Iliana tried to hang on to the brief clearing of her thoughts, but his kisses, coupled with the feel of his bare chest moving against her own, was hard to ignore. The small, wiry hairs of his chest were bringing her skin to startling life. Then he tore his lips from hers and kissed a trail down her neck until he found and suckled at one ripe breast. But it was just a teasing he offered this time; at the first moan she gave, he pressed on, his lips sliding over her ribs to her stomach.

When her undertunic got in the way, he raised his head and flipped it up to lie against her stomach. Then he dropped his head to nibble at the sensitive flesh of her hip just above the belt, his hands sliding beneath her to cup her buttocks as he did.

“No…Oh,” Iliana gasped, writhing in his hands under the caress, then groaned in disappointment despite her words when his lips left the area. In the next instant, Iliana was twisting her head on the bed and moaning aloud as he set to work nibbling at the flesh of her inner thigh. Her heart was beating so fast, she feared she’d die. When he slid one hand out from beneath her and slid his finger back beneath the leather of her belt again to caress her, she was sure she had.

Drawing her legs up on either side of his head, Iliana dug her heels into the bed and arched her pelvis upward instinctively, unsure of what she sought, but some inner voice was telling her this was how to gain it. Her focus was so intent on his caresses, she hardly even noticed when he stopped his nibbling kisses, though she noticed when he slid back along her body to kiss her lips.

Turning her face into the kiss, her own tongue came out to duel with his this time, and she continued to arch into his touch. She was disappointed when he broke the kiss again to speak but could not avoid the words he murmured as he nibbled away at her ear.

“Do ye like this, sweetling?” he murmured silkily.

She nodded her head a bit frantically.

“Me, too.” He followed that with a sigh. “Would that I could help ye to find satisfaction.”

“Satisfaction?” Iliana murmured dazedly.

“’Tis what yer body is straining fer. Do ye feel it? Straining toward something like a flower toward the sun?”

“Aye,” she gasped, arching again as he slid a second finger beneath the belt, adding to the pressure as he massaged her woman’s parts. “Aye, I’d like that. Please.”

“I cannot.”

“You cannot?” she gasped, disappointment obvious in her tone.

“Nay, my sweet. Not without the key.”

“But—”

“’Tis sorry I am, sweetling, but I cannot,” he breathed. “Unless ye’d be giving me the key.”