by Sandra Owens
He stopped halfway down the hallway and peered down at her. “If you have a problem with that, tell me now. If you don’t . . . have a problem, that is, then don’t say a word.”
Charlie said not a word.
At the edge of his bed, they both looked down at the rabbit snuggled in a nest of covers. “Don’t disturb him,” she said.
“Either he goes, or you go back to the couch.” The sexiest grin she’d ever seen in her life curved his lips. “Please say he goes.”
“He goes.”
“Thank you, God,” he said. After lowering her down opposite his rabbit, he picked up Mr. Bunny and cuddled him in his arms.
As he carried his pet away in the crook of his elbow, she drank him in. Wearing only a pair of sweatpants that hung low on lean hips, he was without doubt the sexiest sight in her limited experience. His back was even broader than she’d imagined when her face had been pressed against it. There were freckles scattered haphazardly over his shoulders that she credited to the Irish in him, and before the night was over, she hoped she’d have the chance to count each one using her tongue.
He set the rabbit on the hallway floor, then turned, closing the door behind him. His gaze settled on her with an intensity that sent scorching heat through all parts of her, to places she was aware of and to places she’d never known existed.
“You look like you’re going to eat me,” she said as he prowled toward her. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she realized what she’d said, and heat spread from her neck to her cheeks. “I mean—”
“No, cherub, don’t be taking it back.” The orange streaks in his eyes seemed like pure flames of fire. “Where shall I start my feast?”
“Ah . . .” Wherever he wanted was good with her.
“Yeah, ah.” He smiled as he looked down at her. “Remove before flight. Sounds like a great plan.”
She glanced down at the logo on her shirt. In her haste to throw some things into an overnight bag, all she’d tossed into it for night wear was an old pair of comfortable boxers and the faded blue T-shirt.
Stretching out next to her, he cradled the side of her face with his hand, then lowered his mouth to hers, and with nothing but his lips touching hers, he seduced her with his kisses. Before she’d had enough of kissing him, he leaned away and slipped his fingers under the hem of her shirt.
“May I?” he asked even as he tugged the material up.
“Yes.” Because that didn’t sound adequate enough, she said, “Yes, please.” His answering smile sent an arrow through her heart, where it lodged, most likely a permanent affliction. The T-shirt was tossed over his shoulder, then he pulled her against him, her bare breasts to his bare chest.
He lifted the ring dangling at the end of the silver chain and studied it. “Are you all right with this?”
Wearing his ring? “I’ll admit I thought you were just kidding around, but I like pretending I belong to someone. So yes, I’m all right with it for as long as you want. Just let me know when you want your ring back,” she said to make sure he knew that she understood the ring was not hers to keep.
“I’m not even sure which one of those things you said to address first.” He lowered the ring and tucked it into the valley of her breasts. “Looks good there.”
There was warmth in his eyes as he put his hand on the side of her waist, then glided his palm up her body. At the curve of her breast, he paused and rubbed his thumb over her skin, the barest of touches that gave her goose bumps.
“Okay, Charlene, here’s the truth. Maybe I was playing a game with you in the beginning, but no more. I want you for a real girlfriend, not a pretend one. Let’s make that for as long as we both want.”
When he paused, seeming to wait for a response, she nodded. “I’d like that.” Understatement there. She’d freaking love it.
“Good.” His hand moved up and over, until his fingers were spread over her left breast. “As for pretending you belong to someone, stop it. Until being together no longer feels right to us, you belong to me, and I belong to you. Okay?”
Another nod was all she could give him. If she tried to speak, he would hear her voice tremble.
“And last but definitely not least, when I asked if you were all right with this, I wasn’t talking about my ring. I meant making love with me tonight. Are you?”
At some point, she was going to have to talk, but the lump in her throat was still there, so she nodded. Again. Although she hadn’t missed his caveat that their time together would only last as long as it felt right for both of them, she decided to throw caution to the wind. Wasn’t that how she lived her life every time she pointed her aerobatic plane nose up?
“Have you forgotten how to talk?”
From the laughter she heard in his voice, she knew he was teasing her. It was so novel to have someone tease her that the lump in her throat doubled in size. To keep from answering, she attacked him.
“Okay then,” he said, spreading out his arms when she straddled him. “Have at me. Just think of me as your boy toy.”
That made her laugh. “How about that. You just handed me the keys to the candy store, Hot Guy.” Yay her, she could talk again. She ground her pelvis against the bulge in his sweatpants. “Did I tell you I have an insatiable sweet tooth?” Where was that flirting coming from? If this was a new her, she liked it. No, she loved it.
“No, you neglected to mention that, and you should have. It seems like an important fact about you.” Faster than she could blink, he flipped her underneath him. “Let’s stop playing, Charlie, and go for the real thing, okay?”
“Yes. Okay.” His heat surrounded her body, warming her. Anything he asked of her at that moment would be okay with her. More than okay.
“Wicked good, girlfriend of mine,” he said in his Boston accent, and if he knew how much that turned her on, he would always use it to get his way with her. He kissed her then, his mouth hot and wet on hers. Although it wasn’t their first kiss, it was different—devouring—as if he couldn’t get enough of her. When he pulled away, she tried to follow him, wanting more.
He chuckled. “Easy, cherub. We’ll get there. We have a problem, though.”
“I don’t have a problem, I promise.” Sex had never been a big deal to her, but he’d changed that. Made her want it. And she wanted it immediately. She clamped down on her bottom lip to keep from begging.
“Ah, but you do. You still have too many clothes on.” Sitting back on his heels, he put his hands on her hips and pushed her up to a sitting position.
Sheesh, the man was strong. Was she just supposed to rip off her boxers while he watched?
“Take them off.”
Okay, right. That was what she was supposed to do. Except he was Hot Guy and would look glorious nude. She, on the other hand, was the chubby girl she still saw in the mirror.
“Now, Charlene.”
Her Hot Guy sure knew how to put a command in his voice. She barely refrained from saluting and snapping a smart “Yes, sir.” With a mix of excitement thrumming through her, and the thought that she was just going to die of embarrassment, she slid the boxers off.
“Look at me,” he said when she looked everywhere but at him.
She lifted her gaze from the glossy wood floor of his bedroom—did he have a maid who kept it that shiny?—and sucked in air at the heat in his eyes.
“You’re beautiful. All of you.”
Maybe it was the huskiness in his voice, but dang if she didn’t believe him. “Now you,” she said, then lifted a foot and, with her toes, tugged on the waist of his sweats.
“Yes, ma’am.” He slid off the bed and pushed his pants over his hips, letting them fall to the floor.
She tried not to stare, but he was magnificent. And more man down there than she’d ever imagined a man could be.
“You keep looking at me like that, Charlene, and I’m going to embarrass myself.”
Just like that, he’d let her know what kind of power she had over him. It was a f
irst, and it was heady. It could even be addicting.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
As sexy as Charlie was—laid out in front of him like a feast offered to a starving man—he had to look away. Twenty-eight years old and he had never made love to any woman but his wife. The guilt he felt didn’t seem fair and it made him angry.
“Ryan?”
The uncertainty in her voice drew his attention back to the woman in his bed. “I’m here, cherub, I’m here.” And dammit, he was.
“It was like you left . . . I don’t mean physically, but you got a really faraway look in your eyes. Were you thinking about her?” She pulled the sheet over her stomach and chest, hiding herself from him.
Was he that transparent? “I . . .” He sat on the edge of the bed, not sure what to say, only knowing he didn’t want Kathleen in this room with them. “I was just—”
“You promised you’d never lie to me.” She twisted the hem of the sheet in her hand, winding it around her fingers.
So he had. He put his hand over her busy one. “In a way I was. We’re going to make love, and it will be the first time for me since Kathleen. I guess I’m a little nervous is all.” Okay, so he wouldn’t tell her the entire truth. She didn’t need to know that he’d had a guilty moment.
“It’s been how long?”
“Over a year.” A long, lonely, angry year.
Her eyes widened, and she let out a little whistle. “That long, huh?”
The skin on the top of her hand was silky smooth, and he focused on the back and forth movement of his thumb. “Yeah, that long.” Lifting his eyes to hers he said, “But that’s not why I want you.” He needed her to know that.
“That first night, though? At the bar? You were there to get laid, weren’t you?”
How had they gotten into this conversation? Uncomfortable, he just nodded.
“I wish . . .”
“You wish what?” She had beautiful eyes, and he thought of the earrings he’d made for her, then taken apart. The opals would have been perfect on her, and he wished he had them now to give to her.
She blew out a breath. “I wish I wasn’t going to be your first after her . . . your wife, I mean. I think you’re going to be disappointed.” She pulled her hand away, and held the sheet close to her breasts. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea. You and me.”
“No, cherub, you and me, we’re a good idea. I’ll prove it to you.” He stood, swallowing a smile at the way her gaze roamed over him. When she flicked her pink tongue over her bottom lip he almost groaned. They were definitely a good idea, the two of them.
“I’ll be right back.” He barely resisted looking over his shoulder to see if she was staring at his ass as he walked out of the bedroom. He didn’t need to, though. He could feel her eyes on him.
In the kitchen, he grabbed two candles he kept for power outages and a box of matches. As an afterthought, he poured one glass of red wine.
“Do all men just walk around naked, you know, not embarrassed?” she asked when he walked back into the room.
“Is that a problem for you, Charlene?” At the vigorous shake of her head, he grinned. Too bad she wasn’t as at ease with her body. That sheet she had wrapped around her like a shroud had to go. Setting the candles and matches on the nightstand, he sat next to her again. After taking a drink of the wine, he turned the glass so she would have to put her mouth where his had been, and handed it to her.
She eyed the rim, then lifted her gaze to his, a soft smile on her pretty face. The sexy effect was ruined though when she downed half the glass, confirming his guess that she was also nervous. It settled him that they were both feeling edgy. Put them on equal footing. Before the night was over, he hoped neither one of them could remember their names.
After lighting the candles, he turned off the lamp. Taking the glass from her and making a point of drinking where her lips had been, he swallowed a healthy amount, then handed it back to her to finish. While she drank, he tugged the sheet from under her arms and pushed it aside.
“Don’t be hiding this beautiful body from me.” With his finger, he traced a line down the valley of her breast, pausing a moment when he touched his class ring, then on down to her belly button. At her shiver, he was satisfied that she wasn’t unaffected by his touch. He took the empty glass from her and set it aside, then gave a moment’s thought as to where he should begin. From the bottom up, he decided.
“Take your legs out from under the covers.” At her immediate compliance, he wondered if it was the command in his voice that had her obeying, or if the wine had loosened her up. “Good girl.”
That earned him a somewhat loopy but adorable smile, and he felt a little tug in his chest, in the vicinity of his heart. Not a welcome feeling. He liked her, he wanted her, he enjoyed being with her, but he had no intention of falling in love with her—or any woman, for that matter. He’d learned his lesson the hard way. Since he wasn’t going to allow himself to develop deep feelings for her, he decided whatever he’d felt there for a few seconds wasn’t anything to worry about.
“Now, what have we here?” He scooted to the end of the bed, picked up her small foot, and slid his fingers down the sole just enough to give her a little tickle. Her toes wiggled, and she tried to pull away, although she was laughing. Damn, if she didn’t have a sexy laugh, deep and throaty. But he didn’t want her laughing. He wanted her moaning and begging.
Keeping his touch light, he danced his fingers over her ankles and up to her knees. She was no longer laughing. With a glance to see that she watched him with eyes gone darker, he leaned over and nipped at the inside of her thighs, then licked a path halfway up to his goal before stopping.
“You taste so good, Charlene. There’s not a place on your body safe from my tongue.”
“That’s okay,” she said, then leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
“Just okay?” He chuckled. “Let’s see if we can get better than that out of you.”
“If you didn’t talk so much, you’d have more time for all that exploring.”
“I’m Irish, talking is what we do. When our tongues aren’t otherwise occupied, that is. Which mine’s about to be.” He moved between her legs and put his hands on her thighs, spreading them. She was pink and wet, a glistening gem, as pretty as any in his collection.
Lowering his body to the bed, he slid his thumb through her folds, then parted them. Her scent, a sweet musk combined with the fragrance of the jasmine she’d said she favored, floated up, making his mouth water. It had been so long since he’d had his mouth on a woman there, and he hesitated, savoring the anticipation.
“If you start talking now, Hot Guy, I might die.” With that pronouncement, she wrapped her legs around his back and pushed his head down with her hands.
“Can’t have that,” he said just to get the last word in. Then he plunged his face down, aching to taste her. A wicked shudder traveled through her when his tongue circled her clit, and already hard, he throbbed with need. He had expected her to taste good, but she was delicious. It didn’t take long to bring her to a climax, and that was a good thing. He almost came just from having his mouth on her.
“Oh. My. God,” she said.
He liked how she didn’t seem to be able to speak in a complete sentence. Good to know he hadn’t lost his touch. But he wasn’t done with her yet. He made a slow slide up her body, his tongue leading the way as he licked a path to her breasts, next on his list of must-haves in his mouth. Her nipples fascinated him. The color reminded him of raspberries and they were peaked, as if begging for his attention. Cradling one breast, a perfect fit in his hand, he swirled his tongue around her pert little nipple, then closed his teeth over it.
“Ahhh,” she said.
“Like that, do you? You’re so responsive,” he added without waiting for her to give the obvious answer to his question. As he suckled her, his other hand was busy roaming over her body. Everywhere he touched felt like silk under his palm, her skin so soft and warm.
“Let’s make some magic, girlfriend,” he said, and lowered himself over her. She was small compared to him, and he didn’t want to hurt her, so he eased his way in, stopping to let her adjust to him. Apparently that didn’t work for her because she put the heels of her feet on his ass and pushed.
He laughed. “Impatient little thing, aren’t you?”
“I know what I want,” she snapped, sounding miffed.
The woman amused the hell out of him. “Okay, okay.” He pushed the rest of the way in until he was buried to the hilt. “Jesus,” he murmured. How had he gone over a year without this?
Burying his nose in the soft skin below her ear, he breathed her in. She sent his senses into a frenzy. Her touch, her scent, her taste, the sight of her all flushed and eyes darkened from desire, the sound of her breaths growing heavy as he began the push-pull rhythm where their bodies were joined. He wanted to go on like that for hours, but it wasn’t going to happen. He was too turned on, too close.
“You feel so good. I want to make love to you all night. How many times do you think I can make you come?” He felt her smile against the side of his cheek.
“Dang, Ryan, you do like to talk.”
True, he did, and he was a talker when making love. “From the first time we kissed, I’ve dreamed of making love to a girl named Charlie. My imagination was lacking.” He thrust into her.
“Yes, like that.”
“Like what?”
“Hard. Like you’re doing.”
His girlfriend was a tiger in bed, and he wondered how he’d gotten so lucky on his first venture out. Needing to be connected to her in every way possible, he sank his tongue into the wet heat of her mouth. Her tongue fought with his with a fierceness that sent him over the edge.