“You don't have another appointment this afternoon, do you?” I asked.
“No,” she said breathlessly. “That was the last one.”
“Good,” I growled, possessively taking her hand. “Come on, let's get out of here.”
Gretchen paused for a moment, just staring at me, and for a moment, I was afraid that she was reconsidering. But then, she said in a soft voice, “I'm glad you came back, Christian.”
I smiled at her. “I'm glad I did, too.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Gretchen
Despite the fact that we'd had sex a number of times already, there was something different about this time. Other than holding hands, we didn't touch until we reached the bedroom, and even there, we just stood there staring at one another for a long moment. Finally, Christian started to unbutton his shirt, clearly broadcasting his intentions.
I took a deep breath and let my dress fall from my shoulders and into a shimmering puddle on the floor. Christian made a low sound, and I looked shyly up at him.
“I somehow managed to forget how truly breathtaking you are,” he said, coming forward to cup my cheek in his palm, tilting my face up toward his. He stroked his thumb over my cheekbone, and I could sense that there was something else that he wanted to say, but he was still holding himself back. For once, though, it didn't bother me, his inability to voice his emotions. It wasn't as though I didn't know what he was thinking anyway.
I climbed on the bed and lay back against the pillows, watching with lusty eyes as Christian stripped down to his boxers. Then, he grimaced. “I should probably have taken a shower before I came over to the shop,” he said. “I've been on airplanes since-”
I interrupted him with a laugh. “I really, really don't care,” I told him.
He looked almost bashful as he approached the bed, a new look for him. But I was starting to realize that this was all new to him. I hadn't been wrong when I'd suspected that I was lucky enough to see a side of Christian that no one else got to see.
He nudged my knees apart and arranged himself in between them, hovering over me. For a long moment, his eyes continued to rake over my face, as though searching for any sign that I might not want this. Finally, I wriggled a little, gasping as his hard member slipped along the cleft between my legs. Sure, there were a couple of layers of fabric between us, but it made heat pool in my stomach regardless.
“I'm glad you came back,” I repeated, my voice almost inaudible.
Christian brushed back some of my hair and then bent to kiss my forehead. “I like you,” he said.
I blinked up at him for a moment, surprised to hear him say the words. I could see his indecision there, could see the way he was waiting for my response. “I like you too,” I said softly.
Christ
ian nodded almost to himself and then slowly began to take me apart.
It started with gentle kisses and little nips at the tender parts of my skin. He raked his fingernails lightly down my sides, making me shiver. He was rocking his hips against me, continuing the steady pressure of his erect member against the needy bundle of nerves between my legs.
My teeth began to chatter, and Christian pulled away, frowning down at me. “Are you cold?” he asked, rubbing his hands over my arms.
I shook my head, feeling embarrassed. “No, just really turned on,” I admitted.
He blinked and then smiled as though I'd revealed some secret of the universe to him. Then, he began to lick and suck his way down the column of my neck to my breasts. For a moment, he hovered there, as though he were again asking for permission, or maybe sending up a little prayer of some sort?
Then, I realized what it was. He was teasing me again.
I groaned, flinging an arm over my eyes. “Christian, come on,” I said. “We've both admitted to needing this. Can you please just not tease me this one time?”
He gave a small laugh and shook his head, leaning his forehead against my collarbone. “I wish this were just teasing,” he told me. “I'm trying not to come before I even get you properly naked.
“Oh,” I said, the sound practically punched out of me.
“Yeah.”
After a moment, he took a shaky breath and let it out slowly. Then, he continued his path down my body, reaching behind me to remove my bra but barely pausing to lavish any attention on them before he was sliding my panties off.
He stared deep into my eyes for a long moment once he'd positioned himself there. “Are you sure about this?” he finally asked, the strain of holding himself back evident in his voice.