Page 36 of To Wager with Love

She looked back at him and Jasper nodded.

“There’s something similar isn’t there?” she asked, her gaze direct. “For me?”

Jasper nodded again, beyond giving an explanation. “Lay back.”

She did as he asked and Jasper turned onto his side again, sliding a hand up the outside of her thigh. Harriet watched him and he leaned down and kissed her, pleased when she sighed and opened to him at once. As they kissed, he gently parted her thighs and returned to stroking up and down, aware of the quickening of her breath. He broke the kiss as his fingers sought the feathery patch of curls, wanting to watch her, needing to be certain of her approval.

“Here is your evidence, love,” he said, parting the delicate folds and seeking the wet heat within as he dipped a fingertip inside her.

Harriet’s breath caught. “Yes,” she said. “Oh, yes.”

Jasper bent his head and kissed her again as he continued to caress her, his finger sliding a little deeper as his thumb circled over the little hidden bud with care. Harriet arched, a soft cry torn from her that made his body tighten with need.

“D-Do I…?” Harriet began before his touch made her arch again and the words were lost.

“Do you what?” Jasper asked, nuzzling at her neck and tugging gently at her earlobe with his teeth.

“D-Do I…?” she began again, and he looked up watching her as she asked with typical solemnity. “Do I taste salty too?”

Jasper stared down at her, wondering for a frantic moment if she was doing it on purpose, for she was shredding his self-control. He swallowed and tried to find his voice.

“Why don’t we find out?”

He moved down the bed, delighted and astonished when she parted her legs wider for him, giving him access. She sat up, propped on her elbows and staring down at him.

“Do you want to?” she asked, frowning a little. “I never thought to ask if—”

Jasper gave a slightly hysterical laugh. “Yes. Yes, I do want to. More than anything.”

“Good,” she said, apparently satisfied as she lay down again.

His lips quirked. God, she was wonderful. Utterly unique, truly herself. There was not another woman in the world like her, and he could not afford to let her go. With that in mind he settled to his work, determined to please her, to bring her such pleasure that she’d never be able to forget it, or to forget him.

The sound she made as he parted her curls and licked would certainly be burned into his mind until the day he died. It was at once wanton and all surprised innocence and, when he did it again, there was such approval in the breathless gasp she gave, he’d have purred if he was capable of it.

“Oh,” she cried, reaching down to tangle her finger in his hair, arching her hips to give herself more fully into his reach. “Oh, Jasper.”

The sound of his name spoken with such husky desire sent a bolt of need straight to his groin and it took every ounce of concentration not to give into the desire to sink into her there and then. He’d not be selfish in this. Though he’d never bedded a virgin before, he knew that her first time might not be everything he wanted for her, but there was no way she’d leave his bed without knowing how much pleasure there was to be found there.

“How do I taste, Jasper?”

Jasper chuckled against her skin, amused she still wanted to know. “Sweeter than honey,” he murmured. “Sweet and tart and utterly delicious.”

She sighed, satisfied, and gave herself over to the pleasure he gave on her. To his relief, it didn’t take long before he sensed her climax at hand. Not that he wanted to stop, far from it, but he didn’t think he could wait much longer. Beneath him he was aware of her body growing taut, of the tightening of her fingers in his hair and her stuttering breath as she grew closer to the edge.

Jasper hummed with approval as he sucked gently on the delicate bud of her sex and she shattered, her cry loud and raw enough to make him extremely glad his rooms were far from anyone else’s. Pleasure thrummed through him as he guided her, easing every ounce of delight to be had from her body before he finally moved to take his place between her thighs. He couldn’t wait any longer. It would kill him.

“Harriet,” he said, staring down at her as she blinked hazily up at him. “Please,” he added, wondering if that was coherent enough as he was beyond words now. He slid his cock over her slick flesh and she gasped and then wrapped her legs about his hips, arching to meet him.

“Yes,” she said. “Yes.”

That was all he’d needed, and he pushed inside, watching her face for any sign of pain or distress.

“Is it…?”

“Yes.”

He bent his head, resting his forehead against hers and sliding deeper, closing his eyes as the exquisite heat of her engulfed him like a velvet glove.