Chapter Six
As Matthew began opening drawers to collect his clothes, he had to keep reminding himself there was a reason he hadn’t yet tossed his ex-wife out on her rear end.
When she hadn’t opened the bedroom door, he’d figured she had fallen asleep on the balcony. He thought he could be in and out without waking her. But when he’d heard her moan his name, not just once but several times, nothing could have stopped him from going on that balcony.
He had found her stretched on the chaise with her eyes closed, wearing a hot, enticing outfit that barely covered her. Seeing her resting peacefully had tugged at his heart, while her clothing and her words had tugged on another part of his anatomy. He’d stood there, thinking about all the things he’d love to do to her while getting harder as the seconds ticked by.
And he had been tempted to kiss her, to make love to her mouth in a way that would not only leave her breathless but tottering on the brink of a climax. When she had awakened and looked into his eyes, he had seen a need as keen as any he’d ever known from her. And then she had ruined the moment by reminding him that they were no longer husband and wife, and wouldn’t be sharing the same bedroom or bed.
But not for long.
He was looking forward to reminding her just what she’d been missing this past year. And the way he saw it, she was definitely missing something if she was moaning his name in her sleep.
As he pulled the briefs and socks out of the drawer and tossed them into the bag on the bed, he glanced to the balcony where Carmen now stood with her back to him, leaning against the rail and gazing out at the ocean again. At that moment, intense emotion touched him and nearly swelled his heart while at the same time slicing it in two.
He had loved her and he had lost her. The latter should not have happened. She should have stuck by him and kept the vows they’d made to each other. But when the going got tough, she got going.
He pushed the drawer closed, deciding to put his plan into action. She had pushed a few of his buttons—now it was time for him to push a couple of hers.
Carmen felt Matthew’s presence before he’d even made a sound. She felt a unique stimulation of her senses whenever he was near. She had felt it earlier today when he’d entered the tent at the polo match. She’d known he was there. Just like she knew he was here now.
Biting her bottom lip, her fingers gripped tight on the rail as her breathing quickened, her pulse escalated and heat flowed through her. He didn’t say anything. She couldn’t stand another second of silence and slowly turned around.
The sun had gone down and dusk had settled in. Behind him she saw the light from the lamp shining in the bedroom but her focus was on him. She studied him, not caring that it was obvious she was doing so. His eyes darkened and she felt his desire. And as she stood there, she couldn’t help but relive all the times he had held her in his arms and made love to her.
He had been the most giving of lovers, making sure she enjoyed every sexual moment they’d shared to the fullest. Her body was tingling inside, remembering how it felt to have his mouth to her breasts, or how his lips could trail kisses all over her body, heating her passion to the highest degree. It had been her plan to get him to the boiling point, but she was ashamed to admit he had her there already.
She pulled in a deep breath. “Are you done?”
“Not quite.”
And then he slowly crossed the distance separating them. “I came to say good-night.”
The husky sound of his deep voice sent sensuous shudders running all through her. Total awareness of him slid down her spine. She forced her gaze away from his to look out at the ocean to say something, anything to keep her mind off having her way with him.
“I love it here, Matthew. Thanks for agreeing to let me stay.” She glanced back at him and saw he’d come to stand directly beside her. “You didn’t have to, considering the terms of our divorce,” she decided to add.
He stared at her for a moment and then said, “It was the right thing to do. At the very least, we can be friends. I don’t want to be your enemy, Carmen.”
His words nearly melted her, but she had to remember that she wanted him to regret the day he began taking her for granted, to realize that when she’d needed him the most, he hadn’t been there for her. She had been alone while grieving their loss.
“What are you thinking about, Carmen?”
She glanced up at him. “Nothing.”
“Maybe I should give you something to think about,” he said softly, in a deep, rich voice. And then he wrapped his arms around her waist and lowered his mouth to hers.
She saw it coming and should have done a number of things to resist, but it would have been a waste of time and effort. Every part of her turned to mush the moment his lips touched hers. When his tongue began mingling with hers, she moaned deep in her throat.
Carmen hadn’t known how much she’d missed this until now. She had tried burying herself in her work so she wouldn’t think about the loneliness, the lost passion, the feel of being in the arms of the one man who could evoke sensations in her that kept her wet for days.
I miss being with the one man who can make me feel like a woman.
He deepened the kiss and she felt the rush of sexual charge. And when he lowered his arms from her waist to cup her backside, bringing her closer to him, she felt the hardness of his huge erection pressing into her. On its own accord, her body eased in for a closer connection.
Their mouths continued to mate in the only way they knew how, a way they were used to. But regardless of the number of kisses they had shared in the past, she was totally unprepared for this one. She hadn’t expected the degree of desire or the depth of longing it evoked, not only within her but within him, as well. She could feel it in the way his tongue dominated her mouth as if trying to reclaim what it once had, and was entitled to. He was not only taking what she was giving but going beyond and seizing everything else he could.
Then he began slowly grinding his body against her. She felt the hot throb of his erection between her legs as if the fabric of their clothing wasn’t a barrier between them. His body rubbing against hers electrified her senses in a way that felt illegal. And how he fit so perfectly between her legs reminded her of just how things had been with them, whether they were standing up or lying down, in a bed or stretched out on top of a table. They’d always made love with an intensity that left them with tremors of pleasure that wouldn’t subside for hours.
Everything around her began to swirl wildly, and as his large hands continued to palm the cheeks of her backside, pressing her even closer to him, an ache took over in the pit of her stomach and began spreading through every part of her.
He slowly released her mouth but didn’t stop the movement of his body as he brushed kisses across her cheekbones and chin. She pulled in a deep breath and then released a whimpered sound of pleasure from deep in her throat as he licked a path from one corner of her mouth to the other.
Blood rushed through her veins and it took everything within her to keep from begging for more. But nothing could stop the waves of pleasure and the tremors that began to shake her. She closed her eyes and reveled in the sensations rushing through her, bit by glorious bit. And when he began nibbling on her lips and then proceeded to suck those lips into his mouth, she was literally thrown over the edge. She pulled her mouth from his and cried out as intense pleasure shook her to the very core while he continued to grind his body against hers with a rhythm that had her rocking in sensuous satisfaction.
“That’s it, sweetheart, let go,” he murmured against her moist lips. “You are totally beautiful when you come for me. So totally beautiful. I miss seeing that.”
And she missed feeling it, she thought, as the orgasm that had ripped into her slowly began receding and returning her to earth after a shuddering release. And when she felt the heat of his tongue lap the perspiration from her brow, she slowly opened her eyes.
“Matthew.”
His name was a breathless whisper from her lips. As if he understood, he leaned down and kissed her, tenderly but still with a hunger she could feel as well as a taste she could absorb.
He slowly pulled his mouth away and with a sated mind, she met his eyes. The gaze staring back at her was just as intense and desirous as earlier, making it obvious that although she’d easily managed a climax fully clothed, he’d maintained more control over his aroused state.
“Matthew, let me—”
He placed a finger to her lips to halt whatever she’d been about to say. “Good night, Carmen. Sweet dreams.”
She watched him leave, thinking that thanks to him, her dreams tonight would be the sweetest she’d had in a long time. She had to admit that this was not how she had planned for things to go with Matthew. He had deliberately tapped into one of her weak spots, which was something she hadn’t wanted to happen. Was he gloating that he’d gotten the upper hand?
Carmen drew in a deep breath as her body hummed with a satisfied sensation. A flush heated her cheeks when she remembered how he had kissed her into an orgasm; she was feeling completely sated. The chemistry between them was just as it had always been, explosive.
She leaned back against the rail and knew, even though the sexual release had been just what she needed, she had to regroup her priorities and continue with her plans. Everyone was entitled to get off the track at least once, but the important thing was to get back on. And she was confident that after a good night’s sleep, she would be back in control of her senses once again.