She also knew he probably couldn’t help but draw comparisons from the past, and that worried her, too. Since none of her newer clothes fit, she knew she’d gained weight. Would he be disappointed to find that her body had changed? What if he wanted the lights on? Cynthia wasn’t sure she was brave enough for that yet.
Will took her hand and led her from the elevator to their door. She let him guide her inside. He locked the door behind them, tossed his keys onto the table where the phone used to be and made his way into the living room.
When he reached up to turn on the light, Cynthia caught his hand. “How about just the fireplace?” she suggested. Even that light was too much, but she didn’t want to sound immature. The fire would still cast shadows, and the dim glow would mask the imperfections she hoped to hide.
He nodded silently, going through the motions of starting a fire and gesturing for her to sit on the thick area rug in front of the fireplace. She kicked off her shoes and sat down to watch him. With the flames started, Will disappeared into the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with two flutes of champagne. “Have you tried champagne yet?”
“No,” she said as she accepted the glass and watched him lower to the rug beside her.
“Then, to the first of several new experiences tonight I hope you’ll enjoy.” Will held up the flute and clinked it with hers.
Cynthia could feel herself starting to blush and hoped the fireplace didn’t make it too obvious. She brought the glass to her lips and took in a sip of the sweet, bubbly drink. It was wonderful. She took another large sip. The fizz seemed to go straight into her veins, warming her whole body and relaxing the muscles that tensed as he lingered close.
“Do you like it?” Will asked, setting his half-empty flute on the nearby coffee table and then leaning closer to her.
“I do.” She swallowed the last bit for a dose of liquid courage and set it aside.
“Good.” He reached out to cradle the nape of her neck and leaned in to close the small gap between them. His lips met hers, and she instantly felt lightheaded in a way that had nothing to do with champagne. His mouth was warm and tasted sweet against hers. The feel of his fingertips massaging through her hair coaxed her eyes closed, and she gave in to the sensation of him.
She felt the heat of his hand on her thigh. It stroked gently through the fabric of her skirt, slowly inching it higher up her leg. The caress lit a fire deep in her belly that urged her to reach out to him. Cynthia pressed a hand against his chest, kneading at the hard muscles, but the starched fabric of his dress shirt didn’t feel good against her palms. She wanted to touch bare skin. Starting at his collar, she worked at the buttons, pausing as she reached his waistband. There, the brush of her fingertips across his stomach elicited a deep groan of approval against her lips. It made her bolder, and she tugged his shirt out and undid the last button, slipping the shirt over his shoulders and exposing his chest.
This, she wanted to see. Pulling away from his kiss, she opened her eyes and took in the hard expanse of his chest, the ridges and planes of his body accented and shadowed by the flickering fire. It beckoned her to reach out, and she indulged. She reveled in the velvet glide of her fingertips across his skin. The muscles of his stomach jumped as her hand neared his navel, and Will shot a hand out to grasp her wrist. “Not yet,” he whispered, moving her hand higher to rest on his shoulder.
Will kissed her again, and this time she could feel his hands move down her blouse, opening it as she had done to his shirt. For a moment her nerves returned, but her back was to the fire, so when he eased her blouse off, her chest was still cloaked in shadow. His hand slid like satin over her exposed back, grasping the catch of her bra and undoing it with a flick of his fingers. Without his mouth leaving hers, he slid the bra down her arms and tossed it aside, covering the aching globes of her breasts with his greedy hands.
Cynthia gasped against his lips as he pinched one hardened peak between his fingertips and then soothed the ache with his palms. The sharp sensation traveled straight to her inner core, urging her body forward to press against him, but it wasn’t nearly enough to soothe the need building inside her.
Will unzipped her skirt at the hip and surged forward, easing her back until she was lying flat on the rug. The movement exposed her body to the glow of the fire, but when she caught him looking down at her with unbridled lust, her heart leapt in her chest. For a moment, she was able to put aside all her insecurities and bask in the glow of being truly desired. It was a new and wonderful feeling, second only to the tingle of his lips against her skin as he traveled down her exposed chest. His mouth captured one tight nipple while his hands moved lower to tug her skirt and panties down over her hips. Only when he absolutely had to did his mouth leave her body, and that was only to cast the last of her clothing, then his, aside.