The air, thick with desire, seemed to enclose them, as if it circled their bodies, and drew them together.
The instant he completed his task, Matt leaned forward and pressed his palms on either side of her head. “Take your clothes off,” he said, his voice low and powerful.
Her eyes went to his, and he saw a flash of panic. Matt reached forward and touched her bottom lip. “I want you to make a deal with me, Lauren.”
“O…okay,” she whispered.
“This is my house and I’m in control.” He paused. “No inhibitions allowed. You do what I say.” He paused. “If you say stop, I’ll stop but be sure you really want me to. Be sure it’s not fear that drives your refusal.”
They stared at one another. “Can you live with that?” Matt asked.
Chapter Five
Lauren stared at the sexy man who now demanded she do the very thing she never did in her life…give up control. Far less confident in the ways of sensuality, she wanted to do just that. On the other hand, it scared her. But she didn’t want to let this opportunity pass her by. Maybe, just maybe, part of being this experience, this escape from reality, was about letting go…completely.
“Well?” he said, his warm breath brushing her neck, and making her shiver.
“Okay,” she whispered.
A slow smile slid onto those full, perfect lips that were more an illusion of the moment than reality. They had to be because no one was as sexy as this man was. And no one kissed with the slow, perfect pleasure he managed.
His finger slid from her bottom lip downward to her chin, then her neck, and stopped at the edge of her silk tank. His touch enticed a shiver and chill bumps formed on her skin. He ran his finger over her shirt, and barely touched her nipple. Instantly, it pebbled and the ache of pleasure shot straight between her legs. The little slip of panties she wore had long ago become drenched. Now, they simply needed to go away.
With a step backward, he shoved his shirt off his shoulders and let it fall to the ground. Dark hair sprinkled a perfect chest Lauren longed to touch. This was the kind of man fantasies were made of. Her fantasy. Here. Now.
His voice snapped her eyes back to his. “Get undressed,” he said, repeating his prior order and leaning back to give her room.
She swallowed back nerves. Refusing to look away, Lauren’s gaze held Matt’s, letting him know she wasn’t running. Telling him she was in this to completion. To satisfaction.
She didn’t give herself time to back out. To get scared. She reached for the side of her tank, and pulled down the zipper. Then, in one movement, she lifted it over her head and tossed it aside.
She stood before Matt and watched his eyes drop to her bared chest. His stare was hot and heavy and her nipples tingled and tightened. He reached forward and ran his index fingers around the peaks. The featherlight touch seemed to steal her very breath. When he tugged lightly, she had to bite her bottom lip to keep from moaning.
His gaze lifted. “Now the rest.”
Lauren did as he said. Moments later her skirt slid to the ground. She kicked it away and stood there in only her panties and high-heeled shoes. But she couldn’t help resting her back against the wall for support. This was just sex, and she knew it. Still, she really wanted him to touch her, and to show the tenderness he had before.
Matt closed the distance between them, leaning in close, his hand on her waist. His mouth lowered, close to hers. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered.
Her stomach fluttered with anticipation. She smiled, thankful for his touch and for the intimacy she felt with him. He demanded but she felt safe. The combination was unique. Compelling. Seductive. He seemed to know when to drive her beyond her comfort zone and when not to.
Her hand flattened on his chest. “So are you,” she replied.
He smiled and brushed his lips over hers. “I don’t think I’ve ever been told that before.”
“Hmm,” she murmured. His lips brushed hers again. A spasm tightened her lower body. God, she wanted him. Her arms slid around his neck to pull him close. “And you know it.”
The answer was a red, hot claiming of her mouth. Hungrily, he tasted her, his hand sliding up her back and pressing her breasts into his chest. And she couldn’t get enough. She flattened against him, loving the feel of skin against skin. Hardly able to breathe as his hand slid over her ass. With tantalizing results his fingers slid beneath then beneath the tiny piece of satin she still wore, between her cheeks. Intimate. Arousing. She moaned.
Her arms went around his neck, needing the stability holding on offered. But, he didn’t give it to her. His hands went to her wrists, removing them from where they rested. “Face the wall,” he said, pulling his lips from hers.
She didn’t dare ignore his words but hesitation was hard to escape. His brow inched upward. “Do it,” he ordered softly.
The tone of his voice made her eyes widen. She swallowed and turned. A mixture of fear, desire, and pulse-pounding anticipation thrummed in her veins. Wanting this man, and the adventure of the night, she wasn’t going to back down.
“Hands on the wall,” Matt said.
Her palms pressed flat against the wooden surface. Before she had time to think, his hands slid under her hips and he pulled her ass higher in the air. Lauren swallowed. She’d never felt so exposed in her life, yet, aroused.
An insatiable urge to know all this night could be kept her from objecting. She was completely still—waiting. His fingers slid beneath her panties, skimming her skin, teasing. Inside, she trembled with the pure arousal of her body. This man did things to her she felt all over, in all kinds of ways.
In one swift movement, he pulled the thin strip down her hips. She gasped though she didn’t really know why. Only that she felt breathless as she waited for what came next. It felt like forever before he touched her again. When his hands settled on her cheeks, she felt relief. That’s how much she needed his touch.
But when the scrape of teeth rasped on the underside of her butt, it took her off guard. Suddenly, he was between her legs, his mouth closing over her clit. She stiffened and he patted her ass as if in warning. His mouth lifted, leaving her wanting. Aching. Ready to cry out.
This was a game of conquest and surrender, but neither were victims, and both were victors. Still…this territory felt new and a bit frightening though no less exciting. With a breath, Lauren forced herself to relax. She didn’t want him to stop. It was a moment of acceptance, of surrender.
As if confirming the silent understanding, that he would take what he wanted, he urged her to spread her legs farther apart. When she did as he bid, she was rewarded. His mouth closed down on her, suckling with warm insistence and with just the right amount of pressure, he explored her body. She felt the tremble of her knees, dangerously close to buckling. Her weight pressed against the wall, thankful for the stability it offered.
Lapping at her with his tongue, he filled her with sensation after sensation. Pleasure pressed her to oblivion where she could hardly think. There were no fantasies in her mind. Pleasure became this very moment. This very second. The escalating tension of impending orgasm heightened as his finger worked the silky folds of her body and slid inside. With unmerciful insistence he worked her to the edge. To the moment she cried out.
The sound disappeared, stolen along with her breath, as the shudders of pleasure overtook her body. On and on, the ecstasy overpowered, so complete it was like nothing she’d ever experienced. And when, finally, she calmed, there was a feeling of both satisfaction and need. The wait for fulfillment she could not bear. But thankfully, her silent cry was fulfilled.
Solved when Matt slid his cock between her legs.
* * * * *
Tantalizing.
Lauren was that and so much more. Somehow, Matt managed to undress and grab a condom out of his wallet and made fast work of rolling it over his pulsing body. His hands settled on the curve of her perfect ass. The other guided his cock along her silky, wet body. If only he could feel
her fully. He hated condoms, yet understood the necessity. His pulse beat at triple time as he slid along her flesh and watched her hips rotate from side to side. Stroking him as if she was a kitten. Purring with acceptance. And he wondered if she could possibly want his cock inside her as much as he wanted it there. Was her need as great as his was?
With a hard thrust, he sunk deep inside her body. His hand slid to her stomach to both hold her up and lift her against his hips. The moment he hit her core, they both gasped. For long moments, he stilled, buried deep in the sweet depths of their joining.
And then, wildness unleashed. He drew back and then lunged again. Lust clawed at him like a living, breathing thing. The price of pleasing her, of holding back, now had to be paid. Over and over, his cock pounded into her. A rhythm, hard and fast, formed. Animalistic. Potent. Lauren moaned and cried out, pushing her hips against his. Wanting. Needing. Taking. And then, he hit the point of absoluteness. He shuddered with a release that touched each and every nerve ending in his body.
When, finally, he stilled, his legs were weak forcing him to withdraw from the completeness of their connection. But, this was only the beginning. There was much more to come. Picking her up, he carried her to his bedroom. Her head rested on his shoulder. God, she was so sweet. Holding her felt right. Matt couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a woman in his room. Years, for sure. Back before he got smart enough to avoid personal entanglement. In the back of his mind, he warned himself about his actions. He didn’t have time for a relationship. Nor did he need a woman who wanted him for his money. Most, in his experience, did.
Yet, as he laid Lauren on top of his bed, he had the oddest feeling of perfection.
As if it was a moment that simply belonged to the two of them. Leaning over her, he brushed a wayward strand of hair from her eyes. “I’ll be right back.”
She nodded and smiled. Matt walked toward the bathroom to clean up. His mind and body were reeling from Lauren’s impact. She was the first woman he could ever remember wanting with such…possessiveness? Hell, part of him was afraid to leave her alone for fear she’d dart. It was a strange feeling. One he didn’t understand and wasn’t sure he wanted to.
Later, he thought as he shut the bathroom door. Later. Enjoy her now. Think tomorrow.
Chapter Six
A nice, tight ass.
The bathroom light gave her a short, but quite delicious, view of Matt’s backside. He was scrumptious. Complete male perfection. And all hers if only for a night. It amazed Lauren how comfortable she was lying on his bed, naked…and, well, naked. Normally, she’d feel a lot shyer. But, then, something told her if Matt came back and she was hiding he’d order her to behave. She sort of liked his tough act. Perhaps, because she already got the feel that control could be hers if she wanted it. And, the power he embraced was something she had enabled him with.
He hadn’t taken it. She’d allowed him to have it.
Letting her gaze drift around the room, she was thankful for the full moon outside the large double panel windows. Even in the shadows, the room had a strong, masculine feel to it. The bed was king-sized, with four thick posts anchoring it high off the ground. It fit Matt. Though she knew him on a purely physical level, she’d always had a knack for picking up on character. He was strong and reserved. Even guarded. The room gave off a vibe of power. Something he valued.
The bathroom door made a sound. Lauren lifted herself onto her elbows and looked to where she knew Matt would appear. Naked and perfect, he stood in the doorway, the light casting him in a clear, sexy visual. Tall and broad, and muscled, he oozed of sexy. As she watched, his cock hardened. Grew.
The man had stamina.
A girl could get to like that about a guy.
He walked toward her, graceful, yet, on the prowl. Ready for more. Well, bring it on, is all she could say. Bring it on. He stopped at the end of the bed, pinning her in his steamy gaze. Reaching forward, he shackled her calves, urging her toward the end of the mattress. When her feet hit the bed railing, he pressed her knees apart.
His fingers traced her calves. “You have a beautiful body.”
“So do you.”
Matt smiled at her words, and then leaned down and brushed his lips over her inner thigh. She felt the featherlight touch with a sprinkling of goose bumps along her skin. What was it about this man that attacked her senses with such fierceness?
Alternating lips, tongue, and teeth, he inched upward, enticing her response. No. Taking it. The closer he came to her core, the harder it became to breathe. She watched him, trying not to get lost in what she felt. He glanced up at her, those dark eyes so all-seeing. Heat lurked in their depths. The kind that blazed like out of control fire, and scorched anything near.
Lauren bit her bottom lip. What would it be like to see a man like this begging for more? To know she’d driven him crazy with need? The thought came out of nowhere, surprising her with its dark nature. She’d never considered herself overtly sexual yet…this man awoke a part of her never explored. He switched legs and she moaned as his teeth scraped her knee. Damn, the man could make a simple act erotic as hell.
Of course, the night, the circumstances, the combination of it all inspired the mood of exploration.
He slid his palms along her hips and kissed her stomach, so near her core, he could move and suckle her clit. She burned just thinking about it. “I’m going to kiss every inch of you so perfectly that you can never, ever forget me.”
He’d already ensured a permanent imprint of both her mind and body. “I won’t forget you.”
“No?” he asked, his palm sliding under her ass, and between her cheeks, fingers grazing the dampness of her arousal.
She drew a breath, forcing away the shimmering urgency just out of reach. Determined to not spend the entire night in submission. To waste her fantasy night without ever daring to be bold would be a regret she didn’t want to endure. She sat up, and scooted backwards. He looked up, eyes narrowed in surprise.
On her knees, boldly displaying her nudity, she wiggled a finger at him and then pointed at the bed. “Lie down.” There was a hint of authority in her voice and a little thrill raced down her spine.
His eyes raked her body, lingering at her nipples, making them tighten. Her instinct was to touch them, yet she resisted. Letting her inhibitions win angered her. Besides, she would never see Matt after tonight. That thought delivered a feeling of freedom. She reached up and filled her hands with her breasts and then pinched her nipples. When his gaze lifted to hers, she opened her expression to him, letting him see the pleasure of the touch.
A flare of heat in his eyes spread to sexy half smile on his lips. He joined her on top of the bed, facing her on his knees, just out of reach. Her eyes dropped to his long, hard cock. He was big. She liked knowing he was hard for her. Inching forward on her knees, she moved closer to him, inhaling the spicy male scent that she was beginning to know as his. And though she knew he wore cologne, the way it blended with his natural essence was sensual and alluring.
Erotic.
He reached for her and though she yearned for his touch, Lauren pushed his hand away. “No. No touching until I say so.”
For just an instant he looked like he might refuse, and then his hand eased down to his side. She didn’t waste any time taking advantage of her new role. Her hand swept over his shoulder and down his arm, loving the feel of his strength beneath her hand. It was clear he worked out. Honed and perfected, his body resembled a work of art.
The dark sprinkle of hair on his chest drew her fingers. Her index finger circled his dark, flat nipple even as Lauren’s eyes locked with his. Then her hand slid downward…past his navel. Her fingers closed around his cock and she watched his eyes dilate and then half shut. She stroked the underside of his head with her thumb. The low sound that escaped his mouth filled her ears like a heady rush of passion-laced power. If a mere touch drew a reaction, what could more effort deliver?
Tightening her grip on him, s
he tilted her head slightly, eyes narrowed. “I want you sitting against the headboard.”
Matt did as Lauren said, because when a woman basically had you by the balls, what choice did you have? Not that he wanted to argue. He’d always been a control freak in and out of bed, but he was enjoying Lauren. She didn’t know how evident her conflicting emotions were. He could see her battle with herself and revel in each action she took.
She waited to release him until he gave her a nod of agreement. As he felt the wood against his back, legs flat in front of him he reveled in this new experience. For the first time in his life, giving control away not only felt right, it delivered a potent burst of arousal. Why, he wondered, was he so comfortable allowing Lauren what he had no other?
Lauren straddled his hips and pressed his cock flat against her stomach. He reached for her, wanting to touch her, and taste her. She held up a hand. “Stop. No touching. Not until I say so. Hands by your side.”
He wanted to laugh at how crazy this was. This was a totally new experience for him. A part of him wanted to grab her and slide her down on top of his cock and fuck her until she cried out his name. But as his hands settled on the mattress, she leaned forward, palms on the headboard, one hand on either side of his head. Her mouth lingered just above his and he could feel her nipples, pebbled and hard, brushing his chest.
That was it. To hell with giving up control. He needed to take her. But before he could act, her mouth slanted over his. The slide of her tongue over his came at him like a rush of electricity. It drew him with its current, taking his calculated actions and throwing them to the wind. Compelling his submission.
Like being under a spell, he lost himself in the tantalizing effects of the slide of her tongue. He could only think of this. Of the sweet flavor of her. She tasted like wine and something else, something sweet…like heaven. His hand went to the back of her head so he could deepen the kiss. A mistake. He’d forgotten her orders. She shackled his wrist, pushing it by his side. The move pressed her breasts into his chest. The ripe peaks of her nipples pressed into his body and he found himself more urgent. Needing someplace to put the hunger of his hands not allowed satisfaction.