Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Tess tried to look composed as she lay against the pillows and waited for Mac to undress, but inside she was churning with anticipation. He had no idea what a beautiful body he had, and in the past she hadn’t allowed herself to admire it much, either. But that was then. This was now.
He’d worn a long-sleeved western shirt even though it was summer.
Like most cowboys, he kept mostly long-sleeved shirts in his closet, because they’d protect his arms from whipping branches on a wild cross-country ride.
If he got too hot, he’d roll the sleeves back, but Mac had come to her tonight in dress mode, the sleeves snapped at his wrists.
Slowly, he unsnapped them, his habitual movements executed with tantalizing care. Her heartbeat quickened. He was really going to do this for her.
She sipped her wine as he started on the top fastener of his shirt. Keeping his gaze on her, he made his way gradually down the row. Each soft pop of a snap was like the flare of a match lighting a new fuse. She hungered for each snap to release, each section of newly exposed skin.
He languidly pulled the shirt from his jeans so it hung open.
She waited for him to take it off. Memories flashed by, more potent than she’d realized, of Mac stripping off his T-shirt and using it to mop his face when he’d helped her parents paint their house one summer, of Mac lying bare-chested beside the river one hot afternoon, his fishing pole anchored in the sand, his hat over his eyes.
She’d enjoyed the view then — she wanted it now. Instead, as if to gently torture her, he walked over to a chair and sat down. He drew off one boot with great deliberation, and then the other, all the while keeping his attention on her. His socks followed.
He’s undressing because he’s going to make love to me. The thought washed over her like a caress, moistening her with need.
He stood and walked toward her. “I’ve decided two can play this game.”
“You have?” Her voice was breathy, not at all the way she normally sounded.
“You did a good job on the phone. If you unhook your bra for me now, I can watch.”
She trembled. Darkness had protected her during their first encounter, distance and a telephone line the second. She wanted to be bold and daring this time, to experience the wonders she’d only read about. Mac was asking her to do that.
Following his lead, she drank the rest of her wine and set the empty glass on the table next to his.
“And do it slow,” he murmured.
Heart pounding, she leaned back against the pillows and eased her fingers over the clasp holding the silken cups.
Then she waited as he took off his shirt and she could finally admire his sculpted torso.
With her eyes she traced the scar on his shoulder from a scrape with barbed wire, another on his arm from a run-in with a bull.
The scars only made him seem more masculine.
He was magnificent. No wonder she’d loved wrestling with him when they were teenagers. She wanted to do more than that now.
He stood, hands on hips, and lifted his eyebrows, clearly indicating it was her turn.
She applied pressure to the clasp and it gave way, but she held it closed as she reached up and slid one shoulder strap down.
Then she slid the other strap down. Slowly, slowly she allowed the garment to part and fall away, leaving only the pearl necklace and his daisies.
The chain of flowers caught on one nipple, causing it to pucker.
Instinct prompted her to brush the daisy chain across her other nipple, arousing it, too.
His gaze darkened and he sucked in a breath.
She paused and flicked her glance toward his belt.
His attention never left her breasts as he eased the buckle open and pulled the belt slowly from the loops. “Now touch them,” he whispered.
Her heartbeat ratcheted up another notch. Sliding both hands up her rib cage, she cradled the weight of her breasts, lifting them as if in offering. Then she drew her thumbs down over the nipples, caressing herself.
“Oh, Tess.” His hands shook as he unfastened his jeans.
The effect of sliding her thumbs over her breasts while he watched was incredible. Sensation poured downward to the juncture of her thighs, pooling and throbbing there, demanding satisfaction. Now she knew what fulfillment felt like, and she wanted it again.
He shoved jeans and boxers away, no longer measuring his movements.
The sight of his aroused body brought a quiet moan from her lips. Her desire had a shape now, as instinct made her aware of a hollowness that ached for what he could provide. More than release, she wanted to be filled.
He came to the edge of the bed. “You said you’d feed me.”
“Yes.” Her breathing was quick and shallow. “Whatever you want.”
“That’s good to hear.” His voice was husky as he put a knee on the satin sheets. “I see what I want.” He gently moved her hand aside and replaced it with his own.
At the remembered touch, her heart thundered in her chest. “Is there... anything I can do?”
“Arch your back,” he murmured.
She did, lifting her breasts.
He used his teeth to lift the daisies away. When he drew her nipple into his mouth, she gasped with the realization that she was nearly at the point of climax.
He’d had to coax her before, but no longer. Apparently this time she’d need only the fantasy they created in this room to become a wild woman. She hoped Mac was ready for that.