British Bachelors: Delicious & Dangerous. Kate Hardy

entrance and pushed upwards without preamble her satin heat all but overwhelmed him. He had no choice but to take things slowly or his lovemaking would be over almost as soon as it had begun.

      Any tension Kit might have felt at the thought of properly uniting her body with a man’s after five long years of sexual abstinence quickly disappeared the moment Hal’s hard silken manhood entered her body. It was as though she’d been waiting all this time just for him. Although her feminine muscles might be understandably tight due to her inexperience, Hal’s initial thrust had not been as painful or shockingly invasive as she’d expected. In fact after a brief searing sting his possession hardly made her flinch at all it was so natural. And the fact didn’t detract from the inconceivable pleasure that filled her.

      It was like drowning in a sea of the most exquisite honey. She’d honestly never felt more alive or glad to be a woman as she did right then. And as he drove into her again and again, and she allowed herself to relax completely, she didn’t have the slightest reticence about meeting his voracious hunger with her own, bending her head greedily to kiss the side of his chiselled jaw and forehead and nip the velvet lobe of his ear.

      How was it possible that a man’s body could taste this good or feel so wonderful? she mused. It made her wonder how she’d survived so long without such sublime intimacy and gratification. The heat that filled her made her feel as though her blood was being lit by a fire. A fire whose flames took a sudden fierce hold to lick higher and higher. In fact it grew so hot that when Hal clasped her head between his hands to kiss her more deeply it couldn’t help but ignite sparks and reach a crescendo.

      She already knew she was sensitive to his touch—that had been highlighted by her spontaneous climax when he’d kissed her breasts earlier. Now, as Kit gasped her pleasure into his mouth, the sensation that poured through her was akin to riding a wave whose natural destiny was to join the falls that plunged over a cliff edge into a crystal-clear sun-kissed ocean. It was the most exhilarating ride she had ever experienced, and it was everything she’d dreamed it would be. Her heart had never beaten so hard or so fast with excitement.

      Even as she stilled breathlessly Hal held her tightly against him. Once more his narrow athletic hips rocked against her smooth inner thighs and his rhythmic thrusts grew deeper and more purposeful. The helpless shout he released as his desire reached its peak echoed round the room. Apart from their preoccupied presence the air was almost preternaturally still. Just as if it had been waiting for their breathless sighs of pleasure and satisfaction to fill it.

      Seeing a muscle in the side of her lover’s lean, carved face suddenly flinch, Kit eased herself up, her heartbeat accelerating for an entirely different reason.

      ‘Are you all right? Have I leant too hard on your leg and hurt it? Tell me, Hal...I need to know.’

      Even as she carefully disengaged her body from his and moved to lie next to him he straight away hauled her back against his chest and drove his hands through her hair.

      ‘Stop worrying about me and let me tell you how amazing that was—how utterly delicious and gorgeous you are.’

      ‘It’s my job to be concerned about you, Hal.’

      He raised a lightly mocking eyebrow. ‘Does that mean you wouldn’t worry about me unless you were being paid to?’

      A mortifying wave of heat assailed her. In her mind Kit couldn’t help privately cursing her inability to relax right then and say what she really wanted to say—that she cared for him more than she’d ever cared for anyone before and that it scared her, that she hated the idea of him being in pain and wished that it was somehow in her power to spare him the hurt.

      ‘Of course it doesn’t. When I saw you wince then I was just concerned that we might have put too much strain on your femur and maybe damaged it even more.’

      With a soft chuckle Hal slid his hand beneath her delicate jaw and gazed deeply into her eyes. ‘Don’t you know that what we just did helped me feel the best that I’ve felt in a very long time? I mean it. Not just because it was great sex...and it was...but because you’re a genuinely compassionate and caring woman and I’m so pleased that I’ve met you, Kit.’

      She’d never been remotely easy with receiving compliments and now she found out that it was even harder receiving them from Hal. It was hard because it really mattered to have his good opinion.

      ‘Thank you. It’s very sweet of you to say so.’

      His lips hitched in a rueful grimace. ‘Sweet? I can honestly say that no-one’s ever accused me of being that before.’

      ‘Not even your mother when you were a little boy?’

      In a flash his expression darkened. ‘My mother left when Sam and I were kids. I have no memory of her ever calling me anything endearing or anything else, for that matter. Shall we change the subject?’

      Kit was mortified that she’d inadvertently hurt him with her remark. ‘I’m sorry I said that. I didn’t know.’

      Taking a deep breath in, Hal sighed, ‘Of course you didn’t—how could you? And how could I possibly be offended because you’ve stumbled on a subject that you weren’t even aware might be awkward for me?’ His gaze was distant and reflective for a moment, but it wasn’t long before he returned his attention to Kit and smiled. ‘One day I might tell you a bit more about my tale of woe, but not right now.’ His strong arms encircled her waist. ‘The only thing I want to do right now is hold you and breathe you in. I love that scent you’re wearing...what’s it called? It smells very natural.’

      ‘It is natural. It’s just me. I’ve never had any cause to wear scent to bed.’

      ‘And you don’t have one now, sweetheart. I love the fact that the alluring perfume I can detect on your skin is purely your own natural scent. You know what? I want to fall asleep with you beside me tonight, Kit. Will you stay with me until the morning? If it’s any incentive, I promise you I don’t snore.’

      ‘Even if you did I’d probably just grin and bear it because you’re so hunky,’ she teased.

      ‘You think so?’

      Beneath his shadowed complexion she saw him colour.

      ‘I confess it’s not the first time I’ve been called that. The tabloids use the word with monotonous regularity to describe me when they’re spouting some spurious story about some model or soap starlet they want to portray as being linked with me. It gets a little tiresome, to tell you the truth. The phrase “Hunky Hal Treverne” makes me feel more like a stereotype than a person. Although I have to say the description sounds much more complimentary coming from you, sweetheart.’

      ‘Oh...’ Kit couldn’t help feeling a little defensive at his comment that the tabloid press used the word with ‘monotonous regularity’. Did he think that was where she had got it from? If he did, then it didn’t suggest she had much discernment.

      It hit a particularly sensitive nerve to be inadvertently reminded that she wasn’t as well-educated as a lot of women her age, who’d perhaps gone on to university when they’d left school. In truth, it was one of the big regrets of her life. As for reading the tabloids—she didn’t give them the time of day. She’d probably seen the more salacious headlines about Hal on the internet...not because she’d deliberately sought them out but because along with other celebrity gossip they’d flashed up on the site she used to check her e-mail from time to time.

      But his comment also reminded her that not only was he an educated man himself but also the son of landed gentry, and suddenly the jolting realisation made Kit’s heart sink like a stone. If their lovemaking had lulled her even for a second into believing the improbable fantasy that they might go on to enjoy a real relationship then she’d best dissuade herself of such an idea as quickly as possible. Hadn’t she promised herself she’d never go down the same soulless destructive path with men as her mother had? She’d already made one unfortunate mistake in trusting a man.

      Hal Treverne was destined to marry a woman from his own privileged class—not