.

teasingly against hers.

      Sebastian felt the leap of his body and the hardening of his thighs as Juliet’s tongue began a sensuous duel with his. Moving enticingly forward, before retreating, tempting him deeper still. Her warm curves pressed against him were driving him wild with desire, and he could hold back no longer as he thrust fully inside her mouth, to possess her with his tongue.

      It was not enough. It would never be enough with this particular woman. Sebastian wanted all of her. Wanted every part of her to be his!

      Even as his mouth continued to claim hers, he slipped the thin ribbon straps from her shoulders and down her arms, moving slightly to let the material fall down to her waist before he pulled her back against him, crushing her bared breasts against his chest. Such softness. Such warm, tempting softness. A softness Sebastian had so longed to touch, to kiss.

      He moved one of his hands to cup beneath one of those gentle slopes, testing the weight of her breast against his palm, able to feel if not see the pout of her nipple. Knowing even as he ran the pad of his thumb against that pouting softness and felt it harden that he had to have it in his mouth so that he might pleasure her with his tongue.

      Juliet felt bereft when Sebastian pulled his mouth from hers to look down at her with eyes of dark honey-gold that seemed to be asking her a question.

      ‘Do not stop, Sebastian,’ she pleaded huskily. ‘Please, do not stop!’

      Whatever question had been in his eyes, she appeared to have answered it, and his gaze continued to hold hers as he lowered his head to place his caressing lips against the gentle curve between her neck and shoulder. Those lips were feather light as they moved lower. And then lower still.

      Juliet gasped, her nails digging into his shoulders as she realised his destination. ‘Sebastian …?’

      ‘Let me, Juliet.’ He raised his head to take one of her hands in his and kiss the palm, before placing it down on the bed beside her and then doing the same with its twin. ‘I promise I will not hurt you.’ His eyes looked intently into hers. ‘I will never hurt you. Do you believe me?’

      She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue, her eyes wide and apprehensive as she reached to clutch and pull the material of her nightgown up over the bareness of her breasts. ‘What—what are you going to do?’

      ‘Nothing you will not enjoy, I promise.’ He made no effort to touch her, to use physical coercion of any kind. ‘Do you trust me not to hurt you, Juliet?’

      Did she trust him? If she said no would he stop now? If she said no at some later point would he still stop?

      Sebastian could read the thoughts racing through Juliet’s mind. Could read them—and wanted to do physical harm to the man who had caused such apprehension inside her. Sebastian was convinced now that it had to have been Crestwood. Even Bancroft, suspicious and accusing, had agreed there had been no other man in Juliet’s life this last twelve years but her husband.

      Damn Bancroft! Now was not the time to think of either the man or any of the things he had said to Sebastian this morning.

      His hands moved up to gently frame either side of Juliet’s face.

      ‘Tonight is for you, Juliet. Only for you.’

      Much as it might kill him, Sebastian meant to give this woman pleasure—as much pleasure as she could take—whilst taking nothing for himself but the knowledge of that pleasure. Whatever will-power it took, whatever he suffered later, Sebastian was determined to replace that look of fear on Juliet’s face, in the dark green depths of her eyes, with one of joy.

      ‘Juliet …?’ he prompted gruffly.

      Juliet remained unmoving, not even breathing as she looked at him. Her gaze was seeking. Probing. Searching, no doubt, for any sign in his expression that said he lied. Sebastian’s gaze remained fixed and steady on hers.