A Woman's Touch (4 page)

„Becky.“
With a low groan Kyle reached out and took the glass from her shaking ringers. He set it down beside his own, and then he pulled her fiercely into his arms. „Nothing else matters,“ he muttered hoarsely. „Remember that.

Whatever happens, promise me you’ll remember that. This is all that’s important.“

She lifted her head to search his glittering green gaze for answers to unspoken questions about the past, the present and the future. But when she parted her lips to speak, Kyle took her mouth with heady aggression. A low groan of desire rumbled through his chest.

The current in which Rebecca was floating gathered force. She was no longer drifting gently toward the unseen culmination of her journey. She was being swept along on a flood tide of desire. Nothing in her past had prepared her for this level of emotional intensity. She had never expected to encounter such a violent need within herself. The depths of her own passion startled her, left her disoriented and confused. Instinctively she clung to Kyle.

Kyle’s arms tightened around her, promising a haven of safety in which she could weather the approaching storm.

His kiss altered, becoming less demanding and aggressive, more coaxing and intimate, probing and persuasive.

Rebecca spread her fingers across his broad shoulders, feeling the strength of him through the crisp cotton of his shirt. His muscles rippled and flexed with a promise of power and sensuality under her hands. His palms moved down her back to her waist.

„You’re so slender,“ he said against her lips. „I feel as if I could break you in half if I wasn’t careful.“

Rebecca looked up at him with dreaming eyes. „Then you’ll have to be very careful, won’t you?“

„You have my word on it. I’ll be very careful with you. Just trust me, baby. Let go of all your fears and trust me. I’ll take care of everything.“ He lifted her up into the hard, waiting heat of his thighs, making certain she could feel the need in him.

She put her arms around his neck and kissed his throat, silently giving him her answer.

„This is going to be so good. So right.“ Kyle picked her up and carried her down the hall to his bedroom.

Rebecca felt the fierce determination surging in him and wondered at it. There were so many things she wanted to know in that moment, so many questions she wanted to ask. But there was no time. Kyle’s urgent desire came first.

She understood that because her own need was threatening to consume her. Two months of hovering on the brink of passion, eight weeks of feasting on silent fantasies were taking their toll.

Time enough to talk later, Rebecca told herself as Kyle carefully lowered her to her feet beside the wide bed in the darkened bedroom. She looked up at him.

„I love you,“ she whispered.

„Oh, Becky, honey,“ he muttered thickly. „My sweet, loyal, Becky. How did I ever get along without you?“

He covered her mouth with his own, caught her hands and guided them to the first of his shirt buttons. Her fingers shook a little as she obediently went to work to unfasten the garment. She felt his hands on the zipper of her dress.

A moment later the silk slithered softly off her shoulders and down over her hips. The dress fell in soft waves at her feet. She stepped out of her shoes, feeling intensely vulnerable. Kyle bent his head to look down at her. His eyes gleamed in the darkness.

„Tonight when I looked at you across that roomful of people, all I could think about was what you would look like without that dress on.“

She saw the controlled hunger in his eyes and knew he was not disappointed. She relaxed and stepped closer, sliding her palms inside his shirt. „I suppose this is as good a time as any to tell you that I’ve been doing a little fantasizing of my own these past few weeks.“ His skin was warm, and there was a crisp mat of curling hair on his chest.

Kyle chuckled huskily. „Tell me about your fantasies and I’ll tell you about mine,“ he urged as he began to undo the fastening of her bra.

Rebecca felt the warmth in her cheeks. „I can’t tell you about them. Not yet.“

„Shy? I had a hunch you would be at this stage. But that’s all right. You can tell me everything later after you’ve had a chance to get used to my touch. In the meantime, I’ll tell you what I’ve been thinking about all evening.“

„Kyle?“ She was suddenly breathless as the silky scrap of her bra fell away.

„One of the things I fantasized about was holding you like this,“ Kyle said softly. He cupped her gently curving breasts in his hands and ran his thumbs lightly over her nipples. „I wanted to feel your response to me. I wanted to see how full and tight you would get.“

„Oh, Kyle,“ she moaned, closing her eyes and leaning into him. Her breasts became unbearably sensitive, her nipples taut and aching.

„You’re so perfect,“ he whispered into her hair. „I knew it would be like this.“ His palms grazed her nipples again and she whimpered softly. „Am I hurting you?“ he asked.

„No.“ She shook her head quickly. „No, it’s just that I feel so sensitive, I can hardly stand it.“

He smiled with a satisfaction he made no attempt to conceal. „Then I’ll have to find another way to touch you there.“ His hands closed around her waist and he lifted her up against him.

Rebecca cried out as she felt his tongue on the throbbing peaks of her breasts. Her fingers locked onto his shoulders and her head tipped back.

„That’s it, baby. You’re beautiful. You’re going to drive me out of my mind. That's right, sweetheart. Talk to me with those soft little sounds. Let me know how much you need me.“ Kyle’s voice was dark and encouraging, full of praise and wonder as she trembled in his grasp.

He lowered her onto the turned-back bed, stripping off her panty hose and the small triangle of her panties in one smooth movement. Then he stood up, yanking roughly at his own clothing until the last garment was kicked aside.

Rebecca stared up at him, excitement washing over her as she took in the sight of him. Kyle’s body was lean and hard, tapering from broad shoulders to narrow hips and muscular thighs. A thick nest of dark hair framed his heavy, aroused manhood.

„You’re magnificent,“ she said, lifting one hand to touch his thigh.

„So are you. Becky, honey, we’re going to be just right for each other. You’ll see.“ He came down beside her and leaned over her, trapping her between his braced arms. „Touch me,“ he ordered softly. „Go ahead. Touch me. I’ve been driving myself crazy wondering how your hands would feel on me.“

She slowly traced an intimate path with her fingertips. Her questing palms slipped down over his chest to his waist and around to the bunched muscles of his back. Rebecca stirred and moved closer to him as she became familiar with the shape and size of him.

„You feel good,“ she said with growing delight.

His laugh was harsh with a desire that was barely held in check. „I feel like I’m going to explode.“ He bent his head and kissed the valley between her breasts. „Keep going. I want your hands on me everywhere.“

She knew what he was asking for, but a part of her hesitated. She’d been dreaming of this for two months but suddenly things seemed to be moving too quickly. „Kyle?“

„Everywhere.“
He captured one of her trailing hands and drew it down to his pulsing manhood. „Oh, yeah, baby.“

His western drawl was suddenly more pronounced. It gave his voice a dark, sexy sound that was as exciting as his touch. „That’s what I want. Just like that. Please.“

She stroked him gently, her uncertainty giving way to a thrilling excitement as she felt him respond to her. He was large and wholly male, a creature built for taking what he wanted in life. But tonight he was hers to command. He would never hurt her. But she knew he would take everything she chose to give. And she wanted to give him everything.

„That’s enough,“ Kyle said suddenly. His hand closed around her wrist, and he pulled her fingers away from their intimate exploration. „Any more of that right now, and I won’t last another minute.“

Rebecca laughed up at him with silent satisfaction, glorying in her ability to make him respond so strongly to her.

Her confidence was growing by leaps and bounds now. „If I’m not allowed to touch you, how are we going to pass the time?“

„I’ve got a few ideas on the subject.“ He stroked his hand along the length of her, his palm sweeping over her breasts and down to the rounded softness of her thighs. „Open your legs for me, Becky. It’s my turn to touch you.“

She obeyed slowly, her sense of vulnerability increasing again. But her need to experience the full range of his lovemaking was overpowering. She turned her head into his chest and gasped as he slid his fingers into her warmth.

„You’re ready for me, aren’t you? Tell me you want me.“

„I want you.“

„You’re so soft and responsive,“ he marveled. „So warm and wet.“

She twisted sensually as he probed intimately. Her eyes squeezed shut against the wave of sensation that swept through her. Her fingers tightened on his arms as she clung to him. Her legs tangled with his and she instinctively moved her foot caressingly along his bare calf.

Kyle’s reaction to her soft, seductive movements was even more violent than her own response to him. Within minutes they were both breathing quickly, grasping each other, arching, writhing, offering, pleading.

„Ah, sweetheart, I can’t take any more of this,“ Kyle grated. „I planned to make this first time last all night, but that was one hell of a stupid idea. I can see that now. I need you too much. I’ve waited so long. I can’t wait any longer.“ He leaned across her, fumbling with the drawer of the table that stood beside the bed. He grabbed a small foil packet and ripped it open.

„Please, Kyle. Please. Now. I want you. I’ve never felt this way before.
Please.“

„Let me inside you,“ he muttered as he settled her onto her back and loomed over her. His eyes were glittering gemstones in the dark shadows. His face was a taut mask of desire. „I need to be inside you. I need to know you’re mine.“

She parted her legs for him again, her fingers digging into his shoulders as he moved quickly to take possession of her soft, womanly secrets. She held her breath as she felt him guide himself to the entrance of her body.

„Open your eyes, baby. Look at me. I want to see you looking at me when I take you.“ Kyle’s fingers moved in her hair.

She lifted her lashes, knowing full well that she was revealing her need, her subtle, primitive, feminine fear of surrender and her love. When she met his gaze she struggled desperately to see beneath the surface of his hard, demanding desire. But it was impossible. His raging need dominated everything in that moment.

„I love you, Kyle,“ she said for the second time that night.

„Show me, baby. Take me inside and show me.“ He pushed into her abruptly, thrusting hard until he had lodged himself deeply within her. She welcomed him, crying out with soft pleasure. He drank the small sounds from her lips, savoring them.

He was still for a moment, his whole body taut with the effort. He waited until they had both adjusted to the intimate connection and then began to move.

Each stroke was slow, sure and as deep as Kyle could make it. Rebecca’s head spun with sensation. Instinctively she lifted her hips to meet his thrusts. Kyle muttered against her throat, words of rough, driving sensuality. Rebecca shuddered in his tight hold, surrendering completely to the violent demands of the passion they had generated between them.

The culmination of their lovemaking seized them quickly, hurling them both into a whirlpool of convulsive release that seemed to go on forever. Kyle went rigid all over, and Rebecca dimly heard his half-strangled shout of triumph and satisfaction. She knew she was calling his name in a soft litany.

And then it was over, and Rebecca acknowledged to herself that the walls of her personal world, once so carefully structured, had been permanently breached. Nothing would ever be quite the same again for her.

An element of wildness had been introduced into her civilized world. And she knew that Kyle Stockbridge was the man she had been waiting for all her life.

It was a long time before Kyle could bring himself to roll clear of Rebecca’s warm, soft body. Eventually, with a sigh of relaxed satisfaction he flopped onto his back and gathered her against his side.

He should probably tell her everything now, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He told himself it didn’t really seem like an appropriate time to start a long, involved explanation. Morning would be soon enough for the kind of story he had to tell. Right now he just wanted to enjoy the aftermath.

The future, now that he had time to think about it, appeared bright and beckoning. It was amazing how much more clearly he could think now that he had temporarily assuaged the compelling desire that had been growing in him for the past few weeks.

„Kyle?“

„Hmm?“ He yawned magnificently.

„What are you thinking?“

„I’m thinking that you’re the best thing that’s happened to me in a very long time,“ he said honestly.

Rebecca smiled in the darkness and snuggled closer. „I’m glad. I was just thinking something similar about you.“

He laughed indulgently, pleased by the small confession. „Good. Then you won’t give me any static when I tell you what happens next.“

She stilled. „What does happen next?“

He propped himself up on one elbow and looked down at her questioning face. She looked so gentle and sweetly sensual with her dark hair in a tangle around her shoulders. One shadowed nipple peeked up at him from the edge of the sheet. Kyle leaned over to kiss the inviting nubbin. He felt the faint ripple of response that went through Rebecca and luxuriated in it.

„I want you to move in with me,“ he told her quietly, raising his head to watch her reaction. „The sooner, the better.“