His To Keep (20 page)

Until she kissed him and he lost the ability for rational thought.

She kissed him and the massive amount of energy he’d been expending on resisting the urge to tumble her onto his bed blew apart.

As carefully as he could, he eased his hands from her hair, grabbed her under her arms and lifted until her mouth was aligned with his. Then he crushed his mouth to hers and released all the pent-up need inside him.

He swept his tongue into her mouth, tasting heat and passion. Anchoring her to him with one arm around her waist, he ran his free hand down her back, coaxing her legs to wrap around his waist. Pressing her wet center against his throbbing cock, he fought the urge to grind himself against her, to rip away her panties and thrust into her.

She didn’t make it easy. Her hands stroked wherever she could reach, making his skin sensitive to her touch while her kiss made his head feel like it was about to explode.

Where the hell had she learned to kiss like this?

Didn’t matter. She was kissing him now, with total devotion. She didn’t seem to want to stop and it just might kill him if she did.

Instead, he took the few steps back to the bed and sat down, forcing Annie to move her legs until she was kneeling on the bed and their bodies were even more perfectly aligned.

After another soul–deep kiss, he pulled back to look at her face. She opened glazed eyes to stare at him, and he saw the fear of rejection flare in their depths.

“Nic—”

“Shh.” He drew a finger along her lips. “Slow down. It’s not perfect timing, but we’ll make it work.”

She smiled then, sweetly with just a hint of sin. “You’re damn right we will. Lay down.”

The tone of her voice yanked at his libido, made his breath catch in his throat. He felt like a teenager with the girl who would be his first. That rush of pleasure was accompanied by the sudden, agonizing fear that he’d screw this up.

Annie must have seen that in his eyes, because she caught him off guard by pushing him flat on the bed and planting her hands on his chest, looking for all the world like a conquering Amazon, green eyes slumberous, blond hair falling against pale skin. Just the sight of that sheer lace bra and panties made him nearly swallow his tongue.

“Stop thinking, Dominic.” Her fingernails scraped against his skin, circling his nipples and tracing the outline of his ribs. “I think we’ve both been doing way too much of it.”

Words leaped to his tongue but he bit them back. She was right. “Then shut up and kiss me,” he growled.

Her smile became a grin he knew well. “When I’m damn well good and ready.”

She leaned down and he took a deep breath in preparation for her lips against his. But the air caught in his throat when she pressed her lips to the pulse at the base of his neck. That delicate touch made his skin tighten in reaction, while the motion forced her legs apart until he could feel the wet silk of her underwear pressed against the tip of his erection.

He clutched at her hips, caught between not wanting to rush and easing the fierce ache in his groin. Forcing himself to slow down, he dragged his hands up her body until they brushed against her bra.

“You look good in this.” He pulled the stretchy lace down until her nipples were exposed, her breast still cupped by the bra. “Don’t take it off.”

Her lids flickered and her fingernails dug into his skin as her thighs tightened around his waist. Her expression showed fierce arousal and just a tiny bit of shock, and the fact of her age slapped at him. She was no longer young, but she was younger than him. By her own admission, she’d never had a serious relationship. He didn’t think she was a virgin. Still, from the look on her face, she wasn’t used to this kind of talk.

Hell, maybe he’d scared her. Now that he’d committed to this, to her, he couldn’t help but worry he’d scared her, turned her off.

“Annie—”

“I love the way you’re looking at me right now.” Her husky voice ripped through his fears, arrowed straight to his heart. “I’ve waited years for you to look at me like this.”

Her words tore away his last restraints. He reared up, crushing her against him, devouring her beautiful mouth as he funneled every roiling emotion running through his body into that kiss. She responded by twining her fingers into his hair and pulling him closer.

With a growl, he twisted until she was on the bed beneath him, her legs wrapped around his waist. He thrust against her, the barrier of her panties and his boxers an annoyance. It was his turn to sit back on his haunches and gaze down at her. The pink lace against her pale skin made him want to growl. As if she’d read his mind, her gaze dropped and he burned for her to touch him.

She lifted her hands and pulled his boxers down, until she’d exposed him. Then she traced a fingertip from the tip of his cock to his balls, drawn up tight. He clamped down hard on the urge to grab her hand and grind it against him, to curl her fingers around him and gain immediate satisfaction. Instead, he let her touch him, let her tease her fingernail along the throbbing vein then slip that same finger between his legs to flick at the sensitive skin of his sac.

He knew she was watching him and he forced his eyes open so she could see exactly what she did to him. When her breath started to drag through her lips, he reached for her underwear, tearing it down her legs, moving to the side so he could slip them off her legs. He turned for a second to get a condom from the bedside table drawer and get rid of his boxers. When he turned back, she was propped up on her elbows, watching him.

Her mouth curved in a hot, sweet smile.

With the condom in place, he couldn’t wait any longer. He settled between her legs and covered her with his body, propped on his elbows to hold as much of his weight off of her as he could. She seemed so small now that he had her exactly where he wanted her. But her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist held him with strength.

Easing his hips forward, he swallowed hard as the sensitive head of his cock nestled against the liquid heat of her entrance. Damn, he wished he didn’t have to wear the condom but he refused to take chances with her. They’d have a frank conversation later but right now… Right now, he only wanted to make her happy. And make her his.

He eased forward, each inch she enveloped ratcheting up his desire to thrust wildly. Which he refused to do.

But then she arched to meet him, taking him deeper. Her fingers clutched at his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin. He loved it. He loved how tight she was, how she widened her legs to take even more of him.

Locking her ankles at his back, she shimmied closer, making his balls draw up tight as he drew closer to orgasm.

“God, sweetheart, you feel so good.”

“Nic, please.” Her breath sent sensation skating through him. “Move.”

“Whatever you want.”

Wrapping his arms around her, he sank closer as he began a rhythm designed to drive them both over the edge. With each push, she closed around him, tight and wet. And with each retreat, she clung to him.

Christ, he wasn’t going to last long. And by the sounds she was making, he knew she was nearly there as well.

Feeling the pressure build, he deliberately slowed, slipped one hand beneath her ass to tilt her hips even more deeply then ground himself against her, thrusting as far as he could go.

Her head fell back and she gasped before leaning forward to open her mouth over his skin, her teeth nipping, egging him on.

He began to thrust harder, faster, losing himself in her until he felt her clasp him tightly then pulse in orgasm.

Gritting his teeth, he froze and rode out her climax, holding himself deep inside her until she went limp.

He wanted to drag it out, wasn’t ready for this to end. But her expression of complete satisfaction pushed him closer to the edge. And when she opened her eyes to stare into his and smiled, he couldn’t help himself.

He lost it. Lost his ability to think, lost his control, felt the wall he’d built to keep her at arm’s length crumble into ash. Annie wound her arms around his neck and lifted her body into his, as if to make them one

“I love you, Nic.”

The tone of her voice, more than the words themselves, sent his emotions into overdrive and he came in a rush of pure sensation that left him drained and so in love, it scared the hell out of him.

* * * * *

Annie knew the exact moment Nic realized what she’d said.

They were trying to catch their breath when Nic rolled, carrying her with him so he was on his back and she lay on her side, curled into him.

He stilled then and his arm tightened around her. His heartbeat continued to race and his breathing remained unsteady but she could practically hear his mind working.

She wasn’t about to take the words back because they were exactly what she was feeling. But maybe she should’ve waiting at least a few days. Had she scared him off? They’d just fulfilled her most precious fantasy and he was so quiet.

Well, Nic was always quiet. She knew that. But just this once she wished he’d be chatty, or at the very least, tell her what he was thinking.

He sighed. “Annie…”

Then again, maybe she didn’t want to know. She bit into her bottom lip, stopping the words from escaping, waiting for him to continue.

“Honey, we’ve got to be at your mother’s in less than an hour.”

Okay, that was so totally not what she’d been thinking about. But, damn if he was right.

She didn’t want to leave. She wanted to spend all night with him, wanted to make love with him again and he was letting common sense get in the way.

She wanted him to go caveman on her, to demand she stay right here with him, naked and willing.

Instead, she said, “You’re right. And Mother hates when I’m late.” She forced herself to sit up, tearing herself away from the warmth of his side, and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Nic didn’t move. She turned and found him watching her, his eyes stormy.

“You’re beautiful,” he said. “I don’t know how I’m going to get through tonight without touching you.”

Annie felt her insides melt at his raw tone. She watched him stand and come around the bed, naked and unashamed and with good reason.

He made her want…well, he made her want him.

He stood before her and carefully adjusted her bra then ran his fingers through her hair. He kissed her, took his time doing it and, when he pulled back, he smiled.

“Get dressed. I’ll grab a quick shower here before I take you home for one.”

Then he walked away and she watched his perfect rear end until he disappeared out the door.

* * * * *

“Hello, sweetheart. I’m so glad you could make it.” Beatrice Reed opened the front door and brushed a kiss across her daughter’s cheek as she ushered them in.

Dressed in a dove gray dress that matched her eyes, her blond hair a shade darker than Annie’s, Beatrice did not remind Nic of a society matron. She looked too young.

“Hello, Mom.” Nic heard the slight stiffness that came into Annie’s tone. “Thank you for inviting us tonight.”

Beatrice turned her gaze to him and he stiffened, not sure what to expect. He didn’t know what to make of her genuine smile.

“Dominic, I didn’t realize you would be accompanying Andrea. She didn’t say who she was bringing. It’s so nice to see you again.”

“Thank you for the invitation, Mrs. Reed.”

As Beatrice led them through the Reed family’s Main Line mansion, Nic tried to remember the last time he’d seen Annie’s mom. Had to be at least a year. She’d been invited to a reception his parents had thrown for an old friend, apparently an old friend of Beatrice’s, as well. At the time, he hadn’t paid her much attention since that was in his keep-Annie-at-a-distance phase. Looks like he’d shot that all to hell.