A Million Dirty Secrets (Million Dollar Duet 1)

“Excuse me?” I practically choked out.

“Delaine, we’re going to be seeing a whole lot of each other in the nude. So you might want to drop that modesty-and-shyness bit.” He looked me up and down and licked his lips suggestively. His eyes met mine, and the expression in those piercing hazel eyes nearly brought me to my knees. “You show me yours and then I’ll show you mine.”

That was a good deal, right? I slipped off my shoes while grabbing the hem of my shirt, pulling it quickly over my head.

“Slower,” he said in a husky voice, stopping me.

I rolled my eyes because that was so clichéd. “Would you like to put on music so that I can do the whole striptease for you, too?”

“Now you’re getting it,” he said with a wink, and then he crawled across his bed and grabbed a remote control off the nightstand. He pushed a button and sultry music began to play, although I really couldn’t tell where it was coming from because it seemed to be coming from everywhere.

“No! I … I can’t. I mean … I don’t—”

“I’m just kidding,” he said, turning it back off and returning to his spot on the bed. “Some other time, maybe.”

I let out a long breath, then slid down the zipper on the back of my skirt and let it fall to the floor before stepping out of it.

“Stop right there.” Noah got off the bed and walked toward me. I crossed one arm over my chest and the other over my stomach self-consciously before I dropped my eyes to the floor. He walked in a circle around me and I could feel his eyes on me, all over me. And then I felt his touch as he stopped behind me and pressed his chest to my back. The back of his fingertips ran down both of my arms until he reached my hands, and then he took each of them in his and pulled them away from my body.

“Don’t hide from me.” His lips skirted across the crook of my neck.

He pulled back a bit and let my hands fall to my sides before stroking back up along my arms and over my shoulders to roam down my back. He didn’t stop until he reached the clasp of my bra, and before I realized it, he had it undone. He slid his fingers under the straps and slowly pushed them over my shoulders until they fell down my arms, exposing my breasts to him. I could feel the heat of his body against mine again, and his warm breath spilled over my skin as he exhaled slowly. A trail of openmouthed kisses were placed along the length of my neck and over my shoulder, leaving a path of flames in their wake. I shivered, but I was pretty sure it was from his attentions and not from being cold. My body was heating up to the point that I thought I might catch fire.

And then I felt his hands on my hips. His fingers dipped beneath the band of my panties and he began to push them down, oh so slowly. I stiffened, unsure what I should do.

“Relax. I just want to see you. All of you,” he said in a comforting voice.

I took a deep breath and tried to relax a bit. It wasn’t exactly easy to do, though, because like I said, the man was beautiful, and under normal circumstances I’d want to be all over him.

And then my panties were around my ankles.

I stood there naked as a jaybird, completely exposed and vulnerable to the man who had just purchased me for his own personal pleasure.

“There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” He paused for an answer I didn’t have to give, and he knew it. “My turn. You can keep your back to me, or you can turn around and watch.”

I knew what he was doing. He was making me choose. Only there really wasn’t much of a choice. If I stayed where I was, I’d look like a scared little girl. And if I turned around, I’d look like I wanted this just as much as he did. Win-win for him; for me, damned if I did, damned if I didn’t.

So I turned around. If I was going to lose, I wanted my consolation prize. And an eyeful of bonchickawahwah was consolation enough at that point.

Noah gave me that annoyingly sexy smirk again, obviously happy with my decision. Secretly, so was I. I watched as he slowly undid each button of his shirt with his nimble fingers. They were thick and long and, well, porntastic, I believe Dez would say. He pulled his shoulders back as he shrugged off the shirt, revealing one very lucky wifebeater.

Enough was enough. I was there for a reason.

I stepped toward him as he reached for the hem of the T-shirt and stilled his hands. He raised a questioning brow, and I mirrored his expression, daring him to stop me. But he didn’t. I placed my hands on his hips and ran them up his sides, tugging at the shirt and dragging it up his long torso. Noah raised his arms and allowed me to pull it over his head, and I tossed it to the floor. Well, I tried to toss it to the floor, but he was quick and caught it in midfall, gracefully draping it over the back of the chair with his jacket and dress shirt.

Before he could face me again, my hands were on his belt and working it loose. Without removing it, I tackled the button of his pants and then the zipper.

“Anxious?” he asked with a sly smile. My only response was to look him square in the eye and shove his pants over his hips. Under the pants? Mouthwatering boxer briefs. Red boxer briefs. Red boxer briefs that were the home of a very proud, helmet-wearing soldier.

Now, I’d seen his marvelous cock up close earlier, but there was just something about the way the man filled out a pair of underwear that really got my gears a-grindin’. You could see just enough detail of what was beneath, while still maintaining an element of mystery; a goody basket waiting to be unwrapped, if you will.

Noah hooked his thumbs under the waistband, maintaining eye contact with me the entire time, and took them off. It wasn’t until he grabbed his discarded underwear and turned his back to me that I allowed myself to check him out more thoroughly. He walked toward a set of doors on the other side of the room that I assumed was a closet, and I let my eyes roam over his strong shoulders and down his muscular back to …

“You’re checking out my ass, aren’t you?” he asked without turning around.

I snapped my head to look away before he could actually catch me. “Um, not at all.” Of course my voice cracked, forcing me to clear my throat.

“Uh-huh, sure,” he said as he shut the doors of the closet behind him. He walked over to his jacket, grabbed a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from the inside pocket, and then strolled over to the couch next to the window and sat down, still completely naked. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do, so I just watched as he lit up a cigarette and set the lighter and pack down on the table beside him.