by Lynda Chance
“Hell, yes. I can’t take being separated anymore. Not going to happen,” he gritted out.
She took another breath and carried on, his answer satisfying her, pleasing her down to her bones. “So, I don’t want to have to use a condom, at least, not this first time. Will that be possible?” Thankfully, her voice was steady.
His eyes sharpened as he began to walk the few feet it took to reach her. Taking her bag from her arm, he tossed it aside. While staring at her, his palms wrapped around her bare shoulders. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
Her heart rate picked up and it took everything she had to continue to breathe evenly. “Are you going to make me ask about your personal health, Nick?”
Very subtly, his fingers clenched on her skin and his voice dropped an octave. “I can’t believe you think you need to ask, but go ahead.”
Maybe he didn’t care that she doubted him, but she had her own health to consider; she wasn’t stupid. “Is it safe? Do you know for sure that you won’t … won’t give me anything?”
His gaze became pointed and his mouth flattened, but he gave her the answer she sought. “Yeah, it’s safe, and yeah, I know for sure.”
Courtney breathed a sigh of relief. Not only for his answer, but for the fact that she’d been brave enough to confront him about the issue. She didn’t want to lose her virginity with a condom between them; it seemed less than romantic somehow.
She dampened her lips as he wrapped an arm around her waist and she raised her eyes to his.
“Does that make you feel better, sweetheart?” he asked in a more gentle tone.
She felt color hit her cheeks. “Yes.”
“I’d never do anything to hurt you or to put your health at risk. I’d cut off my right arm first.”
At her silence, he asked, “Okay?”
She breathed in slowly. “Okay,” she managed, but it was little more than a whisper. It was as if she’d used all of her strength even asking the question, and now her mind turned to the act itself, what was about to happen. She wasn’t taking this lightly; she’d waited too long for it to be less than a monumental decision and moment in her life.
As his beautiful brown eyes stared into hers, he slid one strap of her sundress off her shoulder, and then the other. Her blood heated and she felt her eyes flare. At her reaction, he glanced down to the heart-shaped bodice of her dress held it in place by her breasts, and then slowly, he reached around and slid her zipper all the way down.
When her bodice loosened she let out a small gasp; the dress was lined so the only thing she had left underneath was a pair of abbreviated satin panties.
She glanced down and watched as Nick fisted the material of her dress in both hands. All it took was a small tug and then the garment lay pooled around her feet. She continued to stare down between them, a small memory, a frisson of d��j�� vu tickling along her nerve-endings and blending with the sexual awareness beating through her blood. She’d stood in this same place before him, looking at the floor, trying to contain the raw emotion she felt for him.
As she stood almost completely nude in front of him, sexual tension seemed to fill his large frame and she knew, without actually looking, that he was staring at her bare breasts. She tried to stand straight and tall while she fisted her hands at her sides to keep them from reaching up and covering her naked chest. Dreaming about this had been one thing, being almost naked before him was an entirely different matter.
His hands found hers and clenched around them, holding them to her sides, but his touch was gentle, his thumbs running back and forth over her skin in a soothing manner. He cleared his throat and spoke. “I want to make sure you know something—just for the record.” As she continued to look down at the floor, he released one of her hands and a masculine finger put pressure on her chin until she was forced to lift her face to his.
Her eyes locked with his as his thumb ran back and forth along her bottom lip in a caress so soft and gentle that her knees almost gave away. As she waited for him to continue, her pulse jumped erratically. He watched her in silence, their breaths coming in tandem, his face set in lines of gentle homage. His eyes reflected something she’d only caught bare glimpses of in the past; now it was there, unhidden, out in the open between them.
At his expression, her heart began hammering in her chest, and she was startled to feel a tear roll down her cheek, in anticipation of what he might say. He let out a crooked half-smile and wiped the tear away with a gentle finger. He took a deep breath and seemed to brace himself, and then he declared unequivocally, “I’m in love with you, Courtney.”
Sheer, unmitigated happiness exploded within her. She bit her lip and closed her eyes for a heartbeat. When she opened her lids and their gazes locked again, her eyes filled with tears as she smiled tremulously. At her reaction, he gave a choked, joyful laugh and his fingers left her chin to spear through her hair. His other arm wrapped around her waist, bringing her against his torso. “I love you, sweetheart,” he reiterated. “I always have and I always will.”
Her throat closed up. She tried to say something, tried to tell him that she loved him too, but she couldn’t find enough strength to accomplish the words. Just the act of breathing was using every bit of oxygen she could find. She wiped at the wet trail on her cheeks with the back of her hand and cleared her throat. She began nodding her head up and down vigorously and his mouth formed a full-blown smile. Releasing her scalp, he trailed his fingers down to the piece of jewelry that hung by a chain and rested on her chest. He lifted it, held it tightly in his fingers and asked almost hesitantly, “Do you love me?”
She opened her mouth and her lips quivered. “Yes,” she whispered; it was all she was capable of.
He closed his eyes for two seconds and she read profound relief on his face. When he opened them, he released the charm and wrapped his fingers around her chin again. “Can you tell me?”
An arrow of fierce longing shot straight through her when she heard the trace of vulnerability in his tone. “I love you, Nick.”
“Do you?” he asked, his voice dropping a notch, as he searched for confirmation.
Her voice came back fully. “I do. I love you with all my heart and I always have, since I was a teenager. I’ve always loved you, Nick. It’s always been just you.”
Her words seemed to be the balm he needed, as an expression of ease filled his features. And then in a lightning quick shift, his features turned to unadulterated possession. As his grip enclosed her more firmly, her stomach flipped at his sudden transformation. When he spoke, his tone conveyed a captivating threat of unequivocal ownership. “That’s it then. You’re mine.” The arm around her waist tightened inexorably. “You’ve always been mine, but now it’s out there.”
Courtney sucked in a breath and laid it all out there. “If I’m yours, then you’re mine.” She made her voice firm; she wasn’t asking a question, she was stating a fact. And that was difficult to do when she was standing in nothing but high heels and briefs and his large body was planted around her, radiating full-blown masculinity, his immediate intentions apparent.
But he didn’t take exception to her demand; his lips formed a tantalizing smile that caused a molten heat to fill her veins. “Yeah. That’s how this thing between us is going to work,” he stated with inflexibility. “You’re mine—I’m yours, and if anybody tries to get between us, they’ll find out quick-fast that that shit won’t fly. My family seems to think you belong to them. But that’s not the way it is, and that’s not the way this is going to work, not any longer.”
His hand left her face and trailed down to her breast and encompassed it in the palm of his hand. She let out a tiny gasp as he ran his thumb across her nipple. “Right, baby? Nothing and nobody will get between us. We’re moving forward with this. You agree?”
“Yes,” she answered simply.
As he continued to drag his finger back and forth across her turgid nipple, Courtney’s eyes began to slip closed as arousal shot through her
veins.
She felt his lips on her forehead as he held her close. “I’m going to give you whatever you want.”
“I only want you,” she mumbled against his chest.
“That’s easy, then.” With that, he lifted her up, with an arm under her back and the other under her knees and carried her across the room, prowling with the fluid movement of a jungle cat to the bed.
He dropped her on the king-sized mattress, in the center of the bed, and then without missing a beat, he stepped back and began undressing.
His eyes stayed riveted on her face as he pushed off his shoes and socks. His nostrils flared and with her heart banging in her chest, she watched as he pulled the designer belt from its loops. When she glanced back up, he began tearing at the fastening of his shirt and with a shrug of his shoulders, dropped the garment to the floor where he stood.
His chest was massive and toned with hard muscle. She pulled in a ragged breath as she watched him undress. She’d seen his chest before, of course, at the swimming pool in his mother’s backyard. But never before had she seen his naked chest as it was now, his pectorals lifting and falling as he fought for oxygen.
As he reached for the zipper of his pants, his eyes dropped to her breasts. A tic began beating in his cheek, and as he began sliding his pants down his legs, Courtney felt a moment of nerves and glanced away. With a hurried motion, she slid her sandals off her feet, pulled the covers back and slid underneath. There was no question that she wanted to do this, but she’d feel calmer about it if they were in the bed and not on top of it.
As she settled underneath the covers, she saw a blur of motion. Hard muscle, tanned skin and pure, unadulterated naked man slid under the sheets with her.
She was lying on her back and he slid in beside her, the sheet dropping to their hips. He wrapped his arm around her waist as he lay on his side, the long length of him pressing against her as he leaned over her. His hand tightened on the indentation of her waist and Courtney felt a sharp, sexual tug as she glanced down and saw his dark, masculine arm against the paler skin of her belly.
He dropped his head down and fastened his mouth around her nipple, and that fast, a wave of heat encompassed her. The fingers at her waist clenched and caressed; his touch on her nipple was a gentle lick and then another.
And then the soft touch disappearing, with a growl he sucked her nipple into his mouth and pulled on it, drawing it toward the roof of his mouth with a suction so strong she felt it course down and land between her thighs.
Desire exploded inside Courtney’s head. At her moan, the hand at her waist slid up and enclosed her other breast and he began playing with it, holding its weight in the palm of his hand and then stroking her nipple with his fingers and thumb. The twin caresses on both breasts caused Courtney to lift her hips off the bed in immediate reaction. She felt herself flood with wet heat as Nick’s lips tugged at her nipple, firmer, harder.
She moaned again and he let out a tight groan in response and then trailed his hand away from her breast, down her torso to land between her legs. He cupped her there, over the silk of her underwear, and then with a sudden motion, he reared up from her and stripped her panties down her legs and tossed them aside.
He balanced on his knees as he stared down at her nude body and Courtney felt inflamed with a rush of fire. As he ran his eyes over her, he slid a single finger from between her breasts, down past her stomach to land just at the spot where her legs met. Her stomach muscles quivered as slowly, he moved his hand down and cupped her again, only this time she was naked and the feeling was even more exquisite. She whimpered and his eyes lifted to hers and locked on her with the same intensity as his fingers locked at the juncture of her thighs.
They stared at each other while Courtney tried to control the breaths coming in and out of her lungs. He was breathing just as heavily. As he stayed focused on her, his fingers separated her folds and found the heart of her. She gave a responsive jerk and was lacerated by his territorial look. The skin on his face tautened as he said, “Whatever you want, baby.” As he spoke, his finger circled her damp opening. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I want what you want, okay?”
She nodded her head. “I want the covers.”
His eyes swept down her nude body one last time and quickly, he lifted the covers over them and lay back down to his original position at her side. His hand slid back down to her wet heat and he cupped her there. “You’ll have to get used to me looking at you.”
She worried her bottom lip. “Not tonight.”
Placing a closed-mouth, lingering kiss on her lips, he said, “Okay, not tonight.” He lifted and they studied each other for a mere second before his lips fell to hers again. The kiss they shared was carnal, emphasized by his hand gripping her intimately. Courtney wrapped her arms around his neck and gave in to the feelings rushing through her body.
Chapter Six
Nick felt as if his life had finally settled into a perfect world. Courtney was here, with him, in his bed, and God help him, they were going to be together forever. Swear to God, he wasn’t going to live without her any longer.
The feel of her was perfect. Her scent … perfect. Her skin was like silk. He slipped his finger into the wet heat that he’d been fantasizing about for years. Jesus, yes. Perfect.
As he swirled his finger inside her tight channel and pushed against her clit with the palm of his hand, he felt her suck in a breath and then tighten her arms around his neck. He felt her reaction like an arrow of need straight to his groin and their kiss exploded.
She began licking and biting at him, and the sudden awareness that he wasn’t going to be able to hold out for much longer almost panicked him. He gritted his teeth and trying to protect her modesty as much as he could so she wouldn’t worry about anything, he ended the kiss and maneuvered himself down, underneath the covers, until his head came between her legs.
Gripping her knees in his hands, he separated her legs and kissed along her inner thighs until he came to her moist femininity. A growl escaped him as he hooked her legs over his shoulders. She stiffened, but only for a second and then as he slid his fingers into her delicate folds and separated her, he felt her relax just a bit.
‘That’s it, baby. Just relax,” he murmured. He swiped her with his tongue, from bottom to top and then repeated the action. Her taste hit him in an addictive rush. Gripping her hips in his hands, he looked up and found her eyes hot on him. “You like that?”
“Yeah,” she panted.
He did it again. He swiped his tongue up and down, and barely aware that he was probably bruising her hips, he ran his hands down and then up to hold the essence of her open to him. Her taste, her scent were a lure he couldn’t deny, and if he’d had it bad for her before, he knew now, his craving for her would never go away.
Wanting more, he trailed his fingers up to the silk of a nipple and tugged at it, running it between his fingers and thumb until it turned into such a turgid little peak that it almost drove him crazy.
She made a mewling noise in the back of her throat and lifted her hips, begging him for more.
He complied immediately.
He trailed his hand back down, and with his teeth tugging at her clit, he slid his middle finger up and inside of her until it couldn’t go any deeper. She gasped for breath and sweat broke out on his brow. She was tight. So tight.
He tried to grab some control. He could do this. He could make her come like this, he had to. Because if he didn’t, the very second he put his cock inside, he was going to explode. He’d waited too long.
He redoubled his efforts, and concentrating on the soft noises she was making, he licked her clit, tugged at it with his teeth, licked it again. Over and over, while he manipulated his finger inside, against her G-spot.
She was close, he could tell, and as a new wave of lust hit him full force, she let out a soft wail and began to come. Her fingers clenched in his hair and tightened, her body stiffening under his hands.
She cried o
ut and he knew she was falling over the edge. Sharp, fierce satisfaction blended with the ravenous need running down his spine as his muscles corded while he let her ride out her orgasm.
After a moment, she quieted, and with little to no control left, he released her, rose up on his knees and came over her, spreading her legs farther apart as he pushed between them. Fire grabbed his guts, smoldering down his spine, and a primal need utterly beyond his control demanded that he claim her this very instant.
Anticipation gripped him by the throat and his abs laced into steel bands as his erection jutted between them. Needing something he’d never felt before, he lifted her arms over her head, encircling them with one hand, and held them pinned to the mattress.
With primitive hunger clawing through his veins, he guided the head of his cock to the soft, wet opening that he’d craved for years.
****
Courtney was only beginning to resurface from the mind-blowing effects of her orgasm when she found herself caught and captured under Nick’s strong body. He held her hands imprisoned with firm fingers, his body dominating hers completely as he held himself between her open thighs.
Her breath snagged, her heart skipped a beat as she opened her eyes and found him staring into her face, only inches away. His nostrils flared and a tic beat wildly in a face slashed with red. His mouth flattened, his teeth gritted as he pushed his erection directly to her opening and held it there, while he hovered over her.
He was silent as he held her eyes captive as firmly as he held her hands above her head. Tight, relentless. She twisted her arms a bit, testing the strength of his hold.
There was zero give.
He shook his head as if denying her release, and at the same time, he swirled the head of his cock around her and then pushed part way inside.
Her eyes opened more widely as she felt herself stretched. His eyebrows came together, the lust on his face easy to read as his lips twisted. “You like that?”
She licked her lips and her pulse raced. “I think … I think so,” she stammered.