In addition to the front door that led to the hall and the rest of the building, there were only two doors in the apartment. Both doors, one that led to the bathroom and one that led to a large, walk-in closet where Ian kept his clothes and various items, were against the far wall. The rest of the apartment that took half of the top floor of the building was an open space that was split into distinct areas with the strategic placement of furniture and rugs. The center of the room, against the wall opposite the door, was the sitting area, a grouping of a sofa and two chairs, all upholstered with a soft brown fabric, and grouped around a low, wooden table in front of a stone-lined fireplace. Next to the sitting area was an eating area with a small, round table. The sitting and eating areas separated Ian’s home office area with his desk, a comfortable chair in the corner, and several bookcases occupying the end with the large windows that overlooked the river. His sleeping area, which consisted of a large feather bed on a wooden frame flanked by two wood tables, was next to the bathroom and closet.
Ian pointed out the bathroom door to Fiona and watched her sashay across to it. Her stride was smooth and graceful with no stumbling to indicate she was impaired by the three glasses of extremely strong wine she’d consumed. Once she disappeared behind the door, he stood and took the empty bottle and wineglasses to the counter behind the dining table so that his housekeeper, Mrs. Gary, would be able to find them in the morning.
He shook his head as if he could shake loose the memory of the way Fiona’s thin shorts clung to her rounded ass. “Take it easy, Barroes,” he mumbled to himself low enough that only he could hear.
Glancing at the mantle clock, he saw they had been talking for nearly two hours. He considered the fact that Fiona Moon had been in his apartment for that long and wasn’t yet in his bed a tragedy. He would have to be happy that they had been in the same room together, alone for two hours, and hadn’t argued or strangled each other. That was actually amazing progress.
He poured himself a glass of water from a pitcher on the counter and was resigning himself to the fact that the only way he’d sleep tonight was if he dipped himself in a tub full of cold water after Fiona left, when she opened the door and exited the bathroom.
“Wow, that’s a huge bathroom,” she said. “I was a little disappointed by your apartment when I first came in.”
Ian furrowed his eyebrows. “What did you expect?”
She laughed, “I don’t know. More, I guess. I mean, it’s decorated nice enough, but I really expected something larger.”
“I don’t really need any more space. This is actually more than I really need… to be completely honest.” He waved his arm to indicate the large, open expanse.
“I suppose it’s enough for one person, but I still expected something a bit larger, and I guess more lavish. But, that bathroom, wow! I could put my bed in there and still have plenty of room. And hot and cold running water in the sink basin and the tub. Now, that’s living.” She laughed heartily.
Heat zinged through Ian. He’d heard her laugh before, but it was a rare treat, and this was different. She was usually laughing at him, often cynically, but this was a relaxed, joyous laugh full of humor. And it was sexy as hell.
He couldn’t help but laugh with her. “There are a few perks to being rich, I suppose.” She was so beautiful when she smiled. He almost said as much, but stopped himself. Better to leave that to another time. Instead, he said, “I know you are a big, bad Blade and can take care of yourself, and I’m risking your wrath by saying this, but in light of the earlier events of the evening, I don’t think you should walk home alone. You probably shouldn’t have been out by yourself earlier. Let me take you home in my rickshaw. Or, I can have Danielson drive you.”
He braced himself for the oncoming storm of temper, but it never came. Instead, Fiona just leaned back against the wall between the bathroom and closet doors, one foot against the wall so that her knee jutted out.
“Normally, that would piss me off, but I actually agree with you. Wow, I’ve never seen a jaw drop open so fast. Close your mouth, Ian. I can be reasonable. Sometimes. Until we know more about what’s-his-name, everyone in that alley tonight should be careful and not be out alone. I just needed air tonight and acted on impulse,” she said, mouth quirking up at one corner.
“You acted impulsively?” he quipped.
She laughed. “I know. Hard to believe, isn’t it? But I don’t want you or your guard to drive me home. I have a better idea, actually.” Her grin faded away, and her expression took on a sensual quality. “Instead of going home, how about I stay here with you tonight… and then I can take a hot bath in that gorgeous tub in the morning?”
The moment the word “stay” passed her lips, Ian started moving. He was across the room in fewer strides than it had ever taken him before, and she had barely finished uttering the word “morning” when his lips came down on hers.
He pushed her against the wall, nudging her leg to the side so that he nestled against her, their bodies touching from hip to shoulder. The kiss was hot and intense. She tasted like blackberry wine and that unique Fiona flavor that had haunted him since their first kiss on the dance floor.
He forced himself to pull his head back, give them both a moment to catch their breath. Framing her face with his hands, he gazed down at her. She was flushed, her lips pink and swollen. Her eyes were glazed with heated passion. So damned beautiful.
“Should I be concerned that you only want me for my hot water and bathtub?” he asked, breathless.
Her sexy grin melted him into a puddle. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that’s all I want you for,” she said, running her hands over his back.
He bent down to taste the curve of her neck into her shoulder. It was hot, sweet, and her shivery moan made his blood boil. He pressed his hips into her, feeling the heat of her body through their clothes. He wanted her so fucking much. But he needed to make one thing very clear, first.
“Fiona, if you stay tonight, it’s not just a one-night stand. This isn’t like your other no-strings flings,” he said, nipping at her shoulder.
“Mmm, whatever you say,” she half moaned, slipping both of her hands under his shirt to caress the bare skin of his back.
It took every ounce of Ian’s strength to pull himself back, but he did it. Reaching around, he grasped her wrists and pulled them away from his body, pinning them against the wall on either side of her head. He inched his body back enough that they weren’t touching anymore, but he was still close enough to feel the heat radiating off her body.
“I’m serious, Fiona. Before we go any further, things need to be clear between us. I’m not interested in just having sex with you. I know all about your aversion to relationships and complications, but that is exactly what I want from you. I won’t be like any of your past flings, a few good fucks, and then an amiable adios. I think there is something between us, could be something, more than sex. I want to explore that. If you aren’t willing, you need to go.” He let go of her wrists and then did the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life. He stepped back and away from her, out of her path to the door.
For a long moment, they were still, their heavy breathing the only thing breaking the silence in the room. Fiona pushed away from the wall and Ian’s heart plummeted, then skipped a beat when she went to stand next to the bed. Turning, she looked at him, her gaze steady.
“I knew what I was getting into when I walked into the building tonight.” She laughed nervously. “Well, maybe I don’t know exactly; this is uncharted territory for me. I’m not ready to make any long-term promises, but I’m willing to be open and see where it goes. And don’t give me that look. I’m not so drunk that I don’t know what I’m doing or that I will regret it in the morning.”
Ian watched, his heart pounding in his ears, as she peeled her clothing off, piece by piece. As the shorts hit the floor, he realized her feet were already bare. She must have taken her shoes off in the bathroom. While he’d been resigning himself
to a cold bath, she’d been preparing for something quite different. The woman amazed him.
He had planned to wait until this case was over, and then go about convincing her they were meant to be together. He’d planned on a slow, methodical seduction. He should have known better. Fiona was a force of nature. She rarely did the expected and never fit her life to someone else’s schedule.
The last bit of cloth fell and he stood there, dry mouthed, taking in every inch of her smooth, silky skin, from the curve of her shoulder, down to the heavy fullness of her lush breasts, over her belly to the curve of her hip, down to her creamy thighs and the ebony curls that rested between them.
He wanted to move, to reach out and touch her, to press his body into hers, but he couldn’t move his feet. He stood there, rooted to the spot, frozen despite the hot lava flowing through his veins. Obviously aware of the effect she was having on him, she shot him a sexy, seductive smile—no, it was a smirk, a sexy, seductive, self-satisfied smirk—then slowly crawled into the center of his bed. She carefully, almost demurely, arranged herself on the bed so that she was sitting on one hip, resting her weight on one outstretched arm. Her legs, modestly closed, were stretched out to the side and bent slightly at the knee so they hooked behind her a bit.
“Are you going to stand there and stare all night?” she asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“Not staring,” Ian replied, his voice hoarse, “just admiring the view. You look like a goddess sitting upon a cloud surveying her domain.”
Her seductive smile took on a triumphant air. “I am a goddess. And I command you to worship me.”
His brain sputtered, trying to come up with a witty retort, but since all the blood had rushed south, he was coming up blank. Just this once, he decided, he would do her bidding without argument or complaint. Yes, worshiping Fiona Moon was something he had no objections to what so ever.
He stripped his shirt off as he moved, crossing the expanse of floor separating them and kneeling on the bed beside her in two fluid motions. Staring into her eyes, he wordlessly began roaming her body with his hands. He started with light touches to either side her temple with just the tips of his index fingers. Then he traced lazy circles down her cheeks, and down her throat to her shoulders. He gazed into her eyes while he touched, watching the humor slide away, replaced by hot, smoldering desire that he knew matched his own. Still, he took his time, letting just his fingertips slide over her smooth skin, down her arms, then back up again, over her collarbone.
The gasp she let out when his fingers grazed the underside of her breast sent fire through his veins, and he almost lost control. He sucked in his breath and forced himself to focus. As much as he wanted to just push her back and bury himself in her, he wanted more to make this moment memorable, for them both. He’d waited so long to have her here, naked and trembling in his bed, and now that she was, he was going to take full advantage.
Still, he wasn’t sure how much more of this teasing he could take. He lingered for a moment more on her breasts, tracing hearts and flowers up over her chest, then back up her neck. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but he silenced her by placing his fingers over her lips.
Leaning in, he reached behind her and pulled her braid around so that he could see the end. Pulling the string holding the strands together off, he tossed it aside. He began running his fingers through the braid, slowly pulling it apart, careful not to pull or tangle her hair. Once it was all loose around her shoulders, he pressed her backwards. He hovered over her, using one hand to hold her as he lowered her to a supine position. He dropped her hair, letting it flow over the pillow like a dark cloud.
“Perfect. More beautiful than I imagined,” he whispered against her lips, and then captured them in a deep, probing kiss that he didn’t break until they were both breathless.
“You imagined this? Me in your bed?” she asked as she gasped in air.
“Oh, yes. In great detail.” He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, tugged gently with his teeth, and then let go. “Every day since the day I met you.”
Her arms tightened around him, pulling him closer as her body arched up against him. “Show me what else you imagined,” she purred.
He wordlessly lowered his mouth to the hollow of her throat and, as before, began doing as she had commanded. He trailed his mouth down her body, alternately licking, sucking, and gently nipping as he tasted every inch of her soft, silky skin. She tasted like warm, honeyed vanilla and something deeper, spicier, something uniquely Fiona. She moaned and clutched him tighter as he sampled each of her breasts in turn, spending time on each nipple, licking and sucking them into hard little peaks before continuing down.
“Ian…” She gasped as he dipped his tongue into her navel. “I want you. Now.” Her breathing was ragged, and the words came out clipped.
He smiled against the smooth skin of her belly. “Not yet,” he said as he continued to lick and kiss across her body in a zigzag pattern.
If he had his way, he would have Fiona in his bed like this every minute of every day until the end of time, or at least every night for the rest of his life. And he would do everything in his power to make that happen, but there were no guarantees in life. But it was just as likely that she would walk away from him the second they were both sated. Just in case, he fully intended to draw this moment out, to give them both every ounce of pleasure possible.
He went slowly, making sure his lips and tongue touched every bit of exposed skin, working his way down until he reached the apex of her thighs. He changed course to kiss down her hip. Fiona whimpered in protest, thrust her hands into his hair, and tried to move his mouth back to the original course. He resisted and continued to use his tongue to trace the curve of her hip and thigh.
“Ian. Please. Now.”
“Shhh. I’m worshiping you,” he murmured lazily against the silky skin of her inner thigh.
Her only reply was a strangled, wordless cry as his mouth covered her and his tongue found her center. As he enjoyed her, he reveled in her moans and writhing until she tensed, cried out, and came in a fury of shudders and whimpers.
Hot desire mixed with self-satisfaction washed through him, nearly breaking his tenuous control. He couldn’t wait anymore; he needed to be deep inside her. Now.
Sliding back up her body, he barely took the time to push his pants past his hips. He paused, holding himself above her, poised at her entrance. He stared down at her, wanting to take in every emotion that crossed her face as he slid slowly into her, but Fiona took the moment out of his control. She bucked her hips up, simultaneously wrapping her long, muscular legs around his hips, pulling him down. Watching Fiona’s expression became a moot point. Sensation exploded within him, blinding him for a moment, as he slid deep into her hot, silken depths in one swift, smooth motion. They gasped out their pleasure and shock in unison. Her body pulsed and clutched around him, and her nails dug into his back. Ian nearly shattered.
By some miraculous feat of strength and self-control, he held on, holding her close and still while her body got used to the intrusion, and he pulled himself together enough to be able to move without exploding.
“Oh, baby, what a fit. Are you okay?” he whispered, his mouth right at her ear.
“Fuck, Ian, you are a bit more than I was expecting. But yes, I’m wonderful,” she gasped out, her death grip on his back loosening just a bit.
“Good, me too.” He kissed her earlobe. “I don’t think I can be still much longer. Are you ready for this?”
Her reply was a deep, guttural moan. “Oh, hell yeah.”
Then there were no more words. Ian started rocking into her, slowly and gently at first, a little more as her body softened and opened to him. Soon, he was thrusting into her in long, deep strokes, and she was moving with him, her hips moving up to meet his.
The world melted away and there was nothing, no existence in the universe, but the two of them. A void surrounded them and Ian could see, hear, fe
el, taste, nothing but the woman beneath him. He drove into her, heat and tension throbbing through his body. Each moan and shudder from her doused fuel on the fire within him. Just when he didn’t think he could take any more, she arched and tensed beneath him, her cries echoing in his ears as her body tightened and convulsed around his. Inside Ian, something hot and fiery broke apart; shards of lava rocketing through him and the universe shattered and fell away in tiny pieces, dropping him into oblivion.
He had no idea how long it took the world to start resolving around them, the shattered pieces gluing back together to form a coherent reality where he could see, hear, breathe. When he finally started coming back to himself, he rolled onto his back, taking Fiona with him. He pulled and manipulated until their legs were entwined and she lay half on him in the crook of his arm, her head resting on his chest.
They lay like that for a long while in silence, catching their breath, while he ran his hand lazily up and down her back.
“So, I take it you are one of those girly-men who likes to cuddle and be touchy-feely after sex,” Fiona said, breaking the comfortable silence.
Ian barely had enough energy to laugh. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.”
“Okay,” she said, sleepily. “I can live with that.”
Ian chuckled and just pulled her tighter. Within a few minutes, her breathing slowed, indicating she’d fallen asleep. Ian kissed the top of her head and let himself drift off, too.