He removed his shirt as she pulled her gown over her head. His movements stopped as he stared at her nakedness. No man had ever looked at her with so much hunger, so much need. Her body burned in response.
Without taking the time to remove his trunks, he grabbed her to him, fastening his mouth on her breast, sucking the nipple inside, rolling it around on his tongue.
She gasped, then cried out as she flung her head back.
He shoved her things off the counter and into the sink. There were small crashes when her makeup fell to the floor. She didn’t care.
Kristor picked her up and set her on the counter, pushing her legs apart, and only then did he step back to remove the rest of his clothes.
Ria wanted to bring her legs together, hide what his eyes feasted on. But maybe she was an exhibitionist at heart, because she forced her legs to stay open. She had a feast of her own as she looked at him, now naked.
“I’ve never wanted a woman like I want you,” he said.
“Nor I a man like I want you.”
He scraped his fingers through the tight curls nestled between her legs, then slipped a finger inside her heat. She gasped, arching her back, wanting more.
“Do I please you?”
She bit her bottom lip. “Yes.”
“You’re wet with passion.”
“Then mate with me.”
He growled, brought her hips to the edge, then entered her. He arched his back, filling her, grasping her hips, then brought her up so that he held her in place. She wrapped her legs around his waist. He sank deeper, staying in that one spot.
She closed her eyes, and clenched her inner muscles. “I love the way it feels when you’re inside me.”
“Look at me,” he spoke softly. “I want to see when you come.”
Fire blazed through her. She opened her eyes when he began to thrust inside her.
In and out.
Deeper, harder.
He groaned. “Ah, by the gods, this is what I’ve needed all my life, but hadn’t known.” He stared into her eyes. “You are what I’ve needed.”
Ria didn’t have time to think about his words as the heat built inside her. She could feel the blood pounding through her veins.
He set her on the counter again. She leaned back on her hands. He held her in place with one hand, and massaged her breast with the other.
“Now, now,” she cried, barely able to keep her eyes open as he’d wanted.
Then her world exploded around her as spasms ripped through her. It was so damned good. Each time with him it was better than the last. She clenched her inner muscles, wanting to feel every inch of him as he continued to stroke her.
Kristor threw his head back and yelled a warrior’s cry, holding her tight as he came. She watched his face and saw the effect their lovemaking had on him. Excitement surged through her to know that she had given someone so much pleasure.
Their raspy breathing filled the room. Then she began to laugh. He looked at her, and joined in.
“Good morning,” she said.
He grinned, then eased from her body and adjusted the water in the shower. She looked around at her makeup that littered the floor and sink. It was so worth the mess.
He suddenly groaned and went to the floor. It became harder to see as the thick fog filled the room. So much for showering after making love. When the fog cleared, the hawk stared back at her. For some strange reason that made her a little uncomfortable. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her as she slipped off the counter.
This was so not cool.
When she opened the bathroom door, the hawk hopped out. She shut the door and dropped the towel. She could still feel Kristor’s warmth. For a moment, she closed her eyes and held it close. God, he made her feel so alive.
She stepped into the shower. The water was just right. It could’ve been a lot more fun with the two of them.
As soon as she’d showered and dressed, Ria headed for the kitchen. The bird was nowhere around, but she was learning to leave her bedroom window open. The hawk had probably left that way.
She started the coffee and had finished her first cup when she heard a rattle in the bathroom, then the shower running. For a moment, she visualized the water cascading over Kristor’s naked body.
The water stopped. She got up and poured a tall glass of orange juice, and herself another cup of coffee. He was dressed in jeans and a gray T-shirt when he joined her. No shoes. There was something a little rumpled about him. The look was sexy as hell.
He downed half the juice in his glass before setting it back down on the table and sitting across from her.
“Do you always shift after having sex?” she asked.
“Most Symtarian males do. We can’t help it. It’s the intense emotions that come with our release.”
“I don’t shift.” Wouldn’t that have surprised the men she’d been with? Talk about giving them the bird.
“It isn’t the same with women.”
“I don’t know. I thought it was pretty intense for me.”
He grinned.
She felt the heat rise up her face. No one would think anything could embarrass her after their lovemaking, but the way he looked at her did exactly that. “I need to go into work today,” she finally said.
He reached out and took her hand. “I know you haven’t come to terms with who you are. It will take time. I will be here to help you find your way.”
“And if I never do?”
“You will.”
She didn’t want to push. Probably because she was afraid of what he might say. Could he force her to return? And what would she do if he did?
Carly had known Donald was wrong. Ria was still her best friend. Kristor was just a passing fancy. When he left, their lives would return to normal.
Carly slowed as she turned the corner. Her smile faded. Kristor’s motorcycle was parked in the driveway. This was the second time he’d spent the night with Ria. As long as she’d known her friend, no man had ever spent the night once, let alone twice.
She took a deep, calming breath. It didn’t matter. Ria had said they would always be friends, and Carly had never known Ria to lie. Why would she start now?
But Donald’s words came back to haunt her. Kristor was from another country. Would Ria fall so much in love with him that she would leave everything to go live wherever the hell he lived?
Icy chills raced up and down her spine at the mere thought of Ria’s moving to a foreign country.
Carly continued past Ria’s house, and turned another corner. Her hands trembled and she couldn’t take a deep breath. If it wasn’t for Ria, she would have no friends. If Ria left, she would be all alone.
No! That wouldn’t happen. But no matter how many times she repeated that to herself, she couldn’t stop the rising panic that clogged her throat.
Carly had no life without Ria, and she knew it. They had been friends for as long as Carly could remember. Ria was the outgoing one, the one who stepped out of her comfort zone, the one who wasn’t afraid to try new things, except flying. Ria was the one who made life more interesting, and without her, Carly would die a slow death.
