He collapsed against her back, breathing hard, his cock still pulsing. The hovering feline retreated, appeased by his release with Jo. The darkening under his fingernails that indicated the imminent arrival of claws receded, and his skin and teeth appeared normal once again. Saber inhaled deeply, dragging in their combined scents and the fresh Middlemarch air. This was not going to be a one-time-only fling. He wanted more than a night with her. His jaw firmed in determination and he licked the fragrant skin behind her ear. All he had to do was persuade this woman to stay…
Chapter Two
Saber pulled out of her, feeling instantly bereft. He tucked himself back in his trousers and tugged up his zipper. Producing a hanky from his pocket, he handed it to Jo. “Here. Use this.”
“Thanks.” She glanced about them and sashayed over to a small leafy bush. She tugged a pair of red panties free from the leaves and surveyed them with a rueful smile. “Looks like I’m going without.”
“I’ll buy you some more,” Saber said, pleased with her matter-of-fact acceptance. Most women of his acquaintance would have acted pissed and taken it out on his bank account. “But I’m going to enjoy knowing you’re bare beneath your dress.”
Jo laughed. “I have a bra on.”
“I dare you to take it off.”
“What will you give me in return? Bare skin? Will I get to see your butt? Full frontal sex?”
“Oh, yeah.” Saber gave a big, bad wolf smile. Shit, if he could have her again, he’d promise anything. “A tough assignment, but I’m man enough for the job.”
A gurgle of laughter escaped. “You think?”
“Yeah. Do you want to go back to the dance or would you like to go home with me for a few hours before the train leaves? A soft bed. Comfort. Great sex. What do you think?”
Jo shrugged a red shoestring strap off one shoulder then repeated the move with the other. She flicked the closure of her red bra open, holding his gaze the whole time. The bra lifted away, revealing creamy curves. Silently, she handed it to him, still warm from her body heat. “Yes.”
“Yes, what?” Saber heard the hoarse note in his voice as his hand fisted around the lacy bra. He swallowed his apprehension, aware of how important it was to him that she stayed. He’d successfully fought the change, and he hoped his explosive release would prevent a reappearance of the problem. Jo hadn’t noticed a thing, so he was confident he could do it again—should the need arise. Oh, yeah. He definitely wanted her to stay.
Jo laughed as she righted her dress. “I’d better tell Maggie where I’m going then I’m all yours. Oh, and I’ll need my shoes and bag.”
* * * * *
Emily glanced across at Saber, a trace of unease sitting awkwardly in her gut. Equal parts of worry and out-of-control excitement eddied through her. “Are you sure your brother will give Maggie the message?”
Saber took one hand off the wheel and placed it on her knee, squeezing lightly in reassurance. “Felix is reliable. He’ll give her the message. Don’t worry.”
A tension-filled silence fell between them. Emily stared straight through the SUV windscreen at the pitch-black surroundings. The headlights cut through the immediate darkness, lighting the road. But not one street lamp illuminated the way. It made her wonder if she was making a mistake driving off into the countryside with a relative stranger. Then she thought about the way Saber had made her feel earlier. Feminine. Desirable.
Wanted.
Not like Michael.
She shifted her weight on the seat, her breasts peaking against the silky fabric of her dress. Each little move seemed to make the material drag against her sensitive nipples. She squeezed her eyes shut and allowed her mind to wander. Fantasize.
She imagined him removing her dress, unzipping it and letting the red silk fall away from her body. Emily squirmed, almost panting with the need that spiraled through her veins. Once was not enough. She was desperate to make love with him again, and this time she’d insist on seeing him. She’d lick his lips and work her way down his body, torturing them both. She’d wrap her hands around his cock and feel the power of him beneath her fingers. Then taste. She’d rain kisses the length of his erection before taking him in her mouth and loving him. Emily licked her lips before risking a glance across at Saber. Nothing but his profile was discernable. Yes, she’d suck at his cock and tease him until he climaxed in her mouth. She’d swallow his cum.
Emily gave a muffled groan. She felt rather than saw Saber glance at her. Heat stained her cheeks at the thought of the intimate act she’d imagined. Soon she’d make it a reality, and she didn’t think Saber would refuse her overtures. The heat filtered down her body, tugging at her breasts before collecting deep in her womb.
The SUV slowed, and Saber turned up a driveway. They jolted through potholes, the gravel crunching beneath the tires. Saber passed one house without slowing and pulled up outside a second, larger, rambling home. He yanked on the handbrake and switched off the ignition, hesitating before opening his door and jumping out. Emily climbed out too, fighting an unwanted attack of nerves.
He extended his hand. “Having second thoughts?”
“No.” Emily placed her hand in his, letting their fingers lace together. A single night of pleasure before she returned home to Dunedin and attempted to rebuild her life, her sense of self-esteem. God knows, after Michael’s betrayal, there was room for improvement. In hindsight she recognized her weaknesses, the way she’d let him use her and control her every move, how she’d done everything he’d wanted her to without question. Emily shook from her troubled thoughts and looked Saber straight in the eye. “No second thoughts.”
“Good.” Saber led her up a narrow concrete path to the front door of the single level stone building. She caught the scent of lavender before he opened the door and stood back to let her enter.
“Don’t you lock your door?”
“This is the country,” Saber said, closing the door. “That’s why I knew it was safe to leave your shoes and bag until we went back for them.” He flicked on the light and led her down a long, carpeted passage. “I promised you a bed this time.”
“So you did.” Emily strolled into the large, masculine room that was dominated by a king-sized bed. A farming magazine lay on a bedside cabinet along with a pile of change. A painting of the Southern Alps in the summer hung on the wall while a trio of paintings of lakes and snow-capped mountains adorned another. Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables, she decided. He walked up behind her noiselessly, his arms curling around her waist before she’d realized he’d moved. “You’re very tidy,” she said to cover her embarrassing squeak.
“A woman comes in to do the cleaning twice a week. I’ve been thinking about you naked in my bed for the entire drive out here.”
The hoarse note in his voice told her it was the truth. It gave her the confidence to admit to her thoughts. “I’ve been fantasizing, too.”
“Yeah?”
Emily turned in his arms and grinned up at him. “Why don’t I show you?” She drew his head down and flicked her tongue across the seam of his lips in a move of pure provocation. He gathered her closer and kissed her, deepening the contact and taking over. Emily opened her mouth ready to protest, but he stilled her with the slow slide of his tongue into her mouth. His hands dropped to knead her bottom while he explored her mouth with increasingly urgent hunger. Emily forgot about arguing about control and went with the flow. The warmth of his hands seeped through the thin silk of her dress. Her sex felt moist and aching. Emily moaned, hungry for the pleasure she knew awaited her. Finally, needing to breathe, she pulled away and rested her forehead against his.
Emily ran a lazy hand through his thick, dark hair. “Can I undress you? With the light on.”
His green eyes widened slightly. He hesitated before giving her an abrupt nod. “Don’t tease me too much. I don’t think my poor body can take it.”
“Oh, I promise not to push too hard,” Emily whispered, pulling away to study him.
Although he appeared in control, his erection tented his black trousers and his chest rose and fell noticeably. “I’ll tease you until the exact moment before it becomes too much.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” he muttered. “Have at it. Where do you want me?”
“The possibilities are endless.” Emily grinned, enjoying the verbal teasing. Sex with Michael had been furtive gropings on her parents’ front porch, and when they were married, they’d made love in the bedroom with the lights off. Quick. Painful. Boring. There was so much she wanted to try. She’d known there had to be more to making love than Michael had shown her. The memory of her release with Saber brought a shudder. Now she knew. Emily was positive there was more to come. Oops. Unfortunate choice of words. Her lips quirked in sudden amusement. Come. Yep, she fully intended to do that.
“Like to share the joke?”
“Um, no. Let me see. I think I’d like you to strip for my viewing pleasure.”
Saber gaped but recovered quickly. “I can’t strip without music.”
“No problem. I’ll provide the music. I’ll sing,” Emily said, neatly sidestepping his objection. She started to sing the first song that came to mind—something about believing in miracles.
Tanned fingers yanked at the red tie and sent it flying through the air. It landed on top of a bedside lamp. He practically ripped off the pearl buttons on the white shirt as he tugged them free of buttonholes. Emily’s singing faltered when the cotton shirt parted to reveal his chest. He stood there, devilishly handsome and disheveled, driving her to distraction. His chest rose and fell with each breath. The soft clearing of a throat made her remember she was the backing band. She hurriedly recommenced her singing, this time about a big spender. Her singing was soft and flirtatious, designed to tease and taunt. A wave of heat suffused her body while Saber waggled his lower body and did a rather indecent hip grind before he calmly shrugged off his shirt and let it drop to the floor. She wouldn’t have been a card-carrying adult female if she didn’t scrutinize his waggling, sexy butt with close attention to detail, so she moved to a better vantage point.
Ooh, decadent. Nice. Bring it on. Emily devoured him with her gaze, her breathing hitching, resisting the urge to fan her face. Lord, the man was fine. Heat converged in her cheeks, only to deepen when he pumped his pelvis like an agile rock star. Thrust. Bump. Grind. Her eyes remained glued to the strip show, in particular to his flexible hips and developing groin area. Oh, no, she didn’t want to miss a thing. Working in the great outdoors had developed his muscles, giving him a strong, toned appearance that beat gym-made muscles any day. Her gaze darted up to his face. To her chagrin, he appeared calm and cool while inside she was a mass of nerves and desire. Desperate, reckless hunger.
Oops! Sing, Emily. Sing. “Hey, big spender!”
His hands went to the fastening on his trousers. His hips shimmied, drawing her attention to the bulge. Ooh, yeah! The erection especially made for her viewing and touching pleasure. Very nice. Her singing faltered again and died as she watched him peel his black trousers away from his engorged cock. It sprang free, pointing in her general direction. Emily’s tongue darted out to moisten dry lips. Their gazes met. Held. A message passed between them, one of promises and passion. Saber stopped undressing and prowled across the bedroom, closing the gap between them, his trousers riding low on his hips. A kiss. She needed his touch so badly. Emily raised her head, her soft sound of need drawing a gentle smile from him.
“Lady, I like the way you think.”
“You can’t read my mind,” Emily whispered.
“Can’t I?” Saber cupped her head with his hands and lightly massaged, the pads of his fingers pressing into her scalp with just enough pressure that Emily wanted to groan her pleasure. His clever fingers continued to slide through her hair in small circles. He stared deeply into her eyes, a tiny smile playing on his lips. Emily’s heart thumped, awareness sending delicious shivers rippling the length of her aroused body. Weighted, her eyelids drifted closed on a soft sigh. Emily pursed her lips, absolutely aching for his lips on hers. Her chin lifted a fraction with another soft sigh escaping. She felt a delicate brush of lips at her temple, followed by a butterfly kiss on each of her eyelids.
“You’re so beautiful,” Saber said in a hushed voice. His warm breath wafted across Emily’s cheek as he smoothed her hair away from her face.
Emily ached so much for his kiss, she was ready to beg, but she had to admit his delaying tactics were making her hotter than she’d ever felt before. Her whole body blushed, the heat of arousal making her squeeze her thighs together. Of course, it would feel better with Saber’s hand, mouth or cock caressing her pussy as she squeezed, but the anticipation was something else, making her juices flow and her heart flutter anxiously.
Saber feathered a string of kisses down her face and along her jaw. He nibbled at the corner of her mouth. Emily gasped and parted her lips, a wave of excitement pulling her breasts painfully tight. They rubbed against the bodice of her dress with each shallow breath, becoming even more sensitive and achy. Instead of taking advantage of her open mouth, Saber licked along her lips, both top and bottom from corner to corner, and then nibbled at her lower lip. Emily gasped again, and this time Saber pushed his tongue inside, teasing her tongue with his. To her surprise, he inserted his finger along with his tongue. Emily’s heart skipped a beat. It felt so intimate, building the persistent ache between her legs to new heights. She tingled, both inside and out and shifted her weight from foot to foot.
The kiss ended, and he withdrew his finger to trace the curvature of her lips. “I like to kiss you.” Saber was completely serious, but an inner glow in his green eyes told her she wasn’t the only one suffering from the restraints he’d placed on them.
“Let me kiss you,” Emily said, wanting to return some of the pleasure that fizzled through her veins like molten syrup. “Don’t do anything. Let me do all the work.”
Without waiting for his answer, she cupped his head with her hands, tugging him to a comfortable position. While she wouldn’t get marks for originality, because she copied everything he’d done that felt good, she was positive her report would glow. Emily nibbled his bottom lip before pushing her tongue slowly into his mouth, tasting the faint mint on his breath, sliding her fingers through his short black hair and across his jaw. The faint burn of stubble beneath her fingers excited her. Emily kissed him slowly and wetly, imagining his stubble burning the tender skin of her inner thighs. She’d enjoyed the finger thing so she pinched that little move, too. She moved slowly, experimenting with technique. Hard. Slow. Soft. Fast. Really taking the time to get to know what he liked. Driving herself crazy, ratcheting up the coil of tension inside until she thought she’d come just from kissing his beautiful mouth.
Finally, Saber pulled away, his magnificent chest rising and falling rapidly enough to make her feel confident in her lovemaking—her kissing skills at least. “I can’t take any more. I need to touch you, your breasts. I want to taste you.”
“Yes,” she breathed. They were on the same page and using the same bookmark.
He turned her around and tugged at the zipper of her dress. After a quick shrug of her shoulders, the straps slipped down her arms. The dress slid down to her waist, caught briefly on her hips before descending to the floor with a swish of silk.
“Very nice,” Saber murmured from behind her.
“You haven’t seen my front yet. It’s very sexy,” Emily purred. Okay, she had no idea where that came from. Michael had called her an ugly cow during their last shouting match. But Saber made her feel sexy. Confident. Desirable. And very wet.
“It would have to be pretty good to beat the rear-end, kitten.” His calloused hands palmed her butt cheeks while he nuzzled at her neck. His tongue was rough, yet it sent pinpricks of pleasurable sensation racing from the pulse point he licked. He rubbed his chest against her back, reminding her of an affectionate cat, then without warning, he scooped her off her feet and toss
ed her onto the middle of the mattress. She bounced once while he ripped off his trousers. The man was beautiful—a broad chest with a light dusting of hair that arrowed downward toward his groin. And his cock—long and proud. Before she could take her visual exploration any further, he caged her body with his arms and legs. Saber grinned down at her, looking very pleased with himself.
“You stopped singing so I figured you’d finished. I won,” he added.
“It wasn’t a contest,” Emily protested.
“No, kitten? Between male and female it’s always a contest.” Saber glanced down at her breasts and his eyes darkened. He dipped his head and licked one breast from base to very tip. The rough sensation of his tongue brought a shudder of delight. Her nipple contracted as they both watched. Saber grinned. “Jo, you’re right. I could get to like your breasts very much.”
“There’s more to me than tits and ass,” Emily muttered. “I’ve got brains, too.”
She surprised a laugh out of him. “Ah, kitten, that goes without saying.” He leaned closer and blew on her nipple, watching the pink tip contract even more. “You’re so pretty. Delicious. Makes a man want to bite.”
“Only if I get to bite back. I’d like to see you wearing a mark I made.” Shit, that sounded possessive. What was she thinking? She lowered her lashes a fraction before glancing to see how he took her statement. A broad grin stretched from ear to ear. Emily shrugged inwardly. So maybe her gut instinct wasn’t that bad. Saber leaned over her to flick the light switch off. Darkness filled the room before her eyes adjusted enough to make out dim shapes of furniture and his profile.
“I wanted the light on.”
“We’ve seen each other for long enough to fill in the dots,” he drawled. “If people see the lights, we might get unwelcome interruptions. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to savor our second time in privacy.”
Scarlet Woman Page 3