“If you don’t mind walking in the dark, we could go for a walk after dinner too.” His eyes narrowed, and he morphed into predator, unnerving her. Tall. Dark. Deadly.
Her mouth dried. Her heart flip-flopped. She took a step backward. “Yeah, sure.”
“Do I make you nervous?” His soft purr curled her toes, made her body bloom with eagerness.
“A little.” Everything was happening too fast for her to process and agonize over in her normal manner. For once she’d reverted to gut instinct…
“I’d never hurt you. You know that, right?”
She nodded. “I know.” Her attention centered on Connor, watching him shrug out of his denim shirt. He dropped it, his clothing fluttering to the ground. Her throat worked in a swallow, her eyes on his bare chest, the hard expanse of muscles. She’d never let herself look and linger to appreciate this magnificent male specimen before because she hadn’t wanted to spoil things with her girlfriends. She’d never wondered what the Celtic knot tattoo on his biceps would taste like.
Friends only.
Maggie gulped. And now they intended to have sex. The mutual scratching of an itch. She had it bad. But could she do this? The warmth in his eyes not only made her heart beat faster, but turned her limbs to jelly.
This time she advanced instead of retreating, reaching out to touch him. His skin burned her fingertips, and Maggie jerked her hand away, her head lifting to study the sensual sweep of his lower lip. She’d felt his mouth on hers, knew how soft it was, and wanted more.
“Touch me.” This time his purr tempted her like rich, bitter chocolate. She had no defenses.
“How do you want me to touch you?”Let me count the ways.
“Run your fingers over my chest. Use your mouth. Anything you want, babe. I need you to touch me.”
A dream. Christmas and birthday gifts combined in one.What was she waiting for?
“So we’re not going for a walk after all?”
“Not unless you want to.” His laser-sharp gaze contained questions.
“No,” she whispered. “Maybe later.” With a trembling hand, she reached out and pressed her palm against his chest, basking in his warmth, the soft grin curving his mouth. His heart beat with a solid thud. A faint sprinkling of dark hair covered his pectoral muscles, soft to her touch. He smelled of soap and the aftershave she’d given him for Christmas. She loved his scent. Clean and masculine. Sexy and tempting, and he was all hers.
Grasping his shoulders, Maggie leaned into him, heard his sharp intake of breath. A small sign he wasn’t as calm as he pretended. Her lips touched his skin, and his solid muscle bunched in a visible reaction. Maggie dragged her tongue along his collarbone and nipped him. Connor groaned and moved so fast she blinked. One moment she stood, the next she lay on her back, staring up at Connor’s intense face. He wasn’t even breathing hard after his rapid trip down the passage and into his bedroom.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yes.” He’d acted like a caveman, tossing her onto the bed as if she were a lightweight. When Greg had tried the same thing, he’d dropped her and she’d borne bruises on her backside and hip for days. And he’d had the cheek to tell her she needed to lose weight.
This time it wasn’t anger coursing through her veins. This time excitement pounded in concert with every beat of her heart. Invisible energy crackled in the air between them. She stared up at him with wary fascination, wondering what he’d do next.
“That’s good.” He removed her shoes, dropping them with a clunk onto the hardwood floor. Her socks joined the heap. After unlacing his boots and peeling off his socks, he joined her on the bed, pinning her to the mattress with his chest. He kissed her, taking instead of cajoling, his mouth covering hers hungrily. Sensations skittered through her mind and body one after the other, heat licking across her skin. He tasted her, yet didn’t probe for her tonsils as Greg did when he was excited.
What was she doing? It wasn’t right to compare the two men. She wasn’t with Greg and this thing with Connor was about fun and mutual pleasure. That’s all.
She pushed Greg from her mind and drifted as in a dream, wallowing in the skillful mastery of Connor’s mouth, the easy thrust of his tongue that made her think of penetration in another area. Jolts of pleasure rocked her with little explosions, moistening her body, preparing her for his possession. Had he packed condoms? They’d need a lot because once or twice wouldn’t douse the flames searing her body.
“Connor.” She clutched his shoulders, sighing when his mouth left hers to graze kisses down her jaw, her neck. His teeth scraped over her pulse and her hips bucked upward, pressing against his hard body, loving the firm weight of him.
“I like that,” she whispered, decided to state her likes and dislikes up front. Otherwise, how would he know? Besides, they were friends and friends didn’t judge each other. She admitted that didn’t stop her nerves from going into overdrive, the whisper of her conscience. He repeated the move, his lips sucking lightly. When he lifted his head, a moan of complaint nearly escaped her lips. Almost. She trapped it inside by biting her lower lip.
“Do you mind if I mark your skin?” His probing gaze sought a reaction.
“A love bite?”
“Yeah.”
She drew in a sharp breath. Hot intent and desire darkened his face, passion simmering between them. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, and he followed the move with avid attention, making her pulse race faster. “I suppose that would be okay,” she said, “as long as I can hide them beneath my clothes.”
A love bite.Wow.
