Adrienne Basso - How To Seduce A Sinner

“And red and wrinkled and sporting tufts of dark hair on his head,” she whispered back before kissing the baby’s forehead. “One would think with two such attractive parents he would look far less like a little troll.”

Carter smiled. “An apt description, I’m afraid.”

Dorothea nodded. “I vow our children will be much prettier, though I would never say so in front of my sisters.”

It gave Dorothea a warm, tingly feeling to be speaking of children. After seeing the hell Gwendolyn had endured, she was hardly anxious to experience it herself, but holding the precious bundle of life was slowly changing her mind. Here was something filled with promise and possibilities. The reward was honestly worth the price.

Suddenly the baby stiffened his torso, screwed up his face, and let out a loud, lusty wail. The noise startled his sister and she joined in with a distinct squalling of her own.

“I think they want their mama,” Emma said nervously. She scurried to the bed and handed the infant into Gwen’s waiting arms.

“And their papa, too,” Dorothea added. Before Jason had a chance to say anything, she tucked the noisy bundle into his arms.

His startled look of panic was comical. The bedchamber door opened again and Jason’s brother, Lord Fairhurst, entered the room. His resemblance to Jason was nothing short of remarkable, for they too were twins.

“I thought I heard a familiar sound,” Lord Fairhurst said as he drew near. His expression grew wistful when he saw the babies and Dorothea imagined he was thinking of his own child born earlier in the year.

“I’m a father,” Jason announced in a slightly dazed voice.

“Two at once, heh.” Lord Fairhurst chuckled. “Excellent job, Gwendolyn. My heartiest congratulations to you both.”

They all spent a few more minutes fussing over the infants before the babies began crying again.

“I think it’s best if we leave the new parents alone,” Carter said. He set one hand on Dorothea’s shoulder and the other on Emma’s and urged them out of the room. “There will be plenty of time to admire the new arrivals in the morning.”

Once in the hallway, Emma hugged Dorothea tightly, then declared she was off to bed. Lord Fairhurst announced he would wait to see his brother again before retiring. As they walked toward the bedchamber that had been hastily prepared for them, Carter and Dorothea were met by the butler, who inquired if they were in need of anything.

“Please have a tray of food sent to our room,” Carter requested. “I’ve already eaten, but Lady Atwood has not.”

The exhaustion hit Dorothea full force once they entered the bedchamber. She dismissed the maid and allowed Carter to help her into a white linen nightgown packed in her trunk. By the time the food arrived, she was yawning repeatedly.

“I’m too exhausted to eat,” Dorothea declared when Carter tried to tempt her with a piece of roasted chicken. “All I want is a warm, comfortable bed.”

To prove her point, Dorothea climbed into the four-poster bed, snuggling beneath the blankets. She heard Carter rustle about the room as he disrobed. Then he slid beneath the covers and tucked himself close to her. Dorothea sighed with contentment and wrapped herself in his arms, settling into the perfect position. She closed her eyes, willing sleep to come, and then suddenly her stomach growled loudly.

She felt Carter’s hand lightly stroke the lower half of her arm. “You should eat something,” he said. “It will make you feel better.”

Shaking her head, she turned and nibbled on his broad chest. “I’m too tired to eat.”

“Hmm. I could say something appallingly crude, but I will restrain myself.”

“I appreciate it.”

She set her lips to the hollow of his throat and placed a warm, wet kiss in that delectable spot. “I thought you were exhausted,” he whispered.

She silenced him with another kiss, this one on the lips. Pressing herself closer, Dorothea felt an aching twist of desire settle over her. Carter reached down and drew her knee up, then positioned her on her side, facing him.

She could see the raw desire in his eyes, but it was mixed with tenderness. Dorothea sighed. He did care for her. The knowledge gave her hope that one day his heart would open completely and he would come to love her as much as she loved him.

The thought fueled the excitement in her breast. Her exhaustion disappeared as passion curled and knotted within her. Dorothea could not keep still. Her hands roved sensually over Carter’s naked shoulders and chest, his muscles rippling beneath her fingers.

Wantonly she molded herself closer, raising her nightgown so she could savor the hard, hot feel of his body against her flesh. Twining her arms around his neck, she leaned in and whispered, “May I have a kiss?”

She didn’t need to ask twice. His mouth descended, his lips clinging to hers with frantic desire. It seemed as if all the passion he held within had finally burst and come flooding out.

She moaned in his mouth and leveraged herself up, brushing her breast against the edge of his jaw. Breaking their kiss, he impatiently shoved her nightgown out of the way, seizing the budding nipple between his lips. His tongue circled the delicate peak languidly, then he pulled it into his mouth, sucking hard.

Desire, hot and heavy, spiraled through her body. She reached down, fumbling between their bodies until she found her prize, the thick, stiff shaft of his penis. Lovingly she caressed the satiny hardness, then reached lower, delving into the springy tufts of hair covering his heavy testicles.

“I want you now,” she whispered in his ear, rubbing herself suggestively against him. “Please?”

Dorothea rolled onto her back and drew up her knees. Carter grinned and crawled over her. Eyes locked, he entered her swiftly, forcefully. The room echoed with her sharp exhalation.

“Christ. Did I hurt you?”

“No, no,” she choked. “It’s fine. It’s more than fine. It’s wonderful.”

To emphasize her point, Dorothea rocked herself forward. Carter sighed heavily and closed his eyes. Her hands slid down to the taut muscles of his buttocks and she pulled him closer. The heat of his body surrounded her and the longing deep inside her rose to meet it.

She heard the bed creak in a deliberate, steady rhythm as he thrust forward. At her urging, he increased the pace, working faster, cramming himself deep inside. She felt every thrust, every sensation. It was glorious. In this moment they were more than husband and wife. They were lovers, joined in body, in heart, in spirit.

She felt his hand slid down to her hip, twisting its way between their joined bodies, his long fingers searching until he found her core. He stroked her moist, sensitive folds while his penis continued to thrust deep and hard inside her.

Their mating took on a new urgency and the world around her disappeared as the tremors within her began. She tangled her hands in his hair and cried out, clinging to him as her body rode a wave of pure, intense ecstasy.

She reached completion first, but Carter soon followed. She let out a soft sob of emotion and wrapped herself even tighter around him as he shuddered violently, spilling his warm, wet seed deep inside her.

They lay entwined for a long time afterward, Dorothea curled on her side, her head nestled on Carter’s shoulder, his arms wrapped around her. Her mind drifted on a pleasant, hopeful haze as she contemplated their future. Surely if she could cobble enough of these moments together the emotional intimacy she craved so desperately would develop?

“It’s been a good day,” he whispered.

“Indeed. A memorable one.” She smiled. “Happiness may be ever fleeting, but at this precise moment in time, I feel it deeply.”