Chapter 6
"You resent it."
"Yes, dammit." His deep voice was harsh as he admitted it reluctantly.
"I don't. Loving you took me over completely.
First it was my career. I was driven to the point of near obsession.
I had to make it, mostly because of where I came from, and the other part was the fact that I loved acting.
Then there was you." Her fingers caressed his hard jaw, moving down to his firm chin.
"You consumed me and became first in my life, just like that. "
"And it doesn't bother you?" he asked, staring at her with narrowed eyes.
"No," she admitted with a husky laugh that sent heat pouring through his body. Just like that, her laugh, the sight of her, the feel of her pressed against him. He had never wanted anyone the way he wanted her. No one had ever come close.
"I love it." Her laughter faded. "I love you. I was willing to fight for you, for us. I love you and loving you has given me hope in mankind."
His eyes smoldered at her poignant speech, and he could feel his heart pounding. No one had ever spoken to him like this before, and it touched something deep inside him that he never knew existed.
"I've hurt you." His voice was harsh with disgust. "In my quest to tear you out of my heart, I've been foolish and I hurt you." His eyes glittered. "I won't promise that I will never hurt you again. It's in my nature to be an ass, but it won't be intentional."
"An ass?" she murmured, her brows arched.
"You know my reputation." His hands slid the sweater up until he could touch her bare skin. "I'm ruthless and uncaring and cold."
"All of that." She arched her back when he took the sweater off and tossed it aside.
"Hmm." He unhooked the delicate front clasp of her bra with a flick of his thumb.
"It never worked with you."
"For the space of a minute," she purred when he cupped her breasts, measuring them in his palms. "I saw right through you."
"I have a reputation to uphold." His eyes were turning molten as heat speared through his body.
"You do."
"You destroy that in a matter of minutes.
" Bending his head, he flicked his tongue over the rigid flesh, watching it harden even more.
"I love the taste of you." He pulled a nipple into his mouth.
Eliza felt the pull and tug straight to her core.
Digging her fingers in the thick denseness of his dark hair, she arched her back to give him more access to her flesh.
He took what she was offering, suckling hungrily until she was sure she was going to simply die from the intense pleasure.
He loved the nipple thoroughly before switching to the other. By this time, she was almost incoherent, her body moving on top of his as desire plummeted through her, leaving her dazed and wanting.
Samuel could feel her, every inch pressing against his thighs. He was bursting for her and could feel the passion through his pores. She was in his blood, inside his very soul. He still could not get used to the effect she had on him, but he was learning to embrace it.
"Right here," she was saying, her voice a breathless whisper.
"I want you in the bed-"
"No." He picked up on the urgency in her voice. She tugged at his sweater, pulling it free when he lifted his arms to assist her. A moan came from deep in her throat when she saw the bare skin of his chest.
"Let me-" Her breathing accelerated quickly. Spreading her hands over his chest, she felt the unsteady rhythm of his heart beneath her palm. Bending her head, she pushed him back so that she could get to his nipples. A groan tore from his throat when she took the tight bud between her teeth.
"Darling-" His fingers tangled in her hair as he surged upward. He was throbbing and incredibly painful.
"I have to-" Biting off a ragged curse, he lifted her enough to peel the skin-tight leggings off. His hands trembled as he trailed his fingers over her smooth thighs. Popping the flimsy sides of her lace panties, he turned her around so that she was straddling him.
"Let me get this off," he grunted.
"Hurry."
With fingers that felt like they did not belong to him, he finally managed to get rid of the rest of his clothing. When she sank down, taking him to the hilt, her warmth sheathing him like a glove, he almost passed out.
He had to take a minute. Fisting his hand in her hair, he tugged her head back, silver eyes gone dark with passion, staring at her parted lips. "I need you."
"Have me."
He closed his mouth over hers in a kiss that took everything from her.
The muscles in her flat stomach trembled, her nipples already aching from his thorough treatment, surging to life.
She rode him, slowly at first, undulating her hips, rocking back and forth in a way that was designed to send him clean out of his mind.
With one hand gripping her hair, he ravaged her mouth with a ruthless intensity that had tears springing to her eyes.
With his other hand, he sank his fingers in her hips, trying to control the movements as well as slow things down.
She came, the climax exploding through her like a tornado and wringing a cry from her that was swallowed by his mouth.
He was not far behind. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he thrust into her, his body lifting off the chair, the climax so shattering that it caused him to tear his mouth from hers in order to breathe.
His body still shuddering, he buried his face in her throat as he fought to control the passion still raging a fiery path through his body.
He dozed off right there with her wrapped around him.
His eyes flickered open, and to his surprise he was still buried deep inside her.
It took another minute for him to realize that she was knocked out, her head buried on his chest, her even breathing indicating deep slumber.
Carefully lifting his left wrist, he saw that it was almost two.
Shaking his head, he turned to stare at her.
At least she had shed the worries of the past two months and left them behind. He intended to make certain that for the week they were here, she would not think about anything resembling conception. Who knew? With them being so relaxed and carefree, it just might happen naturally.
Cautiously sliding forward, he wrapped his arms around her and rose.
He did not have to worry about waking her.
She simply burrowed deeper on his chest as he made his way into the bedroom.
Laying her down slowly, he pulled the sheets over her and went to stoke the fire that had gone down to dying embers before sliding in next to her.
She turned to him immediately, one arm snaking around his waist.
Easing his hand under her shoulders, he brought her against his side.
"I love you, darling," he whispered, his lips brushing her forehead.
It amazed him that he could admit to the powerful emotion.
She was the first woman he had ever declared his love for, and it had taken him months before he could say it.
She had been different. His wife had expressed her feelings for him long before he ever came to terms with what he was feeling.
Now it was like second nature to tell her. Sighing softly, he tucked his head on top of hers and drifted off, a sense of peace settling over him.
*****
The persistent nagging tickling on his neck finally broke through his subconsciousness and convinced him he wasn't dreaming.
His eyes slowly flickered open. The first thing that hit him was that the space next to him was empty save for the tangled sheets.
And the second thing was the snow drifting slowly on the window facing the bed.
"It's about time." He turned his head to see his wife sitting at his hip, fully dressed and layered up.
"Are we expecting company?"
Her smile widened at his frown.
"Nope."
"Are we evacuating?"
"No."
"Why are you dressed at-" He glanced at the clock. "Minutes to eleven?"
"Because I thought we could go and take a walk in the snow."
His thick dark brows lifted. "Is someone holding a gun to your head?"
"No." Her laughter sounded throughout the room and warmed his heart. Dragging himself up on the pillows, he caught her hand with the intention of pulling her on top of him. But she braced her hands on his bare chest to stop him.
"Darling, either get back in bed or, better yet, we put some blankets by the fire and I make love to you." He jerked his head at the window. "There's no way in hell I'm going out in that. We're indoors, where it's warm and cozy. It would be sheer madness to deliberately go out in the cold."
"You know how I love the snow."
"We could make love by the fire and watch it coming down," he suggested.
"Just one walk-" Her expression turned pleading, and he had the sinking feeling that he was going to succumb to her. "You know how deprived I was because of my childhood."
His eyes narrowed as he stared at her. "That's pretty low even for you."
Her innocent arched look did not fool him one bit.
"You're playing me."
She turned up the innocence a notch and lifted her eyes to his. "Would I do such a thing?" she asked softly. "I just want to feel the snow on my skin. I promise that we'll come back and make love by the fire. All day long." Her tone dripped with honeyed promise and had him going weak.
"You're good," he growled. "All right, fine. But you'd better have a full pot of coffee brewing by the time I get downstairs."
"Already on that." Leaning over, she pressed her lips against his in a kiss that had his blood pressure soaring. His hands went around her waist as he deepened the kiss.
She pulled away from him reluctantly. "Later," she promised.
With a sigh, he released her and watched as she made her way across the room. Stacking his hands behind his head, he pleasured himself just watching her hips swaying in the skin-tight leggings she was wearing.