The Strength of Baffin Page 13

  Tethran broke the kiss in one abrupt pull and shot up off the bed. His cock had swelled to a full-blown erection, desperately yearning to be released from the constraints of his trousers. Jolin eyed him as if he was crazy and made to follow suit.

  “No!” He dragged both hands through his hair. Goddamn it, his erection ached so much, it was likely to blind him. “Stay. Right there. Do not move an inch.”

  The coverlet was halfway thrown back from her body now, revealing a long bare leg and a creamy thigh. Tethran’s mouth watered like a dog spotting a bitch in the heat of mating season. Jolin frowned and slid off the bed despite his command, swaying on her feet a bit. He rushed to her out of pure instinctive reflex and steadied her. The moment she turned those eyes on him again, he stepped back.

  “You don’t want me?” She asked the question so innocently, he’d almost laughed.

  Tethran squeezed his eyes shut, every muscle in his body tensing. “Do not say another word. I beg you.”

  “Show me. Show me what it’s like between a man and a woman.”

  His head was going to explode, he just knew it. He wrenched away, knowing if he looked at her again, he’d not have the strength to resist another time. “You’re injured. The laudanum is toying with your senses.”

  Tethran felt her presence move nearer long before she even touched him, one small hand brushing across the width of his back and circling his waist to trail up to his chest. “I know what I want. I’ve been sheltered all my life, I’ve never had these feelings before. I-I’ve read about passion, yearned for it too. But I’ve never truly been led by it. Please…”

  A shiver rocked his body as her fingers brushed across his right nipple. Did she even know what she was doing to him? How she was quickly chipping away what little he had remaining of his self-control? Did she know at all how badly he wanted her? To strip her bare and love her until she was breathless and thoroughly spent? Did she know--

  “Jesus Christ, woman. Have mercy!” Tethran clenched his teeth and held back a groan as he felt Jolin’s hand cover the hard swell of his cock. Her fingers traced sweet, torturous circles over his manhood that almost made his knees buckle. If he didn’t put her flat on her back right and now and take her, he was going to bloody expire.

  “It…hurts?”

  Hurt? Tethran flicked her hand from his crotch and spun on his heel. “You tempt me further than any man can go. What have you to say for yourself?”

  Jolin frowned, as if she was truly pondering over the question. “I-I’m sorry?”

  His nostrils flared, his body too weak…his mind too faint to hold back any further. He grabbed her by the waist, bent and hooked one arm under her knees, and lifted her into his arms. “Too late for apologies,” he grunted as he deposited her back in the middle of the bed. “But I hope you’ll have the strength to sing me praises once I’m through with you.”

  Her lips turned up in a satisfied grin. God help him.

  Tethran stood and roughly untied the strings at the neckline of his shirt, before yanking it over his head. He then quickly shed the remainder of his clothes until he was stark naked and bare before her wide appraising eyes.

  * * *

  She was gaping at him like a street urchin who’d just stumbled upon days-old bread and some discarded strawberry marmalade. Good heavens, Tethran LeMark was a god! He was beautiful, his sinewy physique carved into masculine perfection. She’d never seen a naked man before now and she knew she’d never ever see one again so utterly fascinating. So breathtakingly beguiling. So…so mouthwatering.

  Heat flushed her entire body, the dull pain in her jaw almost forgotten above all the sensations currently coursing through her being. She wanted to touch him, wanted him to touch her. Jolin’s eyes wandered boldly--not that she could help it--over his strong arms and hard stomach, cords of well-toned muscle bulging and dipping in all the right places. Tethran’s chest looked even more impressive au naturel; two hard wide plates that had, no doubt, been sculpted through hard, vigorous labour. Her gaze wandered only briefly up to his face and then back down. His visage contrasted greatly with the smooth flawlessness of his brawny frame. For a moment Jolin wondered if he would ever confess the story behind his facial scars but she supposed that would be another day’s discovery. Today….now, she wanted to feel what it was like to be loved by a man. To be loved by Tethran LeMark.

  Jolin licked her lips, eyes stretching as she dared to dip her gaze lower, much lower. The sight of his erect member dried up the last speck of saliva from her mouth, the long thick rod jolting firmly from his body like a soldier brandishing his prized sword. Could his…member be too big? Oh Lord, the size of it would surely do damage but for whatever reason, she didn’t feel at all worried. Her body felt too feverish, too eager to take him. Jolin felt a warm wetness pool high at the apex of her thighs, and she felt the strongest urge to stroke herself at the most intimate area. She took in the powerful thickness of his thighs and at that very moment, he turned, giving her a good view of his strong back and a firm backside. He didn’t spare her a second more and he turned around once again. Their eyes clashed with a need that she could tell was equal as it was mutual. And one corner of Tethran LeMark’s mouth curved upwards, his smirk far too knowing to misinterpret. Jolin’s face burned and she glanced away. Good heavens, he was teasing her, wasn’t he? Giving her a show that he knew she’d be utterly transfixed by.

  His baritone reached her in all its husky gloriousness. “Satisfied with the view?”

  She swallowed. This was no time to be shy. She wanted this and she would indeed see it through. Jolin didn’t want to miss a second of what he was going to do to her--do with her. A measure of newfound courage stiffened her backbone a little and she met his gaze once again, her index finger beckoning him forward.

  NINETEEN

  “Having second thoughts?”

  A shiver stole up her middle as Tethran’s hand burned a tantalizing path up her left leg, pausing at that soft spot behind her knee. “N-No.” The pulse at the base of her throat fluttered. “I-I want this.”

  His beautiful blue eyes turned a striking shade. The muscle in his jaw ticked as if he was holding tightly to a rope that would surely save him from plummeting straight over a cliff. Jolin soaked in his desire-filled gazed. No man had ever, no man would ever make her feel this way. She was certain of it. “Then take this off.” He tugged at the hem of her borrowed nightgown, the one Mrs. Smythe had helped her into just a few minutes prior before leaving. “I want to see all of you.”

  She swallowed and yanked at the fabric. His large hands were already there, assisting her until she could feel cool air kissing every inch of her skin. He eased back, staring down at her with hungry eyes. “Satisfied with the view?” she whispered back in his own words.

  Tethran smiled. A smile that could melt any woman at his feet. A smile that held promises of explicit passion and unknown heights of ecstasy. She could feel his hot gaze moving slowly over her face, down the column of her neck, pausing with painstaking scrutiny over her breasts…and down, further down to the triangle of dark curls at the top of her thighs. “I’d expected nothing less than perfection,” he groaned. “You’re beautiful.”

  Oh, if he kept looking at her like that, she’d be resorted to begging. “Pleasure me,” she gasped. “I can’t bear it any longer...”

  He came to her then, his tongue teasing her lips apart. But she wanted more, so much more. She needed to feel that tongue slipping inside her mouth and--

  “Ah, Jolin, I don’t want to hurt you,” he muttered, drawing back only a little. “Your mouth could leave a man drunk with need. But forgive me if I don’t give you as many kisses as you deserve at this time. There will be more yet to last you a lifetime once your jaw has healed.”

  His auspicious tone made her smile. “You are an excellent kisser.”

  “Oh?” The corners of his eyes crinkled. “I do remember you describing our first kiss as extremely ‘lacking’.”

  Jolin
giggled and ran her fingers through his long black locks. Heavens, his hair was quite lovely, smooth and soft and silky. “I was teasing you and you know it.”

  “That I do. But enough of the talk.” She yelped as his hand gripped her hips and yanked her down closer, her legs splayed wide around him. She watched with wonder and anticipation as he brought a thumb to his tongue and then pressed it lightly at the sensitive nub of her mons. Jolin gasped at the raw delight it brought her, her hips shooting up off the bed. “That’s it,” he grunted, that same thumb rubbing in a sweet, throat-clogging pattern. “Moan for me.”

  As if she needed any encouragement. Jolin clenched her teeth, her toes curling as her body jerked beneath his sensual administrations. She’d never known her own body held such…such wonderful sources of passion. She clutched at the sheets, her head flung all the way back as she felt herself clawing for something….something that felt so near and yet so far from her reach. What was happening to her? Her cognitive ability wavered, her mind’s thought completely zoned in on his exquisite touch.

  “Oh my.” The pressure of his thumb increased and she felt another finger pressing against her slick opening. “Ah….ahhhhh.”

  Tethran groaned. She was so wet, so ready for him. But he needed to go slow, for her sake. He’d never been with a virgin but he knew enough to understand that her first time would be painful. And he needed to make it good for her. He leaned forward as she jerked, her body vibrating with an impending release. Closing his mouth over one puckered nipple, he suckled until she was quivering beneath him, her fingernails digging deeply into his back. He fought hard to maintain his own composure, the harsh throbbing of his cock tempting him to plunge deep and hard inside her drenched quim until he could feel the tip of her womb--

  Her fingers brushed a wholly unsuspecting but feathery touch cross the tip of his shaft.

  “Holy…fuck.” Tethran could feel the tendons in his neck straining, the muscles in his thighs tightening. He quickly removed his hand from her mons, revelling in her gasping sigh, and angled his cock at her damp entrance. “This might hurt.”

  She moaned, her eyes heavy-lidded, her soft bottom lip caught between her teeth as she nodded. “Take me. I’m ready.”

  He eased one tortured inch inside her sweet warm tightness, sweat dripping over his lip and beading his temples. “Open your legs wider,” he grounded out.

  She did.

  “Wider,” he almost barked, and she raised her knees high enough that they were pressed tight against her chest. He guided his cock until he could feel the wall of her maidenhead. Good God, she was tight. So tight he feared that he had no other choice but to hurt her. Tethran ground his teeth as he pulled back slowly and bent over her, pressing his mouth against hers in a comforting kiss. “I’ll make it better, I promise you.”

  Jolin shifted and every fibre in his body quaked. His hips flexed of their own accord and he plunged deep inside her until he was buried to the hilt. Her muffled cry echoed in his ears and he quickly slipped his hand between them, massaging her clitoris. Her eyes were as wide as saucers and her body had stiffened, the sharp pain mirrored in her glossy pupils.

  Tethran worked his fingers over her as he pulled back slowly and pushed in again. Her body shuddered and she released a throaty mewling sound that developed quickly into soft gasping moans.

  “This...” She gripped his shoulders fiercely, her eyes rolling back in her head. “It feels…Ohhh.”

  “Jolin, I don’t think I can manage to be more…gentle.”

  Her bottom lip continued to suffer a painful grip between her teeth. “Don’t be.”

  “Oh, to hell with it!” Tethran reared up, dragged her legs up over his shoulders and drove hard and fierce within her. “Sweet Jesus, you’re tight.”

  He slammed into her like a madman, his pelvis slapping hard against hers as he allowed all his pent-up frustrations and desire to rule his course. She was so goddamn sweet and responsive, it was all a man could hope for. He drove her hard until her legs trembled within his grip and her head thrashed from side to side against the pillows. She was teetering on the edge of her climax, he knew, and her body arched upwards, offering those two small delectable breasts to him like a sacrifice. He bent to kiss them again and her hips jerked, grinding hard against him, the walls of her sex clenching tight around his cock.

  Holy shit, he was about to come. “Come for me, love.” The feel of her was so damn good, he didn’t know if he’d shouted or not. In response, her entire being jerked, her back arched so high he was sure she’d crack and her limbs stiffened as one harsh groan flew from her lips.

  “Tethran!”

  “Fuck.” He slammed into her two, three more times until he felt his own release come and he emptied it all inside of her before he collapsed readily, and quite inescapably, into euphoria.

  * * *

  She was drifting, floating on the surface of the clouds. Her body felt boneless, her mind was so blank she was actually stunned at the inconceivable way she was yet to form a coherent thought. Jolin blinked a few times, her fingers reaching up to her smiling mouth. She’d never thought that intercourse would have felt that good. And although the initial minutes, when he’d first entered her, had come with a sharp sticking pain, shortly afterwards she had begun experiencing the most intense pleasure of her entire life. It was beyond satisfying. It was… She wanted to do it again.

  Jolin turned her head to find Tethran watching her. She reached over and flicked a wayward sweat-dampened lock from his eyes. He smiled, eyes twinkling. Oh heavens, she could most definitely grow to love this man. A part of her already did. He captured her hand beneath his and brought it to his lips.

  “How are you feeling?” His voice was hoarse, and a little breathless. Much better than hers would be, no doubt.

  Jolin giggled. “I feel as if you’ve cured the pain in my jaw.”

  His deep rumble of a laughter almost made her eyes water. He looked so warm, so handsome when he laughed. “You give me far too much credit. Try not to work the jaw to much though.”

  She sidled closer, tracing a finger along his collarbone. “I had not expected it to be so good.”

  He arched a brow, eyes dancing with mirth. “Is that so? Enlighten me.”

  Jolin couldn’t keep the smile from her face even if she tried. “I’ve come to realize that those erotic books in my father’s library do not do the act fair justice.”

  “So you’re satisfied then?”

  “Beyond satisfied. But I think you already know that.”

  Her kissed her hand again. “A man can never get enough praise to boost his pride.”

  “Oh, you’re an incorrigible man, Tethran LeMark.” She swatted playfully at his chest and laughed as he turned her over onto her back and kissed her with a lingering sweep of his tongue.

  “And you, Jolin, are driving me crazy with need.” He groaned deeply and pressed his large muscular body to her side, his hardening manhood already evident against her hip.

  “Oh, my. Is that--Is it normal to be ready again so soon?”

  “Not quite, but I find that you are far too sweet to resist.”

  His words flooded her heart and pierced an opening to her soul. Jolin gazed up into the blue richness of his eyes and read in them far more than what he was offering at the moment. She saw a man who had the ability to love. A man who wanted to be loved. But a man who was also struggling with many demons, contesting a mental war that only he could fight. She wondered…hoped she could be the woman to help him overcome.

  Her eyes averted to that long outstanding scar along his jaw and she touched a finger to it. Tethran flinched, his pupils darkening like raging storm clouds. He looked away and she pressed her palm against his other jaw, forcing him to face her. Jolin gave him an tentative smile. “What caused that one?”

  He stared at her for a long moment, the skin around his mouth tightening. She was surprised when he spoke because his lips had barely moved. “When I was a young lad, I worked o
n an estate. The owner’s son bestowed the gift.”

  Gift? Her heart tore in her chest. “Why?”

  “I witnessed and spoke against something I was not supposed to see.”

  Her lips trembled over the pain he, as a boy, must have endured. “What…what did you see?”

  His gaze shifted and he lowered his head, shaking it. “I wasn’t planning on taking you with me to look for your father. It’s too dangerous. And you’re already hurt.”

  TWENTY

  But hurt did flash in those trustful brown eyes, his abrupt confession effectively dissolving the open admiration he’d read in them only a moment ago. What he saw in them now was nothing short of shocked disappointment. A part of him shattered when she shifted away from him and Tethran sighed, knowing full well he deserved it. The lovemaking…the rare intimacy he had just shared with her had been something he had never felt before in his entire life. The way she’d looked at him, as if he was the only person who mattered, had managed to touch a fragile spot deep down in his black soul. He swallowed as she reached for her nightgown and left the bed, walking gingerly towards the washbasin across the room. He watched in silent anguish as she lifted a damp cloth to clean herself before donning her clothes and turning back to him, arms crossed. Gone from her unwavering gaze was the sadness he’d first witnessed, and now replaced with blazing ire.