“Do not leave this spot.” He stopped kissing her, but only to shut and lock the slider. The moment he faced her again, she made her move, whipping off her light sweater, dropping it to the floor, kicking off her shoes and unzipping her jeans.
“I really like where this is going.” His eyes looked so dark right then, full of dangerous promises. Sparking heat as he went, he traced a slow, sweet caress down the middle of her body, into the valley between her breasts, over the little bow at the center of her bra—and lower, to the top of her red panties revealed between the open zipper teeth. “But, Maddy. Are you sure?”
She nodded, her breath coming a little frantic, her skin on fire. “I even went to the drugstore and bought condoms, which is pretty crazy given that I was still angry with you when I did it. I took a cab.” She said it with pride.
His fingers skated upward again. He cradled her left breast, easing his thumb under the lace at the top of the cup, guiding it down so her breast, with its puckered, dusky nipple, was bare. A rush of arousal flooded through her and her knees went all wobbly. He did the same thing to the other breast.
She felt pliant, easy—weak, in the most wonderful, dizzy sort of way. “Nobody noticed me, not the cabdriver, not anyone in the drugstore.”
“Taking the big chances now, are you?” He bent close and took her nipple in his mouth.
“Ungh.” She let her head fall back. He drew on the tight bead of flesh and then licked her in a circle, bringing another needful sound rising from her throat.
“Wrap your legs around me.” Eagerly, she obeyed, jumping up into his arms. He helped, boosting her so she could hook her ankles at the small of his back. He kissed her some more. “The condoms?” he asked against her mouth.
“My bag. Front hall,” she managed, as she clutched his wide shoulders and kissed him as fervently as he was kissing her.
He took her to the front door. She reached out a hand and grabbed the big tote, sliding the handles into the crook of her elbow.
And then they were moving again, the bag bouncing against his thigh as he carried her, still kissing her, down the short hall to the main bedroom and straight to the bed. Gently, he lowered her so she was sitting on the mattress. Only then did he break the kiss.
Rising to his full height, he turned on the lamp as she pushed down her jeans and dropped them on the far side of the bed. He didn’t move, just stood there by the lamp, watching her, in only her bra and panties now.
She felt more naked than naked. The panties were no more than a strip of lace. And the bra? It wasn’t doing much, with the cups pulled down so he could see both her breasts—more than justseethem, really. The bra seemed to hold them up for display.
Don’t squirm, she commanded herself.You’re doing this. Own it.
She sat as still as she could, breathing only a little bit frantically, her tote still hooked in the crook of her elbow.
Oh, the look on his face...
It was everything. Tender and hopeful and scared. Needful. Cautious, too. His way too kissable mouth curved in a hint of a smile.
The condoms, she reminded herself and got busy hauling her wig and her hat out of the bag, tossing them toward the bedside chair, finally coming up with the box of Trojan Magnums she’d bought. “I really hope I got the right ones. They have about a thousand different kinds. It’s very confusing for a first-time condom buyer.”
“Those will do fine,” he said. She handed him the box. He removed a couple of condoms, set them on the night table and put the box beside them.
“Hold on,” she said, abruptly enough that he glanced up at her in surprise.
“What?”
“I bought lube, too. It’s in here somewhere.” She had to stick her head in the tote to find it, but she wrapped her fingers around it at last. “Ta-da.” She whipped out the tube.
He played along. “Yay.” They stared at each other and then both of them smiled.
“Okay, then.” She put the tube near the two pouches and dropped the tote over the edge of the bed. It landed with a plop on top of her jeans.
There was a moment, kind of awkward but also knowing and true. They stared at each other. This really was happening. They really were doing this.
Her first time.
It would be with Sten and that made her glad.
“Yeah?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she whispered, her throat tight with emotion. “No doubt.”
Chapter Eight
