As they picked up their plates, he pressed the remote to start the light comedy. He had everything planned out. Nothing could go wrong. Earlier, he'd taken a break from work and slipped upstairs to her suite of rooms and had easily found the box that contained her wedding rings.
He was past ready to put their problems behind them and begin their life together. He wanted Courtney and he wanted this bullshit to be over. He wanted his family to know they were married, he wanted her to accept him and their marriage, and he wanted exclusive rights to her forever. He wanted her submission and he wanted it tonight. Sex was part of that and he was more than prepared to seduce her to accomplish it.
Nick knew he wasn't much of a romantic guy. But he was trying his best here and he prayed like hell that she would like it. She had to or his happiness was doomed.
After the movie was about half over and their meals were eaten, he picked up the bottle of wine and topped up her glass. Her eyes were on the television, his were on her, and setting his own glass down, he moved toward her until there was no space between them. He wrapped his arm around the back of the sofa, and began twirling a strand of her blonde hair through his fingers.
She sucked in a quiet breath, the pulse in her neck quivered, and the wine in her glass sloshed just a bit.
He hissed out a breath in reaction, all the blood rushed to his cock, and he took the glass from her trembling fingers and set it down beside his.
Her gaze remained glued to the television, but her lids drooped just enough to tell him she wasn't seeing anything on the screen.
He pressed a button on the remote to mute the sound, and without waiting, he turned her face toward his with a single finger so he could study her.
She allowed the movement, but closed her eyes in retaliation.
He decided to let the small rebellion slide.
He leaned in and kissed her on the lips, more softly than he'd ever imagined he'd be capable of. A whisper of sound escaped her lips and he pressed more firmly. He took his time, forcing himself to go slowly while every instinct in his body screamed at him to rip her pants down her legs and spread her thighs. He clenched his jaw and went slowly.
He kissed along her jaw line, along the small shell of her ear, and back to her lips.
When he felt a small, trembling hand in his hair, he knew he was close to winning.
Opening her mouth with his tongue, he worshipped her with everything he had inside of him. It was easy to do. When her fingers clenched more tightly and she gasped for air, he dropped his head to her breast and began stroking her nipple with his mouth and tongue.
She moaned out a hot little sound, and soon her t-shirt became saturated in that one spot. Needing something more, he ran his hand down to the soft vee between her legs. The shorts she wore were terrycloth, and although he steeled his guts to go slow, he couldn't stand not touching her intimately for one second longer. His fingers snaked inside the hem of her shorts and skated along her skin, pushing her underwear aside.
When he felt her damp heat, he damn near lost it. She was ready for him, and he slid his finger inside, while manipulating her nipple with his teeth through the thin cotton material of her shirt.
She began mewling in the back of her throat, and Nick lifted his mouth from her long enough to sink his fingers around the material of her shorts and panties as he pulled them from her body and let them fall to the floor.
He glanced up and her face looked stricken, even as she breathed heavily in tandem with him.
Wanting nothing more than to soothe her, he slid his hand under the seat cushion and pulled out the rings he'd hidden there. He quickly slipped his wedding band on his own finger, and watching her eyes go wide, he lifted her left hand and pushed the set down onto her own finger. He closed her fingers and kissed the small fist, looking up at her while he did so.
She bit her lip and began shaking her head, and not wanting her to have time to gain any traction against him, he put his mouth back to hers as his hand moved back between her thighs.
She was hot again in seconds, even though it nearly killed him to know he was seducing her against her will.
He couldn't help that; he needed this act between them. He needed her in his arms and in his bed again. He'd lose all sanity if he couldn't attain that, and he needed it quickly. Continuing to seduce her with his mouth and hands, he shed his shirt, jeans and underwear while she was incapable of noticing.