Desire's Edge (3 page)
She opened her lips and he slipped his tongue inside. She tasted of wine, liquid and sweet. And she was kissing him back, her mouth welcoming him. Drawing him deeper.
She moaned quietly, and it went through him like a shock. He kept kissing her, just kissing her, and he was as hard as if she’d had her hands on him, or her gorgeous mouth.
Jesus.
He pulled back, and she held perfectly still, her eyes closed, her mouth still slightly parted. Her lips were plush, a little swollen from his kiss. He wanted to kiss her again. But he was actually afraid that if he did, he might push her too far, too fast. Because the truth was, he wanted to strip her down, push her onto her back right there on the narrow porch swing, and sink into her. Do every dirty thing he’d ever imagined back in high school. And a few more things he’d learned since.
He groaned.
Her lashes fluttered; her eyes opened.
“Dante?”
“Yeah. Do I need to apologize?”
“No. That was as much my fault as it was yours.”
“Does anyone need to be at fault here?” he asked, needing to know, to be certain he wasn’t imagining she wanted him.
“Maybe not.”
That sweet smile again. God, she was something.
He realized he still had his hand on her face. Her cheek was smooth beneath his palm, the skin silky and cool in the chilly night air.
“Are you cold?” he asked her.
“No, I’m fine. I’m good.”
She looked a bit dazed. She looked exactly the way he felt. Overcome by lust.
No woman had ever had this effect on him, not that he could remember. Could it be the reawakening of those long-held teenage fantasies? Or was it simply
her
?
her
?
It bothered him a little. But not enough for him to walk away. All he could think of was her naked body under his. Even better if she’d let him do the things to her he loved best. Spank her. Bring her to orgasm with that excruciating combination of pleasure and pain. But how to bring it up with her? It was so much easier with the women he met at the Pleasure Dome. There, everyone knew exactly what to expect. No one went to the city’s biggest and finest BDSM club without having at least some idea of what went on there. Without sharing the same kinds of desires.
But the fact was, he was so turned on by her, he wanted her with or without all the extreme sex. It didn’t matter right now nearly as much as it normally did. As much as it should.
What did that even mean?
He didn’t want to question it too carefully. He just
wanted
her. Out of control, like some hormone-driven teen. Wanted her in a way he’d never desired another woman before. After fifteen minutes of talking to her. After all these years.
wanted
her. Out of control, like some hormone-driven teen. Wanted her in a way he’d never desired another woman before. After fifteen minutes of talking to her. After all these years.
Have to have her.
He’d figure out what the hell was going on with him later.
“Kara. I’m going to ask you something, and I don’t want you to get offended, but I’m going to be blunt.”
“Okay . . .”
He leaned in, keeping his voice low.
“I can’t believe I’ve run into you tonight, after all this time. But I have to tell you, if we were still in high school, this would have been my dream come true. Just kissing you. But I’m all grown up now. So are you. And I want more.”
Her eyes went wide, her breath coming out in a small puff of warm air. Then she smiled again, and he knew it would be all right. She leaned into him, looked up at him from beneath her long, dark lashes. It was the look of a seductress, yet there was still something sweet, almost innocent about her.
“We
are
all grown up, Dante. What is it you want?”
are
all grown up, Dante. What is it you want?”
He took her hand, wrapping his fingers around hers. “I want you. I want you so badly, I can’t wait for all the usual polite talk. And this is not some well-practiced line. I don’t believe in that crap, frankly. I just . . . want you.”
Kara’s breath went out of her. The blunt honesty was like some sort of wild aphrodisiac. That and the way he was looking at her, his plush mouth loose and still damp from kissing her.
The man could kiss. No doubt about it. She wanted him to do it again. She wanted him to do more than kiss her. And she wanted it now.
She shrugged, trying to appear casual about it even as her pulse thrummed with need. “Then have me, Dante.”
He smiled at her, all heat and a slow, simmering pleasure.
He stood, helped her to her feet. He was even taller when he was standing next to her, dwarfing her five-foot-eight frame. She loved that, loved feeling small and feminine next to him. She drew in a deep breath, inhaled the dark, musky scent of him. A shudder ran through her, pleasure trembling like some long, drawn-out note through her body.
Yes, they were all grown up. And maybe this was exactly what she needed. Maybe
he
was. She’d brooded long enough.
he
was. She’d brooded long enough.
Dante De Matteo, after all these years. A fantasy about to come true.
two
A part of her couldn’t believe she was doing this—leaving a party with a guy she hadn’t seen in years. A guy she hadn’t known all that well in high school, and whom she no longer really knew at all. But she felt safe with him. Inexplicably, maybe, except that Lucie and Tyler knew him, too, which made it a little safer.
Kara had caught a ride to the party with another friend she and Lucie had known for years, so she’d said a quick good-bye and gotten into Dante’s silver BMW. The car fit him. It was sleek. Sophisticated. Fast.
She turned to look at Dante’s profile as he drove across the bridge and back into the city. He was very European-looking, with his dark hair and olive skin, the strong, clean jawline. He would make the perfect
GQ
model. There was almost a prettiness about him, except that his features were so angular. So purely male. The dimples in his cheeks softened his look, though. And his mouth . . .
GQ
model. There was almost a prettiness about him, except that his features were so angular. So purely male. The dimples in his cheeks softened his look, though. And his mouth . . .
She shivered, wanting to reach out, to touch his full lips with her fingertips. Simply wanting to touch him.
Oh, but she was going to. And he would touch her . . .
She rubbed her hands over her thighs, the purple knit of her dress soft against her palms.
Calm down.
“Are you warm enough?” he asked, turning up the heat in the car.
“Yes, I’m fine.” Too hot, maybe. “The seat warmers do a good job.”
He turned and smiled at her for a moment before looking back at the road. God, even the way he downshifted the car as they reached the Seattle side of the bridge was sexy. Her entire body was humming with anticipation.
“I hope you don’t mind that I’m not talking much,” Dante said, shifting once more to speed up. The highway was mostly empty, the sky outside a series of dark layers of cloud. It would rain soon. “It’s not that I don’t want to talk with you.”
“I don’t mind. You have to pay attention to the road.”
“It’s not that.”
“No? What, then?”
He glanced at her once more, just a quick flash, his eyes gleaming darkly in the amber light coming from the dashboard. There was a small grin quirking the corner of his mouth. “To be honest, if I try to make small talk, I’ll fail miserably. And I don’t want to say anything so stupid that you’ll change your mind.”
“You don’t strike me as the kind of guy who would have any trouble making small talk.”
“Not usually, no. But I have to tell you, Kara . . .” His tone lowered, a deep rumble of smoke and desire. “If I don’t get you to my place soon, if I don’t have you in the next few minutes, I’m going to lose my mind. So I’m keeping my mouth shut until I can get you home. Get you naked. Get my hands on you.”
“Oh . . .”
She didn’t know what to say. She was stunned by the need filling her body. So fast, so sharp. She was dazed by it.
Get you naked. Get my hands on you.
Oh yes, that was exactly what she wanted. But she couldn’t say it. She was wet, aching. And in her head was one message, repeating itself over and over, until she really couldn’t think of anything else.
Need him now . . .
He was watching the road carefully as they raced across town. They were both quiet as he got off the 90 and made his way north. She didn’t mind that they weren’t talking. There was nothing uncomfortable about it, as there might be with someone else. She didn’t know why. All she knew was that the silence and the expectation were mixed together, making her feel as though they were in some sort of bubble. Cut off from the rest of the world. And she liked it.
The rain started as they drove through the streets, passing office buildings, restaurants, bars. The streetlights shone on the dampening pavement, casting light and shadow across the car windows. And the seat warmers, which had been comforting at first, lovely, were almost too warm now as need rose in her body, heating her through.
Finally they pulled into a parking garage in one of the newer high-rise buildings on Elliott Avenue. The real estate here was pricey. She remembered vaguely that Dante had been one of the rich kids in high school. Not that he’d ever flaunted it. But Mercer Island was a small community, and everyone in their school had known something about everyone else.
None of that mattered to her one way or another. She’d never dated a man for his money, although she preferred a man with some ambition. But right now all she was interested in was parking the damn car and getting inside. Somewhere private. With
him
.
him
.
When had she ever felt this sort of urgency with a man? One who hadn’t even kissed her, touched her, for almost an hour. Normally, that sharp edge of desire would have worn off by now. Not tonight. Not with Dante.
He pulled into the garage and into a parking spot, turned the engine off, then turned to look at her. One quick glance, that small, devastating grin; then he was out of the car and opening her door, pulling her into his arms.
She could smell him again, that dark, lovely tang of clean male flesh, mixed with a little exhaust, the scent of motor oil and tires from the garage that only made him seem more essentially male.
He was so tall, and he was holding her so close, she had to tilt her head back to look him in the eye. His were full of the same driving need she felt in her body. Tingling. Electric.
If only he would kiss her.
“Let’s get you upstairs.”
His arm never left her waist as he led her to the elevator and they rode up, floor after floor. He watched her face the whole time, his golden-brown eyes hot on hers. Mesmerizing.
He leaned into her and murmured into her hair, “Almost there. You have no idea how badly I want to touch you, Kara. I don’t even dare kiss you yet. If I do, it’ll have to happen right here in the elevator.”
“I don’t think I’d mind,” she said quietly, smiling, dazzled by him.
He laughed, a low, husky sound. “Maybe we can save that for later. After the neighbors are all in bed. But I love that you aren’t opposed to the idea of sex in the elevator. Someplace where we could get caught.”
“It sounds . . . exciting.”
Anything with Dante sounded exciting. Everything.
The doors opened, and she was nearly breathless as they moved into the hallway, as he unlocked the door and led her inside.
His place was one of those open loft spaces, with floor-toceiling windows overlooking the city. The apartment was dark, but enough light came in from the city below to illuminate the silhouettes of the furniture. But she didn’t have time to look, wasn’t really interested. Dante had his hands on her, was pushing her back against the front door. And all she could think was,
Yes. Now
, as he bent his head and kissed her.
Yes. Now
, as he bent his head and kissed her.
His mouth was hard and soft all at once. Plush lips, wet tongue pushing into her mouth. Her hands went to his shoulders, her mind buzzing. She was weak with desire, her legs shaking immediately. She hung on while he backed up enough to pull their coats off and drop them on the wood floor, his mouth never leaving hers.
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