Once, when they’d been leaning over the blueprints spread out on a dining table and when Mrs. Ellis had turned her back, Colin had kissed Gemma. It had been a quick kiss, as though he were a schoolboy doing something behind the teacher’s back, and Gemma had laughed. After that, they’d held hands several times, and twice Colin had briefly put his arm around Gemma’s shoulders.
Had anyone been looking, no one would have guessed they weren’t a couple.
On the drive home, they’d gone back to just being friends and talked about what had been bought and what they liked and didn’t like.
Gemma was now remembering all the touches and glances, and from what she saw in Colin’s eyes, he was also remembering them.
In the next second, they were in each other’s arms and kissing.
“I’ve wanted you all day long,” Colin said.
“Me too.”
She didn’t say that being so near him, leaning over blueprints spread on a table, feeling his breath on her cheeks, had at times made her close her eyes.
“We said—” Colin began and started to move away from her.
“Who cares about words?” Gemma said as Colin kissed her neck. She loved the size of him, the weight. When he slipped his shirt over his head and she was confronted with all his honey-colored skin, her breath caught in her throat.
“I don’t have a condom here,” he said, his voice sounding tragic.
“Tris put me on pills,” she replied.
He kissed her deeply. “I want to do better this time,” he whispered, then picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, where he carefully put her down on the mattress cover.
It was early evening and the light through the window shade cast a golden glow through the room.
“I want to see you,” he whispered as he slowly began to remove her clothing. When her shirt was off he kissed her shoulders, her arms, and he put each of her fingers to his lips. Gemma lay there, her eyes closed, and enjoyed the sensation of this delicious man making love to her.
He pulled her up, his strong hands caressing her back, his lips on hers, his tongue seeking the inside of her mouth. Her bra strap came unfastened and his big hands caressed her breasts, making her moan with desire.
He removed her jeans next, slowly unfastening them, kissing her legs as he moved downward. When his hands caressed her through her panties, she clutched at him, wanting him now!
“Not yet, my sweet,” he whispered as he unfastened his jeans and slid them off.
Gemma loved the feel of his skin on hers. His body was hard, with great, huge muscles. His stomach was divided into ridges, without any fat over his firm muscles. She ran her fingers over his abdomen, feeling her way down lower and lower.
When her hand reached the center of him, it was his turn to groan. She pushed him back on the bed and ran her hands all over him, looking at his nude form. He was a study of what a body should look like, a centerfold of all those professional football players on TV.
Gemma slipped off her underpants and straddled him. He helped her to sit down on him, and she thought she might faint when he entered her. She had desired him for so very long.
His strong hands around her waist helped to guide her. He caressed her behind, her thighs, down to her calves. “Beautiful,” he whispered. “You are truly beautiful.”
He flipped her over onto her back, and for long, luxurious moments, he made velvet strokes inside her.
Based on her previous experience, Gemma expected him to finish soon, for the pleasure to end quickly. But Colin didn’t quit. Instead he withdrew and kissed her more. His hand went down between her legs where he pleasured her in a way that was new to her. He seemed to know spots in her body that she had no idea she possessed. His fingers knew what to press, what to rub, what to caress.
When she was to a peak that she’d never felt before, he entered her again. His gentle strokes had her clutching at his back; her strong legs were wrapped around his waist, holding him to her.
Again, when she was close to exploding, he withdrew.
“Okay?” he asked as he moved beside her.
“I may die,” she managed to say.
“Good!” he said as he flipped her onto her stomach, put his big arm around her waist, and lifted her up. He entered her from behind, and Gemma put her hands on the wall to brace herself.
When his strokes became harder, she gasped out, “Yes! Yes!”