Read The Rake for Free Online Page B

he lifted his head
slightly to look into her eyes, she held herself perfectly still,
waiting to see what he would do next.
    He released a sharp exhalation from his
chest as she met his gaze, as if he, too, had been holding his
breath. Something flickered in his eyes, surprise and something
more, something dark, heated. Slipping his hand from her chin to
the base of her skull, he lowered his head once more, pressing his
lips to hers and releasing, and then moving ever so slightly and
molding his lips against hers again, as if seeking the perfect fit.
An intoxicating lethargy swept through Demi at his light caresses,
as his breath mingled with her own. Lifting a hand, she caught a
fistful of his shirt above his pounding heart and moved closer.
    Lightly, he touched the seam where her lips
met with the tip of his tongue. A ripple of surprise went through
Demi, a touch of doubt. She subdued it. Hesitantly, she parted her
lips, not entirely certain that that was what he wanted, but
willing to allow him to do what he would with her. He opened his
mouth over hers then, thrusting his tongue past the lax barrier of
her lips and teeth and raking it along her own. A jolt went through
her at the unaccustomed contact that was part surprise and part
something else she couldn’t begin to define. Like the spirits she’d
drank from the flask, it sent a wave of dizziness through her and
created a warm, melting sensation inside of her, evoking a frantic
rhythm from her heart. Briefly, she wavered between fear of the
unknown and the desire to see where he would lead her. Desire won
out, and she relaxed against him, savoring his possession,
submerging herself completely in the unaccustomed sensations
creating havoc within her as he explored her mouth thoroughly,
caressing her in a way she would never have imagined allowing any
man, let alone wanting.
    She did want it, though. The sensations
enthralled her as much as they confused her and when he began to
withdraw, she leaned closer, thrusting her tongue into his mouth to
explore as he had explored hers. A shudder went through him, but
before she could retreat in her uncertainty over his reaction to
her boldness, he closed his mouth around her tongue and sucked. It
sent a hard jolt of fire through her veins, draining the strength
from her so that she felt weak all over.
    Abruptly, he broke the kiss. Disappointment
instantly flooded her. With an effort, she lifted her lids to look
up at him reproachfully. He stared back at her for a long moment,
his face taut, unyielding. Finally, he tucked her head against his
shoulder, stroking a shaking hand along her shoulder and down her
arm. “Don’t look at me like that,” he said hoarsely, “unless you’re
of a mind to have your skirts tossed over your head.”
    She stiffened. After a moment, she pulled
away from him, trying to sort through her chaotic feelings. She
knew very well that she should have been outraged at the comment.
Somehow, though, she was more intrigued by it than insulted.
    He released her, scrubbed a hand over his
face and shifted uncomfortably, straightening one leg. She looked
him over curiously. “You have a muscle cramp?”
    The question startled a chuckle out of him.
He turned and studied her a long moment. Finally, he took her hand
and, watching her face, pressed her open hand against his lower
belly, sliding her palm over a long, hard ridge of flesh that she
hadn’t noticed before. Comprehension dawned almost instantaneously,
however. She’d spent much of her life in the country, certainly
enough to have a fairly firm grasp of the concept of mating between
animals. She just hadn’t, previously, considered there might be a
similarity between humans and animals. “Oh.” She felt her face
redden and jerked her hand back.
    Settling back, she stared down at her hand
in the deepening twilight. She could still feel the impression
along her palm, the heat of it, a faint pulsing of life. Her belly
clenched as she stared at her