The Fall of the Wolf Ch. 03

Her chuckle was low and throaty, and it sent another jolt of hot blood into his loins. "Would that not take the fun out of this moment, your Grace?"

Rafe grinned wolfishly as she gave him a coquettish flutter of her long lashes. "Hmmm," he said, placing a thoughtful finger on his chin. He ogled her bosom once again and dared to run his finger along the upper edge of her bodice in the most suggestive manner. He was pleased that she allowed him to take such liberties. She shivered as his finger came dangerously close to the barely concealed peaks, but she remained complacent beneath the bold caress, flashing him a naughty grin as his finger wandered leisurely back over the ripe swells. "Did we meet last year at the Christmas ball at Avington Chase?" he asked.

Her grin widened. "No, your Grace."

Rafe walked slowly around her, surveying her from all angles. He stood behind her and bent over her shoulder to murmur in her ear. "Was it last year during the annual hunt ball here at Argyle?"

She chuckled softly, clearly enjoying his bemusement. "No, of course not, your Grace."

Standing behind her, he had an even more delectable view of her décolletage. She was clearly aware, because she toyed with the velvet and gave a knowing grin when his eye eagerly followed where she led. She hooked a finger in the center of her bodice and gently lifted it outward. Rafe held his breath, hoping for a glimpse of her nipples, but she teased him further by pressing the fabric back in place just before he could see the prize. As he watched her fingers caressing the smooth cloth, he could feel his loins tightening with desire.

Rafe decided to take a different approach rather than listing every major social event he could remember. He skimmed his fingers down the side of her neck and along her delicate collarbone, and leaned near enough that his hot breath feathered the side of her jaw. His voice dropped to a husky, seductive whisper. "What were you wearing when I saw you last?"

Her laugh was like warm honey, flowing over his senses and sharpening his desire. She glanced back over her shoulder to meet his gaze, and looked up at him through long, sooty lashes. Her eyes were sparkling with mischief. "Not a stitch, your Grace."

"The deuce you say!" he replied with a roguish grin. His eyes assessed her bosom even more lecherously as he tried to imagine her without clothes. His imagination went wild. In his mind, he pictured her reclined on his bed, writhing naked on the sheets, her mouth parted on a moan as he made love to her. His loins ached from the vivid images. "Perhaps if I could see you without any clothes again, I would remember your name," he murmured with a dark brow raised in challenge.

She shrugged nonchalantly, bringing his attention to the creamy expanse of her bared shoulders. "I'm sure that could be arranged, your Grace." She nibbled her bottom lip as she smiled up at him with an impish grin. "Although, I am having such fun watching you try to figure out who I am." She leaned back against him, clutched his hips, and pressed the globes of her bottom intimately against his loins. She feigned a pout and sighed. "Am I so forgettable then, after all?"

Rafe would have vehemently denied that possibility if it would not have made him seem like a liar. He honestly could not believe that he had no memory of this delectable creature. She was, by far, the most beautiful and desirable woman he could ever recall seeing. He walked around her again, dredging his memory for any clue to her identity. Something about her was definitely familiar. He just couldn't put his finger on what it was. She claimed they had already been lovers, but he would have sworn differently. He thought he knew her from somewhere, but he doubted he had entertained her in his bed. She was most likely the wife of someone he knew, and she was anxious for a dalliance.

Mentally shrugging off the nagging question, he embraced her from behind and drew her back into a shadowed alcove where they would not be so easily observed. If she wanted a liaison, he was only too happy to oblige. He skimmed his lips along her slender neck and cupped the fullness of her breasts in both of his palms with bold familiarity. She melted back against him with a sigh and eagerly thrust her breasts more fully into his hands, clearly welcoming his advances.

Rafe closed his eyes for a long moment, revelling in the feeling of holding her luscious body in his arms. He brushed his thumbs across her nipples and was gratified to feel that they were already hardened nubs beneath the fabric of her gown. He squeezed the tempting buds, and she moaned with pleasure. She squirmed slightly in his arms, once again pressing the fullness of her bottom against his rampant erection, and it was his turn to moan. He couldn't remember ever wanting a woman this badly, and he wondered if it was because of her blatant sensuality or his recent period of abstinence. She turned abruptly to face him and wound her silken arms around his neck.

"Are names so very important, your Grace?" She leaned toward him and stood on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. Her breasts pressed intimately against his chest, and her evocative fragrance went straight to his head. "Sometimes," she whispered huskily, "it is better not to know."

Before she withdrew, she traced a stealthy path along the curve of his ear with her tongue. Rafe's grin was transformed into a strained grimace as he felt a pang of lust like he had never known. His loins tightened to the point of pain as his erection throbbed behind his breeches. Conscious that there was still a room full of his guests just behind him including Lady Gwen's family and, most likely, this woman's husband, Rafe took a deep breath. But rather than calm him, he simply got a deeper whiff of her provocative scent...jasmine and some other flower that smelled dark and forbidden.

As if she knew the effect she was having on him, the woman leaned closer once more. Her lips brushed against his ear and her throaty tone sent a shiver of awareness down his spine.

"Is there somewhere we could go where we might have more privacy, your Grace? I should very much like to renew our acquaintance."

In that instant, Rafe knew exactly how Adam must have felt when he was tempted by Eve. Even if Rafe had wanted to...which he didn't...there was absolutely no chance that he could refuse this woman's offer. He didn't care that it would be entirely dishonorable and a mockery of his recent betrothal to accept her invitation. He didn't care about his vow to remain celibate until the wedding. He didn't care whether her jealous husband was somewhere in the crowd behind him. All he cared about was having his wicked way with the temptress in his arms. He opened his mouth to reply, but before he said a word, she turned her head and kissed him, fanning the flames of his desire even further.

Her succulent lips plucked at his, stealing his every thought as she wove her web around him. She nibbled and teased until he could no longer focus on anything other than her. He wrapped her in his arms and deepened the kiss. He was certain he had never kissed this woman. He would definitely have remembered. She was the very embodiment of all he desired.

A soft moan escaped her, and the sound only intensified the ache in his shaft. She tasted of some strong sweet wine, and he was quickly drunk on the nectar of her mouth. He broke off from the kiss, and they stared at each other, both breathing raggedly.

He reached for her hand. "Come, let us go to my chambers."

She hung back but gave him a smile of pure feminine temptation. "No, your Grace. I prefer something a bit less...mundane." She ran a bold finger along the ridge of his arousal and smiled up at him from beneath her lashes.

When he responded, Rafe was surprised to hear the desperate quality of his voice. He sounded like some nervous youth instead of an experienced rake. "What did you have in mind, my lady?"

She smiled slyly as if she knew how strained his control had become. She took a step back, and he felt the loss of her touch immediately. In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to rip off her clothes, throw her across any available surface and bury his length inside her.

"Would you show me your library, your Grace?" Her eyes promised all manner of naughty rewards as she met his gaze. "I have always been fascinated by your...books."

Her eyes dropped to his throbbing erection, and her smile was positively wicked. It was clear that she was not the least bit interested in his book collection! Still, if acceding to her request would get her into his arms and him embedded into her any faster, he was willing to play along.

Tossing a quick glance over his shoulder, Rafe ushered her down the hall to the library. He pulled her through the door and bolted it behind him. The room lay in deep shadows from just a few candles scattered around and the low fire burning in the grate. Rafe didn't waste another moment. He backed her against the wide oak door and ravished her mouth.

His kisses were ravenous. As he plundered her lips, she moaned and kissed him back, encouraging him to deepen the kiss further. He cupped one hand on her bottom and the other on her breast, groaning as the generous mound more than filled his palm. He ran his thumb inside her low neckline and flicked her nipple. Her breathing hitched, and she arched her back, offering him better access to the luscious orb.

She wound her arms around his neck as he pressed fully against her. He ground his hips into hers, and she moaned again with clear acceptance, feeling the hard ridge of his erection riding against her lower belly. She toyed with the hair at his nape, and Rafe growled with desire. If he didn't feel her beneath him soon, he would lose his mind.

He trailed hot kisses down her neck and over the upper curves of her breasts, gratified to hear her equally urgent cries of pleasure. With the speed born of much practice, he unfastened the top several hooks of her bodice, and her breasts spilled into his greedy hands. It was too dim to see her as he so desperately desired, and Rafe mentally vowed to light a hundred candles the next time he made love to this woman. The fact that he was already thinking about having her a second time struck him as odd, but he pushed the thought aside as he savored her soft flesh. She gasped as he drew one pouting nipple into the fiery cavity of his mouth. He devoured her breast, flicking his tongue repeatedly over the tender nubbin, and tugging none too gently with his teeth. She arched her back and pressed the succulent flesh more fully into his mouth. He released her breast with a groan and kissed his way to the other side, growling as he nipped and tugged the second nipple with his teeth. She clasped his head close to her and moaned her approval.

Rafe was desperate to sink into her welcoming body. He lifted her hem and slid his fingers to the juncture of her thighs. She responded by lifting one leg around his hip, opening herself eagerly for his touch. He straightened and held her gaze as he stroked her through her silk drawers. She was shockingly hot and dripping with musky fluid. He shivered as he fondled her. His own urgency was building so quickly that his erection had grown painfully hard.

"God, I want you!" he cried. "You are so bloody wet. Who the hell are you?"

Without waiting for an answer, he dove to plunder her mouth again, never pausing in his intimate exploration of her body. He pressed one long finger as deep as he could with the silk barrier still in place, They groaned in unison. He located the sensitive nub of her arousal and flicked it with his thumb as he continued to stroke her through the cloth. She gave a desperate little cry and flexed her hips, grinding her loins against his hand. It took only moments for her to shatter. She gave a small scream of pleasure and gripped his shoulders. Rafe closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as he savored her mewling cries. The crotch of her drawers was soaked, and it was all he could do not to climax then and there.

After several fraught moments, they both opened their eyes. Both of their hearts were pounding, and he was gratified to see that her eyes were heavy lidded with passion. With a possessive growl, Rafe reclaimed her lips as he untied the drawstring to her drawers and pushed them down over her hips. She dropped her knee from his waist and stepped out of them without ever breaking contact with his mouth. He pulled her leg back around him and ground his hips against hers as he deepened the kiss further. He reached to remove her mask and tossed it aside, never pausing as his lips devoured hers. He plunged his other fingers into her glossy black hair, noting how soft it felt as he heard pins scattering on the floor. He could imagine that hair spread over her pillow as he plowed into her welcoming heat. He released another groan, and he began spreading kisses along her jaw and neck as he unbuttoned the flap on his breeches. His aching erection sprang free. He lifted his head, eager for his first sight of her face. His eyes widened in shock and for one split second, he froze. He was staring into the beautiful and very recognizable face of the queen!

"What the hell?" he gasped, releasing her as if he had been scalded by boiling water. He took a step backward and blinked in astonishment.

Eleta opened her lips to answer him, but then he noticed her eyes widen slightly as she looked over his shoulder. He began to turn to see what she was looking at. A hulking shadow loomed over him, and before he could gather his wits, he felt a sharp blow at the base of his skull. Rafe slumped to the floor as the world suddenly went black.