CHAPTER 2 #3
He didn’t mind, it seemed, because he groaned and angled his head, deepening the kiss.
This time, she couldn’t suppress a soft moan.
His hands were on her backside now, cupping gently, then kneading, becoming more and more urgent as she ran her hands over the fabric of his vest and began to feverishly undo buttons.
The last one came undone. She made quick work of the remaining shirt studs and then tugged the fine cotton out of the confinement of his waistband.
She leaned back to take him in and knew the way he looked would be emblazoned in her mind forever: blond hair mussed, bright blue eyes gleaming with lust, with his shirt and vest parted, revealing the most well-defined chest she’d ever seen.
As if his face weren’t handsome enough. The beauty fairy hadn’t sprinkled dust with a wand; she’d emptied her entire supply all over Ian.
And, oh, what those bulging tux trousers were hiding … heat pooled, tingling, between her thighs at the knowledge.
“You’re—” She bit back the words. Too much to say to him.
“I’m what?”
You’re beautiful.
He sat on the bed, looked up at her, then took her hands and placed them on his chest. She felt his heartbeat, strong and steady, beneath her fingertips, bringing out everything aggressively primal she didn’t know she possessed.
She smoothed her hands over his pecs down to a ripple of washboard abs.
She brushed her thumbs over his nipples, and her own pebbled as if in sync.
He reached to pull her closer, between his spread knees. “You don’t play fair.” That half-smile again, the dimple making a brief appearance.
“Who says I’m playing?” Unable to stop herself, she leaned in and traced the outlines of his muscled torso, drawing a shudder from him.
He homed in on her breasts. “You have me at a disadvantage.”
For a long moment, he kept his hands on her hips and let her touch him, surprise and wonder tempering the fire that burned in his eyes.
Claire smoothed her hands over his pecs, catching his nipples between her fingers. He jumped. Clamping his knees together, he hauled her to him, imprisoning her between powerful thighs. “I can play dirty too, Penny.”
God, yes, please play dirty.
“Oh, really?” She hadn’t intended to sound so challenging, but it sparked something wicked in his eyes.
“Take off your dress.”
She held his smoldering gaze a moment longer, then reached behind her to grasp the zipper pull. She inched it down as far as she could, listening to the sound of his ragged breathing mingling with that of metal teeth coming apart.
“Undo me.” She leaned into him, her hair grazing his shoulders.
“Oh, I fully intend to do just that.” He reached around and eased the zipper down.
She straightened. He unclamped his thighs, and the dress pooled softly at her feet.
His heated gaze traveled the length of her. “Quite elaborate. Do you always dress like that underneath your clothes?”
She looked down at her green silk bodysuit and shrugged one shoulder. “I like to feel pretty.”
It was her secret therapy. When she got stressed or angry, she went lingerie shopping. Lately, she had amassed quite the collection.
His hand caressed her backside over the silk, the glide of the fabric enhancing what his hand was doing.
“Pretty is an understatement.” He fingered the spaghetti straps, his eyes lingering over the sheer mesh and lace covering her breasts.
“It’s sexy as hell. And so are these.” He ran his fingertips over the wide band of her thigh-high stockings, then slid both hands between her thighs. “Your skin is so soft here.”
Her knees wobbled a little. She gripped his shoulders to brace herself.
“So, so soft.” He hooked a finger under the edge of the lace, sliding over her sensitive flesh, back and forth, then circling, sending a million shockwaves deep inside her.
Claire gasped. She closed her eyes, head falling back.
“So ready for me again.” His voice was barely audible, his touch electric.
“Yes,” she whispered, pushing into his seeking hand, completely unashamed.
He stopped abruptly, leaving her throbbing with need. Eyes never leaving hers, he lowered one spaghetti strap, then the other.
“Pull this down for me. Let me see you.”
God. He could have done it himself, but he wanted to watch. She pulled the top of the suit down, turning it into a silk shelf that held her full breasts up like an offering.
Ian made a deep rumbling sound. “I knew these were real.” He brought two wet fingers to trace around the underside of one breast. “You have spectacular breasts and beautiful pink nipples, Penny.” His gaze was scorching. “Did you know you can come just from nipple play?”
She shook her head. Her breath was hard and fast now, in sync with his. His words and feather-light touch had her clenching to the point of near pain, and she thought she would die if she didn’t feel his hands on her. She was in a state of hyper-awareness where everywhere he touched sparked fire.
But Ian was in no hurry, it seemed. His fingertips slowly traced back and forth over the top of her breast in a semicircle, over and over again.
“It takes time,” he said, “and relaxation. But first, we have to get comfortable. Permission to take these off?” He motioned toward his lap. “Or do you want to undress me … again?”
She stared at him. His half-smile was devastating. Everything in her wanted to unzip him and tear off the rest of his clothes, but the idea of him disrobing for her …
She swallowed. “Take them off.”
“All right, I’ll strip for you,” he smoothly said. “Eyes on mine.”
The way he said it made her breath hitch. Eyes never leaving hers, he turned his wrist and flipped the toggle of one onyx cufflink, then did the same with the other. He shrugged out of his shirt and vest. His shoes and socks hit the floor next.
His hands went to his trouser button. It was taking everything she had not to look down, but the erotic web he was spinning was literally breathtaking. So, she remained locked on him, looking into those blue depths, watching his pupils slowly dilate.
She could see the motion of his upper arms and shoulders and heard the zip when he undid his trousers. Of their own accord, her eyes flicked down, unable to resist, and the brief glimpse of his beautiful hands over the half-open zipper took her breath away.
His fingers stilled. She looked up to find him wearing the half-smile that made that killer dimple flash.
Her eyes drifted shut with sensory overload. She took a breath. When she opened them again, she found him waiting.
“Watch, Penny,” he said. “I’m putting on a show for you.”
She licked her lips. “I’m watching.”
This man was going to be the end of her. But she was all in now, and, God help her, she liked where this was going.