Her First Vacation

by Leigh, Jennie

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Chasing after you.”

  She blinked in surprise at the blatant admission, then shook her head. “There’s nothing left for us to say to each other.”

  His smile was mocking, though it somehow seemed to be directed at himself as much as at her. He took a step forward. “Oh, I think there’s a lot that needs to be said, but we aren’t going to say it.” He took another step forward, and Claire felt her heart kick into overdrive. He was so close that she could feel the heat of his body. His mouth was achingly near hers. She couldn’t stop her gaze from dropping to it as he spoke again. “We’re going to be too busy to bother with heart to heart talks.”

  She told herself to tell him to leave her alone. She couldn’t seem to make herself speak or move, though, as his mouth slowly came toward her. When his lips finally touched hers, she sighed in relief. It was an involuntary response that should have been horribly embarrassing. She didn’t have time to be embarrassed, however. Because mere seconds after his lips touched hers, he’d wrapped his arms around her, and she was lost to his kiss.

  She clung to him as he used his tongue to tease and taste her. She’d been kissed by him twice before. Both times she’d felt the barely restrained passion inside him. Tonight, though, there was something more to it. The passion and hunger was there, but it didn’t feel quite as overwhelming as it had before. As if he was making certain to keep it tightly controlled. He released her mouth and trailed kisses along her jaw, to her ear. She stopped wondering about the restraint she felt in him when his tongue swept across her earlobe a second before he gently sucked at it. He abandoned her ear in favor of her neck, and she threw her head back as his mouth moved over her. She could feel his hands gliding over her, skimming her ribcage, then her back. It felt like he was touching her everywhere, but she still wanted more. She tightened her hands on his arms as she felt her body trembling with need. Then his mouth dropped to the exposed skin just above the neckline of her dress. It wasn’t as low cut as the one she’d worn the first night after she’d had the makeover. This one had a scooped neck that barely revealed the very top of the swells of her breasts. That’s where Colin’s mouth touched her, and the sensation of his mouth so near her aching breasts was enough to make her gasp.

  He lifted his head and kissed her mouth again. This time there was no feeling of restraint in his kiss. He stroked her tongue with his own. He licked and sucked at her with his mouth while his hands dropped to her hips. He pulled her tight against him, and she heard him groan as his erection was sandwiched between them. She’d never have believed she could respond to something so strongly. Heat and moisture flooded the juncture of her thighs as realization dawned that she wasn’t going to stop him this time. It was insane to let him take her body while he rejected her heart and soul, but she couldn’t make herself tell him no. When he snatched the key card out of her hand, then reached behind her and opened the door, she didn’t object. She knew she was going to regret this come morning. Maybe she’d be regretting it for a long time to come. Right now, though, she was simply going to ignore the warnings and let her body have its way.

  Colin backed her into her room, then kicked the door closed. The room was dark, except for the moonlight streaming in through the doors that led onto the small balcony. There was plenty of light for him to see her clearly, and what he saw made the breath catch in his throat. She ought to be offended that he had taken them into her room without at least asking if that was what she wanted. The trouble was, looking into her eyes was all the evidence he needed to guess that she’d already given him the answer to that particular question. She very much wanted him in her room and in her bed. What really scared him, though, was the fact that she didn’t appear to be nervous about it. Her eyes had gone dark with passion, and her lips were already swollen from his kisses. She was aroused and apparently not nearly as embarrassed by it as he’d expected her to be. Suddenly, he found himself wondering if all his careful planning was about to blow up in his face. He’d come too far to back out now, though. He had to push this thing on to the end. She couldn’t be experienced enough to take what he was going to do to her in stride. All he needed was to push her a little further, and she’d break.

  He backed away from her, tossing her key on the generic dresser before flipping the switch by the door. He saw her squint as the light flooded the room, then she frowned at him as her eyes adjusted.

  “What are you doing?”

  He gave her a smile that he knew was purely predatory. “I’m turning on the light so I can see you.” He didn’t say anything else. He just let his gaze slowly travel over her body. He let it linger at her breasts, let her see his smile widen as he studied her. Then he lifted his gaze to hers once more.

  “Come here.”

  He saw the hesitation in her gaze and felt relief as he realized she was starting to behave more in keeping with what he’d expected. Then she surprised him again when she seemed to mentally stiffen her spine. Her chin came up a fraction as she stepped forward. Damn, but she was stronger than he ever gave her credit for. When she was just within his reach he lifted a hand.

  “Stop.”

  She did, though he could see the confusion in her eyes. He let her wonder what he was going to say for a moment, before issuing a new command.

  “Take down your hair.”

  Again, she hesitated, but then did as he asked. She reached up and pulled out the clip that kept her hair swept up off her shoulders. As she reached out to lay it on the dresser, he saw that her hand was trembling. That was good. She was starting to second-guess herself and him. That’s exactly what he wanted her to do. He watched as she ran that shaking hand through her thick hair, pushing it back out of her face. She had no idea how incredibly seductive she was, which was a good thing. If she had any real experience at all, she’d know she was the one with the power. She just didn’t know how to use it. Of course, if she had that kind of experience with men, he wouldn’t have to worry about her being victimized by a bastard like Garret Palmer.

  “Now the dress.”

  She went utterly still. He saw the confusion in her eyes that quickly turned to something closer to blind terror. She stammered out a question he knew she already knew the answer to.

  “What?”

  “You’re stripping for me, Claire. No music or dollar bills, but the premise is the same. I want to watch you undress for me.”

  He saw the way her chest rose and fell with a shuddering breath. He watched the pulse in the base of her throat as it started racing uncontrollably while every inch of exposed skin flushed with her embarrassment. The tremor in her hands spread to the rest of her body, and he felt a grim sort of satisfaction. She was going to bolt. Any second now she was going to give in to the rational voice inside her head that was telling her she didn’t want this kind of sex with a man. She wanted to be loved and cherished. She would never feel comfortable being treated as nothing more than a sex object. She might have changed her appearance and begun to change her attitude about herself, but there was no way she could be ready for something like this. Which was pretty much why he damn near gaped like a fool when she closed her eyes for a moment before bending one wildly shaking hand behind her back to grasp the zipper of her dress.

  Claire couldn’t believe she was going to do this. Every ounce of rationality within her was screaming at her to tell him to get out. But there were other parts of her body that were screaming just as loudly. Never in her entire life had anyone looked at her the way he was looking at her now. No one had ever seen her as beautiful or desirable in a strictly intellectual or emotional sense, much less on a physical level. But Colin did want her. He’d never denied that. And judging from the fact that she knew he was still every bit as aroused as he had been out in the hallway, she knew he wasn’t pretending. It was almost more than she could take to think that she was going to let him look at her like some prize to be claimed instead of the woman she really was, but in the end, she
finally decided that being wanted for her body was better than not being wanted at all. So she forced herself to ignore the self-preservation instincts that had kept her from taking any risks in the past and took a leap into the unknown. Whatever happened, she’d find a way to live with it.

  Colin heard the slow rasp of the zipper as she pulled it down. She had one hand flattened against her breasts to hold the dress in place while she slowly pulled her arm out of the sleeve. She used that hand to take the place of the other while she pulled it free of the dress as well. She was acting out of nervousness, prolonging that moment when she was left with no choice but to drop the dress and expose herself to him. She was acting with utter innocence and total seduction. Colin could feel his breath coming too hard and fast as his gaze focused on her breasts. She wasn’t naked beneath the dress. He could see the straps of a navy blue bra arching over her shoulders. He was caught in a state of breathless anticipation as she worked up the nerve to give him what he’d asked for. When she finally did let the dress slip through her fingers and fall slowly down her body, Colin was immeasurably glad that her eyes were still tightly closed, because there was no way in hell that he could have kept the shock off his face.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Colin stared at the see-through lace of her bra, feeling his mouth go dry as he got a good look at the hard, dusky peaks encased in the lace. His gaze slowly traveled lower, and he felt his hands start trembling when he found the panties that matched the bra. He could see the dark hair covering her mound. He could see everything through a film of lace so delicate that he knew he could rip right through it with a single tug. God in heaven, she wasn’t wearing underwear, she was wearing lingerie. The bra cupped her breasts, lifting them into twin mounds that he was suddenly dying to bury his face in. The panties rode high on her hips, and he was at just enough of an angle to see that they disappeared into a thong. It was the sort of underwear that was made to be seen, the kind of thing a woman wore because she wanted to drive a man insane. Standing there in the blue lace and the heels she’d worn to dinner, she was a living, breathing wet dream, and Colin suddenly realized that he was in way over his head. Because whatever he’d thought he knew about Claire Abernathy, this was proof that he didn’t know half as much as he believed he did. Beneath all the reservation and uncertainty he saw on the surface lay the heart and soul of a woman deeply filled with passion. And God help him, he knew he wasn’t going to be able to walk away now that he’d seen the truth.

  Claire had no idea what Colin was doing. She was shaking so much that she could barely keep her teeth from chattering. She’d kept her eyes closed because she wasn’t sure she’d be able to drop the dress if she was looking at him. Now that she’d done it, though, she suddenly couldn’t bear not seeing him. She opened her eyes and sucked in a sharp breath as she saw the way he was looking at her. The almost smug prowess was gone. In its place was a hunger so raw that it made her want to moan. He lifted his gaze to hers, and she saw the need he felt.

  “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

  It should have sounded like a lie. It was an incredibly trite thing to say. But there was no way she could dismiss the compliment while she was looking into his eyes. He kicked off his shoes then, and shrugged out of his jacket. It took her several seconds to realize that he was giving her the same thing she’d given him. Her eyes dropped to watch as he unfastened the buttons of his shirt. Inch by inch, the fabric parted to reveal what lay beneath, and she felt her fingers curl instinctively as she focused on the mat of dark hair she could see peeking through the opening. Then he tugged the shirt out of his pants and pulled it off. She felt mesmerized as she watched the ripple of his muscles beneath his skin. She’d known he was in good physical shape. She’d touched him enough to feel it through the fabric of his clothes. She’d never realized just how impressive his physical form would be, though. He was perfect. He could have been a male model in underwear ads. She felt her mouth go dry and shot her tongue out to moisten her lips. His hands had moved to his belt, but they faltered, and she lifted her gaze to meet his.

  He didn’t say a word. Instead he finished opening the belt and then the pants. He shoved them down, taking his underwear and socks with them and then he straightened, and Claire knew she was way out of her league. He stood before her completely naked, his arousal full and hard, and there wasn’t even a hint of embarrassment in his eyes or face. She, on the other hand, was shaking with uncertainty. Not about him. Not even about what she knew they were about to do. She’d already made that decision, and she refused to doubt it right now. But she was scared to death that she would be so inexperienced that she’d disappoint him. She wanted more than just to give him her body. She wanted to somehow reach out and touch him in ways no other woman ever had. She wanted to please him so that he would never forget her no matter how many other women he took to his bed. With that thought in mind, she reached back and unfastened the clasp of her bra.

  Colin never would have dreamed that she could be so bold. Not in a million years would he have expected her to drop the bra, much less hold his gaze as she did it. He didn’t maintain the eye contact for long, though. He couldn’t. He had to look at her, to let his eyes feast on the creamy mounds she’d bared just for him. They weren’t huge, but they sure as hell weren’t tiny, either. Small and firm, they were perfectly proportioned for the rest of her slender frame. And he was damn near dying with the need to touch them. She started to hook her fingers in the waist of her panties, but he shook his head.

  “Not yet.”

  She stopped, then watched him as he moved to the bed. He bent to jerk back the covers, then sat on the mattress before turning to lift a hand to her. She came to him, placing her hand in his and moving to sit beside him. He turned around to reach up and rest his hand against her neck. She was still trembling, still scared of what she was doing. But she didn’t shy away from his gaze or his touch. She’d committed herself to this and was determined to go through with it. He decided then and there that whatever happened tomorrow, he would give her this night. He’d give her what she deserved. He couldn’t tell her the truth with words, but he could give it to her in his touch and his kiss. Eventually the real world would rush back in on them, and he’d have to hurt her. For now, he was going to pretend that time was standing still for them.

  “Tell me you’re not a virgin.”

  She blushed, but kept her gaze locked on his as she shook her head slightly. “I’m not a virgin. I had a...relationship in college.” He saw pain flash in her eyes. “It didn’t work out.”

  There was more to it than that, and he felt an instant flash of hatred for the bastard who’d hurt her. He slid his hand from her neck to her shoulder and down her arm, then back again.

  “His loss, I’d say.”

  He leaned forward and kissed her lips lightly, then he worked his way down her jaw to her throat. She leaned her head back, offering him easier access. He ran his tongue along her collarbone, then lifted his head so he could look into her eyes once more.

  “I’m going to touch you in ways and places that I’d be willing to bet he never did. And you’re going to let me because once I do, you aren’t going to want me to stop. If you’re going to change your mind about this, now’s the time.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not going to change my mind.”

  Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it was enough. He pressed against her shoulder lightly and she obediently fell back against the bed. He propped himself on his elbow beside her and let his gaze drop to her breasts. He brought his hand to her belly and she flinched, but said nothing. He slowly let it glide across her skin until he was just below her breasts. He trailed one finger between the mounds, then slowly circled one with a light touch. The nipple was already hard, but it tightened even more in anticipation of his touch. It wasn’t the only thing that was tight, though. She was lying there with every muscle in her body clenched, and he realized that she expected it to be uncomfortable.
He lifted his gaze to hers while his finger continued to make lazy circles around her breasts.

  “Was he rough with you?”

  She shook her head. “He never hurt me. I thought I wanted him to-“ she broke off, clearly unable to put it into words. She just shook her head again instead. “It was...uncomfortable.”

  Colin’s hatred of the nameless, faceless man climbed a notch higher. The bastard had been too focused on his own gratification to care about taking care of hers. He’d probably groped at her for a few minutes while he got her out of her clothes, then humped her like a grunting pig. No wonder she was so tense. He brought his hand up to grasp her chin, forcing her face to turn toward him as he spoke.

  “I’m not going to hurt you, Claire. I’m going to teach you how to enjoy your body and mine.” He leaned down and kissed her, deeply and with an intimacy that startled even him. When he pulled back he could see the hunger in her eyes. “Trust me. I swear you won’t regret it.”

  He could have kicked himself for making that promise, especially when he knew it was an outright lie. She was going to regret ever meeting him before this was all over. But at that moment, he couldn’t make himself keep anything back from her. So he told her what he wished was the truth, and she believed him. She nodded, and he felt her body begin to relax. He put his focus back on her breasts then, because he couldn’t stand to see the trust in her eyes.

  He brought his finger to her nipple and traced the dark circle around it a couple of times before finally touching the hard peak. She groaned at that first brush, and he tightened his jaw for a moment as the sound sent a shockwave through his body that ended in a tug at his groin. He stroked the bud, then repeated the move on the other breast. He moved his hand back to the first one as he bent his head and blew gently on the peak nearest him. She shivered in response. Then he finally gave in to the need clawing at him and put his mouth on her. He ran his tongue over her, then grazed her with his teeth lightly before closing his mouth over her fully so he could suck at her. She moaned and arched off the bed. He continued pulling at that nipple while he used his hand to pluck at the other one. He threw one leg over her and felt his erection slide along the smooth skin of her thigh. She felt it too because she moved instinctively, just enough to make him think that he might not make it through to the end without embarrassing himself. He decided it would be better to shift his position than to risk that kind of adolescent behavior. He rose over her, moving his mouth to the other breast to give it equal attention before he slowly began to work his way down her body, finally he reached the upper edge of the lace panties, and he lifted his head so he could look at her.