Chapter 50
‘Lauren…’
Marc’s eyes were wide in the dim light from the fire. His mouth looked so inviting, and her heart was beating nineteen to the dozen in response to the hunger in his eyes. A hunger that was belied by his trembling hand, clasped in hers.
‘It’s all right,’ she said softly, bringing one of his hands to her lips and kissing the backs of his fingers. ‘We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.’
‘Christ, Lauren, I want to.’ His voice was gruff and he licked his lips nervously. ‘I’ve been wanting to since our last kiss.’
‘Even with the black eye?’ Lauren joked gently.
She slipped a hand out of his, and raised it to his face, brushing her fingertips over the place where her head had collided with his face on Christmas Eve.
He closed his eyes, and leaned into her caress, and she felt the warmth of his skin under her palm.
‘It’s been a while,’ he murmured. ‘If I’m being honest, seeing you sitting there on the rug… it made me realise how much I want you.’
‘I want you, too,’ Lauren breathed. ‘But we can take things slowly.’ Lauren moved her hand to the nape of his neck. ‘Any time you want to, we can stop.’
‘Isn’t that normally the guy’s line?’ Marc gave a nervous laugh.
‘Hey,’ Lauren teased. ‘It’s the twenty-first century. Everyone has the right to say no.’
‘That’s not a word I’ll be using tonight.’ Marc leaned forward, and as their lips touched, Lauren’s eyes closed in relief and excitement. They’d been dancing around this: now, they were both ready.
Marc’s mouth was warm and tasted of coffee laced with brandy. She was grateful to Marc’s somewhat bratty younger brother for bringing over such a good quality bottle for Christmas. It had certainly helped to steady her nerves.
The kiss grew deeper and they stretched out on the soft sheepskin rug by the fireside.
‘It feels odd, not worrying about the boys,’ Marc said. ‘But also… brilliant!’ He gave a low laugh that rumbled against Lauren’s lips. ‘Thank goodness for Aunt Bella and Uncle Noah’s fabulous Christmas present.’
‘It was such a great idea.’ Lauren smiled. ‘I mean, Minecraft onstage? They’ll love it.’
‘And we get this place to ourselves for the night.’
Lauren felt a jolt of desire throbbing like an electrical current through her body. She’d thought about this for so long; she couldn’t quite believe everything had worked out so well.
‘That’s if you want to stay.’ Marc was looking adorably uncertain again. ‘I mean… you don’t have to…’
In response, Lauren wrapped her arms around his neck. This time, the kiss was deeper, more passionate and loaded with promise. Knowing they weren’t about to be interrupted by Liam and Luca was all the impetus they needed to take that final step.
‘It’s been a while,’ Marc breathed as Lauren pulled his white shirt out of his jeans. ‘I hope I can still remember how it goes.’
Lauren laughed. ‘I don’t think it’s something that you necessarily forget!
’ It had been a little while for her, too.
Her last boyfriend had left for pastures new about a year back, and even then, things had been casual.
This felt anything but. She slid her hands up under Marc’s shirt, luxuriating in the sensation of his warm skin against her palms, and flattered by the shiver that her touch evoked.
Although she knew they had all night, she desperately wanted to see what she was feeling, so removing her hands from underneath, she began to unbutton his shirt.
A honed chest, and a slightly ribby torso greeted her eyes.
She immediately had the urge to feed him up with as many sweet treats as he would tolerate.
His light olive skin was smooth to the touch, and a smattering of dark hair on his chest led tantalisingly downwards to his belt buckle.
‘Do I get to see you, too?’
Lauren, suddenly nervous, nodded. ‘Of course.’ She went to untie the bow on her wrap dress, but Marc’s hands got there first. ‘Allow me.’ Letting him pull the bow, she was reassured by the gasp of pleasure she heard as his hands ran over her hips, her waist and the sides of her breasts, encased in a pastel pink bra.
‘You. Are. Gorgeous.’ His verdict, between kisses, made her insides melt. And as he kissed his way from her lips to her neck, caressing the tender spot behind her ear, she let out a long, breathy sigh.
‘You’re pretty gorgeous yourself,’ she murmured.
‘I bet you say that to all your customers.’
‘Only the ones I want to sleep with!’
‘Then I promise not to make any jokes about delectable buns.’
‘Or buttering muffins…’
‘Or saucy tarts…’
‘Or well-risen loaves…’
The giggles and quips between kisses were relaxing them both.
‘You’re as daft as you are beautiful.’ Marc grinned at her. ‘And I’m glad.’
Lauren giggled. ‘I could say the same about you.’
The banter was helping, but as Lauren’s hands reached for the belt on Marc’s jeans, their expressions grew more serious.
‘Is this okay?’ Her hands hesitated on the brass buckle.
Marc nodded. ‘It’s okay.’ He glanced down at her hands, and then back up, to look her in the eye. ‘I, er, feel quite out of practice!’
‘I’ll be gentle.’ Lauren smiled and then moved her hand down.
‘You feel as though you’re getting the hang of it again.
’ Unbuckling his belt, she dealt with the fly on his jeans and, as her hand brushed over his groin again, she could feel how aroused he was.
Her mind was filled with images of what she so desperately wanted to see and feel; what she wanted Marc to see and feel.
Having undone his jeans, she shrugged out of her open dress, and for several minutes they lay together in just their underwear, warmed by the fire, the floor underneath them softened by the thick, indulgent texture of the rug.
Lauren thought she’d not have noticed if she was lying on a bed of nails, she was so caught up in the sensation of Marc’s semi-clothed body entwining with hers.
She’d always enjoyed that final step, that feeling of just a scrap of material between herself and someone else, almost as much as being naked.
All the same, she jumped when she felt Marc’s hand sliding under her knickers.
‘Is this okay?’ he breathed.
‘It’s more than okay.’ Lauren wrapped a hand around his and moved his fingers downwards. ‘See…’
Marc groaned into the kiss they were sharing and Lauren let out a sigh as his fingers began to work a subtle magic.
Soon, they’d lost the last of their clothing and her hands were working a spell of their own on his most intimate places.
The warmth of the fire and the rug kept the winter at bay, and the heavy curtains over the picture windows shut out the world, creating their own version of paradise as they touched and caressed one another, until a look passed between them that would take them forward.
‘I haven’t slept with anyone since a one-night stand last year,’ he said softly. ‘And I’ve had a medical for work recently. The company insists on it every year.’
Lauren grinned. ‘Your pillow talk is a real turn-on!’ She rolled on top of him. ‘I’ve got nothing to declare, but my friend, Cathy, did slip me a packet of condoms, in case we ended up in a situation like this.’
Marc, beneath her, burst out laughing. ‘Joel did the same for me!’
Joking about things toned down the tension a little, and Lauren was glad. She felt at ease with Marc, and making love felt just as natural. She leaned over to where her handbag was, just by the sofa, and pulled out a condom from the box in her bag. ‘Still sure?’
Marc, serious again, nodded. ‘Absolutely.’ Then, taking the packet from her, he did what was needed, albeit with a wry smile. ‘It’s been a while since I’ve needed one of these!’
‘Well, brace yourself,’ Lauren teased, to hide the sudden rise of nerves again.
‘I’m intending to make the most of you, while you’re down there.
’ She straddled him, and as they became joined, she felt a surge of blissful sensation.
Moving carefully at first, but, as Marc responded to her rhythm, with more assurance, it wasn’t long before they were both lost in their own tempo.
Their bodies moved with heat and passion, and as Lauren broke, she looked down to see Marc looking up at her through half-closed, lustful eyes.
His evident pleasure was enough to make her think that this was an experience she wanted to repeat while they had the house to themselves.
From the way he moved and thrust inside her, it was clear he felt the same.