"No." He took the glass from her and took a drink. "It's normally not my thing. Give me a beer instead of wine any day and I'd be happy. Thomas keeps a nice wine stock, so I'm told. Wine's more his thing than mine."

"So, if you're not crazy about wine, why did you take a bottle for us?"

"I took it so you could taste it, Claire."

"I think I like it."

"Thought you might. Thomas tells me you need to develop a taste for it." He raised an eyebrow. "Kind of like me."

She gave a soft laugh. "I really didn't have a problem developing a taste for you, Adam." She took another drink, deeper this time. Wine ran down her chin and dripped to her chest.

Adam dipped his head and lapped it up, taking care to slowly lick her skin until she squirmed beneath him and moaned. He checked to see if her nipples were hard under the cotton of her nightgown and they were—two precious, pink points on her breasts. He pulled the neckline of her gown down low, then dropped his head and kissed both of them.

Claire sighed and almost dumped the glass of wine on the bed. Chuckling, he eased it from her fingers and removed the napkin with the rest of the cheese and apple.

She pulled the nightgown over her head, then settled back to watch him with heavy eyelids, like a warm and satisfied cat. The blankets were pushed down to her waist, revealing her soft breasts with their kissable pink, erect nipples.

He descended on her like she was the main course. Adam pushed the offending blankets the rest of the way off and pulled her beneath him, running his hand over her shapely thigh and the contour of her waist. "Damn, I could live off the feel of your skin alone, Claire. It could sustain me for life."

She sighed and tangled her fingers through his hair. "Let's try. Forget about all this and run away. We can live in the woods in a little log cabin and never see anyone again. Just you and me. That's all we'd need."

Adam groaned and nipped at her stomach. "That sounds good."

"No more demons. No more elium. No more Rue."

"Heaven." He moved down between her thighs, letting his tongue skate over her smooth skin. When he reached her clit and licked, she jumped a little and moaned. "Never mind," he murmured. "This is heaven."

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

PreviousTopNext

He licked her again and her clit swelled under the flat of his tongue, becoming aroused and needy for more of his touch. Claire squirmed a little and he parted her thighs and held her down, pinning her to the mattress so he could drink his fill of her.

Her warm, musky-sweet scent intoxicated him as he explored all her silky, soft folds and crevices. He slipped his tongue inside her and groaned at the lusciousness of her flavor spreading over his tongue.