It wasn’t as if he’d turned on the charm; in fact, he’d done the opposite. He hadn’t complimented her nor courted her with flowers and jewellery as other men would have done. Instead he had charged into her life and demanded she marry him on his terms and his terms only.
But even still she had fallen in love with him.
She looked into his dark eyes and swallowed. At what point had her heart betrayed her? Had it been when he’d rescued the dolphin? Or perhaps it had been when he’d tended to her knee, his touch gentle and sure. Or maybe it went back much further than that…maybe it had been in the cool shadows of the lake ten years ago when his mouth had first covered hers.
The irony of it was inescapable. She was in exactly the same position as her mother—the position she’d sworn all her life she would never allow herself to be in—she was in love with a man who didn’t love her.
A light playful breeze picked up a strand of Bryony’s hair and blew it across her mouth but before she could brush it away Kane’s hand reached out and carefully tucked it behind her ear, the brush of his fingers making her quiver with reaction.
‘But we’re equals now, agape mou,’ he said, the low tone of his voice stroking her senses into instant overdrive. ‘And very soon we will become lovers.’
She ran her tongue over her dry lips and watched in nervous anticipation as he followed the movement with his eyes. His hand moved to cup the side of her face in a caress so unexpectedly gentle her heart felt as if someone had just reached into her chest and squeezed it.
His thumb rolled over her bottom lip, his eyes holding hers in a mesmerizing trance. She saw the raw need reflected in his darker-than-night gaze—felt too the magnetic pull of his body, the heat of it drawing her closer and closer. She lifted her right hand and gently touched the dark shadow forming along his lean jaw, the sound of the soft pads of her fingers moving across his unshaven skin audible in the stillness of the night.
‘Do you still hate me, Kane?’ She spoke the words before she could stop them, her voice just a whisper of sound.
‘Is that important to you, Bryony?’ he asked after a small pause.
‘I…I don’t want you to hate me…’ She captured her bottom lip with her teeth, her hand falling back to her side.
Kane used his thumb to gently prise her mouth open so her lip could escape the snag of her teeth, the action so achingly intimate her stomach began to crawl with hot desire.
‘You’ll make yourself bleed doing that,’ he chided her softly.
She tried a little smile but it didn’t quite work. Her eyes went back to his mouth, her breath hitching when she saw his head come down, his mouth stopping just above hers, his warm breath feathering against the too sensitive surface of her lips.
‘I won’t hurt you, Bryony. I want you to know that.’
She closed her eyes on his kiss, the movement of his lips unhurried and exquisitely gentle. Her mouth flowered open as soon as his pressure increased, her stomach hollowing when his tongue searched for and found hers. Heat fired through her limbs as he brought her up against his aroused body, the probe of his erection a stark but heady reminder of his potency and her own melting need. She could feel it between her thighs, the silky moisture triggered by the sensual movement of his mouth on hers and the intimate probe of his slow-moving tongue as it called hers into a primal dance.
After a few breathless minutes he lifted his head a fraction, his eyes burning a pathway to her soul.
‘Let’s go inside.’
He released her to open the sliding screen door of the cottage and she stepped through on unsteady legs, her skin shivering in reaction as he slid the door closed behind him.
‘Come here.’
His single command made her flesh tingle with the anticipation of his touch and she stepped towards him, her face up-tilted to his, her heart thumping against the wall of her chest at the promise in his eyes.
His lips met hers in a blaze of heat that left no part of her untouched by its intensity. She felt the soft tug of his teeth on her bottom lip and boldly nipped him back, her tongue responding to the thrust of his as it entered her mouth, circling it, commandeering it, conquering it.
His body was hard against hers, making her melt even further as she realised how instant and strong his desire for her was. She wanted the evidence of it imprinted on her tender flesh. She ached to feel the abrasion of his male skin on hers, the bunching of his sculptured muscles as he held her close.
She heard him suck in a harsh breath before his mouth covered hers once more, this time with even less restraint as his rigid control finally slipped out of his grasp. His tongue unfolded over hers, the heat and purpose of his embrace leaving her breathless.
Kane lifted her in his arms, his mouth still locked to hers as he carried her to the bedroom upstairs, each and every one of his footsteps making her feel as if he was taking her closer and closer to the fulfilment she had craved for so long.
He broke his kiss to lay her on the big bed, his dark eyes illuminated with passion as he stood back to haul his shirt from his body.
Bryony couldn’t take her eyes off his muscled chest, the sheen of his skin making her want to touch him all over. She reached up her arms towards him and he came down to her, his weight pressing her down into the mattress.
She didn’t give him the chance to change his mind. Her fingers went straight to the waistband of his jeans and slid the zip down with a determination fuelled by spiralling desire.
His black briefs were already straining with the extension of his erection and, as she unpeeled them from him, she felt her breath squeeze in the back of her throat at the thought of him possessing her.
She traced the length of him with exploring tentative fingers, the satin smoothness of his skin fascinating her, the tiny pearl of moisture beading on the tip reminding her that he was fighting to contain his release under the ministrations of her hands.
She looked up at him and saw that same battle raging on his face, his expression contorted with desire, his eyes neither open nor closed, his breathing rapid, his whole body tense.
She began to increase the pace of her stroking but he reached for her hand and, pulling it off him, secured it within his against the flattened pillows above her head.
‘You don’t play fair, agape mou.’ Kane’s warm breath caressed her lips. ‘Is this what you really want from me?’
‘I think you’ve always known this is what I’ve wanted from you.’
He examined her expression closely. ‘I thought you said you had no intention of sleeping with me?’
She aimed her gaze at the tanned skin of his chest, her fingertip tracing a circuitous path around one dark nipple. ‘I’ve changed my mind.’
She felt the full heat of his gaze as she lay in his embrace. Her limbs felt useless, as if they were disconnected from the stabilizing ligaments that kept them in place.
‘What changed your mind?’
‘I don’t know…’ She circled his other nipple. ‘I guess I’m curious about you. You don’t seem to be the person I thought you were.’ She lifted her eyes back to his. ‘I guess the only way I’m going to know the real you is to get close to you.’
Kane bent his head to kiss her, still trying to summon up the strength to set her away from him, but somehow the delicate probe of her tongue searching for his was his final undoing. There was a shy hesitancy about her movements which made them all the harder to resist. The feather-like touch of her hands as they roved over his back made his skin tighten with pleasure and he took control of the kiss with a deep groan against her mouth. He had planned to give her more time, hoping she would come to care for him before committing herself physically, but his self-control had limits and he was well and truly at the end of them now with her lying beneath him.
Bryony could feel every bulge and ridge of him against her, the latent strength of him so apparent that her stomach hollowed as she thought of him driving through her, wondering if she should have told h
im she wasn’t quite the party girl he thought her to be. In the end she decided against telling him for the simple reason that she didn’t want him to stop what he was doing.
His mouth had moved from hers to take a slow pathway to her lace-covered breast, his tongue like a hot taper along her sensitive flesh. Her T-shirt went over her head but later she couldn’t recall which of them had removed it from her body; their hands seemed to be bumping into each other’s in a desperate attempt to remove the final barriers between them.
She felt the heat of his gaze as her breasts were freed from the lacy bra, his lazy appraisal firing her up beyond belief. He made her feel so damn sexy! Just one look from beneath those dark brows and she was smoking inside and out.
He reached out a fingertip and circled one jutting nipple, his touch so light it felt like a butterfly’s wing brushing over her.
‘I have wanted to do this for so long.’ His tone was husky as he moved his finger to her other breast and feathered over her other nipple.
She writhed beneath his barely there touch, her eyes glazing with need.
‘How long?’ she managed to ask, her soft mouth releasing the words on a soft gasp of pleasure.
Kane’s dark eyes seared hers. ‘Too long.’
His answer secretly thrilled her. It made her feel a surge of pure feminine power that she had lit a flame in his body all those years ago which had never quite burned itself out.
He wanted her.
He’d always wanted her.
Yes, he had gone to extraordinary lengths to claim her but she didn’t want to think about that now. Caught up in the moment as she was, the last thing she wanted to do was speculate on what exactly had been Kane’s intention in marrying her. It was enough for now that he wanted her with a desperation that he was barely keeping contained. She felt it in the press of his large body on hers, the heat of his swollen erection burning against her thigh, the increasing pressure of his mouth as it returned to hers.
He peeled away the lace of her French knickers with a glide of his hand along her thigh, his mouth never once leaving hers. She felt his hand come back up to begin an intimate exploration which left her fighting for air. One long gentle finger divided her, pushing into her secret folds with devastating accuracy, sending sharp spurts of desire all through her quivering flesh. He withdrew his finger to cup her in the palm of his warm hand, his action so restrained she wondered if he sensed her inexperience. Had she been so transparent?
She made room for him between her legs, the feel of him so close to her making her ache with a yawning emptiness. She felt the intimate nudge of his body before he checked himself with a softly muttered curse.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked softly, terrified he was going to call a halt.
He gave a rueful grimace and, reaching across her, opened the bedside drawer and removed the foil packet of a condom. She watched as he tore the packet open before sheathing himself, her stomach doing a crazy little somersault at the thought of him moving inside her unexplored tenderness.
He pressed her back down, his mouth just above hers, the mingling of their breaths intensifying the intimacy of the moment.
‘I’ll take it slowly,’ he said softly. ‘I don’t want to hurt you.’
You could never hurt me, she wanted to say. How had she ever thought he was capable of cruelty? His touch was so poignantly gentle, almost worshipful. The holding back of his undoubtedly superior strength stirred her deeply, making her realise how much she had misjudged him in the past.
‘Relax for me, Bryony,’ he said against her lips, his turgid length parting her slowly.
How could she relax with her feelings spinning out of control? She wanted him to fill her, to surge into her moistness and claim her as his. He was taking too long; all her nerves were stretched to breaking point in anticipation of his possession, a possession she had craved so long it was like a dull ache in her soul. She wouldn’t be complete until he made her his; she knew it as certainly as she knew her love for him would last a lifetime and beyond.
He kissed her softly and, impatient with need, she toyed with his bottom lip with her teeth. He deepened the kiss, crushing her mouth as he drove forwards with carefully measured control.
Bryony felt him begin to stretch her and she forced herself to relax enough to take him further, the sensation of him inside her making her greedy for more and more of his length. She lifted her hips to his and he went even deeper, the harsh groan that escaped from his lips sending a shiver of delight right through her.
She felt him check himself once more, fighting to maintain control as her body tightened around him as if made especially for him. She heard the Greek curse under his breath, as if finally giving in to the lure of her slick body, and he surged forward with one deep thrust that sent a shockwave of delight through every nerve and cell of her body.
He filled her completely, stretching her with increasing urgency as the pressure for release began to build with incessant force. Bryony felt the flicker of it along her inner thighs before it moved to the core of her where it pulsed heavily with every rapid beat of her heart. It was impossible to escape from the maelstrom of feeling his body was evoking in hers. Every nerve in her body seemed to be screaming for release from the delicious tension building within her.
‘Let go, Bryony,’ Kane urged as he orchestrated his movements to intensify her pleasure. ‘Don’t hold it back, let yourself go.’
She felt the rolling waves of release wash over her just as the rough surf had done earlier in the day, her high cries of pleasure not unlike the sound of a seabird rising on an up-draught of ocean-warmed air. She could even hear the roar of the sea in the distance and knew she would recall this first wondrous moment of fulfilment each and every time she set eyes on the surf in the future.
Kane waited until she had settled back in his embrace before taking his own pleasure in four deep thrusts that sent him over the edge and into ecstasy’s oblivion.
Bryony felt his deep spasms and secretly delighted in the agonized expression on his face as he finally allowed his control to slip, his deep guttural groan and the contortion of his features telling her more than words could ever do.
He collapsed on top of her, his breathing ragged and uneven. ‘You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this moment.’
She smiled a secret smile. She knew all right, because she’d felt it too. She ran her fingertips up and down his arm, not quite sure she could meet his eyes right at this point.
It was a full minute before he spoke again.
‘Look at me, Bryony.’
She lifted her eyes to his after a moment’s deliberation. ‘Thank you,’ she said simply.
‘For what?’
‘You know what for.’
He reached out a hand and brushed a strand of hair out of her face with such gentleness she felt the wash of tears at the back of her eyes. The pad of his thumb caught one tear as it escaped and, pressing it to his lips, he kissed it before placing it on the soft tremble of hers.
‘Did I hurt you?’
She gave a jagged sigh. ‘No…not really.’
‘I’m so much bigger than you.’ His eyes went to her slight body, still trapped beneath the weight of his. ‘And you were so inexperienced.’
She felt an inward cringe but hoped he wouldn’t pick up on it. ‘Was I so obvious?’
He coiled a strand of her hair around his index finger as if thinking about her question. He released the golden strand before he answered. ‘I know you were determined to keep it under wraps but there’s no shame in being selective over lovers, at least not in this day and age.’
She shifted her gaze to a small dark brown freckle near his left nipple, concentrating on it as if her life depended on it.
‘Were you waiting for someone special?’ he asked.
She gave what she hoped was an indifferent shrug. ‘Not really…I just hadn’t got around to it.’
‘Too busy licking the floors?’
S
he felt the colour surge into her cheeks but smiled anyway. ‘I don’t really do that, you know.’
His answering smile did serious damage to the equilibrium she was trying to maintain.
‘No, I sort of guessed that.’
A small silence settled like fine dust between them.
Bryony considered moving out of his loose embrace but was loath to do so. She liked the warmth of his body against hers, the smell of his skin, the feel of his long legs entwined with hers.
She tiptoed her fingertips up the length of his forearm, her eyes following the movement rather than lock with his once more.
‘I didn’t know it could be so…’ She bit her lip momentarily. ‘So…enthralling.’
‘It depends on who you’re with.’
She concentrated even harder on his freckle. ‘Is it different with…someone else?’
He tipped up her chin so she had to meet his gaze. ‘That was beyond anything I’ve ever experienced before.’
She couldn’t help feeling reassured by his answer and hoped to God it was genuine and not one of the many lies men told to keep the peace.
She lowered her eyes to his mouth, unable to stop herself from staring at his scar. It was like her own personal signature slashed across his mouth and, no matter how many times she looked at it, each and every time she felt her stomach twist anew with shame and regret.
She lifted her fingertip and traced the rough edge, her heart squeezing painfully as she heard his quickly indrawn breath. Slowly she raised her gaze back to his, this time not even bothering to disguise the film of tears in her eyes.
‘I wish I could make it go away.’ Her voice was barely audible, her mouth trembling as she fought to hold back her emotions. ‘I hate myself for what I did to you.’
‘Listen, Bryony.’ He tipped up her chin once more. ‘This scar and I have been through a lot together. I wouldn’t get rid of it even if I could.’
‘But why?’
‘Because every time I look at it I think of you at the lake, the way you felt in my arms. It’s a small price to have paid for the memory.’
Mediterranean Men Bundle Page 11