With his breath hot against the nape of her neck, Grant was taking charge again. And Tara was completely powerless against it. She wanted him just as much as she’d wanted him before. Possibly more. The last several weeks of fighting back her attraction to him had been pure hell. He’d been cold to her and she wanted him warm again. She wanted his white-hot body against hers.
She turned her head to make eye contact, to be sure that he wanted what she did, but he countered not with his gaze, but with his mouth on hers and his hand at her nape. He pulled her head back to deepen the kiss, their tongues quickly finding the satisfying dance they’d discovered mere weeks ago. Tara’s entire body flooded with heat and desire. Craving. Unlike before, this wasn’t about curiosity, this was about another taste of this man she couldn’t get out of her system.
She stood to be closer to him and he walked her back to the kitchen island, pressing her backside against the counter. She grabbed him by the waist and tugged him closer, wanting him to flatten her right then and there. He was hard already; she could feel it through his jeans, and it made anticipation bubble up inside her.
Tara lifted one butt cheek and eased herself up onto the countertop, wrapping her legs around Grant and muscling him close. His erection rubbed right against her center, and even through several layers of denim, it made her so hot. He kissed her deeply, their noses bumping into each other, and she placed her hands on either side of his face, rubbing her thumbs against the thicker texture of his facial hair. It was somewhere between silky and scratchy, and she loved the contrast in sensations. It so perfectly mirrored her inner conflict about making love with him again. She knew she shouldn’t, that sex would only make things more complicated, but she also knew that she was tired of waiting for happiness, and if this was the only blip of it she got for the foreseeable future, she’d better grab it while she could.
She pulled at the lightweight sweater Grant wore, tugging it up over his head. She spread her hands across his chest, kissing his warm skin. His muscles seemed to twitch beneath her touch, and she loved having that effect on him. “You are too sexy, Grant. Working with you while staying away from you is impossible.” That was an issue she was going to have to resolve, but not now. Not when she had a one-way ticket to his bedroom and they had an entire weekend stretching out before them. Astrid wouldn’t find her here. Not this time. They could be all alone.
Grant growled into her ear. “You have no idea how much I love hearing that.”
Before she could respond, he’d lifted her off the kitchen island and was walking her to the back of the house. Tara was a tall woman—she’d never been whisked off to bed like this, and she loved the way it made her feel so desired. She spent so much of her day trying to be tough and formidable. It was wonderful to feel as though she was at someone else’s mercy.
When they arrived at Grant’s bedroom, he didn’t bother with the light, but instead laid her down on the bed and put all of his body weight on hers. The kiss they fell into had no limits—she could have kissed him forever and she would have made time for more. She didn’t want it to end. She also wanted him to know that she was his equal partner in this endeavor, so she rolled to her side, taking him with her. He eased to his back and she straddled his hips, grinding her center against him as she sat up, crossed her arms at the waist and lifted her top up over her head. She wanted Grant’s hands all over her, but he instead folded his arms back behind his head.
“Don’t you want to take my bra off?” she asked.
“I like watching you do it,” he answered playfully.
“Fair enough.” He’d made the first move. He deserved to have his way at least a little bit. She reached behind her and unhooked the garment, then teased one strap from her shoulder, then the other, before she flung it aside. His hands found her breasts, and molded around them, teasing her nipples and causing her breath to hitch. His touch was pure magic, his hands warm and purely focused on her pleasure. It felt so good that she gasped, and she dropped her head back, letting her hair cascade down her naked shoulders. Grant took his chance to unbutton and unzip her jeans and Tara realized just how impatient she was for the main event. She wanted Grant naked and she wanted the same for herself.
She hopped off the bed and quickly shucked her jeans, while Grant followed her lead, climbing off the mattress and leaving his pants on the floor. He pulled back the silky duvet and picked her up again, this time sweeping her legs up with his arm. He planted a knee on the bed and placed her gently against the cool sheets. She swished her hand against the smooth fabric, but arched her back. The need for him to be touching her and weighing her down again was too much.
He reached into his bedside drawer and pulled out a condom, which he rolled on himself. She waited in anticipation as he climbed into bed and kissed her again, but this time there was something about it that truly made her breath catch. It was so intense it felt like he was sending a message. Perhaps he was trying to say he was sorry for the cold shoulder all of these weeks. Sorry for the many
