Reese sat up without taking his eyes off Sophie. The house could have been on fire, the walls crumbling around him, and he still wouldn’t have looked away. Hell, he didn’t even want to blink for fear she’d disappear from view.
Her luminous skin glowed in the dim candlelight, and her hair hung in thick golden waves around her shoulders. She was everything he’d known she’d be—passionate, daring, trusting. Now, as she sat beside him, she was eyeing his body with naked appreciation—and asking to see more of him.
“I’m not wearing anything under this sheet,” he warned.
“I’m not deterred in the slightest,” she said with a sultry smile. She probably wasn’t aware that she licked her kiss-swollen lips, but the sight made him even harder than he already was.
“You can see as much of me as you want, Soph. Nothing is off-limits.” He waved a hand at the sheet covering his lower half in an unspoken invitation, then let his arms drop to his sides.
The corners of her mouth curled into another smile as she moved closer and boldly smoothed her hands over his chest. A bit more tentative, she pressed her lips to his shoulder, nipping it lightly. But then her mouth, perfectly wet and warm, drifted lower. She tasted his skin and murmured her approval. Her hands roamed down his sides and low across his abdomen, making his cock twitch in anticipation.
At last, she reached for the sheet and slowly pulled it off him, tossing it to the end of the bed without a second glance. All her attention was focused on his hard length, and she stared with a mix of wonder and curiosity. “May I touch you?” she asked.
“Nothing is off-limits,” he repeated—but he did worry that one touch from her would make him lose control. So he fisted the sheets and braced himself. For the most exquisite form of torture imaginable.
She placed a hand on his thigh at first, then slid it up his shaft and over the head. He shuddered with pleasure and restraint.
Her forehead creased. “Have I hurt you?”
Shooting her a wry smile, he said, “You could never hurt me.”
She leaned into him, nuzzling his neck and sliding her palm over his abdomen. “Show me how to touch you,” she said. “Show me what pleases you.”
“That’s easy, Soph. Everything you do pleases me.”
“You know what I mean,” she said, impatient.
He did know and was more than happy to show her.
Before long, she was kissing the crook of his neck and eagerly taking him in her hand, stroking with just the right rhythm, just the right amount of pressure to drive him wild. His ears began to buzz and fireworks flashed behind his eyelids. His breathing turned ragged and his muscles tensed. “Sophie,” he gasped, reaching for her hand. “Wait.”
She stilled and snuggled against his side while he caught his breath and attempted to regain control. He had to think clearly, damn it.
If he and Sophie only had one night together, he needed to make it special. So that she’d know, somehow, what she meant to him. So that years from now, she wouldn’t have any regrets about what they’d done. And maybe, when she thought about him, she’d smile.
“Do you remember the night we met?” he murmured against her hair.
“When you accused me of breaking and entering the tailor’s shop?” she teased.
“I think I knew the moment that you walked through that door that you’d turn my world upside down.”
She arched a knowing brow at him. “Your world was already upside-down.”
“That’s true.” He grinned as he laid her back on the mattress, then braced himself above her, his arms on either side of her shoulders. “But you shook it up even more. Since I met you, my head’s been spinning … in the best possible way.”
She reached up and cupped his cheek in her palm, brushing his lips with the pad of her thumb. “You have a similar effect on me, Reese. I’m going to miss you more than you know.”
A lump lodged in his throat. “I’m here now, and so are you. If you ever miss me, I want you to think of this.” With deliberate tenderness, he lowered his head and took her mouth, pouring everything he felt for her—emotions he couldn’t even name—into his kiss.
When they were both a little breathless, he paused and looked deep into her eyes. “Or, if you like, you could think of this.” He moved lower and kissed a trail down her neck and over her breasts, teasing the hardened tips with his tongue.
“No danger of me forgetting,” she rasped, arching her back toward him. “I never knew I could feel this way—so dizzy and alive and free. It’s like swimming naked in the lake … but better.”
Chuckling, he slid even lower. Her skin tasted like nectar, pure and sweet. He kissed and licked his way down her belly, over her hip, and around her thigh, stopping short when she drew in a sharp breath.
“Reese?” She looked down at him, her heavy-lidded eyes clouded with confusion.
“I want to taste you,” he said, rubbing his cheek against the impossibly soft skin of her inner thigh. “In the worst way. But only if you want me to.”
“Oh.” Sophie felt her cheeks flush with a mixture of embarrassment and desire—but mostly desire. “I trust you,” she said firmly. “And if anything makes me uncomfortable, I’ll let you know.”
“Good.” Reese’s voice vibrated through her like a purr. “Because I think you’re going to like this.”
Good heavens. His touch was sure and gentle, his mouth warm and wet. He seemed to know how to apply just the right amount of pressure in precisely the right spot. Though it took her a minute or two to relax, she soon surrendered to the exquisite sensations he ignited inside her.
He nudged her legs farther apart and grabbed her hips, holding her like he’d never let her go. His mouth and tongue teased her mercilessly, and a lovely, insistent pulsing began to echo in her core. The feeling was so intense that she might have pulled away, but then Reese reached for her hand and laced his fingers through hers. “Stay with me,” he murmured, renewing his efforts with an enthusiasm that humbled and enthralled her.
Every wicked flick of his tongue and brush of his lips carried her higher, lifted her closer to the sun. Her belly tightened, her breath caught, and, suddenly, she was floating. Drifting through the air like a dandelion seed, blissfully light and free.
He held her all the while, ensuring she drew out every ounce of pleasure to be had. And when her body was deliciously sated and limp, he lay beside her and pulled her close, trailing his fingertips over her back in light, soothing strokes.
“You were right,” she said with a smile. “I did like that.”
He shot her a wicked grin. “So did I.”
She nuzzled his neck, kissing his warm, salty skin. Never had she felt so close to someone, so safe, so … loved.
With a contented sigh, she reached between their bodies and curled her fingers around his smooth, hard length. A low groan escaped his lips, and she swallowed it, kissing him with all the fervor in her soul.
She found the rhythm he liked and stroked him till his eyes closed and sweat beaded on his brow. Knowing he was hovering on the edge, she gave a long, slow caress from the base of his shaft all the way to the top.
“Soph,” he said raggedly. “I can’t…”
“Yes, you can,” she whispered, increasing the pace and pressure. She continued stroking as she lowered her head to his chest and ran her tongue over a flat nipple.
Stifling a curse, he placed his hand over hers and tensed as he climaxed, pulsing, hot, and wet in her palm. For several seconds, they lay together without moving. Her cheek rested on his chest, and his heart beat wildly. “You are amazing,” he said, looking at her with awe and affection.
“I think it’s more accurate to say that we’re amazing,” she said. “Together.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Wait here. I’ll fetch a wet towel.”
When he returned to the bed, they laughed as they took turns washing and drying each other. And when they grew chilly, they snuggled beneath the sheets, her back to his chest.
While she lay there, Sophie wished for the impossible—to be able to fall asleep like that every night, with Reese’s strong arms around her and his breath blowing softly in her hair. If circumstances had been different, it might have happened. She might have felt beautiful and sated and loved forever.
But her fate had been determined before she ever set eyes on Reese, long before she’d fallen in love with him. Tomorrow, she’d have to say goodbye, but at least she’d had one perfect night—and she’d always be grateful for that.