Her laughter died and she looked away. “Oh, my sister and I never really got along. She was…special.”
“And you’re not?”
She smiled, but the expression revealed a deep sadness. Not wanting to talk about this, Rachel curled her fingers into a fist so that he couldn’t tease her anymore. But he only pressed her fingers back, touching her and sliding his fingers up and down her hand and arm.
“Tell me,” he urged, continuing to tease her hand. Rachel felt his touch echo through her body. “What’s so ‘special’ about your sister?”
She sighed. “My sister is truly beautiful and very talented. Anything she tackles, she excels at. It was difficult growing up in her shadow sometimes.” Most times, she silently added.
“What did she excel at?”
She shrugged, standing up and stepping away. Wrapping her arms protectively around her waist, she looked out the window. “I don’t know. Everything.” She took a deep breath and turned back to smile at him. “Would you mind if we changed the subject?”
“Back to the two of us having sex? Absolutely!”
She laughed. “Well, maybe we could ease into that conversation.”
“I was thinking we could ease into the relationship,” he replied, standing up and walking over to her. “I loved touching you last night. Your body is beautiful, Rachel.”
She snorted. “You should see how gorgeous my sister is. She has softer hair and she really knows how to put makeup on to enhance…”
He reached out to touch her, just a palm to her cheek, but it was enough to shock her into silence. “I don’t care about your sister, Rachel. And just for the record, I think you’re beautiful.” He stepped closer and she stared at the middle of his chest, unable to meet his gaze. “I love the way your eyes are huge and expressive,” he said, his thumb caressing her cheekbone. “And your nose is pretty darn adorable.”
She smiled, wanting to shake her head to deny his comment, but she didn’t want to risk losing his touch. “You don’t understand, my sister is…”
He stopped her argument with a kiss. Rachel was so startled she couldn’t move. She even forgot to breathe. He didn’t kiss her again, but he didn’t move back either. Their lips hovered just a hair’s breadth apart. Rachel waited, wondering if he’d do it again. She wanted him to kiss her more than anything she’d ever wanted in her life. But she trembled, wondering if she should want this. Was she worthy of his kiss? Would he like the way she kissed or would he hate it? Was she completely inept at kissing?
“Rachel,” he whispered and she felt his breath wash over her face, felt the need in him as well and lifted her eyes from his mouth to his hazel eyes. That was all it took. Instead of pulling back, she leaned in and kissed him. No more waiting! No more self-condemnation! This was her moment! This was Tarin and she’d lo…wanted him for so long!
That must have been what he was waiting for because, at the first touch of her lips against his, he wrapped those massive arms around her waist and lifted her higher, holding her against his hard chest! He deepened the kiss as Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. She wasn’t great at kissing, not having much experience with it. But Tarin didn’t seem to mind.
She felt one of his hands move to the back of her head, tangling in her hair and tilting her head back, deepening the kiss even more. She squeaked, unaware of how her legs wrapped around his waist as she trembled, unconsciously grinding against him and moaning with every frisson of sensation. She felt his erection against her core and was startled for a long moment, pulling away from him and looking around.
“We’re…” She realized that they were sitting on the couch and she was straddling his hips, wantonly riding him.
“Yes. We’re kissing,” he groaned, his hands sliding up and down her waist, down to her thighs then back up
Rachel told herself to get off of him, that she was smothering him. But the way his hands skimmed over her body felt too good. Staring at him, unaware of the look of need burning in her eyes, she shifted deliberately against that hardness. Just a small movement but…she gasped, her hands gripping his shoulders.
“Rachel!” Tarin groaned, his fingers tightening on her hips. But he wasn’t sure if he was holding her in order to stop her from moving like that, or…waiting for her to do it again.
She took the decision out of his hands when she leaned in to kiss him again and her hips shifted with the movement. He couldn’t hold back, not after that moment of boldness. He’d thought she’d be a shy, tentative lover. He’d anticipated encouraging her to enjoy her sexuality.
So this bold, wild woman was…stunning! He wanted to ravage her, explore every inch of her skin and…howl at how hot she was! But words wouldn’t come, so instead, he rolled them over until she was on her back and she stared up at him with those huge, green eyes of hers. The look was both humbling and igniting!
She shifted her hips again and he almost lost control. Pulling back, he moved his mouth against her neck, her shoulders but that damn sweatshirt was in the way. So, he pulled her upright so that she was straddling his hips, then pulled the shirt over her head and out of the way.
Then froze! “Every day, I’ve wondered what you were wearing underneath those prim flowered dresses of yours,” he told her, entranced by the pretty blue bra. There were yellow daisies embroidered along the edge and he lifted a finger to trace those flowers.
“It’s padded,” he noticed.
“Yes,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
She was watching him, watching his hands against her breasts. Turning his hand, he cupped her breast.
“Why do you need a padded bra?”
She rolled her hips against his erection again and he saw her eyes blur, her tongue dart out to wet her lips.
“Because…I don’t want…anything…showing through my dresses,” she finally explained.
“I want to see your nipples,” he announced, then released the catch on her bra, tossing the scrap of blue and daisies away.
She hissed in surprise when her bra was gone, but he ignored that, focusing on her pretty breasts and, especially, those beautiful nipples, so taut and pointing right at him, as if they were begging for his attention.
He reached out, cupping them again, but this time without the hindrance of her bra. As he cupped both breasts, he looked into her eyes, then slowly, as if savoring the moment, ran his thumb over those taut nipples. He smiled evilly when she hissed in reaction, so he did it again. And again. Her head fell back as he continued to tease her breasts, taking one nipple into his mouth and sucking lightly, then nipping it with his teeth before soothing it with his tongue. Every caress caused yet another, and her hips couldn’t keep still. It was possibly the most erotic moment he’d ever seen.
Unfortunately, kissing her wasn’t going to be enough.
Scooping her up, he carried her into his bedroom.
“What…?” she asked, looking around. But by that time, he was already kicking the door closed behind them.
“I don’t want the hotel staff to see you, Rachel,” he warned, then leaned down, laying her in the middle of the bed.
“Oh, right,” she breathed, looking around. “But…”
Tarin couldn’t wait. Not with her pretty breasts and tight nipples staring at him. So he kissed her, his mouth moving over hers until he felt her melt against him. Only then did he lift his mouth and resume his exploration of her breasts. With every touch, every kiss, nip, and teasing touch, Rachel gasped and hissed and ground herself against him, driving him wild with lust.
Trying very hard to go slowly, he moved his mouth lower, kissing along her stomach while pulling her leggings off. But not her panties. Oh no! He needed to see her in whatever sexy little nothing she’d pulled on this morning.
When he stood up after tossing her leggings off to the side, he stared down at the piece of blue satin with little daises. “Do you always match your bra and panties?” he asked, letting his finger trail along t
he edge of her daises.
She gasped and did a sexy little wiggle thing. “Yes,” she hissed. His finger slid under the elastic. “No!”
“No?” he teased, letting his finger linger there. “You don’t always match your panties to your bra?”
Her pink tongue darted out, wetting her lips and he might have smiled, but he was so turned on, he wasn’t even sure he was breathing.
“I don’t…!” She hissed when his finger slid into her body, her hips lifting as if she were offering herself to him.
“Tell me,” he growled, watching her face as he teased, thrusting his finger in and out.
Her eyes were closed. He let his thumb flick against that swollen nub and she gasped, her hand whipping out to grab his wrist. But he didn’t relent, wanting to know what turned her on, what she liked and what she didn’t. So far, everything he’d done seemed to be good.
“Don’t stop!” she moaned, pressing his hand against her.
With a muttered curse, he pulled away and literally ripped that piece of blue satin off. When he heard a muttered cry from Rachel, he moved up and kissed her. Hard! “I promise to replace all of your lingerie, love. But…” he pulled back, shaking his head to try and disperse the almost painful lust overwhelming him. “Just…trust me, honey.”
With that, he moved back down her body, kissing and exploring, finding a few more spots that made her cry out. But his ultimate goal was that beautiful, throbbing nub between her legs.
“Tarin, I…!” she cried out when he pressed her legs wider.
“I have to, Rachel,” he explained, his voice barely above a growl. “I have to give you this now, because once I get inside you, I’m not sure how long I’ll last.” And with that, he kissed his way from her knee to her inner thigh, then to that place he’d wanted to taste ever since he’d gotten her through the door to his bedroom.
Unfortunately, as soon as his mouth touched her there, she exploded and he barely got a taste before she was throbbing with her first release, her fingers tangling in his hair.
When she finally relaxed, he pulled his mouth away, kissing her stomach again before he stood up and stripped off his clothes. Grabbing a condom, he looked down at her, feeling like a king after what he’d just done to her.
With the condom rolled down over his erection, he moved back between her legs, bracing his hands on either side of her head as he kissed her, bringing her back to him.
“Do you have any idea how beautiful that was?” he asked, but didn’t give her time to answer. Instead, he pressed into her folds, closing his eyes as her body accepted his. Deeper and deeper, he pressed into her until he was fully inside of her.
He reached for her hair, his fingers tangling in those amazing curls as he began thrusting. With every movement, he heard her mewling, gasping and groaning, driving him even wilder. Faster and faster, he thrust into her until…with every fiber of his being, he held on until he felt her body tighten around his shaft. But after that, he pounded into her tight sheath as his body emptied into hers, his mind draining of everything but the intense, incredible pleasure!
The pinpricks of her nails was his first taste of reality. And it wasn’t that he felt her nails so much as he registered the absence of her fingernails as her hands slowly unclenched from his shoulders.
Her soft sigh reminded him that he was too heavy for her and he groaned, rolling over but holding her, shifting so that her replete body was draped over his. Then his hands dove right back into those amazing curls of hers.
“So soft,” he muttered.
Rachel was still a bit dazed and he smiled up at the ceiling, thinking, “I did that!”
But her hair wasn’t the only soft thing about Rachel. Her back, her waist…her whole body was soft as silk.
“Tarin,” she sighed, wiggling again.
Tarin laughed softly. Lifting up, he kissed her. “I’ll be right back,” he promised, then carefully extricated himself, heading for the bathroom. Quickly, he cleaned up, then came back…only to come to a complete stop. Rachel looked…beautiful! Her auburn curls were going every which way, and her surprisingly long legs were curved, making her butt look extraordinarily enticing. And since she still hadn’t revived after those two orgasms, there was a soft, satisfied smile to her lovely features and his body hardened, just watching her.
She yawned, blinking like a small, sexy kitten. “I should…”
“You should stay right there,” he growled, coming back to the bed and pulling her back on top of him.
“I’m pretty sure this isn’t dignified,” she grumbled, but her wiggles only turned him on all over again.
“I’m pretty sure that you should do that again,” he laughed, sliding his hands along her bottom, then higher, trailing a finger along her spine.
She gasped, arching her back, which only reminded him that he hadn’t fully explored her back.
But he was more interested in her breasts and rolled over so that she was underneath him. “Yes?” he asked, not really paying attention. He was fully focused on her breasts. On those taut, pink nipples that whispered to him.
“I need…” she stopped speaking when his mouth covered her breast.
“Coffee,” he teased. “Right. You need coffee.” But he didn’t stop. And a moment later, she didn’t care as he started the whole process over again.
About two hours later, he finally got her that coffee.
Chapter 10
Rachel beamed as she walked into the meeting Monday morning. Life was good. In fact, the whole world seemed to glow lately. Glancing over her shoulder, she spotted Tarin talking to one of the directors of the architectural firm. He must have felt her gaze because he paused in his conversation and looked in her direction.
Was it just her, or did his gaze warm when he looked at her? Quickly, Rachel glanced away and focused on…she looked down, trying to remember what she was doing. Right, she was handing out briefings. She’d done this several times over the past few weeks. The briefing outlined the university project’s requirements, although the briefing was just a rough outline of the criteria. Neither the buildings nor the layout of the campus had been designed yet, nor had anyone even offered a layout. This was a multi-billion dollar project so the firms would submit bids to run the effort in Izara starting next month. At least, that was the plan. Rachel wondered if perhaps…?
No, that wasn’t her place. She was here to offer operational and financial analysis support. She’d keep her opinions to herself.
Smiling, she finished handing out the briefings, then took a chair set back against the wall near the window. This was the last company that they’d talk with and Rachel admired Tarin for what he was doing. Not only was he including firms from all over the world to bid on the project, but he was going to them, discussing his vision in their space. Not for convenience. Goodness, it definitely wasn’t convenient for him to travel from city to city talking with each firm individually. Nope, he flew thousands of miles and went over this briefing so many times because he wanted to meet with the potential firms on their turf, to get a feel for their style. He didn’t want anything to be anonymous. He wanted a personal touch.
She blushed as she thought about the way he’d personally touched her just this morning. Tarin had been ravenous and she couldn’t count the number of times she’d climaxed in his arms. With her arms pinned over her head. Or with his mouth. Or…!
Focus! She snapped to attention and looked up, only to find Tarin watching her, his pen pressed against his mouth and…he knew! He knew that she’d been thinking about this morning and…darn it, a blush heated her cheeks again. Drat the man!
She hated that she was so transparent, but when it came to Tarin, she was pretty much lost. Saturday and Sunday, they’d mostly stayed in bed, talking and teasing each other, learning what each other liked, how each of them preferred to be touched and teased. Goodness, he was a tender and demanding lover! She’d only been with two other men in her life and neither of them had really turned her o
n. Not even close to the way she felt with Tarin
Looking around, she avoided Tarin’s eyes this time and stared intently at the speaker, jotting down pertinent points as they were brought up. These meetings were about the strength of the firm, the way they managed their projects and their building “philosophy”. Sometimes she chuckled at the silly ways they phrased their pitches to Tarin. Some of the firms came up with the most ridiculous catch phrases, but in a weird way, those firms also stood out in her mind. She wondered if that was also true with Tarin. Was it better to have silly phrases that stood out? That showed that they were creative and weren’t afraid to experiment. Or should firms stick with their strengths? That indicated that they relied on solid, tried-and-true building methods.
Her sister did both. Denise was one of those women who had so many strengths, she just…was like a shiny diamond, all flash and hard as a rock. Meanwhile, Rachel considered herself more of an opal. She wasn’t flashy. Nor was she tough and hard. Opals seemed to sparkle from the inside. Their shine was more subtle, but…looking over at Tarin, she realized that she was pretty. She sparkled. Not like her sister, Denise. But in her way, which was just as valuable. It was different, but still beautiful.
Sitting up in her chair, she pulled her shoulders back. She was an opal, someone with a fire inside of her. Just as good as a diamond, but different.
Tarin’s head swiveled in her direction when she shifted, his eyes narrowing for a moment.
Feeling good now that she’d compared herself to an opal, she smiled back at him, feeling confident and powerful. Beautiful. She was beautiful in her own way. Rachel almost laughed out loud when he shifted uncomfortably in his own chair and she knew what he was thinking!
A long time later, after lunch had been delivered and consumed, more conversations about the details of the university project and more pronouncements that this particular firm could accomplish the job with elegance and finesse, the meeting ended. This one had seemed longer than the others, but that might be because she and Tarin were eager to get away.
Tempted by the Prince Page 9