Page 28 of His Secret Wish

“Shh. We don’t want to wake anyone.” She kept her voice low and pointed in the direction of the other bedroom doors.

He scooped her up, and she had to stifle a giggly shriek to not wake up the whole house. She slipped her arms around his neck. “You could warn a chica, you know?”

“Where’s the romance in that?”

“You’ve got me there.” She slipped her hand into his hair, loving the way it tickled her fingers.

He slipped into their bedroom and closed the door softly behind him. No point in waking the entire floor. His hold on her was gentle, almost reverent, and a warmth she didn’t understand rushed through her. It was the kind of feeling that made her want to cry.

Which was nowhere near what she wanted at the moment. Nothing would kill sexy times faster than bursting into tears.

She wiggled in his grip. “You can put me down now.”

He complied, lowering her to her feet, but keeping her within the circle of his arms. Not that there was much room, anyway. The floor was cold against her toes, and a shiver slithered through her.

“You’re cold.” He stared down at her, brushed his hands along her bare shoulders, along her arms.

“Only because you’re so far away.” She stepped up to him, pressed against him. She’d forgotten how good it felt, how much she liked being pressed against his hard, muscular frame. Which it seemed had only gotten harder and more muscular in the years they’d been apart.

He sank his fingers into her hair, tilting her head so he could capture her lips again. The kiss was hot and wet, and so full of need, it sent another shiver through her. Her skin tingled with awareness where it touched him, the sensation still there, even though they were both fully clothed.

The idea that it would feel a million times better when they were both naked sent a rush of heat between her thighs.

He pulled his lips from hers, trailed kisses along her jaw, down her throat. She closed her eyes, wanting to do nothing more than feel. The room was dark, the rain lashing against the high window making it moody and magical.

A gentle tug and her off-the-shoulder dress was lowered a couple of inches, just enough for the tops of her breasts to be revealed. She was too well endowed to not go with a bra, even when something required strapless, and her breasts were heavy and achy inside the cups.

He pressed kisses against her cleavage, teasing and tormenting her with his tongue and his lips. She groaned, and wrapped her arm around his head, slid her hand into his hair. Trying to coax him lower, to touch her where she needed him most. Her nipples were hard, aching for his touch, his lips, his tongue.

When he pulled away from her, she made a frustrated sound and tried to pull him back to her. He just chuckled, the sound low and a little sinister. The jerk. The sound skipped across her skin in the most distracting way.

“I want to see you.” He brushed past her and turned on the bedside table lamp.

She blinked at the bright light, taking a second for her eyes to adjust. And then he was back, right there in front of her, his gaze full of heat. His hair was disheveled from where her fingers ran through it, his lips swollen from their kisses, his cheeks flushed.

He was so beautiful, he stole her breath.

She grabbed the top of her dress and yanked it down. The elastic waist and shoulders slipped over her hips, and on to the floor with ease. Leaving her in nothing but her strapless bra and underwear. And not the sexy kind, either. The bra was fine, a beige silky thing that held her breasts up enough for her to get away with a strapless dress. Her panties, however, were just plain cotton briefs, white with little yellow daisies. If she’d known this was how tonight was going to end, she would have at least made a little effort.

The air was cool against her heated skin, and goosebumps sprouted on her belly and thighs.

Owen swallowed hard, his gaze traveling from the top of her head to the tips of her toes and back. His gaze met hers, and the heat in it had intensified to molten levels. The kind that burned away any doubts and fears that still lingered in her mind.

“Wow.” It was more a rush of breath than a word, and the reverence in his voice was incredibly flattering. Like, make you feel like a goddess flattering.

She didn’t know what to do with herself. Part of her wanted to luxuriate in the admiration because he looked like he was seconds away from falling to his knees. But there was still that little voice in the back of her mind, the one that compared her to all those models and actresses on television and online. The insidious little voice that told her the pounds she’d put on made her ugly and not worthy.

Swallowing hard, she resisted the urge to cover herself. “I’ve put on a little weight since... well, since the last time...” Why did her voice sound so weird? And why was she trying to justify anything? But she knew why. If it was anyone else, she’d tell them to stuff it and mind their own business.

But this was Owen. And he’d seen her at her best and at her worst, which was fine. Except, she wanted to be her best tonight. She wanted this to be special. It was a special night, a one-time deal. She wanted only good memories. Memories that would keep her happy and satisfied for a long time.

“Oh, mi cariño,” The awe in his tone made her spine straighten. The way he was looking at her, like she was the biggest slice of chocolate cake, and he was ready to dive in, no spoon required. “You look amazing. Your curves are even more incredible.”

As if to punctuate the compliment, he reached out and traced the dip of her waist, the roundness of her hip, with his fingers. They were hot against her skin, and more goosebumps erupted across her belly.

He planted his hands on her hips and maneuvered her around so her back was to the bed. The mirror over the bureau was the same width as the bureau, so she could see some of the room reflected in it, but the majority was blocked out by Owen’s wide shoulders.

“You’re wearing too many clothes.” She ran her fingers over his shoulders, down his arms. The muscles were taught, and mouth wateringly hot.