Blake
My heart beat hard in my chest as I gestured for Victoria to precede me into the house. The door closed with a decisive click and I snapped the lock into place. As soon as the sound reached Victoria’s ears, she whirled toward me, eyes wide. Adopting the most casual position I could muster, I propped one foot on the door behind me and shoved my hands into my pockets. She watched me warily like she was second-guessing her decision, and I forced myself to slow down. She knew why we’d come back here—she’d been the one to suggest it. But saying something and following through with it were two very different things.
I offered her a tight smile. Jesus, I felt like an awkward teenager on a first date. “I can take you home if you’d like.”
She bit her lip before answering, her gaze darting around the room. “No. I…”
Her words trailed off, uncertainty clouding her features. I pushed off the door and extended a hand to her. “How about we start with the grand tour?”
She glanced around the room. The ranch-style house was older but clean and cozy, and I tried to see it from her point of view. It looked lived-in without being cluttered, and the furniture was large and comfortable. Her perusal of the room brought her gaze back to me and her eyes lit on my hand. After what I was sure was an intense internal deliberation, she slipped her palm into mine.
I guided her further into the house. “Living room. There’s the kitchen and dining room,” I added, pointing to the small kitchen at the back of the house.
A short hallway broke off to the left and I stopped in front of a doorway. “I use the spare bedroom as an office.”
Although to call it an office was kind of an overstatement. Boxes stood two-deep, stacked head-high around the perimeter of the room, and the only workspace was an equally cluttered desk, papers and paraphernalia scattered across the oak surface.
Victoria glanced inside, and her eyes widened as she let out a startled laugh. “Good lord, are you hoarding inventory for a warehouse?”
“Hey, I have a lot of stuff.”
She tipped her chin up, gray eyes sparkling. “You think? And they say women are high maintenance.”
I wrapped my free arm around her waist and pulled her flush against me. “Hey, cut me some slack. I just moved in.”
“Are you kidding me? This place looks like it belongs on an episode of Hoarders!” She threw her head back on a laugh, but it was cut short as I slipped a hand down to smack her bottom. She danced away from me, retreating farther down the hall, one hand covering the stinging flesh as she pouted prettily. “Ow!”
“Serves you right.” I narrowed my eyes and slowly advanced toward her. She bit her lip and threw a quick glance over her shoulder, already taking a step backward. I lunged at her with a low growl, and her high-pitched shriek morphed into laughter as she whirled away and darted into the bedroom.
I took off after her, slowing my pace as I crossed the threshold. She stood across the room, the large king-sized bed between us. “Trapped now, beautiful.”
I rounded the foot of the bed with slow, measured steps, all the while watching Victoria’s body twitch with anticipation. With a sudden burst of movement, I hurdled the corner of the bed and swept her into my arms. Victoria let out a squeal but managed to evade my clasping hands and scramble free. She was almost across the bed when I grabbed her ankle and pulled her back to me.
Victoria dissolved into a fit of laughter as I rolled her to her back. One knee pressed to the mattress between her legs, I caged her in my arms. Her gray eyes met mine and her smile faded, her gaze suddenly serious and intent.
My heart raced as I stared down at her. Her skin, though perpetually tan from the hot Texas sun, was flushed, and I traced a path over the apple of her cheeks. Her eyes fluttered closed, and I ran the tip of one finger down the curve of her jaw and over her bottom lip. Victoria’s chin lifted instinctively, and I brushed a kiss across the plump flesh of her mouth.
Her eyes slid open and met mine as I pulled back. Her hand lifted to cup my cheek and I turned my chin into her palm, the bristles of my five o’clock shadow grazing her soft skin. My body felt like it was on fire, and though I ached to be inside her, I didn’t think she was ready for that just yet. Damn it.
I drew in a deep breath and forced the words past my tongue. “We should stop.”
“What if I don’t want to?” Victoria’s tongue darted out, wetting her bottom lip, and I let out a low growl.
“Damn it, Doc, I’m trying to be a gentleman here.”
Her fingers curled into the fabric of my shirt, her voice low and breathy. “Don’t.”
I met her halfway, ravaging her mouth, and her fingers deftly slipped the buttons free of their holes. The fabric hung loose at my sides and she placed her palms on my chest, the heat of her touch searing my flesh.
“Tell me.” It was an order, and her eyes widened a fraction. I needed to hear the words. “Tell me what you want.”
The wait was agonizingly long before she finally broke the silence. “You, Blake. I…” She licked her lips and blinked up at me, eyes hooded and sultry. “I want you.”
It was almost unfathomable that she would trust me with this. My heart swelled with pride and admiration as I brushed the hair away from her face with one hand. I needed to take my time with her, make sure she enjoyed this first time because I sure as hell planned on doing it more than once. A lot more.
I inched her dress up, my fingers gliding over the creamy flesh of her thighs. Her body trembled, and lifted my gaze to hers. “Nervous or… turned on?”
“Both.”
The word came out on a breathy whisper, and I couldn’t help but smile as I pressed my lips to her hip bone. I stripped the dress over her head, leaving her in a pair of lacy black panties and a matching bra. I lifted a brow and she squirmed under the scrutiny. I leaned forward and dropped a soft kiss on her lips. “You’re so beautiful, Victoria. Every inch of you is absolutely perfect.”
To reinforce my words, I placed a row of gentle kisses down the column of her neck to her breastbone. Fingering the scalloped edging of the sexy black bra, I pulled the cup down to reveal her lush breast. Her back arched with pleasure and she let out a low moan as my thumb flicked over the sensitive nipple.
“I want to see all of you.”
Snaking my hands behind her I deftly unclasped the bra, then slid the thin straps down her arms. She was so beautiful, so perfect—and she was all mine. Desire simmered in my veins, infusing me with a power I’d never experienced before. I felt like I’d splinter into a thousand pieces if she pulled away from me now.
“Are you sure about this? If not…”
Her fingers curled into my hair, silencing my questions as she pulled my head down for another kiss, and I gave in to sweet bliss.