She was embarrassed.

      She was magnificent.

      He’d watched as she gave herself over to him and allowed him to give her pleasure. And he’d touched her with nothing but his mouth. He ached for release, but he would not seek it now—he would not bury himself deep within her still-pulsing flesh no matter how much he longed to do so. When her hand brushed against him, he hissed at the near-painful touch. Ciara pushed up on her elbows and looked at him, making it react.

      ‘Did I hurt you?’ she asked.

      He laughed and shook his head. ‘You did not.’

      ‘But you did not …?’ She reached for him and he swore he would spill it if she uttered another word about it.

      ‘Nay. Worry not about it, lass.’

      He began to sit up, to move away, when she put her hand on his chest and pushed him down. ‘’tis my turn to kiss you,’ she said, bold now, embarrassment clearly forgotten.

      ‘You will kill me.’

      She laughed at that and shrugged. ‘Let us find out.’

      No threat uttered by foe and friend ever filled him with such terror. The thought of her mouth on him, on his flesh, made him shake. She laughed at that, too, before kneeling over and staring at his body. He closed his eyes and threw his arm across them. Mayhap if he did not watch he could control himself?

      The first touch of her mouth, on his nipples, proved that this battle would require every ounce of will within him and he still might lose. But when she moved lower and he felt the heat of her mouth and the tickling trail of her hair on his thighs, he knew he could never win.

      She learned quickly, imitating everything he’d done with deadly accuracy. Unsure of what to do, she touched the tip of her tongue to him and he reacted suddenly.

      ‘Bad?’ she asked in a throaty voice.

      ‘Good,’ he growled back. ‘Too good.’

      The witch laughed and applied her newly found skills to torturing him until he begged her for more. She traced a path with her wet, hot tongue.

      Ciara would drive him insane from the pleasure. She used her lips and tongue against him as he had on her flesh and he even felt the edges of her teeth graze along the length of him. He knew his release was not far off.

      That was when she realised she could take him in her mouth. She opened her lips, surrounded the head of his cock and pushed down until she took most of it inside. Her innocence was demonstrated once again when she paused and he realised she did not know what to do next. He could have died a happy man in that position, but he urged her on.

      Tavis deserved the torment he received, for though new at this, it took her little time to master the movements and bring him to within moments of release. He allowed himself to enjoy the feel of her mouth tightening around him, but he lifted her head.

      ‘I think I like kissing,’ she said with a smile.

      ‘Then think of how much you will like the rest of it.’

      The words were out before he thought them through, but for a fleeting moment they both realised that it would not be him doing the rest of it with her.

      ‘Come, Ciara. You should get home before you are missed.’

      He slid from the bed and gathered up her clothes, only then realising that she did not move. Well, she did move, but that was only to stretch her body like a cat, elongating her spine and rolling on to her belly, giving him a glimpse of her beautifully sculpted arse. Her long, blonde curls swirled over her body, hiding just enough to be enticing.

      ‘My parents believe I am spending the night at Elizabeth’s,’ she explained. ‘A last night alone with a dear, dear friend.’

      He did not like deceiving his friend and mentor, but the alternative was a slow and agonising death at his hands for even touching his daughter this way.

      ‘You did not touch me with your hands,’ she said. He’d hoped she’d not notice that. Leave it to her to pick up on it.

      ‘You asked me for a kiss,’ he said, walking to the bed and holding out her clothes. ‘You got your kiss.’

      ‘You make it sound like a chore,’ she said, laughing. ‘I thought men enjoyed tupping.’

      He sat next to her and tossed the clothes on a stool. ‘Men do. But we are not … tupping. I told you—’

      ‘I understand your boundaries, Tavis. And I thank you for them. But will touching me cross that line?’

      ‘You are killing me by inches!’

      ‘Then we can talk instead.’ She held out the weapon and he suspected she knew it would work. It did.

      He turned and was on her before she could react. He lay over her, enjoying the feel of her. He eased one leg between hers from the back and slid it high, grazing the hair and rubbing until it eased up against her womanly flesh.

      She sighed and leaned back against him, exposing her breasts to him. He slid his hand across them, caressing them until she arched against him. Positioned as she was, her neck was open to him and he leaned down and kissed her there, enjoying the way she shivered in his grasp.

      Every sound she made pushed him to pleasure her more. He moved so that she lay half on him and eased both hands around her waist so he could stroke the folds between her legs. She lifted her leg over his, giving him access and he slipped his fingers along the wet flesh. Her breathing became shallower with each touch and she shifted restlessly against him. This time she and her body knew what to expect and she responded to each caress. He found the little bud buried in the folds and touched it. She moaned and opened more to him. He kissed her neck and bit down gently on the cord of muscle there. Her indrawn breath was her reply.

      ‘Now, Tavis, now!’ she demanded.

      He did as she asked and moved faster and faster against her readied flesh until she fell apart in his arms.

      It was magnificent to see and to feel. Neither of them moved for several minutes and it felt incredible to hold her like this.

      ‘Now it is time for you to go, Ciara,’ he whispered as he relaxed his hold on her and rolled away.

      But she followed him and slid her arms around him. ‘Now? Now when you are ready?’

      She could feel the moment his resistance melted, for he turned in her arms and slid up against the headboard of the bed, giving her complete access to his body.

      ‘Here, like this,’ he said, as she knelt next to him and wrapped her hands around him.

      ‘Like churning butter,’ she said, intent on her purpose once she got the movements in a smooth rhythm.

      He laughed then, leaned over and kissed her on the mouth. It made her lose her pacing, but she got it back. He did not laugh after that. He may have panted, he may have moaned, but he did not laugh …

      Later, Tavis took one of her hands and slid his fingers between hers.

      ‘Now you must go,’ he whispered, kissing her knuckles.