He tasted me with a brazenness that struck a match to the desire that had been straining to be freed after that episode on his sofa. With effortless ease he set it ablaze between one snatched breath and the next.
His tongue stroked mine with a possessiveness that took control of my whole body, so that when one hand slid from my shoulder and down my back to draw me into sizzling contact it felt as if I was made of warm, pliant dough, ready to mould myself to any shape of his bidding.
When his other hand angled my head to deepen the kiss it was all I could do to slide my own hands around his neck. To hold on tightly as the dizzying journey zipped like a rollercoaster ride I never wanted to end.
With a helpless moan, I parted my lips wider, strained onto my toes the better to absorb more of the experience.
Ax made a gruff sound that disintegrated beneath our frenzied kiss. His hold intensified until we were plastered together from chest to thigh. Until the unmistakable imprint of his thick, aroused manhood blazed hot and potent against my belly.
My fingers convulsed in his hair as the memory of him inside me, possessing me, surged into life. Feverish need pooled between my thighs, hunger prising another moan from my throat.
Before it could be anywhere near sated Ax was pulling away, his gaze searingly possessive as it moved from my damp and tingling mouth to my eyes.
‘Now that we’ve shown the world how hot we still are for each other, will you come inside with me and dance with your husband?’ he asked, his tone husky but firm.
Did he really want to dance with me or had he kissed me just for show?
The eyes burning into mine seemed to be attempting to read me just as hard as I was trying to reading him.
What was he looking for?
What was I looking for?
My scrambling senses flailed, and I was aghast at how easily and completely he’d overtaken my senses. How even now, with a few snatched breaths, I still couldn’t think beyond the need to experience that kiss all over again. Yearning for more than just a kiss.
Realising he was awaiting a response, I scrambled the appropriate words together. ‘Yes. If I must.’
He swooped down to pick up my discarded phone, then linked his fingers with mine before tugging me after him.
The crowd parted at our re-entrance, and some of the gazes I met were alight with the knowledge of what we’d been doing out on the balcony.
Being mired in my confused emotions saved me feeling embarrassment at those looks. It also made me pliant enough to survive half of the slow waltz with Axios before my senses began to return.
The reality of finding myself plastered to my husband once more, with the effects of that kiss still lingering in the form of my peaked nipples and erratic breathing, made me glance wildly around, avoiding his gaze as I tried to gather my shredded composure.
‘Look at me, Calypso,’ he instructed gruffly.
Almost helplessly I met his gaze.
His expression was studiously neutral but his eyes glinted with residual emotion. ‘What just happened is nothing to be ashamed of,’ he said gruffly. ‘In fact, some might think it...fortunate that we’re compatible in some ways.’
I wanted to laugh, because he was oh, so savvy about such things. While I continued to flounder.
‘Don’t you think it’s a touch...needy to feel you have to be the centre of everyone’s attention?’ I asked.
The arrogant smile he slanted down at me said he didn’t care one way or the other what people thought.
‘I don’t wish to be the centre of everyone’s attention. Just yours,’ he drawled.
For the sake of our audience, I sternly reminded myself, even as my insides lurched and jumped with misguided giddiness.
To mitigate that sensation I pressed my lips together and swayed in his arms, hoping the music would soothe my ragged nerves and spirit the rest of this infernal night away.
But, as fate had shown me time and again, hopes and dreams belonged in fairy tales. Axios danced me through three more tunes before conceding the fourth to the mayor.
Thereafter, quickly reclaimed by my so-called doting husband, we moved from group to group, his hand firm on my waist and his piercing grey eyes smiling down at me through each introduction.
His acting skills were exceptional. Our guests lapped up every soft caress, indulgently smiling at my every recounting of why I’d been away as if it was a true Greek love story.