Christie Kelley - Every Night Im Yours

FIRST GOMES PASSION

"Kiss me, Avis. We'll only go as far as you wish," he whispered.

She had no control of her head as it slowly lowered toward him. Using only the slightest of touches, she caressed his lips with hers. But it wasn't enough. She wanted the fire. She wanted to be seared by his passion if only to prove to herself that plain, old, spinster Avis could indeed flame Banning's desires.

As she parted his lips with her tongue, he groaned. He tasted like scones and chocolate or was that her? Either way, it was delightful.

Banning deepened their kiss as he rolled her over onto her back. She stiffened and then forced herself to relax. No easy task when he trailed hot kisses down her neck. A moan escaped her. Never in her twenty-six years had she imagined a sensation as exciting as Banning's lips on her body.

As he undid the pearl buttons of her nigh trail, cool air swept over her right breast. His kisses stopped. Avis peeked at him through her lashes. He stared down at her breast with a sensual smile on his face.

He skimmed a finger down her chest until it reached the tip of her breast. Tremors coursed through her body at his light touch. She wanted him to do more than just tease her like this. But what? What more did she want?

Everything.

www.kensingtonbooks.com

ZEBRA BOOKS are published by

Kensington Publishing Corp. 850 Third Avenue New York, NY

Copyright 2008 by Christie Kelley

ISBN-13:978-14201-0351-9

ISBN-10:1-4201-0351-2

To my husband, Mike:

Thank you for believing in me and

pushing me to do the thing I love most

I love you!

I would never have come this far without my fantastic critique group, The Tarts. Kathy Love, Janet Mullany, Kate Dolan, Kate Poole, and Lisa, you ladies rock!

A special thanks to Kathy Love and Sheryl Fischer for reading this book more times than any person should have to. And another thanks to Kathy for giving me the hardest villain's name to type.

Mom, thanks for all the support the last seven years!

Thank you, Laura Bradford, for getting this book where it needed to be for publication. You're amazing!

Mike and the boys, I love you all.

London, 1816

"Let me love you"

The shadowy figure moved ewer her, not quite touching her. Yet she felt him with every fiber of her body. His heat, his strength, his desire. Or maybe it washer desire. She burned for him, ached for his touch.

Helplessly, she writhed, begging with her body for his
touch. Her body understanding more of what she wanted than her mind did. The shadow shifted. He was closer: Right there, his body nearly gazing hers. Each barely there touch, making her throb with this uncontrollable need. His warm breath caressed her skin, his rich, almost spicy scent making her dizzy. His lips, strong yet velvety soft, brushed the side of her throat. She whimpered, reaching for him, wanting to feel the pressure of his body. She needed something more substantial than this shadow lover. But when her fingers would have brushed his chest, his shoulders, his dark, spectral hair, his voice stopped her.

"Let me love you. "

This was what she wanted, what she needed.

"Yes. Yes. Please."

No! Avis Copley sat upright, blinking against the watery light that still managed to make her bedroom seem unbearably bright. Not that dratted dream again. She yanked out the secret volume she'd stashed under her pillow last night and threw the book against wall. This was entirely the book's fault.

Ever since she found the volume among her late father's belongs two weeks ago, she'd been plagued by dreams. Not just any dreams. Sensual, erotic nightmares that tormented her with feelings of longing, until she awoke drenched in perspiration and aching for the one thing she could never havea man.

She groaned and pulled the coverlet over her head, cocooning herself in darkness. In her seclusion, the images of her dream revealed themselves in vivid detail and her traitorous body responded again. Her breasts ached to be touched, and she gave into the need, hesitantly skimming her hands over the cotton of her nigh trail. Beneath the fabric, her nipples puckered and became even more sensitive. What would it really feel like to have a man touch her this way? Touch her bare skin? Suckle her breasts and draw her nipple into the hot recesses of his mouth as her dream lover had?

The thought alone made her body tingle, the flesh between her legs pulse. Would it feel as good if she touched herself there? She squeezed her legs together to stem the growing ache but realized her efforts only added to her torment. Wrenching up her nightrail, she lowered her hand and slipped her fingers between the moist folds

"Good morning, miss."

Oh Lord, this morning couldn't get any worse. "Good morning, Bridget," she mumbled from under the coverlet. Heat scorched her cheeks with the mortification of being caught with her hand between her legs. She quickly adjusted her nightrail but refused to leave her sanctuary under the covers.

"Happy birthday, Miss Copley!"

Her birthday. Clearly, her morning could get worse. It wasn't horrid enough that she was regularly dreaming of a man in her bed, or that she had nearly been caught in a very private position, now she was reminded that she was twenty-six years old. Twenty-six and she'd barely experienced anything in life.

"Just leave my breakfast on the table, please."

"Yes, miss."

Avis listened as her maid placed the tray down and walked out the door. Slowly, she emerged from her hiding place. Staring up at the coffered ceiling, she knew she couldn't go on like this, playing at really living. It was time.

The time had come to make a decision that could affect her life forever.

"I've decided to take a lover."

Avis couldn't believe she had just blurted out her news in such an indelicate manner. It was not quite the way she'd imagined telling her friends."

Jennette held her floral teacup halfway to her lips. Sophie's mouth gaped open. Hardly the reaction Avis had expected from either of them. Silence filled the small room, deafening her with the empty sound.

"You cannot be serious," Jennette finally said.

"Think of your reputation," Sophie added. You have always managed to keep your reputation intact even when you scorned your cousin's generosity and decided to live on your own. Taking a man to your bed will ruin everything you have strived to keep sacred."

"Why would you do such a thing?" Jennette implored.

Avis stood and paced the carpet by the fireplace. "I have given this much thought" She had thought of little else for the past week. She knew she couldn't tell them the truth. They just would not understand. Instead, she recounted to them the lie she'd practiced all week. "I never feel I capture the true true essence of the relationship between my characters. I don't understand physical love."

"Surely you have been kissed before?" Sophie asked.

"No," Avis denied far too quickly and then turned to avoid Jennette's prying stare. Only Jennette knew about her one and only kiss. A kiss on a wager, and not her wager.

"Really?" Sophie shook her head as if unable to believe a person could reach the age of six and twenty and never have kissed a man.