Sam waited, tasting the anticipation, feeling the warmth radiating from her. ‘How about when I edited your work without asking you first?’
‘That was different. That was . . . oh . . . ’
He silenced her with a sweep of his lips. Then, capturing her nipple between them, he pulled her in, teasing her softly with his tongue. He felt her harden still more, the blood rushing to the peak, making her sensitive and achy. Then he sucked at her, his mouth closing around her flesh, the delighted gasp escaping her lips sounding like music to his ears.
His next few minutes were spent worshipping at her breasts, kissing first one then the other until she was a hot mess of sighs. The throbbing between his legs increased, becoming almost painful, and he was certain that if he carried on for much longer he was likely to explode.
‘Cesca?’ It was his turn to whisper against her skin. He licked her then blew softly, the cold air making her skin tighter still.
‘Mmm?’
‘Can we go up to my room?’
‘Mmm.’
It wasn’t a no, and that was all he needed to hear.
Twenty steps. Nineteen. Only eighteen steps until they got there. Cesca seemed as impatient as him, half-running up the stairs as his fingers rested on the swell of her behind. When they reached his room he felt the slightest hesitation. Not because he didn’t want her in there, but because he wanted her in there too much. It wasn’t a feeling he was used to.
Pushing the door open, he gestured for her to go in. ‘Can I get you a drink?’
She looked at him, amused. ‘No thank you.’
‘Then take a seat.’
That made her burst out laughing. ‘You’re making this sound like a job interview.’
He couldn’t help but join in, seeing the truth of her words. ‘I’m sorry, it just feels a bit weird.’
‘Bringing me to your room?’
‘No, not at all. Bringing a girl to my room. It’s like being a teenager all over again. Except I never brought a girl to my room when I was a teenager.’
Cesca was disbelieving. ‘Never?’
‘Not this room.’ He shook his head, looking around. Of course the room was different to when he was a kid. Cooler, more sophisticated. But the bare bones were still the same – the walls, the shape, the layout of the furniture. There was something else, too. Something he wasn’t quite able to put into words yet. The feeling that for the first time in six years the real him was coming out. Not the Hollywood Sam who attracted women like a jar of honey attracted flies, but the kid who was still deep inside him. The one he’d tried to shield for too long.
If he thought about it too much it would mess his mind. He shook his head to get rid of the voice inside. He didn’t want to think about anything else but her.
Cesca sat down on his bed, the covers dipping beneath her. ‘In that case I’m honoured.’ Her eyes met his. ‘And relieved.’
‘Why relieved?’ There was too much distance between them. He walked over to the bed, sitting down next to her. Without thinking he took her hand between his, running the pad of his
thumb across her palm. That simple connection soothed him, locked away the anxiety that only a few minutes apart had created. When their bodies connected, it seemed as though their minds did, too.
‘I had images of you being rampant in here,’ she admitted. ‘I don’t think I could live up to that.’
‘Oh, I was rampant. It was just a party for one, that’s all.’ He lay back on the bed, pulling her with him so she was curled up at his side, her head resting on his chest.
‘You don’t strike me as the sort to want for female company.’
He swallowed hard. ‘I don’t want to talk about female company.’
‘No?’ She propped herself up on her elbow, surveying him carefully. ‘Why not?’
‘Because I’m with you. And you’re the only female I’m interested in.’
He could sense the insecurity wafting from her in waves. Didn’t she know how much he wanted her? It was a shock to him that she couldn’t see how much he liked her, admired her, wanted to possess her.