She glanced back at him, a mischievous look on her face. “Surely a little death will be welcome?”

“You shouldn’t know that term, you’re a lady,” he admonished mockingly.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m no lady, just as you’re no gentleman. We’re man and woman, and what we do and say to one another is between us.”

That was truly what she wanted, wasn’t it? To be equal partners. Not having to rely on one another for anything, but knowing they could depend on one another for everything.

He wanted the same thing.

Should he propose now? While her gown was half off, his upper half was entirely bare, and she had just brought herself off against his cock?

It would be unorthodox, to be sure, but their whole relationship was distinctly different, so perhaps he should.

The thought receded when she reached behind herself to rub his erection. “Mmm,” she said, wiggling in closer.

He’d propose later. Now he just wanted to bury himself inside her.

He undid the last button and tugged her sleeves off her arms, then pushed the fabric of her gown so it pooled at her feet. She stepped out of the circle of fabric, wearing her corset and shift. He undid the laces, then practically tore that off her, then yanked her shift up over her head so all she was wearing were her shoes and stockings.

She bent to undo them, but he put a hand at the small of her back. “Wait. I want you to keep those on,” he said.

The stockings were pale pink, with darker pink ribbons at the top. Her shoes were ridiculously delicate slippers, achingly soft and feminine.

“And you?” she said, pointing her chin toward his trousers.

“Do you want to help?” he asked, placing his hands at his waistband.

“Indeed I do,” she said, stepping forward to him. Her breasts were inches away from his chest. They were beautiful, like the rest of her, her pink nipples matching the color of her stockings.

Her fingers went to the placket of his trousers and she began to undo the buttons as he held his breath.

And then his cock sprang free and he gasped as she slid her hand into his smallclothes to clasp her fingers around him. He shoved his trousers down, then bent down to wrap his arm around her knees and hoisted her up against his chest, then strode over to the dining room table. He lowered her gently onto the wooden surface, then climbed up on top of her.

Her eyes were laughing, and he grinned in response.

He’d never imagined he would be having so much fun during sex. But this was her, and everything she did was exuberant and delightful.

He slid down her body and placed his mouth on her, feeling her shudder as his tongue flicked her nub.