Instead ofreplying with words, I cup his face and guide his mouth down tomine. The kiss starts off slow and sweet, but as soon as ourtongues touch, it’s like a spark igniting into a flame. Cole’shands move restlessly over my body until they grip my ass, whilemine yank his shirt up enough to get my hands inside so I can touchhis bare skin.
I’m the first topull away, not because I want to but because I need to ask thequestion niggling at the back of my mind. “We have so much to talkabout, but for now just tell me this: is this going to be anotherone-night thing?”
When Cole’s eyesmeet mine, the blue-gray color has darkened, reminding me of thesnow clouds outside. His face softens at the same time his grip onme tightens. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”
“Thentake me to bed?” It comes out sounding more like a question than Imeant it to.
Cole’s eyebrowsinch up. He looks like he wants to ask if I’m sure, but he mustfind the answer in my expression because he hauls me against him,gripping me by the backs of my thighs and lifting me so I’mstraddling him.
I let out abreathless laugh. “Okay, that was really hot.”
He nips at mybottom lip with his teeth. “You haven’t seen anythingyet.”
In my bedroom, hesets me on my feet and nudges the door closed with his foot. I havea second to see Milo’s glowing eyes in the hallway before the doorshuts. Like he did in Niagara Falls last year, Cole backs me upagainst the door, cushioning the back of my head with his hand. Hisfingers tangle in my hair as he tilts my head back and brings hismouth to mine. Gentle nips and brushes of lips quickly turn hungry,urgent.
I grip his beltloops and push us away from the door, moving us toward the bed. Islide my hands under his sweater again at the same time as hishands disappear under mine, caressing my sides and back. Hisfeather light touch causes goosebumps to race across my skin. Myown hands aren’t so gentle as they explore his stomach andchest.
“Toomany clothes,” I murmur, shifting my lips to the stubble-roughenedskin of his jaw.
“That’seasily fixed.” I expect him to remove his shirt, but he pulls mineoff instead. Moments pass in a blur of flying material and roaminghands. Soon there’s a pile of clothes on my bedroom floor, and theonly thing separating us is Cole’s black boxer briefs and my lacypurple panties.
The stormy colorof Cole’s eyes has been swallowed by the black of his pupils. Hisgaze sweeps over me, lingering on my breasts, my hips, the scrap ofmaterial between my legs. “You’re so beautiful, Sylvie,” hewhispers. His tone is borderline reverent and it makes thegoosebumps reappear on my skin. “So beautiful.”
He gathers me inhis arms, pulling me against him so our bodies are flush. The lightdusting of hair on his chest tickles my breasts, but I only noticethe sensation for a moment before I become aware of our racinghearts knocking against each other and Cole’s erection strainingagainst my lower belly through his underwear.
The next thing Iknow, I’m lying on my back in the middle of the bed, and Cole iskneeling between my legs. No parts of our bodies are touching, buthis gaze is like a physical weight as it sweeps over me.
“Touchme.” This time it sounds like the command I was aiming for earlier,rather than a question.
One side of hismouth quirks. “Touch you where?”
“Anywhere,” I gasp. “Everywhere.”
He shifts so he’sleaning over me. Excruciating seconds pass before he lifts his handand lets the backs of his fingers trail between my breasts. Histhumb moves to flick over one of my nipples before lazily circlingit. My brain starts to short circuit just from that small contact.When I reach up to touch him, he grips my wrist and gently pins myhand to the bed. Curious where this is going to lead, I don’tbother lifting my other hand.
Cole’s fingersentwine with mine, although he keeps my hand pinned to the bed. Heshifts around again so he’s kneeling once more between my legs. Ibite back an impatient whimper, wanting him closer, wanting hisskin against my skin, his mouth on mine.
“I havecondoms this time,” I blurt. “They’re in the drawer of the bedsidetable. I actually forgot they were there until I was housecleaningearlier this month. I was going to throw them away, but the expirydate isn’t until next year, so…”
Hegives me a flash of his crooked grin. “Good to know. I have…otherthings in mind first.” I’m about to beg him to tell me or, betteryet,showme, whenhis hand slides up my thigh. His thumb toys with the elastic at theside of my panties before slipping underneath.
I gasp and arch upwhen the pad of his thumb brushes against my clit. He swallowshard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. His heated gaze meets mine and hewatches my face as his thumb slides lower. A rough soundreverberates in the back of his throat when he feels how wet I am,even though he’s barely touched me.
“You’retoo far away,” I tell him. He releases my hand and I reach for him,pulling him closer until he’s lying on top of me with his weightsupported on one arm.
“Better?” he asks, his eyes lit with amusement.
“Much.”The word comes out on a sigh as my greedy hands finally get achance to wander over his shoulders and back again. His fingers areworking slowly and steadily between my legs, and I arch againsthim, urging him on.
He leans in, hisbreath hot on my neck. I wait for his mouth to land on my skin, butonly feel the briefest brush of his lips. “Have you thought aboutme this past year, Sylvie?”
His fingers aredistracting me with their magic, but I manage to breathe out, “Yes.Every day.”
He goes completelystill for a moment. I wish I could see his face. His lips brush myneck at the same moment his fingers resume, working a bitfaster.
I doand don’t want to ask him the same question. The words stick in mythroat. Even though I’ve casually dated—emphasis oncasual, since I couldn’tget Cole out of my mind long enough to make a connection withanyone else—I hate the thought of him dating or sleeping with otherwomen.
After scraping histeeth down the length of my neck, he raises his head and brusheshis nose against mine. “Every day, huh?” he says, meeting my eyes.His hand shifts between my legs, one finger slipping inside me ashis thumb circles my clit. “That's how often I thought about youtoo.”
