“Not yet. It’s peaceful out here.” His body heat surrounded her and warmed her from the inside out. “You know, I still have the necklace you gave me for my sweet sixteen and the promise ring.” She twisted around and gazed up at him to gauge his reaction.
“Really? What made you keep them? Especially after…”
Natasha faced the water. “For a long time I didn’t know, then I realized it was because I wanted to hold on to a part of you.”
Antonio turned her in his arms. “Baby,” he whispered as his head descended, and he slanted his mouth over hers.
She moaned as their tongues danced slowly, sensually. He pressed closer, deepening the kiss. They stood under the moonlight, kissing, as the water lapped against the rocks. She wrapped her arms around his waist and urged him closer still, wanting to feel every inch of his hard body against hers.
Antonio eased back, still gifting her with fleeting kisses along her jaw. “We should probably head back.”
“Mm-hmm.” And she planned for them to pick up where they left off once they got back to her place.
Natasha’s nerves were stretched tight by the time she and Antonio made it home later that evening. The kisses and intimate touches had her on fire and forced her to recall just what she’d been missing. “Can I get you anything? I have water, tea, wine, coffee.”
He slowly shook his head as he closed the distance between them. “The only thing I want right now is you.”
The kisses began again, and she didn’t know how much more she could take. Her arms slid up the hard wall of his chest and circled his neck. She moved closer to him and heard his deep groan. Every stroke of his tongue pushed her closer to the point of no return until nothing remained except thoughts of him and the pleasure he was giving her. “Make love to me, Tonio,” she whispered against his lips.
Antonio’s head came up sharply, his breathing ragged. “Tasha, are you—”
Natasha placed a finger to his lips. “Don’t talk. Just love me.”
Without a word, he swept her into his arms. “Bedroom?”
“Down the hall, second door on the left.” She clung to him as he hurried in that direction. Once there, he placed her on her feet, and she turned on the nightstand lamp. It provided just enough light to give the room a romantic atmosphere. Without taking his eyes off her, he removed his jacket and tie and tossed them on the chair in the corner. Her pulse skipped as he unbuttoned his shirt and added it to the growing pile of clothes. She waited for him to continue, but he didn’t. Instead, he slowly and sensually removed her dress, kissing her until she lay flat on the bed.
Antonio stepped back and finished undressing, then donned a condom.
Natasha smiled. “I see a few things that are different.” His body was a pure work of art, from his muscular chest and abs to his strong thighs. He also had an intricately designed tattoo that spanned the right side of his chest and shoulder. He came back to the bed and slowly finished undressing Natasha, kissing and licking his way up her body. Desire raced through her body, and she trembled as his tongue made sweeping, swirling motions inside her mouth. He brought his hands up to frame her face and deepened the kiss, devouring her with an intensity that left her breathless.
He lifted his head. “Are you sure about this, Tasha?”
“Very sure. Have I told you how much I love your eyes?” She’d been mesmerized by them from the first, and nothing had changed.
Chuckling, his hand swept down her body. “You might have mentioned it once or twice. Have I told you how beautiful you are, how beautiful you’ve always been to me?”
A smile curved her lips. “You might have mentioned it a time or two.” She gasped softly as his hands skated across her torso and up to the curve of her breasts, gently caressing each one and teasing the sensitive peaks. Shifting slightly, he replaced his hands with his tongue—sucking and nibbling the hardened buds—and she cried out.
“I love touching you, kissing you,” Antonio murmured.
“Tonio.” Natasha needed him inside her.
“I know, baby. I feel it, too. But I want to take my time.”
His hands roamed over her body, singeing her in every spot he touched. She squirmed and moaned beneath his caress as liquid fire spread through her. Without breaking the seal of their mouths, Antonio shifted their bodies and guided himself slowly, inch by incredible inch, inside her. They both groaned. Their eyes held as he started a slow rhythm. The way he moved inside her was unlike anything Natasha had ever experienced. She wrapped her legs around his back and gripped his shoulders.
“Tasha.” He called her name almost reverently. Antonio slowed his movements, bent, and kissed her softly, thoroughly.
This went way beyond sex. He used a finger to trace her lips and gazed at her with such tenderness, tears pooled in her eyes. He increased the tempo again, and her desire spiraled. The sensation started deep in her belly and flared out to every part of her body. He plunged faster, each stroke coming harder, and she arched up to meet them. She exploded with white-hot pleasure, shaking uncontrollably and screaming out his name again.
He went rigid, then bucked inside her. Throwing back his head, he groaned out her name. “My sweet Tasha,” he murmured. His head fell limply forward, and he shuddered before collapsing on top of her. He rolled to his side and cradled her in his arms, both breathing heavily.
As Natasha lay there with her eyes closed, waiting for her heart rate to slow, she realized she was in danger of losing her heart to him all over again.
CHAPTER 18
Antonio woke up and stared down at the woman in his arms. He’d dreamed about making love to Natasha again, and his fantasies didn’t come close to the real thing. Though things were progressing faster than he’d anticipated, he didn’t have one regret about tonight. And even after all these years, she still had the ability to affect him like no other woman. He was enjoying getting to know her all over again, and it had been the first date in a long while where he didn’t have to worry about putting up a front, like with his ex and the few others he’d dated afterward. Antonio could be the down-to-earth man he’d always been without the criticism. Natasha had shocked him, though, when she confessed to still having the gifts he’d given her. There was nothing she could have said that would’ve meant more to him, and he’d fallen a little harder.
