Page 44 of Juliet's Touch

Chapter thirteen

NowthatErichadexperienced Juliet in his arms—soft and feminine and eagerly rising onto her toes while pressing her lips against his—spending the rest of his life abstaining from this particular member of the fairer sex would be impossible. Eric concluded that he no longer wanted to be celibate. He'd given up intimacy in search of some noble cause for far too long. Perhaps denying himself had been an overreaction because he was nothing like the depraved men who abused women. He had always desired to protect the innocent, not hurt them.

He suspected Juliet’s inadvertent touches were healing his scarred soul because, for the first time in forever, he wanted to welcome light and love into his heart. So much about his life had not made sense, but this woman provided clarity. She was a shroud of sweet innocence, distracting him from his tragic past, so no wonder he was drawn to her. Craved her so much that he could no longer think straight. Needed to kiss her until they both saw stars.

He might not be a virgin, but he certainly wasn’t practiced in lovemaking. Oddly, he wasn’t worried because what he lacked in experience, he would make up for with passion. So help him God, he would do his damnedest to ensure she enjoyed every second with him.

His racing heart thudded against his chest as he captured her honeyed sigh in his mouth. Experimenting with pressure, he brushed his lips over hers. Although pleasant, his feather-light lips on hers only made him want more. Cradling her jaw, he firmly pressed his mouth to hers. In his non-expert opinion, this was also rather nice. He pulled her to him, and his kisses turned demanding. Now, this was beyond wonderful. He could do this forever.

She imitated him with fervor. Hopefully, this was a sign that she liked what he was doing, because he adored every little thing she did, especially her little mewls of pleasure.

He broke from their kiss to rest his lips against her ear. He needed to say her name to remind himself that this was indeed real.

“Juliet,” he whispered.

“Eric,” she whispered back.

Oh, how he liked the way she almost purred and her voice turned sultry when she said his given name. So much so that his skin heated, then tingled.

He again tilted his head and slanted his lips over hers. Juliet was all sensual sounds and soft lips.

He caught her bottom lip between his teeth and nibbled.

She melted against him.

Using the tip of his tongue, he parted her lips, swept into her mouth, and explored. She answered by threading her fingers through his hair and touching her tongue to his. Soon their tongues engaged in a sensual dance, tapping and tangling. Every time she tugged on his hair, he became increasingly lightheaded.Her breathing grew ever more labored, and her little sighs of pleasure came more often.

He peppered kisses down her neck to her collarbone, halting to bury his face in the crook of her neck. There, he lost himself in her intoxicating lilac scent. This is where he wanted to stay forever. Well, most of him. His aching cock had a mind of its own, poking her belly and rudely demanding to be embedded deep inside her.

Hell’s thunder.He needed to get hold of himself. Someone might walk in on them at any moment.

Eric pulled from their kiss to rest his forehead against hers. His lips lingered near her mouth. Sharing the same air, they both fought to catch their breath.

“We should go find the others,” Eric said, in between his panting. If not, he would do something daring, like dip his fingers into her bodice to search for her nipples.

“Mm-hmm.”

She may have murmured her agreement, but her eyes were glazed over as if she were intoxicated. If Eric let go of her, he doubted her legs would hold her up. This posed a dangerous problem because if he didn’t move her along, he’d be fondling her within moments.

“Juliet,” he said, attempting to bring her back from her kiss-induced stupor.

She blinked, and then her pupils focused.

“I suspect our hosts are wondering where we are,” he said. “I believe they are still in the drawing room.”

She nodded.

Gathering her shoes, he placed them in front of her. She stared at them for so long, he thought he might have to bend down and slide them onto her feet. Not that he minded in the least.

At last, frowning, she shoved her feet into them. The slippers were most likely Emily’s since they appeared to be too small.

“Did you choose a book for tonight?” he asked. Hopefully, not the scandalous one that had fallen from the sky and bonked his forehead.

“Yes.” She pointed at the desk.

Since she still seemed to be in a daze, he retrieved her book and handed it to her. She hugged it to her chest with a forearm.

He entwined his roughened digits with her delicate fingers and guided her to the exit. Reluctantly, he dropped her hand to open the door and peer into the hallway. Relief coursed through him. The corridor was empty, so no one would see her leave.