‘‘I’m just thinking,’’ she told him. ‘‘I’m not having second thoughts, at least not in the way you’re thinking. I’m less worried about your respect than our friendship. Will we still be friends in the morning?’’
He laughed. ‘‘Darlin’, if it’s as good as I think it’s going to be between us, I might want to be your lapdog more than your friend, but yes, we’ll still be fine.’’
‘‘Prove it,’’ she said.
‘‘What? How?’’
She thought quickly. Whatever happened between them tonight, she didn’t want to lose Mitch. He treated her like a regular person and liked her for her. In her world, that was a special gift she intended to keep as long as possible.
‘‘Come with me on Saturday.’’
His gaze narrowed. ‘‘Where are you going?’’
‘‘Los Angeles. I have to attend a charity fund-raiser for a cancer hospital.’’ She started speaking more quickly. ‘‘I’m only asking you to go with me. You wouldn’t have to say anything or even talk to anyone if you didn’t want to.’’
He dropped his hands to his lap. ‘‘Let me see if I have this straight. You want me to come with you to some fancy-pants shindig this Saturday. You want me to face reporters and those rich city folk, not to mention a plane ride, all so that you’ll know that whatever happens between us tonight, we’re still friends?’’
She lowered her gaze. When he said it like that, she didn’t know how to respond. ‘‘I see your point,’’ she murmured. ‘‘I didn’t mean to make such a big deal about it. I just…’’ She’d just wanted the fantasy, she realized. She’d wanted her handsome lover at her side on Saturday. She’d wanted to show him off and know that he was nearby. Selfishly she’d wanted someone to lean on. She who had never wanted to lean on anyone before.
She didn’t just like and trust Mitch, Alex thought. She needed him. Somehow he’d become important to her, more important than she’d known until that very moment.
‘‘Alex? Look at me.’’
Slowly she raised her head until she stared at his face. He leaned forward and kissed her. ‘‘Yes, I’ll come to the fund-raiser.’’
She wasn’t sure which had caught her attention more, his announcement or the hard, hot pressure of his mouth against hers. ‘‘You will?’’
‘‘Of course. I want to be with you, to spend time with you. If promising you this relaxes you, then I’m happy to do it. I’ll do it even if you don’t want to make love, although I’ll probably be more grumpy.’’ He stood up and pulled her to her feet. ‘‘I’ll smile for the reporters, I’ll make polite conversation with the society crowd, I’ll even dance.’’
He drew her close and took her in his arms, then demonstrated with a couple of steps. ‘‘Are you impressed?’’
Her heart thundered inside her chest, and she thought her knees were going to fail her. ‘‘More than you know.’’
‘‘I care about you,’’ he said, wrapping his arms around her waist. ‘‘You’re my favorite princess in the whole world.’’
She laughed. ‘‘I’m the only princess you know.’’
He winked. ‘‘That will be our little secret.’’ He stepped back and held out his hand. ‘‘Join me?’’
He was nothing that she’d expected in her life, but then the best things were often those found when people weren’t looking. She’d thought her first experience with a man would be different, as well. But as she stepped toward him and placed her fingers on his palm, she knew that no other moment would ever feel so incredibly right.
‘‘I’m scared,’’ she said as he led her down the hall.
‘‘You’re scared? If I mess up, you can have me beheaded. Talk about performance pressure.’’
Despite her attempts to convince him that she was nervous, he had her laughing by the time they walked into his bedroom. Then, as she took in the large four-poster bed and the stone fireplace in the corner, she froze.
Mitch drew her to him instantly. ‘‘Don’t start thinking about all those doubts and questions. It all comes down to two things—do you want to do this and do you trust me?’’
She tried to speak, but her throat was too tight. Yet she needed him to know the truth. So instead of words, she tried actions. Her wool shirtwaist dress fastened in the front. She reached up and unfastened the top button of her dress.
Mitch swallowed hard and told himself he had to be dreaming. No way was he really standing in his bedroom with a beautiful, sassy, funny woman who was going out of her way to tell him that she wanted him. This wasn’t happening. He’d had a good life, but he’d never had this kind of luck.
‘‘Alex,’’ he breathed, and stilled her fingers with his. He searched her face, first with his gaze, then with his fingers, gently tracing her perfect features. He wanted her to be sure. He’d always tried to do the right thing, but this time he was determined to get it right, no matter what that cost him.
Her blue eyes flashed with passion and nervousness, but no regrets. He kissed her softly and nearly lost it as her lips clung to his in unmistakable need.
‘‘Why me?’’ he asked.
The question made her smile. ‘‘Why not you?’’
‘‘But I’m just a—’’
She stopped him with a kiss. ‘‘No, you’re not just anything. You’re strong and safe. I like you and I trust you.’’
Her words made him feel ten feet tall and downright invincible. They also toppled about half the ice around his heart—ice formed by loneliness and a sense of having failed at his first marriage. She was more than a desirable woman to him; she was getting under his skin. If he had the sense God gave a snake, he would turn tail and run. Instead he reached for the second button on her dress and unfastened it.
He cleared his throat, trying not to notice the growing expanse of perfect, pale skin. ‘‘This is where I tell you that I’ll stop anytime you’d like.’’
Despite her obvious apprehension, she gave him a faint smile. ‘‘Liar.’’
‘‘Hey, I’m trying to be a gentleman.’’
‘‘I think this would go better if you told me that you want me desperately and that you’ll die if you don’t have me.’’
‘‘All of that is true.’’
‘‘Really?’’
At that moment, with her dress open to the sweet valley between her full breasts and her long auburn hair tumbling loose over her shoulders, she was both sultry and incredibly innocent looking.
‘‘I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you, Alex.’’ He leaned close and pressed a kiss at the base of her collarbone. ‘‘I swear.’’
She clutched at him. He unfastened the rest of the buttons, then pushed the dress off her shoulders until the delicate wool puddled at her feet. She wore scraps of lace instead of a bra, and beneath her panty hose were the tiniest pair of panties he’d ever seen. Both in peach. Both more tempting than legal.
He swore under his breath as he stared at her curves, her pale skin, the rapid rise and fall of her chest. ‘‘If I’d known what you were wearing—or not wearing—under those conservative clothes of yours, I would have thrown you down on the sofa and had my way with you that first night.’’
She blushed and half raised her hands to cover her breasts. At that moment Mitch remembered that Alex hadn’t had a whole bunch of experience with men. He wanted to ask how many she’d been with, but figured that was a surefire mood breaker. Instead he decided to treat her like a virgin. That way he’d go slow enough for her to relax.
He knelt on the floor and peeled down her panty hose, then had her sit on the edge of his bed. When he picked up one foot, she opened her mouth to no doubt ask him what on earth he was doing. Then he licked the inside of her ankle. Her eyes widened, then closed. A soft sound escaped her parted lips.
Moving a millimeter at a time, he kissed and licked his way up to the inside of her knee, then started on her other leg. When he’d repeated his action, he took her right hand in his and nibbled on the center
of her palm. By the time he reached the inside of her elbow, she’d broken out in goose bumps, and her breathing had increased.
As he urged her to lie down, he pulled off his boots and socks, then stretched out next to her. ‘‘Pretty lady,’’ he murmured before kissing her mouth.
She parted for him instantly. Their tongues stroked and circled, sending fire through him. He’d been hard for what felt like hours, but being next to her like this, knowing they were going to make love, sent even more blood south. His erection pulsed in time with his rapid heartbeat, and he had to concentrate to keep from rubbing himself against her. He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted a woman before in his life. He needed to be inside of her the way a drowning man needed to breathe.
He touched her shoulder, then brought his hand lower, cupping her breasts. The silky lace was smooth and cool against his hand. In the front seat of his truck he’d been too eager to touch her to even notice what kind of lingerie she wore. But now he took the time to tease her, tracing the top of the bra, barely touching her bare skin.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close. He responded in kind, drawing her into his arms, then raising her up slightly so he could reach behind her and unfasten her bra. When he pulled the garment away, he broke their kiss so that he could look at her. Her tight nipples were the palest shade of peach.
‘‘I know you taste as sweet as you look,’’ he murmured just before taking that taut peak in his mouth.
She gasped as he suckled her, drawing her in, then gently, so gently, brushing his teeth against the small point. Her hips began to push against him, telling him that she was getting wet, swelling, preparing for him. As much as he wanted to rip off his clothes and bury himself inside of her, he deliberately slowed his pace even more. As he licked one breast, he cupped the other, his fingers and tongue working together to make her lose control.
‘‘Mitch,’’ Alex breathed as she tossed her head from side to side. She couldn’t believe how good everything felt. For a few minutes she’d been so worried and nervous, but now she couldn’t concentrate on anything but what he was doing to her body. His touches, the pressure of his body against her, the weight and strength of him. It all felt so right. She’d half expected a little voice to be whispering that this wasn’t what she was supposed to be doing, but instead she was at peace. Well, as at peace as a woman in her condition could be.
An ache had taken residence between her legs. She recognized the symptoms from the time they’d been together in his truck. She wanted him to touch her there again and make her feel those things. She wanted to experience that ecstasy. It was like being transformed, or suddenly discovering that she could fly.
When his hand slipped down her stomach, she smiled and trembled in anticipation. When he pulled off her panties, she raised her hips so that she could help. But when he moved between her legs, she opened her eyes to look at him. What was he doing?
Mitch caught her gaze, then winked. ‘‘You’re gonna love it,’’ he promised, right before he bent down and kissed her right thigh.
She opened her mouth to protest, or at least question his actions. But while she was still figuring out what she was going to say, he parted the protective folds of her woman’s place and licked her. She saw his head lower, followed by the flash of his tongue. Then she felt such a startling, intense jolt of pleasure and need and fire that all she could do was sink back on the bed, close her eyes and pray that he would never stop.
Her legs eased open. He licked her again, exploring, gently teasing until he found the one spot that had her surging against him. He was doing it again, making her feel those things. Only this time with his mouth and his tongue, not his fingers, and somehow that was better.
Hot sensations rolled through her, making her thighs shake and her breasts swell even more. Low in her belly, muscles tensed and released in time with his ministrations. He was slow and steady, building pressure inside of her. She remembered her climax the last time and how she hadn’t been sure what to expect. This time the path seemed so much quicker. She was torn—wanting to take forever because the journey was so incredible, yet aching for her release.
He kissed and licked and sucked that one sensitive spot. Never too hard, never too fast, always exactly right. As if he could read her mind, or feel what she felt. Then, too soon it seemed, she felt her body collecting itself. Mitch felt it, too. He went faster and lighter, urging her on. She dug her heels into the mattress and raised her hips against his mouth.
‘‘I want…’’ she breathed, unable to articulate what it was she wanted. She felt him smile. Then she couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything but feel the wonder of his touch. The passion-storm began deep inside of her and spiraled out. When it touched her most secret place, the explosion began. There was light and heat and a sense of drowning in the most perfect pool of well-being. She wanted to be swallowed up forever. She wanted always to be in this perfect state.
Then she was surfacing, and Mitch was holding her and kissing her face. ‘‘Sweet Alex,’’ he murmured. ‘‘I knew you’d be like this.’’
‘‘Like what?’’
‘‘Perfect. Just perfect.’’
He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She rested her head on his shoulder and listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. If wishes were possible, she would always want to be with this man, she thought contentedly. Here on the ranch, with the one person in the whole world who saw her as herself.
She could love him. Perhaps she already did. Alex kept her eyes closed in case he was watching her. She didn’t want him to know what she was thinking. Love. Did she love Mitch? Alex probed her heart, searching for the truth. She respected him, she cared for him, her life was better since meeting him. He knew her better than most people did, even her family. He made her feel things she’d never felt before. If that was love, then she’d fallen for him. How ironic. After years of thinking she wasn’t one for emotions or passion, she’d finally figured out she had plenty of both. She’d finally found where she belonged, and it was one place she could never stay.
A sense of pure sadness threatened to overwhelm her. Alex pushed the emotion away. Not yet. She would think about it later. For now they had each other and this time of magic and intimacy.
‘‘What are you thinking?’’ he asked.
‘‘That you’re very good at what you do. You must practice a lot.’’ She risked opening her eyes and saw that her teasing had done what she’d hoped. She’d distracted him to the point that he wasn’t going to probe.
‘‘I do not practice,’’ he growled. ‘‘I’ll have you know I’m very selective about the women in my life. So much so that I’ve spent most of the past several years living like a monk.’’
‘‘So you’re probably not even interested in sex anymore.’’
His expression tightened with desire. ‘‘On the contrary, my naked little princess, I’m in a bad way. I have every intention of burying myself deep inside of you until you’re so ready and hot, you’ll beg.’’
‘‘I would never beg.’’
‘‘Wanna bet?’’
The way he said it, she knew she would be begging before the night was out, and in an incredible way that she was going to remember forever. But for now it was enough to watch as he sat up and pulled off his shirt. When his hands dropped to his belt, Alex felt herself starting to blush. She’d never seen a man naked before, except for those shadowy glimpses they showed in the movies. When Mitch pushed down his jeans and briefs and his…well, his…manliness sprang forth, she thought she might very well start begging right now. She wanted to touch him and see if he felt soft or rough. But he didn’t give her the chance.
‘‘I promised myself I’d take it really slow,’’ he said as he pulled open his nightstand drawer and removed a condom. ‘‘And I really want to. Except—’’ he stared at her ‘‘—you have no idea how much I need to be inside of you.’’
‘‘I want that, too,’’ she sai
d, and meant it. She wanted to know and she wanted her first time to be with Mitch.
‘‘I promise amazing technique and staying power next time.’’
She wasn’t sure what he was referring to, but she smiled and nodded, then tried not to stare openmouthed as he quickly and gracefully put on the protection. Then he was kneeling between her thighs, and she felt the pressure of his arousal against her slick wet opening.
Before she could tell him that she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do, he’d bent down and kissed her. With his tongue against hers and one hand stroking between her legs, she found not knowing what to do didn’t seem so bad. Then he was pushing inside of her. Pushing and stretching and filling her.
The pressure didn’t hurt, exactly, but it was unfamiliar. She told herself to relax. Because she’d been so active as a girl, she knew there wasn’t going to be physical proof of her innocence. A doctor had warned her of that several years ago. So, with a little luck, Mitch would never know.
His hips flexed against hers and he gave a low grown. ‘‘You’re so tight.’’
The way he said it, she assumed it was a good thing. Then he was moving in and out of her. The uncomfortable pressure decreased, but the good pressure, the kind she’d felt before when he’d touched her and kissed her down there, started. She found herself flexing against him, wanting him to thrust inside her more.
‘‘I can’t,’’ he breathed against her mouth. ‘‘I can’t hold back.’’
He broke their kiss and straightened slightly. He grabbed her hips and held her still while he buried himself inside of her over and over again. Their eyes locked. She watched his expression tighten. He swore. ‘‘I’m not going to last much longer.’’
In a flash of insight, she realized he was both warning her and asking for permission. ‘‘It’s all right,’’ she assured him, feeling the tingling inside of her grow. She realized that if they did it again and it took a little longer, she would climax herself.
He thrust inside deeper still, then froze in place. His mouth opened and his lips formed her name, but he didn’t actually speak. She watched as the wave of pleasure crashed over him, making him first tense, then shudder. He collapsed against her, pulling her close, then rolling onto his side and taking her with him, their arms and legs wrapped around each other.
A Royal Baby on the Way Page 15