"Okayyy.” The way he studies my face so intently is even more of a turn-on. He’s so sweetly concerned about making me comfortable. “So, what would you like me to do?"
It feels like I'm falling into his caramel eyes. "Um… Please ask me again?" I whisper.
"What, like right now?"
"Yes."
Devin’s seductive smile triggers a galloping pulse through my heart. "Laila, may I…" We both lean in, our lips touching for several seconds before our bodies take over.
The kiss consumes us, and before I realize what's happening, I'm lying on top of Devin, the kiss shifting and deepening as his hands slip under my shirt to caress my skin. A tremor runs through me as his left palm lowers to stroke from the back of my knee up to the bottom of my shorts. My fingers trail over his sculpted arms, along his neck, my breasts flattened against his firm chest.
We're only half-dressed, alone in this charming bedroom. The only sounds are the crackle of the fire, our ragged breath, and the pounding of my heart.
It's not just that Devin is touching and caressing me all over. It's the tender, careful way his fingertips slide along first the outside, then the inside of my knee. The way his fingers trail along my spine, then gently circle the small of my back. He's enjoying me. Enjoying this.
Every place he touches to bring me pleasure is also thrilling him. I can feel it in his breath and his kiss…and by something growing quickly as it grinds against me. The second I begin to squirm against it, Devin lifts me off his body, resting me on my side so our faces are just a few inches apart.
His eyes are glazed over. "That was one hell of a first kiss, beautiful," he grits out.
All I can do is nod, breathless and tingling, wishing with every fiber of my being that we were still pressed together.
His thumb runs along my cheekbone, smiling gently as his eyes close. "You need sleep, gorgeous. Rest." His eyes snap back open and lock with mine. "Tonight, do you want me to hold you pretty much like I did last night?"
I nod, not knowing what else to do. I want him to hold me however he wants, but I'm not sure how to say it. He grins, looks over to the last fading embers of the fire, then turns out the light. We get settled in the center of the bed, my back firmly molded to his chest.
As his arm wraps around my waist, and he arranges the pillows, I relax against him with a deep sigh. "I never realized how nice it was to have my own personal heater."
His lips brush against my ear as he whispers, "Laila, I'm going to be anything you want."
I try to disguise the tremble that runs through me by stretching and shifting a bit. I mean, come on – how’s a girl supposed to sleep after a sexy man like Devin whispers that in her ear?
8
DEVIN
Ifeel bad about leaving Laila alone most of the day but she seems thrilled, murmuring ecstatically about actually getting ahead of her reading and notes for the upcoming awards.
I spend most of the morning skiing and having some good conversations with Daniel, our lead researcher. I don't see Laila when I go in to lunch, so I find her in the library and drag her out for a quick meal of what she calls “mega high-class designer sandwiches”.
After another round of skiing in the afternoon, I collect her from the library and carry her laptop and books upstairs. "I feel like you're walking me home from school," she laughs.
"If I’d known you back then, I definitely would have."
My hands are full, so she unlocks the door to our room. I set everything on the desk, and she catches my slight wince as I turn back. "Are you hurt?"
My grimace can't be disguised as I quickly discover the left side of my lower back is very tight. "I'm not used to skiing this much," I explain. "I'll just stretch it out."
Laila's lovely eyes are filled with concern. "Should I…I don't know if they have a doctor on site, but…"
Taking her hands, I pull her to stand between my knees. "I'm fine. Really. Don’t worry." I tip her chin up with my finger, and she leans in so naturally that I know she wants to kiss me too.
“There are three things that will fix my back. I hear it's pizza night tonight, and youknowpizza fixes everything."
She laughs with me. "Okay, that’s one. What else?"
"Maybe I'll remember to stretch before skiing tomorrow. That’s huge."
"And number three?"
