She hadn't expected him to be so interested in her past, but his direct gaze demanded an answer, and also awakened too many insecurities she didn't want intruding on their time together. "Nine months worth of serious." And she didn't want to discuss the hows and whys of her hurtful breakup with Martin with a man who didn't seem to know the meaning of the phrase permanent commitment.
Which brought her around to the reason they were there, in a very plush and extravagant suite for the night. She slid a hand between their bodies and curled her fingers around his solid erection, barely able to hold all of him in her palm. Lifting on her toes, she nipped gently on his bottom lip. "How about I return the favor?"
He groaned as she stroked and squeezed him. "As great as that sounds and feels, I want to wait until we're both naked."
"Unlike me," she said humorously.
"I loved the way you let go and came apart like that. It was so damn sexy." The hot look simmering in his eyes backed up his words. "Your lack of inhibition is a good thing, especially tonight, with me." He ran a finger down the slope of her nose, then grabbed her hand. "Come on, I've got a surprise waiting for you, and I want you to enjoy it before it gets cold."
Infinitely curious about what he'd planned, she followed him through the spacious living room, past the kitchenette that dispelled her guess that he'd ordered up a warm meal for them, to the outrageously huge master bedroom with a four-poster, king-size bed. He opened a set of double doors that connected to an enormous bathroom with a huge sunken tub dominating the room, filled with fragrant, steaming water, a froth of bubbles, and gardenia petals floating on top. Sitting on the rim was an ice bucket with chilled champagne and two glasses.
Pampered, indeed. Inhaling the rich floral scent filling the air, she glanced at Matthew in astonishment. "How in the world did you arrange to have this done when we got here?"
"I have my ways." He gave her a slow, sweet kiss that curled her toes, then let her go. "Why don't you take a bath and relax before I order up dinner?"
Before she could suggest otherwise, he stepped out of the bathroom and closed the doors behind him to give her the privacy she didn't want. She was disappointed that he hadn't stayed with her so they could enjoy the bath together, but she wasn't about to pass up the chance to indulge in such a decadent treat on her own.
She stripped off her clothes and secured her hair into a twist so it didn't get wet. Stepping into the silken, heated water, she sat down and sank all the way up to her shoulders, enveloping her senses in the heady scent of gardenias. With a content sigh, she did as he'd ordered. She let her lashes drift shut and relaxed both her mind and her body.
Matthew opened the door to the bellman, who'd arrived to deliver his numerous purchases from the hotel's boutique, along with a plastic garment bag. He had the hotel employee set the packages on the floor in the living room, then tipped him generously for his time, service, and just because it was the giving season. The man thanked him profusely, then was gone.
Most of what he'd bought were Christmas gifts for his sister and mother, but there had been a few things that he'd deemed as necessities for Faith. Other than the clothes she had on when they'd arrived, she didn't have anything else to wear, and while she'd been shopping for her toiletries he'd picked out a dress and undergarments for her to wear tonight.
Judging by how conscious she'd been of the price tags on the items in the boutique, he knew she wasn't going to be happy that he'd spent so much money on her, but figured it was his prerogative to do so. And what a refreshing change it was to have a woman not want to relieve him of his money. Which made him want to spend it all the more on Faith.
He carried the garment bag and a few of the smaller packages into the bedroom, thinking back to their discussion in the boutique, about her spending the holidays alone. He couldn't imagine being without his family on Christmas, and hoped if all went well, Faith would spend the day with him and his parents, siblings, and nephews.
And then there was their brief but revealing conversation about her past relationship, one that had been serious for her and had lasted nearly a year. One that had obviously made her wary of him and his intentions. But before he could ask what had happened, she'd quickly changed the subject. Though he wouldn't let her avoid the topic for long, because he had a feeling whatever happened in that last relationship was a big part of the reason she'd been so resistant from the beginning.
And why had she finally changed her mind, he wondered as he laid out the dress he'd bought for her on the bed, along with sexy undergarments he hadn't been able to resist. Sure, she'd told him that it was a simple matter of giving in to their attraction and indulging in one night of hot, unforgettable sex. But Matthew didn't buy her convenient excuse and had to believe that there was something deeper behind her motivations. Something more emotional he'd be able to use to his advantage before their time together was over.
There was so much he wanted to know about Faith, so much he wanted to learn. So many different facets to her personality, much like that prism she'd been admiring earlier. And every brilliant layer that she revealed about herself only made him want her that much more… insecurities, vulnerabilities, and all. And when he finally had her beneath him, making love to her face-to-face, he'd make damn sure she knew that one night wouldn't be nearly enough to slake his need or desire for her. That what he felt for her went beyond sex and involved his heart and emotions.
But first, she was expecting to be seduced, and that tub was more than big enough for two.
He stripped out of his clothes, and wrapped a towel around his hips that he'd taken from the spare bathroom. He was still hard with wanting her, and he grinned wryly as his erection made itself known.
He knocked lightly on the bathroom door as a warning, then entered. Faith was immersed in the water and bubbles, and her lashes drifted open when she heard him come in. Her gaze lazily took in his bare chest, slow and appraising, and an appreciative smile curved her lips.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked, unable to keep the rasp of arousal from his voice. Unable to deny how beautiful she was, inside and out, and how much he ached to have her in his life.
"I was hoping you would," she murmured, and shifted beneath the water, causing tiny waves and gardenia petals to lap over the upper swells of her breasts, teasing him with thoughts of her naked body beneath the bubbles. "I could use some help scrubbing my back."
He waggled his brows playfully at her. "I'll scrub yours if you scrub mine."
"Deal," she said eagerly, making room for him.
He dropped the towel from around his waist and watched her eyes widen as she took in his size and length. She licked her lips, wetting them, fueling fantasies of her sweet mouth on him, taking him deep. Sucking softly. Using her tongue to lap and swirl over the head of his cock.
He shuddered at the provocative thought and climbed into the tub with her.
"You don't mind smelling like a flower?" she asked, her eyes dancing with a teasing light.
"Not if it means being in here with you."
"Ahh, such a sacrifice." She reached for the washcloth and added a large dollop of liquid soap. "You first," she said, and made him turn around so she was kneeling behind him and had access to his back.
He relaxed as she washed his shoulders, enjoying the rough texture of the cloth against his skin, down his spine, and along his thighs… until at some point it was only her hands and fingers skimming along his flesh below the water, touching and caressing and exploring.
She moved closer from behind, her knees widening on either side of his hips. The position caused her breasts to flatten against his back, and his jaw clenched as her palms glided around to his chest and her thumbs rasped across his rigid nipples. Then those slender fingers of hers were traveling downward, feathering along his taut stomach and lower still.
She nipped at his neck and nibbled her way to his ear, her breath hot and damp against his skin. "You have such an incredible body," she whispered, then took his
throbbing penis in her hand and stroked him in her tight grasp.
He reacted with a jerk of his hips and a rough sound of pleasure he was helpless to hold back. His release simmered right below the surface, and not wanting it to be over so soon for him, he pulled her hand away and turned around, pinning her against the side of the tub and maneuvering her sleek wet body beneath his.
He stared into her eyes, brimming with a lighthearted tenderness and passion he felt, as well. "Now it's my turn to get even," he growled, and proceeded to tease her just as mercilessly as she'd aroused him.
Forgoing the cloth, he used his hands to wash her, to trace her voluptuous curves, her breasts, her belly. He kissed her, too, as she squirmed and slipped against him. Her skin was like satin and her legs tangled with his as he continued to familiarize himself with every secret spot on her body.
He found a ticklish area just below her ribs, and she laughed and writhed, nearly dunking herself in her mirth. He loved the playful, unfettered sound that drew a reciprocating chuckle from him, as well. Loved how comfortable she was with him, so trusting, without any inhibitions to get in the way of their pleasure and enjoyment of each other's bodies, and he hoped the fun, sexy moment would pave the way to a deeper, more intimate trust later.
He slid his hand between her thighs and brushed his fingers along the slippery folds of her sex, so infinitely soft and warm. He pressed deeper, and she gasped and wriggled and arched into his touch, but he deliberately kept her climax just out of her reach.
When he knew he'd tormented them both enough, he reached for the removable shower head attached to the tub's spigot. "Now for the rinse cycle," he said, and set the hand-held unit to a steady, pulsating spray. "Sit up on the edge of the tub, right over there in the corner, so I can wash off the bubbles."
She hesitated for only a brief moment before doing as he asked, but sat with her knees clamped together, more prim than he would have liked. He gazed at her naked upper body, lush and curvaceous and perfectly built with high full breasts crowned with tight nipples and the gentle flare of her hips.
"You are so beautiful, so sexy," he rasped, wanting her with a hunger he could barely contain. He aimed the warm water at her chest, watching as it flowed down her gorgeous body like liquid silk.
With a soft, surrendering sigh, she closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the marbled wall. "Oh, God… that feels incredible."
He felt the pulse of his blood in his groin, a mounting ache in his balls. "Touch your breasts, Faith," he urged huskily. "Help me wash away the soap."
His request was completely unnecessary, but there was something incredibly erotic about a woman caressing herself so sensually, and Faith was no exception. Her hands cupped her breasts and her ringers plucked at her nipples as the water continued its gentle cascade down her body.
He wanted to lap every bit of moisture off her, wanted to taste every inch of her on his tongue, and it was then that he noticed she hadn't touched the champagne, and he was suddenly feeling very thirsty. Letting the showerhead drop into the tub, he reached for the chilled bottle, popped the cork, and poured the icy, bubbly drink over her chest.
She sucked in a startled breath, her eyes flaring wide with disbelief, but before she could object to being doused in the cold champagne, he was warming her with his mouth. She shuddered at the insistent tugging of his lips as he suckled her breast and rasped his tongue over her beaded nipple. With her hands twisting restlessly in his hair, and her breathing as ragged as his, he treated her other breast to the same sensual torture.
He lapped his way down her ribs, swept his tongue across her quivering belly, needing to sample her elsewhere. Everywhere. But her thighs were still pressed together, keeping him from his ultimate goal.
He drew back, looked up into her eyes that were hazy with desire, and traced the seam of her thighs with his finger, coaxing them to part. "I'm still very thirsty. Spread your legs for me, sweetheart."
She bit her bottom lip and let her thighs fall open, enabling him to see all of her, vulnerable and open to him in the most intimate way. Closing his thumb over the opening of the bottle, he shook the contents, hard, then released the pressure building beneath his finger. The frothing champagne sprayed between her thighs, bathing her in the sparkling, carbonated liquid.
She inhaled a quick, shallow gasp, and he could only imagine what she was feeling—the cold champagne in heated places, the shimmer of effervescent fizz on her sensitive flesh, tingling along her sex like a dozen tiny tongues pleasuring her all at once.
Her hands moved to touch herself, and he caught her wrists and held them at her sides. "Let me…" he said, and bent his head, taking her in his mouth, his tongue hot and rough and determined. He found her clit and sucked gently, greedily, the flavor of champagne and hot, honeyed woman a heady combination that went straight to his already straining penis.
He tongued her deeper, and she gave a stifled scream and climaxed, shaking with the force of her release.
Once he coaxed every last sensation from her quaking body, he pulled her back into the water so that she was straddling his waist and his shaft was nestled between her smooth trembling thighs. He looked up at her face, into her dazed eyes, needing her more than his next breath.
He didn't have a condom handy, but he was more than willing to improvise, especially when he knew it wouldn't take much to make him climax. He brought her hand to his erection and circled her fingers tight around his cock.
"Make me come," he growled, and crushed his mouth to hers.
His tongue delved deep, matching the long heated stroke of her palm. Wild lust and savage longing min-gled, and he couldn't hold back any longer. Didn't want to.
He let go and came in a fierce searing rush, surrendering completely to the insane pleasure of it all.
Chapter Five
Faith reached for the plush robe hanging from the back of the bathroom door and slipped inside the soft terry material, while the best lover she'd ever had finished with his own shower after their very illicit tryst in the tub. Her body still thrummed from her recent champagne-induced orgasm, and her heart… oh, Lord, her heart was in the process of taking a very dangerous free fall for Dr. Matthew Carlton.
The thought sent a startling jolt of reality through her. It was just sex, she told herself as she tightened the sash on the robe and valiantly ignored the tempting outline of Matthew's body against the fogged shower doors. Nothing but a few amazing, unforgettable orgasms so far—undoubtedly the best she'd ever had—just as she'd asked him for. And the rest of the night promised to be equally outstanding and memorable.
She just never expected that being with Matthew would feel so perfectly right, beyond physical attraction and in ways she'd never imagined. She was drawn to him as a man who loved his family and made time for them, a big brother with a generous spirit who enjoyed spoiling his sister, and that sensitive, compassionate side she'd glimpsed many times as a pediatric surgeon.
And mostly, a man who'd gone out of his way to treat this as more than a one-night stand.
He was a man who possessed so many outstanding qualities, yet she couldn't stop the doubts tightening her chest—the fear of believing in the impossible with a man out of her league personally and professionally, and ultimately getting hurt when he decided the newness and excitement of their affair had finally worn off. That particular lesson with Martin was still too fresh in her mind to forget.
Vowing to keep her distance emotionally, and praying that she had the willpower to do so for the next twelve hours or so, she headed into the adjoining master bedroom and came to a sudden stop when she caught sight of the garments laid out on the bed. Certain that Matthew wasn't planning on wearing a dress and provocative undergarments this evening, she could only assume that the items were for her.
She stepped closer, brushed the tips of her fingers along the sexy black dress she recognized from the boutique downstairs, and experienced a blend of mixed feelings over wanting to look desirable
for Matthew, and refusing to accept anything more from him tonight than sex. Gifts certainly weren't part of their deal… but then again, neither had been staying the night in one of Chicago's most luxurious hotels.
Hearing him exit the bathroom behind her, she turned around, not sure what to say, or what to do.
He must have sensed her uncertainty, because he approached slowly, cautiously, securing the sash on his own robe around his waist. "Will you wear that for me tonight?"
He'd asked, a polite request not a demand, making the choice solely hers, and that simple gesture made a lump rise to her throat. Then there was that sincerity she saw in his dark eyes, along with a deeper longing that made her ache to do and be anything he wanted.
Damn her traitorous emotions, anyway!
She smiled, just for him. "I'd love to wear the dress and other things for you."
He looked immensely pleased with her decision. "Then I'll leave you to get dressed while I change in the spare bedroom." He kissed her on the cheek, his lips warm and smooth and much too fleeting. "I'll meet you in the dining room when you're done."
Then he was gone.
It took Faith a good half hour to get ready, to clip her hair up in a stylish knot, reapply her makeup, and put on the lingerie and outfit Matthew had bought specifically for her. Standing in front of the dresser mirror, she took in the elegant long-sleeved, off-the-shoulder dress and the strappy shoes that were about a half size too big but would more than do for an hour or so. Her stockings were black, too, matching the garter belt, panties, and strapless bra ensemble he'd bought for her.
All traces of the conservative schoolteacher had vanished, replaced by a sensual, sophisticated woman with seduction on her mind. The new look thrilled her, but also made her more than a little nervous, because for as much as she enjoyed the temporary transformation, it didn't change her modest lifestyle or who and what she was. And she hoped with all her heart that wasn't his intent.
She headed out to the dining room, the delicious smell of dinner awaiting her, along with Matthew, dressed in a white dress shirt he'd left unbuttoned at the throat and brown slacks he must have purchased at the boutique, as well.
Wilde Novellas Page 13