Page 31 of Air Affair

She shuddered as he increased his pace, putting a finger inside her. He groaned as she pulsed around him. They were hidden in plain sight up here. As always, she thrived on the risk, showing no hesitation about being so exposed.

“Oh, Hank. I’m going to…” He added another finger, and she rocked against him. The throbbing waves of her release began to clench around his fingers, and he held her tight, determined to keep her steady and safe. She trembled against him, making his own arousal so intense he thought he was going to burst like a green boy.

He ached to strip off her dress and slide into her, feeling her heat and slick wetness on his cock. But he promised himself he wouldn’t. She wasn’t his and never could be. It would be too much to ask. There couldn’t be any unwanted consequences from tonight. They couldn’t risk it.

As her climax subsided, she turned slightly and looked over her shoulder at him. He was sure he’d never seen anything as erotic as her face in that moment—her kiss-stung lips, bedroom eyes, and afterglow.

He turned her and claimed her lips, kissing her softly even as he strained to keep himself from climbing on top of her and making her his in every sense.

Panting between kisses, she said, “I’ve never felt anything like that. I didn’t know it was possible to feel like that.”

Did she have any idea what she was doing to him? He was trying to keep control, but everything she said and did pushed him closer to the edge.

They stumbled together back to the blanket where they collapsed in a tangle of limbs. He kissed her deeply, struggling to hold back and take things slowly. She was so languid and dreamy after her release, stretching beneath him like a cat.

Determined to keep his head, he rolled off of her and simply held her for a long moment as they gazed at the stars together.

As some modicum of sanity returned, he murmured in her ear, “Champagne?”

She grinned and traced a finger down his cheek. “That would be lovely.”

Sitting up, he pulled the champagne from his satchel, opened it, and poured two glasses. The cost of the champagne was extravagant, but the store said it was the best they had. He wanted to do this right.

She held up the glass. “To surprises,” she said. “This might be the best surprise I’ve ever had.”

He clinked his glass against hers and took a sip. The champagne was worth the price, he decided. It tasted like sparkling stars on a summer’s night. He picked up a strawberry and held it to her lips. She half bit, half sucked it off its stem, and said, “Mmm,” upon tasting it. He had no choice but to kiss her. The strawberry and champagne lingered on her lips.

“You taste like heaven,” he said.

“You taste like temptation,” she answered, placing a strawberry against his lips. He sucked it from its stem, letting the flavor explode in his mouth. It was perfect. She was perfect. He had no business falling for her, but he absolutely was.

“I should stay away from you, you know,” she said, taking another drink and looking off into the night. “My father is going to disown me if he finds out I’m with anyone other than Edward, not to mention what he would do to you.”

While he suspected that was the case, his stomach tightened at hearing it stated so baldly. It was too much of a risk for her to take for him. And while he told the senator he didn’t care if he was sent back to the front, the truth was he was rather attached to the job he had now, and her father would almost certainly see to it that Hank was assigned to something he wouldn’t return from. There was a difference between risking death and walking into it, eyes wide open.

“We can’t ever do this again,” he said. “There’s too much at stake.”

She nodded without looking at him. “Let’s forget about all of that for now, though. We’re here and the rest of the world can go hang for all I care.” Taking a long drink, she put her hand on his leg.

Her touch, so close to where he needed it, made him close his eyes and bite his lip.

“You want me,” she said. “I want you. Let’s make each other feel very, very good, shall we?”

11

Rory wanted Hank naked, though she didn’t suppose she could get her wish up here. He took off his jacket, but it wasn’t nearly enough. He was still wearing a vest, a shirt, and socks, as well as a union suit beneath. His shoes, like her own, were discarded beside the blanket.

Climbing into his lap, she straddled him, and he groaned. “Rory, you’re playing with fire. I only have so much self-control.”

She wished she had a phonograph record of him saying, “Rory, you’re playing with fire,” over and over. That voice did things to her.

So did his cock, the bulge of which she could feel nestled between her legs, right where she wanted it. Such a shame there was so much fabric in the way. It was past time to get rid of some clothing.

She started with his vest, unbuttoning it, and sliding it off his round, muscular shoulders. Then she began to work her way down the buttons of his shirt, one by one, listening to his ragged, uneven breathing as she progressed. He inhaled sharply when she pulled the shirt from his waistband but didn’t stop her.

As she peeled off his shirt, she finally got an unobstructed view of his powerful arms. His sleeveless union suit still hid his chest, but she could see its contours clearly beneath the thin, summer fabric. She kissed down his neck and nipped at his shoulder. Good Lord, he was lovely to look at. If she had all the time in the world, she would trace each muscle with lips and tongue, tasting his shape. But tonight, there was not the time for that. No, she had other things in mind.

When she started to unbutton his union suit, he brushed her hand away. “My turn now,” he said. Wrapping his arms around her, he began unbuttoning her dress. Before long, the dress loosened and gaped, revealing the top of her chemise and corset. He slid her sleeves and the straps of her chemise off her shoulders and feasted on the newly revealed skin. Then he reached in to free her breasts, teasing her nipples with his rough fingers. He gasped at the sight of her. “So perfect. Even more beautiful than I imagined.”