Page 91 of The Botanist’s Improper Bride

“Well?”

“It’s true.” A curl had fallen loose from its pins, and he tucked it behind her ear. “Would you like to experience it for yourself?”

She scooted backward onto the desk, and he moved forward between her thighs. “An experiment wouldn’t go amiss. I like to be thorough in my research.”

“Of course you do.” She was absolutely incorrigible. “Did you lock the door when you came in?”

“No, but I shall do it immediately.”

Grinning, he kissed her. “Then once you have, I’m happy to oblige.”

She rushed over to lock the door and he, knowing they wouldn’t have as much time as they would if they were somewhere more private, dropped to his knees. When she returned, he pushed her skirt and petticoats up. He grabbed her hips and dragged her to the edge of the desk, pleased when she clutched her layers of clothes and bared herself to him.

She was soft, with a patch of blond hair, and she tasted divine as he laid his mouth over her and got to work licking, sucking, and teasing her with his tongue.

She keened, then shoved a fistful of her skirt into her mouth and bit down on it, her eyes wide and cheeks flushed. Spurred on by her obvious pleasure, he moaned against her, using his tongue to open her up and adding a thumb to keep pressure on her clitoris so she’d be ready for him as soon as possible.

His cock had plumped during their kissing, but now it pulsed against his breeches, eager to sink into Seraphina’s tight, wet heat. Gently, he pushed one finger into her, crooking it and smiling as it moved easily, her channel slick.

He added another, and then, when she spat out her skirt to tell him to hurry up, he fumbled to undo his breeches and straightened, the blood rushing to his head as he notched himself at her entrance.

“You’re sure about this?” he asked her, and she nodded, her hands splayed on the desk behind her as she supported herself.

He buried himself in her, a ragged sound tearing from his throat as she engulfed him, just as silken and perfect as he’d remembered. His mouth found hers, and he leaned over her, loving how pliant she was in his arms and how she rolled her hips, inviting him deeper and using him to make herself feel good.

Their lovemaking was fast and heated, all panted breaths, locked mouths, and clutching hands.

He was grateful when she pushed herself up and wrapped her arms around him, holding on tight as his thrusts became erratic, high-pitched gasps escaping her with each one, until she shuddered and buried her face in the crook of his neck, crying his name into his shoulder.

Thank God. He hadn’t been sure how much longer he could hold on.

He planted himself deep within her and clasped her to his chest as a wave of ecstasy crashed over him and he climaxed, his vision whiting out.

When he came back to his senses, Seraphina had pulled back and was gazing up at him dreamily. He was holding her in an unusual position, so he helped her back onto the desk and unsheathed himself, then used his handkerchief to clean her up.

She smoothed her skirts down, although between their rumpled state and her partially unbound hair—which he must have sunk his fingers into at some point—there was no hiding what they’d been doing.

He didn’t care. He’d just made love to the woman he loved, and she was looking at him like he’d plucked the stars from the night sky and given them to her.

He smiled. “Was it a successful experiment?”

She grinned. “I believe so, but we might need to try again later so I can be certain.”

Laughing, he kissed her cheek. “Anything you want.”

CHAPTER 31

Lincolnshire,

September, 1825

Seraphina scrawled notes as quickly as her hand could move in an attempt to keep up with the rapid pace of her brain. She kept her eyes on the new chemistry textbook she’d obtained for their library at Nunhaven and hoped that her writing would be legible because she certainly wasn’t taking the time to check.

This could be it. The secret to successfully extracting the active compound in willow bark into a more stable medicinal form. She’d stumbled upon the technique while skimming through the book to see if any parts were of interest, and she hadn’t looked away from it since. Just a few more hours of concentration, and she’d be able to start planning her experiments.

“Sera?”

She grunted, knowing Trevor would understand that she didn’t want to be disturbed right now.