Dio. She was such perfection; he couldn’t wait to join his body with hers.
Damping down his impatience, he attended to the task of undoing her shoes. Every second that passed, his shaft pulsed painfully as he forced himself to exercise restraint and to take things slowly. It was sweet pleasure to lift her bare feet one at a time and to rub gently at the gracefully arched insteps before kissing his way up the insides of her legs.
‘Oh.’ She sighed as he lingered at the top of her calves, then nibbled at her knees with his teeth. All the while, his hands smoothed over the inner flesh of her thighs, urging her to spread her legs apart for him. ‘Kiss me, Marco.’
He didn’t need to be asked twice, but her swift, audible intake of breath as he lowered his head between her thighs and used his tongue to part her feminine folds told him the intimacy of this kiss wasn’t what she’d meant by her command.
Her hips bucked, bringing her sweet, honeyed centre into firmer contact with his mouth. He took full advantage of it, lapping at her dewy essence and laving at the taut, sensitive little bud of nerve endings so she moaned her pleasure. He savoured the flavour of her and loved every little mew of encouragement she made. Drawing upon his skills, he built the tension within her and brought her towards her peak.
Her thighs were tense, the firm roundness of her buttocks lifted up as her whole body went as taut as a bowstring. As the archer, he pulled the bowstring tight. Then, sliding two of his fingers inside her, he stimulated her there. The instant he drew her clitoris sharply into his mouth and suckled hard, he felt the arrow fly.
Chloe’s cry of ecstasy pierced the air.
Raising his head to watch her enjoy her orgasm, he continued to bring her pleasure with his fingers.
As she drifted back to earth, he levered himself up and rested on one elbow, watching all the sweet expressions cross over her features as she returned to reality.
She looked up at him through moist eyelashes and her expression was one of wonderment as she said, ‘I had no idea...’
‘You’ve never come like that before?’
‘You’re so living up to your promises, Marco.’ Dimples appeared in her cheeks, as a saucy, satisfied smile curved her lips. ‘That was definitely a first, and I’m beginning to believe another first might be on its way.’
Did she mean... ‘You’ve never had an orgasm before?’
‘No.’
‘Never?’ He couldn’t believe it.
‘None brought on by a lover, but don’t let it go to your head.’
A fierce, unexpected satisfaction ripped through him. Possessiveness unleashed itself like a wild beast inside him and he acknowledged an unparalleled need to have her know this pleasure through their joining.
The skin across his forehead tightened as his brows drew together into a frown, because it hit him that this was supposed to be a one-night stand, yet he realised one night wasn’t going to be anywhere near enough for all the ways he wanted to bring her to her peak and find pleasure with her.
Christo. These thoughts were so foreign to him.
‘Don’t make me wait any longer, Marco. I want it all. One night. Everything you have to give me.’
His eyes zeroed in on the trembling of her lips and he realised that despite her urgent words, and the intimacy they’d already shared, she still wasn’t entirely comfortable with the thought of making love with someone unfamiliar. Her uncertainty caused a surge of protectiveness in him—a need to treat her with the utmost care.
He kissed her tenderly. Kissed her lips, cheeks and eyelids. But by the time he reached her lips, it was impossible to rein himself in. He kissed her like a man possessed by the fever she stirred in his blood, and she responded the same way.
All the while, he kept exploring her body with his hands to keep the connection with her, to stoke her need and ensure she was ready for his possession.
Her breasts were so lush, her rose-tipped nipples sweet as he lavished attention on them and they pebbled against his tongue. She writhed beneath him and he thrilled to her sounds of delighted wonder and murmurs of encouragement.
As he drew one of her distended nipples sharply into his mouth, he felt her body tense. A second later her hips bucked beneath him. He watched as her eyes flew open in surprise, which surely mirrored his own. Dio, but she was so sensitive. He hadn’t planned for this to be her second orgasm, yet he knew great satisfaction that she’d reached another climax this way.
Her previous lovers must’ve been mere inexperienced boys to have not tapped into her sensual sensitivity.
Her climax rolled on and on through her body until she finally stilled against the mat. Opening her eyes, she looked up at him in complete amazement. ‘Really?’
A satisfied laugh rumbled from his chest. ‘You’re very responsive.’
Chloe looked as though she floated on a soft cloud of sheer bliss. Her reaction went to his head more potently than a shot of Balkan Vodka on an empty stomach.
‘I didn’t realise,’ she admitted breathily. Her pelvis lifted again to press more firmly against him. Her body communicated its need for even greater completion.
‘I’m going to pleasure you in every way possible,’ he promised.
Her hands pressed into his bare buttocks. ‘I hope so. I’ve never been so aware of this aching emptiness inside me. I yearn to have you there.’ Her words were a powerful aphrodisiac.
‘Dio, yes.’ He allowed himself to touch her again, where her soft, silky curls guarded her feminine entry. ‘But first, the condom.’ He was aware of her gaze burning into him as he got up from the floor and moved quickly to retrieve it from his wallet before returning to her. ‘Would you like to do the honours?’
She gulped as she reached for the foil packet. ‘Okay.’ Her fingers were tentative as she held him and rolled the condom into position. ‘How’s that?’
That was sweet bloody torture. Chloe was a heady mix of shy hesitancy struggling with bravado. One moment her fingers seemed unsure, the next she looked him in the eye and ran her fingernails up and down his sheathed shaft like a tigress that simply couldn’t get enough of him.
‘Good to go,’ he rasped as he parted her folds and felt her slick readiness. Her body was absolutely ready to receive him and he needed to lose himself in her desperately.
Positioning the head of his penis at her entry and inching in slowly, when he most wanted to surge into her, was perhaps one of the hardest tests of endurance he’d faced, but it was an experience he relished because he wanted to enjoy every second—to commit every sensation to memory.
Their gazes meshed as he entered her.
‘All the way,’ she urged, closing her eyes. Her body tensed as if she prepared to ride through discomfort.
‘Look at me, Chloe.’ He wanted her to remember who she was with—who would bring her this orgasm.
Her blue eyes met his.
‘Relax, tesoro,’ he urged. When he felt her relax, he thrust all the way.
‘Ah.’ The sound was one of thrilled satisfaction.
Deep inside her, Marco stilled his body over hers to experience their joining. There was something special about it... something more profound than usual. It felt so right to be sheathed inside her—like this was exactly where he belonged. It was as though their souls resonated in perfect harmony.
The thought shook the very foundations of his being.
How could this be happening? How could he feel such a profound connection with a woman he barely knew?
‘You’re right,’ she sighed against his mouth. ‘It feels wonderful.’
It was better than wonderful. It was ultimate ecstasy, and he hadn’t even started.
He raised a hand and smoothed through the silky hair on her head. ‘It’s going to be even better, mia bellezza.’
Determined to introduce her to the ecstasy they could share in lovemaking, Marco built the pace slowly. Each thrust of his body was measured and slow until it was Chloe who quickened the rhythm. She rose a little fas
ter to meet each of his thrusts and urged him to withdraw a little quicker.
She was fabulous. Giving him everything. Demanding everything he had to give.
‘Fan—tas—tic,’ she told him between shallow breaths.
Perspiration beaded on his forehead and his skin felt slick with moisture as he struggled to hold off his orgasm—to make sure this wonderfully responsive woman beneath him reached her peak. Then her whole body grew tense and she lost her rhythm, as her body bucked uncontrollably beneath his. Her inner muscles spasmed sharply around his shaft.
Dio. She was so tight around him, milking him with her erratic contractions. It became impossible to hold back any longer. With a mighty, almost-feral growl, he gave in to the sensations and claimed his own completion, spilling himself with a force that had him shuddering.
Inferno. It didn’t get any better than this.
More than sex... More than a joining of two bodies... Your soul has now melded with hers, his inner voice whispered. You’ll be connected with her forever.
Surely not? Surely it wasn’t possible.
Rolling over onto his back, he carried Chloe with him, still joined to her body in the most intimate way possible and so damned attracted to her, he knew it wouldn’t be long before his penis hardened within her body once again and demanded another release.
His thoughts were a mess and he was unable to untangle them. How could this feel so right so immediately? His heart had been given to another. He’d never expected to feel this level of harmony again as a woman lay in his arms. It was as he’d told Chloe—a compulsion. Undeniable, unstoppable attraction and a profound connection that blew everything he thought he knew out of the water.
Damn it. This was an even stronger physical attraction than he’d known for the woman who’d been the love of his life. He’d fallen for her slowly—a relationship built on friendship, and shared interests that’d developed over time. Chloe was a stranger.
Disloyalty, and the notion he betrayed his love’s memory, caused the muscles across his shoulders to tense. He’d sworn no woman would ever touch his heart again. Somehow Chloe had connected with him and seemed to be breaking through the walls that guarded it.
‘I’m very glad you convinced me to do this.’ Her smile lit up her whole face as she snuggled up on top of him.
Inwardly, he groaned. He was unable to keep thinking of his former love when Chloe radiated such happiness—such life. It was impossible to resurrect the barriers around his heart when her sunny smile destroyed every one.
He loved the feel of this young, American woman. It struck him that by now he’d usually be up and disposing of the condom, discouraging cuddles after sex. All he wanted to do was lie inside her and revel in the warmth and closeness.
Was this intense connection the same feeling his friend Gabriel had told him he’d felt when he’d first met India? The overwhelming rightness Devereaux had known the instant he’d seen Mackenzie? The sheer attraction Khalid knew for Sabihah, which still lit up any room the two of them happened to be in?
Four years on, isn’t it time you stopped grieving and opened your heart again?
There was definitely something different about Chloe. The moment he’d seen her, he’d experienced the most unusual sensation and he’d been drawn to her side. He couldn’t put a name to the quality that attracted him with such unescapable magnetic force. It was more than her pretty face and sensational figure.
Although they weren’t all that many in number, the women he’d had sex with were all beautiful. They were all sexy, but—apart from the one woman he’d given his heart to—perhaps the rest were all rather predictable? Perhaps a little cool—a little controlled?
Chloe, however, was like a breath of fresh air. She’d admitted that having sex so quickly with him wasn’t her norm, but there was more than that which set her apart. She had an aura of integrity about her. Outwardly, she seemed confident and the degrees she possessed were proof of her intelligence, but he sensed a shadow of self-consciousness and doubt lingering below the surface.
He stroked his hand against her head, revelling in the silky smooth texture of her hair as he tried to identify what set Chloe apart. She didn’t flirt with him in a way that suggested she realised what stunning physical features she possessed. The women he knew were well aware of their physical attributes. They knew how to position their bodies to show themselves off to full advantage. They knew how to look up from beneath thick eyelashes and how to draw attention to their best physical features. Chloe was one sexy woman and she didn’t even try to be. It seemed to Marco she had no idea of the innate sensuality emanating from her.
Her lips pressed little kisses against his chest. When she raised her head and looked down at him, her smile was beautifully satisfied. ‘You were right. You made the whole experience amazing. That was very different.’
‘You recognise the difference now, bella?’ He hoped she did, because he certainly did. He registered an amazing difference—he just didn’t understand it.
Sex was always good. What he’d shared with Chloe had been mind-blowing.
She traced a fingertip along his breastbone. ‘I do. But if I’d never had sex that was only pleasant, I’d never really appreciate the significance of what you’ve shown me.’
‘It was extraordinary for me too.’ He captured her hand in his and raised it to his mouth so he could suck on one of her fingers.
‘It was?’
‘It was sensational, bella. One night with you isn’t enough for me.’
One night. The words haunted him.
One afternoon and night was all he’d known with...
He slammed the door firmly on his thoughts. He wouldn’t dishonour his love by replaying the intimacy they’d shared while another woman lay in his arms. He wouldn’t dishonour Chloe in that way, either.
Chloe. He was beginning to think an entire weekend together wouldn’t be enough—even if they made it to a bedroom and stayed there. ‘There’s so much more we can share.’
He felt her withdrawal.
‘Marco, I can’t stay here this weekend.’
‘Then tomorrow we’ll leave together for London.’
A tiny furrow appeared between her eyebrows as she weighed up his suggestion. ‘I can’t tell you I’m not tempted. I’ve actually never been so tempted in my entire life.’
He sensed a ‘but’ and he didn’t want to hear her rejection. ‘Give in to temptation, Chloe. It won’t hurt you.’
One fingernail trailed a path over his chest. ‘I’m not sorry this happened—how could I be? But we agreed this would be a brief interlude.’ Her words were resolute. ‘I need to walk away from you tomorrow morning.’
‘Why?’
‘As I’ve told you, one-night stands have never been my thing. This is the first time I’ve ever had sex without my heart being involved. I don’t think it’d be good for me to become involved with you beyond tonight, because I might grow too attached.’ She smiled. ‘Let’s both walk away happily.’
Tension speared through him.
Wasn’t that supposed to be his line? Logic told him she was right. To believe it would jar him to walk away from Chloe was simply irrational.
He should be out mingling at the party and sticking to the weekend strategy he’d planned. The last thing he’d intended was to embark on an affair. This weekend he planned to strike to ensure there was no last minute reprieve for the man he’d sworn to bring to ruin.
Even with the beat of revenge pulsing through his veins, the moment Marco had seen Chloe standing on the other side of the room, he’d tossed his goal aside temporarily. Lust had punched through him, overwhelmed him and tugged him into a turbulent vortex of need beyond his experience and expectations.
Now he faced the dilemma of reassessing his priorities. Did he continue on his mission or allow his lust to rule?
When have you ever allowed lust to rule?
What’s wrong with you tonight to even contemplate it?
; It was temporary insanity to be so caught up in a woman this soon after meeting her—to imagine he might’ve found the magic with Chloe that his friends shared with their lovers.
He needed a remedy.
Surely if he spent the remainder of the night with her, he’d be content enough to bid her farewell in the morning? Then he could get back to achieving the goal he’d come here to achieve.
‘We still have the rest of the night.’ Framing her face in his hands, he kissed her luscious lips. ‘You need to move for a second, bella, so I can dispose of our protection.’ Then they’d go upstairs and make love the entire night. In the morning, he’d assert his sheer willpower and ensure she was out of his system when they parted.
‘Okay.’ She moved from her position atop his body.
The second Marco sat up, he saw the condom had torn.
‘Oh.’ Chloe saw too and immediately rushed to reassure him. ‘Don’t worry. I’m on the pill to regulate my period.’
He nodded as he stood and disposed of the sheath. ‘You don’t have to worry about your health. I’ve always used protection and it’s never failed before.’
‘Oh. Well you don’t have to worry either. I’ve always been strict about using condoms too.’
‘We’ll be more careful next time.’ His mind flashed back to the way she’d rolled the condom on. His penis jerked and he felt the blood rushing there as he recalled the ecstatic stroking of her fingernails up and down the latex immediately afterwards. ‘I suspect it was your fingernails.’ He hadn’t been celibate for so long that the condom would be past the use-by date.
‘Oh. Sorry.’ She bit down on her bottom lip and her cheeks coloured.
It’d happened, but it wasn’t the end of the world. ‘Let’s get dressed and go upstairs. I want to make love to you all night.’
She hesitated.
Marco held his breath, unable to relate to her indecision. He’d been her first lover to give her orgasms—three glorious climaxes. Why wasn’t she up on her feet and rushing out the door?
The Irresistible Royal Page 4