She ran her hands down his toned back, stopping when she hit his waistband. Deciding he needed less clothing, and more skin to touch, she curled her hands around his sides and unzipped his pants. When she unbuttoned his pants, he released her lips to stand up and step out of them. Mark lowered his silk boxers, inch by slow inch, never taking his gaze from her. Her stomach clenched, and she lifted up on her elbows.
He stood naked, staring at her as if she was the most beautiful woman in the world, and she gulped in a deep breath of air. “I have condoms in my purse.”
His gaze slid down her body, as if he had all the time in the world. With her luck, the tow truck guy would pick now to knock on the door. “Let me get it.”
“It’s on the table by the door.”
He nodded and headed to the table, at complete ease with his nudity. He obviously worked very hard to look as good as he did since his job depended on it. His muscles flexed with each step, and she licked her parched lips as she admired him.
He returned with a condom, tilted her chin up, and closed his mouth over hers. She held onto his neck as he lifted her into his arms. He didn’t break their contact even as he headed up the stairs and into her childhood bedroom.
When they entered the room, he headed straight for the bed and lowered Lacey onto it. Then Mark turned his attention to her shoulder. He ran his fingers down her stomach before pressing a soft kiss on her inner thigh. Her head spinning, she drew a deep breath and watched as he stepped back and opened the condom wrapper. Unable to tear her eyes away, she watched him roll the protective barrier over his erection. The sight of his hands on his own skin sent a pang of liquid desire to her stomach.
He crawled up her body until his lips were less than an inch from hers. Looking into her eyes, he whispered, “God, Lacey, I want you.”
He didn’t give her time to reply, even if she could’ve managed to muster up an intelligible sentence. His mouth closed over hers, and his fingers moved down her stomach, and over her hips. When he slipped his hand in between her thighs, she forgot to breathe. Forgot everything but Mark, and that moment.
He slid a finger inside of her, his thumb pressing against her as he continued to kiss her. She gasped into his mouth, lifting her hips. Her stomach clenched, and she clung to his hard arms, needing something to hold. He withdrew his finger and then inserted two, thrusting inside of her in one fluid movement.
She writhed beneath him, her body begging for more. He tore his mouth off hers, closing his eyes and cursing under his breath. The strained lines of his face told her more than anything how hard it was for him to hold himself back. To control his desire.
When he thrust his fingers inside her again, sending waves of pleasure through her veins, she dug her nails into his arms. “Don’t hold back. I need you now.”
His gaze flew to hers, his eyes wide. “But—”
“Now,” she demanded, arching her hips in invitation.
He lowered his head and melded his lips to hers, and he adjusted his body so that instead of his fingers on her, his penis was there. She opened her legs wider, inviting him in. He put his hands on her hips, lifting her up to him. With one smooth movement, he was inside of her. Filling her. She cried out, wrapping her legs around him. He withdrew, and thrust into her again, harder. When he deepened his kiss and reached where they were joined, rubbing his thumb against her clit as he moved inside of her, a wave of heat spread through her, ringing her whole body to life.
Lacey tensed, all of her senses centered on him. On what he made her feel. Whimpering, she raised her hips even higher, taking more of him in. He groaned and broke free of her kiss, biting down on her shoulder gently. As he increased his pace, the pressure inside of her boiled over and threatened to erupt. All it took was one more thrust from him, and all the tension inside of her burst—sending her spiraling over the edge.
He threw his head back and thrust into her again, hard and deep. His whole body stiffened as he joined her, his climax sending a fresh wave of pleasure through her body. Tightening her arms and legs around him, she kissed his shoulder and closed her eyes. All of the times she’d wondered what it would be like to spend t
he night in his arms, to kiss him, and she never imagined anything even remotely as amazing as this.
She licked her lips. “That was …”
“Amazing?” He kissed her. “Incredible?” Another kiss. “Mind-blowing?” He lifted on his elbows and grinned down at her.
“Yeah, I think you pretty much covered it,” she said, running her finger down the line of his jaw. “You’ve always been better at expressing your emotions than me.”
“And you’ve always been better at everything else.” A cell phone rang downstairs, shrill in the silence of the house. Mark stiffened above her, his body tensing. He lifted his head, his eyes shuttered and his jaw tight. “Fucking, Gary. Always has the worst timing.”
She felt the wall coming up between them before he even withdrew from her body. His real life called, and they wanted their hot, unattached, Hollywood playboy back. “Go ahead.” She let go of him, unwrapping her legs from his waist. “Answer it.”
“It’s just my agent wanting to know where I am,” he said, his voice husky. “I have to take this call, but then we can talk.”
She nodded, her heart taking flight, but she refused to let him see how much his words alarmed her. “I’ll be here waiting.”
He dropped a quick kiss to her lips, then hopped off the bed and tossed the condom into the trashcan by the door. As she watched him leave, she sighed and rolled onto her side. She heard him pick up the phone and say something about being in Colorado before he lowered his voice. The urge to listen to his conversation came over her. Seeking a distraction, she turned on the TV. The picture focused, and she smiled when she recognized the person on the screen.
He was naked and in her living room—and all hers for the night.
Chapter Five
Mark sprinted down the stairs, his steps light. Tonight, Lacey had made him feel alive again. As if he wasn’t just a man moving from role-to-role in life, never feeling real. Never wanting anything besides success in his career. With her, he wanted all of the things he’d managed to convince himself he didn’t.
With her, he actually lived, instead of just being alive.