His control broke. His arms became steel bands as they wrapped around her, holding her close. His lips captured hers once more. He stood in a smooth motion and carried her to the bed, easing her onto it like she was made of something fragile. Still standing, Ryan unbuttoned her blouse, taking his time and allowing his fingers to caress the newly bared skin. Tremors of desire blazed through her body, and a heavy warmth settled low in her core.
He leaned over her, letting his mouth follow the path of his fingertips. Elissa arched her back, wanting more. His teeth nibbled at the sensitive skin above her belly button, and an incomprehensible noise emerged from her mouth. Ryan stood straight and worked on his own buttons.
“Did you like that?” His voice roughened with his need. One button.
Elissa nodded and canted her elbows to sit up. Two buttons.
“I have a plan. Would you like to hear it?” Three buttons.
“Yes,” she whispered. Four buttons.
Elissa bit her lip as he exposed more of his chest, lightly sprinkled with dark hair. She yearned to run her hands over his firm muscles, trace the planes of his body, kiss every damn inch of him.
The last button. He shrugged the fabric off his shoulders.
“First, I’m going to kiss you, long and slow.” He brushed a thumb against her lips before trailing it down to the valley between her breasts. “Then I will finish removing your shirt and toss your bra over there.”
She shivered again as he pointed to the corner of the room with a wolfish smile on his face.
“After I pay homage to your beautiful breasts, I will trace a path down here with my tongue.”
Ryan’s fingers danced across the skin of her belly, weaving a path from the flesh under her bra to the top of her pants. He slipped a finger under the waistband and stroked the skin he found there. She nearly jumped off the bed. Every nerve ending was sweetly sensitive, every touch a day’s worth of pleasure.
He licked his lips as he unbuttoned and unzipped her pants but left it at that. Ryan paused for so long, she felt compelled to ask, “Then what?”
A low, throaty chuckle greeted those words. “And then I will taste you and make you come.”
She whimpered, and his smile widened. He sat down at the end of the bed, untied his boots, and kicked them toward the wall, his socks following quickly. Ryan stretched himself next to her, propping his head on a hand with some help from the many pillows piled on the bed. His gaze roamed down her body and the heat grew within her.
“Do you want to know what comes last?” His finger twined into her hair, giving a curl a tug.
Elissa couldn’t find her voice, so she nodded.
“Words, please.”
“What comes last?” Her voice was breathy, and her words trembled in the air between them.
He leaned close, his warmth tantalizing and teasing her. If she only would reach out, she could touch him, run her hands over him, but the anticipation had her almost paralyzed with need.
“I will bury myself in your body. It’s been far too long.”
She finally allowed herself to touch him, and his muscles twitched beneath her fingers. Elissa smiled as everything clicked into place. She could have this, have him, and still be Elissa. Only more.
“Yes,” she said.
“Yes? Yes to what?”
“To all of it. But I have one request.”
“Anything.”
“I don’t want to think.”
“If I’m doing it right, that will not be a problem.”
He covered her mouth with his and made her forget everything he told her. Each action was a new sensation, a new response. Ryan slipped her shirt off and undid her bra, tossing it right where he said he would. He cupped her breasts in his hands and brushed her nipples with his thumbs. His muscles coiled under her touch as she trailed her hands along his back. He tweaked her nipples, and the pleasure nearly crossed the line into pain. Elissa gripped his biceps hard.
He sucked gently until her grip lessened. Continuing his journey, he trailed kisses down her belly and licked a lazy line between light nips at the sensitive skin under her belly button. When he reached the edge of her panties, he looked up the length of her body, meeting her gaze.
