“As much as you can take, sweetheart.”
She knew his term of endearment meant nothing, but she liked the sound of it anyway. He began kissing her breasts again–licking, nibbling, and sucking -before placing kisses along her stomach. Then he began touching every part of her body. His strokes were gentle, warm, and seductive. It was as if he were trying to find some hidden treasure. Certain places he touched seemed to ignite a blazing fire in her loins, and it seemed as if he were deliberately ushering her right into another climax.
She was so full of desire and need for him that she hadn’t noticed he had eased between her open legs until she felt his large and hard manhood probing at her feminine mound. A part of her wished he wasn’t sheathed in a condom. She would love to be skin-to-skin with him.
When he was in place above her, he said in a soft voice, “Keep your eyes on mine the entire time, alright?”
She nodded. “Alright.”
With their fingers entwined and their hands positioned beside her head, he began pressing into her. For a moment, she thought either she was too tight or he was too big. He must have read the question in her eyes because he smiled and said, “It’s both, but we will fit.”
She felt a little pain when he slowly pushed his way inside of her, as deep as he could go. Then he went still, as if the realization that he was inside of her, where no man had gone before, had given him pause. Then he leaned in and began kissing her. At the same time, she felt his body begin to move, slowly at first and then a little faster.
Pleasure began building up inside of her again, and this time, just the thought that he was making love to her like this, something she had secretly wanted since the day he’d refused to leave her in Phoenix, heightened the experience. Each time he thrust downward, then pulled out to do it again, herinner muscles tightened around him to try to keep him from retreating.
“Baby, you’re killing me,” he said in a guttural tone.
She had news for him. He was killing her as well. Never had she felt so many emotions at one time, and they were all originating from where their bodies were joined. He continued to ride her, and she moved her body in sync with his. At that moment, she felt as connected to him as she could get, and in truth, she was.
Suddenly, she felt sensations tearing into her, even more powerful than the last time. She screamed his name when it seemed her body was splintering into a million pieces. She felt his body jolt a few times before he threw his head back and hollered her name. Then he was kissing her again, and she knew that she would never forget this night as long as she lived.
“Merry Christmas, Eden.”
She turned her head slightly to see the clock on the nightstand. It was just after midnight, which meant it was officially Christmas Day.
“Merry Christmas to you, too, Drew. And thank you.”
“No thanks needed, sweetheart. It was my pleasure.”
A part of her was saddened that she couldn’t call her parents, and hoped that one day they would accept that she deserved to live the life she wanted. She deserved to be happy. Drew eased off her to lie beside her, then took her in his arms. Tonight, because of him, she was extremely happy.
CHAPTER 15
Drew awakened early and glanced out the window. It was snowing outside. Charlie had said forecasters had predicted a white Christmas, which was not unusual for this high up in the mountains. The snow falling on the alpine lake made a beautiful picture. But not as beautiful as the woman asleep in his arms.
After their first time, he had left her in bed to go into the bathroom to discard the condom, then returned to the bedroom with a warm cloth to tenderly wipe her down. This was the first time he had performed such an intimate task on a woman. But then, he had never been a woman’s first before, and for him, it was an honor to take care of her that way.
Eden had been surprised by his actions, and he could tell by the blush that spread across her features that she was somewhat embarrassed by such personal ministrations. He told her that he had wanted to show her that it wasn’t only about the lovemaking act itself, but how a man took care of the woman afterwards.
His internal clock, which usually woke him at the crack of dawn to go jogging, kept him awake. However, he wasn’t going outside to run in the snow this morning. Nothing felt better than to simply lie here with Eden in his arms, remembering last night. Surprisingly, he had no regrets. In a way, he knew it was bound to happen. There had been too much sexual chemistry between them from the first for it not to. Now they were here naked in bed together while he waited patiently for her to wake up.
That gave him a strange feeling. Though he’d shared a bed with numerous women, he’d never taken care of one the way hehad Eden over the past few days. He had her parents to blame for that. He still found it simply unbelievable that they would go so far to control their child. Did they think she would want to live her own life, at some point? He was glad she would be leaving for Paris next week and could begin the career she wanted.
Drew wanted to believe that once she was gone, his world would return to normal. He would start a new year for the Steele Trucking Company. His partnership with several new distribution centers and warehouses would begin, which meant new routes and more drivers, and of course, more rigs. The coming year should be a profitable and productive one for him.
Then, of course, there would also be more women, some he knew and liked sharing time with, and others he’d likely meet along the way.
Why did that thought suddenly have no appeal to him? Absolutely none. Could it be that way because he was sharing a bed with a woman now, and thinking that way was inconsiderate? Hell, if it was, then he’d been pretty damn inconsiderate many times. In the past, he’d been known to have sex with one woman for lunch, and before he could get out of bed and redress, he’d already be anticipating his evening with another.
He made sure that before he got involved with someone, he and his prospective bedpartner would have ‘the talk’. They needed to know that no woman had dibs on him. Ever. Being run out of Charlotte had taught him a valuable lesson. Although he had ‘the talk’ with all of them, he’d learned to recognize the type who wouldn’t take him at his word. And so, he’d learned to avoid them. Because he wasn’t about to change for any woman. No exceptions.
However, that was the crux of his problem. Somehow, Eden Tyson had become an exception. He hadn’t had ‘the talk’ with her. It hadn’t even crossed his mind. The only thing he’d beenthinking about last night was making love to her. At least he knew that whatever was between them had an end date. He wouldn’t see her again after she boarded the plane to Paris. Then she would be out of sight and out of mind.
Would she really? Of course, she would. She had her life to live, and he had his. He wished her well in all her future goals, and in his heart, he knew she would one day be a success, with or without her family’s blessings. What he admired most about her was her strength of will, defying everything and everyone who stood in the way of her getting what she wanted. What her heart desired.
He glanced down when he felt her stirring in his arms. His eyes stayed on her, wanting to see the very moment she woke up, and he was the recipient of that drowsy look when she opened those beautiful green eyes. He’d been the recipient before when she dozed off in the truck. But never had he gotten that look while she was in bed with him, waking up in his arms.
Then it happened. She slowly opened her eyes and her gaze snarled with his. Then she smiled and instantly, a deep, sexual hunger stirred to life in his mid-section, as well as something else he hadn’t expected. It was something he’d never felt before -a yearning and desire that went beyond the bedroom. He felt his brain faltering when, suddenly, an image flashed into his mind. One of her in bed at his home, waking up in his arms there, too. How could his mind conjure up such a thing when it wouldn’t be happening?
