‘This can only be the one night,’ she blurted.
It had to stay hers to control. It wasn’t about letting him do what he wanted. It was what she wanted—good age-old fun with an expert. She wanted the fantasy. She’d been so damn good for so damn long. Just a few hours for herself couldn’t hurt, could it? Not with Mr Single. Mr Playful. Mr Perfect-for-One-Night.
He was smiling that irresistible smile and she was so mesmerised she didn’t move as he lifted a hand and traced her jaw, then her mouth, with his index finger. His eyes tracked his action, intently focused and promising. ‘Whatever you want.’
His simple charm reinforced her belief that this could be light and easy. His simple touch made it impossible for her to deny herself the incredible pleasure of more.
She met his hot, good-humoured gaze and her long-hidden playfulness broke free. ‘That’s right.’
CHAPTER FOUR
SHE’D never known her blood could simmer.
‘Something else, isn’t it?’ Seth murmured with a gentle shake of his head. ‘The chemistry.’
Lena stood with her legs locked so she stayed upright. It was more than anticipation, it was need—several layers deep. She blanked the raw ache buried in her heart. This was physical fulfilment.
‘You’re beautiful,’ he muttered, tracing her lips again.
She mirrored his action, putting her finger on his lips. ‘No lines.’ It wasn’t necessary. This could just be what it was. She didn’t want false words.
His eyes narrowed but his smile widened. ‘Not lines. Absolute truth. I wanted you the second I saw you laughing in the corridor.’
Pleasure skidded into her. Okay, she’d let him feed her just that line. It was a good one.
She watched him draw nearer. This wasn’t going to be an impulsive, unexpected kiss. This time it was going to be premeditated and foreseeable and all of a sudden nerves ate up her anticipation. In the split of a second, she didn’t think she could do it. She swallowed, her brain suddenly crammed with thoughts and doubts and confusion. Was this crazy? Could this really be as easy as it seemed?
‘Lena?’ He froze as he registered her tension. Then she saw something like horror on his face. ‘You have done this before, right?’
Sex? Yes. So quickly? No.
She gave a slight nod. ‘But I might have forgotten how,’ she mumbled, her blush nothing but embarrassment now.
He took a couple of breaths, his grin rueful. ‘You know, we don’t have to go for gold if you don’t want to. We can just play for a while and if you say the word, I’ll stop.’
She didn’t want him to stop but she really appreciated his gentlemanly attitude. ‘No, I want to have a…good time,’ she breathed, trying to be blunt but opting for a euphemism in the end. ‘I’ve been frisky since we kissed and I’m so close but so damn far. But I want to. Really, really want to.’
His breath was sharp drawn then. She felt him release it in a laugh hot across her forehead.
‘Shouldn’t be a problem,’ he muttered, lips skimming her skin. ‘What do you want me to do?’
‘Everything,’ she answered, drinking in his masculinity, tired of repressing her feminine desire for it. From the moment she’d opened her eyes this afternoon and seen him gazing right through her, she’d been aching for him to take her apart.
He gazed down her body and she saw his expression transform from hotly amused to predatory. That was the look she needed—the one where basic drive couldn’t be fully hidden beneath suave charm. She wanted the animal in him, because he totally aroused the animal in her. And if it was all animal, there could be no thought.
Her breathing quickened. Her blood quickened.
He smiled, slowly. Then he bent his head and touched his lips to hers. For a second or two he kept it light and gentle, then he seemed to give in to the urge and crushed her. Temptation was riding him as hard as it was her. Thank goodness.
He slid his arms around her, pulling her close against him, controlling where her body touched his. She let him because where he held her was where she wanted to be and she wanted to feel his strength. So she clung, melding, unable to believe the heat. She kissed him back as she had in the corridor. Hot and hungry and offering so much more than her mouth. The wave of delight rose swiftly and she badly wanted to get to the end—to have everything from him this instant. Except it couldn’t possibly be over in five seconds and if he kept kissing her like that it was going to be. She broke free and took a step back.
He looked pained. ‘You’re saying the word already?’
‘Oh, no,’ she gasped. ‘I’m just…breathing.’ She wanted it both fast and slow. Total fulfilment. She wanted the entire cake and to eat it all herself. She gazed at him, honestly couldn’t believe he was this hot and that for tonight he was all hers. ‘I don’t want to lose it too quickly.’
‘Too quickly? That’s usually something the guy has to worry about.’ He chuckled and took hold of her hand. ‘I thought you wanted to come?’
‘I do…but…’ Oh, this was so overwhelming.
Laughing, he pulled her back into his arms but cradled more than controlled. She could feel the vibrations of his humour.
‘Tell you what…’ His sentence drifted and she felt him laugh again, heard it in his voice when he whispered in her ear, ‘Half an hour before I go below your waistline.’
She jerked—putting her palms on his chest and leaning away to look in his face. Half an hour? No, no, no.
‘Oh, it has to be half an hour now,’ he teased. ‘The look on your face.’
‘What do you mean, half an hour?’ Instinctively she spread her fingers wider, enjoying the solid feel and the slam of his heart against her palm. ‘What are you going to do? Set your timer or something? You think this is paint by numbers?’
‘It’ll slow us down—’ he leaned close again, breathing close to her skin ‘—just enough to send you insane.’
‘I already am.’ Shivers of wickedness trammelled down her spine. Pure delight at his playfulness…but half an hour did seem like twenty-nine minutes too long.
He tilted her face up and looked devilishly into her eyes. ‘This is about what you wanted, right? And if you want to have a good time, you have to leave yourself in my hands.’
His hands were good. They went lower, stroking down her back, chasing the shivers and electrifying her skin. Skilful fingers stroked round her waist, sliding upwards to smooth over her breasts and brush against her nipples.
She nearly came then and there, her nerves so tight she compressed her muscles hard to try to control the escalating drive.
‘Oh,’ she moaned. Who really was in charge here? And what did it matter? ‘You know, fast will be fine,’ she breathed. ‘I don’t know what I was thinking.’ She framed his face with her hands, laughing more than a little desperately. ‘Just ignore everything I said and let’s get on with it.’
She rocked against him, unable to stop need driving her now. There was nothing, nothing, but fire between them.
‘Never.’ The predatory look sharpened to pure masculine pleasure. ‘Half an hour, Lena. Let’s see how you cope.’
The smile she saw just before he kissed her told her she was in glorious trouble. Sure enough, less than thirty seconds later she wasn’t coping at all well. His hands stroked and teased—caressing light and then firm. He kissed sweet, then dirty. Every second he pulled her closer and closer still, his hands tickling the back of her neck, tracing down her spine, sliding round her waist to move up to the curve of her breasts. Wildly she moved against him, desperate to feel his touch all over—especially inside. Surely it was half an hour now? It felt as if it had been for ever.
Through dazed eyes she saw his were sharply focused, burning and determined. His fingers flicked, undoing the first few buttons on her dress, pushing aside the silky fabric. He bent her back, holding her weight easily with one arm while he kissed his way across and seared her skin. She clung to his waist, barely able to stay standing.