“Liar.” He lowered his head and Annabelle felt her lashes flutter closed as his lips touched hers. She hadn’t realized how much she’d wanted this since the last time they’d kissed. Something inside her sighed as his mouth moved slowly over hers, and her tired body stirred to life.
“I missed you, honey.” He moved to her cheeks and Annabelle lifted her face towards him, needing that contact, aching for it.
“We shouldn’t do this, Ethan. I need to get back inside.”
“Soon.” His breath brushed her face.
Her resistance lasted three seconds, and then she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him closer.
The kiss was slow and sensual and it made her ache for more, ache to let Ethan take her and make her forget. She wanted to lose herself in this man and feel his strength wrap around her.
His hands gripped her buttocks and squeezed before he pulled her hard against him so she could feel him, feel the desire he felt for her.
“I’ve never wanted anyone like I do you, Annabelle Smith.” The words spoke of his need that matched hers. “You’re in my blood.”
“I can—” He silenced her with a kiss.
“I know you’re dealing with Cooper, but I needed you to know that.”
She nodded, then grabbed his hair and tugged him back down to meet her kiss.
His hands slid under the hem of her shirt and she nearly purred as one stroked her stomach. The wonderful sensations he had created in her in Texas came flooding back, that slow wicked heat that had invaded her limbs, and when his hand moved upwards to cup one satin-encased breast, she moaned.
“What’s in there?”
Annabelle wrestled her eyes open as Ethan spoke. She followed his glance and saw he was looking at the small archway at the rear of the property.
“Privacy.”
He swung her up into his arms before she could move. She didn’t fight him because she was too tired, and being held like this was wonderful. Once there he let her slide down his body while he looked around.
It was small and filled with roses, and there was a bench seat. When he turned back to her his smile was slow and hot, and the look in his eyes made her breath catch.
“I love nature.” His eyes ran over her body as he spoke.
“Someone could arrive any minute, Ethan.”
“Too bad, because I’m not stopping. I want you badly, honey, so I’m taking you.”
Annabelle was pretty sure she should be irate over that statement, but as he now had his hands on her, she’d forgotten what she was going to say.
He peeled off her top and pulled down the straps of her bra, then placed his mouth over a nipple and sucked hard.
“Oh God!” She hadn’t meant to cry out, but the sensation was so intense the words slipped out.
“No time for finesse, baby,” he said, moving to the other breast and doing the same.
She was melting, her limbs shaky, but Annabelle was made of stronger stuff than that. So she reached for the zipper on his jeans and slid it down. After releasing the button at the top, she eased her hand inside the denim and stroked the hot, hard length of him through his shorts, which made the breath hiss out of his mouth.
“No time for finesse, Gelderman.”
His teeth snapped around her nipple, and he bit down hard enough to make a spike of heat shoot through her, so she found the waistband of his shorts and slipped her hand inside and began to stroke the hard flesh.
“I can’t wait, Annabelle. I need you too much.”
“I don’t want you to wait. I need you too.”
He pushed his jeans lower, then sat on the seat and stripped her from the waist down. Annabelle lifted herself onto her knees, straddling his thighs, and slid down onto him.
