Deep Autumn Heat (18 page)

Lexie pulled back as if someone had doused her with cold water. She couldn’t believe this. After pulling her closer, he was pushing her away. Again. Sick of his games, all she wanted was to get away from him. “Fine,” she snapped. “I can’t do this, either.”

Ignoring his protests, she turned and ran, nearly sprinting back to the chair where she’d left her shoes. Snatching them up, she raced around the Inn to her parked car. In a moment, she had the Honda’s engine revving. Jerking it into gear, she angrily drove through town, being rougher with the transmission than she needed to be.

Lexie was so furious she could barely see straight. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to concentrate on the darkened road. One false turn and she’d run smack into a tree. Not a
pleasant way to end the evening. She got home safely, parked the car, and was fumbling with the key to the front door when she heard it. The distinctive rumbling of a motorcycle engine. And it was headed her way.

As Lexie watched, the motorcycle’s headlight appeared at the end of her driveway. Seb practically leapt off of the bike, looking like any woman’s fantasy—a gorgeous man on a black Harley.

But Lexie was too angry to care.

She crossed her arms under her breasts and tapped her foot impatiently. She expected Seb to stop in her yard, to give her an explanation. She expected a—if not calm, then rational—discourse about his actions, or inactions. She expected him to talk and then leave her in peace.

She did not expect what happened next.

Instead of stopping, instead of talking, instead of doing anything any normal person would do, he vaulted up the stairs to her porch. Before she had a chance to think, or even to breathe, he grabbed her shoulders and pressed her back against her front door. He glared at her fiercely, his green eyes hooded with irritation and something more. Something primal.

“Don’t ever run away from me again,” he growled. Then he slanted his mouth to hers and kissed her with what seemed to be equal parts fury and passion. His tongue pressed against her lips, demanding entry. When she opened her mouth to speak, unwittingly granting him access, he probed into her mouth as if her surrender were his singular goal.

This kiss was dangerous. He wasn’t holding back, and he wasn’t trying to protect her. He was simply unleashing himself on her.

Caught by surprise, she struggled, briefly, her keys falling to the ground. Then she felt an answering jolt of pleasure, and she embraced it, closing her eyes and allowing her anger to abate. His mouth was hot, so hot on hers. His fingers entwined in her hair and around her waist. He was all male, and he made sure she knew it, pressing his hardness into her stomach so she could feel the weight of his arousal. Slowly, the already considerable heat built up between them as he took what he wanted and she answered in kind.

They’d shifted away from anger, but there was no calmness to their movements. This was war, and all the pent-up frustration and caution they’d felt around each other was shoved aside as they grappled together, walking the tightrope between adrenaline and desire, excitement and need.

Lexie wrapped her arms around Seb’s large body, digging her fingers into his back. His muscles rippled under her fingertips, making her shiver with anticipation. How would he feel on top of her, his full weight pressed heavily onto her body?

She shifted, her breasts rubbing against his chest. It was his undoing. He groaned again, and slid his hand from her waist up her rib cage to cup her fullness. Any ounce of control she had left was shattered. He moved his mouth from her lips to her ear and sucked on her lobe. At the same time, he rubbed his thumb over her dress where the hard nub of her nipple strained against the fabric.

Seb’s mouth trailed down her neck, hot and wet. “God, you are so sweet. So perfect,” he whispered. Then he shook his head ruefully before returning his mouth to her neck. “You have no idea what you’re in for.”

“Neither do you,” she murmured between frantic kisses.

“Damn, I hope not,” he said. Then he kissed the indentation of her collarbone and trailed his tongue back up the side of her neck. She shivered, first at the feel of his tongue on her body, then again as the warmth turned cool in the night air.

Seb slid down the top of her dress and slipped his hand inside. With practiced fingers, he undid her strapless bra and pulled it off, pushing it into his pocket. Then, suddenly gentle, he ran his finger down the side of her breast and cupped his hand underneath. Exposed to the chill air, her already hard nipple puckered further.

“So beautiful,” he said, bending his head to take a taste.

Lexie gasped as his mouth enveloped the tight bud. His tongue swirled, heightening the sensation and making her breath catch in her throat. As he ministered to one nipple with his mouth, his skillful fingers found its twin and stroked it.

Lexie was caught in a sensual haze. She couldn’t do anything but focus on Sebastian and the way he was pleasuring her. He sucked harder on her nipple, causing her to cry out in excitement.

His strong hands were everywhere—on her face, in her hair, on her breasts. Could this really be happening? Then she felt his palm slide up her leg, under her dress.

“Inside,” she gasped, eyes wide open.

“Oh, no,” he said, as he grasped the edge of her silk panties and pulled them down. “Right here.”

He bent to his knees and lifted her dress, exposing her. She was already wet, brought to readiness by his touch. He eyed her appreciatively in the dim light. She blushed when she realized what he was about to do, but a feeling of wicked desire flooded through her. She had no time to react before he pushed her legs apart, spreading her sex wide, preparing her for his mouth. She couldn’t see his head—it was under the fabric of her dress—but she felt his warm tongue licking at her center, circling her tight bud again and again. Her knees went weak, and she would have fallen if he weren’t holding her so tightly.

Seb took his time, nibbling, sucking, laving. She stood still, pinioned to the door by his hands on her hips and his tongue in her sex.

He slid one hand from her hips and used it together with his tongue to pleasure her. Then, ever so slowly, he pressed one long finger up and into her body. It was thick, making Lexie dimly wonder if he were as big in other places. He worked his finger in and out, still circling her nubbin with that clever tongue.

The pressure built, the sensation so intense that she almost cried.

Her body clenched around his finger, aching for more, reaching for the ultimate satisfaction. She could feel the heat rising. She was almost there, wanting, needing the release that only Sebastian could give her.

Lexie finally understood why Sebastian Grayson had the reputation he did as a world-class lover. Her last thought before she gave herself entirely over to sensation was that all the
gossip she’d ever heard about his sexual prowess was honestly true. Sebastian suckled, and Lexie exploded around him in a burst of sensation.

She screamed her release, a gasping, feminine sound that resounded into the night. She didn’t even realize she’d done it until she heard her own voice echo back at her—a keening cry of gratification. Shutting her eyes, she tried to catch her breath.

Sebastian removed his head from under her dress and looked up at her, his eyes dark with passion. “
Now
we go inside,” he said, his voice rough. “Where are your keys?”

Not trusting herself to speak, Lexie pointed down.

In one swift movement, he grabbed the keys off the ground and opened the door. Then he scooped her up in his arms and carried her inside, slamming the door behind them with his foot.

Lexie’s cottage wasn’t large, and Seb unerringly walked straight to the bedroom. Once inside, he appraised her huge bed and raised his eyes to the heavens. “Thank you, Lord.”

Gently depositing her on the edge of the mattress, he stripped off her dress, then pushed her back so he could admire her. She lay there, silently, waiting, splayed open for his examination. Her small, curvy body was displayed for him alone. He drank her in. She knew what she looked like—dark hair mussed from his hands, moist lips swollen from his mouth, reddened nipples peaked from his fingers, plump sex wet from his tongue and from her own desire. She had been marked as his.

“You’re beautiful.”

“So are you,” she whispered.

Seb laughed. Slowly, he removed his clothes, never taking his eyes off her. His vest and shirt came off first, revealing his powerful torso. Next came his belt, sliding out and dropping to the floor in a coil. He kicked off his shoes along with his socks. Then his pants came sliding down his long legs. Finally, he hooked a finger in the waistband of his boxers and slid them down.

He stood there proudly, and she took him in. His black hair was swept back from his face and his eyes were focused on her. The planes of his face were shadowed in the dim light of her
room, making him look dangerous, deadly. A muscle on his chest rippled as he shifted. Her eyes slid lower. His massive erection jutted up from the dark hair between his thighs.

Lexie’s eyes widened. He was more, much more, than she’d ever imagined. She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could get a word out, he was lying next to her, kissing her. He tasted like honeyed wine. It was dizzying. Heady.

By the time she remembered why she was going to speak, he’d begun softly fondling her breasts again. The tingling sensation began anew. While he gently licked and sucked on a taut nipple, he reached a capable hand down and rubbed on and around her moist bud below, spreading her dampness and increasing her excitement.

She felt herself become even more wet—something she hadn’t thought possible. Then she felt Seb slide one of those thick fingers inside her again, moving it in and out. After a few minutes, he added a second. Lexie made a mewling sound inside her throat. It was a very tight fit.

“Shh, Spice,” he said, kissing her on the lips. “I’ll make this good for you. Do you trust me?”

Lexie nodded.
Yes
.

He slipped on a condom and moved on top of her, positioning her body to receive his own. He tipped her hips back and drew her legs up to her sides. Then she felt the head of his huge member pressing against her opening. Lexie gasped. He wasn’t going to fit easily.

A flare of panic engulfed her, and he eased back, watching, waiting. When she made tentative movements against him, he kissed her and thrust his body up, flexing his hips.

And then he was inside. Inch by inch, his width stretched her tight passage. He moved incredibly slowly, taking several long moments before he was fully sheathed in her. Once he was in, he wrapped her legs around his waist, arranging her until she was comfortable. Then he held very still, waiting for her to adjust to his girth.

Lexie was stretched so tightly—his shaft, like the rest of him, was huge and hot. They hadn’t even started to move, and already a fine sheen of moisture covered her body. She could
barely breathe. He held himself up on his powerful forearms so as not to crush her, watching her, waiting for her to make the next move.

She seized the opportunity to examine him up close. His body was hard, yet it gave in all the right places. The look in his eyes was triumphant, yet tinged with uncertainty. Was there a bit of humility behind his arrogant façade?

Then she wrapped her hands around his strong upper arms. “Please,” she said.

As she closed her eyes, she caught a glimpse of his smile. He kissed her mouth and began to move. Slowly at first, then faster as she opened to his movements. The heat between them grew. And grew.

As she gained confidence, Lexie began to match his movements, tilting her body upward to meet his thrusts. Helping him achieve their mutual satisfaction made her feel powerful and most definitely in control.

Using an elbow as leverage, he slipped a hand between their bodies and massaged the apex of her folds. A jolt of pleasure coursed through her, shocking her senses and throwing her off kilter. She rose higher, higher, feeling the jagged edges of desire rake her body. Any thought of control fled from her mind as he plunged into her again and again, driving them both to the crest of satisfaction.

For the second time that night, Lexie shattered, gasping as the sensations overwhelmed her. Her body peaked, and she bucked up against him with wild abandon. Her response took him over the edge. With a roar, Seb grabbed her hips and pumped into her one last time, hoarsely shouting out her name at the moment of his release.

Seb woke up to the soft sound of running water. Slowly, he pried his eyes open and propped himself up on an elbow. It was still pitch black outside, and light shone from underneath what he assumed was the bathroom door. He surveyed his surroundings, illuminated only by a tiny night light. Lexie’s room was small and spare. Most of it was taken up by the bed, but there was enough room for a desk, a chair, and a large dresser. A few framed photos sat atop the dresser, and a tiny alarm clock rested on a night table. The room was feminine, but unfussy, much like the woman herself. Then he looked down.

He’d been tucked snugly—all six feet, four inches of him—under the covers of Lexie’s bed. The thought of Lexie performing the comforting act of covering his nude body made him smile. What else had she done while he was sleeping?

He leaned back on the pillow, crossing an arm under his head, and grinned. He knew Lexie was a firecracker out of bed, but only in his wildest imagination had he dreamed she’d also be one between the sheets. He thought about the way her perfectly rounded body had molded to his. How the sweet tips of her breasts pressed against his chest. The way she’d opened to him. The way her hips had thrust up to meet his own. The way she’d screamed his name as her orgasm had ripped through her. Seb groaned. He was hard again.

She was ripe and lush and she knew how to experience and give pleasure, but that wasn’t the only reason he couldn’t get enough of her. She was clever, with an intelligent light in her deep brown eyes, but again, that wasn’t enough of a reason to have fallen so hard, so fast. She was kind to people, he knew. She’d given chances to Buster and others on her staff who’d needed a break.