again. “Absolutely sure. But I can’t promise I won’t freak out.”
“We can go as far as you’re comfortable.”
She was starved for this type of intimacy with the well-built guy who had earned her trust and stole her heart. “I feel very comfortable with you tonight.”
Her words seemed to energize him. His mouth covered hers. Connecting to him became her sole goal. She pressed closer. His hand roamed behind her and unclasped her bra. Alex moaned into his mouth. One tug and the bra was history. His head dropped to one of her breasts, the one Luc had branded. His hand continued its travels down her back, across her thigh, and reached between her legs. She froze as a split second of panic caused her to shudder. He started to retreat, but she clasped his hand to hold it in place. If he pulled away, she’d regret it forever. He took the hint and continued. Damn, he knew exactly what he was doing.
“As much as I love your choice of knickers, they’re in the way.” He pulled them down an inch, paused, and then continued until she felt the flimsy fabric drag across her legs and over her feet.
He returned his focus to her breasts, his scruff adding a unique sensation to the experience.
“That tickles,” she cried out, and then dissolved into laughter.
He continued to overwhelm her nipple until she squealed. He lifted his head with a bemused grin. “Should I stop?”
When she didn’t answer, he slipped a finger into the wetness between her thighs. Anxiety hovered in the background while her body appreciated the decadence of a man’s attention on her most sensitive areas. Not for his benefit, but for hers. She thrust her hips toward him, trying to control the location of his fingers.