With deft fingers, Alex undid the buttons at his trousers and let the material travel down his hard thighs. His erection sprang forward, the tip of that thickened bulb glistening with moisture. The sheer size of him should have frightened her. At the least made her nervous. Instead, she only felt the intense need to finally have him completely.
Utterly naked, he started toward her. Alex had nothing to be ashamed of; Alex was honorable, he was beautiful, he was completely comfortable with his own body. She, on the other hand, had the sudden urge to dig a hole in the sand and hide. The muscles under his skin stretched and flexed as he stalked toward her, a complete work of art. She could merely wait for him, refusing to give into the desire to hide.
“You will live here with me forever, say you will, Gracie.”
The vulnerable emotion within his gaze was almost her undoing.
“I will,” she replied immediately.
He didn’t pause until he was a breath away, so close his body’s heat whispered seductively around her. So close, she felt his hard erection pulse against her lower belly. The evening breeze caressed his hair, the setting sun sending warm, golden rays across his face. Grace couldn’t look away. She wanted to touch him, everywhere. To hold him close. To tell him she cared.
Alex reached out, sliding his fingers under the ribbon-thin straps of her shift. Without pause he slowly trailed the material down her arms. Embarrassment and desire mixed in a heated flush that spread throughout her body. Even though the hills were overgrown, anyone could happen upon them. Dare she allow him to undress her completely?
The shift moved lower, past her breasts, brushing over her hardened nipples. The ache between her thighs tightened. Lower still the shift traveled, only to pause at her hips. He left the material there and settled his hands into the curve at her waist. His touch branded her, burned her flesh, until she felt him all the way to her bones. She couldn’t stop him. Didn’t want to stop him.
His warm hands traveled up her body, over her ribcage to the area underneath her breasts. His movements were unhurried, his hands trembling with what could only be desire. Grace held her breath, willing him to move higher. As if knowing her need, he traced his fingers up over the soft mounds to cup her breasts. But he wasn’t done with his torture. No. Softly, his thumbs flicked over the hardened nipples. Grace shivered.
“You are rather perfect, you know,” he whispered.
She knew it wasn’t true, but she believed him in that moment. And she believed that he meant the words. Waves licked at her feet, the water cold, yet her body so bloody hot. She must touch him, felt as if she would die if she didn’t.
Eagerly, Grace lifted up on tiptoes and pressed her body to his, her breasts cushioned to his hard chest, his erection pressed to her lower belly. Her only barrier was the thin, linen shift the prevented them from touching completely. “I…I love you, Alex.”
He stiffened, apparently stunned by her admittance. But the surprised look in his gaze fled and the emotion there brought tears to her eyes. Vulnerability. Need. Affection. Grace leaned forward, her mouth just hovering against his. “I need you, Alex. I want you.”
Alex growled low in his throat and lifted her into his arms. Grace instinctively curled against him, resting her head on his shoulder. Her body practically hummed with pleasure… with a knowing of what was to come.
Grace pressed her lips to his neck, breathing in his scent. “Do you want me?”
“Of course I do,” he whispered, his voice catching with an emotion that made her weak.
He dropped to his knees, laying her gently upon the blanket. How beautiful he was, with the backdrop of blue skies that matched his eyes. His hands found her shift, pulling it down, over her hips, the material erotic against her skin. Lower still, until he pulled the shift free from her body. She was naked. Utterly naked.
His hand moved over the curve of her hip. “How perfectly lovely you are.”
As if she was a work of art, Alex lovingly smoothed his hands up her long legs, over the curve of her hips. There, he paused, slipping his hands underneath her so he cupped her lush bottom.
“I had no idea,” she whispered. “How incredibly wonderful a simple touch could feel.”
He grinned. “Only a touch from the right person.”
So very true. How could she ever have thought about marrying Rodrick? Alex’s hands tightened on her bottom, bringing her closer to his body and Grace forgot all about Rodrick and her former life.
She bit her lower lip as aching need pooled low in her belly. Nudging his knee between her thighs, Alex finally stretched his lean body atop hers, warm and heavy. His cock pulsed against the curls hiding her femininity. Grace moaned, lifting her hips, urging him closer.
“How I dream about you at night, think of nothing other than you during the day.”
Her body instantly responded to his words of love. Responded to the friction. No barrier, only skin upon skin. Although she should have felt trapped by the weight of his form, his heat and nearness soaked into her muscles and relaxed her very being.
“I was dead inside before I met you, Gracie.”
His velvet tongue slipped between her lips, delving into her mouth with a punishing kiss that left her breathless and wanting more. More of Alex. All of him. When he pulled away, trailing kisses across her jawline, lower to her neck, she could take it no longer.
“Now, Alex, please.”
Instead of taking her completely, he pressed his mouth to hers, his tongue slipping between her lips once more. How she wanted to touch him! Her hands moved over his broad shoulders, down his arm where her fingers curled into his bulging biceps. He was so damn strong, yet so gentle with her.
Alex’s hand moved to her right thigh, sliding over the silky smooth skin. Grace moaned, shifting her legs further apart. As his hand moved to those soft curls at the junction of her thighs, her need flared with a desire so intense, she thought she might die.
“Please, Alex,” she said, unsure of what she was asking for.
Ever so gently, his finger moved through the curls, lower, between her wet folds.
“I’m trying, Grace, so very hard to go slow.”
“Don’t. I’ve waited too long.” She lifted her head, drawing her tongue up his neck and tasting his salty skin. Alex sucked in a sharp breath, his body trembling. Just when she thought she held all the power, he touched the sensitive bud between her folds. Grace gasped, arching her back as pleasure rippled through her very being.
“Are you sure?” he asked, his breath warm against her ear. “Are you sure you want this?”
How could he ask her now, when she was swimming in a sea of such pleasure, she thought she might drown. “Yes, oh, yes.”
His fingers parted her folds and the rest of her response got lost. Although he had never whispered words of love, it didn’t matter. He showed her that he cared with his gentle touch.
Alex nuzzled the side of his face against her neck, the scruff on his cheek erotically against her sensitive skin. “Do you want me, Gracie?”
“So very much,” she managed.
His finger entered her, slipping into her tight passage. Grace gasped, arching her back and lifting her hips to take him deeper. But it wasn’t enough, never enough. Alex wasn’t done tormenting her. He lowered his head to her neck, pressing gentle kisses to the skin. Lower still he traveled, his warm lips at her collarbone.
Grace squirmed, restless. Just when she thought she’d die from want, she felt his warm breath on her nipple. Grace’s fingernails pierced the skin of his back, a desperate moan of pleasure and need slipping from her lips. She hadn’t known, never could have guessed how wonderful he would feel. His tongue wrapped around the hard bud, drawing the peak into his mouth until pleasure shot from her breasts and down to her womb. The cool, ocean breeze provided start contrast to the heat raging within.
“Alex, please. No more! I need you now.”
He shifted, positioning his erection between her legs. That smooth cock, a
s velvety as that rose petal she’d touched earlier, slid seductively between her folds. A shiver of desire shook her very soul. She felt the damp tip of his erection, nudging inside of her and let her thighs fall open, wanting all of him.
“How long I’ve wanted this.” Sweat dampened his brow, his jaw clenched with a fierce determination that should have frightened her, yet only made her want him all the more. “How I’ve needed you, Grace. How I’ve wanted you forever.” Alex lifted his hips and thrust into her.
Pleasure mixed with pain…a stinging sensation that gave her pause and made her toes curl. She was no longer a virgin. An odd mixture of feelings swept through her bodies, shock and awe, need, desire, yet no regret. Never. His body was heavy, so heavy. He surrounded her, inside and out, completely fully.
“It will fade,” he whispered, kissing her gently. “The pain.”
But already the stinging sensation was lessening and when he shifted ever so slightly, that deep, aching need swept through her body once more, there, always there, lurking, waiting.
Alex brushed his lips across her brow, his hands offering only comfort as he stroked her hair. “I don’t want to hurt you.” Braced on his elbows, he stared down at her as if attempting to read her soul.
“Then take me, all of me,” she urged.
He lifted his hips slower, more gently this time. As he pulled from her, his cock receding, that aching need flared to life. Grace tightened her arms around him, squeezing her thighs to hold him close. “Don’t leave me.”
“Never.” He thrust into her again. This time when he moved, she lifted her hips, meeting him, taking him as deeply as she could. Alex closed his eyes, groaning. His reaction emboldened her. “Blast, but you’ll be the death of me.”
“A wonderful death it will be,” she said with a cheeky grin.
He found no amusement in her jest. His eyes had grown dark, full of a desire so intense that a shudder swept through her body. Grace’s smile wavered, her breath catching. He looked at her as if he owned her, and perhaps he did. She belonged to him, body, heart and soul. But did he belong to her as well?
“I adore you,” he whispered as he lifted his hips and thrust into her again.
As he rocked against her, with each thrust he sent her spiraling higher…higher, toward that ultimate reward. Grace wrapped her legs around his calves, clinging to the man as if her life depended upon it. As her body grew desperate, her emotions got the better of her.
“Show me you care,” she whispered.
Alex, as if sensing the desperateness of her feelings, paused, those beautiful blue eyes softening. He slipped his finger under her chin, tilting her head back and pressed his mouth to hers in a devastating kiss. Grace moaned, meeting his tongue thrust for thrust.
Desire shot to her core, swirling down between her legs once more. She wanted to get closer, wanted to move, wanted the ache to ease, wanted to crawl completely inside of him. She shifted her hips, taking him deeper.
“Come for me, Gracie.”
The ache inside her intensified, coiling tightly. Stars were there, just out of reach. Brilliant, achingly beautiful stars.
“Alex,” she whispered his name.
He lifted his hips, surging into her again, and again. His hard body rocked against her, pushing her into the sand, sending her toward those stars.
Just when she thought she could take it no longer, Grace burst forward upon a wave of pleasure so intense, her entire world faded. White stars danced behind her eyelids as she floated, floated in a world she never wanted to leave. It wasn’t what she’d expected. It was more, so much more.
Vaguely she heard Alex groan, felt his body shudder as his wet seed burst into her womb and Grace trembled all over again. He collapsed atop her, his hard body sleek with sweat and bringing her back into reality.
But Grace was happy to be back on earth, if it meant she could touch him, kiss him, taste him. She swept her hands down his back, pausing near his bottom and cupping the tight mounds. When she pulled him closer, Alex sucked in a sharp breath.
“You’ll kill me,” he rasped.
She couldn’t quite help herself. Giddy with a happiness that could barely be contained, she moved her hands up his muscled back. His scent was on her skin, branding her. He was hers finally, completely.
“We shouldn’t have done that here.” He lifted just enough to rest upon his elbows and kiss her forehead. “What would the neighbors think should they happen upon us.”
There was no seriousness to his tone. Grace giggled. “Tis the perfect place. Our own spot of heaven.”
She felt as if she had just experienced perfection. Perhaps this was heaven. She slid her fingers through the soft curls at his temple, shaking loose the bits of sand that had found their way into the shiny locks.
He grinned down at her, those dimples flashing. “Do you know how lovely you look with the glow of the setting sun kissing your skin?” His hand trailed down the side of her face, his fingers outlining every feature as if trying to memorize the details. “You’ve exhausted me. You’ve brought me back to life only to kill me here. But oh what a way to die.”
“And tonight,” she whispered. “We shall bring you back to life once more, this time in your new home.”
“Our new home,” he said, kissing her gently.
Grace grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him much like the tiny pieces of sand clung to her arms and legs. The gritty texture didn’t bother her in the least. Not even the thought of being seen in such a compromising position by the neighbors made her stir.
She was content here with Alex…her life…her love.
Nothing could be more perfect.
Chapter 21
Nothing could be worse.
For three days it rained. Dreary, cold weather that left them huddled in the house, wishing for coal and a hearth that was cleaned. Alex supposed some would have found their banishment romantic, and there was nothing more Alex would have liked than to be ensconced in a cottage with Grace… if he hadn’t been so bloody worried about the treasure.
Truth was, the more time he spent with Grace, the more his feelings grew, spreading through his body, seeping into his heart…his soul. The first night Alex had made love to Grace in a sweet and slow manner that left them both trembling and vulnerable. She’d snuck into his heart and he knew he never wanted her to leave. Much to his relief and dismay, she’d told him she loved him once more, and then had promptly fallen asleep, curled like a kitten against the side of his body. He’d gone to bed with dreams of a future, hope for a new life and fear that it would be taken away.
But by morning, when they’d awoken to rain dripping from a hole in the ceiling and soaking their pathetic bed, his hope was fading, swept away on the cool breeze that seeped through the cracks in the walls. First he worried the cottage would fall down upon their very heads. Then he worried that between the cool air and rain, Grace would get sick.
She’d insisted she was quite hardy and had gone about the day, helping him search the house as if they were on a grand adventure. And for a while… he’d managed to forget his despair and worry. For awhile, she’d managed to make him believe.
But after three days of searching the house for a mythical treasure, the situation was growing rather dire.
Grace, the wonderful, blasted woman didn’t know when to give up. She knew as well as he that he couldn’t support her, her mother and sister without that treasure, but he sure as hell would die trying. Even now she was trudging through the weed-ridden front garden, studying the house and searching for something odd that might indicate a secret hiding place.
His shirt sleeves rolled to his elbows, trousers covered in dust, Alex leaned against the door jamb, merely content watching her. The way her hips swayed when she paced. Her brows drawn together in concentration. Locks of hair had come loose and floated on the late afternoon breeze. She was so devoted to finding that bloody treasure, she didn’t notice he stood there. Grace wouldn’t give up,
ever. He admired her for that. Respected her, even. Yet, there was a time when one needed to accept reality.
Impatiently, she brushed back a lock of hair and nibbled on her lower lip. The brown dress she wore had a smudge of dirt on the skirt and the hem had torn as they’d searched the gardens. Beautiful, always beautiful, but damn it all, she didn’t deserve this life. Alex’s heart clenched painfully, the emotions so intense, he was forced to look away. He wanted to build her a bloody castle. Dress her in silks. Drape her in jewels.
“Perhaps I shall go to town to look for work tomorrow,” his voice came out unnaturally gruff.
Grace paused between a red rose bush and a patch of wild daisies. Her horrified gaze flashed toward him, her every emotion in her hazel eyes. “No, Alex! You will not work in the mines! It’s too dangerous.”
He stepped off the stoop and started toward her, cursing every weed that wrapped around his boots, preventing him from reaching her more quickly. “Gracie.” He cupped the sides of her face, breathing in her warm, vanilla scent and taking comfort in her presence. “Merely until we can save enough money.” But they both knew that wasn’t true. He’d never have enough.
She stepped back, away from his touch, shaking her head so furiously fast another lock came loose, falling charmingly against her right cheek. “Not yet. I feel it. Today we’ll find the treasure.”
But what if they didn’t? Surely it was better to be realistic, instead of clinging to some ridiculous fantasy. “Grace—”
“We will find it,” Grace assured him, her voice coming out a little harder than normal. There was a frantic gleam in her eyes. A gleam that saddened him, that touched his heart, his soul. He didn’t dare destroy her hope.
“Right.” He gave her a tight smile as a low rumble of thunder shook the skies. Another storm was coming and their clothing had barely had time to dry from the last. “Of course we will.”
But obviously he’d never make a career on the stage. Sighing, she turned away from him and moved toward the path that led to the beach where they’d first made love. “We will find it, Alex. We will.”