27. The Payoff
27
THE PAYOFF
Mara
Waves of passion rocked me from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. How did Ford do this to me? How did he make my entire body light up like a Christmas tree with nothing but those tiny, chaste kisses that barely grazed my lips?
I was beginning to like this though. Each tantalizing touch had me anticipating the next. I’d heard about teasing someone with a feather during lovemaking, and Ford’s featherlight kisses finally made me understand why that could be arousing.
I had a moment of clear-headedness as I opened my eyes to look at him, but then his thumb grazed the tip of my breast through the fabric of my dress. I trembled, forgetting everything.
I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him closer. There was no way I could possibly let him go. Not now. God, I wanted this man.
I attempted to take control and deepen the kiss, but trying to move Ford Ross was like trying to move a boulder.
He wouldn’t let me take over. Instead, he maintained that soft, gentle pressure. That tender torment.
Finally, I gave up on wresting control from him and instead gave in to the perfect agony of those exquisite kisses. So far, I’d let him lead us to this point. Let him set the pace. After all, he’d gotten me into my current state of overwhelming arousal with just those soft brushes of his mouth. What came next might be even better.
His lips trailed along my jaw. Kissing me gently. Skin against skin. Lips against neck.
I shivered.
I dropped my hands to my sides as I let him lead the way, surrendering. A moment later, the fingertips of both his hands grazed my palms, sending jolts of awareness and electricity coursing up my arms and through my body. I hadn’t been touched in such a gentle way during a seduction since high school, but my former teenage body had never reacted this intensely.
He dragged his lips down my neck—gently—tenderly, then grazed the juncture between my legs with his hand—lightly—delicately.
My entire body reacted, and I immediately trembled with need. My mind gave way as my body took over. My arms flew around his shoulders, and I kissed him with every iota of the need and urgency burning through me.
Finally, he responded with equal intensity, his mouth devouring mine. I melted. Tasting, thrusting, retreating, exploring. I shuddered in his arms, barely able to remain standing.
He shifted his weight, turning us both toward the stairs.
“Let’s go up to your apartment.” He put his hand on the base of my spine and guided me in front of him.
My body felt uncoordinated as I took the first two steps. I stumbled slightly, grabbing the stair rail to keep from falling. Then I turned abruptly and sat on the third step from the bottom. I reached up, enveloped Ford in my arms and legs and pulled him close. We weren’t going to make it to my apartment —not if I had anything to say about it. I wanted him right here, right now.
He chuckled as he braced his hands against the step behind my head and lowered himself to kiss me. His kiss wasn’t purely teasing or tantalizing. It was slow, deep, and thoroughly breathtaking. He shifted his body so that the length of him grazed against every part of me, making millions of my nerve endings vibrate with joy. His erection pressed against me in exactly, perfectly, precisely the right spot to drive me wild with want.
“Let’s go upstairs” he said. His breath teased my neck as he spoke.
I was suddenly aware of the hard edges of the steps digging into my lower back and shoulders. A soft bed definitely sounded appealing. He helped me to my feet, and then took hold of my hand and all but dragged me up the staircase. I loved this combination of rough and tender from him. Clearly, there was a part of him that couldn’t wait to get more of me—just like I couldn’t wait to get all of him.
On my landing, we only let go of each other long enough for me to unlock the door and push it open.
I grabbed his shirt, yanked him inside, and then wrapped my arms around him again.
I was immediately brought up short by a sharp, insistent bark.
Zephyr.
He needed to go out.
I slumped, collapsing against the wall, frustrated beyond endurance. “Zephyr needs to go out.” My heart wailed against the interruption as I gestured toward the leash on the table next to us. “It’s our routine.”
Ford exhaled. “I’ll take him.”
He began to loosen his grip on my hand, but I couldn’t seem to let him go. Instead, I tightened my hold.
One more kiss. That’s all I needed. Famous last words? Or thoughts? Or whatever…
I leaned into him, pressing my mouth against his.
His other arm wrapped around my waist. He backed me up against the wall and pressed his entire body deliciously against mine. When he released his hand this time, he slid it down my waist, over my rear, and grabbed hold of my thigh, pulling my leg up to wrap around his waist.
This. Yes. This.
I let out a shuddering breath as I took hold of his shoulders with both hands and pulled him to me like a drowning woman grabbing hold of a lifeline.
In this position, my skirt was conveniently hiked up around my waist. He grazed his fingers against the thin fabric of my thong as I unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. I wanted him closer. In me. All of this teasing had my body on overdrive. All I knew was that I needed him. Now.
I reached inside his boxer briefs and found what I was looking for. My eyes widened. Holy wow. His length was solid in my palm. I slid my thumb across the tip of his erection and found a slippery droplet there.
He took hold of my wrist, stilling my hand. “I have a condom.”
I’d nearly forgotten. Thank god he hadn’t. “Put it on. Now.”
He backed away, pulled the foil packet from his pocket, lowered his pants, and rolled on the protection. He was back in my arms an instant later.
I hitched my leg around his waist again as he backed me against the wall and pressed against my entrance. I was so wet and ready for him that he was able to slide right inside me. I let out a groan of instant pleasure—of exquisite relief.
He echoed it with a deep-throated moan.
Having him enter me was... transcendent. The man fit perfectly. As if our bodies had been made for each other. He began moving. Small thrusts at first, then stronger ones.
His breath came softly against my neck. “Grab hold of me.”
I wrapped my arms around him, and he lifted my other leg and wrapped it around his waist as he gripped my bottom to hold me up. He pressed me against the wall, thrusting deep into me.
His slick length glided inside me, and each thrust lifted me to heights of pleasure I’d never experienced before—at least not in this way—not so suddenly and in such an all-consuming way. The buildup of the last two days amplified my body’s every response until, with surprising speed, an orgasm swept through me, surprising me.
I let out a deep, keening moan of pleasure. My orgasm was intense. Earth-shattering. Waves of pleasure rocked me, and for moment, I thought my heart might stop.
I’d never experienced such an intense orgasm. How could this have happened on our first try? Where was the bad sex that improved over time? If it was this great starting out—that meant…
My brain short-circuited as I tried to imagine how much better this could get between us.
Is this what two days of pent-up sexual frustration did to me? No, this wasn’t about waiting two days. I’d waited a lifetime for this man’s touch. His impact. I’d never had an orgasm like this.
Still shuddering, spirals of passion flickered outward through my limbs. I felt boneless.
Ford kept moving. Thrusting. Yes. This was perfect. He was perfect.
Almost immediately, my body began quickening again. Was I about to have a second orgasm? For the first time in my life?
Ford slowed and then did some amazing swirling motion with his hips that sent my head spinning as another intense wave of pleasure built up and then slammed into me. My head fell back against the wall as another orgasm pummeled through me. I was completely shaken to my core.
My eyes squeezed tight as my entire body began to tremble. My mouth opened in a scream, but nothing came out… at first. Finally, the sound I made was inarticulate and animalistic. I’d never uttered a noise like that before. That came from me?
Ford. What had he done to me?
He moved his hand down to stroke my clit, but it was too much. I couldn’t stand it—hell, I couldn’t even stand up . I was slick beneath his touch, and soon I sensed a third orgasm welling within me.
He continued to thrust, but then his entire body stiffened, and he arched, trembling. Mind blown, my third orgasm hit its peak, and I clung to him as he pressed so deep into me I felt the pulse of his release.
Just as my weak legs began to give out, he let go of one of my thighs and carefully lowered my foot to the floor.
He steadied me, which was good since I felt wobbly. Transformed. And completely, utterly satisfied.
Even so, I knew I wanted to do that again.
Soon. In fact, almost immediately.
“That—that was amazing.” Greedy. That’s what I was. A greedy, greedy girl.
He leaned his forehead against mine. “Amazing is right.”
“ You’re amazing.” I lifted my lips to his and he pulled me close as we shared a long, lingering kiss.
A moment later, Ford sighed and stepped back, withdrawing from me. He removed the condom, wrapped it in a tissue from the nearby box on the hallway table, then padded into the bathroom to dispose of it.
I couldn’t move from the spot where he’d left me propped against the wall. My head was spinning as I stared down at the floor. I glanced up when he came back in. He grinned when he saw the state I was in, then kissed me on the bridge of my nose. Before I realized what was happening, he was buttoning his jeans.
I could only stare at him in confusion. “You’re leaving?”
“Not on your life,” he said, his eyes filled with a promise of things to come. “You won’t get rid of me that easily. We’ll be right back.” He grabbed Zephyr’s leash from the table and gave a sharp whistle. “Come on, boy. Let’s take a walk.”
Zephyr obediently trotted over from his pillow next to the sofa where he’d apparently been waiting patiently.
I slid open the drawer of my hall table and handed him my spare key. “It works on both doors.”
After he left, I managed to peel myself off the wall and wash up in the bathroom. I caught a glimpse of my riotous hair in the mirror. When had that happened to my cute ponytail? It must have been when we were on the stairs. My reflection grinned with satisfaction. The version of me in the mirror looked much more relaxed and... um… well-shagged than she had in a very, very long time.
The front door opened and closed. Ford hadn’t been gone long, so Zephyr must have done his business in record time. I heard water running in the kitchen sink as Ford washed up.
Zephyr nudged the bathroom door open to check on me and greeted me with a broad doggy grin and a tail wag that shook his entire body.
“Were you a good boy for Ford?” I ruffled his head and he followed me out of the bathroom.
As I sauntered into the foyer, Ford entered from the kitchen. He couldn’t seem to take his eyes off me.
“Thanks for taking Zephyr out,” I told him. The sexy spark in his eyes made my heart go thump.
“Glad to help.” He closed the distance between us in a flash. “Now, where were we?”
My body responded to the huskiness of his tone.
Greedy body.
Greedy me.
“Um... I don’t recall.” I inched closer. “Maybe you could remind me.”
“Maybe I can.” He slid his hands down my back, caressing me.
“Ah... It’s all coming back to me,” I managed to say. A sigh left my lips.
“Is it now?”
“Maybe this time we can manage to make it into my bedroom,” I suggested. “With an emphasis on the word ‘bed.’”
“I still need to give you that massage.”
I grabbed hold of his hand and dragged him down the hall. “Massage-smassage,” I said, sending him a naughty glance over my shoulder. “I have other plans for you.”