Louis reached out and tucked one of her loose tendrils behind her ear. ‘It’s not ridiculous to be passionate about something.’
Her eyes dipped to his mouth and back again, the tip of her tongue darting out to moisten her lips. A rocket blast of lust hit him like a sucker punch, and he took the champagne glass off her and set it down beside his on the table. He took her hands in his and brought her closer to his body. ‘And while we’re on the topic of passion...’
He lowered his mouth to her upturned one, her lips flowering open to the gentle pressure of his. She made a soft whimpering sound and rose up on tiptoe, her hands creeping up to link around his neck, the action bringing her even closer. Dangerously, temptingly, tantalisingly closer. He entered her mouth with a bold stroke of his tongue, shivers coursing down his spine as her tongue mated shyly with his. The playful little darts and flickers of her tongue sent his pulse soaring, the delicious press of her breasts against his chest making him wild with primal want. Heat poured into his lower body—hot, hard heat that threatened to engulf him.
Louis placed a hand at the small of her back, just above the sweet curve of her bottom, his senses reeling at the way her mouth responded to him with such passionate fervour. He brought his other hand to the curve of her breast, cradling it through her dress, allowing her time to get used to being touched so intimately. She made another sound of encouragement and leaned her pelvis further into him, moving against him in an instinctive fashion. He lifted his mouth off hers and placed it on the exquisite softness of her neck, trailing slow kisses from below her ear, over her shoulder and to the upper curve of her breasts. She drew in a hitching breath, gasping in pleasure, and he stroked his tongue over the exposed part of her breast, aching to explore her in more intimate detail. He began gently to tug her dress down to reveal more of her breast, but she suddenly froze and then pushed his hand away.
‘I’m sorry...’ She bit her lip, her cheeks bright pink.
Louis placed his hands on her hips. ‘Too soon for you?’
‘It’s not that...’
‘What is it? Talk to me, Ivy. Tell me what’s worrying you about me touching you like that.’
She swallowed and brought her gaze back to his. ‘My breasts are small. I’m worried you won’t find them attractive.’
He stroked a lazy finger down the curve of her blushing cheek. ‘I find everything about you attractive.’
A tremulous smile flirted with the edges of her mouth, but the shadows hadn’t gone from her eyes. ‘One of the dates I had made a comment about my breasts when I told him I didn’t want to sleep with him, and I’ve never really got over it. I can’t look at my body without thinking how unappealing it must be to men.’
Louis had to suppress a wave of anger so intense it threatened to boil his blood at what that jerk of a boyfriend had said to her. ‘Ivy, that idiot guy needs to be taught a lesson and I wish I could be the one to teach him. You have no reason to be ashamed of any part of your body. I’ve been trying not to notice for years how damn attractive you are.’
Ivy peered up into his face as if she couldn’t quite believe what he’d said was true. ‘Really? You never gave me any indication.’
He played with a loose curl of her hair, winding it around his finger and releasing it again. ‘Yes, well, your brother might have had something to say about it if I had, knowing my playboy reputation with women.’ He frowned and added, ‘I can’t help thinking he won’t be too happy about us spending the night together. I promised to keep an eye on you, not to sleep with you.’
Ivy pursed her lips, eyes flashing. ‘It’s time my brother accepted I’m not a child any more. I want to sleep with you, Louis.’ She took one of his hands and placed it back on her breast. ‘Now, where were we?’
Louis smiled. ‘Well, I was about to do this...’ He gently peeled her dress down to uncover half of her bra-less breast and then lowered his mouth to the ripe curve. She gave a soft sound of approval and he pulled the dress a little lower to uncover her nipple. He rolled his tongue over and around her peaking flesh, delighting in the exquisite softness of her skin and the way she was responding to his caresses.
‘Oh...oh...oh...’ Her voice was a breathless thread of sound and she gave a little shudder.
Louis lifted his head to look at her, his hands going to her hips to steady her. ‘Okay so far?’
Her eyes shimmered with the same desire he could feel thundering through his body. Hot. Urgent. Desperate. ‘More than okay. It feels so good to have you touch me like that.’ She sounded almost surprised that she enjoyed it. ‘Do it again. Please?’
‘Your wish is my command.’ And my most wicked fantasy.
Louis bent his head and placed his mouth over her right breast, sucking softly, teasing her with his lips and tongue and the gentle tether of his teeth. Her skin was like silk and she smelled of flowers and vanilla and musk, sending his senses haywire. He moved his mouth to her other breast, exploring it in the same thorough detail, delighting in the sounds of encouragement she was making, thrilled by her avid response to his touch.
She quivered under his hands, her eyelashes at half-mast, as if drunk on the sensations he was triggering in her. Powerful, intense sensations that were erupting vicariously through his own flesh. His erection was so tight and heavy it was painful, the desire for completion a pounding primal force in his blood. But he needed to be in control and, right now, his control was slipping away, pushing every thought aside for the goal of intense physical satisfaction.
But this wasn’t like any other one-nighter. This was Ivy and he had to take things slowly. Painfully, agonisingly slowly. With a strength of will he didn’t know he still possessed, he eased back from her, breathing heavily. ‘Let’s take a breather. I said I wasn’t going to rush you and I’m not going back on my word.’
Disappointment spread over her features, her cheeks darkening to a warm shade of pink. ‘Did I do something wrong?’ Worry was threaded through her voice and her teeth captured her lower lip.
Louis framed her face in his hands, holding her troubled gaze. ‘You did nothing wrong, ma chérie. I want your first time to be perfect and making love out here in the open is probably not the way to do it.’
‘So, you’re not going to change your mind about making love with me?’
He brushed her mouth with a light kiss. ‘If I were a better man, then perhaps I would.’ He gave a rueful twist of his lips and added, ‘You’ve done strange things to my moral compass.’
A small frown formed a tiny crease in the smooth perfection of her forehead. ‘What’s immoral about two consenting adults having sex? We’re not doing anything wrong or illegal.’
‘I know, but we’ll only be having sex tonight,’ Louis said, watching her steadily. ‘I don’t want there to be any confusion about that. This is not happening after we leave here tomorrow, okay?’ He wasn’t sure if he was saying it for her benefit or his. But it needed to be said. And underlined.
Her eyes drifted to his mouth and her tongue poked out to wet her lips. ‘I understand the terms, Louis. You don’t have to spell them out all the time. I only want this night with you. After that, we go back to being friends as normal.’
He had a feeling nothing would ever be normal again. He bent down and pressed another kiss to her soft mouth. ‘Stay here and finish your drink and enjoy the garden while I sort out dinner.’
And get my self-control back in order.
CHAPTER FIVE
IVY WATCHED HIM go back into the house and wished she had the courage to go in after him to distract him from cooking dinner and make him take her straight upstairs to bed. But she knew he was determined to take things slowly and a part of her was grateful he wasn’t rushing her. She had been rushed before and it hadn’t ended well.
In a strange way, his go-slow approach was making her want him all the more. Her body felt alive and tingling with anticip
ation, reacting to every look he cast her way, every touch of his hand or brush of his lips. She picked up her champagne glass and took another sip, listening to the sounds of the birds settling in the shrubbery, the throaty croak of a frog on the bank of the pond and then the resounding plop as it went below the silvery surface. She rose from the garden chair and wandered over to the nearest flowerbed, bent her head to smell the heady clove-like scent of night stocks.
She glanced towards the house and caught a glimpse of Louis in the kitchen, preparing their food. As if he sensed her gaze on him, he looked up from what he was doing and locked gazes with her. A hot rush of longing travelled through her body and she began walking towards the house as if drawn by a powerful magnet. She did have the courage to go to him. His touch had awakened it in her. The needs raging in her body refused to be put on hold. It was as if a fever had gripped her—a fever of longing to feel Louis’ mouth on hers, his arms holding her close to his body.
When she got to the kitchen, Louis wiped his hands on a tea towel and smiled. ‘Too cold out there now?’
Ivy stepped up to him and looked up into his grey-blue eyes. ‘I kind of like the heat in here more.’
His pupils flared and his gaze dipped to her mouth, his hands settling on her hips. ‘You’re not making this easy for me, Ivy. I’m supposed to be giving you dinner before we do anything else.’
She moved closer, winding her arms around his neck, her breasts pushing against his chest. Any shyness she might have felt was gone, obliterated by the overwhelming need powering through her body. The need he had brought to life in her flesh. ‘I’m not hungry for food. I’m hungry for you.’
He groaned and covered her mouth with his in a long, drugging kiss that made her senses go into a tailspin. His tongue mated with hers and her spine loosened and her knees wobbled. One of his hands cupped her breast, his touch light and yet sending thousands of shivers through her sensitive flesh. He pulled her dress down a fraction and began to caress her breast with his lips and tongue, teasing her nipple into a tight peak, tantalising her with the sensation of his stubble against her soft skin.
Ivy whimpered with longing for more of his touch, the passionate need in the core of her body pulsating, pounding. He moved to her other breast, exposing it to his hungry, smouldering gaze and placing his mouth on the upper curve, then trailing his tongue over and around her nipple, taking it into his mouth and gently sucking on it. The nerves in her tender flesh rioted with ecstasy, triggering even more flutters and flickers and flames in her lower body.
Louis lifted his head to look at her with eyes dark and glittering with lust. ‘Dinner can wait. I want you.’ His voice was low and deep and gravelly, sending a shiver whispering down her spine.
‘I want you too, so, so much,’ Ivy said. ‘I’ve never experienced anything like this before. It’s like my body hasn’t been alive until now.’
He framed her face in his hands, his expression serious. ‘I won’t do anything you’re not comfortable doing.’
Ivy stroked his stubbled jaw and gazed into his eyes. ‘I know you won’t. That’s why you’re the only person I could ask to help me. I trust you.’
A fleeting shadow went through his gaze before it lowered to her mouth once more. He drew in a ragged breath and took one of her hands, his fingers warm and strong around hers. His eyes met hers and he smiled a slow smile that made her heart slip sideways. ‘Let’s go upstairs.’
Ivy went with him up the grand staircase and he led her to his master suite at the other end of the wide corridor from her bedroom. Her skin was tight all over, her heart rate picking up, her senses on high alert. She was attuned to his every movement, not out of fear but out of excitement. The twilight was still filtering into the room, giving it a muted and intimate glow, and when Louis didn’t reach for the light switch she wondered if he’d remembered her confession about not being comfortable undressing unless the lights were out. It touched her that he was being so patient and understanding with her.
He stood with her next to the king-sized bed, his hands loosely holding hers. His gaze roved over her face, lingering on her mouth and then coming back to her eyes. ‘Remember, you’re the one in control here. I want this to be perfect for you.’
‘Everything’s been perfect so far.’ Ivy slipped her hands out of his and began to unbutton his shirt. ‘I want to feel your skin on mine.’ Her heart was fluttering, but with excitement rather than nerves. It was empowering to know he would be patient with her, not rushing or pushing her to do things she wasn’t ready to do. Somehow it made her feel more emboldened than she had ever felt before, the needs of her body overtaking the paralysing fears in her mind. Funny how those fears were retreating further and further into the background, every magical touch of his melting them away.
Louis shrugged himself out of his shirt and then reached to undo the clip holding her hair on top of her head. It cascaded down around her shoulders. He swept her hair to one side and lowered his mouth to the soft skin just below her ear, and she shivered as his lips and tongue subjected her to feather-light caresses.
‘You smell beautiful—like flowers and summer—and I can’t wait to taste you all over.’ His tone had a roughened edge, as if he was fighting to keep his control in check.
Her own control was facing a similar battle. The shy part of her nature wanted to put the brakes on before he could act on his erotic promise but the sensually awakened part of her relished the thought of him caressing her in such an intimate way. ‘I want to taste you too.’
She brought her mouth to his neck in the shallow dish between his clavicles and pressed her lips to the saltiness of his skin. He shuddered under her touch and brought her closer to the jutting hardness of his body. Ivy grew emboldened by the impact she was having on him and kissed his neck again, this time using her tongue in kitten-like licks.
He made a sound at the back of his throat and, with one hand pressed to the small of her back, brought the other to cup her breast. ‘I want to see you. All of you. Do you want me to undress you or would you feel more comfortable doing it yourself?’
Ivy was touched that he’d asked rather than assumed he could go ahead. ‘I want you to do it.’ She could hardly believe she was saying it, but it was true. She felt totally comfortable with him peeling the clothes from her body. Besides, the room was even darker now, so she didn’t feel as exposed as she might have done.
Louis slowly slid her dress down her body, his eyes glinting in the low light as her breasts were finally uncovered. Ivy resisted the urge to cover herself and watched as his gaze lingered on her curves. Her dress went to a puddle at her feet and she stepped out of it, standing in nothing but a tiny pair of knickers.
‘You are every bit as beautiful as I imagined...’ His voice had a raw, earthy quality to it that made her desire for him go up another notch. His hands cradled both her breasts and he bent his head to caress them with his lips and tongue. Ivy shivered as she watched his dark head lower to her naked flesh, the sheer eroticism of his action making her inner core contract with want. He knelt down in front of her and kissed his way down her body—below her breasts, over her ribcage, her abdomen, and then to the top of her lacy underwear. Ivy stiffened, suddenly shy at revealing the most intimate part of her body.
Louis steadied her with his hands on her hips, his eyes meeting hers. ‘Don’t be shy, ma chérie.’
She bit her lip and stepped out of his hold, covering her breasts with her hands. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t think I can go any further.’ Her feverish body screamed, No! Don’t stop now! But she couldn’t overcome the fear he might find her repulsive.
He straightened and came over to her, resting his hands on the top of her shoulders. ‘Look at me, Ivy.’
Ivy slowly brought her gaze up to his, her cheeks so hot they felt like they were going to explode. ‘See? I told you. I’m an uptight prude.’
He gave her shoulders a
gentle squeeze. ‘Tell me what’s worrying you. Did that jerk say something to you about this part of you too?’
She looked at his chin rather than meet his gaze. ‘No, but I’m... I’m worried you won’t like the way I look down there. You sleep with so many women. What if I’m a freak compared to them?’
He placed a finger beneath her chin and brought her gaze back to his. ‘Women’s bodies come in all shapes and sizes. You’re perfect just the way you are. You don’t need to be ashamed of any part of your body.’
‘I know, but I am, and I can’t seem to help it.’
Louis stroked his finger over her bottom lip, his eyes shining. ‘I love everything I’ve seen so far.’
‘Really?’ Ivy lowered her hands from covering her breasts, aching to feel them pressed up against the naked skin of his muscular chest.
‘Really.’ He devoured her breasts with his gaze and a hot spurt of longing shot to her core.
She moved closer so her breasts were against his chest, her arms going back around his neck. ‘Thanks for keeping the lights off.’ In semi-darkness she could hide her secret thoughts and feelings...she could feel less exposed, less vulnerable. She was ready to give herself to him physically but she wanted her emotions kept in the shadows where they couldn’t be seen.
‘That’s fine. I can make love to you by Braille.’
Ivy laughed, shivering at the thought of his hands and lips and tongue reading every inch of her flesh. ‘You mean you haven’t given up on me yet?’
His eyes held hers in a heart-stopping lock. ‘Do you want me to give up?’
‘No,’ she said, standing on tiptoes to press a kiss to his mouth. ‘I want you to make love to me. That’s why we came here tonight. I need to do this.’
‘Then let’s do this,’ Louis said and brought his mouth down to hers.
One Night On The Virgin's Terms (Mills & Boon Modern) (Wanted: A Billionaire, Book 1) Page 8