The Satin Sash

Their tongues tangled and melted against each other, their mouths slanted, their ravenous kissing sounds echoing in the room. They kissed until her mouth felt swollen, until her tongue felt numb and she was hardly moving her mouth. She just let him plunder, take it, take it all. He panted against her when he withdrew, leaning his head against hers as they tried to recover.

“Go now,” he whispered, setting her away.

She couldn’t bear to, held herself between both her arms. “Talk to me a little.”

He expelled a frustrated breath. “Cat, go.”

“Just talk to me; say nonsense.”

“Nonsense.” He smiled for the briefest, most enchanting instant; then he sobered up and touched her nose with a fingertip. “Did you sleep well?”

His palms were rough running along her cheek, and she found herself tucking her chin into his hold. “Like a baby.”

“I woke up, and you were curled on my stomach like a kitten.” He smiled fondly as if remembering.“Grey had nearly tossed us out of the side of the bed.”

Her smile didn’t quite make it. She felt so wet. So achy. So trem bly. She made an ugly sound and choked,“I’m so wet, Heath.” And I’m so sad you’re leaving us.

“Argh, Christ, don’t. How many times do I need to fuck you to make you not want to anymore?”

She sifted her fingers through the fine hairs across his torso with her fingers, then bravely traced his right nipple. It was so small and dark, a temptation to her lips. “I had the most amazing time of my life.”

He drew her closer and seized her lips again, growling when she pressed her breasts against him.They nibbled at each other’s lips and continued kissing, tonguing, the bulge of his erection pressing insistently against her belly swamping her pelvis with heat.

When he pulled free at last, he expelled a ragged breath and pressed his hands to his temples, as though his hands were all that kept his head together. “Go.”

She was shaking, couldn’t seem to make her legs move. “I’ll miss you.” Come home with me and Grey. . . . We’ll make love until morning. . . . We’ll laugh and eat and sleep. . . . “I’ll really miss you, Heath.”

His beautiful black eyes ran over her face, taking in her anguish, mirroring it with a spark of pain in his own. “Shit, come here.” He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close, burying her face in his neck in a protective way much like Grey’s.

Against his throat, and reluctant to move from the circle of his arms, she whispered, “Maybe you can come to the city more often and—”

“No.”

It was a chore to speak, but she forced the words out of her dry throat. “Why?”

“Grey’s not comfortable with it.”

“But why?” She drew back to stare into his eyes. “He was fine in Cabo.”

He lifted one challenging brow, then two. “His dad’s not in Cabo, is he?” At Toni’s confused frown, Heath explained, “Lucien Grey Richards has spent his lifetime tailoring a perfect son. Grey’s not going to do anything reckless. Not where the old man can see, anyway.”

“But Grey is perfect,” she countered, anger raising her voice. “No matter what that old fart thinks.”

“I know.” With tenderness shining in his eyes, he rubbed the gooseflesh off her arms.“He doesn’t want to expose you to anything that may harm you.You’re his everything—do you know that?”

“I adore him.” And why do I feel this strange other thing toward you? “So even if you wanted to come back, he wouldn’t let you?” she questioned.

“I leave because I want to. He doesn’t send me off.”

When he noticed she wasn’t convinced at all, he chuckled and reached for her arms. “Come here, my sentimental little bit.”

“I’m sentimental?” She scowled, but still allowed those thick arms to wind snugly around her. “Tell me you wouldn’t like to be with me again, Heath,” she dared.

He did not deny it, but stood embracing her in silence. She shook her head, realizing how selfish she was. She had never realized how much so until she couldn’t stand the thought of letting him go.

“Heath, you deserve to be loved.You deserve to have anything you want. . . .” She smiled brightly, even though her every expression seemed like pain on her face today. “Don’t settle for less.”

“I never planned to settle.” He held her at arm’s length and delivered a meaningful look.“Now I might never.You make me want things,Toni.Things I cannot have.”