leave this room?”
His gaze never left her face. She could have sworn she saw disappointment flicker over those strong, beautiful features, but it was gone so fast she knew she’d imagined it. “Yes. It’s over when we leave this room.”
Telling herself she could believe it, she tried to relax. “You went to so much trouble.”
He bent to the picnic basket and came up with two glasses and a bottle of wine. He handed her one, and when she took it from him, his fingers brushed hers. The bolt of pure lust that shot through her shocked her into making a little gasp.
“Cami?”
She meant to take only a tiny sip of the wine, elegantly, with some amount of sophistication. After all, she hadn’t been born in a barn. She could show this man that she could have a hot, passionate affair-and she was fairly confident it would be hot and passionate-and then walk away. But God, she was so nervous. So nervous she gulped the wine. The unfortunately large sip went down the wrong pipe, and she began to sputter very unattractively.
And in the process, spilled half her glass down her front.
Tanner grabbed the glass while she continued to wheeze. Eyes watering, nose running, she coughed and coughed and finally managed to smile at him. “I’m okay.”
“And wet,” he said regretfully.
“Yeah.” Only one way to get past this strained moment, she thought, and that was to get seduced. Heck, she was
Since he’d just taken a sip, the glass was high enough that the wine spilled down his chin, his throat and all over his chest.
“Whoops,” she said, biting her lower lip. “Now we’re both wet. I’m so sorry. Let me-” Leaning close, she nipped at his chin.
Shock held him immobile.
She shifted closer and ran her mouth over his throat, lapping at the drops of wine she found there. “Mmm,” she said. “Better than out of the glass.”
When she nosed aside the material of his shirt to nuzzle at hollow of his throat, he moaned. “Cami…” His eyes were closed. “Let me set down my drink.”
“Hold on.” She unbuttoned his shirt and slipped her hands beneath the material, sighing at the feel of his warm-and wet-skin, his sleek, tight muscles. She slid his shirt over his shoulders so that it fell to his elbows, trapping him by the glass he held in each hand. Unable to help herself, she reached out and licked at the drops of wine over one impressive pec. “You taste so good, Tanner.”
Swearing, he staggered back a step. Empowered by his naked reaction, she followed him and pressed her body close.
“Cami-”
She shut him up with her mouth. She had to because, one, she didn’t want to hear anything he had to say. She knew this was temporary, and though her heart was already complaining, she couldn’t think about that.
And two, she’d never been so hot in her entire life. Never had a man set out to please her, and the music and candles and food did please her, but mostly it was the effort he’d made.
He got into the kiss quickly, expertly, opening his mouth to hers. Making a sound of relief, she plastered herself against him. Since he was wet, and so was she, they stuck together, but she just kept on kissing him. She couldn’t stop. His mouth reminded her of his voice, quiet yet demanding, though he didn’t say a word.
The fear and uncertainty she’d felt only a few moments before vanished entirely, replaced by a heat and a hunger only he could assuage, so she gave herself up to it. “I want to make love,” she whispered against his mouth. “Now? I know you really wanted to eat first, but-”
A rough laugh escaped him. “It’s your fantasy date.”
“Well…” She grinned, feeling wicked with him as she’d never felt with anyone else. “Honestly? My fantasy would be you in a tool belt with nothing else on.”
She definitely shocked him with that. He just stood there.
“But we can start with the basics,” she added.
“The basics.” He sounded strained. “Can I set down the glasses first?” Letting out a nervous laugh, she took his glass and set it on the floor. Before she straightened, he reached for her, pulling her against him, burying his face in her neck, feasting his mouth on her skin while his hands skimmed over her body.
The heat and hunger spread, and Tanner knew just where to touch her to make it worse. When he slipped off her blouse and unhooked her bra, tossing both over his shoulder to the floor, she nearly cried in relief. Then, when he cupped her bare breasts in his hands, plumped them up and brought his mouth to her aching nipples, she did cry out.
His shirt hit the floor. Then his pants. He was reaching for her slacks when she remembered. Before she could open her mouth, he’d skimmed the material down her hips and went utterly still.
“Cami.” He seemed seriously oxygen challenged.
“Tanner.”
His gaze was glued to the area her mother had told her never to let anyone look at. “Where’s your underwear?” he asked hoarsely.
“Um…my underwear isn’t going to play a part tonight.” To prove it, she pressed her bare chest to his and lifted one equally bare leg to his hip so that she could rub herself shamelessly against him.
With a rough groan, he staggered back and encountered wall. “Wait-”
But she couldn’t. She didn’t want to ever wait again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted both legs, hooking them around his waist.
He swore softly, or maybe it was a prayer, but the next thing Cami knew, he’d gripped her but tocks and entered her. Good thing he held her so tightly because at the long, hard, hot feel of him stretching her to the limit, she would have sunk to the floor.
His face was a tight mask of barely restrained control, and he held himself utterly still. She didn’t want still, she wanted wild, fast, she wanted…out of control.
Now.
Using him as her lever, she surged up and sank down on him.
He let out a rough, dark sound, and his head thunked against the wall.
“You okay?” she managed to ask, doing it again as her mouth busied itself on his fabulous throat.
His fingers bit into her hips. “You’re killing me.”
She continued her assault.
And this time he met her thrust. And the next, and the next.
It was heaven. The fire that had pooled low in her belly when she’d first seen the room had spread within her. She’d never felt anything like the shooting shards of sensation that made her arch against him and had her letting out needy little whimpering sounds. “Don’t stop,” she commanded. “Don’t stop.”
“No.” There were reasons to put a halt to this madness, but with her body draped over his, her eyes dazed and glowing, Tanner couldn’t remember a single one. All he could think was that being buried inside Cami was the only place to be. He’d fallen for her, hard. He hadn’t planned on it, but now that he knew, he could deal with it. He could let it happen, even if it meant changing the rules on her.
“Tanner…” Her body welcomed him, pulled him in deep as she began to shudder around him.
Watching her come for him was the most erotic experience of his life, and he couldn’t have held back his own release if he’d tried.
Still gasping for breath, Cami lifted her head and smiled a wobbly smile. “And to think you wanted to stop.”
“No.” He could still hardly breathe, but he managed to kiss her. “I just wanted to move away from the wall.”
“Really? I enjoyed the wall.”
“That’s because you’re not up against the wet paint.”
