Sage felt her excitement build with every step he took. The brief tour ended in a bedroom large enough to fit her entire house into with room to spare.
Windows took up one wall, and although the draperies were drawn Sage was sure they offered a spectacular view of the city. She raised her head to see a sitting area on one side of the huge bedroom, with a large flat-screen television, sofa and plush armchairs. However, it was the half of the room behind her, which she’d caught a glimpse of as he carried her inside, that Sage found most appealing.
A king-size bed dominated it, rich mahogany wood as masculine as the man who slept in it. Sage’s breath caught in her throat at a vision of their nude bodies transforming the pristine silver-gray bedding into a tangled mess of sweaty sheets.
Cole’s hands moved to her waist and lifted her from his shoulders. He held her close enough for her body to slowly slide down the length of his until they were standing toe-to-toe.
Their gazes connected, and again his eyes radiated more than lust. He brushed a kiss across her mouth.
“Turn around,” he said. “I want to show you something.”
Sage faced the bed. Cole wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck. His thick, impossibly hard erection pressed against her buttocks, and she bit her bottom lip to suppress a shiver.
“You’re not the only one who couldn’t sleep a wink last night.” He whispered near her ear. “I lay awake in that very bed reliving all the things we did this past weekend. Then I fantasized about what I’d do to you and then beg you to do to me when I saw you again.”
Staring at the bed, Sage released a shaky breath and licked her suddenly dry lips. “You should know by now that you don’t have to beg.” She turned in his embrace and raised her chin until her eyes met his. “Just tell me your fantasy.”
Then an even better idea occurred to her. She grasped the collar of his jacket and slid it down over his broad shoulders until it fell off him onto the floor. Shredding her own coat, she tossed it on top of his. “On second thought, don’t tell me. Let me guess.”
“Guess?” Cole asked, his expression a mix of confusion and intrigue.
Sage nodded. Touching her palm to the center of his chest, she walked him backward to one of the armchairs across the room.
“I’m going to guess what you wanted to do to me last night and every little thing you wanted me to do to you.” She pushed against his chest until he dropped into the chair, and then she leaned in until the tips of their noses met. “You tell me if I’m hot or cold.”
“I can tell you now, you’re hot as hell.” Cole traced her bottom lip with his tongue, but she pulled back before she instinctively opened her mouth to him.
“Uh-uh.” Sage wagged an admonishing finger. “Get comfortable, Mr. Sinclair, because this game is just getting started.”
He eased back in the armchair. His dark eyes were glued to her every move as she slowly backed away. She made the mistake of stealing a glance at his crotch, and his cock twitched in response as if she’d called it by name.
Sage’s mouth went dry and her panties dampened. The sight of it straining against his pants, hard and ready, nearly made her forget about the sexy game.
She closed her eyes to temporarily block it from her mind. Later, she intended to give it the attention it deserved. Sage dropped her chin to her chest, and raised her arms to her head to remove the bobby pins anchoring her updo. Relaxing her neck, she shook her head and fluffed her coils back into full-on Afro status.
Sage opened her eyes and looked at him sitting in the chair. “Fantasy-wise, am I hot or cold?”
“Hot,” Cole said. “How did you know the first thing I wanted to do when I saw you at the fashion show was set that wild hair free?”
“Because it’s like we’re two of a kind.” Sage skimmed her hands downward over her breasts and the sensitive peaks of her nipples to the sash of her wrap dress at her waist. “And despite what some may view as a short acquaintance, we know each other almost as well as we know ourselves.”
She yanked at the sash, and her dress fell open, revealing the lacy bra and matching panties underneath. Both were a soft shade of cotton-candy pink.
Sage shrugged off the dress, and let it drop to the floor. Clad in only her underwear and her heels, she posed the same question. “Am I hot or cold?”
“Damn, girl.” Cole’s reply was more of a groan, and his hands gripped the sides of the armchair.
Sage smiled, reveling in her feminine power, the game turning her on as much as it did him. “Sorry, but that’s not one of the options,” she said. “Again, hot or cold?”
“Hot.” Cole shifted in the chair. Sage guessed it was to accommodate his growing cock, which looked as though it would break right through his zipper. “But I have to confess, those sweet and innocent pink undies aren’t what I expected to see on a woman so deliciously naughty.”
Sage pivoted to provide him with a backside view of her barely-there thong. She heard his sharp intake of breath as she looked back at him over her shoulder. “I assure you, I’m naughty to the bone.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Cole said, his eyes riveted to her bare ass cheeks. “So far, you’re my fantasy come to life.”
Next, Sage moved to kick off one of her high heel pumps.
“Whoa. Cold,” his deep voice called out without being prompted. “Brrr! Ice-cold.”
She turned her head and smiled at him as she undid the front clasp on her bra. She let the straps slip from her shoulders, before letting it fall to the floor.
“Maybe this will help thaw the chill.” Sage slowly spun around, now naked except for her heels and panties. There was no need for her to ask the question that had ruled their game. Cole’s eyes darkened. She could feel the fire in his hungry gaze as it traveled from her breasts down to her heels and back up again.
“Very, very hot.” He patted his lap. “Now, bring it here.”
Gooseflesh erupted on Sage’s skin at the husky command. Every cell in her body wanted to obey, but she steeled herself against the overwhelming urge. Instead, she allowed her eyes the pleasure of roaming from his strong jaw, covered in a shadow of beard she could hardly wait to feel against her mouth and between her thighs, to his broad chest and then downward to the tented slacks he’d had on entirely too long.
“Your turn,” she said. “Take off your clothes.”
Sage watched the corner of his mouth quirk upward into a lazy half smile. “Is that an order, General?”
“Please.” Her dulcet tone belied the fact she was seconds away from marching over to that chair and tearing the clothes off him.
His grin widened. “Well, since you asked so nicely.”
Standing, Cole grabbed the bottom of his sweater, and pulled it up and over his head. Sage sank her teeth into her bottom lip to suppress a gasp. Her fingertips tingled in anticipation of touching his solid wall of a chest, then clinging to those broad shoulders. She could hardly wait to feel those strong arms surround her within the confines of his embrace.
Sage looked on, mesmerized as Cole eased his zipper over his erection. Pants and underwear hit the floor, and his cock sprang free. Every bit as long, thick and hard as she remembered and, oh, the things he could do with it.
She opened her mouth to speak as he kicked away his shoes and socks, but her mind went blank. The gift for the snappy comeback eluded her. So did the ability of speech. All she could do was stare, stammer and drool.
Cole didn’t miss her reaction. “You speechless?”
Sage assumed he raised a brow, but she wasn’t looking at his face. Her nipples tightened, and her minuscule thong panties barely contained the moisture pooling between her legs.
He sat back in the chair and stroked his length once, then again. “Come, ride me,” he said. Then he added in that rich melodi
c baritone that never failed to send shivers down her spine. “Pretty please.”
“Well, since you asked so nicely.” Her speech restored, Sage echoed his words of just minutes before as she did a slow strut toward the armchair.
She stopped short. “Condom?”
“My wallet.” Cole inclined his head at his pants, which were currently beneath the spike heel of her shoe.
Sage retrieved the foil packet, then flung both his wallet and pants aside. She leaned over the chair and brushed aside the hand gripping the base of his cock, replacing it with hers.
“I’ll take it from here.” She allowed herself to stroke the magnificent length of the shaft, from base to the smooth, velvet tip.
“Don’t.” Cole gasped loudly. “Do that again and this will be over before it even starts.”
Cole pulled her onto the chair, and Sage straddled him, her heated core hovering inches above his hardness.
He threaded his fingers through her hair. Fisting a clump of the tight coils in his hand, he crushed his mouth to hers. Sage moaned, and he plunged his tongue inside her mouth, deepening the kiss. The taste of him, his cologne, a heady mix of spice tinged with rum, nearly driving her out of her mind.
Close to getting what she’d been craving ever since their weekend together had ended, Sage ripped open the condom wrapper. She wrenched her mouth away from his and quickly sheathed him.
“I have never wanted anyone as much as I want you,” she said.
Their gazes connected. “You own me, Sage Matthews, heart, body and soul.” Even in the heat of passion, his words rang with sincerity, and Sage knew without a doubt, this man loved her as much as she loved him. “Now come get what’s yours.”
Sage moved to slip her thong panties aside, but he released her hair and clutched the scant fabric in his hand. She heard the lace rip as he tore them from her body and tossed them to the floor.
His forcefulness sent an erotic thrill coursing through her, and Sage couldn’t wait any longer. Slowly, she lowered herself onto his cock inch by delectable inch.
Their simultaneous moans echoed throughout the room as he stretched and filled her. A rush of sensations bombarded her core, and her walls contracted around him. The overwhelming power of their connection, both physical and emotional, took her by surprise.
“Ah,” Cole rasped. His body froze, and he touched his forehead to hers, as if he, too, needed a moment to regain control. “You’re so tight. And so damn hot.”
Sage rose and slid down his steely length. Then she did it again and again. The next time, Cole thrust upward to meet her in one stroke, followed by another and another easing her into a slow, steady ride.
He trailed kisses from her throat to her breasts, which he cupped in his large hands. She groaned when his thumbs brushed over the sensitive peaks. The feel of his hands, of him inside her, threatened to send her over the edge.
He flicked his tongue over a nipple and then covered it with his mouth.
“Cole.” Sage threw her head back and called his name as he alternated sucking and teasing. Moving from one breast to the other, the man’s tongue, lips and teeth were as relentless as the upward thrusts that continued to fill her over and over.
She called his name again, and he raised his head, capturing her lips in a kiss. He swallowed her moan of delight as his tongue delved into her mouth.
Driven by excitement and ravenous need, Sage’s thighs squeezed against his and her slick walls clamped around him. Her body acted of its own accord. She could barely handle what he dished out, yet everything in her begged for more.
Cole’s hands slid from her breasts over her belly button down to her hips. His fingers gripped her roughly, breaking both their kiss and the rhythm of their ride.
“You feel so good. I want to make this last forever.” He stilled, his tone both harsh and pleading.
Catching her breath, Sage stared into the depths of his eyes. “You own me, Cole Sinclair, heart, body and soul,” she whispered, her voice cracked with emotion. “Now take what’s yours, because it only gets better.”
Cole’s fingers dug into her hips. His gaze didn’t waver as he surged upward. Sage gasped at the force of the powerful thrust and the ones that followed it. Her hands moved from his chest to his broad shoulders, and she held on tight.
Rising and falling on his cock, she met each of his deep strokes. Harder and faster. The more he gave her, the more she craved until spasms of pure pleasure ripped through her. Wave after wave, the orgasm overpowered her very being.
With one last violent stroke, Cole yelled her name. He followed her over the edge, his hands clutching her hips as his cock pulsated inside her.
She sagged against him, and he encircled her in his embrace. As their hearts slammed against their chests, Sage wasn’t surprised to feel them throb to the exact same beat.
Then the words weighing on her heart unintentionally escaped her lips. “I love you.”
Chapter 16
“Do you always hold a Q&A session after sex?”
If Sage thought her question would dissuade him, she was mistaken, Cole thought. “It’s a simple question,” he said. “I even made it multiple choice so it would be easy for you to answer.”
The woman cradled in his arms sighed contentedly and snuggled deeper into his chest. Their marathon had come full circle, starting in the armchair, moving on to his bed, next beneath the shower spray and now finally back to the chair again.
Cole adjusted the flannel throw he’d yanked off the sofa over their naked bodies. He’d finally relented and let her take off those sexy shoes. Now her bare feet were tucked under her as she leaned against him.
“Well?” he persisted.
“Could you repeat the question?” Sage hedged.
He shifted in the chair until they were face-to-face. “When you said you loved me earlier, did you mean it, or did I put it on you so good, I had you talking out of your head?”
Sage snorted. “Nothing wrong with your ego.”
Her tone was filled with the playful banter that had become a hallmark of their relationship. Yet, the straightforward woman who never backed down from him, or anyone else, averted her eyes. The drapes were open, and she stared out the window, which offered a picturesque view of the starlit night sky and the city in the distance.
Cole let his question sink in. Despite her facade of bravado, she was scared. Her hesitance wasn’t in deciding on an answer, but rather whether to trust him with it.
Pushing Sage probably wasn’t his best idea. Yet, he needed to hear it. He needed to know if she was as caught up in the whirlwind of a romance that could be as challenging and infuriating as it was heartfelt and sexy. The more layers he pulled back from the complicated, smart and beautiful woman in his arms, the more he found to admire, respect and, yes, love.
Everything in the way she’d responded as he made love to her told him she felt the exact same way. However, he had to know for sure.
Cole smoothed his knuckles down the side of her cheek. She sighed softly as she met finally met his gaze. Her body trembled against him.
“I probably shouldn’t feed that massive ego of yours.” She tapped her forefinger against his bare chest. “But I can’t deny the fact that you indeed put it on me, and that thing you did with your tongue in the shower made me forget my own name.”
Though he should probably be flattered, Cole felt his hopes deflate. It hadn’t been the answer he’d wanted or expected. He kept his expression impassive to hide his disappointment as she continued.
“I also can’t deny the fact that I love you,” she said. “I meant everything I told you when we made love.”
Cole exhaled, his disappointment replaced by pure delight. He knew he was grinning like an idiot, but he didn’t care. “Now was that so hard to say?”
; “No, but it does make things complicated.”
“It doesn’t have to be,” he said. “I love you. You love me. I can’t think of anything simpler.”
Sage rested her head on his chest. “Right here. Right now, that’s true. But eventually we have to get back to the real world. Our real lives. Loving you doesn’t change the fact that we’re competitors, or that you want my company.”
Cole did want Stiletto Cosmetics. However, real life had indeed intruded, and now he wanted Sage more. Enough to find an alternative solution to solving Espresso’s problems.
She craned her neck to look up at him. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought up work,” she said. “As important as Stiletto is to me, I’m enjoying this time with you too much to think about it right now.”
He dropped a kiss on her forehead. “But since you did bring it up, I think we need to talk about it. Returning to Nashville and our real lives is only a problem if we make it one.”
Sage sighed. “That sounds good when we’re together and naked, but eventually we’ll have to put our clothes on and go to work.”
“I’m rescinding my offer to buy Stiletto,” Cole said. He didn’t add that he had a strong suspicion she’d soon get one from Force Cosmetics. At this point, it was still speculation and would further complicate a situation he was trying to make easier for both of them.
Sage sat up and looked at him. A surprised expression blanketed her pretty features.
“There are other ways to put the brakes on Espresso’s downhill slide, ones that don’t include acquiring your company,” he said.
Sage continued to stare at him. “I don’t understand,” she began. Then a corner of her mouth quirked up into a half smile. “Or did I put it on you so good, it made your forget about coming after my company.”
“Touché.” Cole threw his head back and laughed. “But to be honest, I think I actually made the decision to back off when we were at my aunt’s house for dinner.”
“I don’t get it. Did your aunt say something to change your mind? Or was that what you and Riley were talking about when I was out of earshot?”
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