At long last, they were able to love each other, and it was better--infinities better--than anything he could ever have imagined.
But though she was currently making one of his hottest fantasies come true, he needed to look into her eyes, needed to hold her hands, needed to tell her with both words and actions how much she meant to him. Lifting her so that she lay on the bed again, he took her hands in his and moved over her. He loved how she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist, then rocked her hips up into his so that he could feel the hot slick of her arousal gliding over him.
Somewhere in the back of his head, a red light flashed--a warning that he was almost too far gone, too close to heaven, to heed. But no matter how much they might want to, two biology majors couldn't ignore the workings of the reproductive system.
"Protection." She blinked up at him as though trying to make sense of the word. "We need protection," he repeated.
"The bathroom. I have some condoms in a drawer." Jealousy rose up bitterly fast inside of him, even though he should be glad that she had what they needed. "Hurry," she urged, and he forced himself to move off the bed.
All but ransacking her bathroom drawers like a burglar in a rush not to get caught, he finally found the little silver packets. Grabbing a handful, he dropped all but one onto the bed. After he tore it open and tossed the empty wrapper to the floor, she put her hands over his to help him slide it on.
"Finally." He threaded his hands through hers and braced his hips against hers as he took her with a groan of pleasure that sounded more animal than human. Which was how he felt right now, utterly lost to thousands of years of pure male instinct. To have. To take. To possess. "You're mine, Taylor. Mine."
He thrust deep, making her gasp as he moved over her, inside of her. Again and again, he plunged into her, running kisses over her neck, her shoulders, across the swell of her breasts and then the taut tips, where he lingered as she moaned with pleasure.
And all the while, she held tightly to his hands. Held on as she wrapped her legs even tighter around his waist. Held on while she arched and bucked against him. Held on as she went momentarily still against him and he felt the first strong pulls of her inner muscles around him.
Her name was a whisper of wonder, bliss, awe on his lips as he lifted his head to watch her shatter once more into a million beautiful pieces. And as he followed her into the brilliant blaze of fireworks, he silently vowed that nothing would ever keep them apart again.
*
Taylor never wanted to let Justin go. She'd never felt so good. Never been anywhere near as happy.
It turned out dreams really could come true.
For one night, at least.
But she didn't want to think about tomorrow. Until morning actually dawned, she wanted to make as many of her naughty dreams about Justin come true as she possibly could.
The naughtier the better.
"Do you want to take a bath together?"
He gave her a wonderfully wicked smile. "Hell yes, I want to take a bath together!"
His over-the-top enthusiasm made her laugh. It was one of the things she'd missed most during the years he'd been overseas.
"I'll go get the water heated up in the tub."
"What can I do to help?"
Taylor licked her lips, heady with the knowledge that Justin wanted her as much as she wanted him. "You can watch."
She had never been the kind of woman to use her sexual wiles on a man. Having a long-term boyfriend throughout college meant she'd never needed to. And with her ex, well, things had never really been all that sexy or exciting.
For the first time, she relished the chance to give in to the deeply sensual side of herself that she'd always kept hidden.
She relished every sway, every bounce, of her curves as she walked slowly to the oversized clawfoot tub in the corner of the room, then bent to turn on the taps. This tub had been the biggest expense of her cottage renovation, an especially big luxury considering it was nothing her customers were ever going to use. But she'd been unable to resist the thought of soaking in the tub after a long day, staring out at the stars through the large window that looked out on a private area behind her cottage.
Tonight, she was more glad than ever that she'd spent a little extra for the tub--and overjoyed that it was big enough for two.
Testing the water with her fingertips, she looked over her shoulder at Justin. Though he was lounging on the bed, his eyes held the look of a hungry predator. One who wanted to eat her up, head to toe.
God, did she ever want him to do just that. Again.
A new flush of desire hit her as she said, "It's ready."
"What about you?" He pushed back the covers, and she actually lost her breath at his male beauty--he was hard in all the right places. "Are you ready too?"
"Yes." She'd never known her voice could sound that breathy. That full of out-and-out lust.
The next thing she knew, he was at her side and lifting her into the tub so that he sat with his back to the far edge and she straddled him. He threaded his hands into her hair, and when he kissed her, he stole the rest of her breath away.
She never wanted to stop kissing him. Never wanted to go another day or night without touching him. Never wanted to leave his arms. Never, ever wanted this moment to end.
Again, she pushed all thoughts of morning away. Right now was all that mattered--and the memories she'd take with her would get her through the tough times to come.
By the time he let her lips go, her mouth was tingling in the most delicious way and her skin felt just the slightest bit raw from the bristles on his cheeks. "I always wondered what your five o'clock shadow felt like." She caressed his face with one hand, luxuriating in the feel of him. "It feels wonderful."
"All this time," he said in a voice that resonated with emotion, "we were both wanting the same thing. Each other."
Her hand stilled on his jaw. They weren't in an emotional danger zone yet, but if she wasn't careful, they would be. Of course she couldn't bury her head in the sand forever--but were a few perfect hours too much to ask? Taylor didn't want anything to spoil her fantasy, not when she needed it more than ever.
The hardest part of it all was that her heart longed as much for deep emotion as for hot sex. In a different world, where she was perfectly healthy and Justin's mother still a phone call
away, Taylor would have leaped at the chance to declare her love to him--and hope that he would declare his right back.
But that wasn't the world they were living in. So she would make the most of the unexpected gift she'd been given--one sinfully sexy night with the man she loved. And she would cling to the memories long after it was over.
Stuffing down the part of herself that hated having to deflect emotion, she said, "I'm so glad we're making up for lost time tonight." She deliberately said tonight because she refused to lie to him about a future. "I can't wait to make up some more right now..."
She lowered her mouth to his neck, where she could feel his pulse beat steady and strong against her lips. His hands were still tangled in her hair, and as she ran kisses across his shoulders and then his chest, his fingers tightened. As though he couldn't stand the thought of letting her go.
A sob nearly rose up in her chest. Knowing she couldn't saddle Justin with her illness didn't make it any easier to accept their too rapidly fleeting hours together.
She wanted to cling to him, wanted to bury her face against his neck and stay like that forever. Instead, she worked harder than ever to push away the dark thoughts--and to focus on the fact that for the next few hours, she was the luckiest woman alive.
And about to get even luckier, if the wonderfully hard erection she was wrapping her hand around was anything to go by.
The thought made her smile. So did Justin's growl of need--and his hands coming around her waist to pull her higher.
"I need you again." He reached for a condom that she hadn't realized he'd brought over to the tub. "Now."
The water sloshed around them as they both shifted so that he could roll on protection, and then his hands were on her waist, his mouth was on hers, and she was plunging down, taking all of him at once.
The breath rushed from her lungs as he possessed her completely, driving her closer and closer to madness with every beautiful thrust.
"I can't get enough of you." He spoke the words between kisses. "I'll never be able to get enough."
She wanted to tell him it was the same for her. Wanted to blurt out how much she loved him. That she'd loved him for as long as she could remember. But she couldn't confess any of it, couldn't live with herself if she gave him her heart tonight and then took it all away tomorrow.