She strained against him, wanting more, yet not quite fully understanding what it was she needed. Alex’s strong hands skimmed down her back and over the mounds of her buttocks, cupping them and pulling her up higher against him. Angling the part of her body that ached with a demanding throb against his arousal. A shock of pleasure radiated through her at the pressure of his sex against her. She felt herself grow damp and hot.
He pulled her to him again and flexed his hips against her, starting a rhythm that made her whole body pulse with need. Loren slid her hands up the cords of his neck and knotted her fingers in his short dark hair, pulling his face down to hers, wanting to absorb every part of him any way she could.
“Lift your legs and put them around my waist,” Alex commanded, his voice vibrating with desire.
Through the haze of passion that focused her senses only on the touch and taste of the man in her arms, she managed to comply. Alex walked them to the bed and laid her down on the sheets, still rumpled from last night. Without losing physical contact, he lay down with her, their bodies aligning perfectly, his legs cradled between hers.
Loren’s breasts ached and swelled against the soft cotton of her top, her nipples pressing like twin points against Alex’s chest. At this moment she hated the barrier that stood between them. As if he read her mind, Alex shifted his weight slightly, then his hands were at the hem of her top, pushing it up and over her head and exposing her small round breasts with their blush-colored peaks.
“So perfect,” he murmured as he traced the outline of first one dusky pink nipple, then the other, with the tip of his finger.
She watched, unable to speak, unable to move, as he moistened his finger with his tongue then retraced the shape of her again. A shudder rippled through her, bringing a small smile of intent to Alex’s face. Then he brought his lips to a tight bud, his tongue flicking out to mimic what his finger had been doing only seconds before.
Another shudder spread through her body, this one bringing a swell of pleasure with it, a swell that ballooned as Alex’s lips closed over her nipple and sucked hard. She nearly leapt off the bed, her body arching into him, wanting all he could give her. His hips held her pinned against the mattress and she hooked her legs around his, running her feet over his calves, the slippery fabric of his pajamas soft and sensual against her soles.
His body felt so different from her own. Stronger, firmer and with an energy vibrating from deep inside of him that excited her both mentally and physically. She knew what was yet to come, knew that there would be discomfort, possibly even pain, but she also knew to the depths of her soul that this was totally right. That out of anyone, Alex was the only man she could ever be this intimate with.
She gasped aloud as he scraped his teeth over her nipple before lavishing more of the same attention to its twin. She thought she would go mad with the sensations he wrung from her body. He was trailing his tongue along the curve of her breast, sending a rash of goose bumps to pepper her skin as, one by one, he traced each rib, lower and lower.
Despite the warm air she felt a shiver flow across her skin. His hands were at the drawstring tie of her shorts, she felt the bow loosen, the fabric begin to give way. Alex pulled himself up onto his knees and tugged her shorts away from her, exposing her body’s deepest intimacy to his scorching gaze.
She felt wanton under the power of his stare and she squirmed against the sheets, relishing the feel of high-thread-count cotton softness against the bare skin of her buttocks. Her movement caused a flush to deepen high on Alex’s cheekbones, made his eyes darken even more. He reached for her, his broad hands holding her hips firmly, his fingers splayed across her skin as he lowered his face to the V at the apex of her thighs.
Loren tensed, unsure of what to expect. All tension flowed from her as he pressed his lips with unerring accuracy at the central spot that was the heart of the sensations pouring through her. She felt his tongue gently glide over her sensitized nerves and lost all sense of reality. Again and again his tongue swept over her, gentle at first then firmer until, when she thought she could bear it no longer, he closed his mouth over that spot and suckled as he had done with her nipples only moments ago.
Sensation splintered through her body, at first sharp and then in increasing undulating waves of sheer pleasure reaching a crescendo of feeling she’d never dreamed herself capable of. Her entire body tensed, taut like a bow, before she collapsed back against the bed, weak, spent. Sated.
She sensed Alex’s movement, heard the slither of fabric as he shucked off his pajama bottoms. She opened her eyes as he knelt between her splayed legs, watched as he stroked his hand from base to tip of his erection. He positioned himself at her entrance and she felt the hot, blunt probe of his flesh.
A sudden shaft of fear shot through her. “I haven’t…I mean, I’ve never…”
“Shh,” Alex said soothingly. “I know. I will take care of you, Loren. Trust me.”
She locked her gaze with his, searching for any hint that he could be untrue to her, even now as they lay together with nothing but their past between them.
“I do. I trust you, Alex,” she whispered.
“That’s my girl,” he replied.
He leaned down and kissed her, his tongue sweeping inside her mouth to tangle with hers. She welcomed his invasion, letting her senses focus on the thrust and parry of his kiss, and the blend of her essence and the flavor that was all his.
She felt his hips slowly push against hers, felt him slide within her body. She stiffened involuntarily, unsure how she would accommodate him, but then he withdrew and did the same thing again, this time probing a little farther, waiting a little longer. Her body stretched and molded around him, at first uncomfortable and then not. Tremors racked his frame as he held himself partially within her. The next time he moved, she pressed back, taking him inside her a little farther.
A new sensation began to build inside her, one that demanded more, demanded him, so much so that when he thrust all the way inside her on his next stroke she ignored the sharp tear of pain and clutched at his hips, urging him to continue. With no barrier impeding him, Alex deepened his strokes, propelling her once more toward the growing pleasure whose epicenter lay hidden within her.
He gathered momentum and Loren found her body meeting him stroke for stroke, both of them reaching for the shadowy pinnacle of their desire. And then it burst upon her. Wave after wave. Bigger than before, deeper than before. A cry of sheer delight broke on her lips as Alex shuddered in release against her, before collapsing, spent, against her body.
In the aftermath of their lovemaking Loren gave herself over to the delicious lassitude that spread through her body. She knew of physical pleasure, but she’d never dreamed it could be like this. She trailed her fingers up and down the length of Alex’s sweat-dampened spine and in that moment she loved him more than she ever had before.
* * *
Alex watched his wife as she slept naked in his arms. His heart still hammered in his chest. Coming down from the high of their first physical union had taken its time. Even now he still felt twinges of pleasure, aftershocks of satisfaction that seemed endless in their reach.
It had never been like this before, with anyone. Somehow the knowledge that he was Loren’s husband and her first lover had lent a different note to the act itself. He’d always prided himself on being a considerate lover but it had become even more important to him to ensure that her first time be special than he’d believed possible.
And in giving he’d also received. The climax that had wrung his body dry had been spectacular. He rested one hand on her smooth, flat belly. Perhaps even now he’d managed to achieve his goal.
He had scarcely been able to believe his luck when she’d followed him to his room. After last night he’d hoped they’d gained a new high ground together, but her reaction to him this morning had dashed that hope. Until he’d heard that gentle knock at his bedroom door.
Alex dropped his head back against th
e pillow. He’d made that first time special for her. No matter what came after, she would always have that. Somehow that truth didn’t help assuage the kernel of guilt that had nestled somewhere in his chest. She deserved to have her first time with someone who loved her. But whatever she deserved, Alex was what she had—what she would have for the rest of her life, since he had no intention of ever letting her go.
She stirred against him, her slender body curling around his as naturally as if they’d always slept together. He’d had enough of thinking, enough of trying to justify his decisions. Action came more naturally.
Pushing aside thoughts that could only plague him, Alex gathered Loren closer to him and began to stroke her with long sweeps of his hand. He was already hard for her again. Mindful that she might be tender, he decided this time to take things even slower.
She woke as he dragged his fingertips along the inner curve of her hip. A tremulous smile pulled at her lips, soon to be lost in a moan that tore from her throat as he slid one hand between her legs to gently stroke her soft folds.
“Too much? Too soon?” he asked, watching her face carefully, hoping against hope that she would say no to his inquiry.
“Oh!” she cried as he brushed over her clitoris. “No, not too much. Not too soon.”
“Good.” He smiled in return and focused on the task at hand.
She had so much still to learn about the pleasure they could give one another, and he thanked his lucky stars she was such an eager pupil.
Her legs began to quake in what he recognized as the precursor to her climax and he slowed his touch, drawing out the pleasure for her as far as he was able. When he himself could hold on no longer he pulled her beneath him and sank inside her, the action sending her skyrocketing over the edge. Just like that he was with her, his body pulsing, spilling his seed, his mind filled with nothing more than wave after wave of ecstasy and the overwhelming sense of rightness that consumed him with Loren in his arms.
Nine
While Loren loved living at the castillo she adored the compactness of this stone cottage perched on the hillside. The small kitchen that had so tormented her with its closeness when she and Alex had first arrived was now a teasing adventure. And, even though they had neighbors in abundance, with the mature trees and the staggered terrace style of building around them, she felt as if she and Alex were totally isolated. There was a delightful sense of freedom in knowing that she could do whatever she wished.
It had been one glorious week since the morning they’d first made love. A week filled with discovery as she’d learned to bring the strong man she’d married exquisite physical delight and receive the same in return. Her one regret was that while they grew closer physically with each encounter, Alex continued to maintain an emotional distance between them she couldn’t seem to break through.
They’d done all the tourist things available in the area, enjoying the food and the countryside almost as much as they enjoyed one another in the close confines of the cottage. Going back to the castillo would be difficult but she had very definite plans for her and Alex to plan more time alone together.
A smile pulled at her lips as she heard Alex come up the stairs from the pebble beach below where they’d been swimming together. Only the knowledge that they’d been visible to some of their neighbors while in the water had held them back from making love as they’d floated together. But now, her smile deepened, now they were in their own cocoon of privacy again and she could do what she wished.
Alex lowered his body onto one of the sun loungers on the terrace, the white-and-navy striped cushion beneath him accenting the depth of his tan. Black swim trunks clung to him, outlining his hips and the tops of his thighs. Loren’s mouth watered at the prospect of what lay hidden beneath the dark fabric.
Her hands gripped the edges of the tray she’d brought through from the kitchen and she put it down on the terrace table, none too gently, and grabbed at one of the highball glasses before it toppled over. Even after all they’d shared he continued to have the power to rattle her senses. Just thinking about him had her heart racing, her lower body flushed and eager for his touch.
She forced her hands to still so she could grab the pitcher of iced tea and pour two glasses. She took one over to Alex, aware of his eyes watching every step she took toward him.
“Cool drink?” she said, offering him a glass.
“After that swim I think I need more than a cool drink.”
He took the proffered drink and drained the glass with a series of long, slow pulls. Loren watched, mesmerized by the play of muscles working in his throat. Alex put his glass down on the terrace beside him, the unmelted blocks of ice tinkling in the bottom, and gestured to Loren to join him on the lounger.
“Here, come and sit with me.”
“There’s no room,” Loren half protested.
“So use your imagination.” Alex smiled in return.
Loren lifted the folds of the emerald green sarong that matched her bikini and straddled the lounger, settling on Alex’s strong thighs.
“Like this?” she said, her voice a husky rasp as she felt the hairs on his legs tickle the already sensitive flesh of her inner thighs.
“Oh yes, exactly like that.”
Alex pushed the flimsy sarong aside, baring her legs completely and exposing the shadowed area of her body at the apex of her thighs. He traced the outside edge of her bikini bottoms, from the tie at her hip to her inner thigh and back again.
Heat and moisture flooded to her lower regions and she drew in a sharp breath as one finger slipped inside the edge of her bikini pants to brush lightly over her inner folds. Back and forth he stroked, until finally he slid one finger inside her. She clenched her inner muscles against him, tilting her pelvis forward and rocking slightly against his palm.
“You like that?” he asked, his voice deep and low.
“You know I do,” she whispered back and gasped anew as he slid another finger inside her.
With his free hand, Alex tugged at the bows that held her bikini bottoms together and pulled the fabric away, dropping it beside the lounger, exposing her and what he was doing to her.
Loren looked down and felt another sharp jolt of pleasure rock through her body as she watched him. She ached for release, wanted to rush toward the starburst of pleasure she knew was just around the corner, yet conversely wanted to make it last as long as she could. When Alex’s thumb settled against the hooded bud of nerve endings at her core she nearly lost it, but she clenched against him, harder, tighter, determined to remain in control.
“Come for me,” Alex commanded, his voice guttural now, his eyes molten with desire.
He started a gentle circular motion with his thumb, slowly increasing and releasing pressure with each stroke. She was near mindless when she felt the first flutters of her orgasm begin to wash over her. Finally, she could hold back no more. She tilted her hips some more, leaning into his hand, and let his magical touch send her flying over the edge.
Loren slowly returned to her surroundings, to the man who lay beneath her. A beautiful sensual smile pulled at his lips and she felt herself smile back in return.
“You’re beautiful when you climax, did you know that?” he said.
Loren felt the heat of a blush stain her cheeks. Even after what they’d just done she still felt embarrassed when he spoke to her like that. In lieu of a response she leaned forward and captured his lips with hers. He tasted of a delicious combination of sunshine, tea and a hint of mint.
She broke off the kiss and pulled free from his arms.
“It seems to me that things are a little unbalanced here,” she said.
“Unbalanced?”
Loren traced the prominent outline of his erection through his swim trunks with her fingernails.
“You heard me.”
“Hmm, you could be right,” Alex said, his speech thickening as she continued to tease his length. “It’s always important for things to be balanced, of course.�
��
“I was thinking the exact same thing,” Loren said and rose from the lounger in a fluid movement.
She undid the knot of her sarong and let it drop to the terrace floor, and then undid her bikini top, allowing it to fall on top of the puddle of emerald green fabric. Her nipples tightened in anticipation in spite of the warm air as she bent toward her husband.
“Lift your hips,” she said.
As he did, she eased his trunks down, exposing him to her hungry gaze and her eager hands. She tossed the shorts behind her, uncaring of where they fell.
“Now, spread your legs,” she requested. She knelt between them on the striped cushion as he silently obeyed.
Loren leaned forward and took his erection in her hand, curling her fingers around the velvet hard length and stroking firmly from base to tip and back again. Bending down, she swirled her tongue around the tip of him. Again and again, before gently rasping her teeth over the smooth head. She smiled as a harsh groan tore from Alex’s lips.
“Too much? Do you want me to stop?” she teased. She knew what his answer would be before he could even verbalize it.
“Stop now and I may have to punish you severely,” Alex said through gritted teeth.
Loren laughed softly and took him in her mouth. She loved that she could do this to him, for him. Just a few months ago, she would never have dreamed she could be so bold, so forward, but he’d taught her much in this past week. Most importantly, he’d taught her how to give him pleasure and how to draw that pleasure out until he finally let go of the iron control with which he held himself.
She looked up at his face. His head was thrown back against the chair cushion, his eyes squeezed closed. He’d flung his arms back and his hands gripped the back of the lounger. Loren took him deeper into her mouth, suckled more firmly at his tip, relished the hot salty taste of him as he fought to hold back.
Then she stopped, releasing him to the warm air around them. Alex tilted his head back up, his eyes narrowed as he watched her rise and spread her legs before lowering herself back down. She guided his shaft to her with unerring accuracy.
The Tycoon's Charm: The Tycoon's Paternity AgendaHonor-Bound Groom Page 26