Chapter Eleven #3
While Andrea disappeared upstairs with the flashlight, Seth took a moment to compose himself.
Since the moment she’d shed her jacket at the party earlier that evening, his senses had been in overdrive.
And now, in what would otherwise be an inconvenient situation, he found himself about to spend the night with the most interesting and beautiful woman he’d ever met, and despite his overwhelming desire, make sure she felt safe and comfortable in his presence.
The thing was, as much as his innermost drive wanted Andrea, he felt this strange sensation of calm, like he could give her all the time in the world to get to the place where he was.
He had no issue exercising patience, and just the inkling of a promise that one day she would be open to him was more exciting than any one-night stand or fling he’d had in the past.
Andrea was a woman worth waiting for.
“Hopefully this will be enough,” Andrea said, reappearing at the base of the stairs, her arms piled with duvets and a couple of pillows.
He stood up to help her with some of what she was carrying, and as she passed him half the pile, he took in the gentle swell of her pink lips, and the constellation of freckles that adorned her fair skin.
Her hair was tied back in a ponytail now, and even in her fleece button-up shirt, the curves of her lovely figure were on full display. “Thanks,” she said.
Seth helped her cover the couches with fitted sheets much too large for the cushions, then a thick duvet on each one. They’d be warm enough as long as he kept the fire going.
“My first overnight guest,” she said.
“We didn’t discuss the rate,” Seth said. “Or if there are any upgrades available.”
Andrea grinned. “Given the circumstances, I think a comped stay is in order. And I’d offer you the walk-out suite. It has great views of the mountain range, and a pretty nice jetted tub…”
“But I’d rather be here. With you,” he said, the truth escaping without a second thought. Her playful expression shifted at his words, and as he waited for her response, he detected a flicker of desire in her eyes.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she said, her voice suddenly low and breathy.
Seth nodded and watched as she placed the pillow she was holding down on the couch, and moved to where he was standing.
“I’m glad you’re here, but I’m also kind of terrified at the same time,” she said quietly.
“You don’t need to be afraid of me,” Seth said. He stroked the soft skin of her palm with his thumb. “I’m not going to try anything on you. And I’m not expecting you to want the same thing as me.”
“And what’s that?” she asked.
“I think you know very well what that is,” he said. “I want you. Every part of you. But like I’ve already told you, I’m willing to wait.” As he said it, he thought it might just kill him, but he was resolved.
“That’s what I want too,” she said. Her words stoked the flames of desire burning inside him. “But it scares the hell out of me.”
For a moment, Seth was stunned into silence.
He’d never met a woman so independent…and so honest. It was a huge turn-on.
He wasn’t sure why the idea of being with him scared her, but he was glad her uncertainty was coupled with anything resembling the way he was feeling right now. But still, he would follow her lead.
“If you’re willing to share,” Seth said, his voice low and warm, each word crackling with the same intensity of the firelight dancing in Andrea’s eyes, “I’d really like to know what it is that you want.
And I’d be very happy to oblige.” He let her hand find its place on his waist, the touch both grounding and electric.
His eyes never left hers as he gazed down at her, moving in slightly, close enough to draw in the sweet scent of her shampoo.
Andrea didn’t answer right away, the silence between them stretching like a charged current.
Without breaking eye contact, she reached for his hand.
Her fingers were warm against his as she guided him, deliberately, up the soft fabric of her shirt.
His pulse hammered more quickly with every inch of her that he grazed.
“I want you to touch me,” she breathed, her voice barely audible.
She brought his palm to rest right over her chest, and he could feel the faint, rapid beat of her heart against his hand.
Seth took a slow breath in and couldn’t help the sound that escaped his throat at the feel of Andrea’s breast in his hand. “Alright,” he managed. “You just tell me what might feel nice.”
Her gaze softened, vulnerability flickering behind her confidence, then she closed her eyes slightly and parted her lips.
“Kiss me,” she whispered, her invitation like a breath of oxygen after being trapped under water.
He dipped down and swept his lips across hers, which were soft and warm.
If it ended here, he could die happy. But judging by the way her lips slowly began moving more hungrily against his, he knew she wasn’t finished.
He felt the gentle tug at the collar of his shirt and met her gaze as she pulled back slightly, her lips curved in an inviting smile. “Come here,” Andrea said, her voice still soft, yet commanding. She guided him gently to the couch, where he sat to await his next instructions.
One knee at a time sinking into the couch, Andrea straddled his lap and sank into him, kissing him again, and surprising him with her boldness.
Her uncertainty appeared to be melting away.
She shifted, breaking the kiss, and began a slow, deliberate trail along his jawline.
The touch of her lips and the warmth of her breath sent a shiver down his spine, making him exhale sharply.
He couldn’t help but reach his arms around her small waist, pulling her in closer.
“I’m very warm,” she whispered in his ear.
The soft heat of her breath and the slight rasp of her voice made him quake.
He steadied himself and placed his hands under the hem of her shirt, trailing his fingers along the smooth skin above the waist of her jeans.
She nodded, and in one swift movement, he pulled her top over her head to reveal a navy lace bra covering the most beautiful breasts he’d ever seen.
He allowed himself a moment to feast on the exquisite sight of her chest rising and falling, her smooth porcelain skin begging to be touched.
“That better?” he murmured, enjoying the flush in her cheeks. A few strands of her hair had escaped from her ponytail, and she looked free, and a little bit wild.
“A bit,” she said. She pressed a hand against his chest until he was fully lying back against the cushions, Andrea still in his lap. He almost groaned at the layers of fabric between them as he pulled her hand up to his mouth, kissing her fingertips. “What next?” he asked.
Her lips turned up slightly. “Aren’t you warm too?” she said. She reached out and tugged gently on the collar of his shirt. “I want to see you.”
He sat up as she moved to the spot beside him on the couch and lay back, her long red waves pooling over the pillow, her blue eyes filled with anticipation. Andrea was stunning. She was radiant. She was a goddamn work of art.
* * *
Andrea watched from what felt like a hazy dreamlike state where rational thoughts evaporated a moment after they formed.
Her pulse thrummed through her veins as Seth unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off onto the couch beside them.
His torso was even more incredible than she’d imagined.
Sculpted pecs, bulbous biceps and abs so firm and defined she could imagine skipping a rock off them.
He gazed at her, so tender and wanting. She felt sexy.
Desirable. But most of all, she felt in control, and this emboldened her.
She started to unbutton her jeans, but Seth moved her hand aside and relieved her of the task, then slid her jeans off and dropped them on the floor.
She gazed at him, enjoying how he was waiting for her to tell him what to do next.
“Kiss me again,” she said, lying back farther, allowing him access to anywhere he felt like putting his lips.
Seth kneeled on the couch, his strong frame covering her.
She reached out to graze the thick muscles of his arms as he pressed his lips lightly on her collarbone, then trailed his mouth down toward the lacy edge of her bra.
She felt him reach behind her and unhook it, and then watched as he nudged the fabric aside and took her nipple in his mouth, his tongue drawing circles around it, stoking the fire between her legs.
She did her best to savor Seth’s slow, methodical attention to her body, but her patience had limits.
“I’m still warm,” she said softly.
Seth looked up, his ice-blue eyes filled with an intensity that made her breath catch. “Want me to crack a window?”
Andrea shook her head, then leaned in and brought her lips to his ear and allowed her instincts to take over. He wanted to please her, and she was going to let him. “No,” she whispered. “I want you to make me sweat.”
Seth’s throat vibrated with a low, throaty growl. “Is that right?” he asked playfully, pulling back and looking at her with a sly grin on his perfect lips.
“I want you,” she continued, any trace of trepidation long disappeared. “I want to feel you inside me.”
The smile on his face slowly disappeared as Seth nodded, his expression shifting to resolve. “Whatever you want, baby,” he murmured, and then he was kissing her again, deeply, intently, as though she belonged to him and him only.
Andrea felt his hand move below the elastic of her underwear, his fingers deftly gliding from her wetness to her clitoris, which he began stroking gently, eliciting a low moan of satisfaction from her. “Yes,” she breathed, her breath quickening with every small circle he traced.
He continued to pleasure her, all the while his tongue moving against hers until she had to pull her face away, and concentrate solely on the waves of exhilaration Seth was making her feel. “Yes,” she whispered, her breathing become more shallow and quick. “Yes, Seth.”
With two fingers inside her, and his thumb continuing to stroke her, she arched her back and felt herself giving in to the sublime perfection of Seth’s touch.
She felt it coming too fast, too soon. Her thighs tightened instinctively to slow him down, but in a moment of ecstasy, she surrendered, gasping as Seth brought her to climax.
She sat up, shuddering lightly, her body pressed against his firm chest, her entire body pulsing with satisfaction.
“You okay, gorgeous?” he whispered in her ear, and all she could do was nod, her cheeks burning hot.
“Yes,” she finally managed, but she was more than okay. She was sparkling.
It was everything, and still not enough.
After she got a hold of her breath, Andrea kissed him again, then reached down and ran her palm across Seth’s hardness through his jeans.
It was all the invitation he needed to stand up and shrug them off, followed by his boxers, and he stood in front of her, his impressive erection a promise of continued pleasure.
She watched in anticipation as he extracted his wallet from his jeans and removed a condom, ripping the foil wrapper and gazing at her, his eyes filled with need, the fire crackling behind him.
Andrea lay back on the couch, drinking in the sight of his naked, muscular frame glowing in the faint light of the flames.
In a moment, he was on top of her again, waiting for her invitation.
She parted her legs and allowed him to move into the space between them, then took him in her hand and guided him inside her, an easy task after what he’d just done for her.
Seth let out a low, rumbling groan as he entered her.
He began to slowly thrust in and out, but Andrea wanted more.
She grasped his waist, guiding him deeper inside.
Their bodies moved in tandem, silently speaking to one another as the glow of the fire continued to warm their bodies despite the storm raging outside.
Even though she’d already climaxed once, Seth was attentive, quietly asking her what she wanted, what felt good.
Feeling him inside her, seeing the determination and desire in his eyes—it was better than any fantasy she’d had of her and Seth together.
The chemistry that had already existed between them before this moment had ignited, and it seemed like lunacy that she’d even for a moment thought she should keep Seth at bay.
“Faster,” she whispered, when it was clear he was holding back for her sake. But she wanted it to be about him now, and he seemed happy to oblige.
And when he finished, he lay on his side and pulled her in close beside him, kissing her deeply through his heavy breathing.
Andrea was floating on a wave of bliss. It was physical, but that wasn’t it. She wanted Seth, every part of him, and as she melted into his arms, it still didn’t feel close enough. She inhaled deeply, savoring the warm, spicy notes of his aftershave, and the firmness of his chest against her cheek.
They lingered in the moment, wrapped up in each other. Seth ran his fingers through her hair, the soft crackle of the fire filling in the silence. And when Andrea found his lips again, he accepted her silent invitation to have her once more.
The night hours blurred as they lost themselves in each other, finally drifting off into a blissful, exhausted sleep.