“I should really sit down before I fall down,” she said breathlessly, the moment she could find her voice.

“Yes,” Richard agreed, but rather than release her, his hands shifted to the back of her legs and with a little pressure and guidance she was suddenly straddling him on the bench seat.

“Oh, I don’t think—”

The rest of her very lame protest was lost when his mouth suddenly covered hers. Christiana didn’t even try to pretend she wanted to protest further, but opened to him at once and let her arms creep around his neck with a little sigh. She did so like his kisses. Christiana had been able to think of little else since their night of passion, the memories of what they’d done and how he’d made her feel had interfered with her every thought since then.

When he deepened the kiss, driving his tongue into her mouth, she gave a little moan and tilted her head for him, her fingers tightening on the strands of his hair and then scraping across his scalp as the familiar heat began to build in her lower belly. His hands had settled on her hips once he had her on his lap, but began to move now, riding up her sides and then around until he could cup her breasts in his hands through the cloth of her gown. Christiana arched into the caress, groaning as he began to knead the eager flesh through the soft material. As nice as it was, she found herself wishing her gown away so she could feel his flesh against her own. She knew from experience how much nicer it was when his hands, work roughened from his time on the farm, were unimpeded by material.

Christiana had barely had the thought when Richard gave up caressing her and began to tug at her gown, trying to pull it off her shoulders. Releasing her hold on his head, she reached to help and then gave a little sigh and shiver as the cloth slid down her arms, freeing her bosom. Richard broke their kiss then to allow her to lean back and remove her arms from the sleeves. The material soon dropped away, leaving her completely, brazenly bare from the waist up.

Christiana would have pressed herself shyly against him then and kissed him once more to help ease the embarrassment suddenly claiming her, but Richard held her back, determined to look his fill. His eyes traveled hungrily over what she’d revealed, and then he said, “You’re beautiful. Absolutely perfect.”

His voice was rough with a need that called out to the hunger she was experiencing and then his hands rose to cover both naked globes and she sighed with a combination of relief and pleasure as he began to caress her. Covering his hands with her own, Christiana squeezed as well, urging him on and then moaned and tipped her head back, eyes closing as he caught her nipples between thumbs and forefingers and toyed with them. The heat in her belly was now a wildfire, spreading outward and making her very core ache in a way she’d never experienced before Richard.