She had the satisfaction of knowing he wanted her. Although she was woman enough to admit she’d desired him, too. What she had to do was keep her desires at bay while continuing to stir up his. That was her game plan and she intended to stick to it. She would not get caught in her own trap.
But there was nothing wrong with getting wrapped up in memories while lying stretched out on a chaise longue with the breeze from the ocean caressing her skin. Memories were a lot safer than the real thing. With her eyes still closed, she vividly recalled the night when she and Matthew had come out here, naked and aroused, with only one thing on their minds.
They had gone to a polo match and returned home, barely making it up to their bedroom to strip off their clothes. And then he had swept her off her feet and carried her to the balcony. Even now she could recall how fast her heart had been beating and how her pulse had throbbed. Pretty similar to how she was feeling now, just thinking about it.
He’d reached out to touch her breasts and her stomach had automatically clenched in response. Then she had watched in heated lust as he’d leaned forward and used his tongue to capture a nipple between his lips and—
“Carmen? Why didn’t you answer when I knocked?”
She found herself staring into a pair of dark, sensuous eyes. His lips were so close to hers that it wouldn’t have taken much for him to lean in just a little closer and taste her. And then there was his scent—aftershave mingled with man—that began manipulating her senses in a way that could be deemed lethal.
Her eyes narrowed as she felt a warming sensation between her thighs. Matthew was crouched down over her. She fought to ignore the sensual currents that were rippling through her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice sounding strained to her own ears.
His gaze continued to hold hers. “I knocked several times and you didn’t answer.”
The heat of his breath was like a warming balm to her lips. She was tempted to lick the fullness of his mouth from corner to corner. It didn’t exactly surprise her that she was thinking of doing such a thing, considering what she’d been thinking about just moments ago.
She slowly pulled herself up in a sitting position, causing him to move back, for which she was grateful. The last thing she needed right now was to be in close proximity to him. The temptation was too great. “And why were you knocking on the bedroom door when I told you I would be out here on the balcony reading?” she asked.
“I need to get my things moved to the guest room.” He paused a moment and said, “I noticed you were sleeping, but figured I could get my things without disturbing you. But then…”
She lifted a brow. “But then what?”
A sensual smile touched the corners of his lips when he said, “But then I heard you say my name in your sleep.”
She faltered for a minute, then quickly fought not to show any emotions as she swung her legs to the side to get up, causing him to back up a little more. She stared at him, exasperated, not sure what she should say. She decided not to say anything at all. What was the use in denying such a thing? It probably hadn’t been the first time she’d said his name in her sleep and more than likely it wouldn’t be the last. After all, he’d once had the ability to make her come just by breathing on her. In fact, he probably still could.
“Go ahead and get your things, Matthew. I’m awake now,” she said, breaking eye contact with him to stand and gaze toward the ocean. He could think whatever he liked about hearing her say his name. She figured all kinds of thoughts were running through his mind—he was probably trying to figure out the best way to get into her panties right now.
She glanced back at him and her nipples immediately hardened when she noticed how he was staring at her outfit. She had changed into a strapless terry-cloth romper and it fit real tight over her backside. She knew just how much he enjoyed looking at that part of her anatomy.
He also used to compliment her on what he said was a gorgeous pair of legs. And now he was scanning her from head to toe, and concentrating on the areas in between. He wasn’t trying to hide his interest.
“Is there a problem, Matthew?” she asked, watching his gaze shift from her legs to her mouth. Seeing his eyes linger there ignited a burning sensation low and deep in her belly.
His survey then slowly moved up to her eyes. A flash of panic ripped through her when she recognized the let me make you come look in his eyes. She felt her body succumbing without her consent.
“There’s no problem, if you don’t think there’s one, Carmen,” he said throatily, her name rolling sensuously off his tongue.
“I don’t,” she replied, easing back down on the chaise longue, knowing he was watching her every move. She stretched in a way that caused his attention to be drawn to her backside and legs once again. “I’m sure you don’t need my help packing up your things.”
Too late she realized she’d said the wrong thing. His expression went from hot to furious. She knew he was recalling the last time she’d said those very words to him, when he was moving out of their home in Malibu.
“You’re right, Carmen. I didn’t need your help then and I don’t need it now.”
Six
As Matthew began opening drawers to collect his clothes, he had to keep reminding himself there was a reason he hadn’t yet tossed his ex-wife out on her rear end.
When she hadn’t opened the bedroom door, he’d figured she had fallen asleep on the balcony. He thought he could be in and out without waking her. But when he’d heard her moan his name, not just once but several times, nothing could have stopped him from going on that balcony.
He had found her stretched on the chaise with her eyes closed, wearing a hot, enticing outfit that barely covered her. Seeing her resting peacefully had tugged at his heart, while her clothing and her words had tugged on another part of his anatomy. He’d stood there, thinking about all the things he’d love to do to her while getting harder as the seconds ticked by.
And he had been tempted to kiss her, to make love to her mouth in a way that would not only leave her breathless but tottering on the brink of a climax. When she had awakened and looked into his eyes, he had seen a need as keen as any he’d ever known from her. And then she had ruined the moment by reminding him that they were no longer husband and wife, and wouldn’t be sharing the same bedroom or bed.
But not for long.
He was looking forward to reminding her just what she’d been missing this past year. And the way he saw it, she was definitely missing something if she was moaning his name in her sleep.
As he pulled the briefs and socks out the drawer and tossed them into the bag on the bed, he glanced to the balcony where Carmen now stood with her back to him, leaning against the rail and gazing out at the ocean again. At that moment, intense emotion touched him and nearly swelled his heart while at the same time slicing it in two.
He had loved her and he had lost her. The latter should not have happened. She should have stuck by him and kept the vows they’d made to each other. But when the going got tough, she got going.
He pushed the drawer closed, deciding to put his plan into action. She had pushed a few of his buttons—now it was time for him to push a couple of hers.
Carmen felt Matthew’s presence before he’d even made a sound. She felt a unique stimulation of her senses whenever he was near. She had felt it earlier today when he’d entered the tent at the polo match. She’d known he was there. Just like she knew he was here now.
Biting her bottom lip, her fingers gripped tight on the rail as her breathing quickened, her pulse escalated and heat flowed through her. He didn’t say anything. She couldn’t stand another second of silence and slowly turned around.
The sun had gone down and dusk had settled in. Behind him she saw the light from the lamp shining in the bedroom but her focus was on him. She studied him, not caring that it was obvious she was doing so. His eyes darkened and she felt his desire. And as she stood there, she couldn’t help b
ut relive all the times he had held her in his arms and made love to her.
He had been the most giving of lovers, making sure she enjoyed every sexual moment they’d shared to the fullest. Her body was tingling inside, remembering how it felt to have his mouth to her breasts, or how his lips could trail kisses all over her body, heating her passion to the highest degree. It had been her plan to get him to the boiling point, but she was ashamed to admit he had her there already.
She pulled in a deep breath. “Are you done?”
“Not quite.”
And then he slowly crossed the distance separating them. “I came to say good-night.”
The husky sound of his deep voice sent sensuous shudders running all through her. Total awareness of him slid down her spine. She forced her gaze away from his to look out at the ocean to say something, anything to keep her mind off having her way with him.
“I love it here, Matthew. Thanks for agreeing to let me stay.” She glanced back at him and saw he’d come to stand directly beside her. “You didn’t have to, considering the terms of our divorce,” she decided to add.
He stared at her for a moment and then said, “It was the right thing to do. At the very least, we can be friends. I don’t want to be your enemy, Carmen.”
His words nearly melted her, but she had to remember that she wanted him to regret the day he began taking her for granted, to realize that when she’d needed him the most, he hadn’t been there for her. She had been alone while grieving their loss.
“What are you thinking about, Carmen?”
She glanced up at him. “Nothing.”
“Maybe I should give you something to think about,” he said softly, in a deep, rich voice. And then he wrapped his arms around her waist and lowered his mouth to hers.
She saw it coming and should have done a number of things to resist, but it would have been a waste of time and effort. Every part of her turned to mush the moment his lips touched hers. When his tongue began mingling with hers, she moaned deep in her throat.
Carmen hadn’t known how much she’d missed this until now. She had tried burying herself in her work so she wouldn’t think about the loneliness, the lost passion, the feel of being in the arms of the one man who could evoke sensations in her that kept her wet for days.
I miss being with the one man who can make me feel like a woman.
He deepened the kiss and she felt the rush of sexual charge. And when he lowered his arms from her waist to cup her backside, bringing her closer to him, she felt the hardness of his huge erection pressing into her. On its own accord, her body eased in for a closer connection.
Their mouths continued to mate in the only way they knew how, a way they were used to. But regardless of the number of kisses they had shared in the past, she was totally unprepared for this one. She hadn’t expected the degree of desire or the depth of longing it evoked, not only within her but within him, as well. She could feel it in the way his tongue dominated her mouth as if trying to reclaim what it once had, and was entitled to. He was not only taking what she was giving but going beyond and seizing everything else he could.
Then he began slowly grinding his body against her. She felt the hot throb of his erection between her legs as if the fabric of their clothing wasn’t a barrier between them. His body rubbing against hers electrified her senses in a way that felt illegal. And how he fit so perfectly between her legs reminded her of just how things had been with them, whether they were standing up or lying down, in a bed or stretched out on top of a table. They’d always made love with an intensity that left them with tremors of pleasure that wouldn’t subside for hours.
Everything around her began to swirl wildly, and as his large hands continued to palm the cheeks of her backside, pressing her even closer to him, an ache took over in the pit of her stomach and began spreading through every part of her.
He slowly released her mouth but didn’t stop the movement of his body as he brushed kisses across her cheekbones and chin. She pulled in a deep breath and then released a whimpered sound of pleasure from deep in her throat as he licked a path from one corner of her mouth to the other.
Blood rushed through her veins and it took everything within her to keep from begging for more. But nothing could stop the waves of pleasure and the tremors that began to shake her. She closed her eyes and reveled in the sensations rushing through her, bit by glorious bit. And when he began nibbling on her lips and then proceeded to suck those lips into his mouth, she was literally thrown over the edge. She pulled her mouth from his and cried out as intense pleasure shook her to the very core while he continued to grind his body against hers with a rhythm that had her rocking in sensuous satisfaction.
“That’s it, sweetheart, let go,” he murmured against her moist lips. “You are totally beautiful when you come for me. So totally beautiful. I miss seeing that.”
And she missed feeling it, she thought, as the orgasm that had ripped into her slowly began receding and returning her to earth after a shuddering release. And when she felt the heat of his tongue lap the perspiration from her brow, she slowly opened her eyes. “Matthew.”
His name was a breathless whisper from her lips. As if he understood, he leaned down and kissed her, tenderly but still with a hunger she could feel as well as a taste she could absorb.
He slowly pulled his mouth away and with a sated mind, she met his eyes. The gaze staring back at her was just as intense and desirous as earlier, making it obvious that although she’d easily managed a climax fully clothed, he’d maintained more control over his aroused state.
“Matthew, let me—”
He placed a finger to her lips to halt whatever she’d been about to say. “Good night, Carmen. Sweet dreams.”
She watched him leave, thinking that thanks to him, her dreams tonight would be the sweetest she’d had in a long time. She had to admit that this was not how she had planned for things to go with Matthew. He had deliberately tapped into one of her weak spots, which was something she hadn’t wanted to happen. Was he gloating that he’d gotten the upper hand?
Carmen drew in a deep breath as her body hummed with a satisfied sensation. A flush heated her cheeks when she remembered how he had kissed her into an orgasm; she was feeling completely sated. The chemistry between them was just as it had always been, explosive.
She leaned back against the rail and knew, even though the sexual release had been just what she needed, she had to regroup her priorities and continue with her plans. Everyone was entitled to get off the track at least once, but the important thing was to get back on. And she was confident that after a good night’s sleep, she would be back in control of her senses once again.
Seven
Pulling off his shirt, Matthew headed for the bathroom, needing a shower. A cold one. Just the thought that he had brought Carmen pleasure had nearly pushed him over the edge. While kissing her, he had been overtaken with a raw and urgent hunger. The sensation had been relentless, unyielding, and for him, nearly unbearable.
As soon as his lips had touched hers, the familiarity of being inside her mouth had driven him to deepen the kiss with a frenzy that had astounded him. And each time she had moaned his name, something deep inside him had stirred, threatening to make him lose all control.
It didn’t take long after she’d bailed out of their marriage to realize that she was the only woman for him. Any time he held her in his arms, kissed her, made love to her, he’d felt like a man on top of the world, a man who could achieve and succeed in just about anything. He had worked so damn hard to make her happy and in the end all of his hard work had only made her sad.
He stripped off his clothes, filled with a frustration he was becoming accustomed to and a need he was fighting to ignore. He stepped in the shower and the moment the cold water hit, shocking his body, he knew he was getting what he deserved for letting a golden opportunity go by. But no matter the torment his body was going through, he was determined to stick to his plan, and at the moment he
was right on target.
His goal was to build up a need within her, force her to remember how things were between them, and how easily they could stroke each other into one hell of a feverish pitch. And then when she couldn’t handle any more, when she was ready to take things to another level, instead of sweeping her off her feet and taking her to the nearest bed like she would expect, he would show her the door.
He stepped out of the shower and was toweling himself dry when he heard his cell phone ring. Wrapping the towel around his middle, he made his way over to the nightstand to pick it up. Caller ID indicated it was his manager, Ryan Manning. “Yes, Ryan?”
“It would have been nice if you’d given me a heads-up that you and Carmen were back together.”
Matthew frowned. “We’re not back together.”
“Then how do you explain the photograph the Wagging Tongue plans to run of the two of you kissing? Luckily I have a contact over there who thought I’d be interested in seeing it before it went to press. They plan to make it front page news that the two of you have reconciled your differences and are remarrying. The papers hit the stands tomorrow.”
Matthew rolled his eyes. The Wagging Tongue was one of the worst tabloids around. “Carmen and I are divorced, nothing has changed.”
“Then what was that kiss about?”
“It was just a kiss, Ryan, no big deal. People can read into it whatever they want.”
“And what about Candy?”
“What about her?”
In Too Deep Page 4