Until I Met You

‘Because I am.’ Samantha got on her knees at the edge of the bed and drew him to her by the waistband of his boxers. ‘Hope that doesn’t offend you.’

‘I’ll patch my bruised ego in the morning.’

Samantha wasn’t worried. His ego was cast in iron and could withstand a few blows.

He traced the bodice of her bikini top with a finger. ‘This doesn’t look very comfortable. Let me help you out of it.’

He’d had the good sense to change before they’d escaped the beach. She still had her damp swimsuit on under her clothes and could use the help. He pushed the stretchy fabric over her head. His hands roamed over the newly exposed skin. Then his mouth travelled from the dip at the base of her neck down to her navel. She arched forward, her arms falling to her side. He pinned her to him with a hand on the small of her back. She whispered his name, but he had found her breasts and nothing would distract him from them. And thank God, too. Every lick, every playful bite, ignited a small fire inside her.

They toppled onto the bed again. Samantha couldn’t get enough of him. She wanted to feel, taste, and clutch every part of him. She gathered his T-shirt, pulled it over his head and dropped it onto the floor. Roman was just as eager. Samantha closed her eyes and focused on the feel of his breath fanning her hot skin, the ripple of his muscles under her hands, and every faint moan rising from his throat. The few words she uttered made no sense. She was begging him for more or less – or something just beyond reach.

Roman entwined his fingers with hers and pinned her hands over her head. With the tip of his nose, he nudged a wayward curl of hair out of the way before whispering against her lips. ‘What do you want?’

Samantha raised her chin, defiant even when caught in a trap of her own making. ‘You already know.’

He kissed her deeply, but when he broke away there was the teasing grin she loved to hate. ‘That’s not how it works. I can’t read your mind.’

That wasn’t true. From the moment they’d met, she felt he could see right through her. There wasn’t much she could hide from him. Right now, he knew exactly what her body was asking for. That didn’t mean she couldn’t guide him along.

She took his hand and brought it to the bikini bottom. ‘Take this off.’

His laugh was gritty. ‘So demanding.’

‘Thought you loved that about me.’

‘You know I do.’ He sat back and helped her wiggle out of the last bit of clothing that kept him from her. Then he yanked open the top drawer of the bedside table, producing two strips of condoms. ‘Ribbed or bare skin?’

‘Any sparkly ones?’

‘Ribbed it is.’

‘Really?’ Samantha propped herself up onto her elbows and gave him an appreciative look. The man was sculpted to perfection. Broad shoulders, tight abs, toned thighs – there was no part of him that needed enhancement. ‘What exactly are you compensating for?’

He ripped off a square packet from a strip. ‘You kill my self-confidence.’

Samantha laughed into the soft darkness. ‘As much as I’d like to believe that, I do not have that power.’

Roman reached down and stroked her ankle. It felt like the most intimate touch. ‘You have that power over me.’

Why then did she feel so powerless when he stripped off his boxers and joined her on the bed? She closed her eyes. The part of her who wanted only to return home to England with her heart intact did not want this to be as good as she’d imagined.

Roman kissed her eyelids. ‘Are you nervous?’

‘Yes and no.’ She was excited and anxious. She was everything all at once.

‘Look at me.’

His gaze was steady. Samantha could not tear herself away. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. She thought they’d have a fun, sexy time. This was more, much more. She hadn’t expected to feel so safe with him. Roman was watching her, waiting. Damn it, she was just going to say it. ‘This feels special.’

‘Because it is.’

Unlike with her, there was no hesitation, no fear lurking in his words. ‘That doesn’t scare you?’

‘No.’ He ran the pad of his thumb along the length of her brow. ‘If you want to stop, we can.’

He moved away from her, but Samantha did not let him get far. She wrapped her legs around his waist to keep him close. ‘I don’t want that.’

Roman took her hand and pressed a kiss at the exact spot where her pulse skimmed beneath the tender skin of her wrist. ‘Want to know what I want?’

Too fascinated to speak, she watched him drag his lips to the groove of her elbow, connecting hidden dots. ‘I want you to remember every second we spend together. I want you to want me even when you’re hundreds of miles away. I want you to miss this.’

He didn’t have to work so hard. It was a done deal. ‘I don’t think I could ever forget.’

‘Good.’ He moved to kiss her shoulder before returning to her throat. ‘Now show me what you want.’