This chapter is dedicated to @Kardelune for helping me be certain this scene created more heat than humor. And for being a genius.

*****

AYLETH

Light flared in his eyes at her words and for a moment his jaw went hard. She thought he might deny her, and her heart sank. But then with a muttered curse, he grasped the lapels of his jacket and pulled them wide, shrugging the jacket off his shoulders and tossing it to the bench behind her. Then he stood in front of her, his eyes still searching hers.

“We have to be so careful, Ayleth,” he said in a tortured voice.

She nodded. “I know.”

His throat bobbed, then one of his beautiful, strong hands came up to cup her jaw, his fingertips dancing on the back of her neck in a way that made her shiver. Then he finally kissed her.

When their lips met, they both sucked in hard.

Even with her fingers trembling, Ayleth made short work of the ivory buttons of his crisp white shirt. They weren’t nearly as tricky as his leathers. Her stomach trilled as his breath thundered in her ear, and he kissed the corner of her jaw, and down her neck.

Before long she had his shirt open and was tugging the tails of it out of his trousers, then finally, finally had her hands on his skin. She sucked in again and inhaled the gorgeous scent of him—pine and hay, horses, and something just purely him.

Inspired by the amazing feelings he’d given her in the woods the other day, she kissed her way down his neck, then sucked at his collarbone, before laying her open mouth on his chest, tasting his skin.

Etan gave a tiny groan. His head dropped back and he buried his fingers in her hair as she continued to stroke down the muscles of his stomach and sides.

His skin was warm and salty, and his body so strong underneath his skin’s silky softness. She embarrassed herself with her panting, but the fire that spun in her belly roared higher.

She took her mouth off his skin to look at him, tracing the lines of his chest and abdomen with her fingers. “You are beautiful the way a horse is beautiful,” she said. “All muscle and strength but… graceful.” He spluttered, but she went on. “But horses do not make me feel like this.”

“Thank God for that,” he rasped, chuckling. “Ayleth—”

“Please don’t stop kissing me, Etan,” she pleaded. “Please don’t run from me right now. I need to be close to you like I need air.”

“Oh, my love. I would never run from you,” he said, his voice hoarse and tormented. “I couldn’t.” Then he took her mouth in a searing kiss and she forgot what she’d been about to say.

*****

ETAN

How was it possible? How could she be so bold, and so innocent at the same time? And how could he possibly keep pushing her away?

For a moment he didn’t think of anything except to show her how he felt. He took her mouth in a bruising kiss that she returned with enthusiasm, her voice breaking in her throat when he traced her tongue with his own.

He put his arms around her, one hand at her lower back, and kissed her so fiercely she bowed back over his arm.

Then, to his pure delight, with her leaned back like that, and her arms up around his neck, one of her pert breasts popped free of the unforgiving structure of the dress.

He groaned and whispered, “Ayleth… hold on.”

“Hold onto wh—?”

She gave a tiny shriek when he lifted her, but she silenced herself quickly, her eyes wide and fixed on his face as she held onto his shoulders. Determined, he lifted his knee between hers, bracing his foot on the bench behind her, then slid her down so she sat, straddling his thigh.

Her eyes widened when her weight rested over him and he pulled her hips to him, sliding her along his thigh.

They ended up face to face, her skirts bunched and wrinkled between them, but flowing over his leg and the bench behind her.

“Ayleth,” he said in the lowest voice he thought he’d ever used.

“Yes?”

“Don’t let go.” He returned her arms to his neck, pulled her into his hip, then leaned her back so that delicious breast popped out of the dress again and he could lay his mouth on the peak of it.

She hissed and her hips rolled.

He groaned, but he didn’t stop tasting her, only cupped the back of her thigh and pulled it to his hip so she could hook her ankle behind his leg.

Given the way her breath sped up, Etan guessed the angle worked.

He had to reach between them to adjust himself before he lost all critical bloodflow, but she just kissed him even deeper and rolled her hips on him again.

For a moment he just watched her, her head thrown back, her hair trailing back over her dress, her leg hooked around him, and one breast already free of the dress. She breathed so quickly, she panted and her chest heaved.

Etan groaned. Her second breast was almost free. Almost bare to him. But the plump pillow of it was caught on the punishing bodice of the dress, pressed in and bulging.

With a guttural groan, he switched hands at her back so he could tease the second breast out from under the indigo fabric. When he slid his fingers past the rigid top of the dress, Ayleth sighed and pressed herself into him.

He was shaking when he found her nipple, hard and wanting, waiting for him. Gently pulling it free he curled over her to lay his mouth on it, and sucked.

“Oh!” Ayleth gasped and pulled her legs up to lock her ankles behind him.

For seconds, maybe minutes, he wasn’t sure, they stayed in the clinch, him lavishing his attention on her breasts, rolling his hips slowly to give her some resistance as she rubbed herself against him, until her breath began to hold, but she gasped it out in frustration.

She couldn’t reach her peak like this.

And he couldn’t reach her.

Shaking with desire, praying for control, praying for the tightest self-discipline he’d ever required, he raised his head and met her eyes, wrapped his arms around her back, and dropped his leg so he held her to his chest.

She kissed him and with her legs locked around him, tried to keep herself there, but he shook his head.

“No, Ayleth, let go. Let me do this for you.”