Claimed.

She'd been utterly claimed by James.

She hugged her shoulders, holding back the urge to laugh. She had never felt so giddy with joy.

Was it just a fleeting moment? Maybe. But she would snatch all the pleasure she could from it.

She stripped off the remnants of her nightdress and washed herself. Then she returned to the bed and lay beside him. But she couldn't sleep for the happiness that still thrummed in her blood. She watched him sleep for a while. It had all been so wildly exciting. Watching him make himself come. Having him come all over her belly. She couldn't stop herself from taking his hand.

Placing it on her breast.

He groaned and gave her a squeeze. Quite firm.

Sparks of delight raced through her and she caught her breath.

The bed ropes creaked with his weight as he turned towards her and took both her breasts into his hands.

She kept her eyes closed.

Was she dreaming?

No, she didn't want to know.

The night before might also have been a dream induced by opiates. She'd certainly had plenty of lusty dreams before.

The warmth of his tongue teased her breast. A spark of desire spread through her belly and lower. Her sex clenched and wetness began to flow between her legs.

He rolled her from her side onto her back. His weight settled on her, the hair on his chest, abdomen and legs rasped against her. She loved it all. Even the odor of sex and stale whisky he bore.

He cupped her face. "Sunny."

Passion vibrated in his voice.

She arched her back, pressing her breasts into his chest.

He groaned then put his mouth to hers, open, hungry.

He kissed a trail from her mouth, along her cheek to her ear. He nipped her lobe.

The sharp bite of pain made her gasp and jump.

He pressed his erection firmly to her belly and held her by the shoulders in a fierce grip. "Are you wet?"

Even her common-born lover had never been so blunt. But that very directness, coupled with the throb of his erection, thrilled her. More wetness gushed from her sex and she nodded. "I am so very wet." Her voice sounded hoarse, unlike herself.

He groaned and pressed his knee between her legs.

Oh God. Oh God.

Joy thrummed inside her. Her heart was beating so hard it threatened to leap from her chest.

He inserted his hand between her legs. He groaned again. "God, you are wet."

She clenched again and another surge of wetness gushed from her.

"Oh, Christ," he said hoarsely. He slid a finger between her folds then thrust it inside her, a quick, harsh move that sent sparks of fire up into her belly.

Her hips arched of their own accord. Her nub throbbed painfully.

"Oh, oh, oh..." She knew she sounded silly, but she couldn't stop.

"I can't wait," he said. He parted her legs wider, positioned himself.

The warm, hot silk of him touched her entrance. She arched against him. "Please, oh please..."

He pressed.

Her body resisted.

She whimpered and arched. "Please, please."

He pressed, harder.

A sharp, tearing sensation spread through her loins. Painful but sweet, oh so sweet. She arched up, seeking more.

But he had already pulled away.

She reached for his hips, gripped his buttocks, feeling their taut muscular strength. "Please, oh James please."

She tried to pull him towards her, but it was like trying to move one of the marble pillars at the entrance to Blayne House.

He was gaping at her. "What the devil, Catriona?"

He almost never called her Catriona, unless he were unhappy with her.

Coldness settled in her stomach. She gripped his buttocks a little more firmly. "Please, James, just-"

"You're a virgin."

"Well, yes, I am but-"

"Why the hell didn't you tell me?"

"It seemed as though it would spoil the mood."

"Quite." He frowned. "Sunny, you deserve better than to be deflowered so briskly by a drunken man."

"Then you're not really angry-I mean not too angry?"

"Yes, not too angry." He grinned, slightly. "God, Sunny."

"What?" she asked, startled by his tone. A pang of alarm raced through her body.

"I was going to...hard. Do you understand?"

She nodded. But she still didn't understand what he meant.

"I would have hurt you." He caressed her cheek. "God, I would sooner cut my right arm off."

"I don't think it would have hurt that badly."

"You know nothing of it," he said tersely. He moved away from her and she made to follow. He took her arms and held her at a distance.

She recalled that sharp, sweet ache as he had been about to break her maidenhead. She wanted that. Her intimate flesh clenched. Wetness continued to flow between her legs. She wanted him inside her.

"James, please, come back to me and finish-"

"Later." How terse he sounded!

All the pleasurable tingling inside her began to tighten into that familiar, ever-present tension.

She couldn't help a small, miserable moan. One of defeat. Disappointment.

He released her hands and she sank back into the featherbed.

His expression softened. He caressed her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "Later, when I am sober and I can attend to the matter properly."

Hope flared to life within her. She sat up partway. "You promise? You will do it, you will finish this?"

He gave her a slight smile. "I am only human, Sunny."

She sighed.

His face contorted with concern. "What?"

"This is all so difficult. For me it is."

He caressed her cheek again. "Poor Sunny. It has been so hard for you."

At his sincere, sympathetic tone, tears pricked her eyes. She closed her eyes and nodded. "It is foolish, I know, to hurt over this matter. I am not supposed to want this, but oh, I want it so badly."

"I want this too." He took her hand and pulled it lower and wrapped it around himself.

She gripped his shaft.

He throbbed against her hold. God, he was so big. So hot. So hard.

Her flesh clenched again. And again.

They had been so close to actually doing it. Now he said she must wait.

A little swooning sensation passed through her, leaving her weak.

How would she ever wait?

He tightened his hand over hers and his rod throbbed harder than ever. Hot, milky fluid leaked over her hand.

"I don't think we need to wait." The words escaped her lips before she could think.

"We definitely need to wait." He leant forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I have to leave now."

"No, no, don't go."

"I have to." He removed her hand from his erection and then he quickly arose from the bed.

She moved to follow him.

"Catriona." He spoke so sharply that she went completely still.

She glanced up at him.

He stared down at her with a stern expression. It reminded her of the look he had given her that first night in his bed at Blayne House, when he had spanked her.

Her mouth went dry. A peculiar mix of excitement and fear swept through her, leaving her tingling deep within her belly. All over again, wetness began to flow from her core.

"You will stay here," he said.

She went weak all over. Any will to press the issue, to defy his order, went out of her. It wasn't just fear that he might spank her if provoked too far. It was a desire to mitigate his displeasure.

She dropped her gaze.

"Good girl," he said softly.

Warmth filled her. Through the veil of her lashes, she watched him leave and go to her chamber.

Chapter Ten.

James awoke. He grimaced at the stench of urine and stale sweat, then his stomach roiled. Sunny hadn't been lying, the bed reeked. He'd been too drunk, too frustrated and too exhausted the night before to notice.

He flung the bed covers off then rose from the bed and went to use the necessary. After that, he went to the washstand to splash cool water on his face.

Face dripping, he looked into the mirror. Bloodshot eyes stared back from a paler than normal face. He rubbed his hand over the thick growth of stubble on his cheeks. How rough had he looked last night? If he and Sunny had been lovers, he would never have gone to her without shaving first, much less in a state of heavy intoxication. Well, it wasn't his way to drink to excess now. He'd put all that behind him...