Alex heaved a sigh of relief. He’d told Beth his darkest secret, and she hadn’t run away. Instead, she gazed up at him like he was some sort of god.
“You must tell me what to do,” she said softly.
He brushed his lips over the satin-smooth skin of her neck and loosened the laces of her gown. “Follow your instincts,” he instructed.
Slowly, he tugged her dress down, over her breasts, hips and legs, leaving a trail of kisses as he went. She removed the pins from her hair, and he ran his fingers through the long, silken tresses. He stripped off her corset and camisole and tossed them over his shoulder, not caring if they ever found them again.
At the sight of her lying naked beside him, his mouth went dry. “Beautiful.”
When he ran a hand over the curve of her hip and around her bottom, she moaned and nuzzled against his chest. “When we’re together like this,” she said, “I forget all my worries. I only think of you … and me … and us.”
He swallowed as he digested what she’d said. He felt that way too.
“Beth, there’s something else you should know.”
She blinked at him and propped herself on her elbow, her skin glowing in the moonlight. “I’m listening,” she said huskily. “But you’re not going to scare me off.”
“Let’s hope not.” He released the curl he’d been twining around his finger and put a little distance between them—just so he wouldn’t be distracted. “Earlier we were talking about how sometimes reputations are undeserved.”
“I remember.” She smiled seductively.
He covered her delectable curves with a blanket so he could follow the thread of the conversation. “I’m afraid that my reputation as a legendary lover … falls squarely in the undeserved category.”
She feigned surprise. “Do you mean to say there’s a man somewhere in London who is more skilled than you?” Playfully arching a brow, she said, “If so, I must insist you find him and bring him here at once.”
“There are many men more skilled than I,” he admitted. “But no one who will work harder to please you. I haven’t lain with a woman in quite some time.”
She tilted her head, puzzled. “Forgive me for saying so, but your exploits are widely known and … well documented.”
“They’re falsely documented—at least for the past few years.”
She nodded as though understanding had dawned. “Is this a sweet but misguided attempt to somehow convince me that I’m different or more special than the legions of other women you’ve bedded? Because, honestly, it’s not necessary. In fact, I’d rather not think of them at the mo—”
“There are no legions. I’m not entirely without experience, but accounts of my prowess … have been greatly exaggerated.”
She stared at him, dumbfounded, then sat up, holding the blanket to her chest. “Forgive me. It’s not that I don’t believe you. It’s only that you seem so … Well, on the occasions that we’ve been together, you seemed so knowledgeable … that is, you knew exactly how to … Blast it all, you knew what you were doing.”
“I’m glad you thought so. I suppose I know something of the mechanics.” But his previous sexual experiences had been futile attempts to escape the pain of his past and fill the emptiness in his soul. Knowing how to pleasure a woman was not the same as knowing how to love. “You may have noticed that I have a habit of pushing people away. I never met a woman who I truly longed to make love to. Until you.”
“I must say”—she shook her head in disbelief—“I never dreamed that so many people could be wrong about you.”
“Why not?” he said. “Look at all the people who are wrong about you. As you know all too well, these rumors take on a life of their own.”
“Why didn’t you refute them?”
“No gentleman likes to call a lady a liar, and I’m not sure anyone would have believed me. Besides, it wasn’t exactly a hardship to be known as a legendary lover.” Not like being labeled a wallflower. He shot her an apologetic smile. “I never set out to deceive anyone. But I certainly didn’t go out of my way to set the record straight.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “I’m not certain you could have.”
“I suppose I could have placed an advertisement in the paper.”
Scrunching her nose adorably, she smiled. “I’m glad you didn’t.”
“I wanted to tell you before now, but it’s difficult to work into conversation.”
She looked up at him with clear blue eyes. “So many women have claimed to have been with you … and most of them lied. Why? Why would they do that?”
“I suspect some craved the notoriety, others wished to make their husbands jealous. Some just didn’t want to be the odd woman out.”
“So they were using you.” Her cheeks flushed as though she were outraged on his behalf. “And I am no better, because I accepted their false claims as truth. Even before I knew you personally, I took the rumors at face value … and now I feel awful.”
“Please, don’t.” He clasped her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it as he tried to read her face. Did she still want him? After all, she had assumed that this—her first sexual experience—would be with a man who knew a hundred different ways to pleasure a woman. Instead, she was getting a man who’d learned a few tricks behind hedges, in dark closets, and on remote corners of terraces.
He knew the basics—in other words, just enough to know what he didn’t know.
And he knew even less about love … but he was starting to understand a few things.
“I told you the truth because you said that you wanted everything between us to be real. I do too.”
“You know … I think I’m relieved. If I bumble something, the error won’t be as glaring.”
He chuckled softly and brushed his thumb across her cheek. “There is no way you could bumble anything. Believe me.”
“We shall see.” She let the blanket drop and leaned in for a kiss. Her soft hair tickled his shoulders, and the peaks of her breasts brushed against his bare chest, instantly reigniting his desire.
“I’ll try to make it good for you, Beth,” he murmured. God help him, he would. And he’d take care not to spill his seed inside her.
“I already know it will be heavenly,” she said. “You seem to have a strange power over me.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
Growling, he stood, stripped off his trousers, and rejoined her on the bed. He explored every inch of her satin skin with his mouth, lingering on the places she liked—the hollow at the base of her throat, the soft underside of her breasts, and the flat planes of her belly.
“Do you ever wish,” she breathed, “that you could bottle up a feeling and save it?”
He wedged a leg between her thighs and rocked against her. “You don’t need to bottle it up. There’s plenty more.”
Doubt flickered in her eyes. “Perhaps. But I shall savor the moment nonetheless.”
For his part, he savored everything about her. Her candor, her fearlessness, her kindness … and the seductive way she arched her body toward his. The scent of her skin drove him wild, even as the earnestness of her expression touched something deep inside him.
His pulse galloped out of control. He wanted her—now. But he knew the act would be more pleasurable for her if she was ready. So he kissed a path around her navel and lower … and lower.
“Alex?” Her fingers were splayed through his hair, and her leg muscles tensed.
Damn. He wished he knew what the hell he was doing. “I’ve never done this before … but I think it will make you feel very good.”
She frowned slightly. “What about you?”
He shot her a wicked grin. “I think I’ll like it too.”
With her tangled hair and flushed cheeks, she had never looked more vulnerable—or more desirable. “Well … then … I’m willing to try.”
More determined than ever to please her, he took his cues from her soft moans and sighs. God, he loved the taste of her and the way she quivered with need.
“Oh.” She opened her thighs wider, and he knew he’d found the right spot. The right amount of pressure. The right rhythm.
Her head fell back and she whimpered softly. As though she were on the brink.
Her arousal mirrored his own. He needed to bring her bliss. To make her his. To make this a night she’d remember always.
He could feel the crescendo starting inside her. It was in the arch of her back and the flush of her skin; the tremor of her muscles and the pitch of her cries. As release took her, he stayed with her, seeing it through.
And when it was over, he laid beside her and hauled her into his arms, feeling stunned.
Like he’d just been a part of a small miracle.