Games (Timeless Series) (22 page)

The minute he tasted her, he knew it had been a mistake. At first, he simply let his mouth wander. Soon his tongue slid along her lips, silently seeking entrance to her mouth. Elation surged through him when her lips opened, granting his request. Heat pooled in his groin as blood rushed to his head with the speed of a freight train, sounding just as loud. Her floral scent rose past his nose, adding to his senses. His tongue invaded farther even as his desire spiraled out of control. When he felt Giselle’s hands wrap tentatively around his neck bringing him closer, he went past the point of no return. Picking her up, he carried her to the bed. He laid her down, and sat next to her after taking off his trousers and shirt.

“What are you doing?” Giselle’s sleepy, whispered voice wafted past his ears
.

He put his finger over her mouth
. “Shush. I’m doing something I should have done hours ago. I’m getting comfortable. Come here.” He pulled her into his embrace and began kissing her again—slow, easy kisses intended to relax and soothe her ruffled edges.

Giselle lifted her
head, both confusion and concern etched on her face. “What about the wager, Simon?”

“Damn the wager
. I gave you plenty of opportunity to back out. You should never have come in here tonight. You knew what would happen if you crossed the threshold to my room, didn’t you?” His eyes gripped hers, demanding an honest answer. At her slow, solemn nod, he continued. “There’s no turning back now. I’m tired of fighting desire. I want you and I mean to have you. And since we’re bent on doing this, you need to be properly dressed, or undressed as the case may be.”

He undid the ribbons o
f her nightgown, pushing it off her shoulders, but she modestly pulled it up.

“Maybe we should
wait,” she said nervously.

“Too late
.” He lowered his head and captured her soft, yielding mouth. In the next instant he had all the ribbons untied and the nightgown pushed down over her hips. His hands started stroking, languidly kneading her body, using the slow movements along with his mouth to ease and calm, rather than stimulate.

Simon trailed kisses where the gown had been
. “Do you know how lovely you are? I’ve thought of little else but doing this since that night I first saw you at the ball, holding court with all those fools. You were made for love, Giselle, and I aim to love you.”

The rigid stiffness of her body relaxed as she sank into the down ticking
. “I love your kisses,” she murmured, a soft smile on her face as she spread her fingers through his hair and pulled his head toward hers. “I want to see what happens next.”

Simon wasted no time with her obvious invitation, capturing her lips with his
. For long moments he did nothing but kiss and stroke, enjoying the sight of Giselle’s rising passion. When she moaned softly, he broke the kiss to discard the rest of his undergarments. With the same sense of urgency, he stripped her nightgown off her lovely body, sucking in a ragged breath at the sight of her lying naked with the firelight highlighting her curvaceous form to perfection.

His erection grew when he caught her staring at his manhood in awe.

“See what you do to me,” he whispered, lowering to seize her lips again. His tongue circled her mouth, then he sucked on her bottom lip while his hands moved over her luscious softness. When his fingers skimmed her stomach, she flinched beneath his feathered touch. She stiffened and tried to cover herself, using her hand as a shield.

Simon chuckled softly and reached for her wrists
. Lifting her arms over her head, he spent an extended amount of time tracing the outline of her face with his lips, bestowing kisses from forehead to neck to breast. With his free hand, he stroked.

Giselle’s audible gasp and visible stiffening had him chuckling again
.

“Relax and enjoy it, sweetheart
. Let me bring you pleasure,” he said, releasing his hold on her wrists and kissing from her breasts to her stomach. When her hands tried to stop him again, he lifted up and snared her attention, searing her luminous brown eyes with an intense stare. Her face darkened with the same embarrassment he spied in her gaze, but he wouldn’t let her look away. “Do you trust me?” he whispered.

Her hands dropped to her side and she nodded, closing her eyes
. Her total trust was the headiest aphrodisiac, sending white-hot desire through his system. He shut his eyelids tight, stilling the urge to plow into her center, working for enough control to give her pleasure for her first time. With a tight rein on his need, he lowered his lips, and using his tongue and mouth, he continued his slow journey toward her core. He ignored the pleasure coursing through his system her soft moans elicited. Blood pooled in his groin, filling him with more need as she writhed under his touch. When he found her center she tensed slightly, but allowed him to open her thighs. His head moved lower while he tasted her sweetness.

“Simon, I need
. Oh, please.” She moaned, slightly lifting and lowering her hips in rhythm with his mouth. He quelled his excitement, knowing she was close to release. But instead of giving it to her, he let his mouth trail back up her body.

“
Non
. Do not stop,” she said. “I need…ooh…do not stop.”

With his lips on her ears, kissing and sucking, his tongue circling the outer part and plunging inside as he’d done below, he whispered, “What
, Giselle? What do you need? Tell me!”

“Please,” she begged
. “You are tormenting me. I do not know what I need.”

“Yes
, you do.” His murmured words were more fervent in their coaxing. “I need to hear you say it. Tell me.”

“
Mon Dieu
, Simon! I need you. Please! You know what I need. I am burning for you.”

Immense satisfaction washed over him
. He couldn’t keep the elation out of his voice when he answered her. “Just as I am burning for you. But you need to be ready for me. Give yourself up to the feelings, Giselle.” He rose up, caught her gaze with his, and sucked in air at the desire he saw mirrored in her expression. “Don’t fight them. Let go and come for me, honey.”

He smiled at the confusion he noted clouding her eyes
. She’d find out soon enough what he meant.

His hand stroked her body, kneading and working to bring her alive with more need
. When his fingers slipped inside her, her bottom rose off the bed and a loud moan tore from her mouth. Her hips seemed to move of their own volition. She was such a natural…such perfection…made for love. After a few more sure strokes, she came apart in his hand and her shudders were almost violent.

Simon
had held on to his restraint with a firm grip. Her strong release was like a matchstick lighting tinder. Relief swept through him. His wait was over. A split second later he entered her, wanting nothing more than to sink into her warmth. When he felt her barrier, he stopped, and mustering every bit of control he had, he looked into her closed eyes.

“Giselle?
Look at me, honey.”

Her sensual gaze met his and Simon pushed f
arther into her. “This may hurt a bit and I’m sorry. I can’t go another moment without possessing you.” Then he plunged to the hilt, cleanly breaking through the thin barrier of her virginity.

She stiffened
. Simon could barely wait for her to become accustomed to his size. He had just enough will to keep his strokes leisurely, moving unhurriedly in and then slowly out. The pleasure was unendurable. She was so tight…so warm…so enticing. Gradually she began meeting his slow thrusts. Though he wanted to prolong this first time, his body had other ideas, responding to her increasingly frenzied and wild movements. When her legs wrapped around him, pulling him closer, all restraint snapped.

Giselle’s wildness was more intoxicating than any drug
. Already stretched to his limits, he let go, plunging inside of her, driving to her hilt, over and over. When her contractions grabbed him, yanking him in farther, he felt it to his soul. His loud, feral groan filled the air. He could only yield to the earth-shattering ecstasy as his seed poured out of him and into her.

An eternity passed
before Simon could think again, and even longer before he could actually bring his body to move. He lifted onto his elbows, taking his main weight off Giselle. As his gaze moved up her body to her face, a feeling of supreme satisfaction poured over him. Still, his contentment was joined by concern. He’d never lost control before. What was it about this slip of a girl that brought him to his knees like she did? Despite the fact that he had no intention of getting entangled with her, he couldn’t regret the act they’d just shared. He decided he might as well enjoy her while he could. Soon enough he’d be gone, and she’d be back to her flirting.

~~

Giselle stretched. Her body tingled and every part of her wanted to smile, even her toes. She opened her eyes right then and caught Simon’s pleased, contented look.

She
laughed. “I would not seem so satisfied if I were you. You lost the bet. Now you have to let me help you with your case.”

Simon grinned,
pulled out of her, and headed for the washroom, chuckling the entire way. When he returned, he had a wet cloth in his hand. She sat up, wondering what he was about.

“Let me tend to you
. Here, lie back down.” She complied and he continued speaking while gently wiping her virgin’s blood from her body. “Giselle, I want to make one thing perfectly clear. You are not helping me with my case.”

“But you agreed and you lost.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m not budging on this.” He finished and put the cloth on the nightstand. Then he got back into bed and pulled her toward him.

“I won,” she said
, pushing up on her elbows. “I did nothing to coerce or tempt you.”

“Just being in that chair was a temptation and you well know it
.” He nestled her head atop his shoulder and closed his eyes. “Let’s try and get some sleep.”

“
Non
!” She sat up, pulling out of his grip. “I cannot accept that, Simon.”

“
Fine. Come back here, and we’ll discuss it in the morning. I have a busy day tomorrow and I need to get some sleep.”

Not yielding, she
crossed her arms. “We will discuss it now, or I am leaving.”

“Suit yourself
.” He rolled over. “You might want to put something on before you leave, though. There’s a chill in the air.”

“I can
not believe you are being so vile.” When he ignored her comment, her anger ignited. She bounded from the bed in an outraged huff. Throwing her gown over her head, she hissed, “I should have known better than to trust you.”

Her only answer was his soft snoring
. Fuming, she stormed out of his room and back to her own. Since it was cold, she quickly got under her comforter. After such a wonderful experience, her thoughts were a jumbled mess that needed sorting out. One thing she felt certain about, she was determined to help Simon with his case whether he wanted her to or not.

~~

Simon sat at the breakfast table and took note of Giselle’s breezy entrance.

“Good morning,” she said, moving to the sideboard
.

Dressed in a yellow riding habit, she presented the look of sunshine
. He had to admit her smile did brighten his day. She served herself a hefty helping of eggs and ham, before pulling out a chair across from him.

“I trust you slept well?”
Grinning, he watched her closely while she sat down.

“Of course
.” She flashed a return smile. “And you, sir? How did you sleep?”

“Fine, except I got a little lonely for a brown-eyed siren
who went missing from my bed.”

“Humph
. I doubt that. You were so lonely, you could not wait to fall asleep.”

“That’s because you drained me.”

She almost choked on her food. A blush crept up her face and she quickly leaned forward. “Shush. You need not tell the world.”

“Don’t worry, honey
. Minnie and Maizie are with the children in the nursery.” His grin was back. “Your secret’s safe with me. Even though your smile promises it, no one but me knows what a tiger you are in bed.”

“Will you
stop! That was an indiscretion and it will not happen again.”

Simon’s grin stretched
. “Care to make a bet?”

“
Non!
” she huffed indignantly. “I have definitely learned my lesson on that score. I will not make one more wager with you. You do not honor them.”

“
Are we back to that?”

“We never left it,” she stated
in a clipped tone. “You merely fell asleep in the middle.”

Chuckling, he said, “It was either that or
be coerced into something I didn’t want to do.”

“I
want to help you. Just give me the chance,” she pleaded, using those doe eyes of hers to beg.

“Don’t you already ha
ve a job?” He went back to his food, trying to ignore their effect.