‘No.’ His voice sounded strange, strangulated.
‘Then may I touch it?’
‘Bea...’ He broke off his angry outburst as she flinched back, his eyes glittering darkly. ‘If you touch me I am afraid I shall—I shall be unable to maintain control myself!’ he bit out forcefully.
‘You will climax?’
‘Without a doubt I shall, yes!’
Bea gave a confused shake of her head. ‘Why should you not, when I have already done so?’ Her cheeks felt warm.
Griffin drew in a deep and controlling breath. ‘You asked to see and I have shown you. Are you not fearful? Overwhelmed by my size?’
‘If I am overwhelmed then it is at your magnificence,’ she assured him softly. ‘And, no, I am not in the least frightened. Why should I be when this is a part of you?’ She touched him gently with her fingertips, incredulous at how soft his skin felt when he was obviously so fiercely hard.
He was steel encased in warm velvet, her touches becoming bolder still as Griffin made no further objection to her explorations, although the grinding of his teeth spoke of his inner fight to remain in control as her hand cupped him.
He drew his breath in sharply as Bea’s other hand then moved to close about him, and, recalling how Griffin had made love to her, she began to lower her head with the intention of feeling him with her mouth, her tongue.
‘No, Bea!’ Griffin groaned weakly in protest even as his body burned for more of her touch.
‘Will it hurt you if I do?’
‘No. But— Saints protect me!’ He groaned as her tongue tentatively licked his length.
Griffin groaned his pleasure as she licked and tasted, causing Bea’s fingers to tighten as she began to stroke until he began to thrust up into her encircling fingers. She reacted instinctively as she widened her lips and took him into the heat of her mouth.
‘You are killing me, Bea!’ Griffin gasped weakly, hands reaching out to grasp her shoulders.
Bea did not believe that for a moment, knew from the throb and heat of him in her hands, and the fact that he was holding her closer rather than pushing her away, that Griffin would shortly experience that same intense pleasure as she had just minutes ago.
The petit mort.
The little death of pleasure.
And she wanted to give this to him. Wanted to share this with him.
She had no idea why any other ladies should ever have been frightened of him. Why he should have been so reluctant to let her see and touch him, when his body was so truly magnificent. Nor did she care. At this moment, here and now, there was only herself and Griffin.
Heat engulfed her own body for a second time at the sounds of Griffin’s groans of pleasure.
‘Stop now, Bea! For goodness’ sake, you have to stop...’ Griffin’s protest turned to a loud and aching groan as his own pleasure overtook his control, his fingers digging painfully into her shoulders as he continued to gasp his pleasure.
The arousal of Bea’s own body rose with each hot and pulsing jet of Griffin’s release, heat engulfing her as she climaxed for a second time, adding her own groans of completion to Griffin’s.
Chapter Nine
Griffin was at a loss as to know what to do next, his fingers lightly stroking the dark silkiness of Bea’s hair as she lay with her head against the dampness of his thighs, his body now totally spent.
As he now felt totally relaxed and at ease in Bea’s company.
Had he ever felt such a connection to any woman?
Had any other woman ever given to him so wholeheartedly as Bea just had?
Had any other woman climaxed just from giving him pleasure, as he knew Bea had?
Never, came the instant answer to all those questions.
But what to do now?
The complications of what they had just done together weighed heavily on Griffin’s shoulders. He did not need to offer marriage, of course. Precarious as Bea’s life seemed at the moment, she did not need to add to that uncertainty by taking such a socially inept man as her husband!
But should he at least insist she return to her own bedchamber before going to his?
Would she be happy with that, or would she want him to stay with her tonight?
Just thinking of lying beside her for the whole night, his body wrapped protectively about hers, was enough to cause his body to throb in anticipation of further lovemaking.
Lovemaking that should not—could not—happen again.
Tonight they had given each other pleasure with their mouths and hands, but if it was allowed to happen again how long before they—he—wanted more? Before he wished to possess Bea totally? How long before making love put them both at risk, so that marriage was no longer an option but a certainty?
Bea was warm and giving, yes, but Griffin did not need her to say the words to know that she would not want to tie herself to a man such as him for ever because of an unborn child.