‘Don’t stop.’ His fingers teased her lightly under her jaw. ‘I like hearing you laugh.’
Oh, yes, he was nice. He moved and her split second of emotional hunger slipped as carnal delight resurged. She smiled but her laugh didn’t sound, because just as it began he swooped to kiss her, breathing in her joy.
That kiss trebled her pleasure, and her eyes did water then as an intense feeling of happiness swamped her. She closed her eyes but opened deeper for him, arching, helplessly inviting him to share with her in a way she’d never shared with another. Purely physical, yes, but purely free.
He wrapped his arms around her, his hands firmly drawing her closer until they were locked in a snug embrace, skin to skin, pressed together from lips to toes. She clung, her arms crossed tight across his shoulders as he moved powerfully into her. But also, just holding him. Close and caring. She felt more caring, and more cared for than she’d ever expected she would from a brief encounter. Despite the driving passion, the blatantly basic attraction that had pulled them to this point so fast and so ferociously, he was tender. And so good. As he moved within her, watching her, ensuring she got the pleasure she sought, her feelings deepened—she softened, welcomed, gave. Some secret part of herself slipped free, and in response he drew her ever closer, ever deeper, ever higher. His endurance overwhelmed her. Her hands slipped over the muscles working beneath the sweat-slicked skin of his back as he adjusted their position, increasing the pleasure of the friction between them, playfully rolling his hips.
Oh, the tease. The wonderfully wicked tease. So she teased back, drawing on feminine instinct. Trying a movement, a rhythm, a touch, a kiss—anything to tilt his control of their coupling. And it worked; she heard his gasp, felt his quiver and the resurgence of his muscles—his determination.
She smiled. She laughed. He growled.
And together they soared.
Her mind blanked, words meant nothing as touch spoke instead. The moment stretched with just the two of them in its rainbow bubble. She might have sighed, maybe screamed, she didn’t know. Didn’t care. All that mattered was the tumbling sensation, falling faster and faster until her consciousness was buried and all that remained was that emotion—happiness and completion and burning, blinding ecstasy.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE morning sun stabbed Lena’s eyelids, demanding she open them. But there was no way she’d ever move again. Every muscle ached. Most especially her heart. Yes, now reality intruded. The doubts so easily silenced last night screamed now. And there was that soft part of her already whispering, wishing—because he’d been wonderful, so playful and passionate and tender.
She frowned, refusing to be weak. She was in control here and this was just the one night. She couldn’t let herself think she cared for him just because he’d been nice to her in bed. She couldn’t let herself think this could become anything more. To ensure that, she knew there couldn’t be any further interaction between them. The knots in her tummy tightened as she shifted to test her body. She breathed in sharply, knowing she was going to have to force some greater effort shortly. While it had been the most amazing night of her life, there’d be no replay. He was gorgeous and generous. He was also a very successful, rich player—definitely not someone she should hang with for long. Dynamite didn’t do duration. It went boom, then was over.
‘You even chuckle in your sleep, do you know that?’
Her muscles ignored her stern thoughts and warmed at his low tease. ‘Do I?’ She frowned, trying to stop the melt. ‘Must have been a good dream.’
‘That’s what I figured.’
Just a dream—this had to be treated as lightly and as gently as that. A bubble that would float on a gentle breeze, out of the window, beyond sight. She didn’t want to burst it, so she’d have to tread carefully—but firmly all the same.
She twisted to face him. Her stomach knots headed north, causing an ache in the centre of her chest. Saying no was going to be hard enough already, but now she could see the sleepy-cum-saucy expression in his eyes. With his overnight stubble and his hair tousled—by her passionate hands—he was the epitome of the irresistible lover.
She forced herself to sit up. ‘I have to get going.’
‘It’s early.’ Deeper, sleep-rusted, his words made her bones quiver.
She steeled her muscles and slipped out of the bed, quickly covering herself with her robe despite the fleeting stiffness the movement caused. ‘I’ve got a lot to do. It’s a busy time for the team. There’s no such thing as an off-season.’
He rolled over, propped his head on his hand and managed to look even more the picture of morning-after wicked. ‘So no lazy lie-in and I’m guessing you don’t want to go to a café for breakfast or anything before work?’
‘That’s a nice idea,’ she said crisply, turning away from him so she stayed on track. ‘But it can’t happen, sorry.’
‘Can’t happen today, or any other day?’
She froze, halfway across the floor to the door. He wasn’t slow, was he? She inhaled and turned to face him. ‘Any other day. Sorry.’
He still lay reclined like a glorious bronze sculpture. ‘So that’s it? You’re giving me the boot? Going to make me do the walk of shame home?’
She wrinkled her nose. ‘Not the walk of shame.’
‘No?’ he drawled. ‘You’re not having some regrets right now?’
She blinked and then forced a smile, faking confidence in both her decision and her ability to enforce it. ‘Oh, no, I don’t regret what happened at all. It was amazing. But…’
‘But it was just the one night.’
‘That’s what we agreed,’ she reminded him carefully.
‘And even though it was incredible, you want to stick to that plan.’
She paused, trying to dilute the wave of pleasure from hearing that he’d thought it was incredible, too. ‘That’s right.’
‘Any particular reason?’
Was he disappointed? Wasn’t this the usual modus operandi for him—easy come, easy go?
‘Seth.’ She walked back to the bed and sat beside him, making the mistake of looking into his narrowed eyes. ‘Last night was like having this incredibly rich dessert. Really decadent and delightful but if you have too much…it’s not good for you. You know?’
He silently looked at her, then swiftly sat up. The sheet dropped low to his hips. She mentally screamed at herself not to look down—but her peripheral vision was feasting anyway and she could feel her flush blooming.
He grinned and slipped his hand to the back of her neck to pull her close. She didn’t resist. This was the goodbye. This was absolutely the goodbye kiss. And, hell, he knew how to do it. His lips teased hers, his tongue tormenting with the promise of that sweet, carnal seduction all over again. She leaned closer, opened deeper, the roughness of his stubble sending delicious shivers down her spine. Passion, hunger, heat grew. She slid her hands wide over his shoulders and arms, celebrating his hot skin and the hard strength beneath. Her will weakened, almost dissolving completely in his fire.
He drew back, delight shining in his eyes and smile. ‘How can too much of that not be good for you?’
She focused on regulating her breathing and restoring calm to her seriously overwrought system. ‘Some things,’ she said carefully, ‘are best just left. You know?’ This was definitely best left—for so many reasons. It had to stay as a fantasy. One that was finished.
Now both his smile and eyes widened as silently he studied her expression. She toughened up under the scrutiny—determined not to reveal her weakness. Determined to beat her weakness. He knew how to play it—he’d just tried already. So she didn’t move a muscle as he stroked down her jaw with the back of a finger.
‘You’re very strong,’ he murmured. ‘What made you so strong?’
‘Nothing very exciting.’ She stood and walked away, trying to ignore the memories that ripped the scab from her heart and scalded her with hot, acidic guilt. They killed the temptation to succumb to him again. ‘But once my mind is made up, it’s made up.’