Heavens, she must look like a wreck. Hunching her shoulder, she discreetly rearranged herself back inside the ball gown.
Joshua’s expression was fierce. Somehow during their embrace his tie had been lost and the top two studs of his shirt undone. The pulse at his throat beat strong and steady. She could see the longing in his eyes, that slow, steamy gaze that made her knees feel weak.
He took a few steps toward the edge of the room, reached out, and flicked a switch on the wall. The lights dimmed, casting the room in a warm pink glow.
“Better?” he asked, gathering her back into his arms.
Eleanor’s throat constricted. She nodded her head. Once again their lips merged and without a second thought she succumbed to the urge to kiss him with all the desire that had been building inside her.
From the moment he had first spoken to her, Joshua had roused a strange restlessness in her that had long been dormant. This was her chance to finally explore that desire. She was a bit unsure, a bit nervous, yet being surrounded by his addictive male presence made Eleanor yearn for all the carnal pleasure they could share.
“Let’s get more comfortable,” he whispered suggestively.
Eleanor allowed herself to be guided to the lovely day bed. They moved awkwardly, taking short steps between long kisses. The back of her knees hit the brass frame. She must have swayed, but he caught her and gently set her upon the bed.
He loomed above her. She lifted her face toward him and he claimed her lips in another series of deep, soul-melting kisses. Kneeling over her, Joshua expertly peeled off the top of her ball gown. He unhooked her bra, attempting to take it off. Instinctively she tensed, clasping her hand over his.
“Maybe I should leave it on.”
Joshua gave her a confused frown, then understanding lit his handsome features. “I think you are beautiful, Eleanor.” He ran his hand delicately along her cheek. “Sexy and lush. I want to see as well as feel you. All of you.”
His hand went again to her bra, but this time she didn’t stop him. She held herself rigidly still as he removed it, along with the rest of her underwear, bracing herself for a negative reaction.
She had always been self-conscious about her breasts. Sure, guys were supposed to be enamored of a large chest, but those perfectly sculptured plastic surgery creations were not like the real thing. Certainly not her real things.
He took hold of her wrists and slowly spread her arms. “Perfect,” he said. “Even better than I imagined.”
Eleanor felt herself blush. It seemed wildly erotic to be sitting before him naked, displayed like some wanton lover while he remained fully clothed.
“What about your clothes?” she inquired.
“No problem.”
With a wicked grin he stood beside the bed, watching her intently while he undressed Carelessly he dropped his shirt, unfastened his belt, lowered the zipper on his fly. In one fluid motion he pushed off both his trousers and his briefs.
The sigh started from her toes. She had always found him irresistible. Not only was he physically perfect, he was quite simply the most fascinating man she had ever known. Dressed casually in shorts and a sports shirt or a perfectly tailored business suit or looking like something from the deepest regions of a fairy-tale fantasy in his formal evening clothes. Yes, fully dressed he was mesmerizing.
Utterly naked, he was mind-numbing.
Joshua moved closer, placing one knee on the edge of the bed. She promptly lost what little breath she had left. His handsome features assumed an intent expression and for a split second she feared she was going to lose all control.
He captured her hand in his and placed it flat against his chest. “Touch me, Eleanor.”
She didn’t have to be told twice. Her hands glided over his body in long, sensual strokes, across his shoulders, and chest, along his arms and ribs. With his sleepy eyes and groan of delight encouraging her, she traced the muscles on his stomach, then played with the dark nipples buried among the crisp chest hair until they hardened into tight peaks.
Feeling bold, she moved her hand farther down, across his ribs and belly. She hesitated when she reached the top of his groin, then felt Joshua’s quivering breath in her hair.
“Touch me,” he repeated in a deep, silky voice.
A shudder went through her. Her hand slid down to his erection. She took him in her hands, smoothing her fingers down his hard length. It felt like satin over steel. Rock-solid and pulsing with life. He thrust against her hand and she tightened her grip. A drop of moisture covered the tip of his penis and she slowly massaged it into his hardness.
“Enough,” he growled, pushing her hands away
She felt herself being lifted, then lowered on her back onto the day bed. Eleanor waited with restless anticipation for him to cover her with his body, to press her into the softness of the pillows beneath her back.
Instead, he knelt beside her and began kissing her body. Neck, shoulders, ribs. His questing lips and tongue moved lower, to her belly and beyond, making her tingle with mounting tension.
She froze, her body stiffening when she felt the first feathery kisses along her inner thigh. This was definitely not something she felt comfortable doing. Eleanor jerked herself back, but the heat flashed inside her as his mouth came to rest at the thatch of hair between her legs.
Gently he parted her, pressing his lips and tongue between the folds of her body in the most intimate of kisses.
She turned her face into the pillow and moaned. It felt so incredibly good. The need inside her sharpened, yet Eleanor squirmed, trying to evade his questing tongue. She heard his wicked chuckle and felt a blush over her entire body. Never before had she felt so open, so exposed to a man.
“Joshua, I—” She tried to sit up, to shift away, but he held her in place.
“Shhh, I won’t hurt you,” he said coaxingly. “I promise I’ll stop if you don’t like it. Just try to relax. And trust me, Eleanor. Trust me.”
After a slight hesitation he continued licking her, circling slowly with the tip of his tongue around the tender nub of her pleasure. Tension curled up tight inside her, hot and urgent. Her breath came in short, gasping pants. He slid his hands beneath her bottom and tilted her forward.
The need inside her spiraled out of control, and her body arched up off the bed. It broke suddenly and she cried out. Joshua held her tightly, lightly stroking her flanks as her body shuddered its release.
Completly sated, Eleanor lay relaxed and slightly dazed against the soft cushions. Joshua shifted off the small bed and she let out a cry of protest at the loss of his solid warmth.
He returned quickly, however, standing above her, his eyes darkened with desire, gleaming down at her. She glanced over his beautiful body, hard and taut, and with a grateful blush realized he had donned a condom.
Eleanor lifted her arms to welcome him. Joshua moved between her spread legs, bending her knees back to angle her body to fit perfectly with his.
He gave her a wolfish smile before leaning over her. Gently he kissed her forehead, nose, and lips. Then with infinite tenderness he joined their bodies.
Eleanor cried out softly. She turned her head into his shoulder and nipped at the solid, warm flesh.
“Am I hurting you?” Joshua’s voice was tight.
“No.” Eleanor trembled. His body was shuddering with the force of his need, but she could tell he was holding himself in check.
He slid deeper and deeper inside her. Eleanor felt her body stretching to accommodate him. She exhaled slowly, forcing her muscles to relax.
He fondled her breasts, then reached down between their bodies and caressed her softly.
“Better?” he whispered hoarsely.
“Hmmm,” she muttered, too involved in the glorious sensations to speak.
He moved inside her, slow and deliberate. She lifted her hips to get closer and he increased the pace, surging into her.
Her hands gripped the corded muscles of his upper arms, clenching and
unclenching frantically as the tension within her started building again . . . higher . . . higher. Her heart raced and the blood pounded through her veins, the pressure so intense it almost became pain.
He froze for a second, then shuddered violently. She could feel the movement of his body deep within her, the pulsing of his release.
Her arms tightened around him. Her own pleasure was quickly forgotten as she became caught in the wonder of experiencing Joshua’s orgasm. It was incredible. She whispered his name and felt tears fill her eyes.
Spent, he collapsed on top of her. His weight crushed her, but she loved the feel of having him draped over her like a blanket. Their bodies were still joined and she reveled in the physical bond, the closeness they still shared.
I love you, she thought, realizing with sadness that it was the truth. She was in love with him. But there was no time to savor, to indulge in this miraculous feeling, for reality quickly followed truth.
An ache assaulted Eleanor, the feeling so brutal she tightened her embrace and held onto Joshua with a near-death grip.
It was unlikely they had any future together. Their lives were too different, their expectations polar opposites. She had known that before the weekend started, and everything that occurred since, from the private plane ride to the glittering party tonight, merely confirmed that fact.
She didn’t belong here, could never really fit in, feel comfortable.
Yet perhaps the most difficult truth of all to acknowledge was that when this magical weekend ended, and their time together was over, she would still love him.
Joshua lay back on the pillows. It was a close fit on the small bed, but he enjoyed the cozy arrangement. Somehow it felt right, having Eleanor snuggled so close to him, warming his body pleasantly. Outside, yet inside, too.
His gaze roamed her serene face. She was sleeping soundly, had been for the past hour. Gently he smoothed the few damp strands of hair from her temples. Her complexion was flushed, almost glowing. And it had nothing to do with her slight sunburn. With a smile that was pure male ego he took credit for the glow on that skin.
They had been good together. Better than good. Still, Joshua hadn’t realized he would care so much, would feel so much. Not just physically, but emotionally.
Her shy hesitation, her initial nerves, had brought out the protective side of his nature and added a dimension to their lovemaking he had never before experienced. In the past he had always favored tough, aggressive women. The type that just might come up and grab your crotch, in case you didn’t exactly understand what they wanted.
But now he discovered he could appreciate, even admire a completely different sort of woman. A woman like Eleanor. Less aggressive, less take-charge, a bit unsure, yet smart and competent. Gentler. Kinder. It was a nice change. It was the type of change he had never even considered until now. Yet he knew it was right for him.
He picked up a tendril of her hair and rubbed it between his fingers. Eleanor stirred, moaned, and snuggled deeper into the cushions. Joshua wondered briefly what thoughts were swirling through her brain. Even in sleep she seemed pensive.
Was she thinking about their future? He certainly had been. Exactly where did they go from here? There were some large problems looming on the horizon, specifically their working relationship. Even though Eleanor didn’t work directly with him, she was an employee in his firm and there were some very strict rules governing company relationships.
And that was what they had—a relationship. He hadn’t known her long, but he had established a closer, more honest connection with Eleanor than he had with other women he had dated for months. In this instance he readily accepted that quality, rather than quantity, was the key.
What about Eleanor? What did she want from him? Expect from him? He was astute enough to realize from the comments she constantly tossed out with comic delight that deep down inside she believed they were all wrong for each other.
Two days ago he would have agreed with her. Completely. But now he knew differently. He felt differently. That was clearly the first hurdle he needed to jump. Convincing Eleanor to take a chance on investing in a solid, meaningful, lasting commitment to him wouldn’t be simple or necessarily easy, but well worth the challenge.
Eleanor opened her eyes sleepily and glanced around. He knew the exact moment she realized where she was by the startled look that came over her face. Followed briefly by a quick flash of pain. Now what the hell was that all about?
“What time is it?” she asked groggily.
“Nearly one A.M.”
“Oh.” She shifted and sat up, clutching a large pillow to her breasts. “Do you think the party is still going on?”
“Probably,” he replied distractedly, his mind wandering, worrying over that look of distress. Did she have regrets? Had he hurt her in some way? Disappointed her?
The thought rankled him and he gave her a penetrating look. He knew he had brought her pleasure, but had he made her happy? It suddenly seemed very important to know that he had.
“Are you all right, Eleanor?”
She turned to him, looking mystified. “Y-yes. Of course. It was incredible. You were incredible.” She blinked and her cheeks bloomed with color. “Are you all right, Joshua?”
“Never better.” He gave a shaky laugh. She had caused him to practically lose all control, physically and emotionally. Even now he was amazed that he’d kept his head long enough to slip a condom on at the last moment to protect her.
“We should probably return to the house before anyone notices we’ve been gone.” She frowned down at the rug. “Can you help me find my clothing?”
Her simple request wounded him. She seemed very anxious to leave. Besides, he didn’t have the heart to tell her that by this time surely his father and Rosemary would have noticed their prolonged absence, along with any other guests who might have been interested in speaking to them.
“What’s the rush?” He took one of her hands and brought it to his mouth. Tenderly he nibbled on the fingertips. “I was hoping we could stay here for a while. Would you mind?”
She leaned toward him. The intensity of her expression was making him hard. Again. Joshua reached out and tugged at the large pillow she had tucked under her chin to hide her nudity. Surprised, she let it go. His gaze slid over her breasts and down the length of her body. Man, she was a pretty sight. Slowly he reached out, cupping her breasts. His fingers tested their firmness, his thumb teased one sensitive nipple.
“Are you tired?” he asked.
“Aren’t you?” she questioned breathlessly.
“No.” He dipped his head and kissed her tender nipple.
She moaned. The long, whimpering sound brought his body to life and it tightened with need. What extraordinary power she possessed. Amazing.
It was nearly dawn when they left the summerhouse. They walked silently together through the wet grass, his arm thrown possessively around her shoulders. The party was long over. The terraced patios had already been cleared of any dirty plates and glasses.
The extra outdoor seating and tables had been removed, the citronella torches lit to keep the bugs away had been extinguished. All that remained were the strings of tiny white lights wrapped in the trees nearest the patio, twinkling like newly formed stars.
Joshua was pleased for Eleanor’s sake that they encountered no one on the way. No overnight guests, no servants or, God forbid, his father or Rosemary. Explanations might have caused her embarrassment and he didn’t want any negative memories to mar the perfection of their first night together.
When they arrived at her bedroom door, Joshua kissed her softly, gently on the lips and, despite the early morning hour, whispered a gentle good night.
Only then did he finally relinquish her from his possessive embrace.
Ten
Eleanor wiggled her toes on the bottom of the slippery porcelain tub, shutting her eyes as the steam rose all around her. Fifteen minutes ago she had pulled the bath curtain closed, adjus
ted the shower setting, and turned it up full blast. Her fingers were starting to wrinkle, along with other parts of her anatomy, yet it felt too heavenly to leave.
The water beat hot and steady against her neck, shoulders and back, soothing her joints and muscles. Turning 180 degrees, she let the spray hit her rump and upper thighs, acknowledging with a sly smile that she was aching in places she hadn’t even realized existed until Joshua had shown her last night.
Memories of their incredible night and early morning together surfaced. One for the record books, absolutely. At least her record book. Deep down Eleanor had always suspected there was another facet of her personality buried inside her. That uninhibited side that longed only for the chance to show itself, without fear of retribution.
A small part of her would always be grateful to Joshua for helping her discover that part of herself and setting it free, even as the stronger, more dominant side of her practical self whispered it might have been a mistake. A huge mistake.
Still, the tension of the last few days had finally vanished when she had stretched out in her bed early this morning, with her head nestled against her pillow. Miraculously she had slept, a deep and dreamless sleep, yet awakened to a new reality. Her relationship with Joshua had taken yet another bizarre turn.
The thought filled her with a sense of melancholy along with a certain wistfulness. Maybe it would have been better to have kept it all a rich fantasy, to have dreamt of the possibility of experiencing a physical relationship with Joshua rather than actually succumbing to the passion. For now that she knew the truth—that the experience had completely eclipsed the expectation—it would be difficult to accept its loss.
She held no illusions about the future. She knew this weekend was a glitch in the reality of her life. A stolen moment, to be savored as a memory, remembered with joy and perhaps a touch of sadness.
A Night to Remember Page 13