Songbird (15 page)

He drained his glass and set it back in the basket. “Even the flight?”

“
Even the flight,” she admitted. “It was a thrill—the biggest thrill I’ve ever experienced.”

“
The
biggest thrill?” His voice had a teasing lilt to it.

She blushed. “Yes. I know—how lame am I? But it’s true. It was
the
biggest thrill.”

He smiled. “I’m glad. Now what do you say we go jump in that water?”

“
All right.” She shook her head to clear it, then pushed herself to a stand. As she shrugged quickly out of her top and shorts, she heard his soft whistle.

“
Nice bathing suit.” His eyes slid down her body, took in the rise of her breasts above the skimpy royal-blue-and-white bikini top, the soft curves of her waist and hips, the triangular wisp of fabric below.

“
Thank you.”

He cleared his throat and grinned devilishly. “But the truth is, you don’t really need it. We’re the only people here. There’s no path at this end of the beach. And the only creatures who are likely to happen by from the ocean side are the feathered variety.”

“
No way!” she cried indignantly. “If you want to skinny dip, you can do it by yourself.”

“
You’ve got yourself a deal.” To her surprise, he took her at her word. In one downward swoop he divested himself of his bathing trunks and tossed them aside.

She only had a brief instant to stare, breathless, at his per¬fect body, before he grabbed her hand and pulled her with him into the sparkling waves. She gasped as the cold wa¬ter splashed against her legs, then enveloped her to the waist. She would have preferred to proceed more slowly, to take a few minutes to adjust to the water, but in typical Kyle fashion he plunged ahead, refusing to let go of her hand.

She couldn’t prevent her eyes from darting toward the na¬ked, virile man beside her. Were the sudden shivers traveling up her spine due to the brisk water temperature, or to the sight of Kyle’s splendid masculinity so casually displayed?

Finally he let go of her hand and dove forward under a wave. He emerged a few feet beyond, spraying water and laughing. “Want to swim out a ways?”

“
Yes.” A strong swimmer, Desiree happily knifed forward through the water. Her body gradually adjusted to the temperature, which now felt delightfully invigorating. They swam side by side for a time, rising up to crest each gentle wave, and then turned to ride the tide back in. When he reached a spot where he could touch bottom, he stopped and pulled her into his arms.

“
Fantastic, isn’t it?”

In answer she wrapped her arms around his neck, laughing and nodding. Suddenly their eyes met and she felt his entire body stiffen, as if struggling to keep his emotions in check. Desiree’s heart beat a jagged rhythm as they bobbed up and down together with the waves.

His eyes seemed to echo his words of last night.
You know how I feel about you. I’ve made no secret of it. Do you feel the same way about me?

Yes! her mind cried. Yes. Can’t you see? I adore you!

He brought one hand up to the nape of her neck and kissed her lightly. With a small moan she parted his lips with her tongue and deepened the kiss, sighing with pleasure as he wrapped his tongue around hers. A lightning bolt of desire flashed through her body, touching each vital organ, the tips of her breasts, the center of her womanhood. His arms tightened around her as he kissed her slowly, lovingly. He brought up one hand to cover her full, aching breast, kneading it gently, working his way to the crest, which strained toward his caress¬ing fingers. The ocean lapped and rolled against them, a fren¬zied counterpoint to their mounting passion.

“
You’re lovely, Desiree. Every perfect inch of you.”

He fused his mouth to hers once more and she lifted her legs to clasp tightly around his waist. She recalled the words he’d spoken the first time they walked on a beach, just one day after they met:

You are Desiree...Desired. Wanted. Longed for.

A shiver passed through her body as she felt his naked manhood, hard with desire, press against the very cove of her femininity. She might as well have been naked, too, for all the protection her thin bikini bottoms provided between them.
Let me show you how much I care. Let me make love to you,
he’d said last night. With sudden force he freed her mouth, and she felt rather than heard his passionate groan.

“
Desiree,” he whispered thickly into her ear. “I told you we’d wait until you were ready—and we will. But can you feel how much I want you?”

“
Yes.”
And I want you.
The acknowledgement came from deep in her soul and she wrapped her arms more tightly around him, as if by holding him close he could never leave her side.
What’s the point in living if you never take risks?
They lived separate lives, could probably share no more than an instant in time together. But somehow it didn’t matter anymore.

She’d spent far too long, she realized, avoiding the possibility of pain. All she had to show for it was years of loneliness. She knew what was to come would be sweet and precious, a treasure to look back on all the years of her life. They were meant for each other now; this moment was as inevitable as the ebb and flow of the swirling tide.

Her voice was a soft plea against his ear. “Make love to me.”

Eight

She was glad that he didn’t hesitate. He carried her out of the water and across the sand, laid her down on the soft wide blanket in the shelter of the cliff, and stretched out beside her. He held her for a long moment before he kissed her, his hands combing through the wet hair streaming across her shoulders.

She relished the feel of his cool, wet body against hers, drank in his clean scent, and savored the salty taste of his skin beneath her lips. She felt her heart drumming riotously beneath her breast and knew he must feel it, too. When he bent his head to kiss her, his lips moved softly, earnestly, slowly over hers. Each light touch of his mouth was like a mind-stealing drug, warming and soothing her already willing body and brain.

As she returned his kiss, her hands massaged the smooth, firm muscles of his slippery wet back, which flexed with each movement of his arms and body against hers. He ran his fingers the length of her slender back to the edge of her bikini bottoms, then up again, to the ties holding her top. With a single tug he untied the bow at her back. He kissed her once more leisurely, as if to savor each tiny moment and heighten their pleasure by prolonging the anticipation. At last he drew back and lifted the wisp of fabric over her head. He gently rolled her to her back, swept his fingers over her bare breasts and down the curves of her waist, then nimbly removed her bikini bottoms.

She lay submissive beneath him, marveling over her lack of embarrassment. Never in her life had she felt such pride in her body. A thrill raced through her under Kyle’s impassioned gaze.

“
You’re a goddess,” he whispered, eyes shining with tenderness and delight. With loving fingers he traced the inside of both her thighs, and she caught her breath as he ruffled the trimmed section of curls above.

She looked at his sleek masculine body, his powerful chest, his muscular legs, and the dusting of wiry hair over his smooth skin. “You’re beautiful,” she said. “All day I’ve wanted to touch you, hold you.”

A smile twitched his lips as he lay suddenly still beside her, propped on one elbow. “Please. Feel free.”

Hesitantly, she ran her fingers through the soft hair that covered his upper chest, then sifted down through the satiny trail toward the dimple of his navel and his hardened masculinity. She felt his stomach contract and heard his rapid intake of breath.

A sudden sound startled them both; they turned to find that a seagull had dropped to the sand a few yards away. Then, just as quickly as it had come, the bird spread its wings and darted away across the waves.

They shared a soft laugh. Kyle grasped her hand in his, turned it against his lips and kissed each one of her knuckles in turn. “Are you okay?” he asked softly. “Does it feel strange to be here with me, like this, on the beach?”

Did it feel strange?

No, she thought.
It feels right. Oh, so right.
His entire body spoke of his longing for her, and the fire burning within her told her how much she wanted him. The overhanging rocks sheltered them from view above, and the distant rolling surf played a melodious symphony beneath the canopy of the bright blue sky. It was as if this secluded, shaded alcove was meant for them alone.

“
Do you want to stop?” His low voice was concerned.

She felt tears start in the corner of her eyes and a rush of affection welled in her throat. Twice now she’d told him to stop, forced him to leave when his desire for her was all too evident. Still, he was willing to call it off now if she was uncertain. She’d never met anyone so understanding or unselfish.

His eyes as they met hers were filled with a yearning that surpassed sexual desire. He wanted her. But not just her body. She knew he cared about her, that he was sensitive to her needs, her feelings. Her heart went out to him wholly.

“
I don’t want to stop,” she whispered. “It’s just been a long time. I think I’m a little nervous.”

“
Don’t be. Relax. Enjoy the pleasure we can give each other.”

Their mouths touched tentatively at first, as his fingers cupped one of her breasts and paid loving attention to its rose-colored peak. Her hands moved caressingly up and down his sides, acquainting themselves with the lean hardness of his hips and hair-roughened thighs.

Then their lips began to move faster, faster. Tongues delved, tasted, explored, driven by hunger and the need to fulfill their long-restrained passion.

Her hands roved down his back, cupped his firm buttocks and pulled him more tightly against her. She felt his urgent desire, like a shaft of velvet-covered steel, press hard against her thigh. He groaned low and deep in his chest as he kissed the corners of her lips, her cheeks, the length of her throat.

Their breath came in quick gasps now as their hands moved over each other without restraint, each caress becoming bolder, more intimate. His nibbling teeth against her sensitive neck brought every cell in her body to full jolting awareness. His mouth moved with seductive slowness across her shoulders, over the outer curve of her breast, then closed around the nipple aching with desire. She wound her fingers through his damp hair, held his head against her breast as he sucked sweetly, his tongue revolving tantalizingly around the taut bud.

His palm prowled across her ribcage and abdomen, then lower, and lower still. And then he was there. Questing fingers gently parted her thighs, sought, and found. Tremors shot through her as his fingers probed the pulsing source of her passion, mesmerizing her with their gentle accuracy. She writhed beneath him in ecstasy, a molten core of need, mindless to everything but the tributes his hands and lips paid her body.

I want you, I want you, her body sang. Now! Now!

With an impassioned groan, she curled her fingers around his hard biceps, pulling him up on top of her. There was no need to speak. Their eyes locked, communicating their mutual hunger more eloquently than words. With trembling fingers she reached down, encircled him, and guided him into the inviting silk of her body. She felt a sensation of piercing tightness, an injection of smooth liquid fire that blended with the flames raging within her, and she whimpered with joy and relief.

“
Does it hurt?” he whispered against her lips, his eyes filled as much with passion as compassion. “Tell me.”

“
No.” It did, but it was a welcome pain, and she knew it wouldn’t last long. She moved against him, pulling him more deeply into her tight moistness. His body molded perfectly to hers, like two missing pieces of a puzzle finally joined.

“
You feel wonderful,” he whispered. “So soft. So warm.”

The hurt gave way to a sweet, violent throbbing as she matched his body’s rhythmic movements with her own, bringing him closer and closer to her center. She heard the call of a gull again, and the lulling sound of the waves seemed to surround her. She opened her eyes for an instant to glimpse the brilliant blue sky, then shut them again, nearly bursting with the joy of having him within her in this beautiful, magical place. Each thrust of his body sent her further and further into a realm of uncharted ecstasy.

Did it ever feel like this before? she wondered. Ever?

He moved harder, faster, until she felt her body tense with anticipation, vibrate with impending need. For an instant she froze, suspended in time, and then in a burst of light she broke free, her body pulsing with climactic shudders, which carried her high into the air.

She cried out, and moments later she heard his own soft moans, felt his entire body tauten as he gripped her and lost himself in his own release. She wrapped herself around him, her mind floating freely, her body reveling in his closeness and warmth. Then ever so slowly, they drifted together back to earth.

Many minutes passed as they held each other, panting to regain their breath. She opened her eyes and smiled into his. The corner of his mouth lifted up in a grin. He rolled them gently to their sides, bodies still clinging together, arms and legs entwined, tips of noses touching. She caressed his cheek lovingly with her palm, trying to memorize the texture of his skin, the exact slope of his nose, the angles of his cheek and jaw.