Ellie reached up hesitantly. She'd never touched a man's chest, never even seen one before. She was a little surprised by the sprinkling of reddish brown hair that played across his skin. It was soft and springy, but it didn't hide the way his skin burned or his muscles leapt beneath her hesitant caress.

She grew more daring, excited and emboldened by the way he sucked in his breath when she reached for him. She didn't even have to touch his skin for him to shudder with desire. She suddenly felt as if she must be the most beautiful woman on earth. At least in his eyes, at least for this moment, and that was all that mattered.

She felt his hands on her, lifting her up, and then the lingerie slid over her head and landed in a pool of silk on the floor. Ellie no longer just felt naked, she was naked. Somehow it seemed the most natural thing in the world.

He moved off her and removed his breeches. This time he disrobed quickly, almost frantically. Ellie's eyes widened when she saw his aroused manhood. Charles noticed her apprehension, swallowed, and said, “Are you afraid?”

She shook her head. “Well, maybe a little. But I know you will make everything beautiful.”

“Oh, God, Ellie,” he groaned, sinking back onto the bed. “I'll try. I promise, I'll try. I've never been with an innocent before.”

That made her laugh. “And I've never done this before, so we are even.”

He touched her cheek. “You're so brave.”

“Not brave, just trusting.”

“But to laugh, when I'm about to—”

“That's exactly why I am laughing. I'm so happy I can't think of anything but laughter.”

He kissed her again, his mouth hot on hers. And while he distracted her in this way, his hand stole down the soft skin of her stomach to the patch of curls that shielded her womanhood. She stiffened for just a moment, then relaxed under his gentle caress. At first, he made no move to touch her more deeply, just tickled her as he moved his mouth along the planes of her face.

“Do you like that?” he whispered.

She nodded.

His other hand moved to her breast, squeezing its fullness before grazing the aroused nipple with his palm. “Do you like that?” he whispered, his voice growing husky.

She nodded again, this time with her eyes squeezed shut.

“Do you want me to do it again?”

And while she nodded for the third time, he moved one finger into the hot folds of her womanhood and began to stroke.

Ellie gasped, then forgot how to breathe. Then when she finally remembered where her lungs were, she let out a loud, “Oh!” that caused Charles to chuckle and slide his finger in deeper, touching her in the most intimate of ways.

“Oh, Lord, Ellie,” he groaned. “You want me.”

She clutched desperately at his shoulders. “You only just noticed?”

His chuckle came from deep in his throat. His fingers continued their sensual torture, moving and stroking within her, and then he found her most sensitive nub of flesh, and Ellie nearly burst from the bed.