As if hearing something of his thoughts in his tone, she tilted her head, studied him. Then smiled. A smile that held too much knowledge, far too much resolution for his liking.

“On one condition.” Her tone had descended to that sultry purr that sent heat shooting straight to his loins. “This time, I want it all.”

He felt something inside him quake. “All?”

“Hmm-mmm.” Her eyes remained locked on his. “All-including whatever it is you hold back.”

For the first time in his life he felt dizzy from sheer lust. He gritted his teeth, spoke gratingly through them. “You don’t know what you’re asking for.”

One dark brow arched, haughty-deliberately challenging. “Don’t I?”

Her tone was beyond teasing.

Before he could respond, smooth as any houri, she turned in his arms, fitted herself back against him, looked over her shoulder, capturing his stunned gaze as she provocatively shifted her bare bottom against his aching erection. Waited for a heartbeat before asking, “Are you sure?”

She did know-it was there in her eyes, a blue so intense it was almost black. He wanted to ask how the devil she knew, but couldn’t think enough to form the sentence.

Couldn’t think beyond the fact she somehow did know his deepest, most primitive desire. And was willing to grant it. Accede to it.

That last was clear as she reached one hand up and, leaning her head back, drew his lips to hers. Took him in, drew him in, took his tongue, caressed it with hers. Urged him to feast. When he did, her hand drifted away; she found both his hands with hers, lifted them to her breasts.

Caught her breath on a soft gasp when he captured the firm mounds.

The sound, half-smothered by their kiss, shot fire through him. He released her lips, his hands full of her bounty, breathed, “Are you sure?”

Her lids flickered as he kneaded, blatantly possessive, then she lifted them. Her eyes were brilliant as she looked into his.

“I’m yours.” The words were certain, assured. “Take me as you wish, however you wish.” She held his gaze steadily. “I want to know all of you-all your wants, all your needs. All your desires.”

The last shackle fell, shattered. Passion roared through him, immeasurely stronger than anything he’d felt before. He released her, turned her, caught her in his arms, locked her to him as he bent his head, captured her mouth-and devoured.

What rode him was not lust, not desire, not even passion, but something that grew from all three, yet was fueled by something more. By a desperate, primitive need-something buried so deep beneath his civilized exterior that few women would ever guess it was there.

Let alone tempt it.

Invite it.

Without breaking the kiss, he lifted her; she clung to him, as greedily desperate as he, as wantonly hungry.

His legs hit the end of the four-poster bed. Gathering his strength, he eased her from him, broke the kiss, juggled her and tossed her onto the brilliant crimson coverlet.

“Wait.”

Portia lay as she’d fallen, on one hip, half over on her stomach, knew she wouldn’t have long to wait. She watched as he stripped off his clothes, let her gaze rest on his face, drank in the austere lines as he flung his waistcoat aside. His features looked harder, more set and angular, than she’d ever seen them. The strength in his body, that invested every movement, was somehow clearer, more intense. Less veiled.

His shirt followed the waistcoat; she twisted back a little to get a better view of the wide expanse of his chest, the hard ridges across his abdomen rippling as he shifted, then bunching as he bent to pull off his boots.

Trousers and stockings went in seconds. And then he stood naked, flagrantly aroused. His gaze locked on her, traveled slowly up her body as he walked to the bed.

He reached out. Traced his palm up the back of her leg, curved his hand about her bottom as he set one knee on the crimson silk.

Lifted his eyes to hers. “You can call a halt at any time.”

She met his gaze, dark and burning-couldn’t quite smile. “You know I won’t.”

He searched her eyes one last time, then he closed his hand and shifted her.

Onto her stomach.

She felt the bed bow as he knelt on either side of her legs. Felt the heat of his body run like fire over the backs of her thighs, over the dewed skin of her bottom as he leaned down, close-and pressed his lips to the base of her spine, just above the cleft of her bottom.

Closed his hands about her hips, held her steady as he worked his way upward, following her spine, planting hot, openmouthed kisses as he went, as if he in truth meant to devour her.

The rough hair of his chest brushed her skin; the heat of him poured over her yet he didn’t lean on her, hovered just an inch above her, taking his weight on his hands as he moved steadily higher, over her, surrounding her-a potent masculine animal who had captured her and was now intent on possessing her.

She couldn’t stop a reactive shiver; closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the wave of heat rising over her, steadily engulfing her, glanced over her shoulder as, pushing her hair aside, he neared her nape.

He lifted his head; for one instant, his blue eyes locked on hers, then he drew back a fraction, straddling her thighs, set his hands to her hips, swept both hard palms slowly up her body, tracing the indentation of her waist, rising up her sides, fingers boldly caressing the sensitive sides of her breasts before sliding down the backs of her arms to grip her elbows.

“Stretch your arms up, above your head.”

He pushed them up and she let him; without their support, she slumped onto the bed, her breasts, nipples already tight, pressing into the crimson silk.

Placing her wrists among the pillows, he released them. “Leave them there-don’t draw your arms down again.”

A command, gravelly and absolute. Her heart thudded, her senses leapt as he reversed the direction of his slow, possessive stroking. She could feel him close, but other than the occasional brush of raspy hair across her skin, he’d touched her only with his hands and lips.

And his gaze. She could feel that, another sort of flame, following his hands as he traced the long lines of her back, down, past her waist, until his thumbs caressed the shallow indentations below her hips.

Her skin prickled; anticipation welled and rushed through her.

To her surprise, he shifted back, shuffling down the bed, his knees on either side of her legs… then his hands closed about her hips; smoothly, he lifted them and drew them back.

Until she was curled on her knees before him.

She started to lift her shoulders from the bed-

“Leave your arms as I told you.”

The tenor of the words sent a flash of expectation sheering through her, wound her nerves even tighter. She’d obeyed before she’d thought-without the use of her arms, she slumped over her knees. Helpless.

Even before she’d fully assimilated the total submission inherent in the pose, one hand settled heavily on her back, just above her waist.

Holding her down.

In the instant she realized, his other hand spread over her bottom, boldly caressed until her skin was damp, then reached farther, to the slick, swollen flesh between her thighs, in this position readily accessible to his probing fingers.

He held her down, ruthlessly touched, stroked, teased-caressed but never penetrated, never gave her greedy, wanting senses the slightest succor, instead stoked her fire until her skin was aflame, until her breaths came in ragged pants.

Until she moaned.

The wanton, abandoned sound shocked her, but it was quickly followed by more. Held immobile, she could gain no surcease from the unrelenting stimulation, from the need that was flaring inside her-burgeoning, building, rising high.

Eyes closed, her hair fanning about her with the restless motion of her head-the only part of her free to move-she bit her lip, tried to hold back the sound welling in her throat.

Couldn’t.

She sobbed. Sobbed again as he raised her hips, turned the sensual rack one notch tighter…

In the instant before she broke and told him precisely what she wanted him to do, he shifted. Opened her with his fingers, guided the broad head of his erection to her entrance-and thrust deliberately and heavily home.

Filled her with one long, sure stroke that pushed all the air from her lungs.

That left her feeling more full of him that she ever had before.

His thighs outside hers, his groin to her bottom, he gripped her hip, withdrew a little way, then surged within her.

Still holding her down, a supplicant before him, her body offered for the enjoyment of his.

An offering he took, accepted, savored-with every hard, deep, too-knowing thrust.

She’d told him she was all his; he’d taken her at her word. As he held her before him and possessed her, deeper, harder, faster, she finally fully understood what that meant.

Couldn’t find it in her to complain.

The fire, the flames, and the love were there, around them, about them, within them. She gave herself up to it all, lost herself in the inferno.

Willingly surrendered.

Simon gasped as he felt her body tighten. Closed his eyes, savored the exquisite sensation of the firm curves of her bottom riding against him as he buried himself in her scalding heat. Again and again and again.

Taking his hand from her back, he clamped both palms about her hips and held her still as, all restraint long gone, he took all he wished-all she’d offered him.

The most potent invitation a woman could issue-to have her however he wished. To possess her, all she was, all the delights her body could offer, without reservation.

His heart thundered, filled to bursting as he filled his senses with her. As, step by step, her body responded, as did his, wanting more, reaching further.

Releasing her hips, he leaned over her, ran his hands up and around, filling them with her breasts, hot, swollen, finding and squeezing her nipples until she cried out, until she sobbed anew.

She’d come alive beneath him, riding his thrusts, meeting them. He bent his head, nuzzled her hair aside, set his teeth to the tendon running along the curve of her neck, and nipped.

Laved as she reacted, as on a wild gasp her body rose beneath his and clenched tight, then imploded, fractured, pulsing as he drove relentlessly into her, deep into the heart of her fire.

Closed his arms around her, holding her immobile as his body reacted to the rippling contractions of hers, as he plunged deeper yet, filling her, following her, over the peak of sensual glory, over the edge of worldly delight and into earthly bliss.

Into a deep void of unutterable satisfaction. The deepest satiation he’d ever known. Her celebration had created a new dimension, taken them to a different plane.

How many minutes passed before he could summon the strength and the wit to lift from her, wrestle the covers from beneath them and, curling her body against his, slump, all but exhausted, into the bed, he had no idea.

He lay there and let the moment wash over him. Let the peace, the knowledge, the absolute certainty sink into him.

They both fell asleep.

When he woke, he found he’d turned on his side, one arm slung over her hip, his body curved spoon-fashion about hers.

She, too, was awake. He knew it from the tension in her body; she was lying on her side facing away from him-he couldn’t see her face.

Coming up on his elbow, he leaned over her.

She turned her head, looked at him, and smiled.

Even in the moonlight, the gesture was glorious.

Raising one hand, Portia touched his cheek, then, still smiling, settled back on her side, feeling him hard, strong, and hot behind her.

He lay passive, yet…

Her smile deepened. Reaching back, she wrapped her fingers around his length. Caressed as she remembered. “You called me a cocktease-did you mean it?”

He grunted. “I wasn’t even sure you’d know what it meant.”

She grinned as, slowly, she ran her thumb over the blunt head of his erection. “Admittedly it’s not something one comes across much in Ovid, but I do know my modern derivations.”

“Derivations?”

The reply was meaningless; he wasn’t thinking about words.

She closed her hand more firmly. “You haven’t answered my question.”

He sucked in a breath; there was a pause before he said, “Not in general, but in specific.”

She thought about that for a moment, fondled not quite absentmindedly as she did. “You mean I tease you?”

It was her turn to catch her breath as he nudged her upper thigh higher, and his artful fingers slid into the softness between her legs.