His hand dropped to his side and he looked at her questioningly, his blue eyes narrowed.
She tried again, for the last time. ‘Kiss me, Jed. Please?’
CHAPTER NINE
JED’S hands were clenched by his sides, and he seemed to struggle to find his voice.
‘Toby?’
‘He’s staying at a friend’s tonight. It’s a sleepover party.’
For a long moment he just stared at Brooke, digesting what she’d said, and then he crossed the room slowly, stopping just in front of her.
‘Brooke?’
Her heart fluttering wildly, she placed her slim fingers on his broad chest, feeling the smooth curve of muscle underneath the soft fabric of his shirt.
‘Are you going to stand there talking all night, Jed, or are you—’
His hands cupped her face roughly and his mouth prevented her from uttering the rest of her sentence, possessing hers with a passion that made her knees weaken. Without lifting his mouth, he dropped one hand to the small of her back, holding her firmly against his hard body as he continued to kiss her as if it might be the last time they were able to touch.
Desperate for more, her mouth opened under his and his tongue seduced hers, coaxing and demanding until she was sobbing with need.
Dimly she felt a sharp tug as he released the towel, and then she was naked in his arms, the warmth from his hands making her whole body shiver with reaction as he stroked and held her.
‘Jed, please…’
Her whole body was on fire with need, she could barely stand and hardly breathe and she wanted him so badly she didn’t think she could wait another moment. It had been so many years…
‘Not here.’ With a rough groan Jed dragged his mouth away from hers and scooped her into his arms, striding down the landing and shouldering his way into the master bedroom at the back of the house.
Without breaking contact, he laid her on the bed and his mouth found hers again, biting and nibbling her lips until she was twisting in a frenzy of desire beneath his powerful body.
Without lifting his mouth from hers, he wrenched off his tie and fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, breathing heavily as she lifted her hands to help him.
The shirt fell to the floor, forgotten, and Brooke slid her hands over his hard shoulders, loving the silken feel of his warm flesh, incredibly aware of just how strong this man was.
Her hands trailed slowly downwards, through the dark hair covering his chest and down until her fingers met the waistband of his trousers.
His eyes fierce with need, Jed lifted his head and stared down at her, his breathing rapid and unsteady.
‘I want you so much—so much.’ With a groan he planted hot, open-mouthed kisses down her neck, his tongue trailing over the curve of her breast and gently teasing the dusky rose of one nipple.
With a cry she arched towards him and he took her in his mouth, his teeth and tongue working a magic that pulled and twisted her insides until she was writhing beneath him.
‘Please, Jed—now…’ She tugged uselessly at his zip, feeling the thickness of his arousal through the fabric of his trousers. Now. Now. She wanted him now.
‘Patience,’ he growled, his own hand shaking as he dealt with the zip and let her slide his trousers down his hard, very muscular thighs. With one swift movement he was as naked as she was, and her throat dried as she looked at him properly for the first time.
They hadn’t switched on any lights on the night of the Christmas Ball and she’d never really seen Jed properly, but now, illuminated by the soft light from the landing, her eyes roved over his powerful physique and her cheeks heated slightly.
‘What’s the matter?’ He slowed the pace, stroking her cheek with a gentle finger, the look in his blue eyes warm and intimate. ‘We’ve done this before, sweetheart, remember? You know I’d never hurt you.’
‘I know that…’ Suddenly Brooke felt ridiculously shy and he gave her a wicked grin and the sexiest wink she’d ever received.
‘Come here.’ He pulled her towards him and lowered his mouth, kissing her with deliberate intimacy, driving her wild with his tongue and hands until all she could think about was the hot, burning sensation in the pit of her stomach which only this man could cure.
Forgetting her shyness, she smoothed her hands over his heated flesh, needing to touch him as he was touching her. As her hands moved downwards she felt his breath catch and his body tremble with reaction.