Unzipped (Harlequin Romance)

by Lori Foster

  He looked up and met her drowsy gaze, glittering from the candlelight. He took in her flushed face, waiting to find a trace of modesty, possibly even a bit of reserve, but finding none.

  “Take them off,” she said, granting him her consent, her ultimate acquiescence, and letting him know she was in this all the way.

  Relief surged through him, and he hooked his thumbs into the elastic leg bands of her panties and peeled the scrap of damp fabric off. He splayed his hand on her belly and slowly dragged his palm downward, until his thumb grazed across her tight clit, then burrowed between her slick folds. She was hot and wet, and so incredibly sexy, her delectable body all his for the taking.

  Soon.

  She closed her eyes, clutched at the edge of the sofa cushion, and gyrated her hips against his hand. He stroked her rhythmically, watching as she let every one of her inhibitions slip away, watching as she tried to grasp that illusive orgasm he deliberately kept just out of her reach.

  “Jace…please.”

  He eased one finger, then two, deep inside her, and her inner muscles instantly contracted around him. “This is foreplay, sweetheart.”

  She made a low, raw sound of need. “This is sheer torture.”

  His cock throbbed painfully against the confines of the denim, echoing her sentiment, but he’d ignore his own discomfort until he’d satisfied her. “Tell me what you want, and I’ll give it to you.”

  “Let me come.” She bit her bottom lip, then revealed more tentatively, “I want to feel your mouth on me.”

  There was no denying Leah anything, and this was something he wanted just as badly. Withdrawing his fingers, and ignoring her moan of protest, he grasped her bottom and pulled her closer to the edge of the sofa. He draped her legs over his shoulders and lowered his head, rubbed his stubbled cheek against the inside of her smooth thigh, and let his open mouth drift upward as he licked and kissed and gently bit her flesh along the way.

  By the time he reached her core, her hands were tangled in his hair and she was panting in anticipation. He inhaled the heady, rich scent of her, all aroused woman, then closed his mouth over her sex and pressed his tongue deep, swirling and teasing and suckling greedily on her hot, sweet flesh.

  Her back bowed and she released a ragged moan as she erupted into a shattering climax. Sheer primal lust reared through Jace, along with the desperate urgency to possess her in the most elemental, physical way possible. He wanted Leah so much that he shook with the force of his need. He couldn’t wait another minute to have her—as hard and fast and deep as she’d allow.

  Leah gasped for breath, still trembling from the aftershocks of her orgasm as the sensual haze clouding her mind dissipated and her surroundings, and Jace, gradually came back into focus. He was still kneeling in front of her, and she watched as he dug a condom from the front pocket of his pants, then unfastened his jeans and shoved them down to his thighs, freeing his thick erection. Ripping open the foil packet, he gritted his teeth as he rolled the snug latex over his shaft, then glanced back up at her, his eyes hot and hungry and demanding.

  Leah fully expected him to take her on the couch, but instead he pulled her down to the floor with him and gently turned her around so that she was facing the sofa and her arms were braced on the cushions. He kneed her legs apart and pressed his groin against her bottom. She swallowed hard as she felt the head of his penis nudge along the wet, swollen tissues of her sex, and knew he was going to take her in this untamed, primitive way. It was what she wanted, too—to be thoroughly possessed by Jace and be the recipient of his wild passion. It was a heady thought to realize that she’d driven him to this extreme.

  The thrill of the forbidden beckoned, and she glanced over her shoulder at him, letting him know that she trusted him, with her body, her heart, her soul. She was all his for the taking.

  With a low, rumbling growl, he gripped her waist and entered her in one long, driving stroke that made Leah toss her head back and gasp as he filled her to the hilt. Then there was only pleasure and friction and heat as he pumped harder, faster, deeper, and she undulated her hips sinuously and instinctively pushed back against him, matching the frenzied rhythm of his thrusts.

  He leaned more fully into her, covering her from behind. He grazed his mouth across her shoulder and sank his teeth into the taut tendons along her neck, adding to the erotic sensations spiraling within her. His movements became more frantic, more urgent. His hands slipped around to her breasts, fondling them, rolling her nipples between his fingers, then he stroked her belly and lower, where they were joined.

  Another firm stroke, another sleek caress, and she arched against his hips as her climax hit and she contracted and convulsed around his shaft. Her breath came out on a low, earthy moan that seemingly obliterated the last thin thread of his restraint. Jace’s entire body stiffened then shuddered as he rode out the pulsating waves of his own orgasm.

  He slumped against her, a quivering mass of spent energy. Remaining inside her, he nuzzled her neck, placed a sweet kiss on her cheek, and murmured, “I can’t believe I took you like an animal.”

  She glanced over her shoulder and met his contrite gaze. Knowing he was about to plead for her forgiveness, she refused to allow him the opportunity to dilute what they’d just shared. “Don’t you dare apologize for the best sex I’ve ever had,” she said adamantly.

  Jace chuckled, grateful that Leah was open to a bit of sexual adventure. “All right, I won’t apologize because that was the best sex I can remember ever having, too.”

  Which said a helluva lot for the woman he was with. He’d had good sex before, but he’d never lost control as he had with Leah. And even though he’d just had her, he was far from sated. He feared it would take him a lifetime to get his fill of her.

  Unfortunately, he only had this one night left to satisfy any and all cravings he had for Leah. And he planned to take full advantage of that fact.

  Despite her assurance that she didn’t mind his more aggressive side when it came to sex, he didn’t want to leave her with that unrefined impression of him. “At least let me make love to you properly on a soft, warm mattress instead of both of us kneeling on your living-room floor.”

  She sighed, her smile as intimate as a kiss. “Now that’s an offer I’m not about to refuse. My knees do feel a bit rug-burned.”

  He laughed in agreement and, minutes later, after she’d blown out all the candles and he’d made a quick trip to the bathroom, he met Leah in her bedroom. She was already lying on the bed waiting for him, beautifully naked and temptingly tousled. With a sultry look in her eyes, she feathered the tips of her fingers along her flat belly and strummed them up to her breasts, arousing herself with that lazy caress.

  Mesmerized, he strolled to the foot of the mattress. The lamp on the nightstand allowed him to view every intimate dip, curve, and feminine swell of her body. And just looking at her made him so damn hard he hurt—from his chest all the way down to his groin.

  “It appears you’re very happy to see me,” she teased, her gaze riveted to the erection nearly parallel to his stomach.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said huskily, branding this moment in his mind for those long, lonely nights ahead.

  “So are you,” she replied just as reverently.

  He’d brought with him the other prophylactics he’d had in his jeans pocket, and he tossed all but one of them on the vacant pillow next to Leah, knowing he’d likely use every single condom before the night was through.

  He sheathed his shaft and crawled up onto the mattress. Starting at Leah’s ankles, he leisurely worked his way upward, worshiping every inch of her body with his mouth and his hands, intending to make this time around a long, slow buildup of pleasure. Easing her legs apart, he grazed her inner thigh with his lips, his warm breath, and let his tongue stroke and gently explore her tender flesh before moving on. His palms caressed her hips, he kissed her quivering belly, and paid homage to both breasts, then suckled Leah’s jutting nipples until
she writhed restlessly beneath him and he knew she was more than ready for him.

  He moved over her, positioned himself between her spread thighs, and groaned when she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him forward. He was poised at her hot, wet center, a thrust away from being inside her liquid heat. He wanted her so desperately, far beyond this physical joining, and the depth of his need made him feel stripped down to his soul, for the first time in his entire life.

  Oh, God he loved her.

  Bracing his arms at the sides of her head, he stared deep into her eyes, his heart pounding relentlessly in his chest as he let the realization settle over him. Out of all the lessons he’d taught Leah this weekend, this joining was by far the most profound, and he wanted to be sure she knew it, too.

  “This is the way it’s supposed to be between a man and a woman,” he murmured. Magical. Sublime. Emotional.

  He slowly pressed deep into the tight heat of her body, and she clenched around him, so soft and giving, and so incredibly, perfectly right.

  “Oh, Jace,” she whispered, and he could have sworn he saw tears gather in her eyes before she pulled his mouth down to hers for a searing, tongue-tangling kiss.

  This time around, he took her on a slow, sweet journey, the intensity of it rising steadily, leisurely. She climaxed first, and only then did he let go and lose himself in the ecstasy and pure emotion of being such an intrinsic part of her.

  Chapter Five

  LEAH KNEW the moment she awoke the following morning that there was no way she’d be able to accept Brent’s proposal. Not when she’d spent the most glorious night of her life with another man. Jace had shown her how hot passion could burn between a man and woman, had spent the weekend teaching her that she was irresistible and desirable. Just thinking of how thoroughly Jace had made love to her last night, and again earlier this morning, made her body tingle with renewed heat.

  She rolled over in her bed and discovered she was alone, but the muted sounds coming from the kitchen and the scent of freshly percolated coffee assured her that Jace was still there. She was comforted by the fact that he hadn’t skipped out on her, even as she dreaded facing him this morning, knowing that their affair was over.

  Just as her relationship with Brent was over. As soon as he returned from his business trip this afternoon, she’d not only tell him that she could not marry him, but she’d also explain that their relationship was lacking all the important elements she now knew were necessary to sustain a lasting marriage. Not just fantastic sex, but the kind of emotional bond that had been missing between them—the kind of intimate connection she’d experienced with Jace last night, when he’d been buried deep inside her, and when he’d held her so securely while she’d slept.

  She cared for Brent, and in hindsight she knew he’d done her a huge favor by putting off a physical relationship with her. If they had slept together, she never would have pursued Jace, and she never would have known how amazing and unforgettable their time together would be. And, quite possibly, she would have accepted Brent’s proposal for all the wrong reasons, mostly because he was offering her all the things she wanted in her life.

  Yes, she wanted to get married. Yes, she wanted kids and a family of her own. None of those dreams had changed, but she, as a person, had evolved because of Jace’s belief in her, and she liked the sensual, self-assured woman she’d become. One determined not to settle for anything less than honesty, mutual attraction and unconditional love. Which was everything she felt for Jace.

  The realization made her heart hurt, because he was the one man she wanted for a lifetime but would never have. He’d given her exactly what she’d asked for—lessons on how to arouse a man and two nights of incredible passion. He’d made her no promises beyond this weekend, and she’d known from the beginning that he had no interest in being involved in a committed relationship. She wasn’t about to break the rules they’d established and pressure him for anything more than what they’d agreed to. Their friendship was too important to her to risk, and she’d make the transition from lovers back to friends as smooth as possible for both of them.

  With an aching sigh, she drew his pillow to her chest, buried her face in the softness, and inhaled the purely masculine scent of Jace. She closed her eyes, trying to squelch the misery working its way to the surface, and instead focused on gathering the fortitude to face him after last night and not give away how much she loved him.

  Oh, Lord, getting Jace out of her system had been a good idea at the time, but never would she have guessed her plan would backfire and leave her so heartsick and emotionally devastated. And feeling more alone than she’d ever felt before.

  Knowing she couldn’t stall the inevitable forever, she got out of bed, slipped into her favorite chenille robe, then brushed her teeth and attempted to restore some order to her wild, disheveled hair. Heading down the hall, she entered her small kitchen and found Jace sitting at the table, drinking a cup of coffee and perusing a piece of paper in his hand. A slight frown marred his dark brows.

  She was disappointed to discover that he was already dressed in his jeans, shirt and shoes, as if last night had never happened. As if he didn’t plan on sticking around for long. It was obvious there would be no morning-after intimacy between them, and she berated herself for wanting a few more moments with him when she had no right to expect anything more than he’d already given her.

  “Good morning,” she said softly, and padded the rest of the way into the kitchen.

  He glanced up and smiled. “Hi.”

  She thought she saw a glimmer of yearning in his eyes, but it was quickly masked by a reserve that made Leah’s stomach twist with dread. She hated that a part of him had withdrawn from her, but she couldn’t blame him for being cautious, for making the end to their affair as cut-and-dried as possible.

  She ought to do the same, mostly to preserve their friendship, and that meant holding her emotions in check until he left.

  “What’s this?” he asked curiously, and turned the paper in his hand around for her to see.

  Ahh, she thought, recognizing the Sexcapades invitation she’d taken from Divine Events two days ago that had prompted her to proposition Jace. She’d left the paper on the table, on top of a pile of magazines and mail, never thinking that he might find it or question her about it.

  She bit her bottom lip as the words “The Dance of the Seven Veils” mocked her, forcing her to remember her inability to test out her feminine wiles on Brent. All for good reason, she realized now, and was grateful she hadn’t attempted to try and seduce him when he wasn’t the right man for her. On the other hand, she would have been more than willing to perform the dance for Jace, given the chance. He’d given her that confidence, had coaxed her to embrace her uninhibited side and enjoy the pleasures her body had to offer.

  “That is a provocative invitation I took from a book I found at the wedding planner’s boutique last Friday,” she replied, and headed over to the counter to pour herself a cup of coffee.

  “What were you doing at a wedding planner’s?” he asked with tension in his voice as she filled his mug with the steaming brew, too, then returned the carafe back to the burner.

  With her back facing him, she stirred cream and sugar into her coffee and drew a deep breath, knowing Jace deserved to hear the truth. All of it. About her and Brent. About the invitation that had played on her insecurities, and Jace’s part in it all. She owed him that much.

  Cradling the warmth of the mug in her hands, she turned back around. “I was at a wedding planners because Brent asked me to marry him.”

  Jace stared at her in incredulous shock. “He did?”

  She nodded and took a sip of her coffee, unable to look Jace in the eyes, afraid to see condemnation in them for the weekend she’d spent with him now that he knew the truth. “I asked him to give me some time to think about his proposal, and he gave it to me. He’s been out of town, and I thought maybe going to see a wedding planner might help with my
decision.” She left out the part about her experiencing a bout of anxiety the moment she’d walked into Divine Events, opting to keep those uncertainties to herself. “But, instead, I found an erotic book of invitations titled Sexcapades, and I took one of the pages inside.”

  Finally, she glanced at him and wanted to weep with relief when she saw no signs of censure or criticism in his expression. He sat there patiently, waiting for her to continue.

  “When I read the invitation, my first thought was that I couldn’t imagine performing that intimate dance for Brent.” She let Jace come to his own conclusions about those reasons. “So, I enlisted your help to teach me how to please and arouse a man, and to show me what they find exciting and—”

  “—what drives them crazy with lust,” he finished for her, a wry grin tipping the corners of his mouth.

  “Yes, that too,” she said quietly.

  He stood and strolled across the kitchen, bringing his mug with him and setting it in the sink. “You’re a natural, Leah. Don’t ever doubt what a sensual, desirable woman you are.”

  Maybe we’re just great together, and you bring out the best in me, she thought, but kept the comment to herself.

  Jace moved in front of Leah and brushed his knuckles across her warm, soft cheek, unable to resist touching her any longer. He felt so torn up inside, aching to take Leah back to bed and keep her there forever, yet knowing he didn’t have that right.

  “Tell me something,” he murmured, following the lapels of her robe down to where it crisscrossed over her breasts. Jace had to forcibly hold back the urge to strip her bare and take her right there on the kitchen counter one last time. “After this weekend, do you have the confidence to perform that Dance of the Seven Veils?”

  “Yeah,” she whispered huskily. “Yeah, I do. You gave me the confidence, and I appreciate everything you taught me this weekend, most especially to believe in myself and to embrace my sensual side.”