My hands twined through the silky strands of his hair as his mouth made love to every inch of me. Roving down one leg and up the other, there wasn’t a curve or dip neglected by his tongue.

“Life hasn’t been kind to you.” He was at my scar again, kissing the sad relic with reverence.

“Life isn’t kind to anyone. Not even my father, who always seemed so untouchable and free.”

“He was a lucky man to have the unconditional love of a daughter.”

Something I’ll never have.

Watching him stare at my scar, I knew he was thinking the same thing. Even if he decided to somehow look past my rank as a plebeian and criminal, I would never be able to give him heirs.

The odds were stacked so thoroughly against us there was nothing I could do to change our destinies. But I could enjoy the moment. Right here. Right now.

“Ashley.” I waited for his gaze to lift. “You’ve seen all of me. Every scar. Every freckle. It’s my turn to look.” I gave him a nudge with my knee. “Take off your breeches.”

“Tell me you forgive me.”

“If you do this for me, I’ll think about it.”

The corner of his mouth curved into a delectable half-smile. He leaned up, smacked a hard kiss onto my lips, and rose from the bed.

My gaze followed his hands to the row of laces beneath the defined ridges of his abdomen. As he opened the front flap, I pushed up onto my hip, mesmerized.

The long, bulging outline of him twitched visibly beneath the fabric, thumping against his thigh as if attempting to get out. My mouth salivated for a taste, and I shivered. No sane woman would willingly stretch her lips around that beast.

But I wanted it. Desperately.

Finished with the laces, he met my eyes and shoved down the breeches. His bent posture momentarily blocked my view. When he straightened, he lowered his arms, stark naked, and regarded me with an arched brow.

His hair was indecently tousled by my fingers. His teeth caught the corner of his bottom lip, accentuating his innocent-looking face. But there was nothing chaste about the superior breeding that hung between his legs.

The most impressive cock known to man jutted outward, hard and swollen with veins. It was too heavy to rise upward, though it tried. Christ almighty, he was sinful. Gorgeous. Insanely, powerfully built from head to toe. He looked good enough to eat.

I shifted to the edge of the mattress and sat nude before him with my feet on the floor. Without preamble, I slid my fingers along his length, stroking lightly. His breathing grew, fast and shallow, speeding up my pulse.

Another stroke and his hands flew to my tangled mop of curls. He gave my head a slight pull, asking for my mouth, not demanding it. That was a nice change.