He lifted her into his arms again, carrying her over the rose-petal path to the bedroom. She kept one hand at the back of his neck, her long fingers toying with the hair there. Every nerve-ending in his body was focused on one thing, one purpose. And each brush of her hands against him aroused him more.
He set her on the bed in the middle of the rose petals and stepped back. He reached for the dimmer switch on the wall, turning it so a low, ambient light filled the chamber.
He kicked off his shoes, toed off his socks and shed his jacket, tossing it toward the padded chair in the corner of the room.
He wanted this to be a slow seduction, their first time together in so long, but he couldn’t stop his body. It was as if a red haze had come over him and all he could see was Ava and her soft curves.
All he wanted was to feel her naked skin against his and the welcoming warmth of her body wrapped around him. He wanted to plunge deep inside her and take her until time dropped away. Until there was nothing but the two of them and the kind of passion he’d never found with anyone else.
“Christos, are you coming to bed?’
“In a minute.” Hell, he didn’t think a minute was going to be enough time to bring him down. All he could smell each time he breathed was her perfume. All he could taste lingering in his mouth was her. All he could see was Ava.
He told himself to take it slow but slow wasn’t in his programming with this woman. She was pure feminine temptation and he had her in his arms. He stepped purposefully toward her.
She sat up. “Wait! I forgot I have something special to wear tonight.”
“The choker I gave you earlier would be fine but anything else is a waste of time.”
“Please, Christos. It’ll just take a second.”
He nodded. He could deny her nothing tonight; she was so radiant.
“I left word for our bags to be unpacked.”
“I can find what I want to wear. Will you wait for me out there?”
He complied and then paced the outer room until she called him back.
She was wearing some silky thing that made her so desirable he barely noted what it was.
He crossed the room and took her face in his hands, staring down at her and then lowering his mouth. He tried to harness his passion this time so he didn’t overwhelm her. But the need that had been riding him since—hell, since he’d seen her at that boarding school in Florida—slipped out of his control.
His hips thrust against her as his hands slid down her back, finding the hem of the nightdress and pulling it up until he could caress her soft skin. Her thighs were firm and smooth and, as he caressed his way higher, he encountered only the smooth flesh of her buttocks.
He groaned deep in his throat, running his finger along the curves of her flesh, exploring her thoroughly. She said his name, a breathless gasp that told him she was right there with him. And then he traced his way between her legs.
“Christos…”
His name falling from her lips was exactly what he wanted to hear. “Loosen your top, Ava. Bare your breasts for me.”
She shivered in his arms. Her mouth found his and kissed him just as deeply as he had her a moment earlier. When she drew back she took his bottom lip between her teeth and nipped at it.
Her hands went behind her back to the tie that held the bit of silk up. The movement thrust her chest forward. His eyes narrowed as the fabric slowly parted from her body, slipping away from her skin. “Are you sure this is what you want?” she asked, teasing him now.
He left off caressing her and caught her wrists in one of his hands, holding them behind her back.
He lowered his head and pushed the fabric fully down from her chest with his other hand. And then he stared down at her breasts, creamy and full, their tips hard and straining. Hecouldn’t resist the invitation to take one nipple in his mouth, suckling at her. Her legs moved restlessly, one of them coming up to wrap around his hips.
He released her wrists and ran one fingertip around her aroused flesh. She trembled in his arms. Her fingers drifted down his back and then slid around front to work on the buttons of his shirt. But he was too impatient to wait for that. He set her on her feet and ripped his shirt open.
He growled deep in his throat when she leaned forward to brush kisses against his chest. She bit and nibbled, bringing him to the brink. No way could he wait another second.
He pulled her to him and lifted her slightly so that her nipples brushed his chest. Holding her carefully he rotated his shoulders and rubbed against her. Blood roared in his ears. He was so hard, so full right now that he needed to be inside of her body. The skirt of her nightgown bunched between their bodies and he shoved it out of his way.
He caressed her smooth thighs. She was so soft. She moaned as he neared her center and then sighed when he brushed his fingertips there.
He slipped one finger into her and hesitated for a second, looking down into her eyes.
