Tall, Dark and Royal Read online

  Chapter Five

  Dominic simply gaped at her, and for several horrible moments Chloe wondered if she’d offended him. After all, a lady did not throw herself at a man’s feet, all but demanding he make love to her.

  But then his starkly handsome face came to life. His emerald eyes glittered with heat and laughter, and his mouth curled up in a triumphant smile. That look on any other man’s face would have sent her running for the hills, but on Dominic’s it made her muscles go delightfully weak.

  “Your wish is my command, Mrs. Piper,” he said in a darkly amused voice.

  Given the hungry look in his eyes, she half-expected him to swoop down and carry her away. Instead, he lifted gentle hands to cradle her cheeks. His gaze roamed her face, lingering there, and she suddenly had to blink away tears.

  “Dominic?” she whispered as her hands fluttered up to rest on his, strong and warm beneath her fingertips.

  “I’ve waited a lifetime for this, Chloe. I want to savor every moment.” But then one corner of his mouth kicked up with a rueful twist. “And I must admit to being completely terrified that I’m going to frighten you. You’ve been through so much, Chloe. I don’t want to—”

  She stretched up to press a kiss to the hard slash of his jaw. “Don’t be silly. I know I’m not very experienced—” She paused when his eyebrow lifted and gave him a sheepish smile. “Well, I have no experience, except that one time—”

  He let his forehead rest against hers. “Trust me, love, that one time doesn’t count, at least not in this situation. And I beg you to refrain from any comparisons unless you wish to unman me completely.”

  Chloe had never thought she could find anything amusing in the ugly incident that had scorched the landscape of her life, but she smiled now at the aggrieved tone in Dominic’s voice. She slipped her arms around his neck, touching her nose to his. “That would certainly be an unfortunate end to the proceedings.”

  He drew back to search her face. “I truly don’t mean to make light of your past, my darling, and I would shoot myself before I did anything to hurt you. But I want tonight to be a new beginning. For both of us.”

  “Dominic, you could never hurt me.” Her heart ached at the tenderness in his gaze. “Now, I believe you’re supposed to be doing something, or do you need a reminder?”

  A slow smile curled up the edges of his oh-so-enticing mouth. “Ah, yes. Kissing you.”

  Then his warm lips were on hers, and Chloe almost collapsed forward onto his lap. He gently teased and tasted her with a soft, unhurried rhythm. In so many ways it was her first kiss, and she’d been waiting an eternity for it. She laced her fingers around his neck, cautiously relaxing into his strength and heat.

  His lips wandered from her mouth to trail across her cheekbone and nuzzle the shivery part below her ear. A slow, provocative wonder unfurled inside her. Dominic was right. This was nothing like the awkward, rushed encounter of her youth, a painful interlude that had left her stricken and ashamed. Even Prince Ernest had been mortified by what had happened between them, red-faced in the aftermath as he stumbled over a clumsy, defensive apology. It had been tragic and stupid, and Chloe had thought she’d never want another man to touch her again.

  Until two months ago, that is, when Dominic had blazed back into her life and reminded her that she was no longer a frightened girl but a woman, with a woman’s emotions and needs and a desire for love so surprising and fierce it almost frightened her.

  It took her a moment to realize he’d pulled back. She blinked up at him, missing the heat of his kiss.

  “I must be making a botch of this,” he said, tapping her nose. “Your mind is wandering.” He spoke in a light, teasing tone, but she couldn’t mistake the concern in his gaze.

  She broke into a smile, swept up by a radiantly clear sense of freedom that had nothing to do with money or control and everything to do with him. “Actually, you’re doing splendidly. Please continue.”

  When he laughed, it seemed like the sun rising on a glorious midsummer morn. Over the years, she’d cherished memories of the boy he’d been—warm, open, and her best friend and staunchest defender. He was still all those things, but now he was so much more. He had become a powerful and utterly captivating man who dazzled her to the tips of her fingers and toes.

  A moment later, he had her gasping as he rose to his feet in one fluid motion and lifted her from her knees up into his arms. He cradled her against his broad chest and started for the door.

  “Um, where are we going?” she asked.

  “To my bedroom.”

  “Oh, well, that’s all right, I suppose.” She mentally winced at her ridiculous answer.

  He jiggled her as he reached for the door. “Did you really think I would make love to you on the floor of my study?”

  “I hadn’t thought that far ahead,” she confessed.

  He carried her into the softly lit hall but came to a halt at the foot of the staircase. He studied her face, his gaze so intent she imagined he would dive into her soul if he could, tearing any barriers that lingered between them.

  “Is this truly what you want, Chloe? I promise I’ll do anything you ask.”

  She nodded, rejecting the old fears that sought to hold her back. “It is truly what I want, but it’s all new to me. I’m not entirely sure how to act.”

  He started rapidly up the stairs, not impeded in the least by her weight. “It’s new to me too, I assure you. I can only hope you’ll be gentle with me.”

  Startled, she let out a laugh then slapped a horrified hand over her mouth.

  “What’s wrong?” Dominic asked.

  “What if someone hears us?” she hissed. “What will your servants think?”

  “They think whatever I tell them to think. Besides, they all know how I feel about you.”

  She peered at him as he strode down a hall branching off from the top of the staircase. “They do?”

  Dominic stopped outside the last door at the end of the corridor. “I’ve been looking for you for a very long time. That hasn’t been a secret, at least not to my personal staff.”

  A stab of guilt kept her lips pressed together. She hated the suffering she’d caused Dominic and her son over the years. Griffin had given up searching for her long ago, but not Dominic. He’d kept grimly to the task, eschewing love and marriage as he searched. Though she should be flattered by his single-minded dedication, instead it saddened her and, if truth be told, unnerved her just a bit.

  He opened the door and set her down, then kicked the door shut behind him and took her gently by the shoulders. “You’re not to feel guilty about that, Chloe. It was my choice, and I don’t regret it.”

  She scowled up at him. “How did you know what I was thinking?”

  “You have a very expressive face when you’re not putting your guard up. Besides, I do know a little about how you think.”

  “Well, that’s hardly fair,” she grumbled, “since most times I haven’t a clue what you’re thinking.”

  He slid his hands to her waist and pulled her close, his gaze turning smoky with desire. “I would bet you can deduce exactly what I’m thinking at this moment.”

  When she felt the press of his erection against her belly, her eyes went wide. “Ah . . . so it would seem.”

  He let out a soft laugh. “Come to bed, love. I have a powerful need for you.”

  She blushed but went willingly when he led her across the large bedroom. She cast a swift glance around, taking in the elegant, masculine furnishings, the expensive wool carpet under her feet, and the massive, four-poster bed. With its wealth of pillows and thick, brocaded coverlet in antique gold, it looked almost decadent and rather unexpected for a man like Dominic.

  For an unwilling moment, she couldn’t help wondering if he’d ever shared that bed with another woman.

  She squeaked when he picked her up and plopped her onto the high mattress, then bent to meet her eye to eye. “Just so you know,” he said, “you’re the first woma
n I’ve ever taken to this bed.”

  Chloe swatted at his chest. “Stop doing that!”

  He laughed, then crouched down before her. “And you stop worrying.” He swiftly unbuttoned her half boots and slipped them off. “Just forget the rest of the world for now. We’re completely alone at this end of the house, and no one will bother us.”

  She jumped a bit when his hands slid up under her skirts.

  “This night is for you, Chloe,” he said. “More than anything, I want you to enjoy it.”

  He looked so handsome kneeling before her, so focused on her, that she couldn’t hold back a tremulous smile. No one had ever felt for her with such intensity—no one but Dominic. The wonder of it stole her breath. That a man like him would wait for her, would still love her despite the pain she’d caused him, was truly a miracle.

  There had been precious few miracles in Chloe’s life.

  “I would like that very much,” she whispered.

  “Good.”

  He quickly untied her garters and slipped off her stockings. Then he went to stoke the fire, stopping to extinguish the lamp on the bedside table. Chloe hid a smile, knowing he was making every effort to preserve her modesty. It spoke to the generosity that was so much a part of his nature.

  Dominic swung her legs up onto the bed and gently rolled her onto her belly. After unbuttoning her dress, he unlaced her stays and rolled her back to face him. “Time to get you out of that dress.”

  “I’m perfectly capable of undressing myself, you know,” she spluttered, choking on laughter and nerves.

  “I’ve been dreaming of undressing you for weeks,” he said with a theatrical growl. “You’re not to deny me that pleasure.”

  “It’s a good thing I didn’t know, or I would have been completely mortified.”

  His only response came in the form of a rakish grin. Chloe helped him pull the dress from her body but voiced a protest when he dropped it on the floor. He ignored her, intent on stripping off her stays.

  A moment later, she was clad only in her chemise. Dominic sucked in a breath as he gently fingered the white lace and silk ribbon trim on her bodice.

  “Christ,” he muttered, “if I’d known you were wearing something like that under those spinster dresses of yours, I would have gotten your clothes off weeks ago.”

  Chloe propped herself up on her elbows, torn between shyness and pleasure under the heat in his gaze. “I know it’s silly, but I like to wear pretty things against my skin.”

  “It’s not silly. It’s the most enticing thing I’ve ever seen,” he rasped out. “You’re going to be the death of me, Chloe.”

  “Not before you get your clothes off, I hope.”

  His eyes glittered with amusement, but then he started ripping off his clothes. Though Dominic was the most controlled and graceful of men, he practically tripped over himself in his eagerness to undress. By the time he was down to his smalls, Chloe had collapsed on the bed, nearly breathless with laughter.

  He let out a mock growl of protest. “Laugh at your peril, my dear.”

  When he came to the bed, his body gleaming gold in the firelight, she lost her breath for a second time. Dominic was gorgeously imposing. He had muscular arms, a broad chest with a generous dusting of black hair, along with lean hips and long, powerful legs. His equally impressive erection nudged against the confinement of his smalls. The memories of the smiling, skinny boy she’d cherished for so many years evaporated as she took in the man looming over her.

  “My God,” she said past a tight throat. “You’re so beautiful, Dominic.”

  He swept a hand over her body, tracing her curves before settling at the junction of her thighs. When he cupped her sex through the thin lawn of her chemise, she almost fell off the bed in surprise. “You’re the beautiful one, Chloe. My sweet little goddess, so pretty and delicate.”

  “Thank you,” she gasped, shivering as he outlined the plump flesh between her thighs. She was so tall and long-limbed that no one but Dominic would ever think to call her delicate. But with his big hands roaming her body, cherishing her with every touch, that was exactly how she felt.

  “Let’s finish undressing and get under the covers,” he said.

  He yanked down his smalls, kicking them away before helping her sit up. When he worked the chemise up over her body, the fabric rasped softly over her breasts. Her already-sensitive nipples pulled tight.

  Naked a moment later, she wriggled up the bed, reaching for the covers. But he stopped her by coming down on top of her, his heavy body pressing her deliciously into the mattress.

  They stared into each other’s eyes. Chloe’s breathing hitched as her nipples rubbed into the coarse hair on his chest. Instinctively, she arched into him, a small cry escaping from her lips as she pressed tight.

  Dominic groaned and his eyelids fluttered shut. He flexed his pelvis and settled more heavily between her legs, his erection resting low and heavy across her mound and just brushing over her slit. When she pulled her legs wider, cradling his hips, his eyes snapped open. They flared with heat as he captured her gaze. Chloe went lightheaded in a jumble of nerves and excitement.

  “God, you feel good,” he muttered as he nudged her again.

  Then his head dipped and he captured her mouth in a hot, open-mouthed kiss that soon had her reeling. As his tongue pressed between her lips in a lazy sweep, he reached a hand down to her thigh and pulled it up to rest high on his hip. That spread wide her vulnerable sex, and sensation streaked from the tight little knot of flesh to settle deep in her womb. She moaned into his mouth as delicate, wonderful spasms rippled through her sheath.

  When Dominic pulled away from the silky warmth of their kiss, she sounded an incoherent protest.

  “Patience, my sweet,” he murmured. “I simply want to see you.”

  He shifted to the side, one muscled thigh pressing her lower body into the mattress. His hand settled on her belly, just above her nest of auburn curls. “So pretty,” he whispered. His voice held a soft note of wonder that sent warmth cascading through her body.

  Then he began stroking her, his long fingers tracing her hips and ribcage before dancing up to her breasts. Chloe lay transfixed by the sight of his strong hands teasing her body. When he cupped her breast, plumping up the rigid tip of her nipple, she froze with anticipation.

  “Your tits are gorgeous, Chloe,” he growled. “Even more than I imagined.”

  Before she had a chance to truly register that unexpectedly vulgar but exciting observation, Dominic’s dark head came down and his mouth fastened on her nipple. She let out a sharp cry of surprised pleasure, then froze again beneath him.

  His head came up. “What’s wrong?”

  She gnawed her lip, mortified. “Do you think anyone heard me?”

  Dominic flashed a wicked grin. “We’re alone here at this end of the house. You can make as much noise as you want.”

  She eyed him uncertainly. “I take it that making noise is a good thing?”

  “Undoubtedly.”

  Then he returned to her breasts and tormented her into a frenzy of passion. He fed greedily on her, sucking her nipples into aching points, making her moan and squirm beneath him. As he made love to her breasts, his other hand roamed her body, brushing lightly through her curls and drifting over her thighs, making her damp and hot with need. Chloe clutched at his broad shoulders and twisted beneath him, wanting—needing—so much more.

  With a last soft nuzzle, Dominic pulled away from her breast. Chloe opened her eyes and fought to focus her gaze. Her fingers were clenching his upper arms, her nails leaving small red scores on his skin.

  Dominic, shifting, moved off her. “Open your legs a bit more, Chloe.”

  Her limbs felt heavy as she obeyed, making room for him between her thighs. Dominic settled on top of her, breathing out a harsh sigh as the broad head of his erection slid between her drenched folds. She clutched at his shoulders, restless with heated desire. She’d been waiting a lifetime, and no
w they would finally belong to each other.

  “Ready, love?” he murmured.

  A shaky laugh escaped her lips. “You have no idea.”

  He groaned as he entered her, pushing slowly inside. “I think I do.”

  For long seconds, she held herself still, trying to relax as he forged past her untried inner muscles. Chloe wasn’t a virgin, but she came terribly close—one adolescent encounter, and then years of spinsterhood. Years of denying her womanhood and pretending it didn’t matter.

  But, now, captured in Dominic’s embrace, gazing into his burning emerald eyes, all that barren pain faded away. Her flesh went slick and soft around him, accepting their union. When he took her mouth in hot possession, she wrapped herself around him, the final barriers between them crumbling to dust.

  Thank God.

  “All right?” he murmured against her lips.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding close. “It’s perfect.”

  And it was. It was perfect as he began to move inside her in a slowly building rhythm that sent coils of heat and sensation spiraling through her body. It was perfect when his breath hitched and he pulled her legs high and wide, bringing her sex tight against his pelvis. She panted as he rocked into her, faster now, and harder, driving her toward climax as he plunged into her.

  And it was perfect when she threw her head back and cried out as spasms rippled from her womb in glorious waves, drowning her in pleasure. She clutched at him, resisting the flutter of her eyelids, needing to see the pleasure overtake him, too. His loving gaze bored into her, so blazingly emotional that it brought tears to her eyes. Trembling, she pulled his head down and kissed him. A moment later, he climaxed, groaning as his big body shook in her arms.

  He collapsed on top of her but then slowly rolled to the side, bringing her to rest on his heaving chest. “You were right,” he managed to gasp. “It was bloody well perfect.”

  Chapter Six

  Breathless, her heart pounding, Chloe sprawled on top of Dominic. His chest rose and fell like a bellows as they lay together in a glorious tangle of limbs. It felt perfectly, wonderfully right, and her mind still reeled from the intimacy of their connection.