“I’m scratching an itch.”
Okay. Ryan forced a smile even though a part of him died. He’d done this. Even though he hadn’t meant to—his silence had hurt her and damaged their relationship. “Fair enough. Let’s do that scratching together.” Her bitchiness was a façade. He was sure of it.
“All right.” She dropped her towel and crossed the room to the bedside cabinet. She opened the drawer and pulled out a box of condoms. An unopened box, he noted, and some of the tightness in his chest dispersed.
“Come here,” he said in a rough voice. He sat on the edge of the bed and waited for her to approach, another level of tension easing when she came willingly enough. She wanted him. At least they had the sexual part of their marriage to help glue their relationship together. He could fix this if he loved her hard enough.
His avid gaze took in everything about her. God, she was beautiful with her trim waist and long legs. He drew her between his legs, pressing a kiss to the slight round of her belly, just below her belly button piercing. She froze, but he ignored her reaction to draw her down onto his lap. He settled his mouth on hers despite the hint of frost in her. Determined to break her reserve, he doubled his effort, sliding his tongue against hers, tangling his fingers in her hair and tasting the mint from recently brushed teeth.
A few seconds later, she moaned against his mouth—music to his ears. Her hands slid over his shoulders and suddenly she was taking part instead of letting him touch her. Her breasts squashed against the wall of his chest, the eager pressure of her lips drawing a heated response from him. Yes, perfect, and he settled in to enjoy playing tag with her tongue.
They kissed, unhurried now that they were naked and near both a bed and condoms. Long, lazy kisses. Slow, seductive kisses until they were both breathing hard, and his cock was so rigid he knew he’d explode if he didn’t get inside her soon.
He shifted, tossing her on the mattress and covering her before she had time to protest.
“I need you, Julia.” He ran a finger up the soft skin of her inner thigh. He’d wait a little longer. Make this extra special for both of them. He shifted back, setting between the V of her legs to study her pussy and the narrow strip of blonde hair. So pretty. Where to start? Licking, he decided, and immediately ran his tongue from her entrance and up to her clit. Not a soft fluttery lick, but a hard, firm one that filled his mouth with her taste and stopped short of her clitoris. He lifted his head to grin up at her. “How’s that?”
“Good,” she whispered, arching her hips upward to increase the pressure. “Ryan!”
Still grinning, Ryan settled in to make her come. Not that it was an arduous task. She was swollen and trembled whenever his tongue neared her clit. He teased her for a while with slow, delicate laps, keeping her on edge but not giving her enough stimulation to topple into climax. Her juices seeped from her entrance, her spicy taste filling his mouth while pleading cries spilled from her lips.
“Oh, Ryan.” Her hands gripped his head to focus his touch.
He glanced up to find her eyes squeezed closed, her bottom lip caught between her white teeth as her lower body strained upward, pushing into his face.
“Please. Please, Ryan.”
Aware of urgency thrumming through his own veins, he continued, this time concentrating on the straining bundle of nerves. Carefully, he took the bud between his lips, stroking with a barely-there touch of his tongue. She shuddered, groaned and fought to raise her hips, forcing him into greater contact. He gave it to her. Laving back and forth. Sucking carefully.
She cried out, trembled and the tiny bud vibrated in rapid spasms. He kept his touches light now, vaguely remembering this was what she enjoyed.
The tension melted from her limbs and torso, and she sagged in a sprawl on the mattress. “Oh, Ryan. That was an A grade orgasm.” Her throaty whisper brought a burst of satisfaction, like a jolt to the chest, and he smiled before pressing a light kiss to her sensitive clit.
Ryan fumbled with the outer wrapping of the condom box before he extracted a foil packet. Seconds later the latex was in place. He moved up her body, touched his lips to hers and slipped inside her. It was like coming home. Ryan moved and her hips shifted in counterpoint. The tight clench around his shaft forced a moan from deep in his chest. His breath caught as he watched her face, the minute shifts of expression as she started the climb to a peak again. He stroked into her faster, hurling himself greedily into the pleasure of the experience. She filled the gaps inside him, the loneliness. God, she made him whole.
Her arms wrapped around him, holding him tight. Ryan grunted, slammed into her. Once. Twice. And a third time, then his orgasm roared through him, white noise echoing in his ears. His lips sought hers again, anchoring himself in the present.
Aw, sweet. So sweet. He withdrew a fraction and pushed back into her heat. Lazy, easy thrusts even though he’d come. Julia groaned, her hips lifting. Taking her subtle clue, he reached between them and stroked her clitoris.
“Yes. Right there. No! Don’t move.” She grabbed his ears and tugged.
“Ow, woman. Bossy much?”
“Get me off,” she ordered.
Laughter spilled from him along with contentment. His finger worked her, and he watched her face again. Her eyes fluttered closed, arousal colored her cheeks in a delicate pink. Her lips were swollen. Her blonde hair tousled. Sexy. She came, shuddering and squeezing his cock in rhythmic pulses, looking beautiful.
“Was that up to your expectations?” he whispered after he’d withdrawn and dealt with the condom. He tucked her against the curve of his body.
Julia yawned. “Hmm, I need to get some sleep.”
Some of his feel-good attitude dispersed. He opened his mouth to say something, to ask if she hadn’t enjoyed their lovemaking before reconsidering. Crap, questions would make him sound needy and lacking in self-confidence. Him. The guy who, according to Caleb, charmed females of every age with nothing more than a smile. The guy who frontedFrench Lettersand held their fans in thrall. The man voted sexiest scoundrel for the last two years in a row byMadammagazine.
Julia’s deep, even breathing indicated she’d fallen asleep while he felt like a theatre prop—an object present to illustrate a point.
The next morning, Ryan woke alone. Gritty eyed, he sat up. “Julia?”
Frowning, he scrambled out of bed and padded to the bathroom. The faint scent of Julia’s perfume filled the air, but by the time he reached the kitchen he realized he was alone in the apartment.
“Damn.” He stomped back to the spare bedroom, indignation in every rapid step. He might have slept with a lot of women before Julia came along, but he was pretty sure he’d never sneaked out before they woke or left them feeling cheap and used.
