She trembled in his arms and wound her own more tightly against him, wriggling beneath him as she did so. She ached to feel him within her.
‘So passionate,’ he murmured. ‘I knew it would be like this with you.’
Did he? Since when?
And now her brain clicked on. Dazed, she tried to absorb the fact that within two minutes of him kissing her she’d been willing to let him do anything and everything to her. It was shocking.
And she’d wanted to do it all to him.
She still did.
‘You’re staying,’ he said.
He kept hold of her hand and pulled her to her feet.
She nodded and quickly pushed her skirt down. ‘But I need to make a call.’
She turned away from him, tugging to free her hand. He wouldn’t let her go. Instead he tugged right back, turning her to face him again.
He cupped her face with his other hand—feeling the heat of her cheek with his palm. ‘You’re embarrassed?’
She hated the concern that had sprung to his eyes. ‘I don’t normally behave this way,’ she mumbled. Too honest. But she couldn’t not be honest in this moment. Not after what they’d just shared—what he’d given her.
There was a moment’s silence.
‘Well, you should,’ he said simply. ‘And you shouldn’t be embarrassed.’
He bent and picked her panties up from the ground, shoving them into his pocket.
How could she not be embarrassed now?
He straightened and held out his hand. ‘Let’s go inside.’
As she put her hand in his she saw his sudden smile. In a second—she had no idea how—he’d scooped her into his arms.
‘You’re going to carry me up all those stairs?’
‘I have energy to burn.’
He was actually jogging?
‘Don’t waste it on this.’ She was only half joking.
‘Holding you close could never be a waste of energy.’
‘Oh, now you’re charming?’
‘I’m always charming,’ he countered.
She laughed. So not.
He swiftly climbed the stairs, then went straight through the bedroom and into the bathroom and set her on her feet.
‘What are you doing?’ She leaned back against the wall, her body still too tingly. Too needy.
‘I saw the look on your face when you first saw this bath.’ He flicked on the taps. ‘I want to see you enjoy it.’
She wanted to enjoy him more first.
He chuckled as he walked towards her. ‘The thing about staying the night is that now you have the time to enjoy it all.’
Yeah, but she still had priorities.
‘You want more of me?’ he teased, pulling her to lean against him again.
‘Arrogant much?’ she tried to tease back. But she did want more. And he knew it.
As he kissed her his hands worked on the zip of her dress. She wriggled her arms free so he could slide the fabric from her. Then she stood clad only in her white bra and kitten heels. No panties.
He stepped back and gazed down at her. ‘Every inch is perfection, isn’t it?’
Hearing a slight edge in his words, she felt the need for some Steffi Leigh protection. ‘You’re surprised?’
He glanced up. ‘No.’ His expression softened. ‘Can I undo your hair?’
‘You’ve undone everything else about me…’ she muttered, half rueful now.
He shook his head. ‘Not really. Not yet. I want to see you dishevelled. All messed up and sweaty.’
Hadn’t he already? She’d been on her back with her legs spread and her naked butt hanging out for all the world to see while he sucked her. Now her face flamed at the recollection, while between her thighs her body slicked, readying again.
‘You don’t want me to see you messy?’ His eyes narrowed as he misinterpreted the reason for the colour surging into her face. ‘That just makes me want to do it more.’ He laughed as he leaned close. ‘You might like it.’
‘Then do your worst,’ she invited in a Steffi Leigh coo. ‘Make me sweat.’
She stood still as he walked behind her. Very slowly, carefully, he removed the pins from her hair. She felt it loosening, then he ran his fingers the length of it as he freed it.
‘It’s longer than I realised. And more red,’ he muttered—a sultry whisper in her ear as he gently massaged the nape of her neck. ‘I’ve wanted to do this all afternoon.’
Just as he’d wanted to see her wet and ready for him?
‘What else was on your mental checklist?’ she asked, trying to sound cool, but now her voice was too wavery to pull it off.
‘You’re the one with the lists,’ he teased. ‘What’s on your list?’
So many things. All which required him to be naked. Which he still wasn’t.