Her mouth stopped right above his collar and the scrape of teeth caused him to shiver. Then she clamped down, biting him harder than he’d expected, and he grunted. The resulting sting sent a jolt through his limbs, straight to his erection. Christ. Then she sucked on his skin as if trying to draw out poison, and his eyes nearly rolled back in his head. Who’d taught her to do that?

Oh, God. It was torture. Panting, he gripped the armrests of the chair and tried not to thrust his hips as she continued to suck. The pressure of her mouth was exquisite and unrelenting, and he had forgotten how pleasurable this felt. It had been ages since a woman had marked him in such a possessive manner, as if she wanted the world to know he belonged to her. He should stop this, as a bruise on the side of his throat would only invite questions, but no one would ever suspect Alice responsible.

And Kit liked the idea of seeing her stamp on his body for days to come. Next time, he’d have her mark him where no one else could see it.

Next time? He was losing his mind. This could go no further, even if he desperately wanted it to.

She released him and eased back to admire her handiwork. “The skin is very red. Did I hurt you?”

“No,” he wheezed, his body buzzing with craving and need. “Quite the opposite.”

“You enjoyed it.”

“Indeed. Any more enjoyment and I would require a new set of trousers.”

“What? Why?” Her brows pinched in the most adorable way, and he had to remind himself this was all new to her.

“Never mind. Suffice it to say either I am a fabulous teacher or you are a quick study.” He kissed her cheek. “Or both, perhaps.”

“For the record, you are quite good at kissing yourself.”

“Thank you. I am offering up my services any time you’d care to practice.”

“Any time?”

He nipped her jaw with his teeth. “Any time, my dear Alice.”

The offer was a legitimate one. He’d kiss her day or night, in any location she preferred. With other women, there wasn’t opportunity to linger and enjoy their kisses, as he was too busy trying to get them into bed. Kissing had felt like a nuisance, a distraction from more important goals.

Not so when it came to Alice. He could kiss her for hours, sink inside her mouth and drink in her sighs until he was delirious with it. With so much to discover and explore, she would never bore him.

He wasn’t sure what that meant and he didn’t care. At least not right now, with this sweet creature still sitting on his lap.

The clock on the mantel chimed the hour and Alice started. “Oh, no. I must hurry to luncheon. If I am not there and my mother returns . . .”