Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
She couldn’t agree more. She wanted him the same way.
Xavier helped her step out of her dress before unceremoniously tossing it onto a chair in the corner. May undid her bra and threw it aside. Then she hopped on one foot at a time while tugging at her cowboy boots.
Did she look overly eager?
Maybe, but who the hell cared?
Xavier unbuttoned his vest and threw it on top of her dress. His space was as tidy as it’d been the first time she’d seen his bedroom. His bed was made. No overflowing hamper or clothes on the floor. Impressive.
She reached for the buttons on his collared shirt.
A shiver shook her shoulders, either from the chill on her bare skin or from excitement.
Maybe a bit of both. As she slipped each shirt button free, her hands began to shake.
And when she parted the fabric to reveal a chest she’d seen but had never touched, she was breathless.
She spread her fingers over his pectorals. His skin was warm and smooth, save for the scant bit of hair there. He untucked his shirt, which joined the pile of clothes.
Their clothes. Tangled in a heap.
Mmm. She liked that.
“Do you have any idea how many times I’ve dreamed of touching you?” She smoothed her hands down his torso, over the bumps of his abs, and back up again.
“Fuck. Don’t tell me that.” His eyebrows were closed over his nose like he was angry, his mouth pinched. “I would have let you, you know.”
“I know. I wasn’t letting myself have nice things at the time.”
“Tonight, that changes.” He cupped her breasts and pushed them together, abrading her nipples with the rough pads of his thumbs again. “You like that.”
It wasn’t a question. When he touched her like that, her eyes sank shut and her head fell back. “Very much.”
He continued gently pulling and tugging while she squirmed in place. Her hands reached forward of their own accord to unbuckle his belt. She might come from his touch alone if she wasn’t careful.
Overly eager, she silently warned herself again.
She cupped the bulge pressing against his suit pants and then drew down the zipper to give him room. When she glanced down, his member was saluting her, tall and proud. Her throat thick with want, she gripped his erection and gave it a firm squeeze.
A sharp exhale left his lips, ragged and filled with need.
He kept his eyes on hers, the column of his throat working as he swallowed.
She stroked him over his briefs, once, twice, admiring the view of his bitable neck beneath that neatly trimmed red-blond beard.
He seemed to forget what his hands were doing.
His thumbs and forefingers had frozen in place, her nipples loosely gripped between them.
Impatient to see the rest of him, she peeled down the waistband of his briefs and freed his cock. Oh. It was thick and long, curly, dark reddish hair at the stalk. The tip was round and pleasing, begging for her attention. She licked her lips.
“Jesus, woman.” He cupped her jaw with one hand, his nostrils flaring.
“It’s really something,” she told him with an unsteady smile.
He didn’t smile. Maybe he couldn’t. He moved his hand to hers and encouraged her to stroke him again—this time with nothing between them. She did as he wished, her own center going creamy with need. He was firm and solid beneath her palm, filling her hand.
She was half angry that she hadn’t allowed herself this pleasure until now. The other half of her was elated that she’d had the sense to say yes tonight.
“Okay, okay. Not going to last long if you keep that up.” His grin was wicked even as he said those words, hinting that he could keep it up as long as she could. But she didn’t blame him for pulling her hand away. She was ready for more as well.
He took off his shoes and socks and then his pants, discarding them to one side. He stalked toward her, completely naked. She fidgeted, twisting her fingers in indecision.
Her eyes skimmed the ink on his left arm, committing the bold lines to memory.
She didn’t know what to do first. So many options appealed…
“Panties off.”
The command sent a flood of desire through her body. She rolled the lace panties down her legs.
“Sit,” he instructed.
She did, her breasts bouncing with the movement. He leaned over her, his fists sinking into the mattress on either side of her thighs. Against her mouth, he said, “Climb a little higher.”
She scooted higher, wriggling her way up the mattress.
He followed on all fours, those incredible shoulders flexing like a jungle cat’s.
Lord, she hoped she would survive this. It’d been a hot minute since she’d been this excited.
She couldn’t recall literally shaking from pent-up desire before tonight.
“I cannot wait to taste you. Might not be back up here for a while.” He winked. “That okay with you?”
“Uh-huh.” She would have rolled her eyes at his presumption but lost the strength when he took her nipple onto his tongue.
Her legs fell open, welcoming his body between them.
His wet, hot mouth moved from one nipple to the other while she leaned on her elbows, head dropped back, enjoying every bit of it.
He didn’t linger there, instead peppering kisses onto her belly on his way south. He ran a finger along her damp seam, parted her folds, and then erased her mind.
Oh, God. Yes, please.
“That’s what I like to hear.”
Damn. She hadn’t realized she’d said that out loud. When she looked down, he was smiling up at her. God, he was handsome. And framed by her parted legs was her new favorite look on him.
“Ever had a guy with a beard like mine do this to you?”
She had to lick her dry lips to speak the word “No.”
“Good. I like being first.” He dove in with renewed fervor, slicking her tender bud with his tongue.
She’d forgotten how amazing this felt. Her hips bucked, thrusting her pussy firmly against his mouth. He didn’t mind, pushing his tongue inside of her before doubling his efforts on her clit again.
Her breaths were high and tight while she fought to hold on.
She couldn’t tell if she was feeling pleasure or pain or some decadent combination of both.
He tried a few different tactics—fast, then slow.
Heavy pressure and then light. She liked everything he did to her.
Seriously, if asked to rank what she liked best, he’d score tens all around.
Her new favorite place for her hands was nested in his hair. She twisted and pulled the strands and then tugged and smoothed them, riding his face while he worked. If he minded, it never showed.
She’d been on the edge of coming for a few minutes now. So very close, but something was in the way. She didn’t know if it was her racing mind, or if what he was doing to her felt too good, or if she was incapable of having an orgasm with a partner. It’d been a long time…
As if he’d sensed her struggle, he clamped one hand onto her thigh and climbed her torso with the other. When he reached a nipple and pinched, her mind went utterly blank. Those racing thoughts exploded like glass on ceramic tile, scattering to the four corners of the earth.
He tweaked and pulled her nipple as he licked and sucked, and before she knew it, her orgasm rolled over her like a twenty-foot wave.
The room went dark when she squeezed her eyes closed.
Her toes literally curled. One moment she’d been wondering why she couldn’t get there, and the next her hips were pumping, the pulse in her center pounding mercilessly.
A cry left her throat, her hands twisting the bedding. Sweat beaded her top lip, her forehead. Then she sagged, chest heaving, fingers relaxing. By the time Xavier had placed a kiss on the corner of her lips, her limbs were subtly jerking with aftershocks.
Eye to eye with her now, he pulled a hand down his beard. “You taste incredible. Like the best damn dessert I’ve ever eaten.”
She smiled—or at least she thought she did. She hadn’t regained control of her facial muscles yet. He grinned down at her, clearly proud of himself. He should be. That had been an award-winning performance.
“You don’t know how badly I needed that,” she croaked.
“I think I might.”
She slapped her hand over her eyes. “Overeager.”
“You talking about me or you?”
She peeked at him from between her fingers. “You’re too good to be true. First you bail me out of my ex’s wedding and then you give me the best orgasm I’ve had in a decade? Lou was onto something. I should pay you.”
Instead of being insulted, he laughed. Resting on his side next to her, his head propped on one hand, he said, “Sexual favors are an acceptable form of payment.”
“I bet.” She was grinning ear to ear now.
He tickled his fingers along her ribcage and then down to her belly button. Then up again to the valley between her breasts. She shivered, her body having cooled after her powerful release.
“How far you wanna go tonight?” He glided his fingers down one of her arms and up again.
She blinked over at him, startled. “What do you mean?”
He was dying to be inside her, had no doubts about how good it would be, but he wasn’t going to take advantage of her if she was feeling fragile after the long day.
“Tell me you’re not suggesting we’re done for the evening.” Her eyebrows sprang to the top of her forehead.
“I’m looking out for you. In case today was enough of an emotional ride—” That last word died in his throat when she grabbed his cock.
“You’re not getting off that easily.” She tugged on his dick and then asked the sweetest question he’d ever heard. “Would you like me on top?”
“Yes.”
She pushed him onto his back and straddled him.
He rested his palms on her plush hips. “I see your strength has returned.”
She smiled down at him, her dark curls framing her face, her breasts pushed together since her hands were resting on his chest. “Your turn to enjoy the skylight.”