Her New Worst Enemy
Page 16
He moved up her body until they were face to face again, then leaned in toward her, their faces only inches apart, to reach around and release the clasp of her bra.
Their eyes locked together, hers large and dark as she stared at him. The bra fell away from her body and he dropped it onto the floor.
Blood raged through his veins and his hands shook as he took in the beautiful, naked sight of her; but he held onto his control, determined not to break the fragile atmosphere of the moment.
Without moving away, he quickly undressed, not breaking eye contact until they both stood naked, their chests rising and falling in rapid sync.
Finally, he stepped away and turned on the shower, adjusting it to a pleasant warmth before holding out his hand and guiding her into the cubicle.
She allowed him to position her under the stream of water, which played over her shoulders and down over her full breasts and the gentle curve of her stomach.
He reached for the soap, lathering it into his hands before reaching forward to smooth it over her skin. She let out a small sigh at his touch, but stood still as his hands moved over her, allowing him total access to every part.
He didn’t linger, giving every inch of her skin the same amount of attention before pouring some shampoo into his hand and rubbing it through her hair, pushing the soap bubbles away from her face so as not to get any in her eyes. She smiled at him as he worked and he smiled back, taking pleasure in looking after her.
He gently maneuvered her under the stream of water and helped smooth the bubbles out of her hair, gently tugging his fingers through it to avoid pulling any knots.
Once she was soap free, he swapped places with her and allowed her to soap him down, savoring the feel of her hands slipping over his skin, the gentle caress of her fingers setting his nerve endings jangling.
His body was hard for her, but they both ignored it, knowing this moment was about more than sex.
Finally, once she’d sluiced all the soap off his body, they stepped out of the shower and he grabbed two towels, wrapping one around her shoulders before tying the other around his waist.
She followed him into his bedroom where he found one of his t-shirts for her, which she slipped over her head. It reached to mid-thigh, but she gave him a raised eyebrow and he offered her a pair of boxers, which she pulled on and wore as shorts.
The sight of her wearing his clothes made him laugh and it broke the silence that had fallen between them.
“You look good in my underwear,” he said, grinning at her cocky, twisted smile. He pulled on a fresh pair of jeans and t-shirt and turned to face her again.
“Let’s go downstairs and talk, okay?”
She gave him a small nod and he gestured to the door. “After you.”
Following her downstairs, watching her long, damp curls swing across her back, he had to shake himself out of his mesmerized trance. He’d been waiting to feel like this for so long, he could hardly believe it was finally happening.
She walked into the kitchen and leaned against the work-surface, waiting for him to join her.
Stationing himself opposite her, he propped himself against the kitchen table, leaving a good three feet of space between them. It was important to have that distance if he had any chance of getting through everything he wanted to say without grabbing her, pulling her down onto the floor, and burying himself inside her. His heart picked up its beat at the thought, and he had to mentally talk himself down, wrestling his raging libido into submission.
“So, you’ve made a decision then?” he asked, concentrating hard on her fingers as they wound themselves together and ignoring the thought of the gently undulating curves of her body beneath the oversized t-shirt she was wearing.
“Are you absolutely sure you want to take me on?” she asked, her eyes now wide with apprehension, and it occurred to him that she would still need some gentle coaxing to make her believe what he was feeling was real and not just some passing whim.
“I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life. I’m serious, Ellie,” he said as he clocked the look of skepticism that flashed across her face.
“I want to fill this house with our children, one in every room … except maybe I’ll keep a room for me to hide in when you’re on the warpath,” he said, giving her a provocative smile.
Her face fell and she gave him an embarrassed smile. “I’m sorry for saying you wouldn’t be a good father. Of course you would. They’d be lucky kids to have you for a dad.”
His heart lifted at her words. “Apology accepted,” he said.
“It was a stupid thing for me to say, totally inappropriate. Unacceptable really.”
“Water under the bridge, Ellie. Despite mortally wounding me at the time, it make me re-evaluate how I thought about … well, everything.”
“That’s your Superhero alter-ego kicking in,” she said, giving him a cheeky grin.
He laughed at her expression, shaking his head. There was something wonderful about having private jokes with her.
Her smile faded and something in his gut clenched at her sudden change in demeanor.
“Something’s still bugging you, I can tell. Come on, spit it out,” he said, hoping his instincts weren’t screwed up by the intensity of the situation and he was reading her right.
“How do I know you’re not going to walk out on me?” she said quietly, her face serious now.
“You don’t. You’re just going to have to trust me,” he replied.
“Yeah,” she said, nodding slowly, “I guess there’s no magic fix.”
“Ellie, you’re my friend and I love and respect you,” he said vehemently, determined to give this point everything he had. “I would never treat you the way Paul did. I know for damn sure I’d have your family to answer to if I did, and to be honest, I’m not entirely sure I could beat Gareth in a fight … or your mum come to that.”
She snorted gently and dipped her head at his bad joke. “But what if you get bored with me?”
“You’re many things, Ellie, but boring is not, and never will be, one of them.”
Judging by the change in her body language, he seemed to be getting through to her.
“So, what do you think?” he said, pressing home his advantage. “Can you take a leap of faith and trust me?”
“Yes.” She looked directly at him now, her expression determined, “I want to. I love you and I’ll be miserable without you.”
He broke into a wide smile, his body finally relaxing as relief flooded through him. “Well, that’s a good start.” He moved toward her now, closing the gap between them and cupping her face in his hands.
He looked deep into her eyes. “You want a drink?” he asked.
She smiled at him, already anticipating his next line. “No.”
“How does the next bit go?” he asked, his mouth curling into a happy smile.
Ellie leaned forward and pressed her lips against his, gently at first, but quickly becoming more passionate, and he kissed her back with desire, with joy and with love.
About the Author
Formerly a Video and Radio Producer, Christy now spends her time as either a slave to her children or her muse. When she’s not writing spicy romance, she can be found stomping around the South West of England, glomming her to-be-read pile or escaping from real life with her rather delicious husband.
Christy loves to hear from readers. You can contact her at: www.christymckellen.blogspot.com
In the mood for more Crimson Romance?
Check out Keeping the Peace
by Alicia Thorne
at CrimsonRomance.com.
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