feeling.
She did believe him. He'd made a successful living from being a thief and had no doubt been caught in tougher situations than this.
His amusement washed through her. But never before have I had such a lovely way to pass the time.
The last of her buttons came undone. He brushed the shirt back over her shoulders, then teasingly ran his fingers across her bra and up her neck, until his hand cupped her cheek.
His lips grazed hers, feather light and tender. I'll stop if you want me to .
She closed her eyes. For an instant, she considered telling him to do just that. To back away and leave her alone. But only for half a second. He was going back to America once the murderer was caught, no matter what happened between them. Did she really want to lose him without at least knowing his touch, without feeling his caress, inside and out?
No, she thought. Definitely not. Damn it, she'd spent most of life erring on the side of caution, and what had it achieved her? Very little. Certainly not happiness.
And if she lost her heart in the process of making love to him, what of it? At least she would have finally taken a chance, stepped beyond the shackles of memories and mistakes and done something simply for the hell of it.
And just this once, she was going to do precisely that.
His breath seemed to catch, and heat flowed through the link, setting her body alight. She let his thumb go and leaned forward, kissing his lips, exploring the warmth of his mouth with her tongue, greedy to taste him more fully.
He skimmed a hand across her shoulders and down her back, catching her bra and deftly undoing it.
She pulled back a little, her heart pounding and breathing harsh. Lord, they'd barely even kissed and already she was aching with need. In some ways, it was scary just how attuned she was to him.
He caught her hand, taking the T-shirt and deftly pulling it off.
His amusement shimmered through her, spreading like a wave through her body, tingling even her toes. I
Her breath caught, the anticipation of his touch becoming a pulse deep inside.
There was something very erotic about making love under a dusty old bed with the chance of discovery only a quick gasp away, too. He pushed past her panties and touched her, slipping his finger down her wetness and thrusting inside. She shuddered, pushing against his hand and barely restraining her moan.
His lips caught hers. She kissed him hard and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him against her until her breasts were deliciously squashed against his chest and all she could feel was him caressing, thrusting, deep inside her.
Outside, in the hall, footsteps sounded.
Deep inside the ache was growing. Oh God, stop… stop , her mind begged, even though it was the last thing she wanted.
He stopped. She leaned her forehead against his chest, her breath ragged. The thunder of his heart rang through her ears, but failed to drown out the thump of footsteps moving past. The bathroom light came on again.
His smile shone through her. He brushed a kiss across the top of her head. It's our male visitor this
She looked up. How can you tell?
She smiled and began planting tiny kisses across his chin. He raised a hand, cupping her cheek, catching her mouth and deepening the kiss again. The toilet flushed and the footsteps moved away. A few seconds later the back door slammed.
You stop now, and I think I will explode with frustration.
'I don't expect them to. Not yet.' He brushed the hair from her eyes, his touch shivering heat through her heart, her soul. 'You asked for time before, and that's all I want myself. Time together, so that you can more fully understand both my feelings and yours. Because those feelings are there, and so strong that I can almost taste them.'
Her gaze searched his, and she wondered if he was right, or whether he was merely hoping it to be the truth. The touch of wistfulness in his tone suggested it might be the latter, but right then, she didn't really care. They had this moment to enjoy, and for once in her life, fear of the unknown was going to take a back seat.
'Can we please take this discussion elsewhere? The dust is starting to get up my nose.'
He laughed softly and rolled out from under the bed. She followed, and he wrapped a hand around her forearm, helping her up then pulling her close.
'Now, where were we?' He began sliding her shirt off her shoulders.
Excitement thrummed through her. She cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow. 'Here? I thought we were moving to some place more comfortable. You can hardly call a single bed that.'
'Depends who's in it with you.' His grin was roguish and made her heart do somersaults. Her bra quickly joined her shirt on the floor. 'Now, let's do something about those jeans, huh?'
He knelt, his tongue trailing heat down her stomach. She shivered in delight, anticipation growing. He slid her jeans and panties down her legs, allowing her to step out. Then he delved into her moistness, the caress of his tongue whisper soft and oh-so arousing. She gasped, excitement pulsing through her, until every nerve ending screamed for release. He rose, claiming her mouth again, kissing her hard. Slipped his hand between her legs and stroked her, gently at first, then faster when the tremors began. She moaned, clinging to him, thrusting against his touch, climaxing hard and fast. Wished he was inside, climaxing with her, and yet not wanting it to end so soon.
'Nor shall it,' he murmured. 'That, my love, was merely an entree.' He kissed her neck, her shoulders, then captured her nipple in his mouth, sucking lightly.