“Vivi.” He leaned closer.
“Part of me loving you is wanting you, physically. And I do. Very much. So, I’d really like you to love me, Lennon, with that big, sexy body of yours.”
He leaned in so our foreheads touched. “I’m all yours.”
“Good.” I tackled him back against the sofa, straddling his thick legs. “Cuz this woman has needs.”
The soft brush of his lips and the whisper of his beard against my cheek and chin caused me to shiver. I moaned as I wrapped my arms around Lennon’s neck. With the tip of his tongue, he tested the seam of my mouth. That made me so hot. I pressed more tightly against him. In response, Lennon swiped his tongue into the slick interior of my mouth.
He bent his knees so he could get his forearm under my butt. He lifted me with that arm, the other hand still cupping the back of my head. Heat flared through me. I wrapped my legs around his waist and threaded my fingers through his hair. I ground my warm center against his growing bulge, desperate for friction, for being filled—for release from the weeks of unbearable tension.
His grip firmed, pinning me against him. Then, he deepened the kiss still further. I hadn’t thought that possible. My nerves were already tingling, and my belly had warmed with desire.
“Need you,” he mumbled against my lips.
I pulled back with a gasp. We both breathed heavily—like we’d sprinted a 10k. “If you stop this time, I’ll…”
His kiss-swollen lips quirked up. They were so pink and soft, and I desperately wanted them back on mine. “You’ll what?”
I met his gaze. “I’ll cry.”
His expression softened, as did his hold on the back of my head. “Ah, Vivi. I want you desperately.”
“I need you, Lennon.” I shifted, restless and so sensitive. “No teasing.”
“You sure about that?” he asked.
My eyes filled, because I really was so close to losing control. “Don’t.”
He kissed me softly. Then again. And again. Deeper, harder, a flash of teeth across my lower lip. His hand clamped more tightly on my ass as he ground against me.
“Gotta get to the bedroom.” He strode down the hallway as I peppered his neck and chest—anywhere I could reach—with kisses.
He slammed his elbow into the door frame and muttered a curse. But he was gentle as he lowered me down his body. I let my hand slide across his shoulders, over his pecs. He leaned down and kissed me again. His fingers drifted to the zipper at the back of my dress. “I want this off.”
“Yes. Now.”
He unzipped me quickly and pushed the gauzy sleeves off my shoulders. I gave a shimmy of my hips, and the dress pooled at my feet. Lennon sucked in a breath as he noted the silky lingerie set I wore. The bra cupped my breasts, the thin silk stopping just above my nipple. Delicate lace wove up to the straps. My panties weren’t a risqué thong, but a more comfortable bikini that cut high on my hip, revealing my whole thigh.
“You are so gorgeous,” Lennon breathed. His fingertips slid across my belly, swirling around my belly button, and then his knuckles dragged along the top of my panties. “I am in awe of you.”
He slid his big palm back and cupped my butt cheek, tugging me against him. That prominent bulge seemed bigger, harder now. I pressed against it more firmly, moaning as slickness dampened my thighs.
“What do you want, Vivian?”
I arched my neck, and he ran his palm down its side, resting his thumb at the hollow where my pulse pounded.
“You,” I breathed. “All of you.”
He stepped back, took a deep inhale, and let his hands hang loose at his sides. “You got me. Any way you want me.”
Desire licked through me, causing my skin to tighten. “What are you saying?”
“You’re in charge, Vivi. Whatever you want, however you want, I’m here for you.”
Passion exploded as tenderness unfurled in my chest. I cupped his cheek. “Thank you, Lennon.” Control was hard-wired into him. I understood that now that I’d gotten to know him. His need to control situations came from the loss of his father, then his older brother, leaving him unmoored right as he hit adolescence. Hockey had secured a place for him, given Lennon an identity and goals to achieve, but containing a situation, emotions? That felt necessary for survival.
I kissed him as I slid my hands down his chest. I smoothed my hands over the skin-warmed cotton T-shirt, flicking my fingernails against his nipples. He hissed a breath but remained still.
