He needed whatever he could get to make this right.
They stopped at the foot of the bed and he turned to face her, saw the trepidation still in her expression.
“Are you mad at me?” Her wispy voice made him feel worse and he squeezed her hand, slowly drew her near.
“Of course not.” His other hand went to her cheek, his fingers stroking the petal soft skin. He could touch her all night. Hell, that was the plan. She felt so good, so unbelievably right and he wanted her to see that.
How much they belonged together.
She leaned her cheek into his hand, nuzzling his palm. “You think I’m crazy.”
“Never.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead, his lips lingering, and he heard the catch in her breath.
“You think I’m a slut.”
He couldn’t hold back the chuckle. “I love that you’re open with all of this.”
“But you think I’m too open because I want to keep doing it.” She paused, kept completely still as he kissed her temple, her cheek, the skin just beside her ear. “You don’t like that I suggested Brad.”
“You threw me.” Wasn’t that the damn truth? “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
“Thank you for thinking about it at least.”
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Austin kissed the tip of her nose. “Baby, you don’t have to thank me. I’d do just about anything for you.”
“Oh.” She sounded surprised, breathless.
Yet another point he needed to stress. Just how much he’d do for her no matter what it took. He’d felt that way before they’d started this. Now the feeling was only intensified.
He kissed first one corner of her mouth, then the other. Her eyes slid closed, her breath leaving her in a soft sigh, and he pressed his lips to hers, his hand cradling her cheek, his other hand sliding around her waist.
The kiss was simple, easy, just the way he wanted it. He needed to show her a softer side, not aggressive attack and immediate grope. She responded, her head tilting back, her lips opening wider, her tongue a tentative test against his lips. He answered in kind, their tongues brushing, retreating and brushing again.
A shiver moved through him and he pulled her closer, his hand splaying across her lower back. The dress she wore was soft and thin, the heat of her burning through the fabric, branding his palm. He wanted to feel her bare skin, kiss her everywhere he touched.
Eagerness made him clumsy and he yanked on the waist of her dress with little finesse, withdrawing reluctantly from her mouth. “Let’s take this off.”
She stepped away from him, her hands tugging the skirt up and then the entire dress over her head. Letting the garment fall to the floor, she stood before him in just a black satin bra and matching panties, looking like his every wish come true.
Emotion overwhelmed him, made him hesitant to touch her. Suddenly everything felt serious, intense and he wanted to get it just right, wanted to show her how much she meant to him. A little smile curved her lips but he noticed the nervousness in her gaze, knew that her instincts told her something was different about tonight.
Stiffening her spine, Michaela stepped toward him, her hands reaching out to settle upon his chest. He looked at those slender little hands, absorbing her touch, enjoying the way her fingers curled into his shirt. “You look serious tonight, Austin.”
He smiled, trying to play it off. “Is that better?”
She shook her head. “It’s fake.” Her hands went to the placket of his shirt and slowly unbuttoned the first button. “You’re making me nervous.”
“Nothing to be nervous about. Just another night together, right?” She slipped another button undone, her fingers brushing against his pecs, and he shuddered.
Her smile grew and another button came undone. “Do you know what I was thinking when I watched you sitting across from me at the table?”
He shook his head for an answer and his stomach muscles constricted when he felt her touch.
“I wanted to crawl into your lap, unbutton your shirt and kiss you.” She pressed her lips to his chest, right at his heart. “Right here.”
Ah Jesus, he didn’t know if he’d be able to take this. She continued to kiss him, her hands shoving the shirt from his shoulders, down his arms. He shook himself out of it, staring at the top of her blonde head. Her hands settled at his sides, just above his hips, her mouth trailing across his chest until meeting his nipple.