Part 37 (1/2)

Madison felt her tightness. ''Do you want me to stop?” he asked, his voice husky with desire.

”Just hold me,” Fern said, slipping her arms around him and holding him tight.

Odd that the very closeness, the embrace that caused her fears to escalate so quickly, should also give her the most comfort. But being in Madison's arms made her feel safe, secure, loved. And no fear could entirely overcome that wonderful feeling.

As they stood there, their bodies entwined, Madison's hands roamed restlessly over her back, shoulders, and sides, touching, soothing, warming. She held him close. Gradually the tension in her jaw eased and her back lost its rigid arch; gradually she felt tingling sensations in her b.r.e.a.s.t.s rather than the tightening in her diaphragm; slowly she became aware that her nipples were no longer soft.

She was also aware of Madison's arousal.

But the man who attacked her had gotten no farther than baring her body to the waist. Her fears centered on Madison's hands as they moved along her ribs, gently brus.h.i.+ng the sides of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

He had handled her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. He had hurt her with his hands and his teeth. He had kissed her with his hot, feverish lips until she was almost sick. He had held her to the ground with the weight of his body. He had scared her almost out of her mind.

This is different. Madison is different She loved his kisses and being in his arms. He wasn't holding her down and he wasn't keeping her here. She wanted to be there.

Still, when Madison's hands finally moved between them and covered her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, she found it difficult to remember anything except that night.

”Tell me if you want me to stop,” Madison said.

Part of her wanted to stop, but part of her didn't. She said nothing.

Madison's hands moved to the back of her neck and gently rubbed away some of the tension. He traced the column of her throat, molded his hands around her shoulders, and pulled her to him.

”I want this to be good for you,” Madison said softly. ”It's no good if it's not.”

”I'll like it soon,” Fern said. She would. She wanted to. Madison's hands slipped under the back of her s.h.i.+rt. The feel of his hands on her bare skin surprised a gasp out of her, but it was a gasp of pleasure. If his hands had felt wonderful on her back before, they felt absolutely marvelous on her skin. They were warm and soft. There were no rough calluses. Just warm, comforting smoothness.

But before she had become accustomed to Madison caressing her bare skin, his hands moved to her sides. She stiffened in alarm. She wore nothing under her s.h.i.+rt. There was nothing between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and Madison's hands.

”I'm barely going to touch you,” Madison whispered. ”There's no need to be frightened.”

I'm already afraid.

Madison's hands slid forward to lightly cup Fern's b.r.e.a.s.t.s, and she thought she would explode. The sensations that ricocheted throughout her body were so powerful and so contradictory she hardly knew what she felt. She clung to him, her fingers digging into the soft flesh of his back.

”Is this where he hurt you?” Madison asked.

She nodded. She couldn't speak.

”I'm not going to hurt you. I'll stop if you want, but soon you'll begin to know the pleasure I feel.”

Fern doubted that. It was all she could do to keep from flinging herself away from him. Every nerve in her body screamed in rebellion.

When she thought she could stand it no longer, she told herself she had to hold on to Madison or let him go forever. Though she felt as if she were going through h.e.l.l just now, she couldn't do that.

Despite the curtain of fear and the pain of remembering, Fern became aware of a new sensation, a feeling of liquid fire that started in her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and spread to the rest of her body. Her muscles remained tense; her loins still ached, but she was no longer prey to pure fear. A seductive warmth had permeated her body, focusing her concentration into ever smaller circles until she discovered the source of this miraculous sensation.

Madison was gently ma.s.saging the firm peaks of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s with his fingertips.

”He never did that,” Fern managed to say.

”He wasn't in love with you,” Madison whispered back.

That was the difference. No matter what happened, Madison loved her. He would never hurt or frighten her. All she had to do was learn to come to him without fear.

Somehow, without completely unb.u.t.toning her s.h.i.+rt, Madison managed to slip the s.h.i.+rt over Fern's shoulders. Before she had time to be afraid of what he might do, he dropped his lips to the softness of her shoulder, laying a trail of kisses from the curve of her neck to a deliciously sensitive spot just below her ear.

Fern practically melted against him. It seemed that her body was under a.s.sault from virtually every angle. Pleasurable sensation overwhelmed her fear. She tilted her head to one side as Madison followed the outline of her collarbone, settled kisses in the hollow of her throat, and continued across her other shoulder. All the while, his hands continued to tease the firming peaks of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s until Fern was conscious of little else.

Shock stiffened her limbs when Madison let his lips sink to caress the tops of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Her gasp of surprise turned into a blissful moan as the warmth of his lips sent additional whirls of pleasure spiraling through her body.

”I'm going to finish unb.u.t.toning your s.h.i.+rt,” Madison murmured.

Fern fought the tension, but she could feel it return. She could remember the feel of his rough hands as they'd grabbed at her tender b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She could remember the pain as his teeth had raked her soft skin.

But Madison's hands continued to gently caress and knead her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, cupping them, lifting them higher until she felt his tongue trace a circle of moist heat around her throbbing nipples.

No pain. No roughness. Only the delicious feeling that continued to flow through her body, fighting the tension, defeating it, was.h.i.+ng it away on an ever-building wave of physical hunger, a hunger so pervasive Fern wondered why she had never suspected its existence before.

Madison took one throbbing nipple into his mouth. Her body jerked in antic.i.p.ation of the pain she remembered, but the waves of enervating pleasure that washed over her body vanquished any remaining fear. With a sigh, she gave herself up to Madison and the sweet agony of his touch.

Without ceasing to wors.h.i.+p her body, Madison helped her to sit on the bed, then lie down. Fern felt another moment of uneasiness when he leaned over her, but her body continued to send her signals that all was well.

”I want to touch you.”

Fern said the words before she was conscious of the desire. But the moment they pa.s.sed her lips, she knew that was exactly what she wanted to do. She had never touched a man, and the desire to know what it was like was suddenly overwhelming.

Fern felt the shock of withdrawal when Madison deserted her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, but as he removed first his coat, then his tie and s.h.i.+rt, eager antic.i.p.ation took its place. Madison's body was lean and trim with only a fine sprinkling of midnight-colored hair at the center of his chest. A faint line trailed down the center of his abdomen and disappeared beneath the top of his pants.

Fern reached out to him.

Her first touch was tentative, almost as though she were touching a hot stove to gauge its warmth. Madison's chest hair was stiff and springy under her fingertips. Marshaling her courage, Fern ran her hands laterally across his chest, her joy in savoring the feel of his ribbed leanness almost as great as her astonishment that her touch left him relaxed and smiling. She ran her hands along his arms. How could they be so lean and yet lift her so effortlessly? His shoulders were the same.

Her fingertips encountered a scar.

”Rustlers,” Madison explained. ”They had Hen cornered. Monty and I surprised them.”

She traced the curves and lines of his neck, felt the slight abrasion of his close-shaved beard, and feathered her fingers across the fullness of his lips. His forehead was cool, his eyebrows thick and bushy; a vein pounded softly in his temples. Taking her courage in hand, Fern allowed her touch to stray to Madison's nipples.

He twitched. Thinking she had hurt him, she s.n.a.t.c.hed her hand away. Madison took her hand and replaced it on his chest.

”It tickles,” he murmured.

”That's not what it does to me.”

Still not entirely certain that Madison was telling her the truth, Fern tentatively traced the edge of his nipple with her fingertip. She was stunned to feel it gradually harden. She was even more surprised to feel her own nipples grow firm in response. She wondered if he felt the s.h.i.+vers of pleasure that darted back and forth along her limbs. Whatever he felt, he wasn't the least bit frightened.

Feeling more courageous, Fern leaned forward and dropped a tiny kiss on his nipple. When he didn't move away from her, she kissed the other one. Again, when he didn't withdraw, she traced its outline with the tip of her tongue. Madison's s.h.i.+ver of delight sent a thrill running through her body. She could give him pleasure.

Taking his face in her hands, she pulled his lips down to her for an impa.s.sioned kiss. She didn't even flinch when his body pressed down against hers. She only felt the abrasions of his skin and hair against her ultrasensitive nipples. Her body tension increased tenfold in response.