FOR THREE DAYS Mac had been dreaming about Tess’s body. To taste and caress her breasts, to kiss and nibble and suck to his heart’s content, was heaven. As the tempo of her breathing quickened, he lightened his touch, not wanting to bring her to the brink too fast. They had hours to enjoy each other. And besides, he knew where he wanted to be when she climaxed this time.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured.
“You, too.” She ran her hands over his chest, brushing his nipples until they became as taut as the rest of him. She reached lower.
“Not yet.” He drew back, knowing he couldn’t tolerate her hands on him there until he was more in control. He teased the daisy chain over her skin, tinged rose by the lamps, and caused her to flush even pinker. Pollen scattered over her breasts and he licked it off. Then he took the pearl in his teeth.
Still fondling her breasts, he eased up and transferred the pearl to her mouth. As it lay against her tongue, he toyed with it with his own tongue in a blatantly suggestive way. He wondered if she knew that he was telling her, if she understood what he had in mind. If not, she would find out very soon. He was hungry for her.
With one last flick of his tongue over the pearl, he lifted it from her mouth and eased downward, depositing it, moist and shining, in the valley between her breasts. “Do you know what I want now?” he whispered against her skin.
“I…think I do.”
“Are you ready for that?”
Her breathing grew ragged. “If you are.”
“I crave you. All of you.”
Her breath caught. “But I…might go crazy.”
“That was my plan.” Heart racing, he began his journey, kissing his way along her downy soft skin to her navel. The scent of her cologne mixed with the perfume of crushed flowers and the heady aroma of arousal as he dipped his tongue into the small depression. She moaned and twitched beneath him.
He moved lower. The silk of her stockings and the ridiculously high heels excited him more than he wanted to admit, and he decided not to disturb any of it yet. The damp scrap of lace covering the object of his quest was easily drawn aside. Ah, she was so pretty. So drenched with need.
He touched her gently with one finger and she gasped. He kept his caress subtle as he planted lingering kisses along her inner thigh and ran his tongue over the lacy top of her stocking. Desire surged through him as he lavished the same attention on her other thigh, moving ever higher, ever closer to his goal.
At last he kissed her dark curls, and she moaned. When he finally touched his tongue to the delicate pearl nestled there waiting for him, she writhed beneath him. Suddenly impatient with the thin strip of lace denying him total access, he held it between his fingers and tore it with his teeth. Now.
Easing his shoulders under her silk-clad thighs, he sought his reward. The taste of her made him groan with delight. As her cries of pleasure filled the room, he immersed himself in sensory overload, relishing the stockings, the shoes, the rosy light, the satin sheets, the erotic music, and most of all, the passionate woman coming apart in his arms.
Her climax came quickly, too quickly for him. She lifted her hips and he took all that she offered, but as she sank back, quivering and gasping, he settled in for a more leisurely exploration. She tried to wiggle from his grasp but she was weak in the aftermath of her release. He held her easily and continued along his chosen path. Before long her slight resistance faded and she opened to him in a wanton gesture that nearly brought him to the boiling point.
And he learned her—the touch that made her whimper, the stroke that pushed her closer, the teasing flick that drove her wild. As he coaxed her toward the precipice a second time, a fierce possessiveness took over. Rational thought played no part as he boldly claimed her, drawing from her the most intimate of sounds as she gave herself up to wave upon wave of shattering convulsions.
He brought her gently back to earth with feathery touches and light kisses over her thighs and dew-sprinkled curls. At last he drew slowly up beside her and brushed the hair back from her flushed face.
She gazed up at him, her gray eyes filled with dazed wonder. Her lips parted, but no sound came out.
He smiled. She looked the way he’d felt the other night. He was gratified that he’d created that sort of expression in her eyes. He trailed a finger down the curve of her throat and over her breastbone until he encountered the pearl on its golden chain. He brought it up slowly to his lips and kissed it before settling it back between her breasts.
Her gaze grew smoky and she ran her tongue over her lips.
He was glad to see a return of desire in those gray depths, for he was far from finished. And he loved knowing that the pearl necklace had become a symbol for the intimate activity they’d just shared. If he had it his way she’d wear it forever, and each time it moved against her skin she’d relive the sensations his tongue had given her.
“How do you feel?” he asked.
Her voice was low and throaty. “Like a concubine. How do you feel?”
“Like the luckiest man on earth.”
She sighed. “That was way better than they described it in the books, and the books made it sound very nice.”
He brushed his finger against her lower lip. “But you’re still a virgin.”
Her smile was pure seduction. “Feel free to take care of that anytime, cowboy. In case you can’t tell, I’m putty in your hands.”
His erection throbbed. She made the next step sound almost casual, and he tried to keep the same tone in his voice. “How about now?”
“Now’s fine,” she said lazily. She ran a fingertip down his shaft. “Unless you’d rather have me—”
“Not this time.” He heard the edge in his voice. Damn, he was strung tight as a roped calf, and he figured there was only one way he’d be able to unwind. But in the process he didn’t want her to absorb his agitation and tighten up herself. The whole point behind the way he’d just loved her was to ease her into this moment. Well, part of the point. In truth he hadn’t been able to help himself. She was luscious.
“Do you want me to put the music on again?” she asked.
He became aware that the music had ended. He’d been so absorbed in her that he hadn’t noticed. He thought about the music, considering. “Let’s not,” he said, combing his fingers through her hair. “I think this is a moment when we should listen only to each other, to anything we might say, to how we breathe…and the cries we make.”
Her eyes darkened. “Okay.”
He reached across her and took a packet from the bedside table.
“I could put that on for you. I’ve practiced.”
“Practiced?” Jealousy hit him, swift and unyielding. “On who?”
“Mr. Cucumber.”
He started laughing. “Only you, Tess.”
“You think it’s funny?” She grabbed the packet from him.
“Yes, I think it’s hilarious.” He give her a swift kiss and made a grab for the packet, but she held it out of reach. “Give it here.” He kissed her again. This was sort of fun. Then he started chuckling all over again as he thought about her sitting in her kitchen studiously rolling a condom down a cucumber, over and over, until she got it right.
“I want to show you how good I am!” she protested, ripping the packet open.
“No.” He made another grab but she evaded him. “Come on, Tess. I’m too worked up. If you fumble around you could set me off.”
“I won’t fumble.”
“You will.” He tackled her in earnest, laughing and kissing her everywhere he could reach as he tried to get the condom away from her. In the process he pulled off both her shoes so she wouldn’t injure anything important.
“I’m good at this. Let me do it, Mac.” She used the satin sheets to her advantage, wiggling away from him.
The wrestling match was putting him in even greater danger of exploding, but between sliding around on the sheets and coming into constant contact with Tess’s bare skin, he was having a great, if risky, time of it. He’d always loved wrestling with Tess. “If you don’t hold still and give me that condom, I’m going to tie you to the bedposts,” he warned with a grin as he paused to catch his breath.
“I don’t care.” She was breathing as hard as he was. “The books say that’s fun. Ever done it?”
“No.” He looked down at her, his pulse racing at the vivid picture of her lying spread-eagle on the white bed, silken ties holding her wrists and ankles. He could barely breathe. “I was kidding,” he said hoarsely.
“I wasn’t. That seems like the perfect time for you to use the furry gloves.”
He gazed into her eyes and saw the fire there. “You’d let me do that?”
Her chest heaved with her rapid breathing, making her breasts quiver. “I would let you do that, Mac, because I trust you. And you would let me do the same with you. It would be exciting.”
“Oh, Tess.” He began to tremble as a new picture formed—Tess tying him down and then…trying out all that she’d learned in her books.
“Lie down. Let me put the condom on.”
“All right.” She was messing with his head, making him want to surrender his role of leader again and let her tempt him into all sorts of new and fascinating sensuality. He lay back against the pillows. “But don’t…play around.”
“Don’t worry. I understand your problem.”
“I don’t have a problem! Any guy in this situation would be struggling to keep it together.”
“So you’ve had a good time so far?”
“You don’t even have to ask. I—” He nearly choked as she leaned over him and took his erection into her mouth. “Tess!”
She lifted her head and smiled at him. “Lubrication.” Then she expertly rolled the condom on in less time than he’d ever managed it and lifted her hands like a cowboy in a calf-roping event. “Done.”
Despite her speed, the contact made him gasp and grit his teeth.
“Wasn’t that pretty good?” she asked.
“Sure was.”
“Want me to be on top? I’ve seen pictures of how—”
“No.” He grabbed her and rolled, pinning her to the mattress. Then he reached for the garters and unfastened them. “And it’s time to get rid of these.”
She gazed up at him, her breath shallow and her lips parted in anticipation. “If you say so, macho man.”
“Sometimes a guy has to take charge.” He rolled each stocking down and pulled it off. Then he worked her out of the garter belt and what was left of the panties.
Her cheeks flushed as she lay there under his gaze. “Now do you approve? Am I ready?”
He was so overcome by the picture she made wearing only the daisy chain and the pearl necklace that he could barely speak. He lifted his gaze to hers and swallowed. “You’re perfect,” he said in a tight voice. He swallowed again. “And I should probably let you be on top and in control, since you’ve never done this, but I…don’t want to.”
Her question was breathy, seductive. “Why not?”
“Because I think I’d feel…secondary.”
“Sort of…used?”
“Exactly.”
“I wouldn’t want that.”
“Thank you.” He stroked her breast, loving the softness beneath his palm as he cradled the supple weight and brought the nipple to a firm peak. “I’ll be careful.”
“I know you will.” She closed her eyes and arched into his caress. “Oh, Mac, I could get addicted to having you touch me like that.”
He paused, unsure how to respond. “We have all summer,” he said at last.
Her eyes opened slowly, and excitement glowed in their gray depths. “Do we dare risk it? Making love like this all summer?”
He would risk just about anything to spend the summer loving Tess, but he didn’t want to pressure her into anything she might regret. “That’s up to you. It’s your project. You said all you needed was deflowering.”
“That was when I thought…it would be someone else. Mmm. That’s good, Mac.”
He rolled her other nipple gently between his thumb and forefinger. “The more we make love, the greater the chance someone will find out.”
“Mmm. Yeah.” She closed her eyes again and ran her tongue over her lips. “We should think about that.”
“So think about it.” He leaned down and drew one pert nipple into his mouth.
She sighed and lifted upward, encouraging him to take more. “Oh, sure. While you’re driving me insane.”
He tried his best to do exactly that, hollowing his cheeks as he drew her more fully into his mouth, letting her experience his hunger for several long seconds before he kissed his way to her other breast. “You don’t have to decide now,” he murmured against her skin as he slid a hand down to the damp triangle between her legs.
“That’s…good.” She drew in a quick breath as he tunneled his fingers through her curls and reconnected with her flash point. “And so is that.”
Caressing her now took on a different meaning, because now, at last, he would know the wonder of being inside her. His blood sang in his veins as he stroked her, preparing her for that sweet invasion. And he would be the first. God help him, he was filled with joy at that thought.
* * *
TESS SENSED THE change in Mac’s touch, as if the promise of completion gave new urgency to every caress. And though she’d tried to seem casual about what was about to happen, in reality she felt like a canoe being carried down the rapids toward a thundering waterfall. If anyone but Mac had been touching her, arousing her, she would have leaped from the bed, unsure if she truly wanted this change in status, after all.
But Mac was there, making her ache, making her long for the firm thrust of him, deep inside her. Perhaps there would be pain. She no longer cared if only he’d finally claim her, complete her in ways she’d never dreamed of until this moment.
He lifted his head, a question in his eyes as he slipped his finger deep inside.
It was the penetration she longed for, but not nearly enough. A sudden shyness overtook her, causing her to close her eyes before she asked for what she wanted. “More,” she whispered.
He eased two fingers in, placing soft kisses on her mouth. “Tell me how that feels.”
“Different.” Her breath caught as he moved his fingers gently back and forth. “Wonderful,” she said, letting out a trembling sigh. “Mac, I’m going wild inside. Deflower me. Please.”
His kiss was soft and lingering, but still she felt the barely leashed power of him as he moved between her thighs and propped his arms on either side of her head. Quivering with excitement, she wrapped both arms around his back and felt his muscles flex. She couldn’t tell for sure because of her own trembling, but she thought he was shaking, too. His breathing was affected, at any rate, as he probed her gently with the blunt tip of his erection. She braced herself. No matter how much she might want him there, he would be substantial and might take some getting used to.
“Tess.” There was a smile in his voice. “Open your eyes.”
She gazed up at him, astonished by the tenderness in his blue gaze. She’d thought a man in his position would be in the grip of passion and appear much more fierce. “What?”
“You look just the way you used to before the roller coaster started. I’m going to go easy. You don’t have to clench your jaw like that. And keep your eyes open. If you’re looking at me, I’ll be able to tell how I’m doing.”
“How can you be so…calm?”
“Believe me, I’m not calm,” he said quietly. “But I am paying attention.”
“Oh, Mac. Thank you for being here.”
“I’m here.” He eased slowly forward and his eyes darkened. “Right here.”
She noticed the flicker of uncontrolled desire in his eyes before she became totally absorbed by the sensation when he entered her. She registered warmth and size. He withdrew and eased in again, and she moaned in pleasure at the friction that was unlike anything he’d provided before.
“Tess?”
“That was a happy moan,” she murmured, looking into his eyes. There was that flicker of primitive need again. She found it thrilling.
His breathing was labored, but he kept his movements slow. “I’m going a little deeper.”
“Yes.” Everything else, she began to realize, no matter how delicious, was only a lead-in to this, the ultimate connection. Nothing in her world had ever felt so right as opening her body to this man and being filled by him.
He slid forward, and met resistance. He stopped immediately and looked into her eyes. “This is it.”
Her heart thudded wildly. One movement and her life would be forever changed. She would be a virgin no longer. Ah, but then she could welcome the whole length of him and know the wonder of joining intimately with another person. And not just any person, either. Mac. One movement and she could be fully with him, in every sense.
She slipped her hands down to his buttocks and gripped firmly. “Let’s go for it.”
As he pushed gently forward, she rose to meet him, determined to share in the moment. The sharp pain brought a cry to her lips.
“Damn.” He stopped, his gaze troubled.
“It’s okay.” She trembled against him. “It’s going away. Don’t hold back. It’s over now. Love me. Love me the way a man loves a woman.”
With a groan he pushed deep, locking their bodies together, his hips cradled between hers. And the fierceness she’d expected to see earlier flared in the depths of his eyes as he gazed down at her.
As she met that gaze, she felt an answering intensity rise within her. She’d expected them both to be naked tonight, but she hadn’t guessed he’d also strip her to the essence of her soul, and she him. She looked into his eyes and realized they were both seeing depths they’d never imagined before. And her world shifted, for she knew the connection they were making would not end with this night, or even with this summer. It would last forever.