Back In The Bedroom

unhooked her bra and spread them away from her all in one movement. Before she caught her breath, a big, warm palm slid up the inside of her bare leg to touch her through her panties.

His gaze met hers as she arched into his hand. Pushing her skirt up to her waist, he slipped off her panties, then settled himself between her thighs, leaning in to kiss her again.

A little undone, she slapped a hand to his bare chest.

He let out a breath. “Not again. Too fast?”

“No. Fast is fine. It’s just that you’re doing that take-over thing again.”

He let out a disbelieving laugh. “I’m at the good part and you want to discuss my take-over tendencies? Now?”

She smiled because he looked so…bewildered. “Yes.”

With a long-suffering sigh, he came up on his knees and lifted his hands in surrender. “Okay. Go ahead. You take over.”

“Lose the pants.”

“Gladly.” He wrenched himself away from her and got off the couch. The rasp of his zipper seemed extraordinarily loud. Looking down at her, he slowly stripped off his shoes, socks, pants and underwear and stepped free, holding something he’d taken from his pocket.

A condom.

And then just stood there, larger-than-life in her small living room, the contours of his hard body revealed by the lights she’d turned on earlier.

Definitely larger than life, all of him. She could have just looked at him forever, but he shifted restlessly and gave her a look that seared.

“You’re so beautiful, Reilly.”

He moved toward her with sexual intent blazing from his eyes, but when he reached the couch, he paused, fists clenched at his sides. “What now?”

He was trying to let her be in charge, trying, but not quite succeeding, and emotion swamped her. “Come here,” she whispered and when she opened her arms, he settled himself back between her legs. He felt so good, so warm and strong. She wanted him, all of him, and she dug her fingers into his tight bottom, trying to push him in.

He laughed softly. “Where’s the verbal instructions?”

“Hurry.”

“Now there’s a good one.” His hands tightened on her. She felt his mouth on her breasts, her belly, her thighs…and then in between. “Like this?” he murmured.

She let out a sort of strangled squeak that sounded horrifyingly needy. But she was horrifyingly needy. Her muscles were shaking, her everything was shaking and it wasn’t anything like the short, vaguely pleasurable experience she’d expected, but more-so much, much more.

“Tess?” He kissed the inside of her thigh before lifting his head. “What’s next?”

“Um…” She couldn’t remember what she’d planned.

With a knowing smile, he dipped his head and licked her like a lollipop. She arched right into his mouth.

“Oh, wait,” he said. “You didn’t say to do that.”

As if she was in charge at the moment. Ha! She’d never been in charge. But now he was looking at her, waiting, his eyes blazing. “More?” he asked politely.

“Yes.” Her fingers tightened fiercely in his hair. “In fact, if you stop, I might kill you.”

“Well, then.” And he bent his head again and sucked her exquisitely sensitive little center right into his mouth.

She exploded on impact, saw fireworks, heard the explosion, felt the tremors, everything. When she could breathe again, Reilly was still between her legs, ready to sink into her, but she managed to slap a hand to his hard chest. “Wait.”

His face was a mask of pleasured pain. “Again?” His voice sounded a bit strangled. He had a hand wrapped around his erection, holding himself poised at the juncture between her thighs and didn’t look predisposed to play anymore.

She sat up. Somehow she managed to reverse their positions, pushing him down on his back. Leaning over him, she decided he was the most beautiful creature she’d ever seen. And he was all hers.

At least for tonight.

She kissed his chest, his belly and then, just as he had, she lay between his legs. “Hold still,” she said. “I want to try…” And again, just as he had, she licked him.

At the guttural sound that escaped him, she looked up. “Problem?” she asked.

“Hell, yes.” His jaw was granite, as was the rest of him. “I haven’t…” He swore. “It’s…been a while.”

Her entire heart softened. “I know.”

“Do you? Because one more touch from you and it’s going to be over.”

“Then we’ll start again.”

He let out a laughing groan that broke off in another groan when she took him into her mouth and suddenly, he was no longer laughing. When she swirled her tongue over the tip of him, he swore, then reached up and grabbed her, flipping her onto her back. He put on the condom, took her hands in his, stretched them up over her head and insinuated himself between her legs.

“Reilly-”

He covered her mouth with his and plunged inside her. “Sorry,” he said, looking anything but, and pulled back only to thrust in again. And then again.

He’d taken over, driven by passion, passion for her, and it was the most thrilling experience of her life, making a man like Reilly want her so badly that he’d given himself completely over to her.

“Wrap your legs around me,” he directed. “Yeah, like that- Tess…”

The way he said her name, the look on his face as he bent close to kiss her again, a hot, hard, demanding kiss that mimicked what the rest of his body was doing, all combined, taking her out of herself and when he whispered her name, she started shuddering again. In her arms, his muscles went taut, and he buried his face in her throat as he found his own release, which only extended hers, taking her to a place she’d never been. Taking them both.

IT’D BEEN A HELL of a long time since someone had knocked Reilly so completely for a loop, but Tessa had done it, she’d really done it.

At some point, they’d gone from the couch to the floor, though he’d rolled onto his back so he wouldn’t suffocate her. He was still panting for breath, but he felt something else besides breathless. He felt a sharp tightness in his chest and he realized it had been there ever since she’d shown up in Eddie’s house that night they’d been held up.

Maybe the funny tightness was stress. But whatever it was, he sure as hell didn’t want to examine it too closely. Instead, he concentrated on drawing air into his lungs. No sooner than his heart had come down to anything close to resembling normal, Tessa’s head popped into view.

With her hands all over him, she grinned. “That was fun.”

“Fun,” he concurred, nodding. Fun. “You nearly killed me.”

“Really? I’m sorry.”

He studied her flushed cheeks, her glowing eyes, that I’m-quite-tickled-with-myself smile and had to laugh. “Yeah. You look real sorry.”

“I am. Especially if I wore you out, because I was hoping…” Leaning in, she whispered what she was hoping.

It made him hard again.

“But if you’re too tired…” She curled into his body, her hands still all over him. With a sigh, she set her head on his chest. “It’s okay, if you are. We can just lie here.”

Too tired? Not likely.

“I just want to be with you,” she whispered and, head on his chest, let out a soft, happy sigh. “Just for tonight, Reilly. Isn’t this nice?” She ran her fingers down his arm, his chest and belly. Over and over again, that soft, light touch.

He didn’t have to look into her eyes to see she was giving him everything she had. That was the kind of woman