Whispers Read online

  "So beautiful.” He leaned over and blew a hot puff of air over her damp folds. Rose gasped and lifted her hips from the bed as a deep longing swirled around her, and the scent of her passion rose up between them, announcing her need.

  Jonathan closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “Perfect.” He opened his eyes and met her gaze. “Relax, sweetheart. Let me enjoy you."

  Rose curled her fingers into the coverlet. “What are you going to do?"

  He flashed her a boyish grin. “Just watch.” He bent his head and cupped his hand under her left knee. Raising her leg, he positioned himself between her legs and then placed a soft kiss against her thigh Rose groaned as he worked his way up her leg, using his tongue, teeth, and lips to create a path of fire that shot straight to her center. She gasped when his small nips brought her sparks of pain, then closed her eyes and moaned as his hot, wet tongue laved her sensitive skin. Pressure built deep inside her core, and the air around her filled with tension. He was getting closer, closer...yet he moved with such agonizing slowness. By the time he made it to the top of her thigh, she was panting.

  He leaned back and once again blew warm air against her folds. Rose inhaled as her skin heated, and desire surged through her veins.

  "You're not quite ready yet. Let me see...” He eased himself back, lowered her left leg, then repeated the same slow, torturous attention to her right.

  Rose's mouth went dry as anticipation soared. She spread her legs wider in a silent plea for him to hurry. He pressed his fingers lightly against her left leg, holding her open as he licked and caressed her skin. Rose raised her hands over her head, letting them dangle off the far edge of the bed. This was torture, pure torture.

  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he reached the apex of her thighs once more. Again he blew against her skin. Rose raised her hips off the bed as another wave of hunger wound her body tight. She whimpered as the air around her shifted. The familiar cool breeze blew over her body, caressing her most sensitive area.

  "Look at me, sweetheart."

  Rose opened her eyes and leaned up on her elbows. A soft yellow glow surrounded Jonathan, making him look even more magnificent than when she first saw him.

  "You're glowing,” she said.

  "You are too."

  Rose looked down at her body. Sure enough, the same soft yellow glow that surrounded Jonathan's body also enveloped hers.

  "What is it?” she asked.

  He flashed her a knowing smile. “Don't fret, little one. Just enjoy yourself.” He maintained eye contact as he bent down between her thighs.

  Rose gasped as his tongue slipped through her folds. He caressed her in a long, smooth line from the base of her opening to the tip. The soft light shimmered and brightened around them.

  He repeated his movements, and pleasure once again burst through her core. She reached down and threaded her fingers into his long mane, holding his head close to her body. She had no idea that a woman could be pleasured this way and wondered what other intimacies her husband had denied her.

  His tongue was good, very good, but when Jonathan inched a finger inside, her world almost came undone. Her mind blanked as pleasure, thick and heavy, numbed her body. She curled her hands against his head, fisting his hair and urging him faster.

  In and out he moved, first with one finger, then two. Rose felt the heated friction between her thighs. She eased up until her shoulders were off the coverlet and watched his perfect head as it moved up and down. Each stroke of his fingers created another tendril of heat around her torso. The sight was so erotic, so beautiful, that she never wanted it to end. She curled her fingers tighter around his head and concentrated on the building pressure, the rise of need.

  With each thrust, the glow around them intensified, as did her pleasure. Rose tilted her head back and let the myriad of sensations roll through her. Higher and higher she climbed, as if riding a crest of an enormous wave. She knew that something big was coming, something beautiful. Her sense of urgency increased. He quickened his movements. She lifted her feet into the air, giving him better access to her most sensitive parts. He dragged his tongue up from her rim, then flicked the small nub located there.

  Rose cried out as joy filled her body. He repeated the torture over and over, until she could do nothing but ride her surging need. Then he shifted his fingers and hit a sweet spot deep inside her core. Throughout her entire marriage, her husband had never touched her so intimately or created such strong need. Rose's world shattered around her as pleasure bathed every inch of her body. The soft glow around them exploded, covering them both in bright white light. Rose drifted on an ocean of ecstasy as the man before her continued to lick and caress, lengthening the ribbons of pleasure.

  When her body finally calmed, the bright light faded to a dim glow, and she collapsed on the bed, stated and exhausted.

  She held her body still until her breathing returned to normal and her mind cleared. That was...extraordinary. Rose had no idea that she was capable of so much passion, so much longing.

  "That has never happened to me before.” Rose looked down her body at the man between her legs.

  "What?"

  "The glow.” She felt the warmth rise to her cheeks. “It seemed to make everything much more...intense."

  "I had never experienced anything quite so exquisite, either.” Never looking away, Jonathan rose and undid his dressing gown. “Although I'm not convinced it was the glow that caused it.” He slid the dressing gown down over his body, letting it drop to the floor.

  Rose stared at the vision of muscle and skin before her. He kept his hand at his side, drawing her attention, then lowered it and wrapped his slender fingers around his shaft. His cock was long and lean, much like his body. Rose moistened her lips as he stroked himself from root to tip.

  He wasn't finished. The knowledge spread through her body, the anticipation shaking away her exhaustion. Would he take her right there on the bed, or did he have something else in mind? She hoped he'd decide to take her. The thought of him driving his thick cock between her legs made her ache with longing. She wanted to wrap her legs around his hips and feel her body stretch as he pushed himself deep inside. She curled her fingers into the coverlet on the bed as he lifted her legs and positioned himself against her opening. Then he leaned over her body and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

  "Are you a virgin?” he asked.

  "No."

  "Good.” He straightened and thrust himself deep inside her channel. Rose cried out and arched her back as he entered, her muscles stretching to accommodate the intrusion. Pain whipped through her but then quickly faded. He shuddered and held himself still, letting her adjust to the intrusion. Pleasure followed the pain, consuming her whole body in fire.

  Jonathan moved, gently easing himself away from her. Then he pushed forward, groaning as he drove himself home. He thrust hard and deep, sliding until his balls tapped against her backside. Rose shivered as the friction sent ripples of erotic sensations through her body. Although she wasn't a virgin, it had been quite some time since she'd had intercourse, and even then it had never felt quite this good.

  Jonathan hooked his arms under both her legs and hoisted them higher into the air. Then he retreated and pushed again, this time the change in angle creating an entirely new kind of pleasure. She curled her fingers tighter into the coverlet as he continued to thrust, the steady advance and retreat building the pressure and longing deep inside her core. Soon her mind blanked once more, and her body became alive with need.

  Again? Rose didn't think a woman could find such intense pleasure. Jonathan proved her wrong. She felt her spirit rising up, winding tight. Anticipation spiraled around her as her mind blanked to all rational thought.

  She straightened her legs, spreading them wider apart. The motion allowed Jonathan to drive himself deeper, and he took full advantage. Soon he found a hard, steady rhythm, and Rose's mind numbed with pleasure. The erotic sounds of their bodies coming together echoed thr
ough the room and vibrated through her core. Her channel became slick as a raw, primal hunger surged through her. The air shifted around them, and once again the cool breeze caressed her hot skin. She shivered as the glow around them intensified, filling the entire room.

  "Come for me, sweetheart.” Jonathan reached down between her legs and found the sensitive bundle of nerves once more. Using his fingers, he pressed and rolled her nub, sending wave after wave of desire rolling over her.

  He moved faster, harder. Each thrust inched her deeper into the bed. Rose became caught up in the moment, blanking her mind of all but the feel of his cock. Her muscles tightened, and she cried out as her body raced closer and closer to completion.

  "Please."

  He curled his fingers tighter into her skin, and a lock of hair fell over his brow as he concentrated. Rose had all she could do to hold on to her sanity. The sweet friction made her body hum with pleasure.

  Then he shifted his angle, and Rose cried out as ecstasy burst through her like a thousand tiny bits of joy and light. Her mind numbed as his name fell from her lips and happiness poured through every inch of her body. The rise and fall of his movements buoyed her pleasure, making it last longer than she ever thought possible.

  She looked up at Jonathan. The yellow glow was bright now and encompassed his entire body. He looked so magnificent thrusting between her legs, like a mighty lion or glorious Norse god. He seemed far away, as if Rose were looking at him through a long tunnel. She reached out to him but was unable to touch his handsome face. Instead she watched as his pace quickened. Jonathan's features tightened as he gave one final thrust and followed her into oblivion.

  For a moment, all was silent. Then he pulled out of her slick channel with a groan and collapsed on top of her. Rose wrapped her arms and legs around him, cocooning him with her body. He groaned and rolled to the side. He buried his face in her hair and stroked her head with his free hand. She knew it was odd—she didn't even know this man—and yet she felt warm and safe in his arms. Rose snuggled closer as her body weakened with exhaustion. As she drifted off to sleep, she heard him whisper, “Why didn't it work?"

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  Chapter Three

  Rose woke up to bright moonlight shining down onto the pillow next to her. Someone had pulled the heavy curtains back from the windows, revealing a view full of stars. She glided her hand over the pillow and felt the cool fabric beneath her fingers as the last remnants of sleep drifted from her brain.

  Where was Jonathan? Rose sat up and looked around the empty room. She couldn't have slept long. It was still night, but it felt as if she had slept for hours.

  She stood and stretched, trying to work out all the knots in her muscles. Where could he go? Jonathan had said he and Lionel were bound to this house by a curse, so it stood to reason that the only way to free them—and give Lady Denville her house back—would be to break the curse, but how?

  She walked over to the window and stared out into the clear night. The moon had just reached its apex in the sky and was starting its downward turn. It threw its milky light onto the sidewalk, casting its glow on the buggies and walkers that passed by. The people seemed caught up in their own world, completely unaware of the haunted house they were passing. Rose turned her back to the window and sat on the sill, her mind lost in thought.

  If Jonathan and Lionel were really ghosts, then why could she touch them? Why did she smell Jonathan's breath, feel his seductive touch? It didn't make any sense.

  Her growing emotions were also confusing. She had never felt anything quite so intense. Just looking at these men made her want to do wicked things to them and have them do the same to her. Never before had her thoughts been so impure. Instead of being scared, she wanted to join them, to mingle her body with theirs. Why? She didn't even know them.

  One thing was for certain: she wasn't going to find any answers in the bedroom.

  Rose stared at the clothes on the floor. She wouldn't be able to put everything back on without someone helping her. She sighed and decided to put on her drawers and dress and leave the rest in a pile on the floor. Once finished, she walked over to the mirror on the bureau and frowned. Her hair was hopeless, but she couldn't do anything about that now. She undid the pins and ribbons and let her locks fall down around her shoulders. She looked around for a brush but couldn't find one, so she ran her fingers through her waves. Then she leaned in close to the mirror and pinched her cheeks. She wasn't ready to attend a ball, but at least her private parts were covered. It would have to do.

  Once finished, she opened the door and listened. Satisfied that she was the only one upstairs, she slipped into the hallway and closed the door behind her.

  Now what? Lionel and Jonathan could be anywhere in the house. Did ghosts sleep or eat? Did they have chores or duties? Would they be looking for a way to break the curse? She had no idea.

  Maybe it would be best if she went looking for more tangible clues. A book, perhaps, or a note. Something that would explain why there were ghosts in Lady Denville's house and how to get rid of them. Rose padded her way through hall and down the stairs to the foyer below. There she stopped and listened.

  The house was quiet. No moaning, no whispers, no light underneath any of the doorways in the hall. It was almost as if the ghosts had disappeared.

  Rose walked from room to room, touching this and moving that, looking for her answer. She found nothing of interest. When she reached the last room on the floor, she paused. The room was closed, but a light shone through the cracks in the large oak door, just like it had upstairs in the bedroom.

  The men were in there.

  What were they doing? Rose put her ear to the door but heard nothing. If they were both in there, then they weren't having sex. She knew this because both she and Lady Denville had heard more than enough noises when the men were in the bedroom previously. Rose tried not to dwell too much on the spark of disappointment in her chest and focused on the question at hand. If the men were decent, then it should be all right to enter the room, right?

  It felt odd to hold on to such propriety after openly watching them have intercourse earlier, but she couldn't help it. These two ghosts had altered everything she knew to be true and good about the world. Ghosts did not exist, yet here they were in Lady Denville's townhouse. One of them even claimed to be alive, like her. She could touch them, feel their emotions. It was a lot to absorb.

  She had always believed that sex was a marital duty a wife must endure for her husband, and yet Rose had never felt such bliss as she had in Jonathan's arms. Insisting on propriety might seem silly to some under the circumstances, but it helped remind Rose of right and wrong, good and evil. The way things should and shouldn't be. If she lost her propriety, what would she have left?

  Rose rapped lightly at the door and waited. There was no answer. She frowned. Maybe they weren't in the room after all. She took a deep breath, then entered the room. Rose stopped just inside the doorway and took in the scene before her.

  The room was a study. The honey-colored walls were accented with mahogany trim and thick, tan curtains. A rich oriental rug spread out on the floor under her feet, and a large mahogany desk stood tall in the corner. In the middle of the room, there was a loveseat and two armchairs, all the shade of strong tea. Lionel lounged in one of these chairs, holding a glass of dark liquid he had probably gotten from the bar behind him. The warm glow she had seen around Jonathan was noticeably absent. Lionel appeared solid, as real as Lady Denville or herself.

  "I was beginning to wonder if you had left.” The man in question studied her from beneath his long, dark lashes but made no move to stand and greet her properly. His uncouth manner unnerved her, and she placed her hands on the back of the other armchair to steady herself. She wouldn't let him see how much his bad manners affected her. She wouldn't. While Jonathan had been sweet and soothing, she felt nothing of these emotions from the man before her. He was all angles and edges. Rose suspected he cut into
weakness with his sharp tongue as easily as a warm knife through butter. She straightened her back and lifted her chin.

  "As you can see, I haven't left."

  "I know.” He put his glass on the coffee table. Rose heated as she watched his dark amber gaze flick over her long arms and spindly legs, then settle on her breasts. “The question is, why?” He stood, clasped his hands behind his back, then walked slowly toward her. Rose held her breath as he stopped inches away from her. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his skin a lovely shade of tan that matched the couch behind him.

  "I've come to help free you and your friend from your curse,” she said.

  He lifted his regal brow. “Have you now?” He walked around her, his steps slow and purposeful. Rose felt his gaze burn into her back as he came to a stop behind her.

  "Then you accept that both Jonathan and I are apparitions?"

  "Yes."

  "That does not bother you?"

  Actually it did bother her, but she wasn't going to let him know that. “No."

  He continued his walk around her body and stopped in front of her. “It should."

  Rose met his amber gaze. So gorgeous, they had a small flicker of honey across a brown landscape. A girl could get lost in such beautiful eyes.

  "I'm not afraid."

  "I never said you were.” He stepped closer, the corner of his lip twitching into a half smile.

  She moistened her lips as the primal craving once again was brought to life. This man before her seemed so powerful, so mysterious. It was hard not to get caught up in all that strength and confidence, all that intensity.

  Then something in the air shifted, and a cool breeze swept over her body, rustling her long blonde hair. A warm glow sprang up around Lionel, the honey-colored rays matching the flecks in his eyes. He leaned forward and glanced down at her parted lips. “My, my. You are a special one, aren't you?"

  Rose closed her eyes. Anticipation rippled over her skin as his warm breath puffed across her face. He smelled like cinnamon, a spicy part of a heavenly dish that one couldn't bear to resist. Rose didn't even try.